《Betrayal At The Altar》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    ¡°Will you please continue with the wedding ceremony first? Other matters can wait for now.¡± ¡°Rachel


    Grey, you know very well that our marriage is just a trade. Being Mrs. Smith is all you want from me.


    So, stay out of my business.¡±


    Her lips lifted into a mocking snicker, she had never thought that the three years she¡¯d spent with him


    was just a trade in his eyes.


    They have been together for the past three years, spending most of their time together. She could forgo


    everything for him, falling out with her family and leaving them. All he had in return was he couldn¡¯t


    control his feeling for his old me, Olivia Cruise.


    ¡°Here is 200 thousand dors. It should be enough for you to lead a stable life in the countryside.¡± He


    said.


    Apparently. the past three years she spent with him were worth only 200 thousand dors. He wouldn¡¯t


    have known that the 200 thousand dors were nothing to her, actually he didn¡¯t even know who she


    really is.


    ¡°Louis Smith, your family¡¯s wealth meant nothing to me, nor do I care about being Mrs. Smith. And I will


    not ept any form of apology andpensation from you. Remember this. There¡¯ll never be


    reconciliation between us.¡°Her face seemedced with ice, and nothing was in her eyes except


    indifference and determination.


    As the wedding march yed in the background, Rachel walked down the aisle in her white bridal


    gown toward Louis Smith, who is bearing a bouquet in his hand at the other end of the hall.


    Louis was wearing a matching white tuxedo. When the golden light shone on him from behind, it


    created a gentle halo¨Clike effect that enveloped him, making him appear bright and youthful.


    They had known each other for the past three years and had weathered many trials and tribtions


    together. Today was the day her dream came true; she was finally getting married to him.


    Her only regret was that her family was against her marrying Louis. So, She¡¯d never gotten the blessing


    from her family to marry him.


    Tears of joy shone in her eyes when he walked towards her and handed her the bouquet in his hand.


    The priest on the tform gazed upon the bride and groom with gentleness. ¡°Mr. Louis. Smith, do you


    take Ms. Rachel Grey for yourwful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for


    worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?¡±


    Rachel controlled the waves of emotion she was going through as she gazed hopefully at Louis,


    wanting to hear the word of affirmation from him.


    Louis did not seem overjoyed by this asion, and there wasn¡¯t any excitement on his face.


    He stood there hesitantly, not saying the word Rachel wished to hear.


    At this very moment, Jane Smith bolted in through the door from the outside, interrupting the


    procession happening in the church.


    ¡°Louis¡® It¡¯s Olivia¡­¡± Tears streamed down her face like a helpless child as she muttered,


    ¡°She..¡±


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    A gush of bad omen hit Rachel¡¯s heart as she gazed at Louis in confusion. Her grip on his hand


    tightened involuntarily.


    Rachel knew the weight that Olivia Cruise carried in Louis¡¯s heart.


    For Louis, Olivia was the one that got away, the one that would never belong with him.


    After the fall of the Smith family, Olivia left him for the opportunity to go overseas. Being a proud man,


    Louis cut all contact with Olivia and chose to be with Rachel instead.


    But a month ago, Olivia came back into his life.


    Louis immediately paled as he anxiously asked, his voice hoarse and panic¨Cstricken, ¡°What¡¯s wrong


    with Olivia?¡±


    ¡°Olivia bled so much, and I couldn¡¯t stop the bleeding. The doctor said that she¡¯s in danger of losing her


    life,¡± Jane spoke.


    Louis flung Rachel¡¯s hand away and sprinted out the door after hearing about Olivia from


    Jane.


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave!¡± Rachel grabbed Louis¡® hand as her entire body shook uncontrobly. She had her


    eyes fixated on him, and she said, ¡°Louis, it¡¯s our wedding day today. Are you sure you want to leave?¡±


    Their guests were murmuring at each other, and some even threw them mocking stares that stabbed


    through her heart like sharp knives.


    She stared at him with her reddened eyes as she begged for him to stay, ¡°Louis, Will you please


    continue with the wedding ceremony first? Other matters can wait for now.¡±


    ¡°Olivia got into an ident trying to save me, and she¡¯s now in the hospital, fighting for her life. I can¡¯t


    leave her just like that.¡±


    His expression gloomed when he realized she wouldn¡¯t let him leave the church withoutpleting the


    ceremony. His nce at her hardened as she spoke, ¡°Rachel Grey, you know very well that our


    marriage is just a trade. Being Mrs. Smith is all you want from me. So, stay out of my business.¡±


    All the years she¡¯d spent with him, and everything she¡¯d done for him, was just a business


    transaction to him.


    Her pupils shrunk as she stared at Louis¡® gloomy face in disbelief. The shock in her eyes slowly turned


    scornful.


    Her lips lifted into a mocking snicker as she spoke, her gentle voiceced with despair, ¡°Everything that


    we¡¯ve been through was just a trade to you?¡±

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    ¡°Yes!¡± Louis Smith answered firmly. His voice showed no hint of hesitation as if her question was silly.


    Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Her heart throbbed in pain as if someone had stabbed her heart with a


    knife.


    Louis left her and bolted out the door after dropping an insincere apology.


    Rachel stared at Louis¡® leaving figure. She felt as if all air was sucked out of her. She couldn¡¯t breathe,


    and her heart was convulsing in pain.


    She felt the chill seeping through her body, freezing her limbs.


    The Smith family had financial difficulties when Louis took over the family business. Their cash flow


    problem pushed them to the brink of bankruptcy.


    He told her then that he couldn¡¯t provide her with a stable life and future when thepany was facing


    a financial crisis and would marry her when thepany was back on track. She believed him and still


    remembered the promise he had made her after many years. With her identity, she helped him conquer


    the business world and became his advisor, making his name in the business world from a nobody just


    so that he could make her Mrs. Smith. She was hoping that her family would ept him once he had


    seeded.


    She had never thought that the three years she¡¯d spent with him was just a business transaction in his


    eyes.


    She was the only party in the rtionship that had seen him as her true love. But for him, the


    rtionship was just a trade.


    All her efforts and sacrifice for him were just a jokepared to what he had with Olivia Cruise.


    Biting her lips, Rachel pushed back the tears in her eyes with all her might. Still, they flowed freely


    down her face.


    The excruciating pain from her heart spread to every cell of her body. She couldn¡¯t help. shuddering as


    the convulsing pain from her heart took over her organs and body. Standing by the side, Jane couldn¡¯t


    help letting out a satisfied grin when she saw Rachel¡¯s miserable state. ¡°Rachel Grey, my brother would


    never marry a vige girl like you had you not been bugging him for so many years. Get out of my


    family if you know your ce.¡± Rachel¡¯s heart sank after hearing those brazen words of Jane. ¡°Did you


    forget that the sess of your family is because of me?¡±


    ¡°Stop spitting nonsense!¡± Jane scolded Rachel as she pointed her finger directly at her, ¡°Who do you


    think you are? Do you think you¡¯re some big shot? My family can still turn our fate around, with or


    without you.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart continued to throb in pain. Was that what she was to the Smith family? ¡°That¡¯s enough!


    That would be all for today.¡± Mrs. Smith stood up impatiently and walked toward Rachel. She looked at


    Rachel in disdain as if she was dirty and lowly. ¡°Look at you, Rachel. You can embarrass yourself, but


    please stop embarrassing the Smith family.¡±


    After that, Mrs. Smith greeted the guests with a broad grin.


    Rachel stood unmovingly as her eyes swept through the hall at the guests leaving the wedding she had


    been waiting for such a long time. How did it turn out to be a joke?


    Was this what she got in return after everything she had sacrificed?


    Was it because she had fallen for a man that never loved her back?


    Rachel slowly closed her eyes as tears flowed from the corner of her eyes. She felt helpless and weak.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Thirty minutester, Rachel wandered aimlessly on the quiet street like a homeless soul. The rain


    started to drizzle soon after, and it slowly got heavier before it poured. Rachel looked around for a


    shelter and noticed a bus stop nearby. She could only run toward the bus stop bare¨Cfooted.


    Stones with sharp corners cut through her feet when she stepped on them. Rachel frowned. She gritted


    her teeth as she endured the pain and limped toward the bus stop.


    Honk!


    A sharp honking sound caught her attention when it rang through the street.


    Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the car driving straight toward her. She felt her pupils tremble


    as the car neared.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Rachel¡¯s mind nked out. Her legs were weak like jelly, and she couldn¡¯t move at all


    The car sped by and passed her by at lightning speed


    Momentum from the car caused her to lose bnce, she swung around and fell to the


    ground


    She thought the car would ignore her and continued to speed away as if she wasn¡¯t there. There was


    nothing and no one around here after all, and they wouldn¡¯t get caught even if they did hit and run.


    Little did she expect, the car stopped and reversed until it stopped right before her.


    She watched the car door open from her sprawled position, and a man with slim legs in ck bespoke


    leather shoes stepped out from the car. He got out of the car and walked toward her. After reaching her,


    he extended the umbre in his hand and sheltered her from the pouring rain.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± David Jones asked. His voice was deep and clear to her ears.


    Rachel raised her eyes and looked at him. The man standing before her had a chiseled jawline and


    well¨Cdefined facial features, especially the deep, dark eyes that could stare into her soul, and she


    found that to be extremely attractive.


    The pair of eyes seemed familiar. Had she seen them before?


    But she couldn¡¯t remember where she¡¯d seen them.


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    Rachel shook her head. Her soft voice was a little hoarse when she answered, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡±


    She pulled herself together as she tried to get back on her feet. The wound and scratches on her legs


    had weakened her, and she fell back to the ground.


    At this very moment, she felt a strong arm catch her by the waist and pull her into an embrace.


    She fell into his embrace and was instantly enveloped by his warmth and the smell of his body. It was


    cooling, and exclusively him.


    She instinctively held out her hand and ced them against his chest. She could feel the strong,


    muscr chest with her palms and the throbbing veins beneath the muscles even when his clothes


    separated them.


    Rachel felt her palms growing hot and automatically pushed David away but failed terribly. He swooped


    down on her and picked her up with his strong arms.


    She couldn¡¯t help frowning, and displeasure filled her eyes as she cried, ¡°What are you doing? Put me


    down!¡±


    Although she had known Louis Smith for the past three years, they had only held hands. She couldn¡¯t


    help feeling tremendous difort when a stranger carried her like that.


    ¡°You¡¯re hurt. You need to go to the hospital right now.¡± David gazed down at her, his gaze open and


    straightforward.


    ¡°I can walk on my own.¡± She was ufortable with the intimacy they were having. The cool aura of


    him enveloping her was suffocating her, sending tension through every cell in her body.


    ¡°Stop moving around.¡± His deep, hoarse voice fell into her ears like an order, instantly stopping her


    urge to struggle.


    A gust of cold wind from the air¨Cconditioner hit her when he put her into the passenger seat, causing


    her to sneeze involuntarily.


    David turned off the air¨Cconditioner as he nced at Rachel, who appeared weak in his eyes. He took


    off the jacket he was wearing and wrapped it around her. ¡°Careful, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Not only did the jacket smell like him, but there was leftover warmth from his body. Her


    heart beat a little faster when she felt his leftover heat envelop her body.


    David¡¯s eyes swept over her blushing cheeks. A fleeting smile shed through his eyes when he said,


    ¡°I should be the one to thank you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Rachel gazed at him in confusion.


    ¡°Thank you for epting my apology and allowing me to make it up to you.¡± He frankly spoke with his


    deep voice as he gazed at her.


    They were quickly driven to the nearest hospital.


    Rachel insisted on walking on her own. David could only walk with her at her speed and finally sent her


    into the emergency room.


    Rachel saw David talking to someone on the phone from far when she walked out of the emergency


    room with his back facing her. Seeming to have caught a glimpse of her, he quickly hung up and strode


    toward her. ¡°Here is my contact number. You may contact me if you face any problems.¡±


    ¡°I have no other demand from you.¡± Rachel rejected the name card that was handed to her. She should


    have nothing to do with him once the matter was settled. She hated dragging longer than it was


    necessary.


    Rachel paused a moment before she took off his jacket and handed it back to David. ¡°Here¡¯s your


    jacket. I¡¯ll pay for the dry cleaning.¡±


    David stared at Rachel with raised brows, and a hint of a smile shed in his eyes, ¡°You need it more


    than I do right now.¡±


    Rachel teared up after hearing such a simple word from him, a stranger that helped her when she was


    down.


    Perhaps she was touched by a stranger¡¯s kindness after the tragedy she went through earlier that day.


    ¡°Thank you! I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Rachel rejected David¡¯s offer to help. She had a more important


    matter at hand that she needed to take care of. She had to return to the Smith family.


    David remained standing on his track as he watched Rachel¡¯s leaving figure. Humor shed through


    his deep, unfathomable eyes as he muttered under his breath, ¡°We shall meet


    again.¡±

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Rachel Grey limped to the marital room she was supposed to share with Louis Smith. Staring into the


    empty house, she knew no one was returning to the room other than her. Her eyes fell on the sticker


    spelling ¡°Happily Married¡± on the door. Rachel stepped toward the sticker and tore it off the door, there


    was no hesitation or reluctance in her action. The wedding decorations in the room got on her nerve.


    She pulled herself together and kept all the wedding decorations away. Everything else was packed


    except for the pre¨Cwedding photograph she¡¯d taken with Louis.


    She stood there silently with her eyes fixated on the pre¨Cwedding photograph. The pain in her eyes


    eventually turned into emptiness. She reached for the nearby scissors and stabbed the smiling face in


    the pre¨Cwedding picture.


    After cleaning up all the traces of their so¨Ccalled love, Rachel sat alone on the sofa the entire day until


    the night had fallen. Just when she felt drowsy in a trance¨Clike, she heard the door opening from the


    outside.


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    She would usually have a broad smile on her face, ready to greet the personing in through the


    door in the past. Today, she sat on the sofa silently, and there was no smile on her face.


    There was no guilt on Louis¡® face at all when he saw Rachel sitting on the sofa. Exhausted, he sat on


    the couch, massaging his temple as he ordered, ¡°Pour me a ss of water.¡± Rachel gave him a wry


    smile, ¡°Louis, let¡¯s break up.¡±


    Her voice was firm and determined.


    He stared at her, his eyes deep and unfathomable. She couldn¡¯t tell what was ying in his mind.


    Rachel let out a scornful chuckle as she stared back at him. ¡°Why are you looking like that? Isn¡¯t this


    what you¡¯ve been looking forward to since you left me during the wedding or even since the day Olivia


    returned to the country?¡±


    Louis took the pack of cigarettes from the table and habitually took one from the box. He lit it and took a


    deep pull of his cigarette.


    After a moment of silence, he snickered, ¡°Breaking up would be the best option for us. Your


    misunderstanding toward Olivia is too deep, after all. Being together with you is going to hurt Olivia


    even more.¡±


    Rachel threw a nce at the man sitting before her. She did not bother to hide her sneer. ¡°I¡¯m curious.


    What else would you not do for Olivia Cruise?¡±


    Louis extinguished the cigarette in his hand. A hint of impatience appeared between his brows. ¡°I¡¯ve


    been trying to forget about Olivia for the past three years. But this is not something that I can control. I


    hope you can forgive me and not me this on Olivia. She¡¯s innocent, after all.¡±


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but guffaw after hearing these words from Louis.


    They have been together for the past three years, spending most of their time together. She


    tried her best to satisfy him, hoping she could one day change him with her love and that his heart


    would one day belong to her.


    She could forgo everything for him, falling out with her family and leaving them. All he had in return was


    he couldn¡¯t control his feeling for his old me, Olivia Cruise.


    Looking at Rachel, who seemed to have lost her mind, Louis frowned. A sharp pain hit his heart. ¡°Here


    is 200 thousand dors. It should be enough for you to lead a stable life in the countryside.¡±


    Apparently, the past three years she spent with him were worth only 200 thousand dors.


    He wouldn¡¯t have known that the 200 thousand dors were nothing to her.


    ¡°Louis Smith, I did not stay with you because of anything you could give me. Your family¡¯s wealth meant


    nothing to me, nor do I care about being Mrs. Smith.¡± Her face seemedced with ice, and nothing was


    in her eyes except indifference and determination.


    ¡°I will not ept any form of apology andpensation from you. Remember this. There¡¯ll never be


    reconciliation between us.¡± She got up and stood straight as she strode toward the main entrance into


    the house.


    Watching her leaving figure, Louis felt his heart sink a little as if an anchor dragged it down. Heaving a


    sigh, he couldn¡¯t help reaching out his hand.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Rachel Grey took nothing with her but inexplicably took the jacket the mysterious man left behind.


    She walked down the street, limping as she went. The bright, hot sun did not seem to do any good to


    her freezing body. She took out her phone and called a number, ¡°Mary, can you pick me up?¡±


    Twenty minutester, Mary Green arrived in a red supercar and stopped before her.


    She nced at the white bandage on Rachel¡¯s feet and took off the sunsses from her face. Her


    brows furrowed in concern as she asked, ¡°What happened to you, Rae?¡±


    ¡°Mary, can I stay with you for a while?¡± Rachel asked weakly and leaned back on the car seat. She


    then calmly updated Mary on everything that happened between her and Louis Smith. She told it so


    casually that Mary thought she was telling someone else¡¯s story. ¡°That Smith guy and his family are a


    bunch of morons. How dare theypare you to someone like Olivia Cruise?¡± Mary unconsciously


    stepped harder on the elerator, speeding the car out of anger. She then started cursing. ¡°Did Louis


    Smith think he had the capability to seed without you by his side all these years? He thought he


    could reach the position he was in with that bit of ability of his? Was he blind or dumb? Did he think he


    did it based on his greed and shamelessness, cheating on you with his old me? He and his family


    have taken advantage of you all these years. Now he ditched you because Olivia Cruise is back in


    town? Their shamelessness was iparable.¡±


    Rachel casually spoke, ¡°Mary, I¡¯ll never end up with a happily ever after. A life where I¡¯m loved by my


    parents and being married with a fulfilling family is never mine.¡±


    Mary was instantly reminded of Rachel¡¯s childhood. She frowned as a hint of sadness glinted in her


    eyes, feeling sorry for Rachel, ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, Rae.¡±


    ¡°I will not hope for a happy marriage or life since I know I will never have that, nor would I feel sad over


    it.¡± Rachel lightly bit her lips and slowly shut her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. Let me take a nap.¡±


    Mary could feel that something was wrong with Rachel. She ced her arms on Rachel¡¯s and found


    that Rachel¡¯s temperature was abnormally high.


    Muttering more curses at the man that ditched Rachel, Mary sped her way to the hospital. Along the


    way, she never failed to spit out more curses for the entire Smith family.


    The Smith family was still working hard at the edge of Seaxas back then, trying to work their way into


    the city. The Smith family would never have be the new money of Seaxas had it not for Rachel,


    who yed the crucial role of being Louis¡® advisor.


    They worshipped her when they needed her and ditched her once Olivia came home.


    They had mistaken a jewel for trash. She would love to see how long the Smith family wouldst in


    Seaxas without Rachel.


    Rachel slowly regained consciousness as her fever subsided.


    The first thing she saw when she woke up was the pure whiteness of the hospital room. She


    frowned when the air full of the smell of antiseptics hit her nostril. It was the smell she hated most.


    Her eyes instinctively swept around the room as her consciousness slowly returned, and it fell on a


    person sitting at her bedside.


    Stunned, her grip on the nket tightened as she called out to him in her dry, hoarse voice. ¡°Uncle


    Tom¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Tom Johnson stood up and ced his hand on Rachel¡¯s forehead as if it was the


    most natural thing to do. He heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that Rachel was fine and poured


    her a ss of water. ¡°Do you feel any difort?¡±


    Rachel instantly shook her head.


    ¡°Mary told me what happened to you.¡± Tom couldn¡¯t help feeling sorry for Rachel as he gazed upon her


    pale, exhausted face.


    There was hatred for the Smith family as well after hearing what they did to her.


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    Taking a deep breath, he pushed down the anger in his heart and asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s your n after


    this?¡±

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Everyone in the Johnson family was against Rachel¡¯s rtionship with Louis Smith after they learned


    that she had fallen for someone who wasn¡¯t in the same social status. Rachel, being the stubborn mule


    of the family, estranged herself from her family, hid her status as the grandchild of the Johnson family,


    and joined the Smith family in toiling in the name of


    love


    Angered by her choice, Old Mr. Johnson cut all financial support as the ultimatum to force Rachel to


    return to the family.


    Hence, he lost Rachel for three whole years.


    Everyone in the Johnson family had waited for Rachel to change her mind for three years. Little did


    they know, they received the news of Louis ditching Rachel.


    Rachel Grey was a descendant of the Johnson family and was entitled to the privilege of rejecting


    others, not the other way around.


    What a nerve Louis Smith had.


    Tom Johnson would not allow Louis Smith to escape unscathed after hurting Rachel. He would make


    sure this ungrateful man learned his lesson.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t youid out the n for me, Uncle Tom?¡± Rachel smiled. She nced at Tom, amused by his


    question.


    ¡°My n for you is for you to return to the family. The old man is aging fast, and it is bing difficult


    for him to manage thepany. You know your Uncle Adrian and I are interested in something other


    than taking over the family business. So, we would be thankful if you could take over the family


    business.¡± Tom gazed at Rachel lovingly. ¡°You can let me know if you have something else in your


    mind. You know I¡¯m always on your side.¡±


    Tom¡¯s simple words of assurance flooded Rachel¡¯s heart.


    She recalled when she went against her family, who loved her unconditionally, for al heartbreaker. She


    had so wanted to give herself a good p for being such an ungrateful


    brat.


    She held back her tears with all her might. She choked gratitude for the family that never gave up on


    her. ¡°Thank you, Uncle Tom!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only niece I have. Who else would I side with other than you?¡± Tom gently patted her head,


    his eyes full of adoration for her. ¡°Take care of yourself. I¡¯lle to visit you again. tomorrow or the day


    after.¡±


    After Tom left, Rachel turned to the window. The sun shone brightly through the window, signaling that


    she should take a walk outside when the weather was good.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Wearing a knitted sweater, Olivia Cruise watched Rachel from the hospital corridor, who was sitting


    alone under the tree.


    Although Rachel was wearing a typical hospital gown and sitting alone under the tree, her air of


    elegance stood out among themoners.


    There was a hint of innocence in her look, graceful yet pure. Her beauty was intriguing, one


    that others couldn¡¯t help turning their heads for a second nce as she walked down the


    street.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re meeting again so soon.¡± The voiceing from behind caught Rachel off¨Cguard,


    and she automatically turned toward the direction of the voice. Her expression immediately turned


    cial when she realized who was speaking.


    Olivia stared straight at Rachel as her lips lifted into a gloating smile, and it was a smile that screamed


    victory. ¡°It has been so long, Rachel Grey.¡±


    ¡°I can never seem to get away from you, Miss Cruise.¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes gloomed. Her entire body was


    enveloped by hostility toward the woman standing before her.


    Olivia wasn¡¯t bothered by her words. She continued, ¡°I do feel sorry for you sometimes, Miss Grey.


    After all, you¡¯ve wasted three years of youth on a man who never loves you back.¡±


    At this very moment, tears formed in her eyes and flowed freely down her face as she grabbed


    Rachel¡¯s arm and started pleading. ¡°Rachel, it¡¯s all my fault, and I¡¯m the one that did you wrong. Please


    forgive me, will you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Rachel frowned as she flung Olivia¡¯s grip away in disgust.


    She did not use much force when she flung Olivia¡¯s arm away, but Olivia was thrown to the ground.


    Shocked by Olivia¡¯s sudden change of behavior, she heard someone yelling from behind. before she


    regained her thoughts, ¡°Rachel Grey, what are you doing?¡±


    Rachel suddenly realized what Olivia was trying to achieve and why she had suddenly turned into a


    different person.


    It was one of Olivia¡¯s tricks, a show she put on. She would have wasted Olivia¡¯s effort if she did not y


    along in a y Olivia had orchestrated.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Rachel Grey grabbed Olivia¡¯s arm before she hit the ground.


    Olivia nced at Rachel in confusion as she couldn¡¯t understand what Rachel did.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to act, we should make it appear realistic, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Rachel pulled Olivia near


    enough so that she could whisper into her ears, and her tone was soft and gentle butced with


    iciness. ¡°You know, if you can¡¯t do it to yourself, let me help you with it.¡± Olivia¡¯s heart skipped a beat as


    she turned to face Rachel, looking straight into Rachel¡¯s cial yet unfathomable eyes. She knew


    something unpleasant was going to happen to her.


    The hospital had purposefully arranged rocks around thewn to create a rxed andfortable


    environment for their patients to recuperate.


    Rachel knew the consequences she needed to face if she let go of Olivia¡¯s hand. Yet she did not


    hesitate.


    Olivia fell on the rocks with a loud thud and knocked her head onto one of the rocks.


    Her fair forehead instantly reddened as a colossal swell formed on her forehead. She appeared fragile


    and feeble.


    Everything happened so fast that Olivia could not react, and Louis was also caught off¨Cguard.


    It took Louis a while before he recovered from the shock. He furiously barked at Rachel. ¡°Rachel Grey,


    have you any idea what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Rachel shrugged, seemingly unbothered by his anger. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Looking at Rachel¡¯s unbothered face, Louis knew she had no remorse over what she had done.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Rachel¡¯s lips lifted into a mocking smile when she saw the disdain on Louis¡®


    face. ¡°That¡¯s funny. Why did you believe every word Olivia said when she apologized but refused to


    believe me when I said the same thing? Is it because my acting skill isn¡¯t as good as hers?¡±


    Olivia carefully touched the spot where her head hit the stones, and she could feel the massive swell


    on her head. The stabbing pain was so terrible that it would have driven her crazy, and she could feel


    the spot throbbing.


    Her beautiful eyes were full of hatred as she red at Rachel. She gritted her teeth, controlling the


    urge to jump on Rachel and tear her apart.


    As a celebrity in the entertainment business, her beauty was her capital. It was so important to her that


    she couldn¡¯t afford anything to happen to her beautiful face.


    She had never thought that Rachel could be so ruthless, ruthless enough to ruin her that


    way.


    Ignoring the killing stare from Olivia, Rachel returned her with a mocking nce. ¡°Olivia Cruise, will you


    please stay away from me the next time you see me? Else, it might not be such a small lesson in the


    future.¡±


    Noting the warning in her words, Louis quickly stepped in front of Rachel and looked at her gloomily.


    ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable, Rachel Grey.¡±


    Rachel raised her brow disapprovingly as the corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk. ¡°Since I¡¯m as


    unreasonable as you said I am, stay away from me. I¡¯m an impatient person. I don¡¯t bother to have a


    second nce at the things I¡¯ve already thrown out like rubbish.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Louis¡® face darkened as his fist tightened by his side. ¡°Come for me if you¡¯re still angry with me.


    It has nothing to do with Olivia. Leave her alone!¡±


    ¡°Is a cheap woman that every man could have worth fighting for?¡± Rachel threw him a sideway nce


    as she mocked mercilessly. ¡°You¡¯ve overestimated yourself.¡±


    Louis frowned deeper at her, warningly shouting, ¡°You can hate me. But do not hurt Olivia.¡±


    He bent and picked Olivia up, then gave Rachel a deep re before turning and walking


    away.


    Rachel remained standing on thewn as she watched Louis¡® leaving figure. She could no longer


    control the tears that were streaming down her eyes.


    The three years she had spent with him were all for nothing. The love that made her give up her family,


    in the end, was all for nothing.


    But she never thought of returning to him the moment she asked to end her rtionship. with this man.


    Rachel slowly closed her eyes. She couldn¡¯t stop the tears from flowing down her eyes no matter how


    hard she tried. The tears were her final mourning for the love she had lost.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± A deep, captivating voice asked. She did not notice someone had been standing by


    her side all this while.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Chapter 8


    Rachel Grey instantly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was David Jones handsome, wless


    face. Surprise shed through her almond¨Cshaped eyes, and she eximed, ¡°What are you doing


    here?¡±


    She had just seen her a few hours ago, and now they had met again.


    David was wearing a bespoke three pieces suit that fitted him nicely, which enhanced the innate


    elegance and nobleness he carried.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to visit an elderly.¡± His dark eyesnded on Rachel¡¯s face, and a fleeting twinkle appeared in


    his eyes. He repeated, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Rachel raised her head to look at him to find herself looking straight into the ck hole of his dark,


    unfathomable eyes. Her heart naturally skipped a beat. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about here,¡± David poked at his chest where his heart was as he spoke. ¡°Usually, most


    women would choose to cry out loud and have a good release of their emotion. Want to give it a try?¡±


    As he spoke, he took a handkerchief and handed it to Rachel.


    Stunned by his sudden act, a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. ¡°Crying doesn¡¯t solve


    any problem. Furthermore, I have no reason to waste any tears for a man that doesn¡¯t worth any drop


    of my tears.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s terribly painful, isn¡¯t it?¡± He gazed at her.


    Rachel stared at the branches of the willow tree flowing as the wind blew. Her vision slowly emptied as


    she muttered, ¡°How could it not?¡±


    She thought her passion would be returned with true love but had gotten nothing.


    David gazed at her in silence for a moment before he said, pursing his lips, ¡°True. Instead of hanging


    on to someone or something that wasn¡¯t worth your effort and love, why not save them for those that


    love you?¡±


    His words somehow made Rachel¡¯s heartbeat quicken. She stared into his deep, mysterious eyes,


    feeling a little panicked.


    David paused, seemingly at a loss for words. ¡°Since you know that he has his heart somewhere else,


    there¡¯s no point trying to make his stay. Being apart seems to be better than hanging on to someone


    who did not love you back, and you¡¯ll end up torturing and hating each other.¡±


    Rachel stared at him in astonishment.


    They were, after all, almost a stranger. It was a surprise for her to hear such wordsing from him.


    But she knew he was stating the truth. Instead of forcing him to stay, letting him go would be the better


    option, and it would also be a chance for her to start over. She, Rachel Grey, would not stay in denial


    and refuse to get over a failed rtionship, nor did she want to face Olivia Cruise and Louis Smith,


    hurting herself watching them being lovey¨Cdovey.


    She took a deep breath and regained the peace of mind she used to have. ¡°We broke up.


    There¡¯s nothing between us anymore.¡±


    Surprise shed through David¡¯s eyes.


    He tried to hide the grin that almost formed on his face. Having his emotion under control, he tried to


    speak as calmly as possible, ¡°One should stop chasing after unrecruited love. You seem more


    easygoing than I thought, Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°Just like you¡¯ve said, it¡¯s better for me to let go than have a miserable life with him and eventually hate


    each other.¡± Rachel continued, ¡°The love that I have to beg for isn¡¯t true.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    David raised his brows as he gazed at her in admiration. ¡°We seem to have something inmon after


    all.¡±


    They casually chatted for a long time in the hospital garden as the conversation flowed freely and


    naturally without any awkwardness.


    ¡°Mr. David, Old Mrs. Jones asked for you. ¡°An elderlydy approached them. She nced at Rachel


    warmly. ¡°You cane with us if it¡¯s convenient.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Chapter 9


    Rachel Grey nced at David Jones in surprise.


    ¡°Do you minding with us to say hi to my grandma?¡± David nced at Rachel with smiling eyes.


    Rachel nced at the elderlydy standing by the side, gazing at her, keen for an answer. She


    hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.


    Watching Rachel and David walking toward her from afar, Old Mrs. Jones couldn¡¯t control the broad


    smile on her face. She waved at them enthusiastically. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me calling you over so


    suddenly, girl.¡±


    It was the first time she saw her grandson with ady.


    She couldn¡¯t control the excitement in her heart.


    ¡°How are you, Mrs. Jones?¡± Rachel greeted her with respect.


    Old Mrs. Jones couldn¡¯t hide the delight in her heart when she heard Rachel greeting her. She held


    Rachel¡¯s hands adoringly and caressed them. ¡°I¡¯m fine, child. You¡¯re such a good girl. I like you very


    much.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s sudden adoration for her made Rachel ufortable, and she could only return her


    a courteous yet awkward smile.


    Feeling the difort Rachel felt, David came forward and adjusted the nket covering old Mrs.


    Jones¡®p, conveniently creating a distance between Rachel and his grandmother. ¡°Although it¡¯s sunny


    today, it¡¯s still windy. You might still catch a cold.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones raised her brow in surprise. Was this gentle and considerate man still her unromantic


    grandson? She thought she might never live to see him with a woman.


    Old Mrs. Jones had lived long enough to know what David was up to from the little gestures


    he¡¯d shown.


    A meaningful grin appeared on her face.


    David wasn¡¯t dim¨Cwitted regarding how to treat ady, after all. He was worried that she would make


    the youngdy ufortable.


    Her sight fell on Rachel again, and they were full of love. ¡°How long have you known each


    other, child?¡±


    Initially, Rachel was confused by the warmth shown by Old Mrs. Jones. Now, she had finally realized


    the reason behind the friendliness. She hurriedly exined, ¡°Old Mrs. Jones, do not misunderstand.


    We just met each other by chance.¡±


    By chance?


    Old Mrs. Jones threw David a fleeting nce.


    She was afraid David did not take it the same way she did.


    ¡°Girl, I liked you very much the first time I saw you. Will you do grandma a small favor? Pleasee by


    and talk to me when you¡¯re free.¡± Old Mrs. Jones nced at Rachel deeply before closing her eyes,


    ying the part of an old, lonely woman to gain Rachel¡¯s sympathy.


    ¡°This kid would disappear for months when he got busy. I feel so lonely in this hospital with no one to


    talk to.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Rachel instinctively wanted to reject her pleading, knowing the olddy had misunderstood her


    rtionship with David.


    But the graying hair of Old Mrs. Jones reminded her of her own maternal grandfather. She couldn¡¯t


    bear to reject an olddy like her. After hesitating for a moment, she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The sad face of Old Mrs. Jones instantly lightened up after Rachel agreed to visit. ¡°Then I¡¯ll send David


    to get you, and I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be such a hassle.¡± Rachel nced at David, feeling slightly embarrassed about her visit to old


    Mrs. Jones would cause David so much trouble.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Old Mrs. Jones quickly threw David a gloating nce, a signal that she¡¯d done him a


    huge favor.


    After a brief chat with Old Mrs. Jones, Rachel received a call from Mary Green and excused herself.


    David¡¯s upturned eyes narrowed to a slit when he watched Rachel leaving as if he was watching a


    target leaving his sight.


    ¡°David.¡± Old Mrs. Jones called out to him. There was a hint of chill in her inquisitive tone.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Chapter 10


    David Jones turned toward her grandma and noticed the slyness in her eyes. He grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll never


    forget your kindness, grandma.¡±


    ¡°You, brat!¡± Old Mrs. Jones threw him an irritated nce before raising her brows


    triumphantly. ¡°I did not do it for you. I¡¯m doing it so that I get to meet my great¨Cgrandchild


    soon.¡±


    David looked downward, hiding the gloom beneath his sight. ¡°That¡¯s a promise then, grandma. She will


    be my bride. You won¡¯t regret it, no matter what the future may bring.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I trust more than my instinct.¡± Old Mrs. Jones spoke. ¡°You¡¯re the one that needs to


    work hard and win her heart soon. From what I observe, she isn¡¯t interested in you.¡±


    That was precisely David¡¯s worry.


    No woman would reject him, considering his eligibility.


    But Rachel did not seem wavered by what he could offer and did not seem attracted to him


    at all. That was a colossal blow to his confidence.


    ¡°Maybe you can guide me on that?¡± David nced at Old Mrs. Jones.


    ¡°You should show your sincerity if you want to make her yours.¡± Old Mrs. Jones spoke with an air of


    importance. ¡°Do not act high and mighty in front of her, and take the initiative to be good and gentle to


    her. What¡¯s important is to be loyal to her. You¡¯ll get it from me if you ever do her wrong.¡±


    David couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°We¡¯re not married yet, and you¡¯re taking her side already?¡±


    ¡°I like that girl very much.¡± Old Mrs. Jones couldn¡¯t stop smiling when she recalled Rachel¡¯s sweetness.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± She asked when she glimpsed David¡¯s leaving figure.


    ¡°Taking initiative.¡± David grinned.


    Rachel did not expect to see Louis Smith¡¯s sister, Jane Smith, when she returned to her hospital room.


    Jane seemed to have been waiting for her to return. Else, she wouldn¡¯t have met her on her way back


    to her room.


    She red at Rachel with eyes filled with hostility as she looked at her from top to bottom. A sneer


    appeared on her face, ¡°I¡¯ve looked too highly on you. I thought you were an intelligent woman and will


    leave on your own after knowing that none of my family likes you. It¡¯s totally unexpected that you¡¯ll


    continue to bug my brother and Olivia. You didn¡¯t think my brother would want you back when you


    pretended to be sick and miserable, did you? Take my advice and give up now. My brother wouldn¡¯t


    want a woman that every man could have.¡±


    ¡°Say it one more time!¡± Rachel¡¯s face turned cial, and her voiceyered with harshness. Used to


    Rachel¡¯s pettiness, the sudden change in Rachel¡¯s behavior had taken Jane by surprise. ¡°Did I say


    anything wrong? You¡¯ve just broken up with my brother not long ago, and I caught you flirting with


    another man. Doesn¡¯t that make you a woman every man could have?¡±


    Since Rachel said nothing, she shamelessly continued, ¡°My brother told me everything. Do not think I


    don¡¯t know why you went missingst time.¡±


    Colors seeped away from Rachel¡¯s face after hearing what Jane said. She was as pale as a ghost as


    emotion flooded her eyes.


    She clenched her fist tightly, burying her nails deep into her palms, but she felt no pain. Her fragile


    body couldn¡¯t help shuddering, as if she was silently taking on the burden of the entire catastrophe.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    She had never felt so insulted in her entire life, and it would be a scar that would never heal


    in her heart.


    Only Louis and her knew what happened, and he promised her he would never tell another living soul.


    Little did she know, he told Jane her secret.


    Was his promise worthed nothing at all?


    Rachel felt as if a blunt knife had cut her heart open. She found it difficult to breathe as dizziness and


    pain ran through every inch of her body.


    Staring at her pale face, she thought she had a grip on Rachel. Her tone became harsher, ¡°Rachel


    Grey, I¡¯ll tell you the truth. If Louis did not break up with Olivia, and you were conveniently by his side,


    bugging him all these years, you won¡¯t stand a chance to be with him. Why don¡¯t you reflect on yourself


    in front of a mirror?¡±


    p!


    The sound of a p rang in the hospital corridor, and Jane had taken a blow on her face.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Chapter 11


    Jane was caught off guard, and her smug look disappeared from her face when Rachel hit her. She


    looked at the attacker in disbelief, and the shock in her eyes gradually turned into anger. ¡°How dare you


    hit me?¡± she eximed.


    ¡°Of course, I dare. Why wouldn¡¯t I? Who do you think you are?¡± Rachel replied


    The next second, she suddenly grabbed Jane by the neck, pressing her head hard against the window.


    Jane realized that her upper body was hanging out of the window at this point.


    The height of the fifteen¨Cstory building had her scalp tingle and her pupils tremble. Right now, even her


    screams involuntarily quivered. ¡°Help! Someone is trying to kill me!¡±


    ¡°Jane Smith, did you really think you could mess with me simply because I decided to let it go?¡± Rachel


    calmly said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind shutting you up forever since you can¡¯t control your damn mouth!¡±


    As she spoke, she pressed down on Jane¡¯s hand with a little more force.


    Jane was hanging upside down and wholly suspended from the window. With fright, she screamed for


    mercy, ¡°I was wrong, I was wrong. I promise never to do it again¡­¡±


    Perhaps due to the thrill offered by the scene, many onlookers gathered. Some even calmly took out


    their phones to record a video.


    Rachel nced at the crowd, thinking she could not afford any trouble at this critical moment since she


    would have to inherit the Johnson family business in a few days.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be merciful next time!¡± She snorted and pulled Jane back from the window. As soon as Jane¡¯s


    feet touched the ground, she felt a sense of safetying from the sturdy floor. At this point, she finally


    quieted down as she quickly got up and fled, constantly warning Rachel as she looked back multiple


    times, ¡°Rachel, just wait! The Smith family will never let you off the hook!¡±


    Rachel, however, simply raised her eyebrows as her cold smirk became even more striking. ¡°Then


    bring it on!¡±


    She had nothing to worry about regarding the Smith family, which had nothing to do with her these


    days.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    She absolutely would not mind teaching the Smiths a lesson if they dared to mess with her, She


    returned to her room with Jane¡¯s words ringing in her ears still. She recalled when Jane said that her


    brother had told her about her disappearance back then.


    She had never expected one to break a promise so easily, effortlessly.


    She also had not realized that the man she truly loved had, in fact, never believed her.


    She wondered if Louis had forgotten why she was kidnapped in the first ce.


    She thought to herself, ¡°How could he have no sense of guilt and even expose my scars with his own


    hands?¡±


    The memory of the incident that took ce in the alley had her trembling uncontrobly and


    her body racked with shivers as she recalled the details of that fateful night. As she recalled, she felt as


    though her heart had been ripped open as the cold wind rushed in, chilling her to the bone ruthlessly.


    It was not until she heard a knock on the door that she snapped out of her thoughts. She turned to see


    David standing at the door.


    Her panic disappeared in an instant and was reced by surprise.


    She did not expect to see him just yet, especially when she was in such a terrible state.


    ¡°Well¡­ Is there anything you want to tell me about?¡± She asked.


    He was wearing a well¨Ctailored suit, and as he strode toward her with conviction and with his long,


    slender legs, he was bathed in the golden sunlight.


    The sunlight seemed to coat him in ayer of pale gold and set off his noble and elegant aura as if he


    were a sacred and invible celestial being.


    His dark eyes gazed at her face, and his brows furrowed imperceptibly as he noticed the moistness at


    the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°I suddenly realized that we haven¡¯t exchanged contact information yet.¡± He took out his phone to


    provide his Whatsapp QR code and handed it to her. ¡°Let me know when you have time.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Chapter 12


    She looked at the serious-looking man, and a hint of a charming smile appeared on the corners of her


    lips. ¡°Since I promised grandma, I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know you won¡¯t go back on your word,¡± he replied. ¡°You know, I am grateful that you are


    willing to make time to apany her and make her happy, so I will do my best to fulfill the role of a


    driver and try my best not to let your goodwill go to waste, Miss Grey¡± His words expressed his


    gratitude toward her and his main intention in exchanging contact information. Moreover, his trust in her


    was so unwavering that it warmed her heart.


    She hesitated momentarily, then scanned his QR code with her phone and added him to her Whatsapp


    contact list.


    Nevertheless, the next second, he said, ¡°Please also send me your phone number to avoid any dys


    in receiving text messages.¡±


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    She was rendered speechless.


    She could clearly feel that the man had ulterior motives, but his calm expression did not seem like that


    of a deceitful person.


    She let out a sigh and obediently sent him her phone number.


    He called her number and, upon hearing her ringtone, hung up the call. ¡°Now you have my phone


    number. Please save it, Miss Grey.¡±


    Under his gaze, she saved his number as instructed. ¡°Mr. Jones, is there anything else?¡± Although she


    could not decipher his true intentions, she could instinctively sense that he had some other motive.


    Still, her subconscious told her that keeping a distance from this man was always better. However,


    being as smart as he was, it was without a doubt that he could sense the deliberate distance in her


    words.¡±Miss Grey, don¡¯t you already have some suspicions about my intentions?¡± He gazed at her with


    pitch-ck eyes that flickered with a dim glow. ¡°Grandma said that, when pursuing a woman, one must


    give one hundred percent sincerity. One must not be all high and might, instead, be proactive,


    considerate, and, most importantly, remain faithful all the way through. Well, the other points will be


    proven trueter. But, when ites to proactivity, I am certain that you have noticed that, am I right?¡±


    Upon hearing his words, her brows twitched several times.


    She did not expect him to be so frank about his spections and even more so about his intentions,


    which left her somewhat bewildered.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, what does it mean for you to tell me all this out of the blue?¡± Her eyes flickered slightly as


    she made up her mind to feign i*norance.


    She did not have the energy to deal with the man in front of her right now, nor was she prepared to


    ept a new rtionship.


    Furthermore, they were merely acquaintances.


    ¡°Miss Grey, you should have noticed my grandma¡¯s fondness for you,¡± he said without


    blinking and his eyes sparkling with a meaningful glint. ¡°And most importantly, I adore you, Miss Grey.¡±


    His words were straightforward, leaving her no room to y d*mb.


    Her heart skipped a beat when their eyes met.


    However, she hastily avoided his gaze as if her eyes had been stung. ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, Mr.


    Jones, but I suppose your decision was made in such a hasty manner. After all, we don¡¯t know each


    other well enough, and I currently have no intentions of epting a new rtionship.¡±


    After all, she did not know enough about the man before her. Meanwhile, since most men were proud


    and ar*ogant, she supposed that they would often feel ashamed and disappointed, giving up ultimately


    when f*ced with direct rejection from a woman.


    ¡°Could you tell me how well we must know each other?¡± He fixed his gaze on her firmly. His deep,


    indecipherable look carried an imperceptible sharpness at this moment, like a predator locking onto its


    prey.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    She was suddenly speechless.


    She had known Louis for three years, during which they had spent all their time together. She had


    helped him without reservation, apanied him through difficult times, and saved the Smith Group


    from bankruptcy. In other words, she had nurtured him to be thetest famous rich man in Seaxas


    along the way.


    She had thought that she was the person who knew Louis the best in the world. However, despite all


    this, what she received, in the end, was his unhesitating betrayal.


    ¡°Do not judge a book by its cover, eh? What you see is not all there is. Still, intuition never lies, and it


    will affect a person¡¯s judgment.¡± David¡¯s deep voice rang out slowly. ¡°So, I believe in my intuition.¡±


    Hearing his words, Rachel could not help butugh. ¡°I understand the principle of not judging people by


    appearances, but when we get to know someone, don¡¯t we usually start with their clothing,


    appearance, and eating habits? In other words, the most basic understanding shoulde before


    intuition.¡±


    David did not intend to continue arguing with her about this matter. Instead, hepromised and


    smiled reluctantly. ¡°There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people¡¯s eyes. I don¡¯t expect you to


    agree with my views, Miss Grey. I hope you understand that pursuing you is my own business, so you


    don¡¯t have to feel any psychological burden.¡± In the face of his persistence, she could only sigh


    helplessly. ¡°Mr. Jones, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not considering anything emotional now¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, first of all, pursuing you is my own business, and secondly, I have no ill intentions. You


    don¡¯t need to respond to me with any enthusiasm immediately,¡± he said. ¡°In other words, you don¡¯t


    have to feel sorry for me, let alone have any psychological burden because of it.¡±


    After speaking, he turned around and left, not giving her a chance to refuse.


    She stood there, looking at his tall and straight back, feeling both angry and amused.


    She could have decisively refused with absolute certainty if he had used love at first sight as an


    opening line or the previous encounter as an excuse.


    However, this man¡¯s clevernessy in his straightforwardness. He had no intention of hiding. his


    thoughts and was honest about his intentions.


    This not only caught her off guard but also made her feel a little helpless.


    At the end of the day, she was a person, and it was only natural that she found it impossible to be


    indifferent about everything.


    Mary walked in with her favorite Best Fry pancakes when she was starving. ¡°Rae, hurry. Eat while it¡¯s


    still hot,¡± she said.


    After putting down her belongings, she sat on the couch and caught sight of the men¡¯s suit jacket next


    to her. Her lips curved slightly downwards, and a hint of undisguised disdain. appeared in her eyes.


    ¡°You said you had decided to leave him behind, so why are you still


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    holding onto his old clothes? Are you nning to go back to him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Louis¡¯s.¡± She looked up at the suit jacket being pinched by her best friend with thoughts of the


    man she could not resist. Therefore, she could not help but let out a sigh. ¡°It is from the man who drove


    me to the hospital yesterday.¡±


    Mary raised her eyebrows in surprise, her eyes gleaming excitedly as if she had caught a whiff of


    gossip. ¡°My dear, you are obviously hiding something.¡±


    ¡°What could I be hiding?¡± Her eyes flickered slightly as she lowered her gaze and said softly, ¡°It was


    just a chance encounter.¡±


    ¡°If it was just a chance encounter, why are you looking like that?¡± Mary smiled


    mischievously at her friend as she said, ¡°Confession is good for the soul, and resistance is futile. Come


    on, spill your guts.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Chapter 14


    After some persuasion from Mary, she briefly recounted the encounter at the hospital.


    Fortunately, her friend¡¯s attention was diverted entirely by Louis and Olivia. ¡°Good lord, that pair of


    adulterers makes me sick! I would skin her alive and turn her into ashes if it were me!¡± Mary eximed.


    ¡°I hope she learns her lesson this time,¡± Rachel said, her eyes hiding a barely perceptible


    chill.


    After all, she didn¡¯t n to waste too much time and energy on Olivia. However, she would not mind


    making her suffer a bit if she failed to take her words seriously.


    She was never a soft¨Chearted saint.


    Mary nodded in agreement. ¡°But I can¡¯t just let Louis Smith off the hook like this!¡±


    ¡°So? What are you going to do?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m withdrawing my investment!¡± Mary said lightly, ¡°I only agreed to give money to the Smith family


    because of you, but since they have turned their back on you, there is no point for me to remaining kind


    to them.


    ¡°But you should have discussed it with me before making a decision,¡± she said. ¡°Not only does the


    Shallow Bay project have the development potential, but you also lost millions by suddenly withdrawing


    your investment! Oh lord, you have a problem with money, don¡¯t you? Don¡¯t you like to make money?¡±


    Mary, meanwhile, acted as if her heart was carved open as she ran to her best friend¡¯s side, crying as


    she said, ¡°I¡¯m losing millions, Rae. You have topensate me!¡±


    ¡°Why should Ipensate you? It¡¯s obvious that you don¡¯t like money¡­¡±


    In contrast to the joyful atmosphere on their side, Louis was very distressed at this


    moment.


    After all, the Shallow Bay project had been the Smith Group¡¯s primary focus in recent years, with few


    people in thepany seeing its potential initially.


    To push the project forward, he overcame numerous obstacles and went to various ces to solicit


    investment. Nheless, divestment had urred at a critical juncture in the project, which would


    undoubtedly give it a fatal blow.


    ¡°No matter how, just make sure that you contact the Green family as quickly as possible!¡± his voice was


    tinged with a hint of coldness.


    The assistant on the other end of the phone responded, ¡°Yes, Mr. Smith.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    After hanging up the phone, he took a deep breath and returned to the hospital ward.


    Inside the hospital room, Mrs. Smith looked at the wound on Olivia¡¯s forehead and could not help but


    sigh. ¡°She is a country woman by nature, and it is simply impossible for her to change her rough and


    crude ways no matter what. It was fortunate that Louis broke up with her during a critical time.


    Otherwise, who knows how many jokes she would cause in the future if she married into our Smith


    family!¡±


    Louis walked in just in time to hear his mother¡¯s words, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Olivia


    caught a glimpse of his expression, and her eyes flickered slightly. She said with a pitiful expression,


    ¡°Regardless, this is all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have appeared at this time and caused a misunderstanding


    between Rachel and me. Besides, I shouldn¡¯t have affected their rtionship by¡­¡±


    ¡°It is not your fault.¡± He interrupted her, took the apple his mother was peeling, and exined calmly,


    ¡°Between her and me, it was always about mutual benefit. You know, even without your appearance,


    that rtionship would not havested long.¡±


    ¡°With her background, how could she match the Smith family? It was only because of Louis¡¯s kindness.


    You know, he couldn¡¯t bear to reject her, so he agreed to marry her under her persistent begging,¡± Mrs.


    Smith said with obvious disgust when Rachel was mentioned. From the beginning, she had not agreed


    to the engagement between her son and Rachel. However, he seemed to have made up his mind.


    Because of this engagement, she had be theughingstock of the upper¨Css circle for a while.


    Olivia lowered her eyes, looking like she was about to cry. She presented as though she was a


    withering rose, which attracted pity. ¡°When my father was framed years ago, he was worried that I


    would be implicated, so he sent me abroad hastily. That is the reason why I let Louis¡¯s sincere love go


    to waste. I have done Louis wrong, and I have also hurt Rachel indirectly. But, you know, I just couldn¡¯t


    control my feelings for Louis over the years¡­¡±

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    Chapter 15


    As she spoke, her voice trembled and quivered with emotion. The tears streamed down her cheeks like


    pearls, and her eyes were red from crying. ¡°It is all my fault,¡± she said. ¡°If not for me, none of this would


    have happened. Even if she hit me or made me kneel, I would be willing to return to Louis¡¯s side as


    long as I could. I will do anything,¡± she said.


    Louis felt a pang of sadness as he looked at her face, which was visibly upset and tear¨Cstreaked.


    Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as he tenderly brushed away


    the salty tears that had rolled down her cheeks. He spoke to her in a soft, reassuring tone, letting her


    know she need not me herself for whatever had happened. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say all of this,¡± he


    said gently, trying tofort her.


    As soon as Mrs. Smithid her eyes on the two, a small smile crept up on her lips as she watched her


    son embrace the distressed Olivia.


    She quietly left the room when, all of a sudden, Jane rushed in with her hand covering her face.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    As soon as Jane saw her mother, she ran into her arms like she had found herself a savior. ¡°You have


    to help me! I demand justice!¡± she cried.


    ¡°What happened?¡± The mother¡¯s face changed suddenly at the sight of her daughter¡¯s swollen cheeks.


    She held Jane¡¯s face gently in her hands and asked coldly, ¡°Did that bitch hit you that hard?¡±


    Omitting her earlier mockery of Rachel, Jane recounted in detail how Rachel had hit her and even tried


    to kill her by dragging her to the balcony on the 15th floor. ¡°Mom, you would not see me right now if no


    one were watching.¡±


    ¡°Why did you go and provoke her? What is the point of doing that?¡± Louis reproached.


    Thinking about Rachel¡¯s indifferent attitude toward him before, his expression turned a bit cold.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But, Louis, I¡¯m your sister!¡± she defended herself with reddened and teary eyes. ¡°I¡¯m the one. who got


    hit and almost thrown off the building. How could you me me for it?¡±


    He snorted coldly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t she hit me, eh? She could have hit me, but she hit you instead. ¡±


    ¡°Mom, can you believe what he is saying?¡± She stamped her foot in anger and hugged her mother¡¯s


    arm, throwing a tantrum. ¡°She must apologize to me! I demand an apology!¡±


    She was adamant about taking revenge, seeking justice for herself.


    The mother tenderly caressed her daughter¡¯s swollen face while her eyes gradually became colder and


    filled with more disgust toward Rachel.


    She had never liked Rachel. Not only did she despise her background, but she also loathed the


    indescribable arrogance and ostentatious aura that she carried.


    She had thought that Rachel would behave appropriately after leaving the Smith family.


    Nheless, she had be even more brazen, even daring toy her hands on her


    daughter. It was as if she did not take the Smith family seriously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! I want to find out how she would have the guts toy a hand on you!¡± Mrs. Smith grabbed


    Jane¡¯s hand and marched aggressively toward Rachel¡¯s ward.


    Since Mary had received a phone call and left, only Rachel was in the ward right now.


    Suddenly, a loud noise at the door caught Rachel¡¯s attention.


    She turned her head and saw Mrs. Smith and Jane standing at the door.


    Her eyes narrowed, ayer of coldness covering her delicate face as she said coldly, ¡°You are not


    wee here. Please leave.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, how dare you speak to me like that?¡± Mrs. Smith strode into her ward, carrying her Hermes


    bag and looking down at Rachel. With her eyes filled with disgust, she looked at them judgementally.


    ¡°Did youy your hands on Jane?¡±

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Chapter 16


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a sneer. ¡°And how dare youe here and


    use me?¡±


    ¡°How outrageous!¡± Mrs. Smith eximed furiously. All of a sudden, a hint of disdain appeared at the


    corner of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve seen many women like you before! You used to act meek and obedient in


    front of Louis, but you finally show your true colors now that you know there is no hope for you to marry


    into a wealthy family!¡±


    ¡°The only thing that can hold me back in this world is myself,¡± Rachel replied, and a faint smile


    appeared on her lips. Despite the smile, her eyes seemed to be covered by ayer of ice. ¡°A mere


    Smith family is not worthy of my energy.¡±


    If she had not fallen in love with Louis, she would not have willingly removed her own armor or joined


    the obnoxious Smith family.


    The Smith family was on the brink of bankruptcy, after all.


    She wondered if she did so for the title of ¡°Mrs. Smith¡°.


    Now that she had willingly given up Louis, everything about the Smith family would have nothing to do


    with her, and it would no longer be a shackle that bound her.


    ¡°Do not tter yourself!¡± Jane covered her swollen cheek and red fiercely at Rachel. ¡°You pestered


    my brother relentlessly before and forced him to marry you within three years. In the end, everything


    you did was all for the sake of our family¡¯s wealth!¡±


    Hearing her words, Rachel sneered, ¡°The Smith family¡¯s wealth? I am curious as to what kind of wealth


    a family on the brink of bankruptcy still possesses. Is it just a bunch of debts or mortgaged properties?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Jane gritted her teeth and red at Rachel, her eyes filled with hatred. ¡°Stop talking nonsense


    and apologize to me on your knees!¡± Rachel nced at Jane¡¯s swollen face and casually said,


    ¡°Impossible. There won¡¯t be any apologying from me, but I can help you make your face


    symmetrical.¡±


    Jane took a step back and hid behind her mother in fear when Rachel approached her.


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s face became gloomy, and she stared at Rachel fiercely. ¡°Rachel Grey, you have gone too


    far!¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Rachelughed as if she just heard a funny joke. ¡°Back when the Smith family was on the brink


    of bankruptcy, I helped with the nning andworking, attracting investments from everywhere. The


    sess your family has today is all thanks to me, Mrs. Smith! Haven¡¯t you heard that you must be


    grateful to whoever has given you a helping hand? Is this how you people treat someone who helped


    you?¡±


    It was a fact that Mrs. Smith had to admit, but also the truth that she desperately wanted to conceal.


    After all, for a big family like theirs, it was embarrassing that they had to rely on a country girl with an


    ordinary background to turn the situation around. If this were to be made public, the Smith family¡¯s


    reputation would bepletely ruined.


    Mrs. Smith took a deep breath and suppressed the anger swirling in her chest. She took out a bank


    card from her bag and said condescendingly, ¡°There are 200 thousand dors inside. Take it.¡±


    Rachel lifted her gaze to Mrs. Smith but did not reach out to take the card.


    Mrs. Smith walked up to her and ced the card on the nearby table.


    Despite wearing high heels, which made Mrs. Smith taller than Rachel, it felt as though Rachel was


    more condescending, rising above her head instead.


    It made Mrs. Smith feel even more disgusted.


    ¡°I have seen you by Louis¡¯s side all these years,¡± Mrs. Smith said, lifting up her chin and striking a


    superior pose. ¡°But emotions are emotions, and gratitude is gratitude. They are two separate things.


    Now that you and Louis have broken up, let¡¯s not have any further involvement. Consider this money


    my way of making it up to you. From now on, the Smith family owes you nothing.¡±


    ¡°Owes me nothing?¡± Rachel smiled, but there was no warmth in it. ¡°The Smith family owes me much


    more than 200 thousand dors.¡±


    The mother squinted her eyes slightly and smiled sarcastically, giving her a look. ¡°I knew it. Why don¡¯t


    you name your price then?¡± she asked.


    She sneered, ¡°My price? I want the Smith family to go back to the brink


    of bankruptcy!¡±


    ¡°Rachel Grey!¡± Mrs. Smith shouted sternly.


    Truth be told, the Smith Group had barely managed to revive itself. Therefore, Mrs. Smith would not


    allow her to curse it.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Without another word, Mrs. Smith raised her hand and fiercely pped Rachel¡¯s face.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Chapter 17


    Jane watched on with excitement beside them, cheering in her mind. Her eyes widened in amazement.


    After all, with that p, Rachel¡¯s face would definitely swell up like a balloon.


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s hand sliced through the air, creating a sharp wind around it. However, just when it was


    about to strike Rachel¡¯s cheek, it was stopped.


    It was because Rachel had taken hold of the attacking hand. Seeing this, Mrs. Smith could not help but


    stare at her in disbelief.


    Mrs. Smith struggled instinctively but found that she could not break free from Rachel¡¯s tight grasp. A


    hint of panic shed across her eyes as she eximed, ¡°Rachel, what are you trying to do?!¡±


    Rachel gripped Mrs. Smith¡¯s wrist more tightly, and a mocking smile broke across her face. She leaned


    toward Mrs. Smith and whispered in thetter¡¯s ear, sarcasm and mockery lingering in her voice, ¡°Since


    childhood, I have been taught to respect the elderly and love the young. But if Mrs. Smith insists on


    being stubborn, I don¡¯t mind showing you the view from the 15th floor.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Mrs. Smith red at her with fury. Her face had turned red. With gritted teeth, she eximed,


    ¡°Rachel, you will pay for your disrespect toward me! Louis will never forgive you!¡±


    Hearing that, Rachel chuckled and shoved the woman¡¯s hand away. ¡°What does it matter to me if he


    forgives me or not?¡±


    Mrs. Smith stumbled in her high heels and nearly fell to the ground, though Jane managed to catch her


    quick enough.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Mrs. Smith gritted her teeth. She then snorted coldly and left without looking back.


    As they walked out of the hospital ward, Jane could not help butin, ¡°Mom, Rachel is getting


    more and more out of control. We have to give her a taste of her own medicine!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Mrs. Smith red at her daughter, her wrist throbbing slightly from pain as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t


    provoke her unless you want trouble in the future!¡±


    Jane grumbled unwillingly, ¡°All right.¡±


    She lowered her gaze, hiding the malicious intent in her eyes.


    She would never forget today¡¯s p, and someday, she would make Rachel kneel and beg for mercy!


    After the mother and daughter left, Rachel finally got a moment of peace.


    However, immediately after that, the door was pushed open again.


    She furrowed her eyebrows with annoyance and lifted her gaze toward the door, saying, ¡°Will you ever


    stop¡­¡±


    However, she found that the person who had pushed open the door was not Mrs. Smith but a stranger


    dressed in a ck suit.


    She smoothed out the annoyance on her eyebrows and politely asked but with a hint of coldness, ¡°Who


    are you?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Miss Grey. I am Mr. Jones¡¯s special assistant, Eddie Brook.¡± Eddie politely nodded at her and


    added, ¡°My boss has prepared a gift basket for you.¡±


    A smart woman like Rachel immediately understood that ¡°Mr. Jones¡± was David Jones.


    She replied, ¡°I appreciate Mr. Jones¡¯s kindness, but I cannot ept it since I have done nothing for


    him. You should take these back with you.¡± After all, Rachel did not like to ept something from a


    stranger for no reason, especially when she was aware that David had feelings for her. If she epted,


    it would be tantamount to agreeing to his actions.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Meanwhile, Eddie remained polite and maintained a slight smile, making it impossible for people to


    fathom his emotions. ¡°It seems what I¡¯ve prepared doesn¡¯t meet your preference, Miss Grey. Please


    wait a moment. I will prepare something else for you and make sure that you will be satisfied.¡±


    In other words, if she refused to ept the gift basket, he would continue sending them until she finally


    agreed to take them.


    Rachel cleared her throat before saying, ¡°Then, you can leave it here.¡±


    ¡°Please enjoy, Miss Grey.¡± Eddie ced the gift basket on the table. His scrutinizing gaze quickly


    passed over her.


    Rachel nced at the chocte inside, which was high¨Cend and wrapped


    in exquisite boxes. Seeing that, she thought those were not typical items that one could buy from a


    supermarket.


    ¡°Please thank Mr. Jones for me.¡± She suddenly remembered to show her gratitude and said in a hurry,


    ¡°It¡¯s going to rain outside. You can take this umbre.¡±


    Eddie was startled for a moment before he smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Miss Grey.¡±


    At this moment, his gaze toward her had changed from scrutinizing to appreciative.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Chapter 18


    Back then, when Eddie saw his boss sitting in the office and conducting a video conference while


    arranging a gift basket, he found it both strange and eerie.


    However, what he found most unbelievable was how his boss carefully arranged the choctes and


    instructed him to deliver them to Miss Grey. Though he had been by his boss¡¯s side for many years, he


    had never seen him show any particr interest in a woman. So, he was quite surprised when his boss


    started showing interest in one with such a unique charm that he even personally arranged a gift


    basket.


    However, Rachel¡¯s words and actions made him see things in a different light.


    As an employee, he was used to dealing with all kinds of wealthy young masters and mistresses. He


    was ustomed to theirmanding tone and casual orders.


    Even if others showed him respect, it was only out of deference toward his boss. However, he could


    feel that Rachel treated him with genuine respect and regard.


    In other words, she did not take one¡¯s status or position into consideration, and she simply treated him


    as an ordinary person.


    Eddie finished the task and made his way back to thepany to report about it. After hesitating for a


    while, he finally handed his boss the investigation report he had finished. ¡°Mr. Jones, would you like to


    take a look at this?¡±


    David lifted his gaze. His sharp eyes pierced straight into his assistant¡¯s eyes like a sword.


    Eddie¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he realized the gravity of the situation, and he subconsciously broke


    out in a cold sweat. He was reluctant for a moment before he cautiously exined, ¡°The reputation of


    Miss Grey is not very good, so I took the liberty of conducting a private investigation


    on¡­¡±


    However, his boss crushed the investigation materials and casually said, ¡°No more ying clever!¡±


    His tone was indifferent, yet it was sufficient to send shivers down Eddie¡¯s


    spine.


    In an instant, Eddie tensed up. Realizing that he had made a grave mistake, he responded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    It was fine for an assistant to anticipate his boss¡¯s thoughts and intentions, but one should never cross


    the line and act on his own ord without the boss¡¯s permission. In other words, what Eddie did was a


    major taboo.


    However, since Miss Grey¡¯s reputation was simply infamous, he was worried it would cause


    unnecessary trouble and a bad influence on his boss.


    Based on his boss¡¯s demeanor, he could guess that the rumors had been heard to some degree.


    However, it seemed as though his boss had no intention of verifying the reality.


    In the quiet office, David suddenly spoke, ¡°I believe her.¡±


    Eddie¡¯s pupils flickered with incredulity.


    As far as he could remember, his boss had never invested any energy in the opposite sex. Miss Grey


    was the only one so far.


    Judging from Mr. Jones¡¯s attitude toward Miss Grey, one could easily tell that he was determined to


    make her his!


    Thinking that he had worked for his boss for many years and had never made any mistakes, he had not


    expected himself to make one in the face of Rachel.


    ¡°Deliver three meals to her every day in the following days,¡± David said. ¡°Don¡¯t let your vulgar words


    reach her ears.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    In the following days, Eddie delivered the meals to Rachel on time.


    Mary, who simply loved to watch the show, even expressed her fair guess. ¡°Without a doubt, this man


    is a master.¡±


    ¡°What kind of master are you talking about?¡± Rachel looked at her friend in confusion.


    ¡°A master of testing,¡± Mary said with all seriousness. ¡°You know, although he is not by your side, he is


    always with you. He will surely get you.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s brows twitched into a deep frown.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Now that she had epted David¡¯s goodwill, she had no choice but to be nice to him. Thinking about


    his conviction back then, she realized that she could hardly resist.


    She felt that she needed to fulfill the appointment with Mrs. Jones as soon as possible as a way to


    repay the favor of the meals and also to clear things up with David.


    She hesitated for a moment before she took out her phone and opened Whatsapp. [Do you have time


    today? If Mrs. Jones is avable, I would like to go and chat with her.]

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Chapter 19


    As soon as the message was sent, a reply came instantly, and the duo agreed to meet in 20 minutes.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Upon seeing the immediate response from the other party, Rachel could not help but wonder if he had


    been waiting for her message all along.


    Noticing her distracted state, Mary asked casually, ¡°What are you going to do about the Smith family?¡±


    ¡°I will resign,¡± Rachel replied decisively.


    After all, she had nothing to hold onto in the Smith family.


    Now that she wanted to cut ties with them, she would make sure to see it through because she was not


    the kind to procrastinate.


    Hearing her response, Mary secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    Originally, she had been worried that her friend would feel guilty in the end.


    Over the years, as an outsider, she had witnessed the extent of Rachel¡¯s dedication to Louis, and it


    was precisely thanks to her assistance that the Smith family had risen to their current position. In other


    words, without her help, the flourishing Smith family would not be able to maintain their sess.


    While Mary was lost in thought, her phone rang again. She took a look at the caller ID, and a faint hint


    of derision appeared in her eyes.


    She hung up the phone without any hesitation. She realized that she had underestimated Louis¡¯s


    persistence.


    The phone call was disconnected once again, bringing gloominess to Louis¡¯s face.


    The sudden withdrawal of funds by the Green family had be known to thepany¡¯s board of


    directors, and everyone believed that he had offended the family, which caused the directors¡®


    disapproval.


    However, upon careful recollection, he realized that he had not even seen anyone from the Green


    family recently, so it was impossible for him to have offended them.


    He was eager to meet with someone from the Green family to


    01:31 C


    understand the reasons behind their fund withdrawal. In the meantime, he also wanted to persuade


    them to invest again.


    While leaning against the hospital bed, Olivia looked at Louis¡¯s cold and grim face. After hesitating for a


    moment, she carefully asked, ¡°Louis, is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Louis replied perfunctorily.


    Her expression became downcast, and pearl¨Clike tears silently rolled down her cheeks.


    Seeing the tears on her face, Louis felt a sense of distress. He quickly walked up to her and gently


    wiped away the tears on her face with his fingertips. ¡°Why are you crying when everything is fine?¡± he


    asked.


    ¡°It is all because of my uselessness. I can only watch you run into trouble, and I am not able to help,¡±


    she said, nestling in his arms like a little bird. Meanwhile, her soft, tender hands rested on his chest.


    ¡°Sometimes I really envy Rachel. I envy her intelligence and her methods. If she were here with you


    now, she would surely be able to help you.¡±


    Upon hearing Rachel¡¯s name, he felt a wave of annoyance.


    It was as if the people around him were constantly reminding him that he was nothing without Rachel.


    He had his own pride, so it was only natural that he found it difficult to be content living in the shadow


    of a woman.


    However, the fact was that Rachel was the one who had fought for the investment from the Green


    family, and the fact that the Green family suddenly withdrew their investment shortly after Rachel broke


    up with him had him contemte the cause within.


    He wondered if Rachel had interfered and taken the opportunity to retaliate against him.


    At the thought of this, a cold light shed in his eyes.


    ¡°Take some rest. I will go talk to Rachel,¡± he said.


    ¡°I will go with you.¡± Olivia grabbed his hand and exined without waiting for him to refuse, ¡°Rachel


    doesn¡¯t have any rtives here. We should take extra care.¡±


    He hesitated for half a second before he nodded. ¡°When you see her


    Through his words, one could tell that he already viewed Rachel as a malicious presence.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Olivia blinked cheekily. She then stood on tiptoe and left a quick, gentle peck on his lips.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Chapter 20


    Rachel and Mary were gossiping about random things when they noticed Louis and Olivia appearing at


    the door.


    In an instant, the smile on Rachel¡¯s face disappeared, and ayer of chilliness took ce between her


    eyebrows and eyes. ¡°Please leave,¡± she said coldly.


    Olivia bit her lip slightly and subconsciously tightened her hand that was holding Louis¡¯s. Her


    expression turned gloomy immediately.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Having noticed Rachel¡¯s coldness, Louis furrowed his brows slightly, and his hand gently stroked


    Olivia¡¯s hand.


    The scene deeply stung Rachel¡¯s eyes. It felt as though her heart had been squeezed very tightly.


    It was a tenderness she had never seen before.


    In the past three years, she had been drinking so much alcohol at social events to help him secure


    investments from investors, and the only thing she got in return was his brief tenderness.


    Meanwhile, Olivia did not have to do anything. Rather, just a pitiful look from her could easily evoke his


    tenderness.


    It turned out that it could be a world apart when someone no longer loved one as they used to.


    ¡°I havee to ask you something.¡± Louis walked into the ward holding Olivia¡¯s hand and got straight


    to the point. ¡°Do you know anything about the Green family¡¯s sudden withdrawal of their investment?¡±


    Rachel lifted her gaze once again to look at him, carrying a hint of usual indifference in her eyes. ¡°So,


    you came just to question me? Is that it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°This is an important matter!¡± His expression turned sullen as he looked at her. ¡°The Shallow Bay


    project needs funding the most right now. Do you have any idea that the Green family¡¯s sudden


    withdrawal of investment will have a profound impact on the Smith Group?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± she replied casually.


    In the beginning, she had given him all of her. Because of love, she had regarded the Smith Group as


    her own. However, there was no need for


    her to care about the development of the Group now that she had given up on him.


    A faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, with a hint of sarcasm in the depth of her eyes. ¡°But


    what does it have to do with me whether the Smith Group survives or dies?¡±


    ¡°Rachel Grey!¡± he could not bear it any longer and reprimanded her in a stern manner. The next


    second, the anger which had been brewing in his eyes erupted. ¡°You have always been able to


    separate public and private affairs, so why have you be so unreasonable now? I will find my own


    way to resolve our conflicts and make up for you. So, how can you retaliate against me by threatening


    the future of thepany? What you are doing right now is something that only a despicable person


    would do. You are simply taking advantage of the chaos!¡±


    She picked out a piece of chocte with her delicate fingers, elegantly unwrapped it, and spoke calmly


    to refute his words, ¡°Well, so you are saying that it was only natural for me to devote myself


    wholeheartedly to the Smith Group while ignoring the matters there would make me a despicable


    person, right? I take advantage of the chaos, huh? You are absolutely hypocritical!¡±


    ¡°Louis¡¯s emotions got out of control because he has been busy withpany matterstely. Please do


    not me him for misuse of words,¡± Olivia said innocently as she looked at Rachel. ¡°The Smith Group


    is Louis¡¯s whole life work, and you should not involve personal grievances in it, Rachel. I know you hate


    me and despise me, but as long as you are willing to help Louis, I am willing to kill myself even if you


    want me to.¡±


    ¡°Then, go ahead and kill yourself,¡± Rachel blurted out.


    Looking at Rachel, who was pushing her aggressively, Olivia turned to look at Louis with reddened


    eyes and a pitiful expression, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice.


    Louis hugged her protectively, his eyes full of anger as he looked at Rachel. ¡°Rachel, why do you have


    to be so aggressive? Olivia is innocent. It is me who cannot forget her, and I have always loved her. If


    you have any grievances,e after me!¡±


    ¡°No. It is my fault.¡± Olivia, who was in his embrace, looked at him with tears in her eyes. ¡°I should not


    havee back. I should not have shown up in front of you. I should not have ruined your rtionship.


    It is all my fault¡­¡±


    Mary, who was watching the drama on the side, could not help but question, ¡°Olivia, did you drink a


    bottle ofxative beforeing here? Howe there is so much bullshit spilling out of your mouth?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s gaze fell on Mary upon hearing that.


    Mary was dressed very low¨Ckey, but everything she wore was worth examining. The few bracelets that


    casually draped on her wrist were all limited edition items sold worldwide.


    Olivia could not help but wonder why would a person with a remarkable background get involved with


    Rachel.


    Olivia plunged into Louis¡¯s ¡®arms with grievances and distress while a barely noticeable hint of coldness


    flickered in her eyes.


    Louis held her tenderly as he looked gloomily at Mary. ¡°Miss, please be mindful of your words!¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Mary¡¯s lips curled into a half¨Csmile, her eyes brimming with contempt. ¡°Then, let me give you a


    piece of advice, Mr. Smith. One should always know when it is too far, and you¡¯d better figure it out as


    soon as possible!¡±


    Her warning and implications were unmistakable.


    Frowning, he coldly questioned, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    Chapter 21


    Mary snorted, her eyes filled with sarcasm, ¡°What can I do? I just want to kindly remind you that being


    a homewrecker shows one¡¯s bad character, and no one would bless them even if they truly love each


    other. Moreover, Miss Cruise is a public figure. Have you imagined what will happen to the Smith Group


    once the affair between you two is exposed? Can the Shallow Bay project go smoothly with that?¡±


    Hearing her words, Louis¡¯s face immediately turned sullen.


    He had a hard time bringing the Smith Group back to life and getting it back on track. No mistakes


    would be allowed at this crucial moment.


    The directors of the Smith Group already had a problem with Louis because of the sudden withdrawal


    of the Green family. If Louis¡® affair with Olivia brought a negative impact on thepany, the directors


    would definitely regard Louis as the culprit.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    After that, Louis might even be dislodged.


    His affair with Olivia might not be a piece of breaking news, but once known to the public, it would also


    whip up public opinion.


    At the thought of it, Louis furrowed his eyebrows imperceptibly, and his gaze toward Mary revealed a


    glimpse of darkness and coldness. He asked Mary in a steely voice, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Smith, now, I¡¯m really starting to doubt whether you are apetent CEO or not.¡± Mary looked


    askance at Louis with mockery in her eyes and added, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you know nothing about your


    company¡¯s former investor.¡±


    As Mary spoke, she exchanged nces with Rachel.


    Rachel then let out a faint sigh and said lightly, ¡°This is Ms. Mary Green.¡±


    Louis knew clearly what the word ¡°Green¡± represented.


    His eyes opened wide suddenly, and he stared at Mary incredulously.


    The shock in his eyes gradually turned into raging anger, and his gaze, as sharp as a knife, shot toward


    Rachel. He gritted his teeth and said slowly, ¡°So, it was you who sowed discord between us!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Mary chimed in, exining, ¡°At first, I agreed to cooperate with the Smith Group merely


    for Miss Grey¡¯s sake. Now, I go


    1


    back on my word purely because of my disdain for the homewrecker.¡±


    Hearing the words, Louis pinched his lips tightly, his dark eyes staring intently at Mary.


    When perceiving the hostility in Louis¡® eyes, Rachel slightly moved to shield Mary behind her.


    Rachel then looked at Louis with unusually cold eyes and spoke in an indifferent tone, ¡°I, Rachel Grey,


    always do my business fair and square. I can think of multiple ways to retaliate against you, so I don¡¯t


    have to use the sneaky trick behind your back. I didn¡¯t pay you back before, not for my remaining love


    for you but for throwing away the misfortunes of meeting you. So, before I change my mind, hurry up to


    leave now, or¡­¡± Her gaze inadvertently swept over Olivia¡¯s face before she warned with a stern look, ¡°I


    don¡¯t mind letting you two be a star¨Ccrossed couple!¡±


    Louis¡® face darkened promptly with a hint of ruthlessness in his deep eyes. ¡°Did you just threaten me?¡±


    he asked.


    ¡°She was just telling you the truth.¡±


    A low deep voice suddenly sounded behind them.


    The crowd in the ward subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice.


    The person had exquisite features and deep eyes. Even the gold¨Crimmed sses on the bridge of his


    nose failed to hide the coldness in his eyes.


    He walked directly toward Rachel with his straight and slender legs. The hem of his ck windbreaker


    swayed slightly in mid¨Cair as he strode in with a carefree calmness in his reserved temperament.


    Rachel was glued to the spot, gazing dazedly at Adrian.


    She thought, ¡°Why does my little uncle Adriane here?¡±

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Chapter 22


    ¡°Look at your silly look.¡± It sounded like Adrian was expressing his disgust for Rachel, but his gaze


    toward her was full of doting. As he spoke, he raised his hand to ruffle her soft hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m not silly at all.¡± Rachel pushed Adrian¡¯s hand on her head away and led him toward the sofa.


    With his inquisitive gaze on Rachel and the man, Louis blurted out his question in a cold voice, ¡°What is


    your rtionship with him!¡±


    Hearing Louis¡¯s voice, Rachel stopped smiling and swept her cold gaze toward him before asking


    sternly, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±


    ¡°Answer me! What is your rtionship?¡± Louis, with his darkened expression, questioned again in a


    frosty voice as if he had caught his wife in adultery and wanted to figure out what was happening.


    Rachel¡¯s delicate face shed with mockery, and with a snort, she answered, ¡°Mr. Smith, who are you?


    Do you have the right to question me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Louis opened his mouth. He was about to refute Rachel¡¯s words but found himself speechless


    even after racking his brain.


    Rachel¡¯s lips curved into a sarcastic smile, and she sneered, ¡°Mr. Smith, please get out of here!¡±


    Hearing the cold voice, Louis pursed his lips and left with Olivia¡¯s hand in his after looking Adrian up


    and down.


    However, he uncontrobly turned back and took a scrutinizing look at Rachel when he reached the


    door. There were mixed feelings in his dark and indiscernible eyes.


    The moment Louis and Olivia stepped out of the ward, Rachel mmed the door of the ward with a


    bang.


    ncing at the closed door in front of her and Louis¡® sullen look, Olivia had a hint of coldness in her


    eyes. She then remarked lightly, ¡°Rachel is really attracted to guys, unlike me. I have no male friends


    around except you.¡±


    Seeing Louis¡¯s cold face and his tightly pursed lips, Olivia decided to change the topic. ¡°That man


    doesn¡¯t look young. Have you seen him


    before? Do you know who he is?¡±


    Louis¡¯s brows frowned slightly. With an inexplicable look in his eyes, he answered casually, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s


    her previous partner.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Olivia responded slowly and got lost in thought.


    At this time, in the ward, Mary darted a look at Rachel and said tactfully, ¡°Since you have someone to


    apany you, I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    With that, Mary nodded at Adrian and got up to leave with her bag in her hand.


    Finally, only Rachel and Adrian were left in the spacious ward.


    Adrian put down the ss of water on the table and took the lead in asking, ¡°Is that man you wanted to


    marry three years ago despite the opposition of your family?¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Adrian¡¯s cold voice didn¡¯t reveal his expression, but it inexplicably struck terror into Rachel¡¯s heart.


    Rachel hesitated for half a second and nodded.


    ¡°That man doesn¡¯t seem like a nice guy!¡± Adrian grunted in disgust. He had thought of how to teach


    Rachel a lesson beforeing to her.


    However, watching Rachel standing there ill at ease, he didn¡¯t have the heart to criticize her. Later, he


    sighed helplessly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you regret devoting yourself to such a scum instead of living a free and easy


    life as a princess?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Rachel arched her eyebrows and showed a big pleasing smile before passing the ss of


    water to Adrian. She then said in a cute voice, ¡°Adrain, please don¡¯t be angry about it.¡±


    Adrian raised his eyebrows. He reached out to take the ss and


    answered with a serious look, ¡°You are the Johnson family¡¯s apple of the eye. How can I get mad at


    you?¡±


    It was known to everyone that the daughter of the richest family in Seaxas, the Johnson family, was


    adored by her family although no outsiders knew her exact name.


    Old Mr. Johnson loved her so much that he would like to fulfill all her wishes. The two young masters of


    the Johnson family also treated her as their hearts.


    Perhaps it was because Adrian was only 11 years older than Rachel, Rachel was more rxed and


    reckless in front of Adrian than Tom.


    She held and shook Adrian¡¯s arm like a spoiled child before saying softly, ¡°Well, Adrian, I know I was


    wrong. Please don¡¯t get angry¡­¡±


    ¡°Rachel, you are not foolish. Why did you take the bull by the horns on marrying that man?¡± Adrian


    couldn¡¯t help ming Rachel at the thought of Louis¡¯s phndering appearance. ¡°Ask yourself. How


    could that scum of the Smith family be worthy of you? I have no idea how that guy enchanted you!¡±


    Thinking that Rachel had cut off contact with the Johnson family for such scum, Adrian was filled with


    bitterness and pulled a long face.


    He yed with the ss in his hand. A trace of mixed emotions shed in his dark eyes as he said


    casually, ¡°It is thanks to you that the Smith Group seeded in oveing its crisis and is rising


    rapidly, right?¡°

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Chapter 23


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. With Mr. Johnson, one of the top 10 outstandingwyers in the world, as my family, I


    know thew well and will never break it. So, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Rachel knew that Adrian was


    annoyed to see her bullied by the Smith family and wanted to seek revenge for her.


    But Adrian was obviously overqualified. If Rachel intended to retaliate against the Smith family, she


    could even make it without Adrian¡¯s assistance.


    Adrian raised his hand and pinched Rachel¡¯s face, but her previously chubby face was pale and thin


    now. His heart ached at that, and he said with concern shing in his eyes, ¡°You brute, I am trying to


    help you!¡±


    Adrian learned from the previous phone call with his elder brother Tom that Rachel had devoted herself


    to the Smith family all these years but was abandoned by the scum Louis Smith. It was much more


    annoying than being defeated by his opponent.


    ¡°Uncle Adrian, I¡¯ve thought it over. I won¡¯t get married for the rest of my life.¡± Rachel leaned on Adrian¡¯s


    shoulder and added, ¡°From now on, I will stay by your side and won¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    After her failed rtionship with Louis, Rachel learned not to cater to indifferent people and also not to


    disregard others¡® kindness.


    Smiling indulgently, Adrian ruffled Rachel¡¯s hair and said with a gentle tone, ¡°Whether to get married or


    not solely depends on you. The Johnson family doesn¡¯t need to sacrifice your marriage to gain their


    wealth.¡±


    After saying a few words, Adrian made his exit early due to work.


    Before leaving, he turned to remind Rachel, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to attend the board meeting next


    Monday.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Rachel nodded her head.


    After seeing Adrian off, Rachel nced at the clock and found it was almost time for her appointment


    with David.


    She took a shower and changed into a clean dress.


    Not long after Rachel finished dressing up, there was a knock at the door.


    At the sight of David¡¯s assistant Eddie, Rachel was slightly stunned, and her heart pounded


    inexplicably.


    Her lips then curled into a polite smile. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Brook.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, you are wee.¡± Observing Rachel¡¯s smile, Eddie inadvertently mentioned David, saying,


    ¡°Mr. Jones is upied for the time being, so he asked me to take you there.¡±


    Since perceiving David¡¯s affection for Rachel, Eddie had been treating Rachel more respectfully and


    cautiously, as if Rachel were his boss.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel showed a half smile and replied softly, ¡°Thank you for telling me about this.¡±


    After getting into the car, Eddie exined, ¡°Old Mrs. Jones was discharged from the hospital three days


    ago. I¡¯m sending you to the mansion now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± answered Rachel.


    The car finally halted in front of a tranquil vi.


    The ck and white vi was surrounded by lush greenery, looking as beautiful as andscape


    painting. People seeing it could clearly sense the tranquility and peace of being remote from the


    madding crowd.


    The whole mansion owned four courtyards. They were square and exquisite, showing off their sheer


    majesty.


    There was ake in the middle of the courtyards, and the stream meandered through the flowers and


    trees, passing under the corridor like a curved moon encircling half of the mansion. The koi hidden


    under the lotus leaves were faintly visible through the shimmering surface of theke.


    Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s house was located on the east side of the mansion. A breeze blew over the beautiful


    flowers and trees nearby, and Rachel could smell their faint yet refreshing fragrance.


    At this moment, the maids were working in an orderly manner. Eddie walked into Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s


    house and spoke, ¡°Old Mrs. Jones, Miss Grey is here.¡±


    ¡°Lead her in, please!¡± Old Mrs. Jones answered without hesitation.


    Rachel walked inside and greeted Old Mrs. Jones, ¡°Sorry for my


    unexpected arrival, Old Mrs. Jones.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that.¡± With beaming eyes, Old Mrs. Jones held Rachel¡¯s hand and led her to the sofa.


    ¡°I am really d that you visited me.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones looked carefully at Rachel¡¯s fair little face. Rachel looked much better, but she


    remained frail. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    Rachel replied gently, ¡°Thanks for your concern, Old Mrs. Jones. I¡¯m already better. What about you? I


    didn¡¯t know that you were discharged from the hospital¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯s an old weakness of mine.¡± Old Mrs. Jones looked at the well¨Cbehaved and


    sensible Rachel and found her more adorable. ¡°David said that he was responsible for your


    hospitalization. Is it true?¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Chapter 24


    Rachel shook her head slightly and answered, ¡°No. It¡¯s my own problem.¡±


    She knew that even without David¡¯s presence, she would have suffered that serious illness.


    After all, she had been physically and mentally overwhelmed.


    Rachel thought the trauma she suffered in childhood had made her tough and unbeatable, but she still


    found it very hard to endure the pain when she was betrayed by the man she loved.


    Noticing the despondent look on Rachel¡¯s face, Old Mrs. Jones held Rachel¡¯s hand tightly and said,


    ¡°People are always greedy. They discard the old as soon as they have something new, and they never


    get satisfied. Therefore, they are instinctively fickle in their affection, but we can choose to be


    consistent in love. What belongs to you will not leave you even if you let go of your hands. And you


    should let go of things that do not belong to you. The choice is yours.¡±


    Rachel stayed quiet with her head low. She was lost in thought while recalling what Old Mrs. Jones had


    said.


    Marriage was never a restriction, much less a shackle that bound the other person to be loyal to


    someone forever.


    ¡°Love is like beautiful scenery. The couple travels hand in hand, but both of them have the choice to get


    off midway. You will eventually meet your Mr. Right, who can go to the same destination with you.¡± Old


    Mrs. Jones reached out and stroked Rachel¡¯s thin cheeks. ¡°Good girl, people live for themselves, not


    for others. Being trapped by love will only make you lose your true self.¡±


    Rachel gazed at Old Mrs. Jones, and her fragile face broke into a smile. ¡°Thank you for your


    enlightening words.¡±


    ¡°Thank you foring and chatting with me.¡± Old Mrs. Jones burst outughing cheerfully.


    Time flew. Old Mrs. Jones uncontrobly yawned.


    Rachel saw the scene and said, with a touch of apology on her face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I forgot the time. You


    just got out of the hospital, so you should have a good rest.¡±


    With that, Rachel rose to her feet and was about to leave.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    But Old Mrs. Jones took Rachel¡¯s hand and stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s rare for to talk with me. What about


    having dinner here before leaving?¡±


    ¡°Old Mrs. Jones, I¡­¡±


    you


    Before Rachel declined Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s invitation, Old Mrs. Jones hurriedly interrupted, ¡®I know I am


    an olddy, and young people like you dislike me. You always have your hands full, and you don¡¯t even


    have time to have a meal with me.¡±


    After saying that, Old Mrs. Jones nced at Rachel, dropped her head disappointingly, and sighed.


    ¡°Since you want to leave, then leave now. Anyway, I¡¯m used to being alone all these years.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Rachel didn¡¯t have the heart to reject Old Mrs. Jones. She remembered her maternal grandfather


    had onceined to her about her busy life. All these years. Rachel had spent little time


    apanying her maternal grandfather. Would he feel lonely in the spacious mansion of the Johnson


    family?


    Thinking about this, Rachelpromised and quietly let out a sigh. ¡°I can stay here, but you need to


    get some rest now.¡±


    ¡°Well, I promise you.¡± Afraid that Rachel would backtrack, Old Mrs. Jones hastily responded, ¡°You can¡¯t


    coax me and go back on your words.¡±


    Seeing Old Mrs. Jones act like a spoiled child, Rachel chuckled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t lie to


    you.¡±


    After sending Old Mrs. Jones back to her bedroom, Rachel was led by the maid to a guest room.


    It was a ck¨Cand¨Cwhite room, revealing a cold atmosphere and its luxury.


    Rachel looked around the room¡¯s furnishings. The scent of fir permeated the air.


    She then stepped on the soft wool rug and went to the window.


    The window provided an awesome view, disying everything outside. Rachel had a wonderful time


    gazing at the garden.


    The amazing scenery of the garden demonstrated the owner¡¯s good taste in architecture.


    As Rachel was immersed in her thoughts, her phone on the bed rang. Rachel knew who would call her


    at this time without looking at the .

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Chapter 25


    Rachel¡¯s slender fingertips swiped across the screen, and she picked up the call.


    ¡°Rachel, why aren¡¯t you in the hospital?¡± Mary¡¯s voice was heard through the phone.


    Rachel curled her lips. ¡°I¡¯m outside. I won¡¯t being there for the time being. I need you to help me


    talk to the doctor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re okay.¡± Mary quietly sighed on the other end of the line. ¡°I talked to the doctor just


    now. We can proceed with the discharge papers tomorrow.¡±


    Rachel replied, ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°Also¡­¡± Mary hesitated for a moment before she said with a chuckle, ¡°My studio recently received a


    new order, and the other party is from the Shain family. She specifically requested you to be her


    designer, so¡­¡±


    Although Mary was the eldest daughter of the Green family and also the heiress, her mind was not set


    on inheriting the family business. Instead, she was more inclined to the design industry.


    Five years ago, Mary decided to invest in her hobby and opened a high¨Cend custom dress studio


    called ¡°Redamancg¡°. It took half a year for the studio to be famous before it finally became the


    darling of the fashion industry.


    These days, the studio was not only a brand highly sought after by famous women, but it also had a


    brand value of over 20 million dors.


    One of the studio¡¯s designers named ¡°Queen¡± was particrly sought after. The clothes she designed


    were rare toe by, and they became fashion pieces that many celebritiespeted for.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Because of this, many fashion brands recognized designer Queen¡¯s value and wanted to poach her.


    But she kept her identity a secret and did not give anyone clues, so gradually, people lost their drive to


    uncover her identity.


    Rachel pondered for a moment before saying lightly, ¡°Sure. But there are many things I need to deal


    with after returning to the Johnson family. So, it will take longer than usual.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. The other party said that as long as you agree, she can wait for no matter how long it takes.


    She also said that her biggest dream in life is to be able to wear a dress designed by you on her


    wedding day,¡± Mary said. She could not conceal the excitement in her voice. ¡°Babe, I look forward to


    you returning to us and leading us to the top.¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Alright, wait for me. We¡¯ll be back at the top in no time at all.¡±


    After the phone call ended, Rachel thought of the reason why she started designing wedding dresses


    in the first ce, and her smile unknowingly faded.


    At that time, she had fantasized about every wedding dress she touched. She had dreamed of walking


    toward Louis while wearing a dress that she designed by herself, but the reality turned out to be


    completely different. She thought to herself, ¡°There is nothing sadder than trying to touch the heart of a


    person who has never reciprocated my feelings.¡±


    Before Rachel had time to dwell on her sadness, a loud ng was heard outside the door.


    ng!


    It sounded like something breaking.


    The loud noise startled Rachel, and she rushed outside to see what had happened.


    ¡°Miss Grey.¡± Rosie was bending over to pick up some ceramic shards on the ground. When she heard


    Rachel, Rosie looked up at her with an apologetic smile. ¡°Look at me. I¡¯ve be so clumsy due to


    my old age. I identally broke this because I didn¡¯t get a good grip on the flower pot. Did I scare


    you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rachel replied. She bent down and helped Rosie to pick up the remaining pieces. ¡°Let me help.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Rosie cried out softly. ¡°No, no. Let me do it myself. Be careful not to hurt yourself.¡±


    Rachel smiled sweetly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Rosie¡¯s heart melted when she saw the sight of Rachel kneeling on the ground and picking up the


    broken pieces.


    She finally understood why Rachel was so well¨Cliked by Old Mrs. Jones.


    Rosie had been with Old Mrs. Jones for a long time, and she had seen all kinds of people. All she


    needed was to take one look, and she could tell if someone had ulterior motives.


    But Rachel was clearly different from the other women who had tried their best to marry into the Jones


    family.


    Rachel was not scheming like other women.


    She had a quality of innocence that had be almost impossible to find in most people.


    When Rosie saw that the mess was almost cleared, she took the broken pieces from Rachel¡¯s hands


    and asked politely, ¡°Miss Grey, do you have any food preferences?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good with anything,¡± Rachel replied sweetly.


    A gentle smile appeared on Rosie¡¯s face. ¡°Miss Grey, please make yourself at home. Don¡¯t be too


    polite, or the olddy of the house might think that we didn¡¯t do a good job at making you feel


    comfortable.¡±


    At that moment, they heard people exim from outside, ¡°Hey, the weather changed so suddenly!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Rosie¡¯s face changed drastically, and she rushed outside quickly. ¡°The olddy¡¯s favorite


    orchid is still outside. Don¡¯t let it get wet!¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones had green fingers and enjoyed taking care of nts to pass her time. These nts


    were her favorites.


    When Rachel saw Rosie leaving in such a hurry, she subconsciously followed her.


    There were many potted nts ced along the corridor. The most eye¨Ccatching one was an orchid


    which Rosie must have been referring to earlier.


    When Rachel was young, she was ignorant and identally knocked over her grandfather¡¯s potted


    orchid nt. Instead of reprimanding her, her grandfather was only concerned about whether she was


    scared or injured.


    Later, she learned from her Uncle Tom that the orchid nt she had knocked over was a very


    expensive one that had cost her grandfather 3


    million dors.


    As Rachel spotted the orchid, she grew curious about the identity of the olddy for the first time.


    She also wondered about what David was like.


    When Rachel spotted the dark clouds forming, she did not have time to continue pondering. She picked


    up a pot of moth orchids and ran toward the greenhouse which was nearby.


    Miss Grey, you should just rest, Rosie said as she looked at Rachel¡¯s slender arms and legs. ¡°Leave


    the rough work to us.¡±


    Rachel replied, ¡°It¡¯s no trouble.¡±


    It had started drizzling, and the rain was bing heavier. Rachel hugged the pot of moth orchids in


    her hands and subconsciously picked up her pace.


    The cobblestones along the garden path were a bit slippery. Rachel¡¯s shoes were drenched, and she


    suddenly slipped as she ran along the cobblestones. It was toote for her to regain bnce, and she


    stumbled.


    Rosie, who was standing not far behind her, eximed, ¡°Miss Grey!¡±

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Chapter 26


    Rachel was so frightened that her face turned pale. She closed her eyes and subconsciously hugged


    the potted nt in her arms.


    In the blink of an eye, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, and she was pulled into a tight embrace.


    Everything happened so suddenly that Rachel could not react in time.


    The pain that she was expecting from the fall never came. She wondered to herself, ¡°What is


    happening?¡±


    When Rachel slowly opened her eyes, she saw David in close proximity. It turned out that he had


    caught her just in time to break her fall.


    The man¡¯s jawline was extremely sharp, and his protruding Adam¡¯s apple looked vaguely sexy. He had


    a long and slender neck. One could feel an elegant aura emitting from him. He was a very attractive


    man indeed.


    Their bodies fit together perfectly. Rachel was instantly enveloped by the man¡¯srge frame, leaving


    her with no space to escape.


    Their gazes met without warning. Rachel could see her own reflection in the man¡¯s eyes, and it was so


    intoxicating.


    Her heart skipped a beat. Then, it started pounding. Soon, a tinge of pink appeared on her fair cheeks.


    ¡°Have you always been so clumsy?¡± David¡¯s deep and mesmerizing voice rang in her ears. It was as if


    the man was teasing her.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    His warm breath fanned across Rachel¡¯s face. It instantly felt like an electric current passing through


    her body, making her skin tingle and causing her to tense up involuntarily.


    At this time, Rachel noticed that David¡¯s arms around her had loosened. She hastily pulled away and


    retorted in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m clumsy. It¡¯s just that the path was too slippery¡­¡±


    David caught a glimpse of the blush on her face. He suddenly thought about teasing her. With a low


    laugh, he said, ¡°If we go with your logic, the cobblestones on this path should be removed.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and did not speak.


    She squatted down and carefully picked up the moth orchid nts from


    the broken flowerpot. She then gently wiped off the dirt on the roots with her fingertips. Smiling


    subconsciously, she said, ¡°I¡¯m d the roots of the orchids are not damaged. Otherwise, it would be


    terrible.¡±


    David squatted down and looked at Rachel quietly. There was a tenderness in his gaze that had never


    been seen before.


    But when his gaze shifted to Rachel¡¯s slender hands, he frowned and grabbed them.


    Rachel was startled by his actions. She followed his gaze and realized there was a small cut on her


    wrist.


    She must have identally injured herself earlier when she dropped the flowerpot. It was just a light


    scratch and not a big deal at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Rachel said and wiped her wound with her shirt without thinking too much.


    But David picked up Rachel without a word and walked toward the living room withrge strides.


    ¡°The orchids!¡± Rachel eximed in shock as her arms instinctively wrapped around the man¡¯s neck. At


    the same time, her forehead brushed against his lips inadvertently.


    David¡¯s body stiffened, but his pace did not slow down.


    He entered the living room and ced Rachel on the couch. Then, he quickly found the first¨Caid kit and


    soaked some cotton balls in an antiseptic solution.


    ¡°Let me do it.¡± Truthfully, Rachel was not bothered by her injury. If David had not brought it to her


    attention, she would have left the wound to scab on its own. It simply was not something to be


    concerned about.


    However, by kicking up a big fuss over nothing, it revealed just how worried David was about her. This


    touched Rachel deeply, and she was unable to reject his attention.


    David turned a deaf ear to Rachel¡¯s words. Holding the tweezers, he squatted before her and said,


    ¡°This might sting a little. Bear with it.¡± Then, he dabbed at her wound gently with a cotton ball that had


    been soaked in antiseptic.


    After cleaning up the mess outside, Rosie rushed into the house. Eddie, who had just arrived, was right


    behind her.


    Eddie saw David kneeling on one knee and carefully disinfecting the wound on Rachel¡¯s hand.


    It was at that moment that Eddie realized just how special Rachel was to David. He thought to himself,


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there is anyone else like her in this world.¡±


    He had never seen David kneel for anyone in his life.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Chapter 27


    Not long after, Old Mrs. Jones woke up from her slumber.


    When she saw the gauze wrapped around Rachel¡¯s hand, she asked in surprise, ¡°Are you okay? How


    did you get hurt?¡±


    While speaking, Old Mrs. Jones nced at David. There was a


    eyes.


    She thought to herself, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that he was too forceful with her and identally hurt her in the


    process?¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°I got a scratch when I identally broke a flowerpot earlier. Mrs. Jones, please don¡¯t


    worry. It¡¯s just a minor injury.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re fine.¡± Old Mrs. Jones nodded thoughtfully. She suddenly grabbed Rachel¡¯s hand and


    said with a kind smile, ¡°Since you¡¯re hurt, you should stay here tonight.¡±


    David raised his eyebrows. He chimed in, ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s raining outside. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to stop


    anytime soon, or at least not tonight.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, your body is not fully recovered yet. You must not expose yourself to the rain. Since you¡¯re


    also injured, it would be terrible for you to get drenched,¡± Old Mrs. Jones said seriously.


    David handed a cup of tea to Old Mrs. Jones. With a small smile, he said, ¡°Grandma¡¯s words make


    sense.¡±


    Rachel, who didn¡¯t have a chance to speak, was speechless. Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s proposal was out of the


    blue, catching her off guard. She did not know how to respond to the old woman¡¯s kindness.


    Just like that, Rachel was forced to spend the night at their ce. It had all happened so suddenly.


    When dinner was ready, the three of them sat down at the table to eat.


    Old Mrs. Jones looked at Rachel, who had an elegant dining etiquette. Her eyes sparkled as she said,


    ¡°Rachel, are your parents both in Seaxas?¡±


    At the mention of her parents, Rachel lowered her gaze. She shook her head and said softly, ¡°My


    mother passed away when I was very young.¡±


    As for her father¡­ It was better not to think about him at all.


    A trace of coldness appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes. She thought to herself, ¡°He¡¯s as good as dead to me.¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Old Mrs. Jones frowned slightly. She looked at Rachel with distress and said, ¡°Then, are you living on


    your own? If you are, why don¡¯t you move in here with me? It¡¯s not safe for a young girl to live alone. If


    you move here, at least I can take care of you. Also, I¡¯ll get to see you whenever I miss you.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, you shouldn¡¯t talk when you¡¯re eating. That¡¯s your own rule.¡± David gave his grandmother a


    look and interrupted their conversation.


    ¡°Rules are meant to be broken!¡± Old Mrs. Jones snorted softly before pouting. ¡°You¡¯re trying so hard to


    thwart my ns instead of helping me,¡± she said.


    David was speechless.


    Rachel pursed her lips awkwardly. She then lowered her head and ate in silence.


    At this moment, a hand reached toward her.


    The man¡¯s hand was very pretty. His skin was smooth like porcin. Rachel watched with fascination


    as he gracefully picked up a shrimp with his chopsticks.


    With great skill, he peeled the shell of the shrimp in a matter of seconds.


    Rachel had never seen someone who could peel a shrimp so gracefully and quickly. She had caught


    sight of his hand by ident, but now, her attention was fixed on his actions.


    She thought, ¡°With such beautiful hands, everything he does seems graceful.¡±


    She blushed when she thought about that exact pair of hands touching her.


    David noticed Rachel¡¯s gaze on him, and a small smile appeared on his usually stern face. It was as if


    he could read her mind.


    It was not until David ced a te of peeled shrimps before Rachel that she returned to her senses.


    She gazed at David gratefully.


    ¡°Try them,¡± David said as he looked at the dazed Rachel. His smile grew wider, reaching his eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s response was dyed. She said softly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She picked up her chopsticks and put one shrimp in her mouth. The sweet taste of the shrimp meat


    traveled from the tip of her tongue to her taste buds and finally spread to her heart.


    Old Mrs. Jones raised her eyebrows and nced meaningfully at David.


    She thought to herself, ¡°It seems that he¡¯s not as ignorant as I thought. Maybe he does understand how


    to pursue women.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    She looked down at her own shrimps which still had their shells and suddenly lost her appetite. David


    had not peeled them for her.


    Old Mrs. Jones pushed the shrimps aside and asked again, ¡°Rachel, when do you n toe and


    stay with me?¡±

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Chapter 28


    Rachel put down her chopsticks and replied sweetly, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m actually staying with my


    grandfather.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Old Mrs. Jones said. There was a look of understanding on her face, but a trace of regret could


    be seen in the depths of her eyes.


    Before this, Old Mrs. Jones thought that she could have David and Rachel live under the same roof.


    She hadn¡¯t expected Rachel to be staying with her grandfather.


    When the dinner was over, David brought Eddie to the study to take care of some work affairs. After the


    matters had been dealt with and they left the study, they walked out into the living room and were


    greeted by a heartwarming sight.


    Rachel was sitting right beside Old Mrs. Jones and chatting with her. The warm light in the living room


    illuminated her beautiful face, highlighting her sweet smile as she listened patiently to Old Mrs. Jones.


    At that moment, David finally understood what home felt like.


    ¡°David,¡± said Old Mrs. Jones when she caught sight of David, who was in a daze at the staircase. She


    beckoned him over with a wave. ¡°Since you¡¯re done with work, you should go for a walk with Rachel.


    I¡¯m tired, and I¡¯m going to rest.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± David said. Then, he looked at Rachel as though he wanted her permission.


    Rachel stood up. With a small smile, she said, ¡°Grandma, please rest well.¡±


    A wide smile grew on Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s face as she watched the young couple leave together. Then, as


    if she was reminded of something, she heaved a long sigh. ¡°I hope that rascal knows what he¡¯s doing


    and seeds in making Rachel fall for him,¡± she muttered to herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Rosie said beside her. On the other hand, she felt that Old Mrs. Jones was worrying


    about nothing. Rosie looked at the disappearing back views of the well¨Cmatched couple. Smiling, she


    said, ¡°Mr. Jones is an outstanding man. How could Miss Grey not fall for him?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Jones raised her eyebrows. With an intriguing smile, she said, ¡°Do you


    think Rachel is any inferiorpared to him?¡±


    From Rachel¡¯s every word and action, it was obvious that she had been well¨Craised. Her mannerisms


    also showed how she treated the people around her.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    These were qualities that could only be learned over a long time. They could not possibly have been


    developed within a short period.


    Judging from her years of experience, Old Mrs. Jones believed Rachel was an extraordinary girl.


    She knew David would have to put in a lot of effort to win Rachel¡¯s heart. It would not be an easy


    journey at all.


    It was still drizzling sporadically. Rachel reached out and felt the raindrops with her palms.


    David stood beside her with one hand in his pocket. His thin lips slightly curled up while admiring her


    delicate face. ¡°Would you like toe with me to the tea room?¡±


    Rachel looked at him and was caught off guard by his mesmerizing eyes. She felt like she was


    choking.


    She curled her fingertips and exhaled lightly. After trying her best to calm her pounding heart, she


    smiled and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The tea room was located in the West Wing. It was an exquisite and elegant ce.


    The arched shelf divided the tea room into two areas, the inner and outer zone. A bronze incense


    burner was ced on the table in the outer zone, and the smell of incense smokeplemented the


    residual tea fragrance in the air.


    Rachel looked around her surroundings. She noticed a painting on the wall, and her eyes sparkled.


    That painting was titled ¡°Spring Clouds and Morning Haze¡°. It was painted by the famous Leonard


    DeAngelo, and it had been bought anonymously by someone at the Fujiby auction.


    The people invited to the Fujiby auction all had a worth of at least 40 million dors.


    For someone to participate in the auction anonymously, they must have been at least a mid¨Ctier


    member for three years and had a worth of more than 200 million dors.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Chapter 29


    Rachel scrutinized David with curiosity.


    She thought, ¡°I wonder what this man¡¯s background is exactly?¡±


    David sat on the chair. The neckline of his shirt was slightly open, and the lines of his corbone could


    be seen faintly.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    It made his usual aloof self appear a lot wilder and unruly.


    The warm light engulfed the man, making him appear a lot less intimidating.


    His gaze was lowered, and there seemed to be an imperceptible smile on his face. He made a pot of


    tea in an orderly fashion, and atst, he ced one cup in front of Rachel. His deep and intoxicating


    voice rang out. ¡°When will you be discharged?¡±


    Rachel picked up the teacup in front of her and took a sip. The tea was fragrant, mellow, and sweet.


    She replied calmly, ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride tomorrow.¡± David¡¯s voice was rather deep. It was one thatmanded respect.


    Rachel shook her head lightly. ¡°I appreciate your kind intentions, Mr. Jones, but I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    David raised his gaze and stared at Rachel with his dark unblinkingly.


    eyes


    Suddenly, his lips curled into a smile. His voice was low and seductive as he said, ¡°You¡¯re afraid of me.¡±


    Rachel tightened her grip around the teacup, but her expression did not change. She met his eyes


    calmly. ¡°Am I?¡±


    David¡¯s eyes were very dark, and it was difficult to tell what he was thinking. However, he had an


    intimidating aura that made Rachel feel almost suffocated just by being around him.


    This man was far more unfathomable than she had imagined. Perhaps it would be impossible to ever


    understand him.


    She thought to herself, ¡°I can¡¯t afford to offend him, but at the very least, I can still hide from him.¡±


    David noticed Rachel¡¯s downcast gaze. With dark eyes, he said, ¡°I won¡¯t force you, and I don¡¯t expect


    you to answer me. But don¡¯t you think your brief answers are too heartless?¡±


    In all honesty, just the sight of David¡¯s face was enough to bewitch most people.


    Everyone liked beautiful things, and Rachel was no exception. When faced with David¡¯s charming face,


    she felt a profound liking to it. His looks were greatly pleasing to her eyes.


    But Louis¡¯s betrayal had left a hole in her heart. Even though David was very nice to her, it wouldn¡¯t be


    easy for her to feel moved by another man again.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, you seem to have full confidence in yourself, don¡¯t you?¡± Rachel looked at David with an


    imperceptible smile on her face. Her words sounded slightly mocking.


    David leaned back in his chair. His fingertips were tracing the mouth of his blue patterned porcin tea


    cup. He said casually, ¡°That¡¯s because I know that there is no one in this world, except me, who is


    worthy of you.¡±


    His tone was t, but there was an air of self¨Cimportance that could not be concealed.


    Rachel stared at him for a moment. Then, suddenly, a bright smile appeared on her crimson lips.


    However, there was a trace of coldness in the depths of her eyes.


    She mmed her teacup on the table, and in a vexed tone, she eximed, ¡°Mr. Jones, are you trying


    to say that it¡¯s inevitable for me to ept you in this lifetime?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± David stared at Rachel¡¯s annoyed face, and his lips curled into a smile. He enunciated each word


    clearly, ¡°I meant that in this lifetime, I¡¯m certain I want you.¡±


    That short sentence made Rachel feel like a grenade had exploded in her heart.


    Her eyshes fluttered, and she lowered her gaze as her fingers curled into tight fists.


    The faint scent of sandalwood lingering in the air made Rachel feel increasingly breathless. She stood


    up abruptly and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should go back and rest.¡±


    Unexpectedly, David grabbed her wrist.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    The temperature of David¡¯s palm seemed to burn Rachel. She instinctively tried to break free. However,


    the man in front of her tightened his grip.


    ¡°Once bitten, twice shy,¡± David said. ¡°The thing that a life event teaches us is a lesson for us to learn


    instead of making us timid.¡± David noticed that Rachel¡¯s rigid body gradually rxed. He then


    tentatively lifted his hand to hold Rachel¡¯s chin, preventing her from evading his gaze. ¡°You can reject


    me with prickly thorns all over your body, but I won¡¯t give up embracing you because of that,¡± he said.


    The room fell silent in an instant, and the torrential rain outside became particrly clear.


    The pattering raindrops beat against the tiles with a chaotic rhythm,pletely disturbing Rachel¡¯s


    heart.


    Her eyshes trembled lightly. Eventually, she slowly closed her eyes and whispered in resignation,


    ¡°David, I don¡¯t have the courage to gamble on an all¨Cconsuming love again.¡±


    Her gentle voice was mixed with an uncontroble tremble as if one could feel her shattered heart.


    During the three years that Rachel was in love with Louis, she resolutely chose thetter despite her


    family¡¯s opposition.


    She regarded Louis as her only choice for the future. She imposed Louis¡¯s ideals and aspirations on


    herself. She loved Louis without hesitation or expectation of reciprocation. But in the end, what


    happened?


    His betrayal came unexpectedly, like a knife thrust into her heart without warning.


    She could grit her teeth and bear all the pain without uttering a word to anyone. She could also pretend


    to have a relieved attitude toward her future life. However, she was the only one who knew that the


    gruesome and terrifying wound still pierced through her heart to this day.


    And she and this man in front of her were just acquaintances. Even though he had been honest about


    his thoughts, how could she dare to easily reach out her hand to him?


    Chapter


    She could not bring herself to do it.


    You don¡¯t need to love. You just need to be loved.¡± David said. His deep and cold voice softened, like


    the morning sun dispersing the mist in the mountains. And like the warm stream flowing into the heart,


    he continued. ¡°My deep affection doesn¡¯t need a reason.¡±


    He extended his hands. His cool fingertips traced lightly over the damp corner of Rachel¡¯s eyes as if he


    was touching her heart directly. The numb sensation was like an electric current spreading throughout


    her body.


    Rachel suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the man in front of her Her heart was beating like a


    drum.


    The man¡¯s lips curved into a gentle smile. His deep eyes seemed to be filled with infinite tenderness.


    Merely catching a glimpse of his eyes made it hard for anyone to resist his gaze.


    Rachel stood there in a daze, mouth agape but unable to utter a word Her throat was dry and hoarse,


    feeling like she had been walking through the desert for three days and three nights.


    Actually, when she rejected David, she had expected him to be angry. She had even prepared to


    have a falling out with him.


    However, the fact remained that she had underestimated this man¡¯s determination and perseverance.


    He was like an experienced hunter, luring her step by step into the trap he had set. She was


    unconsciously led by him.


    Rachel waspletely powerless to resist this kind of man.


    After a long while, she spoke up and asked, ¡°Mr. Jones, are you always that upfront when ites to


    dealing with women?¡±


    ¡°I only have you by my side.¡± David said as his fingertips gently slid from Rachel¡¯s chin to her temples,


    lightly tucking away the stray hair by her ear. His seductive andzy voice sounded in her ear. ¡°You are


    the first woman I pursue, the only one, and also the first woman in my life to reject me,¡± he said.


    His voice lowered, and it made Rachel¡¯s ears turn red. She cleared her throat and replied softly, ¡°I am


    the one who doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate you.¡±


    Chapter 30


    ¡°That¡¯s right, David said as he gazed at Rachel. His eyes contained a hint of amusement. ¡°You are the


    only one who doesn¡¯t appreciate me, yet you are the one who captures my heart the most.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart rippled with emotion.


    After a while, she calmed down her elerating heartbeat. She let out a sigh and said, ¡°Thank you for


    the drink, but I really should go back and


    rest now.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave together,¡± David said.


    Three short words that sounded almost like amand made it impossible for people to resist him.


    As they walked out the door, David handed his coat to Rachel.


    Seeing Rachel hesitate, he raised his hand and opened the coat, draping it directly over her shoulders.


    ¡°Be careful not to catch a cold,¡± he said.


    On the way back, the two of them walked side by side. Their footsteps gradually became synchronized,


    making it difficult to tell who was amodating whom.


    Under David¡¯s escort, Rachel returned to the door of her guest room. Just as she pushed the door


    open, David suddenly grabbed the hand she had rested on the door lock.


    At that moment, their skin touched. The warmth of David¡¯s palm spread throughout Rachel¡¯s body,


    causing her to stiffen suddenly. ¡°What¡­ what are you trying to do?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae,¡± David said.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    David¡¯s deep and maic voice, which had hints of tenderness and ambiguous intimacy used only


    between lovers, caused Rachel¡¯s heart to tremble.


    She pursed her lips and gazed into David¡¯s unfathomable eyes.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    David¡¯s lips curved into a meaningful smile. His eyes had a mysterious depth that Rachel could not


    discern. ¡°Would you like to spend the night with me?¡± he asked.


    Rachel forcefully withdrew her hand. Her charming face instantly


    became cold. It looked as if ayer of ice had formed on it, causing her to emanate a chilling aura.


    ¡°David, you have no sense of propriety,¡± Rachel said. ¡°We are nowhere near the level where we can


    share a bed together.¡±


    ¡°I thought youing to my room was a hint toward something,¡± David said. His smile grew more


    pronounced after seeing the anger on Rachel¡¯s alluring face. ¡°Moreover, it¡¯ste at night, and we are


    alone. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m a normal man.¡±


    It was inevitable to have some wild thoughts.


    Upon hearing David¡¯s remarks, the anger in Rachel¡¯s chest dissipated instantly. A trace of surprise and


    indescribable embarrassment appeared on her face. ¡°Did you, um, say this is your room?¡± she asked.


    Seeing her surprised expression, a sh of understanding passed through David¡¯s pupils. It seemed


    that he had made a mistake and unintentionally dashed the hopes of someone who cared for him


    deeply.


    It was no wonder the Old Mrs. Jones kept reminding him to stay there when he was on his way.


    It turned out that not only had Rachel be part of Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s n, but he also had.


    He knew that Old Mrs. Jones was eager for a grandchild, but being too hasty might backfire.


    David furrowed his brows and spoke in a calm tone. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I will sleep in the next room


    tonight,¡± he said.


    1/3


    OL471


    Chapter 31


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in the next room,¡± Rachel said. David generously offered the room to her, showing his


    gentlemanly demeanor. However, she still felt a bit uneasy.


    After she spoke, she hurriedly turned around and left.


    However, David suddenly reached out and stopped her. His arm blocked her way. He was enveloped in


    the scent of wood. He slightly lowered his body to trap Rachel in his arms. His eyes, as dark as ink,


    gazed directly at the woman in his arms. ¡°Rae¨CRae, what is the nature of our rtionship now?¡± he


    asked.


    They were in close proximity. Their breaths mixed together. They could even hear each other¡¯s


    heartbeats.


    Rachel lifted her gaze, and their eyes met inevitably. There seemed to be a cluster of mes in the


    depths of David¡¯s eyes. His eyes were particrly enticing.


    Her heart was beating uncontrobly. She frowned and lowered her head in silence.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± David looked at Rachel¡¯s pursed lips. His deep ck eyes could not help but be a little


    hot. His maic voice, which was mixed with a hint of hoarseness, prated her ears. ¡°Rae¨CRae,


    can you answer me?¡± he asked.


    Rachel¡¯s earlobes felt like they were burning, and there was a brief moment of numbness.


    She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the heat on her face, and pretended to be calm. ¡°David,


    everything requires a gradual process,¡± she said. ¡°Achieving something too quickly may make people


    fail to cherish it.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± David raised an eyebrow and looked at her with great interest.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes trembled in a panic, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say


    before that pursuing a woman requires giving 100 percent sincerity; learning to be humble, proactive,


    and considerate; and, most importantly, beingmitted to one person? How could you forget what


    you said?¡±


    Suddenly, lowughter flowed from David¡¯s throat. It was like the enchanting sound produced by a


    cello. ¡°So it turns out that Rae¨CRae likes and enjoys being pursued by me,¡± he said.


    Rachel was left speechless.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    She had nothing to say. She only red at him with a mix of annoyance and embarrassment.


    ¡°I will fulfill anything that Rae¨CRae likes,¡± David said.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Rachel opened her mouth. She eventually let out a helpless sigh. ¡°Forget it, as long as you¡¯re


    happy.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, David¡¯s lips curved into a joyful smile. He said, ¡°I camete before and


    couldn¡¯t apany you day and night, but from now on. I¡¯m willing to spend the rest of my life with


    you¡±


    ¡°David, I haven¡¯t agreed yet,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°I know,¡± David said as he lowered his gaze and stared at Rachel¡¯s pretty face. The faint blush on her


    fair cheeks was still visible. ¡°But sooner orter, you will be mine.¡±


    With that simple sentence, Rachel felt the unrestrained arrogance thaty behind it.


    A hint of shyness crossed her face. She pushed away the man in front of her and quickly said, ¡°Good


    night,¡± before turning around and leaving without looking back.


    David stood in ce, his gaze falling on the fleeing figure that carried a hint of panic. He lightly smiled.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    As soon as the door closed, Rachel leaned back against it, still feeling her heart pounding like a drum.


    Since she was young, everyone around her had been teaching her how to love. Only this man had told


    her that she could also be the one to be loved.


    This man seemed to have given her many choices, but he also invisibly cut off all her retreats, forcing


    her to make a choice.


    When facing David, she always felt angry and frustrated. She wanted to take action but ultimately failed


    to achieve any real impact or result. A deep sense of frustration and helplessness constantly lingered


    around her.


    Rachel pinched her forehead andy on the bed, staring at the floating night sky outside the window.


    Her mind was filled with many thoughts.


    It was unclear how much time had passed. She fell asleep in a daze.


    The morning light was faint, and all things were just waking up.


    After Rachel finished washing up, she opened the door and walked out. She saw Old Mrs. Jones sitting


    in the living room. She quickly walked over and greeted, ¡°Mrs. Jones.¡±


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, did you sleep wellst night?¡± Old Mrs. Jones asked, her lips curving into a meaningful


    smile as she scrutinized Rachel with dim eyes. It was as if she was eager to find something on


    Rachel¡¯s body.


    Rachel lifted her hand to tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear and replied, ¡°I slept well.¡±


    When David walked in from outside, his gaze involuntarily fell on Rachel.


    Rachel¡¯s dark, long hair was casually curled behind her head. A few strands fell in front of her


    forehead, giving off a hint ofziness and casualness.


    Her features were exquisitely beautiful. Her almond¨Cshaped eyes shimmered with watery radiance.


    She was breathtakingly gorgeous. Her lips, moist and luscious, exuded a tempting allure that


    inexplicably captured all of one¡¯s attention.


    What was just an unintentional nce made David scream in his mind. He recalled a line of poetry by a


    poet describing the beauty and elegance of a woman.


    ¡°David, now that you¡¯re back, let¡¯s have dinner,¡± Old Mrs. Jones said when she noticed David standing


    at the door.


    David regained his senses and silently tightened his grip on the small green medicine bottle in his hand


    before taking a step forward. ¡°Okay,¡± he said.


    Before taking a seat, David pulled out a chair for her. Rachel smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As soon as she sat down, David pushed the chair in a little with a smooth and synchronized movement,


    disying a great deal of tacit


    understanding.


    At the dining table, Rachel ate with her head down, but she could clearly feel David¡¯s gaze fixed upon


    her.


    The sharp and intense gaze was truly hard to ignore.


    Old Mrs. Jones silently observed the interaction between David and Rachel. She lifted her gaze and


    exchanged a nce with Rosie. They both simultaneously revealed a subtle smile.


    After finishing their meal, David received a phone call and left. As he was leaving, he pulled a small


    bottle of medicine out of his pocket and handed it to Rachel.


    ¡°Um, what is this?¡± Rachel asked as she looked at the bottle of medicine that David had handed to her


    with confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s medicine for external injuries,¡± David said as he looked at her, his lips curling slightly into a smile.


    ¡°It also has the effect of removing scars.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, Rachel could not help but smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple scratch,¡± she said.


    Maybe it had already scabbed over by now.


    Old Mrs. Jones gave David a meaningful look.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    ¡°Has the injury on your hand gotten better?¡± Old Mrs. Jones asked as she picked up the cup in front of


    her and took a sip


    Feeling a bit embarrassed, Rachel shrank her hand back and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a small cut,¡± she said.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡±


    ¡°David arranged for Eddie to go to the pharmacy to get some medicine overnight,¡± Old Mrs. Jones said.


    ¡°I thought the injury was serious, and I was worried all night. But now that you say it¡¯s not a big deal, I


    feel relieved.¡± She put down the cup. There was a hint of mystery in her smile as she continued, ¡°After


    all these years, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen David get so nervous about someone.¡±


    It had also been a long time since Davidst showed care and concern for someone else. Upon


    hearing that, Rachel lowered her gaze and curled her fingertips slightly. The fluttering of her eyshes


    seemed to reveal a slight emotional turmoil within her.


    When David returned to the living room, Rachel said she need to get going.


    Knowing that Rachel was going back to the hospital toplete her discharge procedures, Old Mrs.


    Jones did not try to persuade Rachel to stay. Instead, she repeatedly reminded David to take good care


    of Rachel.


    In the car, David gripped the steering wheel with one hand and asionally nced over at Rachel.


    ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Rachel asked. She found it hard to focus as David kept ncing at


    her.


    ¡°The outfit suits you well,¡± David said with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly. She hesitated for half a second before asking, ¡°Were you the one


    who prepared this outfit?¡±


    After Rachel finished washing up that morning, she found the new outfit neatlyid out on her bed. She


    changed into the outfit without giving it much thought.


    She had thought that Old Mrs. Jones had prepared the outfit for her, but it turned out it had been David.


    Moreover, the size of the outfit was surprisingly perfect. ¡°Either he is used to doing such things, or¡­ he


    has a cross¨Cdressing fetish!¡± Rachel thought.


    David noticed the scrutiny in Rachel¡¯s eyes. A smile then appeared at the corner of his eyes. ¡°The size


    isbeled on the clothes, so it wasn¡¯t hard for me to figure it out,¡± he said with a chuckle.


    Rachel could barely ept this exnation.


    As she thought about how her undergarments were prepared by the man in front of her, her cheeks


    could not help but flush.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°If you encounter any trouble rted to your resignation, you can call me directly,¡± David said.


    Rachel was taken aback for a moment. She did not expect that he would remember her conversation


    with Old Mrs. Jones.


    She smiled and said, ¡°I can handle it myself.¡±


    The car stopped at the hospital entrance. Rachel opened the car door to get out, but David held her


    hand tightly.


    Rachel struggled subconsciously but could not break free. She let him hold her hand and asked, ¡°Do


    you have anything else to say?¡±


    ¡°Remember to take your medicine on time,¡± David said as he held Rachel¡¯s soft hand tightly. Rachel


    responded with a sound of agreement and tried to pull her hand out to get out of the car, but she still


    could not break free.


    She looked at David with a hint of embarrassment.


    David said, ¡°I have a feeling that it won¡¯t be easy to see you again after we part this time.¡± His deep and


    maic voice seemed to contain endless reluctance and tenderness. It was like a spring breeze


    brushing the willows, causing ripples to surge in the bottom of her heart.


    Although David was reluctant to let go of Rachel¡¯s soft hand, he still released it before her patience ran


    out. ¡°Take good care of yourself,¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Rachel responded. Without any hesitation, she opened the car door and got out. Sitting in the


    car, David watched the slender figure gradually move away. A faint smile appeared on his lips. ¡°She¡¯s


    really a ruthless and heartless woman,¡± he said.


    He restarted the car. As the car window slowly went up, he passed by a ck Mercedes car.


    As the man in the car saw David¡¯s fleeting face, he frowned slightly. A hint of murkyplexity


    flickered in his eyes.


    ¡°He actually came back.¡±

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    ¡°Tom, what are you looking at?¡± Adrian asked as he followed Tom¡¯s gaze. However, he did not see


    anything.


    Tom frowned slightly and said, ¡°When we pick up Rae¨CRaeter, you can take her to the Smith Group.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Adrian said.


    When the two of them appeared in the hospital room, Rachel could not help but feel surprised. ¡°Why


    did you guyse?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I was worried you couldn¡¯t handle it alone,¡± Adrian said, taking the things that Rachel was holding.


    ¡°I can handle it myself,¡± Rachel said, looking at the two tall men in front of her. ¡°You guys are busy. You


    didn¡¯t need toe to pick me up.¡±


    ¡°Even if something big happens, it¡¯s still not as important as you,¡± Adrian said.


    Upon hearing his words, a warm feeling flowed through the depths of Rachel¡¯s heart.


    She turned her gaze to the silent Tom and noticed that her uncle was unusually quiet. ¡°Did something


    happen in the family?¡± she thought.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    She directed her gaze at Adrian.


    Adrian shrugged slightly, indicating that he was also clueless.


    After leaving the hospital, Rachel went straight to the entrance of the Smith Group building.


    Rachel walked into the building holding a resignation letter she had prepared.


    The gazes of all the people looking at her were very surprised.


    As she walked, people whispered and gossiped about her, saying things like, ¡°I heard that our CEO,


    Mr. Smith, abandoned his bride on their wedding day. Why does she still have the dignity to show up


    here?¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t help it. Shees from a rural background. If a in Jane wants to increase her social


    status, she needs to have a bit of tolerance, right?¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ What¡¯s the point of remaining persistent for years? In the end, she is just like a stray dog


    that got kicked out of the door.¡±


    Rachel seemed like she did not hear their discussion as she strode toward the conference room with


    confident steps.


    Inside the conference room, thepany¡¯s top executives and directors were discussing uing


    financial matters.


    Suddenly, Louis¡¯s assistant rushed in and leaned down to whisper in Louis¡¯s ear. ¡°Mr. Smith, Miss Grey


    is here,¡± the assistant said.


    ¡°Let here in,¡± Louis said as he raised his hand and rubbed his temple. A hint of gloom appeared on


    his stern face.


    He wanted to see how Rachel would exin to the board members how she instigated the Green


    family to suddenly withdraw their capital, causing such a huge financial hole.


    When Rachel pushed the door open and walked in, all eyes in the conference room turned to her.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Miss Grey who has arrived.¡± One of the directors greeted Rachel first.


    One after another, the other directors also followed suit to greet Rachel.


    When Rachel joined the Smith Group as the head of the strategy department, many people were


    skeptical of her abilities.


    After all, in their eyes, besides a pretty face, Rachel seemed to have no other strengths. Some even


    thought that Louis must have been under a spell when he decided to bring Rachel into thepany.


    However, to their surprise, within just one year of Rachel joining the Smith Group, she had managed to


    turn the strugglingpany around and sessfully attracted a new batch of investors.


    After that, she led the team to introduce the brand concept of ¡°rural vacation¡± and established the first


    domestic chain of boutique hotels under the brand name Horale, which helped the Smith Group


    establish a foothold in the market.


    From then on, the directors of thepany went from looking at Rachel with skepticism and disdain to


    genuinely admiring and appreciating her.


    Sitting with his legs crossed in the main seat, Louis looked at Rachel with


    a hint of anger and gloom on his face. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, please give our directors a reasonable


    exnation for the sudden withdrawal of


    investment from the Green family,¡± he said.


    The cold voice was as icy and piercing as water under a cier. It lowered the temperature of the


    entire conference room.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Instantly, everyone in the meeting room was struck silent.


    Rachel raised her eyes and looked indifferently at Louis. ¡°Hasn¡¯t Miss Green already made it very


    clear?¡± she asked. ¡°If you need me to repeat it, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Jeez, Louis said. His chin tensed, and his hand on the chair tightened as he spoke in a low voice. ¡°Our


    rtionship issues are private matters. If it weren¡¯t for you stirring up trouble, how would Miss Green


    know? Moreover, do you think anyone would believe that Miss Green suddenly withdrew her


    investment just because of our rtionship problems?¡±


    As she sat on her chair facing the reprimand from Louis, a trace of a mocking smile appeared on


    Rachel¡¯s face.


    Stirring up trouble?


    It turned out that in Louis¡¯s eyes, Rachel was the kind of person who stirred up trouble.


    Upon hearing that, the others in the room looked at Rachel with disapproval.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Miss Grey, we should prioritize the overall situation. Your personal rtionship with Mr. Smith is a


    private matter. As someone who is aware- and thoughtful, you should understand the importance of


    putting the collective interest first. How could you bring this matter to the investors? It¡¯s simply


    senseless.¡±


    ¡°I opposed the idea of allowing a woman with no background or qualifications to enter thepany


    from the beginning. But you didn¡¯t listen to my advice. Now you¡¯ve let a woman manipte and control


    all of you. Let¡¯s see how you clean up this mess.¡±


    Top


    ¡°She was able to instigate Miss Green to withdraw her investment with just her words. Who knows what


    methods she may use to persuade other investors to do the same behind our backs?¡±


    Upon hearing the others¡® words, Rachel felt dejected.


    That sense of dejection was not quite the same as feeling betrayed by Louis.


    She felt that all of her efforts were in vain. In the end, she only managed


    to move herself.


    Louis looked at the silent Rachel. His eyes were filled with anger. ¡°Rachel, say something.¡± he said.


    Rachel¡¯s face was marked with a mocking smile as she looked at Louis sitting in the main seat. ¡°It¡¯s


    your fault. Why should I bear the


    consequences of your mistake?¡± she replied. ¡°As the direct person in charge of thepany, you


    should know that your image and reputation directly affect thepany. You don¡¯t even have this


    awareness. What qualifies you to sit in that position now?¡±


    The resounding words echoed through the air, instantly silencing the conference room and making it so


    quiet that one could hear a pin drop.


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Rachel, who was usuallyposed and well¨Cmannered, spoke rudely to Louis,


    openly questioning hispetence and intelligence.


    This was no different than pping Louis in front of everyone.


    Louis¡¯s handsome face suddenly turned dark, and he red at Rachel with a gloomy expression.


    ¡°Rachel Grey,¡± Louis said as he gritted his teeth and suppressed the anger that was about to burst.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a department manager in thispany. Your top priority should be to do your duty well. It¡¯s


    not your ce to lecture me.¡±


    ¡°Do my duty well?¡± Rachel raised an eyebrow and looked at Louis sarcastically. ¡°Was it my duty to


    come up with strategies for the Smith Group, or was it my duty to workte into the night for the


    company? If you think those are my duties, then you are absolutely wrong. There is no such thing as


    ¡®duty¡® for me, only things I want to do or not.¡±


    Just as Louis was about to speak, Rachel suddenly raised her hand and fiercely threw the prepared


    resignation letter at Louis¡¯s face, saying, ¡°I¡¯m calling it quits. The Smith Group is too small apany


    for someone who is as important as me. You¡¯d better find someone else to do it.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the dissatisfaction on everyone¡¯s face vanished instantly. One after another, the


    people in the conference room stood up to persuade Rachel to stay.


    Louis looked at the resignation letter that Rachel had thrown in his For the first time, he felt a sense of


    panic.


    The only reason he dared to hurt Rachel without restraint was that he relied on her feelings for him.


    He knew that no matter what happened, Rachel would never leave him.


    But now Rachel left him with a wave of her hand, leaving him caught off guard.


    Louis¡¯s fingertips suddenly tightened, gripping the resignation letter tightly.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Amid the chaotic pleas of the top executives and directors, Louis gritted his teeth secretly and finally


    spoke in a softened tone. ¡°Rachel, I never meant to force you out of thepany,¡± he said. ¡°And I


    certainly didn¡¯t intend to pick on you¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think I care about your thoughts at this point?¡± Rachel interrupted coldly. Her gaze toward


    Louis was now only filled with cold indifference. ¡°I came here today to resign from my position.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    If it weren¡¯t for her resignation, she would not have even bothered toe to thepany that day, let


    alone waste time talking to the people present.


    After speaking, she turned around and made her way out of the conference room.


    Sitting on the chair, Louis saw Rachel¡¯s resolute figure. The suppressed anger in his heart was


    completely ignited.


    He stood up abruptly. His face was dark and grim. He shouted in a cold voice, ¡°Rachel, I don¡¯t agree


    with your resignation! Do you think the Smith Group is a ce where you can behave as atrociously as


    you please? You can¡¯t juste and go as you please!¡±


    Rachel looked at the infuriated Louis expressionlessly. A sarcastic smile then curled up at the corner of


    her mouth. ¡°Do you think the Smith Group alone can trap me?¡± she asked. ¡°You want to im the moral


    high ground and dictate what I should do, huh? Don¡¯t forget how the Smith Group got to where it is


    today.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Louis was momentarily speechless, especially when he met Rachel¡¯s icy gaze. His heart felt like it


    was being squeezed by something, and at strong sense of suffocation made him forget to breathe


    momentarily.


    In the past, whenever Rachel faced him, she always had a look of tender affection. She had never


    shown such a cold and distant expression.


    ¡°So does this mean she really doesn¡¯t care anymore?¡± Louis thought.


    ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯ve been managing all the affairs, big and small, in the Smith Group for many years. If


    you suddenly resign, how on earth could the other people in thepany cope?¡±


    ¡°The Green family¡¯s withdrawal of capital may be a big or small matter,


    but why would the board of directors hold it against you over such a trivial matter?¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, please think twice before you make a decision. The sess of the Smith Group today is all


    thanks to your hard work. If you just leave like this, wouldn¡¯t all the efforts you put in over the years be


    wasted?¡±


    However, it seemed that Rachel did not even hear what they said. She pushed open the door of the


    conference room and left without looking back.


    As he watched the determined figure of the woman walking away, Louis clenched his hands tightly at


    his sides. His arms trembled involuntarily.


    His heart could not help but sink. It was as if he had lost something irretrievable.


    As the news of Rachel¡¯s sudden resignation spread, chaos ensued outside. Some people gloated,


    while others started to worry about the future development of thepany.


    However, Rachel, as the person involved, did not care about these things.


    From the moment she chose to cut ties with Louis, the fate of the Smith Group had nothing to do with


    her anymore.


    She was in her office, neatly tidying up the things in her workspace.


    It was at that moment the office door was pushed open. Louis walked in and asked, ¡°Rachel, can we


    talk?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for us to talk about,¡± Rachel said. She firmly refused his request, speaking in a


    professional tone. She continued coldly, ¡°Take a good look. I don¡¯t want any of these things anymore,


    so please don¡¯t use them as an excuse to approach me in the future.¡±


    Among the things Rachel discarded was the rare photo of them together.


    In the photo, Louis¡¯s face was filled with joy and excitement, while Rachel¡¯s lips were curved into a


    smile as she gazed at Louis with tenderness in her eyes.


    That photo was taken when they received their first investment. Louis pulled Rachel to take it. Ever


    since then, Rachel had treasured the photo. However, she now cast it aside as if it was nothing.


    It turned out that her leaving thepany with fanfare was not just for


    show but to make it clear to everyone that she hadpletely cut ties


    with Louis.


    ¡°Best wishes for the future sess of the Smith Group,¡± Rachel said in a calm tone before turning


    around and leaving.


    As they passed each other, Louis suddenly reached out and grabbed Rachel¡¯s wrist. He lifted his thin


    lips. With a deep and cold voice that carried a hint of hoarseness, he asked, ¡°Rachel, can you not


    leave?¡±

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    ¡°Are you expecting me to stay here and watch you and Olivia feel disgusted with me?¡± Rachel sneered


    as she looked at Louis, who had a mocking glint in his eyes. ¡°Not immediately throwing up in your face


    is already the greatest respect I can give you.¡±


    ¡°Louis.¡± Olivia¡¯s voice sounded from outside.


    ¡°Look, Mr. Smith, your sweetheart has arrived,¡± Rachel said as she looked at Louis with a half¨Csmile.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to let go?¡±


    As expected, Louis quickly let go of her hand.


    A sarcastic smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s face. She turned around and left without hesitation.


    From the moment Louis abandoned her at the wedding ceremony, Rachel realized that no matter how


    hard she tried, she could never match the position Olivia held in Louis¡¯s heart.


    At that time, she felt agonized. Even that was not enough to express her feelings.


    Rachel reckoned that some things were better to be grieved for once. One should then move on. There


    was no need to repeatedly hurt oneself because of someone else¡¯s mistake.


    Besides, there were plenty of men in this world. Without Louis, she could still live her life.


    As she pushed the door and stepped out, Olivia happened to push the door ande in.


    Olivia¡¯s gaze met Rachel¡¯s across the room. She raised her eyebrows slightly with a hint of challenge in


    her eyes.


    Rachel remained calm and indifferent. It was as if she had not even noticed Olivia¡¯s presence. She


    walked straight past Olivia.


    Completely ignored by Rachel, Olivia felt a sense of powerlessness. The sense of humiliation that she


    felt caused her exquisitely made¨Cup face to reveal a hint of resentment and jealousy.


    She could not stand Rachel¡¯s high and mighty attitude. It was as if she towered over everyone else.


    In Olivia¡¯s eyes, Rachel was nothing more than a country bumpkin with a haughty demeanor, which


    was truly annoying. On second thought, the only thing Rachel could boast about was Louis. However,


    Louis, unfortunately, abandoned Rachel and chose her instead.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of spending three years with Louis?¡± Olivia thought. ¡°What¡¯s the use of making


    significant contributions to the Smith Group? ¡°She is still no match for the ce I hold in Louis¡¯s heart.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°This woman is destined to be trampled under my feet and defeated by me!¡±


    ¡°Why did you suddenlye out when you should be resting at home?¡± Louis lowered his gaze and


    looked at Olivia with a hint of concern and tenderness in his expression.


    Olivia came back to her senses after being lost in thought. A gentle smile crept up on her lips. ¡°I know


    you¡¯ve been worried about the Green family withdrawing their investment,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t


    understand much about business matters, but I did what I could to help you. I went and asked my dad


    for help. This is the investment proposal he drafted. He¡¯s willing to invest in the Shallow Bay project. If


    everything looks good, please sign it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± A hint of joy finally appeared on Louis¡¯s mncholic face. He tightly held Olivia¡¯s hand and


    kissed it. ¡°Olivia, you¡¯re my lucky star.¡±


    A glimmer of light shed in Olivia¡¯s eyes. She calmly shifted the conversation to Rachel. ¡°Louis,


    Rachel has just been discharged from the hospital,¡± she said. ¡°Even if there is work to be done, you


    should be more considerate of her.¡±


    Mentioning Rachel caused Louis¡¯s smile to fade slightly. He looked up at the back of Rachel as she left,


    feeling a sense of loss and regret.


    Rachel left without any hesitation or reluctance,pletely cutting off the rtionship between them


    and not leaving him any chance to save it.


    Louis briefly mentioned Rachel¡¯s resignation. His gaze gradually became cold. There seemed to be a


    layer of ice between his eyebrows. ¡°Since she wants to leave, I won¡¯t force her to stay,¡± he said. ¡°I just


    hope she won¡¯t regret it in the future.¡±


    Even though he had abandoned Rachel at their wedding ceremony, he never thought about driving her


    out of thepany. While he did have any personal feelings for her, he had to admit that she was


    effective and efficient worker.


    Rachel¡¯s sudden resignation had caught him off guard, but he did not feel particrly reluctant to let


    her go.


    However, since her attitude was resolute, he did not have to forcefully persuade her to stay.


    He wanted to see how Rachel would survive in Seaxas without any rtives or connections after


    leaving the Smith Group and him.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    When Rachel walked out of the Smith Group building, she happened tosee Adrian adjusting his tie,


    holding a briefcase, and exuding a stern and austere murderous aura. It was as if he would have


    charged into the Smith Group¡¯s building to carry out a massacre if she had been a minuteter.


    The moment Adrian saw Rachel, his eyes grew colder. A trace of worry appeared in his eyes. He sized


    her up and asked eagerly, ¡°Did that scumbag make things hard for you?¡±


    He was clearly overprotective.


    A warm and fuzzy feeling surged in Rachel¡¯s heart, and a trace of joy appeared on her cold and aloof


    face. She answered, ¡°No. Besides, I can cope with this trivial matter on my own.¡±


    Adrian looked up at the Smith Group with a trace of mockery in his eyes. ¡°The Smith Group actually


    abandoned you for a lowly starlet, huh? Is that all they¡¯re capable of?¡±


    Hearing the remarks Adrian made about Olivia, Rachel couldn¡¯t help but raise her brows.


    Lowly starlet¡­


    After all these years of being in the entertainment industry, Olivia was almost an A¨Clist celebrity and


    one of the top four most popr actresses. However, despite her achievements, the Johnson family


    still thought she wasn¡¯t worthy enough.


    The only reason was that the Johnson family was incredibly powerful and rich. As for their status¡­


    Even now, no one could rece them as the richest family in Seaxas.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± Adrian said as he took Rachel¡¯s hand and turned around to get inside the car. ¡°Sir


    even called to ask about you just now. He misses you.¡±


    Rachel nodded. When she bent forward and was about to get inside the call, she made a call to


    someone. ¡°Deal with the footage of the surveince cameras at the Smith Group,¡± she instructed.


    She didn¡¯t want to leave behind any traces that Louis could take


    advantage of.


    From now on, there was longer a Rachel Grey who fought for love, only Rachel Grey, the heiress of the


    Johnson family, the richest in Seaxas.


    In fact, Old Mr. Johnson was not the only one who missed Rachel. There was also David, who was far


    away in the conference room of the Ster Corporation.


    In the conference room on the 88th floor of the building, everyone was engulfed by an intense and


    massive sense of oppression. It was like a huge cloud looming over everyone¡¯s heads.


    The department executives in the conference room were sitting upright, not daring to take a breath at


    all for fear that they wouldpletely anger the big shot in the master seat.


    It was said that people newly appointed to positions of responsibility tended to make far¨Creaching


    changes. This young and powerful CEO was not only not to be underestimated, but his methods were


    also resolute and menacing. On the day he assumed his new position. he got rid of all the directors


    who threw their weight around because of their seniority.


    His menacing ways were also the reason that everyone in the office had a new understanding of him.


    The department manager standing at the rostrum had just gingerly finished the performance report.


    Even after a long time, he still didn¡¯t get any remarks from the CEO.


    Time passed by, minute after minute and second after second. The department manager¡¯s forehead


    was covered in sweat. He bit his teeth and shuddered uncontrobly.


    A second before his knees went weak to where he couldn¡¯t help but kneel and beg for mercy, the


    department manager looked at Eddie, who was standing next to David.


    Eddie raised his hand to push the sses up his nose bridge before bending slightly forward and


    asking softly, ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    David suddenly looked up, his eyes dark and cold as ice. The slightest eye contact with him gave one


    the chills.


    ¡°Mr. Justin has finished reporting. He¡¯s waiting for your instructions,¡± Eddie said.


    After hearing his words, David finally returned to his senses and flipped through the documents in his


    hand. He said in a cold and deep voice, ¡°The amounts in the budget are not marked clearly enough. Go


    to the finance departmentter and type out the breakdown of statements in detail.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the department manager hurriedly agreed. He felt a great sense of relief as if he had been


    spared from death.


    David didn¡¯t say anything else afterward. Eddie couldn¡¯t help but size him up.


    David looked down, vaguely distracted.


    His eyes rolled. He suddenly bent over to whisper in David¡¯s ears, ¡°Mr. Jones, Miss Grey¡¯s resignation


    procedures should be almostpleted. Do you need me to go check on it?¡±

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    David looked up and nced at him indifferently.


    Eddie immediately understood. ¡°I¡¯ll get to it right now.¡±


    Ten minutester, Eddie entered the conference room with a gloomy expression on his face. A cold


    breeze blew in, causing the temperature in the conference room to plunge to zero.


    It seemed that someone ignorant had angered David again.


    Eddie sorted out his feelings before eagerly walking toward David and handing him the electronic


    tablet. ¡°Sir, take a look at this.¡±


    David took the tablet, only to see the scene of Rachel entering the Smith Group.


    Staring at the woman¡¯s slender body, David asked with an austere gaze, ¡°Was her resignation


    sessful?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Eddie said, not daring to hide any details of Rachel¡¯s resignation. He gave a clear exnation


    of everything to David. However, toward the end, he began stuttering a little.


    David frowned and red daggers at Eddie.


    Eddie cleared his throat and said carefully, ¡°We couldn¡¯t find any traces of where Miss Grey went. After


    she left the Smith Group, the surveince cameras within the vicinity all malfunctioned.¡±


    That could only mean that someone had deliberately hidden the details of where Rachel went.


    Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, there seemed to be a massive snowstorm in the


    conference room.


    With a sullen gaze in his eyes and his lips pressed tightly together, David exuded a terrifying sense of


    oppression.


    When he sensed the man¡¯s austere aura, Eddie, who stood at the side, couldn¡¯t help but have ayer


    of tiny sweat droplets break out on his forehead.


    He knew that David was really exasperated.


    After hesitating and dilly¨Cdallying for a moment, he carefully said, ¡°Mr.


    Jones, I¡¯ve already sent people to check on this. I believe we¡¯ll have an oue soon.¡±


    ¡°How soon is soon?¡± the man asked in a slow and deep voice that would make one shudder.


    Eddie trembled with a feeling of dismay, thinking that he was definitely going to get criticized for his


    inefficiency.


    Just as he was about to speak to make up for it, David suddenly stood up and said, ¡°The meeting shall


    end here.¡±


    After saying that, he strode away and left the conference room. His legs were long and slender.


    Eddie frantically packed up the things on the table and chased after David. At the same time, he called


    his friend and urged him to speed up the investigation.


    By the time he reached the office, he had received the information. After skimming through the content


    quickly, Eddie¡¯s gaze becameplicated.


    The moment he entered the office, he didn¡¯t dare to dy and hurriedly handed his mobile phone to


    David. ¡°Mr. Jones, please take a look.¡±


    While looking through the information, David¡¯s stern face eased a little, and his menacing aura faded


    too.


    There even seemed to be a faint smile on his lips. He muttered softly, ¡°So it¡¯s the Johnson family¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jones, do we continue investigating further?¡±


    After that experience just now, Eddie didn¡¯t dare to rx when it came to Rachel.


    In fact, he even secretly made up his mind to inform David immediately whenever there was new


    information about Rachel.


    Eddie stood still for a long time, but David still had not reacted.


    Eddie looked over in puzzlement, only to see clearly David¡¯s every move in the reflection of the floor¨C


    to¨Cceiling ss window, which seemed to be a mirror.


    The man had his back facing Eddie and was sending a text message with his head hung low. Eddie


    couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    Since he got Rachel¡¯s number, David had never chatted with her properly. Thest message in their


    chat was of Rachel suggesting they visit Old Mrs. Jones.


    David tapped his long and slender fingers against the keyboard. [What are you doing?]


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Before sending it, he hesitated and decided not to do so as he thought that he might be prying into her


    privacy by asking that.


    He frowned and quickly edited the text message. He retyped, [Have you eaten?]


    However, he thought it wasn¡¯t a good idea either because it sounded corny and insincere.


    After editing the message for a long time, David eventually sent a rose emoji without any words.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    At that moment, Rachel had already arrived at the Johnson family residence.


    The Johnson family¡¯s residence was located in the heart of the city of Seaxas, wherend was


    incredibly expensive. To its left was a street lined with glorious and opulent hotels. To its right was the


    Oaks, an upscale, European¨Croyal¨Cstyle residential district that was home to the wealthy and top elites.


    Yet such an existence could not even hold a candle to the Johnson family¡¯s residence.


    The Johnson family¡¯s residence was like the leader of the wealthy district, symbolizing the irreceable


    position of the Johnson family in Seaxas.


    The gates of the manor were slowly pulled open, and Adrian drove in before pulling over by the road.


    Rachel exhaled lightly and opened the door to get out of the car.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    At that moment, the butler, Mr. Chadwick was directing the gardener to trim thewn. When he noticed


    Rachel, he froze and stood rooted to the ground. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss Grey?¡±


    He widened his eyes in disbelief, fearing that his eyes had been ying tricks on him.


    Adrian finally walked over and teased, ¡°Mr. Chadwick, did you realize that Rae¨CRae has gotten prettier


    since thest time you saw her three years ago?¡±


    Only then did Mr. Chadwick realize that his eyes hadn¡¯t been ying tricks on him. No longer as stern


    as he usually was, he grinned widely and quickly strode forward to wee her. ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re


    really back.¡±


    Rachel smiled. Her mannerisms were gracious. ¡°It¡¯s been a long while. I¡¯m back.¡±


    Mr. Chadwick nodded gleefully and said with tears in his eyes, ¡°Good that you¡¯re back. Good that


    you¡¯re back¡­¡±


    Back then, Rachel had gone all out and turned against Old Mr. Johnson for the sake of pursuing her


    so¨Ccalled true love. She even severed all ties


    with him. In the past three years, Old Mr. Johnson would often sigh while staring at photos of her.


    Everyone looked forward to the day that Rachel would return, and now the day had finallye.


    While leading Rachel in, Mr. Chadwick reported loudly, ¡°Sir, Miss Grey is back.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the living room hollered, pretending to be angry, ¡°What¡¯s


    the big deal? Tell her to leave! Since she was ruthless enough to turn her back on me and abandon me


    back then, I¡¯ve disowned this unfilial granddaughter of mine!¡±


    Hearing the robust voice that wasining, Mr. Chadwick pursed his lips and said to Rachel, ¡°Miss


    Grey, sir has a bark that¡¯s worse than his bite. Don¡¯t take his words to heart. After you left, he would sit


    in your bedroom every night and instruct the servants to make sure your room remained spick and


    span every day.¡±


    Rachel grinned and said, ¡°Got it.¡±


    The person seated there was the one who loved her the most in this world. He couldn¡¯t bear to let her


    suffer in the slightest. He doted on her so dearly that he wished he could give her all the best things in


    the world. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t take his harsh words seriously.


    Adrian grabbed Rachel¡¯s wrist from the side and gestured for her not to be too quick to enter.


    Rachel stared at him in puzzlement, only to see Adrian raising his brows and seemingly trying to tell


    her, ¡°Watch me.¡±


    Immediately afterward, he yelled loudly, ¡°Rae¨CRae, sir is still mad at you. You should drop by again


    another day lest you incur his wrath.¡±


    As soon as he said that, they heard the dull thuds of a walking stick being knocked against the ground.


    Indeed, Old Mr. Jones hade out on his own.


    Arthur Johnson, head of the Johnson family, was advanced in years, and his hair had turned white.


    However, he was still full of energy and vigor. His face might have been covered in wrinkles, but his


    eyes were still sharp. He exuded a vague tinge of shrewdness from his younger days.


    Arthur deliberately sulked and humphed coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll break the legs of anyone who dares to leave today.¡°

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    Adrian and Rachel made eye contact and smiled before teasing, ¡°We don¡¯t want to leave, either, but we


    can¡¯t help that the head of the family doesn¡¯t


    want to see us.¡±


    ¡°Brat, stop babbling nonsense!¡± Arthur snapped as he raised his cane furiously in an attempt to hit


    Adrian with it.


    Rachel quickly stepped forward, reached her arm out, and held the cane that Arthur had raised in his


    hand. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s my fault. Simmer down.¡±


    ¡°I thought you had long forgotten about this family after living out there on your own for three years!¡±


    Arthur eximed as he raised his head slightly and sighed, holding his tears back with all his might.


    Hearing his words, Rachel¡¯s teardrops rolled down her cheeks uncontrobly.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Back then, Arthur was dead against her decision to marry Louis because he thought he was unreliable


    and their families were ipatible.


    However, at that time, Rachel strongly believed love could ovee all odds. In the end, the facts


    proved that her determination was ridiculous. It really wasn¡¯t worth it to give her family up for the sake


    of a man who did not love her.


    Rachel sniffled and suppressed her sobs. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have disobeyed you back


    then.¡±


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, I¡¯ve never med you,¡± Arthur said, rubbing her head gently. He continued with righteous


    indignation. ¡°I¡¯ve long told you that the Smith family is not worthy of you at all. Yet, you refused to listen


    to me, and you insisted on marrying Louis Smith despite having to sever ties with us. The truth has


    proven that my judgment was right. The Smith family is a bunch of crooks! Just like your mother, you


    won¡¯te to your senses until you¡¯ve experienced failure yourself!¡±


    With her arms around Arthur¡¯s neck, she snuggled up in his arms obediently like she used to whenever


    she got mistreated as a child. She said yfully, ¡°Grandpa, I know my mistakes. I won¡¯t make a silly


    mistake again in the future.¡±


    Arthur gently patted her shoulder and said, ¡°No matter what, I¡¯m d


    you¡¯ve decided to return.¡±


    After getting a grip on her feelings, Rachel asked, ¡°Grandpa, what do you want for lunch? How about I


    cook for you?¡±


    ¡°I really want some barbecued ribs,¡± Adrian interjected without holding back.


    ¡°Make your own if you want some!¡± Arthur chided, glowering at him. ¡°You¡¯re almost 40 years old and


    still don¡¯t have a wife. All you do is leech off of your family. How shameless!¡±


    Afterward, he pulled Rachel¡¯s hand and said affectionately, ¡°Rae¨CRae, why don¡¯t I ask the chefs to


    prepare your favorite m chowder?¡±


    Adrian was speechless.


    He seemed to have returned to the days when he received partial


    treatment.


    During lunch, the men of the Johnson family eagerly rushed to help Rachel to the food.


    Arthur said, ¡°Have more. Look how thin you are now.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, eat some too.¡± Rachel stood up and scooped a bowl of soup for Arthur.


    Arthur was holding the soup delightfully as if it were a pot of treasures.


    After lunch, Arthur called Tom into the study room.


    As soon as he entered, Arthur cut straight to the chase. ¡°What do you think of the Smith family?¡±


    Since she was little, Rachel had always been doted on and showered with love by Arthur. No one had


    bullied her before. Hence, Arthur was exasperated after hearing about the torment the Smith family put


    her through.


    No one was allowed to bully his granddaughter as they pleased!


    ¡°You mean¡­¡± Tom asked, feeling a little puzzled about what Arthur was thinking.


    thur humphed coldly and said, ¡°Why? Do you still need me to teach


    bully others?¡±

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    It had been long since Tom saw such a domineering side to Arthur. He couldn¡¯t help but be stunned


    before saying with an indifferent smile, ¡°I understand now.¡±


    Holding the cane in his hand. Arthur said solemnly. ¡°I don¡¯t care what methods you resort to. You must


    make sure you take revenge for the hurt that the Smith family has caused Rae¨CRae!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not hard,¡± Tom said.


    Hearing his answer, Arthur nodded slightly with satisfaction. ¡°Do you have something on?¡± he asked.


    Tom could tell that Arthur wanted him to leave. He pressed his lips together and gave an honest


    ount of everything he had seen today.


    After hearing his words. Arthur frowned and said with a trace of gloominess in his eyes, ¡°You mean


    they¡¯ve already met?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s more than just that,¡± Tom calmly said, keeping his dark and ink¨Clike eyes on Arthur. Then


    he added. ¡°I asked the doctor. Rae¨CRae did not return overnight the night beforest.¡±


    As soon as he said that, the study fell into an eerie silence.


    There was too much information to process that she did not return overnight¡­


    Arthur frowned without saying anything. He was constantly rubbing the gemstones embellished on the


    cane.


    After a long time, Arthur said, ¡°Let¡¯s observe the changes quietly.¡±


    Tom pursed his lips and said, ¡°Actually, we can¡­¡±


    ¡°Can what?¡± Arthur interjected coldly with some fury in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not a territory we can meddle


    with or go against!¡±


    Tom secretly gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, which were by his side. ¡°No matter what, I won¡¯t let


    him take away Rae¨CRae!¡±


    After saying that, he turned around to leave before Arthur even said anything.


    He closed the door after him, and the silence in the room was restored.


    A long timeter, Arthur let out a long sigh again. He looked up and nced at the photo on the table.


    In the photo, Sophia was extremely young and d in a fitting white dress, her long silky locks


    cascading down her shoulders naturally. She had a bright and eye¨Ccatching smile and exuded an


    elegance nurtured by living in luxury.


    Arthur reached out and carefully grazed his fingertips against the photo. He said. ¡°Sophia, please


    watch over Rae¨CRae in heaven and let her stay far away from those scumbags for the rest of her life.¡±


    Tom walked out of the study aggressively with an icy cold gaze, still exuding an aloof and


    unapproachable aura.


    ¡°Uncle Tom.¡± Rachel greeted as she turned to look at Tom when she heard his voice.


    Tom¡¯s eyes glistened, and his gaze turned cold and sullen. ¡°I¡¯ll get John to pick you up tomorrow.¡±


    His words were simple, but his tone was not to be doubted.


    John was one of Tom¡¯s confidantes, who was in charge of protecting Tom.


    Rachel didn¡¯t expect Tom to send John to protect her. She couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. ¡°Uncle Tom, let


    John stay by your side. I can pick any of the chauffeurs we have at home,¡± she declined.


    Tom was in much greater danger than herself. Besides, ever since Tom rose to position, the fights


    between parties had never ceased. It would be a considerable risk to transfer John to protect Rachel at


    this time.


    Tom was worried that his behavior might arouse Rachel¡¯s suspicion, so he didn¡¯t dare to force it and


    insist further. Instead, he conceded, ¡°Alright, call me if you encounter any problems.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After seeing Tom and Adrian off, Rachel returned to her room. At the same time, Mr. Chadwick chased


    after her. ¡°Miss Grey, this is the corporation¡¯s information for the past few years. Please take a look,¡± he


    said.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Chadwick.¡± Rachel took the document. Suddenly reminded of something, she said,


    ¡°Inform the directors of the


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    corporation that we¡¯ll be having a meeting at nine tomorrow morning.¡±


    Mr. Chadwick nodded and acknowledged. ¡°I¡¯ll get to it right now.¡±


    After closing the door, Rachel climbed onto her bedzily and picked up her phone, only to see the text


    from David. Her eyes glistened a little.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    She struggled for a moment before giving a brief reply. [What¡¯s up?]


    At first, it was a polite answer, but she didn¡¯t expect David to call her immediately and ask, ¡°Did I disturb


    you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took me so long to reply to you,¡± Rachel said.


    ??


    ¡°Are you free tomorrow?¡± David asked, his deep and alluring voice spreading to Rachel¡¯s ears through


    his phone.


    Rachel flipped through the information in boredom before answering without hesitation, ¡°No.¡±


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    She would definitely have to get busy for some time after taking over thepany¡¯s matters.


    ¡°Is that the reason you turned me down?¡± asked David, who wasn¡¯t surprised that Rachel had given


    that answer.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take me some time to adapt to the new job,¡± Rachel said. She exined, ¡°Why are you suddenly


    looking for me? Is something wrong?¡±


    David¡¯s tone became much mellower than before all of a sudden. ¡°I want to treat the girl I like to a meal,


    but unfortunately, she doesn¡¯t seem interested.¡±


    ¡°David Jones, are you going to be that honest with your feelings now?¡± Rachel asked afterughing


    uncontrobly.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae,¡± David called out to her. His deep voice slowly filled her ears. ¡°I don¡¯t need to hide my love


    for you.¡±


    The way he called her Rae¨CRae was absolutely alluring. His voice was deep and had just the right


    amount of richness. It was like a lover¡¯s confession, which makes one¡¯s heart flutter.


    In a state of panic, Rachel¡¯s heart started beating wildly, and she cleared her throat before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll


    hang up now if there¡¯s nothing else.¡±


    After saying that, she hung up and tossed aside her phone.


    Soon, she received a notification on her phone. It was a text from David, which included the location of


    a restaurant. He added a voice message, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    He would always seemingly give her some options to choose from, but he had already long decided for


    her, causing her to be unable to avoid it.


    The following morning, Rachel got into a cab and arrived at the Johnson Corporation office building.


    Everyone held their breaths and stared at the backseat of the car.


    Rachel bent forward as the car doors opened and got out of it.


    She wore a ck suit paired with a ck pair of trousers, exuding a sharp and aloof aura.


    Her ck tresses were tied up casually into a messy bun. The small tuft of hair fluttering down at the


    side added a gentleness and charm to her cold and aloof face.


    Everyone was stunned by the fresh face.


    Before they came to their senses, Rachel was already apanied by her assistant to the internal


    department of the corporation.


    Someone rushed forward when she entered the elevator to help her press the button. ¡°Ms. Grey, I¡¯m


    Jacky, Mr. Jensen¡¯s assistant.¡±


    Rachel nced at him, and his face was instantly covered with a smile ast he continued, ¡°Here¡¯s the


    thing, Mr. Jensen hasn¡¯t been welltely. He¡¯s still recuperating at home, but he specially instructed me


    to take good care of you, Ms. Grey. Please feel free to tell me what you want. I¡¯ll do anything to get it.¡±


    ¡°Tell Mr. Jensen this for me. Since he¡¯s not feeling well, he¡¯d better recuperate at home. He doesn¡¯t


    have to worry about the matters at the corporation. The group will provide him with the best retirement.


    protection in consideration of themendable work he has done for the group over the years.¡±


    Rachel stared coldly at the deferential Jacky and said with a mirthless smile, ¡°This mission is rather


    simple. You don¡¯t have to go all out. I believe you¡¯llplete it sessfully.¡±


    After saying that, she strode into the elevator.


    Best retirement protection?


    Jacky was stunned right on the spot. He had significantly asserted dominance in front of Rachel by the


    orders of Mr. Jensen. How did he end up in trouble instead?

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    The group arrived at the CEO¡¯s office on the 68th floor. The assistants split up and updated everything


    in the office. They also ced all the essential documents on the desk.


    At the same time, the notice the former chairman gave was like a bomb that exploded in the


    corporation.


    As they say, there tends to be more drama and gossip in ces with more women. When they saw


    Rachel¡¯s stunningly gorgeous face, they jumped to conclusions and assumed she was just a pretty


    ¡°vase.¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly, our chairman has thest name Johnson, right? What¡¯s wrong with him? How


    could he get someone with anotherst name to manage thepany!?!¡±


    ¡°And this woman seems only about 22 or 23 years old. Isn¡¯t that a little too young!?!¡±


    ¡°Do you guys think this woman and the chairman¡­ has some unusual rtionship?¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°She might not be a Johnson, but she matters dearly to the chairman. I heard that she grew up


    watching him negotiate. At 16, she made it into the royal business school, which is rare for anyone to


    do. At 18, she was already a purchaser of drugs and medicine. Her life experiences are far more


    interesting than we can imagine,¡± a woman said nonchntly. ¡°They say that people newly appointed


    to positions of responsibility tend to make far¨Creaching changes. Instead of arguing with each other


    here, why don¡¯t you think about how to protect yourselves?¡±


    After saying that, she turned around and left.


    Everyone watched her leave before asking, ¡°Who¡¯s that woman just now? Which department is she


    from?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t met her before. She¡¯s probably an intern.¡±


    Someone knocked on the door of the CEO¡¯s office, and a cold female voice sounded. ¡°Come in!¡±


    The woman with the mug in her hand pushed the door and entered. ¡°Ms. Grey, here¡¯s your coffee.¡±


    Hearing the familiar voice, Rachel slowly looked up, only to be stunned


    when she saw the familiar face before her. ¡°Linda Galler!?!¡±


    Her eyes were filled with surprise and joy as she met her former close friend.


    After the college entrance exams back then, Linda went abroad to pursue an education with the funds


    provided by the Johnsons. She was away for several years and would call them asionally.


    Rachel thought that Linda had left for good and never expected that she would return to be by her side,


    ¡°Ms. Grey, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Linda said smilingly, her eyes filled with the joy of meeting her close friend


    again after years of being apart. However, she quickly adjusted her mood and said, ¡°Ms. Grey, not all


    the directors are present. Do we proceed with the meeting as usual?¡±


    After giving it some thought for a second, Rachel said, ¡°Get ready. The meeting shall begin in 10


    minutes!¡±


    About ten minutester, Rachel entered the conference room together with Linda.


    Apart from the senior executives of the various departments, there were only a few directors.


    Everyone looked at each other in dismay before standing up and greeting Rachel respectfully, ¡°Hello,


    Ms. Grey!¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly and said, ¡°Since everyone is here, the meeting shall begin.¡±


    During the meeting, the directors and Rachel got into a fierce debate to test Rachel¡¯s capabilities.


    Some of them even wanted to take the chance to suppress Rachel.


    However, during their conversationter, Rachel used her sharp vision and shrewd foresight to point


    out a few drawbacks.


    Rachel was definitely up for what it takes to be the CEO.


    Toward the end, the staff of the strategy department handed over a document. Linda cast the


    spokesperson agreement on therge screen. Once the content was disyed on the big screen,


    Olivia¡¯s smile appeared immediately.


    The person in charge got up and analyzed Olivia¡¯s situation. ¡°Olivia has


    always had a good reputation, be it her development in the previous years abroad or after returning to


    the US. Since we areunching a hot springs hotel, it is more inclined towards young people, and most


    importantly, I heard that she is about to marry the CEO of the Smith Group real soon¡­¡±

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Rachel nced at the screen with an enigmatic coldness in her eyes.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    She wasn¡¯t paying attention to what the rest of the staff said. The only keywords she heard were ¡°about


    to get engaged to the CEO of the Smith Group.¡±


    The two of them were really eager.


    Rachel thought she would be absolutely devastated and heartbroken to have heard that news.


    However, she realized things weren¡¯t as sad as she had imagined.


    She knew that it wasn¡¯t because she could get over it but because of the man she had recruited, whom


    she had a hard time dealing with.


    David charged into her life domineeringly, taking away some of her attention.


    He slowly pressed closer and closer, not giving her a chance to sit in silence for long,


    After the person in charge spoke, Rachel looked at him indifferently and said calmly, ¡°Thepany


    spokesperson has to fit the brand¡¯s image. It can¡¯t be an influencer who¡¯s only top in poprity. Inform


    the teams to get ready for a new selection!¡±


    In other words, she felt that Olivia wasn¡¯t good enough for the Hot Springs hotel.


    ¡°Okay, Ms. Grey,¡± said the man in charge, who returned to his seat, as pale as a sheet.


    At this moment, another staff in charge of the project slowly stood up and pondered what he would do.


    He finally said slowly, ¡°Ms. Grey, this concerns thend acquisition nning at the hotel in the suburbs


    of South Valley¡­¡±


    In the suburbs of South Valley¡­


    Rachel squinted slightly while fiddling with the pen and carefully listening to the report made by the


    person in charge.


    ¡°Whichpanies are your currentpetition?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done an analysis. The two strongest opponents we have are the


    Ster Corporation and the Smith Group.¡±


    The Smith Group had developed rapidly in the past few years, just like a wolt Many established


    companies had been trying to suck up to them. and they even viewed the Smith Group as a powerful


    enemy, which Rachel had understood.


    As for the Ster Corporation¡­


    It was an establishedpany in Seaxas, but the person in charge was very mysterious, and there


    was barely any relevant info about her.


    However, she kept the massive project at Seaxas, which was almost on par with the Ster Corporation


    Unlike the Johnsons, who had always been on top, its existence was like an exterior force that wreaked


    havoc.


    When will the auction be held Rachel asked with a solemn look in his


    eves.


    The person in charge blurted. Next Tuesday


    We have to clinch this project!¡±


    Yes. Ms. Grey!¡±


    After the meeting ended, everyone watched Rachel leave, staring at her back and secretly feeling that


    she had an indescribable hostility towards. them and the Smith Group.


    However, what was puzzling was this boundless animosity.


    At the same time. Louis suddenly tightened his grip on the lighter he was ying with in his hand after


    he heard this news. He stared at his assistant coldly and questioned. ¡°Did you say that the Johnson


    Corporation is joining in the bid?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the assistant said. ¡°I just received news that the newly appointed CEO of the Johnson


    Corporation has just returned from overseas. I also heard that she¡¯s the daughter of Old Mr. Johnson,


    head of the Johnson Corporation.¡±


    A smile appeared on Louis¡¯s icy cold face, and he said, ¡°Turns out a pampered heiress is out to


    experience the struggles of life as an ordinary human being.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take part in the auction next week, then?¡±


    Louis slowly looked down. ¡°We must get our hands on thosend!¡±


    If he could get that plot ofnd in the suburbs of South Valley, the Smith Group could rise further.


    Hence, he would still have to grasp the opportunity, no matter what!


    While thinking about it, he received a call from Olivia, causing his cell phone to buzz in his pocket


    endlessly.


    ¡°Louis, the Johnson Corporation turned down my letter of offer!¡±

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Louis asked with a frown.


    Olivia, who was seated across, sobbed in devastation. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Their newly appointed CEO


    has something against me, but we¡¯ve already settled it. We were supposed to sign the contract today,


    but I have nothing now.¡±


    Louis knew that the role of the Johnson Corporation¡¯s spokesperson meant a lot to Olivia.


    He initially nned to use Olivia¡¯s identity as the spokesperson, which had brought them some fame at


    that point. However, who would have thought that this sudden move would turn into dust with the newly


    appointed CEO of the Johnson Corporation?


    Louis turned slightly sullen andforted Olivia gently. ¡°It¡¯s just a spokesperson deal. Don¡¯t lose faith.


    This time, you may have lost this, but you¡¯ll gain something better.¡±


    ¡°But I feel so sad,¡± Olivia said in low spirits.


    Louis said, ¡°I booked a table at your favorite fench¨Cstyle restaurant. I¡¯ll pick you up tonight, okay?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Olivia¡¯s excited and delighted voice came through on the phone. ¡°Let¡¯s meet at Lansen


    Restaurant tonight, then! Be there or be square!¡±


    ¡°Be there or be square.¡±


    After hanging up, Louis turned around to look at his assistant. ¡°Go find out all the information about the


    newly appointed CEO of the Johnson Corporation! I want the info as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± After acknowledging this, the assistant turned around to leave the office.


    At that moment, Rachel, who had no idea about this, was still busy in the office.


    When her phone rang, and she saw the unknown number calling, she couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly as


    she picked up. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, it¡¯s me,¡± said Old Mrs. Jones, her voice ringing in Rachel¡¯s ears. ¡°I¡¯m Old Mrs. Jones. Can


    you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Old Mrs. Jones.¡± Rachel grinned. ¡°How has your health beentely?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gued with old ailments and diseases. How are you? I heard you got a new job. How are you


    adapting to it?¡±


    Although Old Mrs. Jones didn¡¯t mention where she had gotten that news from, Rachel had


    subconsciously thought of a handsome face, which caused her heart to skip a beat.


    ¡°I¡¯m adapting fine.¡±


    Hearing her calm tone, Old Mrs. Jones said with heartache, ¡°Dear, no matter what, your health is the


    most important. It¡¯s already sote. Have you still not had dinner?¡±


    David¡¯s words, ¡°be there or be square,¡± kept shing in Rachel¡¯s mind, and she wondered if they had


    already reached the restaurant.


    Were they waiting for her?


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    She took a deep breath and returned to her senses before saying withposure, ¡°Thank you so


    much for the concern, Old Mrs. Jones. I¡¯ll get some food once I get off from work. But, of course, you


    have to take good care of yourself too.¡±


    ¡°If only David were as sensible as you are. He¡¯s so busy that I barely see him. He won¡¯t be home for


    dinner with me tonight. God knows what he¡¯s busy with,¡± Old Mrs. Jones said with a rxed sigh. ¡°I


    won¡¯t disturb you anymore. Get to work.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel returned to her desk.


    She couldn¡¯t process the information in the documents in front of her at all. All she could think about


    was David saying, ¡°be there or be square¡± to Olivia.


    Linda entered and could acutely sense how anxious Rachel was. Her eyes flickered, and she asked


    gently, ¡°Since you can barely calm down, why don¡¯t you take a walk with me?¡±


    Rachel looked up at Linda and said with gently pursed lips, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go home!¡±


    When the car drove to a particr area, they happened to pass by


    Lansen Restaurant. Rachel suddenly eximed involuntarily, ¡°Pull over!¡±

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    The chauffeur mmed the brakes abruptly and stared dumbfounded at Rachel in the rearview mirror.


    Rachel raised her arm and nonchntly ruffled her wavy,


    shoulder¨Clength hair. Then, she said with a straight face, ¡°Pull over somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The chauffeur soon found a parking lot. After pulling over, he walked toward the backseat to open the


    door for Rachel.


    Rachel bent forward and got out of the car. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a breather. Wait for me here.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the chauffeur assented.


    Rachel strutted across the pedestrian crossing and toward Lansen Restaurant in her stilettos. Even she


    herself didn¡¯t realize that she was subconsciously searching for that tall and burly figure among the


    crowd. ¡°Rachel Grey!¡± eximed Jane, who was just as stunned as Olivia to see Rachel.


    They thought that Rachel, who had left the Smith family, would now be in a pathetic and disheveled


    state.


    However, they didn¡¯t expect things to turn out differently from what they initially thought.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Rachel was d in a blue suit that was obviously made of expensive fabric. It was shy yet refined.


    Rachel made it look extremely cool and sophisticated. Her aura was incredibly assertive.


    With her long, curly hair cascading down her back, she had a trace of womanly sultriness amidst her


    cold temperament.


    In the past, Olivia had been jealous of Rachel¡¯s gorgeous face. At that moment, Rachel was far more


    stunning than before. Her innate nature and pride were vaguely suppressing Olivia.


    ¡°Rachel Grey, what are you doing here?¡± Jane questioned, her eyes filled with intense disgust and


    jealousy.


    Rachel frowned slightly and nced at them indifferently with a trace of


    displeasure on her pretty face.


    She was simply everywhere!


    ¡°Rachel, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. Are you here for a meal too?¡± Olivia asked, holding back some


    of the jealousy and coldness in her eyes. Instead, she smiled and stepped forward to get closer to


    Rachel.


    Rachel kept a straight face, but her gaze was incredibly morose. ¡°Miss Cruise, did my previous warning


    fall on deaf ears?¡±


    Faced with her dark eyes and aloof beauty, Olivia¡¯s smile stiffened, and she stood rooted to the ground,


    not daring to take another step forward.


    ¡°Rachel Grey, why do I see you everywhere I go? You¡¯re really everywhere!¡± Jane eximed. Even to


    this day, Jane still remembers the p Rachel gave her. Thus, she gritted her teeth in rage when she


    saw Rachel. However, she couldn¡¯t beat Rachel, so she had no choice but to think of ways to upset


    her.


    ncing at Lansen Restaurant nearby, she said with a mocking smile, ¡°You¡¯re here for a meal too?


    Take a look at yourself in the mirror! Lansen Restaurant is not a ce anyone can enter as they


    please!¡±


    Rachel smirked and looked at Jane with icy cold eyes.


    Her indifferent gaze made it seem like she was staring at a dead person. Jane¡¯s heart skipped a beat


    as her arrogance gradually faded.


    At that moment, Olivia said understandingly, ¡°Rachel, I know you have something against me, and you


    think that I snatched Louis away from you, but you have no idea how I was forced to leave him. For the


    past three years, I¡¯ve never forgotten him.¡±


    ¡°I reckon you¡¯re also aware that Louis doesn¡¯t love you. He suffers every single day that he¡¯s with you.


    So if you truly care about him, shouldn¡¯t you be trying to empathize with him?¡±


    A trace of contempt appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes as she retorted, ¡°He¡¯s the one who betrayed me, but I¡¯m


    the one at fault?¡±


    ¡°Rachel Grey, can you stop being so shameless? If you hadn¡¯t pestered Louis while Olivia was away,


    he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to it! Besides, if you hadn¡¯t threatened him with the future of thepany,


    Louis wouldn¡¯t have agreed to marry you!¡±

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Sometimes, Rachel couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by Jane¡¯s ability to falsely use others.


    She would often be able to anger her with just a few words.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were cold, and her gaze was sharp. Then, ring daggers at Jane, she hollered, ¡°I


    pestered him?! Have you forgotten how your brother, Louis, begged me to help the Smith family back


    then?!¡±


    Faced with her cold eyes, Jane immediately felt a little intimidated as she subconsciously leaned closer


    to Olivia for protection.


    Olivia maintained a mellow expression, but there was a trace of disgust deep down in her eyes.


    She thought that Jane was a coward who was afraid of the powerful and only bullied the weak!


    After calming down, she pretended to be kind and understanding. She unhurriedly said, ¡°Rachel, Jane


    has no hostile intentions. If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t we have dinner together? We can take this


    opportunity to clear the air and avoid any misunderstandings in the future. I reckon Louis wouldn¡¯t


    mind.¡±


    A cold gaze appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes, and she said with a trace of annoyance, ¡°A good dog doesn¡¯t


    get in the way. So please get out of the way!¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Jane immediately stomped her feet in anger. She pointed at Rachel andined, ¡°Rachel Grey,


    who are you calling a dog? Forget about leaving unless you make things clear today!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Louis asked, his mellow and deep voice sounding behind.


    When he strode over, he happened to catch a glimpse of Rachel, which caused a trace of


    bewilderment to surface in his deep eyes.


    After all these years, he had already gotten used to seeing Rachel in a ck business suit. But, now


    that she was wearing something in another color besides ck, she was particrly eye¨Ccatching.


    The color of her outfit entuated her cold and aloof temperament, while her ck hair and red lips


    added a touch of sultriness.


    Standing at the side, Olivia stared at Louis, who was getting slightly distracted by Rachel. Her gaze


    gradually turned cold, and she clenched her fists tightly, maintaining a warm and mellow smile. ¡°Louis,


    it happens that Rachel is having dinner tonight here too. So I want to invite her to join us. You won¡¯t


    mind, will you?¡±


    As she spoke, she naturally hugged Louis tightly, with her arms wrapped around his waist. She was


    dering sovereignty.


    Louis snapped back to his senses and looked down at the woman in his arms. Then, with an


    affectionate expression, he said, ¡°You call the shots.¡±


    Staring at the scene before her, Rachel found it all too ironic. She sneered and turned around to leave.


    ¡°Rachel Grey, we¡¯re kind enough to treat you to dinner. Don¡¯t be ignorant and ungrateful!¡± Jane barked,


    watching Rachel turn around to leave. She charged forward and blocked her from leaving. ¡°Lansen


    Restaurant is the most famous fench¨Cstyle restaurant in Seaxas. I heard that their


    ingredients are all freshly flown in from France, Usually, you¡¯d need a reservation to get in. If you barge


    in like this. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d get chased out like a dog.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Staring at Rachel¡¯s cold, dark, and relentless eyes, Jane felt strangled for some reason. She


    subconsciously retreated. Before she could react, Rachel had already strode into the restaurant.


    David, who was standing in front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window on the second floor, frowned coldly


    after seeing their exchange. He turned around and picked up the roses on the table before walking out.


    ¡°Speak to the manager and tell him that he can close for the day!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Eddie assented without hesitation and went straight to the restaurant manager after parting from David.


    At that moment, Louis, Olivia, and the rest had already reached the entrance of Lansen Restaurant.


    However, before they entered, the waitress suddenly walked out and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we


    won¡¯t be open for business today.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?!¡± Louis hollered, his face suddenly turning sullen.


    ¡°We¡¯ve made a reservation! Why won¡¯t you let us in?!¡± Jane barked. She was incredibly exasperated,


    especially after watching Rachel enter the restaurant without any hindrance. With her face twisted into


    an angry grimace, she questioned, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop that woman in a blue suit from entering? Why


    are you stopping us instead? Is this how you run a business? You clearly have something against us!¡±

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    The waiter had a standard smile on his face, but what he said was enough to make Jane fly into a rage.


    ¡°Yes, you three have been cklisted by our restaurant. From now on, ¡®Lansen Restaurant¡® will never


    admit you!¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Jane blushed with anger. Pointing at the waiter, she said, ¡°I willin about you!¡±


    ¡°Please do as you wish.¡± The waiter still wore a standard smile and answered without any fear. It


    seemed that he was ustomed to such a situation.


    Knowing that her threat hadn¡¯t worked, Jane gnashed her teeth angrily and stared at the waiter in front


    of her.


    The waiter¡¯s indifferent attitude and gestures attracted Louis¡¯s attention.


    ¡°There are more than a hundred western¨Cstyle and fench¨Cstyle restaurants in Seaxas, of which Lansen


    Restaurant is the most famous. The guestse in an endless stream. The fact that this restaurant


    has been famous in Seaxas for more than ten years is enough to prove that the boss of this restaurant


    has abundant money and mysterious political background,¡± he thought.


    Thinking about this, Louis restrained his anger. But his eyebrows still frowned with irritation. ¡°We didn¡¯t


    vite any of the rules of your restaurant. I wonder why you cklisted me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Our boss said that if his wife sees you, she would be in a bad mood,¡± the waiter answered.


    Louis was speechless.


    Olivia and Jane were even more confused.


    Olivia thought, ¡°When did we offend the boss¡¯s wife?


    ¡°So far, we don¡¯t even know who the boss is!¡±


    Olivia restrained the feeling of being humiliated and pretended to be gentle and decent. ¡°I wonder if it is


    convenient for you to tell me your proprietress¡¯s name,¡± she asked.


    ¡°No way am I going to tell you!¡± said the waiter usibly. Then he stepped back and shut the door with


    a bang,


    To their surprise, they were driven out by a waiter directly. So it was inevitable that they were


    embarrassed, especially Olivia.


    She was a famous star in showbiz, after all. But now she was driven out by the waiter. She was


    undoubtedly embarrassed and angry. But as a public figure, she had to endure it.


    Just as they were about to turn around and leave, the door behind them. was suddenly pushed open.


    The waiter came out with a sign that said, ¡°Bitches and Dogs Are Not Allowed In.¡±


    Seeing this, they immediately got as mad as a wet hen. ¡°It was a tant shame! they thought.


    Jane became furious and was about to argue with the waiter. But Louis stopped her and shouted


    coldly. ¡°Do you want to be more embarrassed? If you want to make trouble again, go back!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Jane was annoyed and felt aggrieved. She stood there and stamped her feet with anger. Then she


    turned around angrily and left.


    Olivia was a public figure, after all. She thought. ¡°If this matter attracts the paparazzi, it will be more


    than worth the loss.¡± So she said softly, ¡°Louis. I think there should be some misunderstanding. Why


    don¡¯t we go to the restaurant over there?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel wronged,¡± said Louis as he looked at Olivia with love and pity.


    When they turned around and left. Olivia¡¯s eyes burned with imperceptible anger, and she nced at


    Rachel¡¯s figure angrily.


    Rachel, who had already entered the restaurant, knew nothing about what had happened outside.


    She rushed into the restaurant directly and didn¡¯t react until a waiter came up and asked her which


    room she had reserved.


    ¡°Oh my god! I was so angry that I rushed into the restaurant directly!¡± Rachel thought.


    ¡°Sorry, I have the wrong ce,¡± Rachel smiled awkwardly and said.


    When she turned around, she bumped into a massive bunch of roses.


    Rachel was stunned for a moment and took a step back subconsciously.


    ¡°Pretty Miss, may I have the honor to have dinner with you?¡± asked the man in a low voice, which


    fascinated the others.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    The familiar voice caused a hint of surprise in Rachel¡¯s eyes, followed by a small smile of hers. ¡°I


    thought¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Have you thought that I might have stood you up?!¡± Therge rose bouquet was down,


    revealing David¡¯s charming face behind it.


    The soft lights of the corridor shone on his finely carved features, bringing more dimension to his


    angr face. The reflection of the lights in his deep eyes was like spots of starlight, which was


    mesmerizing.


    David stared at Rachel fixedly while there was joy in the corner of his eyes that he didn¡¯t even realize


    himself. ¡°And I thought the bouquet was doomed to be withered.¡±


    ¡°Are youining that I waste?¡± asked Rachel, who raised her hand and brushed her hair back.


    A faint smile crept across her face.


    David pinched his lips and then answered her question with tenderness in his eyes. ¡°The time is right,


    the moon is nice, and now you¡¯re here with me. Everything is just perfect.¡±


    His eyes were full of affection, and David looked as if he was going to stroke the back of her head and


    kiss her in the next second. Rachel¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat.


    She lowered her eyes to hide what she was thinking. Then, finally, she asked, ¡°Have you been waiting


    for me long?¡±


    ¡°One hour and fifty¨Cfour minutes,¡± said David.


    He was so honest that Rachel didn¡¯t know what to reply for a moment.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    She looked at David¡¯s handsome appearance. A glimmer of amusement appeared in her almond eyes.


    ¡°So? Are you trying to tell me something?¡± David feasted his dark eyes on Rachel¡¯s face. There was a


    brightness in his eyes that was breathtaking.


    Holding the rose bouquet, he moved toward Rachel step by step, then reached out to tuck her hair


    behind her ear with his long fingers. His Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down before he said, ¡°I just want


    to show my earnestness by answering your question, Miss Grey.¡±


    His lower¨Cpitched but tender voice was as pleasant to hear as the bubbling freshwater of early spring,


    which tugged at the heart of Rachel


    somehow or other.


    The distance between them drew nearer, and all Rachel could breathe was the light woody fragrance of


    perfume that David wore.


    Rachel¡¯s thick and curly eyshes fluttered slightly out of nervousness. Then, finally, she calmed


    herself, cleared her throat, and whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were taking me to dinner?¡±


    ¡°Come on, follow me,¡± David said as he took Rachel¡¯s hand naturally.


    When their hands met, Rachel felt that the warmth from David¡¯s palm had spread through her body.


    Rachel automatically tried to wriggle out of David¡¯s grip, but only to feel his grip tighten.


    She had to give up struggling and let him take her hand while looking around somewhat awkwardly.


    After entering the private room in the restaurant, David put down the rose bouquet and held a chair out


    for Rachel.


    At that moment, a waiter took a bottle of brandy into the room and poured it into sses for them.


    Then, he asked David politely, ¡°Sir, shall I serve the food now?¡±


    David gave the waiter a slight nod, and the waiter left them alone with a subservient smile.


    The conversation between them was simple, but Rachel was acute enough to be aware of the


    exceptional respect the waiter showed to David.


    Soon, their dinner was served.


    Rachel looked at the dishes carefully and had aplex feeling mixed with amazement.


    She was surprised to find that there were no side dishes or ingredients that she disliked on the table.


    The dishes David ordered all catered to her taste and were precisely what she wanted.


    Rachel doubted in her heart that it was only a coincidence.


    She looked up at David, who sat opposite her, with mixed feelings.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    David didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry to eat. Instead, he picked up a King crab from the middle of the table


    and cut off its legs skillfully with a knife.


    It was not easy to get the crab meat out of its shell, and one might look a bit rude while doing it.


    That was also why Rachel chose not to eat it though she loved it.


    David held the silver knife and fork with his slender and well¨Cdefined fingers. His every move was


    elegant and pleasant to the eye.


    When Rachel shifted her gaze, she found that a peeled crab leg was ced on her te. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Rachel lowered her head to enjoy the crab and tried to hide the surprise in her eyes. Then, she looked


    up and nced at David, saying, ¡°You seem to know me well.¡± Hearing Rachel¡¯s words, David raised


    his head, his eyes fixed on Rachel¡¯s fair and delicate face. Then, he said with a faint smile, ¡°It¡¯s easy to


    know someone.¡±


    ¡°Did you investigate me?¡± Rachel narrowed her eyes, and there was a trace of imperceptible coldness


    deep in her eyes.


    David smiled faintly and took a sip of wine. Then, in a deep and charming voice, he said, ¡°You are right


    in front of me, and what you said should be more credible. Besides, I don¡¯t need to know about you


    from others.¡±


    After Rachel heard David¡¯s words, the coldness in her eyes faded a little. Her red lips curled into a


    slight smile as she looked at David meaningfully. ¡°Mr. Jones, what have you learned about me?¡±


    ¡°Your soft heart behind your aloof appearance.¡± David put down the wine ss in his hand and stared


    straight at Rachel opposite him, his eyes filled with a rare gentleness. ¡°Miss Grey, I hope to learn more


    about you. I wonder whether you are willing to give me a chance.¡± A soft heart behind an aloof


    appearance¡­


    Rachel had met David for only a few days, yet she didn¡¯t expect him to know her so well.


    On the contrary, although Louis had been with Rachel for three years, Rachel felt that he barely


    understood her.


    Initially, Rachel thought that it was because three years may not be enough for Louis, and he just


    needed more time.


    However, it seemed that David was right. It was easy to know about someone else as long as he


    wanted to.


    Rachel took a deep breath to suppress the depression in her heart. She looked up at David, who raised


    his wine ss toward her and sincerely asked her for a chance. In the end, she toasted him across the


    table and said, ¡°Mr. Jones, I hope you won¡¯t regret your choice.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Time will help me prove it to you.¡±


    After the meal, they left the restaurant. David proposed to send Rachel home.


    Seeing that David insisted on it, Rachel could only agree. So she stood at the roadside and


    waited patiently for David to drive the car over. Meanwhile, she sent a message to her driver and told


    him not to pick her up.


    Olivia happened to walk out from another restaurant not far away and saw Rachel at a nce. In an


    instant, a hint of coldness shed across Olivia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Louis, look! Rachel should be waiting for a taxi


    there. Why don¡¯t we send her home?¡±


    Olivia acted like a spoiled child, and Louis looked at her dotingly. ¡°She won¡¯t agree to take our car. So


    you¡¯d better not provoke her.¡±


    Olivia felt a little upset and lowered her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s sote, and I¡¯m just worried that a girl like her would


    be in danger if she went home alone. Since you don¡¯t want to see her, just forget it and pretend not to


    see her.¡±


    Olivia said with an ingratiating smile. Louis couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for her. He sighed and


    compromised. ¡°If you insist on it, you can go ask her. I want to go to the parking lot and get the car.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Olivia put on a bright smile. ¡°Louis, I know you love me most.¡±


    After Louis turned and left, the smile on Olivia¡¯s face disappeared immediately.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Olivia walked toward Rachel step by step and looked at Rachel¡¯s unguarded back, her eyes carrying a


    fierce viciousness.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    With cat¨Clike tread, Olivia Cruise crept up behind Rachel Grey, then lunged forward and shoved her


    with all her might, pushing her onto the road.


    Without warning, the powerful force jolted Rachel from behind, hurtling her onto the busy street. She


    teetered in the middle of the road, and as she fought to regain her bnce, a speeding car hurtled


    toward her from the opposite direction.


    Thankfully, the driver spotted Rachel just in time and skillfully swerved the car to avoid hitting her in a


    close call.


    As the car zoomed past Rachel, she felt a sudden gust of wind nearly knocking her off her feet. She


    stumbled for a moment but then regained her footing.


    Everything happened in an instant, catching her off guard.


    The driver suddenly rolled down the window and shouted at Rachel, ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re


    doing? Do you want to die? Get out of here, and don¡¯t mess with me!¡± Rachel was visibly shaken. Her


    face turned pale, and her fingers curled tightly as if she had seen a ghost.


    It wasn¡¯t until the car had gone that her mind finally returned to reality.


    Rachel spun around and saw Olivia standing on the sidewalk, her face radiating with youthful


    innocence and a broad smile on her lips. But Rachel¡¯s expression swiftly transformed, her features


    taking on an icy, frosty veneer like winter had descended upon her face.


    As Rachel¡¯s almond¨Cshaped eyes narrowed into slits, ominous darkness crept into their depths. Her


    hands, previously hanging by her sides, balled up into fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.


    She pondered, ¡°If that car hadn¡¯t dodged me in time, I¡¯d have been flung over ten meters away by now.


    ¡°I had no interest in getting mixed up with someone as vile as Olivia, but she is practically begging for


    trouble!¡±


    She flicked her hand and undid the buttons on her suit jacket, sending a chill down Olivia¡¯s spine. With


    each purposeful step, she emanated an aura of intimidation.


    Olivia gazed at her with an innocent expression and said, ¡°Rachel, I was just trying to have a little fun


    with you¡­¡±


    Rachel¡¯s hand snapped forward andnded a resounding p across Olivia¡¯s face, silencing her.


    Her face was knocked to the side by the force of a p. Then, before she could even react, Rachel


    struck her with another powerful blow to the face.


    Rachel put all her strength into the two ps, and in no time, Olivia¡¯s face turned red and swollen, with


    traces of blood oozing from the corner of her mouth.


    At first, Olivia was confident that she had the upper hand. She assumed that Rachel was intimidated by


    the powerful Cruise and Smith families backing her up. After all,pared


    to Rachel, whocked any influential connections, crushing her would be a piece of cake for either of


    those families.


    However, she never expected that Rachel would have the guts toy her hands on her in public.


    Olivia covered her face and looked pitifully at Rachel. ¡°Rachel, I was just messing with you! Why¡¯d you


    have to take it so seriously?¡± Unfortunately, her status as a public figure made it difficult for her to strike


    back, so she resorted to acting like a helpless puppy.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a smile, but her eyes betrayed an icy coldness. ¡°Just messing with me? Then


    let¡¯s y!¡± she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.


    She acted quickly, grabbing Olivia by the hair and lifting her from the ground like a limp rag doll.


    Olivia felt like her scalp was being torn apart. Then, baring her teeth, she shouted, ¡°What the hell,


    Rachel! Let me go!¡±


    With her hysterical scream followed by a sharp ¡®click, the bone made a crisp sound that sent shivers


    down the spine.


    It felt as though Olivia¡¯s arm had been wrenched out of its socket, hanging limp at her side. Rachel had


    dislocated Olivia¡¯s arm!


    ¡°I told you not to mess with me. So why haven¡¯t you learned your lesson yet?¡± Rachel looked down at


    Olivia, who was now on the ground, with a mixture of pity and regret in her eyes. Olivia¡¯s arm throbbed


    with intense pain that she turned pale, and cold sweat began beading on her temples. Her eyes zed


    with fury as she fixed them on Rachel. Then, through gritted teeth, she spat out each word. ¡°Rachel


    Grey, you dirty bitch!¡±


    ¡°I must admit, it seems my two ps were a bit too gentle just now!¡±


    Suddenly, Louis Smith burst in on them, his voice booming. ¡°Rachel Grey, what on earth are you up


    to?¡± He stormed over to Rachel and seized her hand, his voice dripping with anger. ¡°Olivia came to you


    with nothing but good intentions, but look at what you¡¯ve done!¡±

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    ¡°Louis¡­¡± Seeing Louising forward, Olivia hurriedly snuggled into his arms as if seizing a life¨C


    saving straw. Her body trembled uncontrobly, and she said with a slight tremor, ¡°I was just joking with


    Rachel. I didn¡¯t expect her to take it seriously¡­¡±


    Tears continuously rolled down her cheeks as Oliviained to Louis.


    Nearly feeling heartbroken when seeing Olivia¡¯s tearful face, Louis secretly gritted his teeth and asked


    coldly, ¡°Rachel Grey, you must have heard it. Olivia said she was joking. Is it necessary for you to hit


    her so hard?¡±


    ¡°Joking?¡± Rachel¡¯s lips curved into a sarcastic smile, and she rebutted, ¡°Who would take others¡® life as


    a joke? Oh, I forgot that Olivia is the best person in the world for you. Even if she farts, you will think it


    smells like perfume!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Annoyed and frustrated by Rachel¡¯s mockery, Louis stared at her fiercely and added, ¡°I order you


    to apologize to Olivia immediately!¡±


    ¡°Louis Smith, are you an idiot? If she didn¡¯t provoke me, would I have fought back?¡± Rachel darted a


    cold stare at Louis and said. Then, suddenly, a faint sneer crossed her delicate face, and she added,


    ¡°Well, I can apologize, but she has to kneel and listen!¡±


    Hearing Rachel¡¯s request, Olivia promptly burrowed into Louis¡® arms in fear. Feeling the woman


    trembling in his arms, Louis was distressed. He wrapped his arms around Olivia¡¯s waist and hugged


    Olivia tighter.


    ¡°Rachel Grey!¡± Louis then huffed, staring at Rachel with disgust and hatred. ¡°What makes you so evil


    now?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You know nothing about me at all!¡± Rachel looked impassively at Louis with a piercing


    coldness in her eyes. ¡°An eye for an eye has always been my motto!¡±


    Louis scowled at Rachel, and his eyes darkened as he roared, ¡°You¡¯re being irrational!¡± Rachel curled


    up the corners of her mouth indifferently. She darted a sharp gaze at Olivia before saying, ¡°Olivia


    Cruise, you are a public figure, and you ought to behave yourself. Have you ever considered what


    would happen if the public knew your indifferent attitude toward others¡® lives? You have just returned to


    this country; it is a critical moment for you to build your reputation now. If what happened tonight is


    exposed, your acting career would end, right?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s steely and cold voice came slowly and firmly, and every word pounded on Olivia¡¯s head,


    making her heart heavier.


    Hearing Rachel¡¯s words, Olivia avoided her eyes, which were flustered.


    She had intended to teach Rachel a lesson and secure a leading position over her, but she didn¡¯t


    expect Rachel to strike her back. Moreover, Olivia didn¡¯t bargain on giving Rachel ammunition.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    At that moment, Olivia¡¯s heart was overflowing with bitterness.


    Suddenly, someone broke the silence. ¡°Miss Grey, Mr. Jones is waiting for you,¡± said Eddie, who exited


    the car and walked straight to Rachel with a polite and respectful smile.


    Seeing who had approached her, Rachel nodded lightly, brushed the dirt off her clothes, and turned to


    exit.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes were filled with unwillingness and disappointment as she watched Rachel leave safe and


    sound. However, the sharp pain in her arm prevented her from stopping Rachel.


    She then swirled around and burrowed her face into Louis¡® chest while watching Rachel bending down


    to get into the Rolls¨CRoyce parked by the roadside.


    The moment the car door opened, Rachel vaguely caught sight of the man sitting in the car.


    The man was wearing a suit with an elegant posture.


    The dim light set off his chiseled features, and his sharp jawline revealed his stoic disposition.


    ¡°Who is that man?


    ¡°Why have I never seen him in Seaxas before?¡± Olivia thought curiously.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    As the car door closed, the people outside the car had no way of knowing what would happen.


    ¡°Take it to pay all the medical bills, please. Eddie handed a signed check to Louis and Olivia.


    Louis was totally humiliated by what Eddie had done. Anyhow, Louis was the boss of the Smith Group.


    Louis had already be used to the pride and arrogance of his high position and power. How could


    he ept a check from others?


    Louis waved his hand violently and shouted angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t act like a know¨Call! I don¡¯t care about the


    money at all! You really think highly of yourself!¡±


    Hearing Louis¡® words, Eddie raised his eyebrow slightly.


    Anyone who saw David behaved respectfully and dared not provoke him. Louis was brave enough to


    be rude to David and Eddie.


    +


    The Smith Group was no match for David at all. It seemed that Louis, the young boss of the Smith


    Group, didn¡¯t know what would happen to him if he continued to offend David. Nobody noticed that the


    window of the car rolled down. David said casually, ¡°I will pay for your loss. I won¡¯t owe you any money.


    By the way, do yourself a favor, and keep in mind that you can¡¯t afford to offend me. This is the first


    time I give you a kind warning, but it¡¯s also thest time.¡±


    David¡¯s calm voice was cold as the icy spring and always had the power to make others quail in fear


    somehow.


    Louis and Olivia turned to look at the ck Rolls¨CRoyce at the same time. They were curious about the


    man behind the car window.


    David didn¡¯t give them a chance to see his face. Instead, he closed the window directly and blocked the


    curious gazes of Louis and Olivia.


    The car slowly left. Louis was still wearing a sullen face.


    Olivia leaned in Louis¡® arms. She groaned painfully, with one hand on her arm. Hearing Olivia groan,


    Louis felt like a knife was piercing his heart. ¡°Olivia, hold on. I¡¯ll send you to the hospital right now.¡±


    Louis drove his car and left with Olivia. Now the farce seemed to be finally over.


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    But at the same time, a video was posted on the Inte. The video was filmed by an onlooker and


    recorded the quarrel between the three people. Someizens noted that Olivia, the famous young


    star, was in the video. Then the video went viral online, became a trending topic, and sparked a heated


    discussion.


    Soon, the video disappeared mysteriously, and all the websites on which the video was uploaded were


    not even avable. So obviously, someone had done it on purpose.


    Netizens kept wondering who had brewed the plot behind the scenes.


    Olivia covered her arm with one hand and looked at Louis with a pale face. ¡°Louis, I¡¯m sorry for all the


    trouble. I didn¡¯t expect it would turn out like this. I just hoped that Rachel could


    forgive us and no longer hate you. But, I screwed everything up¡­¡±


    After saying that, Olivia cried silently. With tears running down her pale cheeks, she looked more


    pathetic.


    Louis held her tighter in his arms. He wiped away the tears on her cheeks gently. ¡°Olivia, you are


    always so kind and considerate. If Rachel could be as kind as you, she wouldn¡¯t hurt you like this.¡±


    Thinking of what Rachel had done today, Louis squinted his eyes slightly with a hint of anger on his


    sullen face.


    Olivia bit her lips lightly and looked at Louis with her watery eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Rachel to be like this.


    It¡¯s not all her fault. I¡¯m responsible, too. I really worry about her¡­ Aren¡¯t you curious about that man in


    the car? How could Rachel be in Lansen Restaurant? Maybe she had no choice but to seek help from


    a powerful and influential man¡­¡±


    Louis denied tly, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Although Rachel is cold¨Cblooded, she would never be like that!¡±


    Louis had been in a rtionship with Rachel for three years. In the three years, the most intimate


    moment between them was just a hug. Rachel didn¡¯t want premarital sex in any form.


    In this impetuous society, Rachel still held her old¨Cfashioned standard of behavior. Sometimes she was


    like a weird woman whose thought was imprisoned. Louis once felt unhappy about that but always


    respected Rachel¡¯s principles.


    In addition, Rachel was a prouddy. So how could she put aside her dignity and seek help from a


    strange man?


    Hearing Louis¡® words, Olivia¡¯s eyes turned cold, and a malicious thought grew in her mind.


    She thought, ¡°Rachel, just wait and see!


    ¡°The pain you brought to me today would be returned twofold¡­


    ¡°No, that was not enough. I would make your life a living hell!¡±

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    After getting into the car, Rachel inadvertently looked at the man beside her.


    He sat there gracefully with crossed legs, a straightened upper body, and his hands on hisp. The dim


    light illuminated his delicate face, of which the fine outline was even more indistinct, making it


    attractive, charismatic, and mysterious. It was an indescribable feeling. After a long time, she suddenly


    said, ¡°Thank you for what you just did.¡±


    Even if David didn¡¯t give her a hand just now, she could still have solved that issue, but the man in front


    of Rachel had shown his kindness, so she had no reason to refuse it.


    David turned his head and looked at her with his eyes full of carelessness and sloppiness. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    Rachel froze momentarily and was surprised at his rudeness, but she immediately realized that the


    verbal thanks made her seem a bit insincere. ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    David stared at Rachel, his dark eyes unblinking while tenderly stroking her face with his fingertips.


    ¡°You know what I want.¡±


    Slowly rippling in the small space inside the car, his low and attractive voice was as heart¨Cstopping as


    a cello¡¯s bass strings.


    The moment she saw his gaze, Rachel immediately looked away in haste as if she had been.


    electrocuted by his eyes.


    She pursed her lips lightly and was a little flustered, with her eyshes fluttering. ¡°As a gentleman, you


    should not ask for more when I am in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Butpared to an extremely hypocritical gentleman, I think I would rather choose to be a heinous


    viin.¡± David picked up a strand of soft hair on her shoulder with his hand. deliberately lowered his


    voice, and viciously teased Rachel in her ear. ¡°I have much patience, but it will disappear sooner or


    later. Besides, you have no idea how attractive you are to me.¡±


    David brought her hair up to his nose for a quick sniff, then slowly moved it down. Finally, his kiss fell


    on the strand of her soft hair.


    Seeing this scene, Rachel felt as if she was suffocating and blushed for no reason.


    She pulled back her hair angrily, took a deep breath to adjust her emotions, and, while pretending to be


    calm, asked, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s a confession. I just can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± David stared at Rachel unblinking, with his Adam¡¯s


    apple quivering and his gaze bing more and more meaningful.


    From the first time he met Rachel, David couldn¡¯t help but have a strong interest in the woman before


    him. He always thought that no matter what happened, everything would be under his control.


    However, the fact was that this woman could easily undermine the self¨Ccontrol that he was very much


    proud of.


    David had deliberately tried to flirt with her, but at this time, he seemed to have made things difficult for


    himself.


    David sat in his seat again and took a deep breath to suppress the restlessness in his mind.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Treat me to dinner next time, okay?¡±


    Rachel secretly breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Sure.¡±


    After she finished speaking, there was a brief silence in the car.


    The silencested until Rachel¡¯s cell phone rang suddenly. She picked up the phone, and Mary¡¯s voice


    came from it to Rachel¡¯s ear. ¡°Rae, you impress me so much these days! You really should teach that


    bitch a lesson!¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Has it gone viral on the Inte?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s identity alone could attract many people, not to mention she was screaming so miserably at


    that time. It might be that some curious onlookers around have uploaded some videos to the Inte,


    even though it could cause an uproar.


    Mary took a sip of coffee, seeming to be entirely used to it. ¡°Nowadays, everything in this world can go


    viral on the Inte, let alone Olivia, one of the hottest stars in showbiz. After a video like that was


    uploaded and widely spread, it surely sparked a buzz, but no matter how things went, it is clear that


    she was at fault first. I think she is very nervous at the moment because all rted posts are gone


    now.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can fix it.¡±


    ¡°This bitch has been against you since she came back, so I think she won¡¯t give up so easily!¡± Mary


    anxiously and repeatedly reminded Rachel. ¡°Be careful when you go out the next few days. Her stupid


    fans may be out of their minds and do something crazy.¡± Rachel showed a cold and ironic smile on her


    crimson lips. ¡°That is exactly what I want.¡±

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    ¡°Um, may I ask a question¡­¡± On the other end of the phone, Mary hesitated and asked, ¡°Whose Rolls¨C


    Royce is that?¡±


    Rachel pinched her lips, subconsciously snatched a nce at David next to her, and coughed to cover


    up her embarrassment before she said lightly, ¡°That is not important.¡± Then she hung up the phone.


    She turned her head to David and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble.¡±


    ¡°You are not the person who should apologize.¡±


    Fixing his gaze on Rachel¡¯s pretty face, David slowly raised his hand and picked a strand of her hair


    with his slender fingers, his eyes brimming with unconscious infatuation. ¡°I won¡¯t let them have a


    chance to create any difficulties for you,¡± he dered.


    Rachel instantly understood his implication. Then, seeing him take out his phone, she held his hand,


    flustered, and said, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s slender fingers were a bit cold. But, on the contrary, David¡¯s palm was warm.


    The coolness of her fingertip touched his heart and quenched his anger like a winding stream.


    David looked at the small hand in his palm, and the murderous look in his eyes disappeared instantly.


    The next second, he smiled gently and said, ¡°Your hand is a little cold.¡±


    He turned his palm around and held Rachel¡¯s hand in his.


    Rachel felt the warmth of his palm, and her eyes flickered. Finally, sheposed herself and said


    lightly, ¡°This is my own business. I can handle it myself.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± David slowly grasped her hand, put on a faint smile, and said mildly, ¡°Do whatever you


    want. I¡¯ll clean up the mess for you, no matter how severe the consequences.¡± Surprise shed across


    Rachel¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but stare at David, lost in thought. All women needed care and love.


    Rachel might have looked cold and detached, but she was no exception.


    During her three¨Cyear rtionship with Louis, she had been humble and submissive in front of him and


    hadn¡¯t dared to take a hard line on anything for fear of annoying him.


    She had beenpromising and enduring the unfair situation for three years.


    However, this man just told her that women didn¡¯t have topromise or endure but should do


    whatever they wanted.


    Because he would clean up the mess for her no matter how severe the consequences would be¡­


    She felt her heart which was cold and numb after being hurt by Louis, melt a little. Soon, an


    inexplicable feeling crept over her, and her heart became warm and soft with ayer of protection.


    Suddenly, Eddie, who was riding shotgun, coughed, and Rachel, who was moved by David¡¯s words


    came to herself.


    ¡°Miss Grey, where should we drop you off?¡± asked Eddie.


    Only after hearing this did Rachel realize that other people were in the car and immediately shook off


    David¡¯s hand without hesitation as if it were searing hot.


    David was rendered speechless.


    Was she avoiding being seeing intimate with him?


    Rachel cleared her throat to cover up her embarrassment. Her eyes shed as she said in a voice as


    clear as usual, ¡°Drop me at the Oaks.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± replied Eddie.


    Soon, Rachel reached her destination.


    When she got off the car, David handed her the bunch of roses and said in a low voice, ¡°Good night.¡±


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    With a faint smile, she turned around and left.


    David watched intently as she walked away. Then the driver started the car and pulled away. Eddie


    looked at David in the backseat from the rearview mirror andined to himself, ¡°Mr. Jones left so


    much work unfinished to have dinner with Miss Grey?


    ¡°Miss Grey is indeed gorgeous, but I have to ask, isn¡¯t it a little too much for Mr. Jones to lose his cool


    today?


    ¡°He was losing his head over her!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in your mind?¡± David suddenly asked.


    Eddie subconsciously blurted out, ¡°I was thinking that you have lost your head over Miss Grey


    tonight¡­¡±

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    The moment that sentence passed his lips, an eerie silence spread in the car.


    Eddie Brook regretted what he said so much that he wanted to p himself. Instead, he tentatively


    watched David Jones¡¯s expressions, then carefully opened his mouth. ¡°Miss Grey¡¯s performance was


    very impressive tonight¡­¡±


    But David¡¯s frown only deepened. Eddie had to quickly think of something to quell David¡¯s anger. So


    Eddie added, ¡°Only a woman like that is worthy of you, sir.¡±


    Sure enough, David¡¯s gloomy expression disappeared instantly when he heard the second half of


    Eddie¡¯sment.


    Having narrowly escaped danger, Eddie secretly gave Rachel an even more special ce in his heart.


    Rachel Grey was almost like a savior to him now.


    Eddie even started thinking about finding an auspicious ce at home to worship Miss Grey for how


    she saved him.


    ¡°You did well tonight.¡± David¡¯s deep voice was cold as usual.


    Eddie paused briefly. He tried to reflect on what he had said that pleased David. Then, after some


    thought, Eddie¡¯s only reasonable exnation was that Miss Grey was mentioned. Hesitantly, Eddie


    squeezed out a response. ¡°We have nothing to do with the video¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    After hearing this, David¡¯s lips curved into a mysterious smile. ¡°That little girl has quite a few secrets¡­¡±


    he said indulgently.


    It was alreadyte at night when she returned to Johnson¡¯s Mansion.


    Carrying a bouquet of roses in her arms, Rachel returned to her room.


    After a shower, Rachel dried her hair with a towel. That was when her phone on the table suddenly


    went off.


    As soon as Rachel picked up the phone, azy voice spoke, ¡°Someone is secretly investigating the


    Johnson Corporation¡¯s CEO.¡±


    ¡°Are they better than you?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? My hacking skills are unmatched.¡±


    ¡°Then are you afraid of them?¡± Rachel asked again.


    Her question apparently hit a nerve with Lucas Johnson on the other end of the line, who angrily


    roared, ¡°Rachel Grey, you can call me names. You can look down on me. But I won¡¯t allow you to


    humiliate me like this!¡±


    As a respected outsourced member of the prestigious Hacker Alliance, Lucas Johnson would not allow


    anyone to question his hacking expertise!


    Rachel Grey smiled yfully. ¡°If that is the case, then what are you worried about?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s retort immediately left Lucas speechless. Then, after a long pause, Lucas spoke again. ¡°I was


    the one who took care of the problems you caused. Is this how you would repay the person who saved


    you?¡±


    ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t take care of it, I could have handled it.¡± Rachel Grey picked up the ss of water on


    the table and took a sip to soothe her dry throat. ¡°Besides, I haven¡¯t med you for interfering with my


    ns.¡±


    Lucas coldly snorted. ¡°Forget it. I was just wasting my efforts for an ungrateful person like you!¡±


    ¡°Who is investigating me?¡± Rachel asked all of a sudden.


    ¡°Louis Smith, CEO of the Smith Group,¡± Lucas said with a malicious sneer.


    Rachel was not surprised. But she was pretty sure that Louis wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything about


    her no matter what.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you were blindfolded by love. But what did you see in such a scumbag?¡± Lucas did not


    hold back his criticism. ¡°In the past, you deserved better than marrying into the Smith family because


    they were on the verge of bankruptcy. Even though the Smith family is on the rise now, Louis Smith is


    still way beneath you. I¡¯m d that you finally realized how silly you were. Otherwise, I would think that


    someone has cast a spell on you.¡±


    It was not just Lucas, but everyone close to Rachel had been dumbfounded by her sudden decision to


    be with Louis Smith.


    Rachel Grey raised her hand and rubbed her forehead. Then, with a tone as icy as a winter stream,


    she said, ¡°Do you remember that one time when we snuck out of school five years ago?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying¡­¡± filled with disbelief, Lucas¡¯s voice suddenly tensed, ¡°that it was Louis Smith who


    saved you that night?¡±

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Rachel leaned against the front of the window, looking at the crescent moon hidden.


    among


    the clouds. There was a faint trace of sadness in her eyes. ¡°After returning, I¡¯ve investigated for a long


    time and all the findings point to him.¡±


    When she first learned that the Smith family was on the verge of bankruptcy, she deliberately


    approached Louis and offered her help. Everything that followed was just nature taking its course.


    She was the only one that developed feelings as time passed.


    This rtionship that she had maintained for three years was only a deal from beginning to end in


    Louis¡¯s eyes.


    Lucas, who was on the other end of the phone, fell into a long silence.


    After some time, Rachel spoke. ¡°The past three years were just to repay him for saving my life back


    then. I have nothing to do with him from today onward.¡±


    After she hung up, Lucas sent a Whatsapp message. [Stay away from David.]


    Rachel switched off her phone and hugged her arms. She involuntarily looked at the bouquet of roses


    on the table and recalled the man saying, ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯ll clean up the mess for you, no


    matter how severe the consequences will be.¡±


    It seemed like it was a little toote¡­


    The next morning, Rachel received Mary¡¯s call while she was having breakfast.


    ¡°Oh my god! How do you even have the mood to eat breakfast? I¡¯m so pissed off!¡± Mary had a hot


    temper and would make unnecessary noise or fuss as if it was the end of the world when something


    happened. ¡°Olivia is distorting the truth on Twitter and implying that your abused her without reason!


    Twitter is in chaos because of this incident! I watched it climb. the list of trending topics! Her fans are so


    angry they¡¯re starting a revolution! My dear princess of the Johnson family, is this what you meant


    when you said you can solve it on your own?¡±


    up


    Olivia was the goddess of otaku. The otaku masses were head over heels for her. Especially after


    knowing that she suffered, they were eager to stand up for Olivia and uphold justice for her.


    Racheled the napkin, wiping the corners of her mouth elegantly. Then, after she gave


    her maternal grandfather a heads¨Cup, she picked up her bag, got up, and walked out. ¡°Let¡¯s just let her


    run rampant for a little while.¡±


    ¡°You have a n?¡± Mary was instantly in high spirits. She said righteously, ¡°I had long found her


    annoying. Since you have to mess with her, mess with her hard so that she stops popping up now and


    then to disgust us!¡±


    Rachel smiled lightly, bent down, and got into the car. ¡°Rest assured.¡±


    Mary suddenly appeared at thepany when it was nearing afternoon.


    ¡°Why did youe?¡± Watching Mary, who had suddenly appeared, a faint smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s


    face. She shut the file on her desk and watched Mary, who was looking up and


    down in all directions


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s to chat and have a meal with you while I¡¯m at it.¡± Mary casually tossed the Hermes


    handbag on the sofa. Her high heels clicked as she approached Rachel. There were sparks of


    excitement burning in her eyes. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me how you would deal with that bitch! Since I


    learned that you would deal with her, I was so excited that I couldn¡¯t even eat!¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    Seeing that Rachel was indifferent, Mary swiftly helped her pack her things and held


    Rachel¡¯s arm as she brought Rachel out. ¡°Go go go, let¡¯s talk while eating. My treat!¡±


    Mary drove Rachel in her new favorite car, and soon they arrived at a restaurant that served foreign


    cuisine.


    Both of them took off their shoes and sat crossed¨Clegged on the tatami. They spoke as they


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ate.


    During the meal, Rachel¡¯s phone rang suddenly. She saw that it was David Jones who was calling.


    ¡°Did you see the trending topic on Twitter?¡± Rachel heard the man¡¯s mesmerizing voice through the


    phone.


    Rachel responded, ¡°They¡¯ve gone.¡±

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    ¡°Please let me know if you get into any trouble. I¡¯m not expecting anything in return,¡± David said in a


    husky and deep voice. It sounded so pleasant that it even gave her sparkling, pleasurable brain tingles.


    The situation, in fact, wasn¡¯t really as urgent as Mary had said.


    Olivia imed she was a victim just because few people saw her push Rachel toward the road then.


    Aside from that, the onlookers mistook Olivia for an innocent person because they saw Rachel punish


    Olivia.


    They believed they were punishing the wicked and protecting the weak, but the truth was that they had


    already be Olivia¡¯s pawns.


    Rachel hung up the call after a short conversation with David.


    Then, she put down her phone and looked up at Mary, who gave her a mischievous smile. ¡°Are you not


    going to exin?¡±


    Her gaze made Rachel feel uneasy. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think,¡± she said, focusing on eating with her head


    lowered.


    Mary took her face in her hands and fixed her eyes on Rachel, asking, ¡°What was going on then?¡±


    Rachel quickly looked up at her. Clearly, Mary was very intrigued. If Rachel did not exin herself,


    Mary would not let it go. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not what you think,¡± repeated Rachel.


    ¡°You¡¯ll fall in love very soon, based on my years of experience,¡± Mary predicted as she leaned in to


    poke Rachel¡¯s chest with her index finger. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have any feelings for him?¡±


    Upon hearing Mary¡¯s question, Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered.


    No feelings for him at all?


    Rachel was well aware that it was not really the case.


    At the very least, she could feel her heart thump rhythmically when he said he would protect her no


    matter what happened.


    When Mary noticed Rachel was lost in thought, she pursed her lips and could not help but remind her.


    ¡°It looks like he could be a scumbag. Take caution. I¡¯m afraid that you may fall for his guile.¡±


    Rachel smiled and asked casually, ¡°Do you think I will?¡±


    Mary raised her eyebrows and picked up her ss with an expressive smile. ¡°No one knows what the


    future holds.¡±


    They went to the underground parking lot after finishing eating.


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You just drank. Let me drive!¡± Rachel took the car key from Mary¡¯s hand and headed straight toward


    the car.


    Mary, who was a little liquored up, had no objections to it and walked behind her in a


    Right at that moment, footsteps and curses could be heard next to them. ¡°That vicious bitch is here.¡±


    When Mary and Rachel looked over, they saw a swarm of people approaching them with various sticks


    in a fury.


    Rachel frowned, and her delicate face darkened. ¡°Get into the car!¡± she shouted, taking Mary¡¯s hand.


    Rachel thought those people would let them go when they saw her and Mary enter the car. But they


    didn¡¯t, and to her astonishment, they actually smashed the vehicle with the sticks in their hands.


    The new car was seriously damaged with thuds and bangs.


    The crowd, however, still didn¡¯t stop taking revenge on the two girls.


    They even sttered various filthy things over the windshield.


    A whileter, they hastily packed their stuff and left before the parking lot security guards arrived.


    The parking lot was in disarray as if there had been a storm earlier.


    The terrifying scene shook Mary, but she quickly got over it and sobered up. She hurried out of the car


    to have a look at it.


    As she noticed the filth on the windshield, she resisted the impulse to vomit and yelled in a fury, ¡°Oh,


    my God! My dear poor car! I only purchased it just a few days ago. How could those jerks have done


    this to it? This is simply too much. I need to call the cops. If I can figure out who¡¯s behind it¡­.¡±


    ¡°I know who¡¯s behind it.¡± Rachel stared at the smashed car, her face expressionless and


    sullen.


    Her voice was icy cold, sending shivers down one¡¯s spine.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    Upon hearing her words, Mary Green stared straight at her, her red lips curling into a sarcastic smile.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess who was behind the scenes orchestrating this.


    With just a little thought, she could figure out that it was that idiot Olivia. She always didn¡¯t know any


    better.


    Thinking back to her words of warning to Rachel, she didn¡¯t expect to be proven right so


    soon.


    Mary hoped that Olivia would be prepared to face the consequences of her actions.


    ¡°What are you going to do with her?¡± Mary looked and asked Rachel, who was next to her. Rachel¡¯s


    lips curled into a cold smile, like a poppy blooming¨Ccharming and dangerous. ¡°I¡¯ll y with her.¡±


    Rachel had thought that taking down the trending search on Twitter would have been enough to keep


    Olivia in line, but she had been proven wrong as Olivia continued to find ways to cause trouble.


    Rachel turned and left. She took out her phone to send a message to Lucas, [Brother, do me a favor.]


    In the next second, Lucas called her back andzily said, ¡°Rachel Grey, you¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve


    seen in my life who asks for help so shamelessly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you a documentter. Please help me post a video on all major forums and include the title


    Entertainment Industry¡¯s Popr Star Coborates with Unidentified Criminals to Commit Assault in


    Public. Make the font bold andrge. The more conspicuous, the better!¡± Rachel then said casually,


    ¡°Also, please blur out my face to avoid my maternal grandfather finding out.¡±


    Three minutester, Lucaspleted a task and couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°Do I really have to do this


    little thing myself?¡±


    ¡°If it requires Mr. Johnson¡¯s help, it¡¯s definitely not little,¡± Rachel said, hanging up and sending a


    document to Lucas via Whatsapp.


    Mary took a deep look at her beloved car that was ruined, holding back her heartache, and caught up


    with Rachel¡¯s footsteps. She said indignantly, ¡°You should have revealed your identity earlier and


    humbled her. Let¡¯s see if she still has the nerve to be so arrogant!¡±


    ¡°I was the one who voluntarily drew a line with the Johnson family,¡± Rachel said. ¡°Moreover, the


    Johnson family forbids anyone unting their wealth.¡±


    The origin of this family rule was entirely due to her mother, Sophia Johnson, who had been kidnapped


    by bad people when she was young. Even after her mother was rescued, her maternal grandfather hid


    all the news about her mother.


    So whether it was the Johnson family¡¯s heiress, Sophia, or the current Johnson family¡¯s granddaughter,


    Rachel, very few people knew about them.


    Meanwhile, Lucas received and opened the document. He watched the video content, and


    there was no warmth on his handsome face, and a thinyer of ice seemed to cover his features.


    ¡°She¡¯s really asking for it!¡±


    His clearly defined fingers swiftly danced on the keyboard, and with a string of intricate andplex


    codes, all the information about Olivia appeared before him. As his cursor scrolled through, a


    mischievous smile appeared on his lips.


    ¡°This is really interesting!¡±


    On the other side, Eddie burst into the CEO¡¯s office in a hurry after receiving the news.


    Upon seeing Eddie¡¯s rushed appearance, David showed a hint of displeasure in his eyebrows.


    ¡°Sir, Miss Grey has been attacked,¡± Eddie said, handing his phone over to David. ¡°At 1:00 p.m. this


    afternoon, when Miss Grey was leaving the underground parking lot, she was attacked by unknown


    criminal forces. Fortunately, Miss Grey reacted quickly and was not injured. I have already sent our


    people to arrest the criminal group, and they are currently being interrogated.¡±


    ¡°Good job.¡± David returned Eddie¡¯s phone.


    Eddie humbly smiled and took the phone, and David¡¯s cold voice sounded again as he did. ¡°Tell finance


    to double your bonus this month.¡±


    Wow, it turned out that everything revolved around Miss Grey. She was the wealth code that led to


    getting rich!


    Eddie tried to suppress the smile that unconsciously appeared on his face and respectfully said, ¡°Thank


    you, sir!¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Control the online public opinion and do not affect her mood. I don¡¯t want to see anyments about


    her.¡± David slowly stood up, putting his hand in his pocket. He walked toward the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling


    window with long and steady strides.


    Although it was just a brief sentence, Eddie could sense a strong sense of hostility in it.


    He looked up at the man, and his gaze deepened.


    Having followed David for many years, he had forgotten his true character. Perhaps it was because


    Eddie had been livingfortably for too long.


    Under this mesmerizing appearance was a man who was vicious and ruthless.


    Eddie lowered his eyes and replied, ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    On the way back to thepany, Rachel received a call from Tom, which didn¡¯te as a surprise at


    all.


    She did not need to guess to know that Lucas must have sold her out by ying nice to the other party.


    She heaved a sigh of relief and picked up the phone. She called out softly, ¡°Uncle.¡±


    ¡°You must be scared.¡± Tom skipped the small talk and went straight to the point. ¡°Lucas told me


    everything about you. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let you suffer for nothing! I¡¯ll definitely get to the bottom of


    this.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was low and had an imperceptible edge to it.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Uncle, I can handle this myself,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to look into it. We¡¯ll get the result soon!¡± Tom¡¯s tone was low and filled with


    displeasure. ¡°This matter is too serious. There¡¯s no reason for the other party to leave without paying


    after hurting you!¡±


    Hearing the conviction in his uncle¡¯s tone, Rachel felt a warm current in her heart.


    This feeling of being protected by her family made Rachel feel as if she had an army behind her.


    Rachel calmed down and said docilely, ¡°Since I¡¯m the Johnson family¡¯s child, how can I be bullied so


    easily? Let me handle it myself. Moreover, the other party didn¡¯t hurt me. There¡¯s no need for you to


    mobilize so many people.¡±


    Tom, who was on the other end of the phone, was silent for a long time. In the end, hepromised


    and sighed. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with you, but I definitely won¡¯t let you suffer for no reason!¡±


    In other words, she could do whatever she wanted but this didn¡¯t conflict with what he wanted to do.


    After hanging up, Mary looked at Rachel enviously.


    In her impression, the Johnson family had been way too partial to Rachel.


    She remembered this one time clearly when Rachel casually said that she wanted to eat ice cream.


    Tom bought all of Seaxas¡¯s ice cream because he did not know what vor Rachel wanted to eat.


    It was precisely because of this that Mary deeply understood what it meant to be loved by everyone.


    Thinking of this, she sighed slowly. ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t know what jealousy was before I saw you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, revealing an indifferent attitude.


    The unhappy Mary looked at Rachel aggrievedly. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of one of Seaxas¡¯s four great


    families, the Green family. In the Green family, I can get whatever I want, butpared to you, I feel


    like I am just an orphan adopted by them.¡±


    ¡°A while ago, I heard that a certain rich man spent 100 thousand dors on the bracelet at the


    Magnificent Jewelry Auction.¡± Rachel picked up her wrist and looked at her with a


    meaningful gaze. ¡°It looks exactly like yours.


    Mary retracted her hand in embarrassment. With the movement, the gem embedded in the bracelet


    reflected a colorful light. However, she was not happy at all. Instead, she said angrily, ¡°He owed me!¡±


    The car soon arrived at Johnson Corporation¡¯s building. Rachel opened the car door and got out.


    When she walked into the office, she received a call from David. ¡°I booked a private room at Lansen


    Restaurant. Shall we go together tonight?¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s request, Rachel could not help butugh. ¡°There are still five hours until dinner.


    Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit too early to ask?¡±


    ¡°This is the only reason I can think of rightfully to see you and not be easily rejected by you,¡± David


    exined seriously. ¡°Or¡­ if Miss Grey is willing, maybe we can go out as boyfriend and girlfriend.¡±

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Rachel¡¯s expression was calm, but there was an imperceptible smile in her eyes. ¡°Who was the one


    who swore that you have to show 100% sincerity when pursuing a woman? Who said that you have to


    learn to lower your attitude, be more proactive, and be more considerate? Now, are you going back on


    your word?¡±


    When David heard Rachel¡¯s words, he gave a giggle. ¡°I thought you have already felt my sincerity


    clearly enough. Looks like I still need to work harder on that.¡±


    ¡°It has to be done step by step, right?¡± Rachel said as she stepped into the exclusive elevator.


    ¡°Then let us witness together the transformation of Miss Grey into Mrs. Jones.¡±


    There was a hint of a smile at the end of the man¡¯s voice. His voice was mellow and warm, like a


    feather gently sweeping across Rachel¡¯s heart, inadvertently causing ripples.


    She couldn¡¯t help but blush shyly. ¡°I have to work. I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡±


    On the other end of the phone, David was stunned for a moment before saying gently, ¡°Until tonight


    then.¡±


    His deep voice was filled with an indescribable gentleness that softened the cold radio waves on the


    phone.


    After hanging up the phone, David turned to look at Eddie. ¡°Hurry up and deal with the public. opinion


    on the Inte or it¡¯d affect her appetite tonight.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey has already taken action. In order not to cause unnecessary trouble for Miss Grey, our


    people are in charge of controlling thements online,¡± Eddie exined. ¡°In addition, the police


    station has sent messages that the Smith family and the Cruise family have appeared and hoped that


    this matter can be resolved privately.¡±


    David raised his eyes. Her dark eyes flickered with an unclear coldness. ¡°The Smith family and the


    Cruise family are not in the position to tell people what to do in Seaxas yet.¡± In other words, he refused


    to settle it privately. If the Smith family and the Cruise family didn¡¯t know better, there wouldn¡¯t be a


    ce for them in Seaxas in the future.


    Eddie could hear the warning in David¡¯s words. His heart skipped a beat. He realized David was going


    to do whatever it took to please Rachel.


    ¡°Those people are already in the dirty business. It¡¯s not difficult to enforce thew on them.¡±


    David raised his hand and unbuttoned one of the buttons on his shirt. He said casually, ¡°Make it clean


    and fast¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    During this period of time, along with the exposure of a post that said [The high¨Cprofile star in the


    entertainment industry is colluding with unknown evil forces to smash cars to take revenge]. A wave of


    public opinion quickly rose on the Inte.


    Olivia had instigated her fans to appear because she wanted to take the opportunity to teach Rachel a


    lesson. As long as there were no casualties, the matter would be over with a little money.


    After all, it wasmon in the industry to use fans to take revenge onpetitors, but this matter was


    clearly beyond her control.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Just the fact that she was in cahoots with an unknown evil force was enough to make her frantic.


    Helpless, she could only spend money to withdraw the trending post, but the money she spent flowed


    out like water and there was no improvement.


    Olivia could only use the marketing ount she had under her to re¨Cedit the video shot at the entrance


    of Lansen Restaurant and upload it online. At the same time, it also included the medical report of the


    diagnosis at the hospitalst night.


    As expected, as soon as the video was released, there was another wave of criticism against Rachel


    online.


    ¡°Shemitted a crime in broad daylight. It wouldn¡¯t be enough even if she is shot a hundred times!¡±


    ¡°This woman is clearly bullying our Olivia. She¡¯s soft¨Chearted and kind. As her big fans, we definitely


    won¡¯t let her get away with it!¡±


    ¡°We have to get this woman toe out and apologize. We have to let her get the due punishment.¡±


    Olivia looked at thements in thements section that were all biased toward her. A smile finally


    appeared on her gloomy face. She closed her eyes and rested on the hospital bed with her facial mask


    on, looking forward to the scene of Rachel kneeling in front of her and begging for mercy.


    She believed Rachel could never outsmart her.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a better look at yourself? You can¡¯t beat me even with the Smith family behind you


    and now you¡¯re chased out!¡± she thought.


    Thinking of how Rachel pped her twicest night, Olivia grit her teeth in indignation,

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    However, when she thought about how Rachel was about to lose her reputation and kneel in front of


    her to beg for mercy, she immediately felt a lot better.


    At that moment, her phone rang under her pillow. It was Mrs. Smith.


    ¡°Well, Olivia, I just saw the news online. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯ve suffered so much? I felt


    really terrible when I saw how badly you were beaten up.¡± At this point, Mrs. Smith had no choice but to


    mention Rachel, whom she looked down on the most. Her words were filled with disdain for Rachel.


    ¡°When Louis brought her in, I didn¡¯t agree. Not to mention the fact that she wasn¡¯t good enough for our


    family, just her actions in thepany over the years have caused so many rumors. Marrying such a


    woman will only embarrass the Smith family.¡±


    Hearing Mrs. Smith¡¯s words, a trace of disdain shed across Olivia¡¯s eyes, but she still patiently


    chatted with Mrs. Smith. ¡°Mrs. Smith, I¡¯m kinda to me for what happened to Rachel. If it weren¡¯t for


    my appearance, she wouldn¡¯t have fallen out with Louis, nor would she abandon Smith Group in a fit of


    anger.¡±


    ¡°Without her, Smith Group can still operate!¡± Mrs. Smith snorted angrily. ¡°She¡¯s just a country girl. How


    dare she dream of bing one of us? Even if she has lived a good life for a few years, so what? She


    still can¡¯t change the vulgarity in her bones!¡± she added.


    Without waiting for Olivia to speak, she spoke again, ¡°Olivia, rest well in the hospital for the time being.


    When you¡¯re discharged from the hospital, our families will meet for a meal and discuss the marriage


    between you and Louis.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Olivia replied sweetly.


    After chatting for a long time, she finally hung up.


    However, before she could heave a sigh of relief, the assistant rushed in from outside.


    ¡°Olivia, something bad happened¡­¡±


    Olivia looked at the assistant¡¯s hurried appearance and a hint of impatience appeared in her eyes.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    The assistant handed the tablet to her, swallowed, and exined, ¡°Not long after our marketing


    ount posted a video, other marketing ounts posted an unedited video. It clearly captured the


    scene of you pushing Rachel toward the road. Now it has caused a mess on the inte.¡±


    Olivia frowned. Her gentle face seemed to be covered with a thinyer of ice. Her fingertips trembled


    slightly as she opened thements section under the video.


    She saw true fans and righteous onlookers arguing in thements section. Both sides were arguing.


    ¡°There are so many peopleing and going on the streets. Why do you have to make trouble for


    Olivia? Shouldn¡¯t you have a good reflection on this?¡±


    ¡°If you want to act like a cat, you better put your mouse tail away. What you did would only embarrass


    yourself!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious about her identity and family background. She dares to treat human lives so lightly. If it


    were me, I might as well remove her two arms instead of pping her twice.¡± Olivia was instantly


    enraged. Her beautiful eyes flickered with a sinister cold light. She threw the tablet on the ground in


    exasperation and scolded sternly, ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and delete this video!¡±


    ¡°Olivia, it¡¯s useless no matter how much money we spend.¡± The assistant looked at the expression on


    Olivia¡¯s face. After hesitating for a while, she carefully said, ¡°Our public rtions department has no


    way of deleting the video. Moreover, the word ¡®Rachel¡® has been marked. It can¡¯t be searched. Our


    people can¡¯t even guide the public opinion¡­¡± Upon hearing the assistant¡¯s words, Olivia tore off the


    mask on her face and threw it on the ground. Her exquisite facial features revealed a hint of


    viciousness.


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Who exactly is protecting Rachel behind her back?¡± she thought.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    In a sh, the blurry image of the person shed through her mind,


    ¡°Could it be that man?¡± she thought.


    Her intuition told her that the man sitting in the car was definitely not an ordinary man!


    She had really underestimated Rachel previously. She did not expect Rachel to find a new backer so


    quickly.


    ¡°Go and check the information of the owner of the Rolls¨CRoyce that appeared in front of Lansen


    Restaurantst night!¡± Olivia suppressed the anger in her chest and tried to stay sober. ¡°Go to the


    police station and get those people out quickly!¡±


    ¡°But the police said that those people have a criminal record. Before the investigation is done, they are


    forbidden from contacting the outside world and are prohibited from being bailing out¡­¡±


    Upon hearing the assistant¡¯s words, Olivia¡¯s eyes were filled with panic.


    Before she could think further, her agent, Zoey Cooper, suddenly pushed the door open and walked in


    with a dark expression. She threw the contract in front of her and said, ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done! The


    endorsement that you just signed has proposed to terminate the contract and asked you to pay the


    compensation for breach of contract! There are also a few movies and dramas that have just rejected


    your interview!¡±


    ¡°How could this be¡­¡± Olivia¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. She stood rooted to the ground as if she had


    lost her soul.


    Zoey handed the tablet to Olivia with a sarcastic smile on her face. ¡°Take a good look at this first!¡±


    Adrian, the number onewyer in Seaxas, just published a post on Twitter. ¡°On behalf of @Rachel


    Grey, I shall send awyer¡¯s letter to @Olivia Cruise. Please find attached.¡±


    The words ¡°attempted murder¡± and ¡°intentional injury¡± in thewyer¡¯s letter pierced Olivia¡¯s eyes deeply.


    She gave a dramatic shudder.


    She gripped the tablet tightly, her knuckles turning pale. Her eyes were filled with unwillingness and


    hatred. ¡°It¡¯s just a small joke. What right do they have to sue me for attempted murder?¡±


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Zoey looked at her exasperated expression and couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Because those people in the


    police station have said everything that they should and shouldn¡¯t have said! Thepany wants you


    to immediately hold a press conference to rify everything. They will also put a ban on you as an


    exnation to everyone.¡±


    No one knew better than Olivia what it meant to be banned.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for her to terminate her contract with her formerpany and return to her country to


    develop her career. Even her currentpany had already arranged a way for her to develop in the


    future, but now, they actually wanted to ban her just because of a smallwyer¡¯s letter.


    She could not admit defeat so easily!


    ¡°There¡¯s definitely still room for negotiation,¡± Olivia said confidently.


    She came back this time to make aeback. She could never be banned because of this. Once she


    was banned, how could she manage to get ahead in the future!


    Upon hearing her words, Zoey couldn¡¯t help but reveal a mocking smile. ¡°The authority has just issued


    an official document requesting that the bad ethics in the industry be rectified. They are determined to


    resist illegal and immoral personnel and the development of all underworld forces. You¡¯remitting


    crimes amid their operation. What right do you have to think that there¡¯s still room for redemption?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Olivia¡¯s entire body seemed to have been drained of strength. Her


    four limbs were powerless as she sat on the bed. She looked at Zoey with a nk gaze. ¡°How did this


    happen¡­¡±


    She did not understand why everything had turned out like this.


    All of this was too much of a coincidence. It was as if she had helped her arrange the ending


    beforehand.


    Rachel basically had everything in her favor in this matter.


    ¡°You¡¯re on your own,¡± Zoey said expressionlessly and turned to leave. When she reached the door, she


    suddenly thought of something. ¡°By the way, because you¡¯ve openly vited the contract you signed


    with thepany, thepany has the right to ask you for liquidated damages. Remember to


    consolidate the funds during this period of time. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll go bankrupt.¡±

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    Compared to the disheartened Olivia, Rachel was calmly sipping her coffee and browsing through


    Twitter with interest.


    Five minutes ago, Olivia held a simple press conference in the ward. She imed that she had let her


    fans down and was willing to bear all the consequences and rted


    Facing the camera, Olivia did not show any anger or unwillingness. Instead, she was


    unusually calm. There were crystal clear tears on her pale little face, which instantly evoked people¡¯s


    sympathy and pity.


    However, her tears were also a weapon to exchange for everyone¡¯s sympathy and forgiveness.


    But at the end of the day, she only had herself to me!


    ¡°Ms. Grey, this is the relevant information for the bidding.¡± Linda pushed open the door and walked in.


    She ced the document on Rachel¡¯s desk.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°The PR department did a good job this time.¡±


    ¡°Our people didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Linda suppressed the surprise in her eyes and exined, ¡°I thought


    you instructed someone else, so¡­¡±


    An imperceptible shock shed across Rachel¡¯s face. ¡°I understand. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Just as Linda was about to turn around and leave, she suddenly thought of something and


    turned back. She hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Just now, the president of Smith Group asked to


    see you. I rejected her request on the grounds that you were on a business. trip.¡±


    There was a hint of coldness in Rachel¡¯s eyes. She looked at the document in front of her and said


    firmly, ¡°In the future, if anyone from Smith Group wants to see me, don¡¯t inform me. Reject them all!¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Linda nodded and turned to leave.


    After work, Rachel arrived at Lansen Restaurant as promised.


    Under the waiter¡¯s lead, she arrived at the private room she visited yesterday.


    At this moment, David was on the phone with his back to her.


    The man was wearing a ck shirt with his sleeves rolled up, revealing his milk¨Cwhite skin.


    The neon lights shone on his face, making his well¨Cdefined face look indescribably charming. Even just


    his side profile was enough to make people fall head over heels for him.


    His long ck eyebrows exuded an imperceptible sharpness that kept people at a distance. His nose


    bridge was high, and his thin lips were slightly pursed, vaguely revealing the coldness buried in his


    bones.


    Hearing the footsteps behind him, he turned his body slightly. The moment he looked at Rachel, the


    coldness between his eyebrows disappeared a little, and there was a faint


    gentle light in his eyes.


    After hanging up the phone, he walked straight to Rachel¡¯s side and pulled out a chair. His thin lips


    curled into a gentle smile. ¡°Sorry, I was dyed by the phone call and didn¡¯t go out to greet you


    personally.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Rachel nced at the chair David pulled out and sat in it.


    David frowned slightly. He pulled out a chair and sat opposite Rachel. His cold voice sounded at this


    time. ¡°I think greeting you personally is an attitude. It can make you feel how much I value you.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you making a mountain out of a molehill?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s often the details that are worth savoring, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The moment their eyes met, Rachel saw the light in the depths of the man¡¯s eye as if they were filled


    with infinite gentleness. It could not help but make her heart flutter. ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±


    Upon hearing her answer, David¡¯s eyes darkened slightly and he gave a giggle.


    The giggle was very soft and short as if someone was hallucinating.


    Rachel looked up and saw the man cutting the food on the te with a knife and fork. He seemed to be


    venting his anger.


    He seemed to be really upset.


    Although she did not know why this man would be angry for no reason, she hesitated for a while before


    picking up her wine ss. ¡°Thank you for today.¡±


    ¡°Do you only know how to express your gratitude verbally? Do you want to try another method?¡± David


    took a sip of wine, but his gaze was fixed on Rachel¡¯s moist red lips from beginning to end.


    Chapter 64


    In a sh, the blurry image of the person shed through her mind,


    ¡°Could it be that man?¡± she thought.


    Her intuition told her that the man sitting in the car was definitely not an ordinary man!


    She had really underestimated Rachel previously. She did not expect Rachel to find a new backer so


    quickly.


    ¡°Go and check the information of the owner of the Rolls¨CRoyce that appeared in front of Lansen


    Restaurantst night!¡± Olivia suppressed the anger in her chest and tried to stay sober. ¡°Go to the


    police station and get those people out quickly!¡±


    ¡°But the police said that those people have a criminal record. Before the investigation is done, they are


    forbidden from contacting the outside world and are prohibited from being bailing out¡­¡±


    Upon hearing the assistant¡¯s words, Olivia¡¯s eyes were filled with panic.


    Before she could think further, her agent, Zoey Cooper, suddenly pushed the door open and walked in


    with a dark expression. She threw the contract in front of her and said, ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done! The


    endorsement that you just signed has proposed to terminate the contract and asked you to pay the


    compensation for breach of contract! There are also a few movies and dramas that have just rejected


    your interview!¡±


    ¡°How could this be¡­¡± Olivia¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. She stood rooted to the ground as if she had


    lost her soul.


    Zoey handed the tablet to Olivia with a sarcastic smile on her face. ¡°Take a good look at this first!¡±


    Adrian, the number onewyer in Seaxas, just published a post on Twitter. ¡°On behalf of @Rachel


    Grey, I shall send awyer¡¯s letter to @Olivia Cruise. Please find attached.¡±


    The words ¡°attempted murder¡± and ¡°intentional injury¡± in thewyer¡¯s letter pierced Olivia¡¯s eyes deeply.


    She gave a dramatic shudder.


    She gripped the tablet tightly, her knuckles turning pale. Her eyes were filled with unwillingness and


    hatred. ¡°It¡¯s just a small joke. What right do they have to sue me for attempted murder?¡±


    Zoey looked at her exasperated expression and couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Because those people in the


    police station have said everything that they should and shouldn¡¯t have said! Thepany wants you


    to immediately hold a press conference to rify everything. They will also put a ban on you as an


    exnation to everyone.¡±


    No one knew better than Olivia what it meant to be banned.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for her to terminate her contract with her formerpany and return to her country to


    develop her career. Even her currentpany had already arranged a way for her to develop in the


    future, but now, they actually wanted to ban her just because of a smallwyer¡¯s letter.


    She could not admit defeat so easily!


    ¡°There¡¯s definitely still room for negotiation,¡± Olivia said confidently.


    She came back this time to make aeback. She could never be banned because of this. Once she


    was banned, how could she manage to get ahead in the future!


    Upon hearing her words, Zoey couldn¡¯t help but reveal a mocking smile. ¡°The authority has just issued


    an official document requesting that the bad ethics in the industry be rectified. They are determined to


    resist illegal and immoral personnel and the development of all underworld forces. You¡¯remitting


    crimes amid their operation. What right do you have to think that there¡¯s still room for redemption?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Olivia¡¯s entire body seemed to have been drained of strength. Her


    four limbs were powerless as she sat on the bed. She looked at Zoey with a nk gaze. ¡°How did this


    happen¡­¡±


    She did not understand why everything had turned out like this.


    All of this was too much of a coincidence. It was as if she had helped her arrange the ending


    beforehand.


    Rachel basically had everything in her favor in this matter.


    ¡°You¡¯re on your own,¡± Zoey said expressionlessly and turned to leave. When she reached the door, she


    suddenly thought of something. ¡°By the way, because you¡¯ve openly vited the contract you signed


    with thepany, thepany has the right to ask you for liquidated damages. Remember to


    consolidate the funds during this period of time. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll go bankrupt.¡±


    Chapter 65


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Compared to the disheartened Olivia, Rachel was calmly sipping her coffee and browsing through


    Twitter with interest.


    Five minutes ago, Olivia held a simple press conference in the ward. She imed that she had let her


    fans down and was willing to bear all the consequences and rted


    Facing the camera, Olivia did not show any anger or unwillingness. Instead, she was


    unusually calm. There were crystal clear tears on her pale little face, which instantly evoked people¡¯s


    sympathy and pity.


    However, her tears were also a weapon to exchange for everyone¡¯s sympathy and forgiveness.


    But at the end of the day, she only had herself to me!


    ¡°Ms. Grey, this is the relevant information for the bidding.¡± Linda pushed open the door and walked in.


    She ced the document on Rachel¡¯s desk.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°The PR department did a good job this time.¡±


    ¡°Our people didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Linda suppressed the surprise in her eyes and exined, ¡°I thought


    you instructed someone else, so¡­¡±


    An imperceptible shock shed across Rachel¡¯s face. ¡°I understand. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Just as Linda was about to turn around and leave, she suddenly thought of something and


    turned back. She hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Just now, the president of Smith Group asked to


    see you. I rejected her request on the grounds that you were on a business. trip.¡±


    There was a hint of coldness in Rachel¡¯s eyes. She looked at the document in front of her and said


    firmly, ¡°In the future, if anyone from Smith Group wants to see me, don¡¯t inform me. Reject them all!¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Linda nodded and turned to leave.


    After work, Rachel arrived at Lansen Restaurant as promised.


    Under the waiter¡¯s lead, she arrived at the private room she visited yesterday.


    At this moment, David was on the phone with his back to her.


    The man was wearing a ck shirt with his sleeves rolled up, revealing his milk¨Cwhite skin.


    The neon lights shone on his face, making his well¨Cdefined face look indescribably charming. Even just


    his side profile was enough to make people fall head over heels for him.


    His long ck eyebrows exuded an imperceptible sharpness that kept people at a distance. His nose


    bridge was high, and his thin lips were slightly pursed, vaguely revealing the coldness buried in his


    bones.


    Hearing the footsteps behind him, he turned his body slightly. The moment he looked at Rachel, the


    coldness between his eyebrows disappeared a little, and there was a faint


    gentle light in his eyes.


    After hanging up the phone, he walked straight to Rachel¡¯s side and pulled out a chair. His thin lips


    curled into a gentle smile. ¡°Sorry, I was dyed by the phone call and didn¡¯t go out to greet you


    personally.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Rachel nced at the chair David pulled out and sat in it.


    David frowned slightly. He pulled out a chair and sat opposite Rachel. His cold voice sounded at this


    time. ¡°I think greeting you personally is an attitude. It can make you feel how much I value you.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you making a mountain out of a molehill?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s often the details that are worth savoring, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The moment their eyes met, Rachel saw the light in the depths of the man¡¯s eye as if they were filled


    with infinite gentleness. It could not help but make her heart flutter. ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±


    Upon hearing her answer, David¡¯s eyes darkened slightly and he gave a giggle.


    The giggle was very soft and short as if someone was hallucinating.


    Rachel looked up and saw the man cutting the food on the te with a knife and fork. He seemed to be


    venting his anger.


    He seemed to be really upset.


    Although she did not know why this man would be angry for no reason, she hesitated for a while before


    picking up her wine ss. ¡°Thank you for today.¡±


    ¡°Do you only know how to express your gratitude verbally? Do you want to try another method?¡± David


    took a sip of wine, but his gaze was fixed on Rachel¡¯s moist red lips from beginning to end.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    Rachel had her lip slightly bit. A trace of embarrassment shed across her face, and she did not know


    how to answer


    It so happened that her phone suddenly rang. She stood up and plucked her phone from her bag.


    When she saw the caller ID, ayer of coldness seemed to gather in her eyes.


    She hung up the phone without hesitation, but then the call came again.


    After repeating it many times, Rachel finally picked up the phone under David¡¯s curious gaze.


    ¡°Rachel, you¡¯ve gone too far this time!¡± Just as the call was picked up, Louis¡¯s reprimanding voice


    came over immediately.


    Rachel chuckled. ¡°Mr. Smith, I¡¯m very curious. From what perspective and identity are you criticizing


    me?¡±


    ¡°Rachel, I know you hate me in your heart, but you shouldn¡¯t take out your malice on Olivia. She¡¯s


    innocent!¡± Louis listed Rachel¡¯s ¡®crimes¡® today and said coldly, ¡°Even if Olivia doesn¡¯t know better, you


    shouldn¡¯t destroy the career she loves. That¡¯s no different from killing her.¡± Rachel could not help but


    laugh at Louis¡¯s groundless usation. ¡°She brought this upon herself!¡±


    Louis¡¯s disappointed sigh came from the other end of the phone. ¡°You¡¯re really making me feel more


    and more unfamiliar.¡±


    ¡°Do


    you think I care?¡±


    Rachel sneered. Just as she was about to hang up, Louis suddenly said, ¡°This weekend is grandpa¡¯s


    80th birthday. He hopes that you cane too.¡±


    Back then, when she came to the Smith family, Old Mr. Smith was the only one who did not think less


    of her and strongly approved of her marriage with Louis.


    When he found out that she and Louis were about to hold a wedding, he even gave her the ancestral


    jade bracelet.


    The bracelet was still in Rachel¡¯s hands.


    Since she cut ties with Louis, it was time for the bracelet to return to its original owner. ¡°Rachel,


    whatever happens between us is our own business. Don¡¯t get grandpa involved because of this.¡± Louis


    was afraid that Rachel would hang up the phone, so he hurriedly exined, ¡°I don¡¯t need to say much


    about how much grandpa has doted on you over the past three years. If you still have a conscience¡­¡±


    Rachel was really not used to Louis¡¯s lecturing tone. Before he could finish speaking, she hung up.


    She put the phone in her purse, took a deep breath, and turned to David, who was standing behind her.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt your meal.¡±


    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± David frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, did you?¡±


    At the thought of returning to the Smith family to see Old Mr. Smith, an indescribable frustration rose in


    Rachel¡¯s heart. There was a hint of absent¨Cmindedness in her eyes.


    ¡°Do you want to go out for a walk?¡± David looked at her and extended his hand. ¡°The night view is


    pretty good tonight.¡±


    Rachel looked at the man¡¯s outstretched hand and hesitated for a moment before slowly cing her


    hand on it. ¡°Okay.¡±


    As David said, the night was beautiful.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The crescent moon hung in the sky like a sickle. Under the cover of the clouds and the night sky, it


    gave off a cold feeling.


    It was a stark contrast to the mboyant Seaxas under the night sky.


    The two of them strolled across the bridge hand in hand. People came and went on the street. Rachel


    shook off the man¡¯s hand ufortably.


    At this moment, there was a slight chill in the breeze. Rachel could not help but tremble. Then, the


    man¡¯s suit jacket was draped over her shoulders.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    Rachel was stunned for a moment. She looked up at the man and could not help but smile gently from


    the corner of her eyes.


    This cold¨Clooking man always knew what she needed at the right moment.


    For example, on the day she broke up with Louis, she walked alone in the heavy rain. That jacket just


    eased her embarrassment. He said, ¡°I think you need it now much more than I do.¡± And now he gave


    her his jacket that was just enough to make her feel warm.


    The cold wooden fragrance exclusive to the man lingered in her nose, making her heart beat


    uncontrobly faster.


    She could not help but tighten her coat and take a deep breath. She was a little lost in the smell that


    belonged to him. ¡°David, what perfume are you wearing?¡±


    The words that came out of her mouth made Rachel feel awkward.


    She secretly bit her tongue and felt that she must have been in over her head just now. Otherwise, she


    could never say something so inappropriate like this.


    Just as she was feeling vexed, she heard David¡¯s low voice with a hint of a smile. ¡°It¡¯s custom¨Cmade. If


    you like it, I¡¯ll get Eddie to send it to you tomorrow.¡±


    Rachel lowered his eyes and said calmly, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s not suitable for me.¡±


    ¡°How would you know if you don¡¯t give it a try?¡± David seemed to have understood the deeper meaning


    in her words. The smile on her lips had a deeper meaning. ¡°An honest lifestyle is to act ording to


    one¡¯s body¡¯s wishes. Just like how people choose to eat when they¡¯re hungry. There¡¯s no need to lie


    when they are in love.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°But who can guarantee that the temptation isn¡¯t used to fill the


    emptiness and loneliness in one¡¯s heart?¡±


    David chose to put her question aside in silence. After a moment of silence, he said again, ¡°Actually,


    I¡¯ve always regarded you as an ident.¡±


    ¡°ident?¡± Rachel¡¯s slender brows furrowed slightly, and a trace of coldness seeped out from between


    her brows.


    Since he only treated her as an ident, there was no need for him to barge into her life like this.


    She wondered if he just wanted to make a fool of her, or if he just wanted to conquer her as


    a man.


    David looked at the woman who turned around and left. He hurriedly chased after her. ¡°Let


    go of me!¡± Rachel struggled with all her might.


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    David wrapped his arms around her waist forcefully. He was half gentle and half forceful as he pulled


    her into his arms. ¡°You haven¡¯t even heard me out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s more you have to say than I need to hear!¡± Rachel rejected his request without any


    hesitation. There was obvious anger in her tone.


    It turned out that in his eyes, their rtionship was just an ident.


    Since that was the case, she didn¡¯t know why he had to get involved in her life these days. ¡°What about


    the dinner? What about the bunch of roses by the bed?¡± she thought.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet you, but I did. I never thought that I would fall in love with you, but I couldn¡¯t


    stop falling in love with you. This is the ident in my eyes.¡± David sighed softly.


    ¡°I understand your timidity. I can see the sensitive soul in your heart. You don¡¯t need to take the


    initiative to do anything for me. I¡¯m willing to wait until you take the initiative to open your heart and


    ept me. I can be sure that you¡¯re mine for the rest of your life!¡±


    The man¡¯s deep voice became gentle, like the gentleness of the spring breeze, like a mountain stream


    brushing past her heart, making Rachel¡¯s heart beat wildly again.


    She looked up at the man in front of her. The corners of his lips curled up into a smile, carrying an


    insufferably arrogant aura that he rarely showed.


    She swallowed and struggled gently. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should go home now.¡±


    ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ll drive you home.¡±


    When the two of them crossed the road, David quietly reached out and hugged her waist.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and nced at him indifferently.


    It had to be said that David was really good at testing a woman.


    She didn¡¯t know how much longer she could hold on.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    In the car, the man¡¯s gaze was fixed on Rachel


    However, Rachel did not seem to notice. She lowered her head and yed on her phone.


    asionally, she would raise her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear


    ¡°Shall we have lunch together tomorrow? David suddenly asked


    Rachel pondered for a moment I¡¯m afraid not I have something very important to deal with tomorrow¡±


    Upon hearing her words, David immediately understood that she was nning to personally go to the


    bidding in South Valley tomorrow


    ¡°Then another day?¡± David looked at her with furrowed brows


    Rachel nodded ¡°Sure¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, the car suddenly braked violently


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    Rachel was caught off guard and fell forward Fortunately, David reacted quickly and


    grabbed her waist, firmly protecting her in his arms.


    The man¡¯s arms were tightly wrapped around Rachel¡¯s shoulder, and her breath was filled with the


    man¡¯s wooden fragrance


    Her head was pressed against David¡¯s warm chest, and her ears were filled with his strong heartbeat.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± David¡¯s deep voice sounded from above.


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Just as she was about to withdraw from the man¡¯s arms, her scalp seemed to be firmly grabbed by


    something.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± David looked down at Rachel in his arms. Her furry head leaned against his chest, and


    her soft hair fell to the sides, revealing a slender neck. Her fair skin was faintly glowing, like a top¨Cnotch


    suet jade, making people want to pinch it to feel that unique exquisiteness. Her eyes became deeper


    and deeper, and her Adam¡¯s apple rolled up and down. ¡°Your hair is caught on a button.¡±


    His well¨Cdefined knuckles slowly fiddled with the hair wrapped around the button.


    He lowered his head, his warm breath on the skin of the woman¡¯s neck, making her heart flutter.


    Her ears turned red, and her fingertips curled up slightly. ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little too tight,¡± David said unhurriedly. ¡°You have to be patient with this kind of thing. You can¡¯t


    rush it.¡±


    For some reason, Rachel acutely sensed a kind of pleasure from his tone!


    She wondered if it was all in her head.


    After some time, David finally undid the dead knot between her hair and the button. ¡°Done.¡±


    Rachel, who was gradually maintaining the same posture, felt her waist go limp and she fell


    into his arms uncontrobly.


    David grabbed her shoulder and fell backward


    The moment they fell, Rachel¡¯s forehead was tightly pressed against his chest.


    This sudden action made Rachel¡¯s eyes widen. She exined anxiously, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± David stared at her without blinking, his fingertips caressing her cheek.


    Their current position was too intimate, making Rachel want to escape at a loss. However, the arm on


    her waist tightened and trapped her firmly in his arms.


    She looked up and met the man¡¯s deep eyes. She held her breath.


    There seemed to be a spark in his eyes. It flickered with heat, making Rachel¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how tempting you are to me.¡± He stared at the woman¡¯s moist lips with dark. eyes and


    couldn¡¯t help but slowly move closer.


    The man¡¯s unique scent assaulted her senses. Rachel¡¯s hands that were ced on the man¡¯s chest


    suddenly clenched into fists. Her eyshes fluttered in a panic like a frightened butterfly as she


    muttered softly, ¡°David¡­¡±

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    The man¡¯s warm breath sprayed on her face. His thin lips brushed past her cheek, and in the end, he


    only buried his head deep in her neck


    It was forbearance and restraint


    He wrapped his arms tightly around her and tightened his grip. He wanted to rub her into his bones and


    blood.


    ¡°David, you¡¯re hurting me Rachel twisted her waist ufortably


    David chuckled softly. The hot breath he exhaled shot into her ear, and as if she had been electrocuted,


    a numbing feeling quickly spread to her limbs and bones ¡®Rae¨CRae, don¡¯t make me wait too long


    The man¡¯s voice was low and soft. There was a faint smile on his lips, but it was exceptionally


    seductive


    At that moment, Rachel¡¯s breathing waspletely disrupted, and so was his heart


    It so happened that the car stopped at this moment. She pushed David away in a panic and stumbled


    out of the car


    David looked at Rachel¡¯s back as she fled in panic. His thin lips curled up, making him look. like a


    refined scum.


    He rubbed his fingers as if he was reminiscing about the delicate softness he had just felt. He boasted


    that he had sufficient patience and self¨Ccontrol, but these two things that he was so proud of came


    apart in front of Rachel


    Especially when he approached her the desire to conquer in his heart was like a ferocious beast that


    had broken out of its cage.


    Compared to the others around her, David had always felt that feelings were the most useless thing in


    the world. Women were even dispensable essories


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    However, after meeting Rachel, all his theories were easily overturned.


    He could not help but be curious about everything about her. Her figure would appear in his mind from


    time to time, making him lose control and want to see her.


    It was just as he had said.


    She was an ident in his life. He had imagined that he would meet her, but he had never thought that


    he would fall into it because of a moment of interest.


    Everything was out of his control and out of his depth.


    Perhaps, meeting her was his destiny


    He took out his phone and clicked opened Rachel¡¯s chat frame. [Goodnight.]


    Rachel, who had just returned to her room, had just calmed down when she saw the message from


    David. Her heart skipped a beat again.


    She casually set her phone to vibrate mode and ced it on the table before walking straight into the


    bathroom.


    The warm water enveloped her body, alleviating her fatigue from a busy day.


    His ck hair scattered behind her as if it was algae floating on water.


    She leanedzily against the edge of the bath, absently shaking the goblet in her hand. Involuntarily,


    David¡¯s words appeared in her mind. ¡°Rae¨CRae, don¡¯t make me wait too long.¡± He said that he


    understood her timidity and could see the sensitive soul in her heart. Although they had only interacted


    a few times, it was undeniable that this man had sessfully left an indelible mark in her heart with his


    strength and gentleness.


    But she didn¡¯t know if she should allow him to enter her world.


    They had only known each other for a few days, and she barely knew anything about this man. She


    figured such a person was probably not worthy of her attention.


    Rachel gulped down the red wine in her ss, leaned against her headrest, and slowly closed her


    eyes.


    As she left the bathroom, she heard a faint vibration from her phone.


    Curious, she walked forward to check. Coincidentally, David called again.


    She hesitated for a moment before picking up the phone. ¡°Rae¨CRae?¡±


    The moment she heard his voice, Rachel¡¯s heart seemed to be gripped by something neither light nor


    heavy. Her heart beat uncontrobly.


    Rachel took a deep breath and tried to keep her tone steady. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t replied.¡± The man¡¯s deep and cold voice rang in her ears with a hint of a rxed smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear your voice again.¡±


    Rachel seemed to understand what he was implying. ¡°Are you worried that I¡¯ll block you?¡± ¡°Will you?¡±


    David¡¯s tone was very light. There was a hint of gentleness in his low voice, like a lover¡¯s murmur.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, you can¡¯t bear to.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear to?¡±


    Rachel thought that she really couldn¡¯t bear to do so.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t let him forcefully barge into her life. She wouldn¡¯t let herself get lost in his


    gentleness. She also wouldn¡¯t get hot under her cor when he used ident to describe their


    encounter.


    His gentleness was like a small seed that had inadvertently been nted in the barrennd in her


    heart. Unknowingly, she had the urge to quietly break out of the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. It¡¯s time to rest. Good night.¡±


    With that, she hurriedly hung up the phone.


    It was bound to be difficult for her to fall asleep that night¡­.

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    The next morning, Rachel departed from the Johnson family¡¯s mansion and headed for the bidding for


    thend in South Valley.


    On the way, Linda was reporting her schedule to Rachel when the phone in her pocket suddenly rang.


    When she saw the unfamiliar caller ID, she frowned and picked up the phone. She said politely and


    coldly, ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Galler.¡± Louis¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°I¡¯m Louis from Smith Group. I want to visit


    Ms. Grey personally. I wonder if Ms. Grey is avable recently?¡±


    Linda didn¡¯t hesitate at all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Smith. Ms. Grey hasn¡¯t had time recently, and it won¡¯t be


    convenient in the future.¡±


    The meaning of this sentence was self¨Cevident.


    Anyone with a brain could tell that the other party refused to meet him.


    When Louis heard Linda¡¯s answer, his handsome face suddenly darkened. It was obvious that he was


    very dissatisfied with Linda¡¯s attitude.


    As the saying went, you should know your enemy and yourself. During this period of time, he had been


    secretly sending people to investigate the newly appointed Ms. Grey of Johnson Corporation. However,


    the funny part was that after several days of investigation, the only valuable clue they obtained was that


    the other party was a woman. Other than that, they found nothing.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for him to spend a lot of money to buy a photo of Ms. Grey¡¯s back, but before he could


    take a look at it, theputer shut down on aputer virus.


    So he could only brace himself to visit her.


    He wanted to find out the truth from Ms. Grey and find out how confident the other party was about the


    land in South Valley. If he


    lost thepetition, maybe it was possible for him to take a share of the profits through cooperation.


    Now that he understood what Linda meant, he had no choice but to pretend to be confused. ¡°Ms.


    Galler, I¡¯m sincerely in hope of visiting Ms. Grey. I hope you can help me¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±


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    With that, she hung up without giving him a chance to speak.


    Listening to the beeping sound on the phone, Louis¡¯s face wast extremely gloomy. There was a


    terrifying low pressure around him, causing the temperature in the car to suddenly drop below


    zero.


    The assistant beside him hesitated for a while before reminding him carefully, ¡°Mr. Smith, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Louis raised his eyes. His dark eyes were filled with malicious. coldness as he looked straight at the


    assistant who was leaning over from the front passenger seat. He asked expressionlessly, ¡°Did


    Johnson Corporation find any valuable clues?¡±


    As far as the eye could see, the only strongpetitor for this bid was Johnson Corporation.


    In terms of status and wealth, Smith Group was not even worth mentioning in the presence of Johnson


    Corporation.


    However, Smith Group was determined to obtain thend in South Valley.


    The assistant sized up his gloomy expression and swallowed nervously. He stammered, ¡°I only heard


    that mysterious Ms. Grey of Johnson Corporation seemed to be going to take action in person¡­¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Louis sneered with a fake smile. He raised his chin slightly and slowly buttoned up his suit


    jacket. ¡°We¡¯ll find outter. Let¡¯s see if she¡¯s one of those big shots.¡±


    As he spoke, he opened the car door and got out.


    As time passed, Rachel finally arrived at the venue five minutes before the bidding began.


    When Rachel arrived, most of the people were already seated. In order not to attract unnecessary


    attention, Rachel chose a dim and inconspicuous corner to sit down.


    The people participating in the bidding today all focused their gazes on the seats of Johnson


    Corporation, trying to take this opportunity to see Ms. Grey of Johnson Corporation.

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    However, after waiting for a long time, no one turned up.


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    For a moment, everyone could not help but whisper to each other, ¡°What do you think Ms. Grey is up


    to? Do you think they have decided to give up on the bidding?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I heard that the Johnson Corporation is


    determined to get this project. Moreover, Ms. Grey is personally in charge of this project.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible for a woman topete with men in the business world. I think Ms. Grey might


    be too frightened toe!¡±


    ¡°No matter what, she¡¯s handpicked by Old Mr. Johnson to be his sessor. Even if she doesn¡¯t do


    anything, the Johnson family¡¯s assets are enough tost her for a long time. These people¡¯s words are


    so meaningless!¡± A light voice said sarcastically.


    Landon raised his hand and adjusted his sses. He nced at the empty seat that was reserved for


    the Johnson Corporation. Then he threw a nce at David who was sitting beside him. ¡°Actually I


    nned to see how beautiful this Ms. Grey is but it seems my hopes are dashed.¡±


    ¡°David, have you ever seen Ms. Grey while you are in Seaxas these few days?¡± Jimmy turned his head


    and looked at David.


    David answered expressionlessly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Upon hearing his answer, Jimmy immediately perked up. ¡°How does she look like?¡±


    Landon was more observant than Jimmy. He looked at David¡¯s calm expression. Landon¡¯s eyes


    darkened, and the corners of his mouth curled into an intriguing smile. ¡°Do you have other ns for


    your marriage engagement with the Johnson family?¡±


    The main reason why David appeared in Seaxas this time was to cancel the marriage engagement.


    However, when Landon saw David¡¯s indifferent expression, it was obvious that David had other ns in


    mind.


    Although Landon did not know what made David change his mind, he was certain that David would not


    easily ask to cancel the


    engagement.


    Jimmy stared at David intently. Seeing that David did not reply, he could not help but click his tongue


    and praise, ¡°As expected, the man is unable to resist a beauty!¡±


    As the three of them were talking, the auction on the stage had already begun.


    ¡°Thend in South Valley covers a total of 176 thousand square feet. The starting price is 16 million


    dors.¡±


    ¡°18 million dors!¡±


    ¡°24 million dors!¡±


    ¡°40 million dors!¡±


    The urban renewal of the old district in South Valley was a lucrative project. Everyone at the auction


    would not let go of the chance to get the project.


    As the bidding continued, there was an undercurrent in the air, and a faint smell of gunpowder filled the


    air.


    ¡°100 million dors!¡± A gentle voice suddenly sounded.


    Everyone followed the direction of the voice and looked over. When they saw David, they could not


    help but be curious. They did not know whichpany could afford such arge sum of money.


    David bid 100 million dors at once, and that would make some people give up on bidding for the


    project.


    Just as the organizer was about to ask again and close the bidding, Rachel nced at Linda.


    ¡°200 million dors.¡± Linda raised the sign in her hand.


    Rachel¡¯s slender fingers supported her forehead as she looked at


    the few people sitting in the lower left corner. Her lips curled into a faint smile.


    Louis who was sitting in the third row, could not help but turn to look at the back row after hearing the


    shocking price.


    The light in the back row was dim, and the woman¡¯s face was hidden in the darkness. Only the outline


    of her exquisite face could be vaguely seen.


    Who was this woman?


    The organizer was curious but he quickly calmed himself down. Then he cleared his throat and said,


    ¡°200 million dors. Is there anything higher than this?¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, a gentle voice came from his left again. ¡°240 million dors.¡±


    Linda looked at Rachel. After receiving a response, she said unhurriedly, ¡°300 million dors.¡±


    Jimmy became very interested. He craned his neck to look at thest row. ¡°Looks like the Johnson


    family¡¯s position as the richest family in Seaxas is going to change!¡±


    Landon could not help but look at the side where Rachel was sitting. ¡°I¡¯m really curious about who has


    the guts topete with David¡±

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    ¡°Mr. Jones.¡± Eddie looked at David.


    David nodded slightly. Eddie raised his card again calmly. ¡°400 million dors.¡±


    Jimmy and Landon looked at each other, and a teasing smile shed across their eyes.


    It seemed that they realized that David was nning to tease the other party.


    However, before the smiles on their faces disappeared, they heard the other party suddenly shout,


    ¡°One billion dors.¡±


    Then Jimmy¡¯s cheeky smile disappeared. He sat up and couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°Damn it! Why isn¡¯t


    this woman ying by the rules? Just now, it was an increment of 100 million dors each time. Why


    did she bid our final price immediately?¡±


    Initially, Jimmy had nned to tease the other party and see how far the bidding would go. After all,


    they were determined to get this piece ofnd.


    In the end, he was caught off guard by the other party.


    One billion was the highest price for thend in South Valley. Any amount more than that would be a


    loss!


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    The reason why they decided to buy this piece ofnd was to develop new buildings and increase the


    property prices of the surrounding buildings!


    What did the other party want?


    It could be that the other party had buildings in the surrounding


    area.


    Originally, Jimmy was determined to obtain this piece ofnd. He did not expect that someone would


    appear suddenly and shatter their wishful thinking.


    Jimmy was so angry that he had the urge to stand up and argue with the other party.


    ¡°Is this woman deliberately trying to create trouble?¡± Landon could not help but ask.


    Faced with such a sky¨Chigh price, there was an uproar below the stage. Everyone spected about


    Rachel¡¯s identity and background.


    The auctioneer on the stage was even more excited as he tightened his grip on the hammer in his


    hand. Originally, they had estimated that this piece ofnd would be sold for not more than 500 million


    dors.


    He did not expect it to soar all the way to one billion dors!


    The auctioneer recovered from his excitement and straightened his posture. ¡°Is there anyone bidding


    higher than one billion dors? One billion going once, one billion going twice, one billion going thrice!¡±


    As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, he ended the bidding by striking the hammer on the table.


    The hammer broke into two as the auctioneer was overly excited.


    After the bidding ended, Rachel slipped out the back door when no one was looking. However, as she


    left, she took a deep look at the lower left corner.


    The door of the venue opened. The reporters who had been waiting at the door for a long time did not


    expect to see the representative of the Johnson Corporation. It was a good opportunity for them to ask


    questions.


    ¡°May I ask why the Johnson Corporation bought this piece ofnd at twice the estimated price?¡±


    ¡°Is this Ms. Grey¡¯s way of showing her ability to everyone?¡±


    Linda faced the cameras and answered in a very natural manner, ¡°First of all, I¡¯d like to thank all of you


    for your questions. Secondly, our corporation bought this piece ofnd in South Valley because


    we have ns to develop environmental protection projects. Lastly, on behalf of Ms. Grey, I thank you


    all for your concern for her and the corporation. Thank you once again.¡±


    Rachel walked out of the venue and was replying to Mary¡¯s message with her head lowered. Suddenly,


    she heard footsteps approaching her. ¡°Ms. Grey, my boss wants to see you.¡±


    She looked up at the man in ck. Her gaze passed the man in ck andnded on the ck Rolls¨C


    Royce parked not far away.


    At this moment, the car door opened, and Rachel saw a familiar figure clearly.


    David was in the back seat. He crossed his legs in an elegant manner, and he was flipping through


    documents in his hand.


    As if sensing her gaze, David slowly looked up.


    The moment their eyes met, Rachel felt that something had gotten hold of her heart, and her breath


    seemed to have stopped for a while.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    The car started and brushed past Louis¡¯s car.


    Louis saw Rachel¡¯s delicate face from the corner of his


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    through the car window slowly going up.


    eyes


    Rachel did not notice Louis¡® gaze as she faced the other man with a bright and charming smile.


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s gaze on that man, Louis stared nkly at the Rolls¨CRoyce passing by.


    ¡°Could it be that Rachel left Smith Group and flitted to anotherpany?


    ¡°Otherwise, why is she here?¡±


    Louis was engrossed in his thoughts without hearing his assistant¡¯s words. ¡°Mr. Smith?¡±


    It was not until the assistant spoke again that Louis collected his thoughts and asked in a deep voice,


    ¡°Has Mr. Justin of the Johnson Corporation arrived?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but Mr. Justin promised to arrive on time.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Best Fry first,¡± Louis responded.


    After that, the car fell silent. Rachel¡¯s beautiful smiling face haunted Louis. After being lost in his


    thoughts for a moment, Louis broke the silence by saying, ¡°Find out what Rachel Grey is doing these


    days.¡±


    The assistant paused for seconds before replying, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    At the same time, Rachel looked at David in surprise. Then, her bright smile turned into a meaningful


    one. ¡°The development of the project is confidential. Are you too nosy?¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± David fixed his eyes on Rachel¡¯s smiling face and answered with his eyes deeper, ¡°The old


    district in South Valley cannot be renovated significantly. Merely building residential buildings there


    is not worth a billion at all. So I guess you have other ns. I just hope that you can do me a favor on


    ount of our personal rtionship so that I can take the opportunity to sell the surrounding buildings.¡±


    Rachel narrowed her smiling eyes and said teasingly, ¡°So you want to solve the problem by pulling


    strings?¡±


    David reached out and ran his long and slender hand through Rachel¡¯s soft hair. He then held the back


    of her head, slowly leaned down, and said in a husky voice with his warm breath against Rachel¡¯s ear,


    ¡°So do you agree?¡±


    David¡¯s lips curved into a faint smile that entuated his mesmerizing face.


    Rachel¡¯s curly eyshes fluttered slightly and she cleared her throat. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we are too close


    now?¡±


    ¡°We are more thanmon friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± David asked.


    Rachel pushed David¡¯s hand away and exined seriously, ¡°David Jones, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re only


    pursuing me now. We are not in a rtionship now.¡±


    David replied lightly, ¡°But we¡¯ve already held hands and hugged. I¡¯m getting closer to you to deepen our


    rtionship.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    David was really good at sophistry!


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay 500 million dors for 50% of the shares,¡± David said.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows and said without thinking, ¡°700 million.¡±


    ¡°900 million.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    The driver and Eddie were dumbfounded in the front row.


    Eddie was shocked by Rachel and David¡¯s making an agreement


    worth about a billion with just a few words.


    He now suspected that his boss David was mesmerized by Rachel¡¯s beauty.


    ¡°Although Miss Grey¡¯s beauty overthrows states and cities, you should stay sober, Mr. Jones!¡± Eddie


    muttered in his mind.


    Rachel did not expect David¡¯s straightforwardness as well. There was an uncontroble trace of


    surprise in her eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll trick you?¡±


    ¡°I believe you,¡± David answered without hesitation.


    Rachel almost burst intoughter. ¡°How dare you fully trust me as we are just a business


    acquaintance? Am I too lucky or are you too stupid?¡±


    ¡°I trust my judgment.¡±


    At this moment, David¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from Jimmy.


    ¡°David, I¡¯ve checked that the one who didn¡¯t y by the rules was sent by the Johnson family!¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± David replied calmly. His deep and steely voice was filled with coldness. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else,


    I¡¯ll hang up first.¡±


    Jimmy hurriedly uttered to stop David from hanging up, ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t we agree to have lunch together?


    Where are you? Why don¡¯t I see you?¡±


    David¡¯s good¨Clooking fingers yed with the edge of Rachel¡¯s hair and he answered with aposed


    look, ¡°I have more important things to deal with. Let¡¯s do it another day.¡±


    Rachel nced at David with a yful look in her eyes.


    ¡°More important things?¡± Rachel thought.


    Without waiting for Jimmy¡¯s reaction, David hung up.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    Rachel followed the man in ck to the front of the car. Eddie, who was in the front passenger seat,


    said respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey, please.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, bent down, and got into the car. She then pretended to be


    surprised and said, ¡°What a coincidence. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡±


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    She gave David a sickly smile.


    David looked at the subtle coldness in Rachel¡¯s eyes and his thin lips curved up. ¡°Ms. Grey, haven¡¯t you


    known about it?¡±


    ¡°Ster Corporation,¡± Rachel said coldly.


    She was not surprised that David was Ster Corporation¡¯s CEO.


    However, she had a feeling that David had multiple identities.


    David¡¯s eyes met hers and a hint of affection shed across his eyes. ¡°Shall we have lunch together?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Rachel answered without hesitation.


    They didn¡¯t have lunch at Lansen Restaurant. Instead, they went to Rachel¡¯s favorite restaurant, Best


    Fry.


    Best Fry was located in a courtyard in an alley. It had been a dpidated courtyard house, but it was


    later developed into a private clubhouse with a quaint two¨Cstory building.


    Pushing open the vermilion double doors of the courtyard, guests could see a pair of sky¨Cblue


    porcin jars. Lotuses floated on the water, and it could be vaguely seen that koi fish was ying


    under the lotus leaves.


    After passing a white wall with shallows of flowers on it, guests were faced with a staircase that led


    straight to the private room on the second floor. At the foot of the stairs was a pond surrounded by


    artificial mountains and pavilions.


    White smoke hung in the air above the water, making it a fairnd.


    Green and white curtains hung around the pavilion, and guests could vaguely see a graceful woman in


    costume humming a tune with a folding fan.


    Rachel followed David into the private room. Seeing the boss of Best Fly treat David particrly


    respectfully, Rachel understood something.


    David should be the actual controller of Best Fly.


    As the dishes were served, David helped Rachel to the food. He lifted his head and met Rachel¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Would you like toe back to my grandma¡¯s with me tonight?¡±


    Rachel shook her head and answered, ¡°I have other things to deal withter.¡±


    David did not insist and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll send you there in a while.¡±


    After lunch, it was already one o¡¯clock in the afternoon.


    Just as Rachel and David were about to leave, Rachel received a call from Old Mr. Smith. ¡°Rachel, it¡¯s


    me. You haven¡¯te to y chess with me for a few days.¡±


    ¡°I am fully upied recently, so¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Smith sighed and interrupted, ¡°I know that Louis does not have the good luck to marry you. It¡¯s


    my 80th birthday in a few days. Please attend the celebration. I am old now. All I want to do before my


    death is to see you again.¡±


    Rachel had decided to return the bracelet that Old Mr. Smith had given her and make her exit.


    However, now that Old Mr. Smith had called Rachel, she had no choice but to pay him a visit.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel walked to the door of Best Fly and waited for David.


    At this moment, a few people made their way out of the private room on the first floor in twos and


    threes. The person in the lead was Louis.


    Seeing Rachel, Louis thought his eyes yed tricks on him. When he approached Rachel and realized


    he was right, his face darkened. He turned to speak politely with Mr. Justin, ¡°Mr. Justin, wait a second. I


    saw a friend of mine and want to greet her.¡±


    Mr. Justin, who was dizzy from drinking, quickly waved his hand. ¡°Then you go.¡±


    Louis marched over to Rachel and grabbed her arm to pull her to the corner without warning. He then


    questioned Rachel with a sullen look, ¡°Rachel Grey, why are you here!¡±


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Rachel shook off Louis¡® hand and stared impassively at Louis. ¡°It¡¯s none of your


    business where I am!¡±


    Louis gritted his teeth and growled, ¡°Is it the ce you cane whenever you want?¡±


    Although Best Fry was called a high¨Css clubhouse, it was not a ce where one could enter with


    money. In order to ensure the privacy of the guests, Best Fry only issued 100 VIP cards every year,


    and candidates must go through multiple screening tests.


    It was not a ce that a poor and powerless person like Rachel could enter!


    Unless¡­


    Louis¡® eyes narrowed slightly, and his handsome face seemed to be covered in ayer of ice. ¡°Rachel


    Grey, I didn¡¯t expect you to drift into prostitution for making money!¡±


    Before Louis could finish his words, Rachel pped his face hard.


    Her eyes flickered with coldness, and her steely voice came, ¡°Louis Smith, who are you? How dare you


    speak to me in such a rude


    way?¡°

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    Louis¡¯s face was pped to the side.


    Rachel was so furious that she showed no mercy at all.


    A clear palm print appeared on Louis¡¯s face.


    He tilted his head and poked his swollen and painful cheek with the tip of his tongue. After a while, he


    stared at Rachel with a sinister gaze.


    At this moment, Mr. Justin rolled up his sleeves and wobbled toward Louis. He said with a faint smile as


    if he were upholding justice. ¡°Hey, where did this womane from? How dare you hit Mr. Smith? Do


    you know who the man in front of you is? This is


    our¡­¡±


    However, when he approached Rachel and saw her face clearly, he seemed glued to the ground. His


    words stopped abruptly and he froze on the spot like a real Turkey.


    He instantly sobered up and stared at Rachel in horror. Cold sweat unconsciously broke out on his


    back.


    After a long time, he strained his neck, swallowed hard, and stammered, ¡°Ms. Gr¡­¡±


    Rachel darted a cold re at him.


    Mr. Justin hurriedly shut up.


    His intuition was telling him that he shouldn¡¯t leave right now to avoid trouble.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Smith. It suddenly urs to me that I have a meeting in the afternoon. Thank you for


    your hospitality today.¡±


    As he spoke, Mr. Justin carefully bypassed Rachel and frantically


    ran away.


    ¡°Mr. Justin, Mr. Justin¡­¡± Louis drew his eyebrows together when seeing Mr. Justin fleeing.


    While he was in a daze, Rachel turned around, about to leave.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Louis strode forward and grabbed Rachel¡¯s wrist. ¡°Rachel, you haven¡¯t answered my question! I


    know that our splitting up came as a terrible blow to you, but why did you humiliate yourself?¡±


    The next second, his arm was grabbed by arge hand.


    The grip was extremely hard as if theer wanted to crush Louis¡® wrist.


    In pain, Louis subconsciously loosened his grip on Rachel¡¯s wrist, but he was suddenly thrown aside.


    Irritated, Louis looked up and saw a handsome face.


    There was ayer of coldness in the man¡¯s eyes as if it would freeze Louis the next moment.


    Louis frowned and looked David up and down. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°The car is parked outside. Let¡¯s go.¡± David ignored Louis¡® question and turned to look at Rachel.


    Rachel nodded and strode out without hesitation.


    Louis subconsciously chased after Rachel, but the man moved quickly and stood in Louis¡® way.


    The man stared at Louis calmly as if he were looking at a dead person. His voice was filled with a


    chilling deterrence. ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you pestering her again.¡±


    Louis gritted his teeth and stood rooted to the ground.


    David then shot a disdainful look at Louis.


    Aware that David was seeing Louis as if Louis were rubbish, Louis felt a sudden surge of humiliation.


    ¡°Who is this man on earth?¡±


    his rtionship with Rachel?¡± Louis kept asking himself.


    David returned to the car and caught sight of the red mark on Rachel¡¯s wrist. A cold glint shed across


    his eyes and he spoke, ¡°How long can the Smith family hold on without your help?¡±


    ¡°Let it go,¡± Rachel said. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere.¡±


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    Before she could finish speaking, David approached her with a cold aura. Rachel froze.


    ¡°Are you still missing him?¡±


    David turned up the corners of his mouth, but his eyes remained cold.


    Rachel frowned slightly and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t I tell good from bad?¡±


    Upon hearing this, David smiled with his eyes full of interest and answered teasingly, ¡°You are so


    indifferent to my kindness, so sometimes you really can¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    ¡°David!¡± Rachel hammered his chest in anger.


    Unexpectedly, David grabbed her hand and said deeply, ¡°Rae¨CRae, I really love you.¡±


    Facing this sudden confession, Rachel was at a loss. She pulled her hand back ufortably and


    tidied her messy hair.


    However, David did not give up. He stretched out his arm and pulled her into his arms.


    David buried his face in her neck and took a deep breath. His thin lips pressed against her ear as he


    said unhurriedly, ¡°I know that my love surprised you, but I¡¯m also the one who was frightened. I thought


    I wouldn¡¯t love you as much as I did today, but I thought the same yesterday.¡±


    Rachel stood rooted to the ground, her eyes wide with unconceble shock.


    David looked at the stunned Rachel with patience. He gently caressed her cheek with his fingertips and


    rubbed her soft lips with his fingertips. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down. Finally, he could not


    help but lean down and gently touch the softest part of her body that he had always yearned for.


    The man¡¯s cold aura instantly enveloped Rachel, and she gradually regained her senses.


    When she looked up, she suddenly met David¡¯s burning and deep gaze.


    As if she had been scalded, she hurriedly averted her eyes from him and pushed the man away.


    Unexpectedly, David¡¯s arm wrapped around her waist tightly, making it impossible for Rachel to break


    free.


    David lowered his head and looked at her. The redness on Rachel¡¯s face disturbed his mind a little, and


    his eyes became darker andContent property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    deeper. ¡°Rae¨CRae, I regret it. I don¡¯t want to wait anymore.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched. She looked at him in a panic. ¡°David¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, the man¡¯s palm grabbed the back of her head and her unfinished


    words were drowned in the kiss.


    David greedily took her scent and explored every inch of her mouth.


    The sudden kiss caught Rachel off guard. Her mind went nk. Shepletely forgot to struggle, as if


    everything happened naturally.


    David¡¯s arm tightened about her waist till she finally came back to her senses and used all her strength


    to push him away.


    His face was right in front of her, and his dark eyes were terrifyingly deep and filled with heat as if he


    wanted to chew Rachel into pieces and swallow her.


    David¡¯s well¨Cdefined fingers grabbed her chin so that Rachel was face to face with him. He bent down


    slightly and ced his hand on her smooth forehead. ¡°Rae¨CRae, I don¡¯t want to apologize for my


    actions just now.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and held her breath. She tried her best to control the emotions in her heart. ¡°You


    said you wouldn¡¯t force me.¡±


    ¡°I thought I could pretend to be a gentleman.¡± David gazed into her, his eyes filled with indescribable


    emotion. ¡°But from my loss of control just now, I¡¯m even more certain that you¡¯re the only one I want in


    this life!¡±


    David had always been calm and restrained, but he never knew that just a kiss was enough to make


    him lose control at any time.


    Rachel¡¯s already flustered heart waspletely in a mess. Her eyes flickered, and for a moment, she


    did not know how to respond.


    After pondering for a long time, she said, her voice trembling uneasily, ¡°I need time to think¡­¡±


    With that, she opened the car door and rushed out.


    David looked at her fleeing back with a meaningful smile touching the corner of his mouth.


    He was attracted by Rachel¡¯s looks at the beginning. Slowly after he started getting to know her, he


    could feel that he was not repulsed by her and was even interested in her. Later on, he was certain that


    he was determined to get the woman!

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    Rachel jumped out of the car and walked on the street in a daze.


    It was undeniable that she had fallen into a painful internal struggle.


    She was indeed moved by David.


    However, her remaining rationality reminded her again and again not to forget the pain.


    The three years she had been in love with Louis had consumed all her sincerity and passion, but it


    turned out that their rtionship was one¨Csided.


    David, however, had just appeared in her life for a few days.


    Rachel scratched her head in frustration and thought to herself that she would cross the bridge when


    she reached it.


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    Suddenly, her lips curled into a self¨Cdeprecating smile.


    She recalled what Mary had said in all seriousness, ¡°Based on my many years of experience, it won¡¯t


    be long before you fall.¡±


    Sure enough, Mary was right.


    As Rachel was thinking, her phone suddenly rang. She saw a call from Mary. ¡°Rae¨CRae, didn¡¯t you say


    that you wereing over in the afternoon? Why took you so long?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m on my way. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Rachel looked around and hurriedly hailed a taxi from the side of


    the road. She bent down and got in.


    Ten minutester, Rachel arrived at the wedding dress studio.


    The studio was located in a vi on Tranquil Road, away from the crowded and noisy streets, facing a


    stand of white birch trees.


    The ssic¨Cstyle vi reveals a unique retro and mncholy, with pointed arches and rose windows as


    the main decorations.


    The bronze namete clearly had the words ¡°Redamancg¡± engraved on it.


    Mary was responsible for the site of the studio and its design. Rachel just invested a portion of the


    funds and asionally took orders.


    When Rachel pushed the door open and walked in, she was greeted by Alice, who immediately went


    up to her. ¡°Boss is waiting for you in the studio.¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    She walked up the spiral staircase and headed straight for Mary¡¯s office.


    At this moment, in Mary¡¯s office, a well¨Cdressed woman was sitting on the sofa and patiently sipping


    tea.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± Mary secretly heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of Rachel. Mary stood up, walked


    to Rachel, and introduced her to the woman sitting on the sofa. ¡°This is our chief designer, Rachel


    Grey. This is Miss Iris Shain.¡±


    Of the four major families in Seaxas, the Shain family was one of them.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Rachel graciously extended her hand.


    After the three of them sat down, Iris revealed some of her thoughts on the wedding dress.


    Rachel sat at the side and carefully recorded it. Finally, she took measurement of Iris¡¯s vital statistics.


    ¡°In a week, we¡¯ll pass you the design draft. It¡¯ll help you propose some opinion,¡± Rachel said.


    Iris¡¯s face was filled with joy. ¡°Thanks, Miss Grey.¡±


    After sending Iris off, Mary and Rachel turned around and returned to the office.


    Not long after she sat down, Alice knocked on the office door and


    nodded at Rachel. ¡°Boss, there¡¯s a Miss Cruise downstairs who wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°Miss Cruise?¡± Upon hearing this name, Mary¡¯s eyes turned cold.


    Olivia Cruise, this angelic bitch, was so hateful. As a result, just hearing someone with the samest


    name as her would make Mary disgusted.


    Mary put down the mug in her hand and said to Rachel, ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    However, when she walked down the stairs and saw Olivia and Jane, a cold smile appeared on her


    face.


    Enemies were really bound to meet on a narrow road!


    Mary recalled how Olivia had sent someone to smash her beloved car. Although Rachel had


    compensated her with a brand new car without hesitation, Mary was still furious.


    Since Olivia had taken the initiative toe to her, she could not


    of the opportunity to teach her a lesson!

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    Downstairs, Olivia and Jane looked at the wedding dresses in the ss cabs.


    Although the wedding gowns were all white, every one of them was iparably beautiful and


    attractive to girls.


    Jane pulled Olivia¡¯s arm excitedly and walked to a wedding dress. ¡°Olivia, this one is so beautiful. You¡¯ll


    definitely be the most beautiful bride in the world!¡±


    The wedding dress was made of lustrous satin. The fishtail design entuated the model¡¯s graceful


    figure. The bold cut on the back agreed with the bow at the waist. It was sexy yet pure.


    At the sight of the gown, Olivia¡¯s eyes could not help but reveal a trace of amazement. ¡°It¡¯s indeed very


    beautiful.¡±


    Next Saturday was Old Mr. Smith¡¯s eightieth birthday. At that time, he would take the opportunity to


    announce her engagement to Louis. It was the perfect asion to wear the gown. Olivia thought she


    might even stun everyone.


    ¡°Redamancg¡¯s gown has always been unique, but it¡¯s not something that just anyone can wear!¡±


    Upon hearing the voice, Olivia and Jane looked up at the same time.


    The moment they saw Mary, the two of them did a double take.


    They had never seen Mary before, so the moment they saw Mary, they gave her a long searching look.


    Olivia noticed Alice standing behind Mary. A look of


    understanding appeared on her face. Her voice was gentle and soft as usual. ¡°Can I try on this gown?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Mary leanedzily against the stairs with her arms crossed. Her red lips curled into a faint smile,


    but her upturned eyes were cold. Her gaze was filled with mockery as she sized up Olivia. ¡°With


    your character, you¡¯re not worthy of this gown!¡±


    Alice looked at Olivia sympathetically.


    Although she didn¡¯t know how this Miss Cruise had offended her boss, she knew Mary definitely


    wouldn¡¯t let it go easily today.


    After silently praying for Olivia in her heart, Alice slipped away without them being aware of it.


    Olivia¡¯s face immediately turned cold as she asked sternly, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°The shop is open for business. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t pay you! What right do you have to not sell it to


    us!¡± Jane red at Mary.


    Mary looked down at her newly¨Cmade manicure and said unhurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m the owner of this shop. I sell


    things based on my mood. Unfortunately, your appearance has made me very displeased.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re deliberately looking for trouble!¡±


    Mary smiled. ¡°Yes, but what can you do to me?¡±


    Her attitude pissed Olivia off. Olivia did not know why Mary was targeting her, but she did have her


    eyes on that gown.


    Olivia secretly gritted her teeth and suppressed the anger surging in her heart. She looked at Mary and


    said sincerely, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m about to get engaged to my boyfriend next Saturday. We¡¯ve been in


    love for many years, so I hope you can sell this gown to me. I¡¯m willing to pay any price.¡±


    Hearing her words, Mary looked up coldly. This adulterous couple couldn¡¯t wait to get engaged!


    She snorted angrily. ¡°Redamancg gives the most sincere blessings to the newlyweds, not to a mistress!


    If I let you wear this gown, wouldn¡¯t it ruin my shop¡¯s reputation?¡±


    The word ¡®mistress¡® was especially jarring to Olivia.


    It couldn¡¯t be more obvious that Mary was deliberately making


    things difficult for her.


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    Olivia looked at Mary¡¯s back as she turned around and left. She flew into a rage out of humiliation and


    questioned coldly, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve never provoked you. I¡¯m here to buy a wedding gown sincerely. Isn¡¯t it a


    little too much to humiliate me?¡±

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    Mary stopped in her tracks and turned around. She stood on the stairs and looked down at Olivia.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you interfere in others¡® rtionship? Didn¡¯t you snatch other people¡¯s fianc¨¦? I¡¯m just stating the


    facts. How did I humiliate you?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Olivia was so angry that her chest was heaving up and down. She pointed at Mary with a


    trembling finger.


    At this moment, Louis pushed open the door and entered. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you chosen yet?¡°.


    ¡°Louis, this woman is going too far!¡± Jane was emboldened at the sight of Louis as if she had found a


    backer. She exaggerated what Mary had said. ¡°Louis, you have to stand up for Olivia!¡±


    Louis frowned and looked at Mary with a dark gaze. ¡°Why is it you again!¡±


    ¡°We meet again, Mr. Smith.¡± Mary looked at Louis with a mocking smile.


    Olivia¡¯s gaze shifted between the two of them for a moment. ¡°You two¡­ know each other?¡±


    Louis did not answer her question. Instead, he held her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to another shop.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Jane hurriedly said, ¡°Olivia likes this gown very much. Moreover, she will definitely look beautiful


    in it. Wouldn¡¯t it be a pity to leave just like that? Don¡¯t you want her to dress up beautifully?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Louis silenced Jane with a re.


    Jane pouted aggrievedly and muttered softly, ¡°That gown suits. Olivia very well. I didn¡¯t say anything


    wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s just a gown. Let¡¯s go to another shop. Perhaps there will be something suitable for me.¡±


    Olivia held Louis¡¯s hand. Her words perfectly showed her gentleness and consideration.


    However, when she looked at the gown in the cab, her eyes were filled with regret.


    Louis could not bear to see her like this. He held Olivia¡¯s hand tightly with a pained expression.


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    Mary, who was standing on the spiral staircase, saw through Olivia at a nce. She could not help but


    sneer. ¡°What a phoney!¡±


    Viciousness shed across Olivia¡¯s eyes, but her face still looked pitiful, like a weak little white flower


    nestled in Louis¡¯s arms. ¡°Louis¡­¡±


    Louis reached out and pulled her into his arms. He looked at Mary with a dark expression. ¡°Miss Green,


    can you sell this gown to me? I¡¯m willing to pay any price.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite unfortunate that you took a fancy to this dress.¡± Mary walked to the workbench and picked up


    a pair of scissors.


    Olivia clearly saw through her intentions and subconsciously clenched Louis¡¯s sleeves.


    ¡°Miss Green, what are you doing?!¡± Louis stepped in front of Mary and said, ¡°Tell me, how much are


    you willing to sell it to us?¡±


    Jane, who was beside him, chimed in. ¡°You¡¯re just thinking that we like this gown and want to take the


    opportunity to extort a sum of money! Tell me, how much are you willing to sell it to us!¡±


    Rachel, who had stayed in the office for a long time, did not see Mary. She walked out of the office


    uneasily.


    The voices of Louis and Jane reached her ears.


    She frowned slightly and looked up.


    ¡°Miss Green, as long as you sell this dress to me, you can name your price!¡±


    ¡°Ten times!¡± A cold voice suddenly sounded.


    Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Rachel walking slowly down the spiral staircase.


    Olivia¡¯s face suddenly darkened, and a trace of viciousness shed in the depths of her eyes.


    No wonder the woman in front of her humiliated her in every way. It turned out that Rachel was sowing


    discord behind her back.


    Olivia secretly gritted her teeth and clenched her fists tightly, trying her best to control the hatred raging


    in her heart.


    The moment Jane saw Rachel, his eyes revealed unconceble disgust, as if she had seen something


    dirty. ¡°Rachel, why is it you again!¡°

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    ¡°Mr. Smith, didn¡¯t you swear that you would name your price at will just now? Are you regretting it


    now?¡± Rachel looked at Louis with a sardonic smile.


    Louis stared at Rachel, trying to see sadness or anger in her eyes.


    However, her expression remained cold and indifferent, as if she was facing a stranger. This made


    Louis feel an indescribable sense of loss.


    Could it be that she could really let go of three years of feelings so easily?


    Or was it because of the man who appeared in Best Fry?!


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, you¡¯re crazy!¡± Mary strode to Rachel¡¯s side and said under her breath, ¡°How can you sell


    them the gown? Do you know that this adulterous couple is nning to get engaged?¡±


    In her opinion, not being able to have something she wanted must be killing Olivia.


    Therefore, Mary would rather cut the gown into pieces than sell it to Olivia to make her happy!


    However, Rachel did not think so. She would be the one who lost out by cutting the clothes into pieces.


    The best way was to make Olivia pay the price.


    Since Olivia chose to be a sucker, there was no reason for Rachel to stop her.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, you¡¯re willing to spend huge sums to make your girl smile. Of course, I have to fulfill your


    wish.¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at Louis with a faint smile. ¡°Mr. Smith, are you going


    back on your word?¡±


    Rachel knew Louis¡¯s ridiculous self¨Cesteem.


    He was used to being looked up to by everyone, so how could he allow others to question him?


    Louis¡¯s handsome face revealed a hint of coldness. He stared at Rachel with a deep gaze.


    Rachel met his gaze fearlessly and said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, ¡°Mr. Smith was so imposing


    just now, but now you¡¯re hesitating. It seems that the so¨Ccalled first love is nothing much in your heart.¡±


    ¡°O¨Cone million dors?¡± Jane almost fainted on the spot when she heard this price. She red at


    Rachel and snapped, ¡°One million dors for a gown! Rachel, you¡¯re ckmailing! Why don¡¯t you just


    go to the streets to rob!¡±


    Rachel chuckled. ¡°Because I have a more reasonable method to get money than daylight robbery? Mr.


    Smith, have you made up your mind?¡±


    Louis took a deep look at Rachel. His jawline tightened and he finally took out his bank card.


    Mary raised her chin and a shop assistant immediately took the bank card.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, you¡¯re so generous.¡± Rachel said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wish your love for each otherst forever.¡±


    For some reason, when she heard Rachel¡¯s blessing, a saying that ¡°a jerk and a bitch are perfectly


    matched¡± popped into Mary¡¯s mind.


    This was the perfect blessing for Louis and Olivia in front of her.


    One was aplete jerk, while the other was a bitch.


    Before Louis turned to leave, he could not help but cast a nce at Rachel.


    Rachel remained where she was. Her innate cold and arrogant air gave off an aura that made her


    unapproachable.


    When he had just broken up with Rachel, there was always a lingering fear in Louis¡¯s heart. He was


    worried that Rachel would pester him. However, after they parted from each other, Rachel did not show


    any attachment for him or nostalgia.


    Logically speaking, Louis was supposed to be happy, but there was an indescribable sense of loss in


    his heart.


    Seeing that Louis was a little distracted, Olivia held his arm and said, ¡°Louis, thank you for doing all this


    for me. I¡¯m really happy and touched.¡±


    The only w was that he saw Rachel here!


    Louis said absent¨Cmindedly, ¡°As long as you like it.¡±


    Mary felt disgusted as she looked at the lovey¨Cdovey couple. ¡°What a pity for the gown.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a pity to sell it for ten times the price.¡±


    ¡°Well, we made them spend so much for the wedding gown. I gotta say I do feel much better.¡±


    As the two of them spoke, they turned around and walked upstairs.


    At this moment, Louis¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from behind. ¡°Rachel, remember to attend Grandpa¡¯s


    80th birthday on time.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    Rachel¡¯s footsteps paused slightly, but she did not turn around to look at him, nor did she give him any


    response.


    However, Louis¡¯s words aroused Mary¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Didn¡¯t you break up with the Smith family? Besides,


    the Smith family disliked you so much back then. Why did they invite you to the old man¡¯s birthday


    banquet now?¡±


    Rachel hid her identity then and followed Louis back to the Smith family. None of the Smith family


    members took a fancy to her. It was okay if they mocked her behind her back, but they also


    prohibited her from participating in public events, iming it was not good for girls to expose


    themselves publicly. After all, they were just worried they would be embarrassed because Rachel was


    a country bumpkin everyone mocked.


    Rachel said, ¡°Old Mr. Smith gave me something back then. After returning it, we¡¯re even.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Old Mr. Smith had a discerning eye back then.¡± Mary sighed softly. ¡°But my heart is


    always in a mess. I¡¯m worried these ingrates will cause trouble during the birthday banquet.¡±


    Rachel nced at her and said lightly, ¡°As long as they¡¯re not afraid of a happy celebration turning into


    a funeral.¡±


    After leaving the studio, Rachel returned to thepany.


    First, she held a two¨Chour meeting for thend of South Valley. Then, she returned to her office to


    continue working.


    Unknowingly, the sun slowly set in the west.


    At this moment, Linda pushed the door open and walked in. She stood before Rachel and said


    respectfully, ¡°Ms. Grey, Mr. Ken Justin said he has something very important to see you about.¡°¨C


    Rachel frowned. It was not because she was disgusted by Ken Justin¡¯s appearance but because of the


    inexplicable pain in her abdomen.


    She adjusted her breathing slightly and pressed her palm hard on her abdomen. Her tone was no


    different from usual. ¡°Tell him he doesn¡¯t have to see me if it¡¯s not urgent.¡±


    Linda responded and turned to leave the office.


    The office door closed. Rachel bent her back in a sorry state and pressed harder on her abdomen. Her


    hand on the table clenched into a fist.


    After an unknown period of time, the pain gradually eased.


    She slowly straightened up and took a deep breath. Then she poured a cup of hot water and sipped it.


    At first, she thought that it was an old problem of stomach pain. She drank a little hot water and rested


    for a while to relieve it. However, the colic pain came again when she was about to get off work, leaving


    her to realize this might not be a simple stomach pain.


    At this moment, her phone suddenly rang. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to get her phone.


    However, the sharp pain attacked her again like a blunt knife stirring in her stomach. It was so painful


    that she let out a muffled groan. Her knees went limp, and she fell to the ground.


    When she fell, she identally overturned the phone on the table.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae¡­¡± A man¡¯s cold and gentle voice came from the phone, softening the radio wave¡¯s


    coldness.


    Rachel curled up on the ground in pain. She pressed her hands tightly on her abdomen, her entire


    body trembling uncontrobly. She tried her best to take a deep breath to make her voice not sound so


    incoherent. ¡°Da, David¡­¡±


    She did not know if David had heard her voice, but the call was hung up.


    She resisted the pain and tried to call the emergency number, but her hands trembled uncontrobly.


    The pain eroded her


    consciousness, and her mind gradually became muddled.


    Just as she was in a daze from the sharp pain, she vaguely saw Linda push the door open and enter.


    When Linda saw her lying on the ground, she rushed forward in shock. ¡°Ms. Grey, Rae¨CRae¡­¡±


    Rachel struggled to open her eyes. When she saw Linda appear, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


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    Before she could finish speaking, her vision darkened, and shepletely lost consciousness.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae!¡± A familiar voice sounded in her ear. The calm voice was slightly trembling.


    Rachel thought she had probably been poisoned by a poison called David Jones.


    Otherwise, why would she hear David¡¯s voice?


    How could she feel him carrying her in his arms?


    The man¡¯s woody fragrance enveloped her as if she was not hallucinating.

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes trembled. She wanted to open her eyes, but no matter how hard she tried, she


    could not open them. Her consciousness gradually fell into endless darkness.


    When she woke up again, she found herself in an unfamiliar environment.


    She sat up abruptly and surveyed the surroundings.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This is not my room!


    ¡°Why am I here?¡± she thought.


    At this moment, an unfamiliar woman walked in from outside. When she saw Rachel had woken up, a


    friendly smile appeared on her face. ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°You are¡­?¡± Rachel looked at the woman and sized her up.


    Hearing her words, the woman¡¯s smile widened. ¡°I¡¯m the maid here. If you don¡¯t mind, you can call me


    Mrs. Brown.¡±


    As she spoke, she suddenly thought of something. ¡°Miss Grey, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll inform Mr.


    Jones now.¡±


    Before Rachel could react, she turned around and left the room.


    Not long after, footsteps came from the bedroom door.


    Rachel could tell that this was not Mrs. Brown¡¯s footsteps.


    Her gaze was fixed on the door. She saw David in a ck shirt appear at the bedroom door.


    Rachel was suddenly stunned. She stared at the tall, straight man in front of her for a long time before


    gradually returning to her


    senses.


    It turned out that it was not her imagination when she had vaguely heard David¡¯s voice before she


    fainted.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± David walked to Rachel¡¯s side. At the side of the


    bed, he ced his palm on her forehead.


    The moment he approached with his cold aura, Rachel subconsciously held her breath and focused.


    Her fingertips curled up slightly as she gripped the nket under her. ¡°I feel much better¡­


    Her voice was a little hoarse, perhaps because of her feverst night.


    David handed her a ss of water. ¡°Drink some water.¡±


    ¡°Sir, the porridge is ready.¡±


    Rachel looked up and noticed that Mrs. Brown was holding a te in her hand. There was a white


    porcin bowl on it that was emitting some steam.


    David lifted his hand to unbutton the cuffs of his shirt. He rolled up his sleeves and said in a calm and


    maic voice, ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    After Mrs. Brown realized David¡¯s intentions, she could not help but look at Rachel with a vague and


    ambiguous smile. ¡°Miss Grey, if you need anything, just let me know.¡±


    Finishing, she turned around and closed the door before leaving.


    The room suddenly fell silent, and the atmosphere was slightly awkward.


    ¡°You had acute gastroenteritisst night, and it caused a fever. The doctor suggested that you keep a


    nd diet recently.¡± David¡¯s slim fingers held the spoon and slowly stirred the porridge in the bowl. He


    brought it to his lips and blew on it before bringing it to Rachel¡¯s lips. ¡°Try it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Rachel lowered her eyes in a panic and leaned back to avoid him.


    However, David made up his mind to feed her. He stubbornly ced the spoon by her lips.


    They were in a deadlock for a moment. Rachelpromised and


    opened her mouth.¡±


    However, she had no appetite and shook her head after eating a few mouthfuls. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡±


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t have an appetite, you should at least eat some.¡± David looked at her with a soft


    gentleness in his eyes. He coaxed her again, ¡°Be good. Eat more. After you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll take you for a


    walk in the garden.¡±


    Rachel looked at David aggrievedly. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. ¡°But I really can¡¯t eat


    anymore.¡±


    After saying that, she realized that her words had a hint of coquettishness.


    In the past, when she was sick, she was always alone. She was used to being strong alone and


    dealing with everything alone. However, David¡¯s appearance and meticulous care seemed to have


    drawn out the softness and grievances buried deep in her heart.


    Her words came out naturally without any preparation.


    Perhaps wheedling was every woman¡¯s hidden attribute, but the trigger condition was the man¡¯s


    absolute favoring.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    Rachel was secretly annoyed by her pretentiousness just now. She wanted to exin, but before she


    could say anything, the man in front of her suddenly pressed down and sealed her lips.


    She trembled and widened her eyes in disbelief. Her trembling pupils revealed a trace of panic.


    David¡¯s kiss was strong and gentle. It was passionate and lingering. His eyes seemed filled with infinite


    gentleness, gradually making Rachel forget to resist.


    Her eyshes fluttered, and she slowly closed her eyes, silently enduring his love. Her hands gripped


    the nket under her uneasily.


    A kiss of true love was like the fiercest poison in the world. It inadvertently numbed their senses, as if


    they were the only ones left in this crowded world. The hot and ambiguous atmosphere gradually


    spread throughout the entire room.


    It was not until his kiss deepened that Rachel felt a little suffocated, and she became much more


    awake.


    She suddenly opened her eyes and met David¡¯s eyes.


    His dark eyes saw through her eyes, making her feel frightened. She struggled to push his chest with


    her other hand, her breathing unstable as she struggled violently. ¡°David Jones, that¡¯s enough,


    enough¡­¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Her voice was soft and powerless, without the slightest intimidation. Instead, it stimted David to


    be even crazier.


    He was fierce and domineering, like a violent wind passing through.


    Panicked, Rachel opened her mouth and bit his lips.


    At the same time, blood that tasted as rust spread in their mouths.


    David gradually came back to his senses.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Rachel pushed him away mercilessly and retreated, breaking free


    from his shackles.


    His pitch¨Cck eyes hid a faint light, like an intoxicating vortex that attracted her to sink in.


    Rachel hurriedly averted his gaze, but her heart was still racing uncontrobly.


    ¡°So this is how my Rae¨CRae acts like a baby.¡± David¡¯s deep and cold voice was mixed with


    hoarseness. The moment it sounded in her ear, it made her heart tremble.


    Rachel felt her face burning. She took a deep breath, hurriedly put on her shoes, and pushed him


    away. ¡°I want to go out and get some


    air.¡±


    David held her wrist tightly and stared at her without blinking. His eyes were filled with infatuation. His


    Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he said unhurriedly, ¡°Rae¨CRae, you don¡¯t have to pretend to be strong in front


    of me. My love for you will never disappear.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel felt her heart deeply touched.


    After getting together with Louis, she knew that Louis did not like pretentious women, so she tried her


    best to be strong. She silently shouldered everything alone. Over time, that strongness was engraved


    in her bones and blood like a habit.


    However, she was just an ordinary person. When she was sick, she needed someone to take care of


    her. When she was wronged, she needed someone to dote on her. asionally, she would like to act


    like a baby.


    It had to be said that this man, David Jones, always easily touched the softest part of her heart.


    She calmed herself down and looked up at David.


    There was a faint smile on his lips and a hint of warmth in his deep


    eyes.


    ¡°David, are you so nice to every woman?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my first woman,¡± he answered. ¡°And the only one.¡±


    Rachel could clearly feel his fingers caressing her sensitive earlobe like a feather tickling her heart.


    She couldn¡¯t take it anymore and brushed his hand away. ¡°I want to go out and get some air.¡±


    As she spoke, she left David behind and took the lead to rush out the door.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    When Mrs. Brown saw Rachel, she immediately noticed her slightly swollen mouth. An ambiguous


    smile shed across her eyes as she greeted respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    Rachel noticed the smile on her face. She revealed an awkward but polite smile and quickly left.


    She walked into the backyard and realized that the size of this vi was not inferior to the mansion of


    the Johnson family.


    There were countless strange flowers and nts in the garden, which was well¨Cappointed with all kinds


    of modern furniture.


    And there was only one ce for such interior finishings, the Sandalwood Hills.


    The Sandalwood Hills was not inferior to the mansion of the Johnson family. So far, everyone knew of


    the existence of the Sandalwood Hills, but no one knew its owner.


    Rachel did not expect this person to be David Jones.


    ¡°Miss Grey.¡± Mrs. Brown showed up behind Rachel quietly. She had a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Mr.


    Jones had something on and left at thest minute. Before he left, he specially instructed me to bring


    you around.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly. ¡°Thanks. I hope it won¡¯t cause you much trouble.¡±


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    Hearing her words, Mrs. Brown was stunned for a moment. Then, the smile on her face became even


    wider.


    To be honest, ever since David brought Rachel backst night, she had also realized that David treated


    Rachel differently. However, she could not help but be prejudiced against Rachel¡¯s beautiful face.


    At this moment, Rachel¡¯s polite words and actions left Mrs. Brown believing she was different from


    those women who tried to climb


    into David¡¯s bed.


    She also gradually understood why David cared so much about this Miss Grey.


    Mrs. Brown walked in front and led the way for Rachel. From time to time, she would introduce the


    facilities in the garden, as well as the flowers and trees.


    Seeing that she was so familiar with the surroundings, Rachel asked casually, ¡°Mrs. Brown, have you


    been working here for a long time?¡±


    Mrs. Brown smiled and replied humbly, ¡°It¡¯s been five years.¡±


    She sized up the expression on Rachel¡¯s face. Taking advantage of the question, she changed the


    topic to David Jones. ¡°This ce is Mr. Jones¡® private residence. He has never brought anyone in


    beside a few of his friends.¡±


    How could someone as smart as Rachel not understand the hint in her words?


    Rachel only smiled faintly and did not say anything. She wanted to skip the topic, but since Mrs. Brown


    had already spoken, she wouldn¡¯t stop there so soon. ¡°To be honest, Miss Grey, you¡¯re the only


    woman¡® Mr. Jones has brought into the Sandalwood Hills. It¡¯s also the first time I¡¯ve seen him take care


    of someone all night.¡±


    The only woman¡­


    There were too many exnations for this word.


    When she heard this word, her heart skipped a beat.


    However, this was not what she was concerned about. She looked at Mrs. Brown in surprise. ¡°You just


    said¡­ he didn¡¯t sleep all night?¡±


    Mrs. Brown nodded and continued with a smile, ¡°Yes, Mr. Jones¡® personal doctor came overst night


    and said that you had a fever because of acute gastroenteritis and gave you an intravenous drip.


    However, Mr. Jones was worried and kept watch over you. He was unwilling to leave even after the


    intravenous drip was over. It can


    be seen that he really cares about you. Otherwise, why would he personally cook porridge for you?¡±


    At this point, she seemed to have thought of something funny and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Speaking of


    which, it¡¯s really funny that Mr. Jones was learning to cook porridge from me.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    When she woke up and saw David, she had a vague guess in her heart.


    However, when all this came out of Mrs. Brown¡¯s mouth, Rachel could no longer remain calm.


    It had been too long since she had tasted the feeling of being cared for and seen as the only one.


    There was only a void in her heart when her sincerity was exchanged for Louis¡® betrayal.


    However, David had used his actions to nt seeds of love in the barrennd in her heart. From then


    on, the barrennd gradually sprouted.


    Therefore, true love had always been unreasonable.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    Rachel took a deep breath and calmed herself down. ¡°Thank you for telling me this, Mrs. Brown.¡±


    Hearing her words, Mrs. Brown was stunned for a moment before she lowered her eyes to hide her


    shyness. ¡°I was just saying it casually. I hope you don¡¯t mind me nagging, Miss Grey.¡±


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    In fact, Mrs. Brown naturally had a n in mind. She could tell that David cared about Rachel and also


    sensed Rachel¡¯s hesitant attitude toward him. Since that was the case, she was willing to take this


    opportunity to matchmake the two,


    Hence, she really could not ept Miss Grey¡¯s thanks.


    They walked around for a while. Mrs. Brown looked at the time and said, ¡°Miss Grey, it¡¯s time to take


    your medicine. Sir specially instructed you to do so.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After taking medicine, Rachel returned to her room to rest.


    When David returned from outside, he subconsciously searched for Rachel in the living room and


    asked calmly, ¡°Where¡¯s Rae¨CRae? Has she taken her medicine?¡±


    His ordinary tone was like a husband asking about his wife.


    Mrs. Brown¡¯s eyes were filled with an ambiguous smile. ¡°Miss Grey is still resting in her room.¡±


    David nodded slightly and said casually, ¡°Remember to prepare a nd diet today.¡±


    Without waiting for Mrs. Brown¡¯s reply, he walked straight toward the stairs.


    David loosened his tie and pushed open the door to Rachel¡¯s room.


    The room was dark, but his gaze instantlynded on Rachel, who was sleeping quietly on the bed.


    Her ck hair was scattered on the pillow, and her facial features looked like they had been drawn


    carefully by a painter. Even though she slept obediently, it could not hide her soul¨Cstirring beauty.


    The cor of her shirt was open, revealing the beautiful curve of her shoulders and neck. Arge area


    of her fair skin was exposed to the air.


    David¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, and there was a faint restless desire in the depths of his eyes.


    He casually threw the tie at the end of the bed, then unbuttoned his shirt cor and slowly walked


    forward.


    He reached out and gently brushed away the hair on her face. Her curly eysh slowly slid down and


    finallynded on her red lips.


    The softness that belonged to her kept appearing in his mind.


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down, and his eyes revealed strong desire.


    Just as he could not help but lean down to feel the softness again, Rachel suddenly opened her eyes.


    What greeted her eyes was David¡¯s face right in front of her. His warm breath sprayed on her face, and


    his deep eyes seemed to have lit up with a me so bright that it was soul¨Cstirring.


    Rachel seemed to be scalded. She sprang up from the bed in a panic and shrank back, putting some


    distance between them.


    A hint of disappointment shed across David¡¯s eyes. He sat on the bed. ¡°Do you still feel


    ufortable?¡±


    ¡°Much better.¡± Rachel raised her hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. Her gaze inadvertently


    landed on the slight cut on David¡¯s hand.


    Mrs. Brown¡¯s words from earlier in the day surfaced in her mind. ¡°It¡¯s really funny that Mr. Jones was


    learning to cook porridge from me.¡± Hence, the cut should have been identally left behind


    when he was cooking.


    She pursed her lips. ¡°Is your hand¡­ all right?¡±


    David nced at the cut on his hand and said without changing his expression, ¡°I¡¯m not very familiar


    with cooking for the first time. It hurt a little at first, but it¡¯s much better now.¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to help you deal with it?¡± Rachel asked.


    In fact, she only said that out of politeness, but David took advantage of it. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Rachel had to take the first aid kit and focus on applying disinfectant to his cut.


    Her movements were very gentle with great care.


    David looked at her eyshes and reached out to touch them gently.


    Her soft eyshes fluttered like frightened butterflies, faintly tickling his fingers.


    Rachel looked up at him. She could clearly feel his fingers slowly sliding down the corner of her eyes.


    They brushed past her jawline and cupped her face.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, I know I¡¯m in your heart.¡±


    It should have been a question, but David blurted it out with unprecedented certainty.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    Rachel¡¯s hand holding the disinfectant stopped in the air for a moment, and she lowered her eyes to


    hide the emotions in them. Then, she silently sped up and quickly packed up everything.


    Just as she got up and was about to leave, David suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist from


    behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. His low and sexy voice slowly sounded. ¡°Rae¨CRae, what


    are you afraid of?¡±


    He could feel Rachel¡¯s cautiousness and her indecision.


    ¡°I thought I was patient enough, but every time you show up, it¡¯s like a test. I think I¡¯m probably going to


    break my word.¡±


    He had never been a gentleman and was best at taking things by force.


    ¡°David Jones, don¡¯t you think we are progressing too quickly?¡± Rachel sighed helplessly. The man


    before her seemed calm and reserved, but his way of doing things was domineering.


    ¡°I just ended a three¨Cyear rtionship and immediately started another one. This decision is too hasty


    and irresponsible for you.¡±


    It was often said, ¡°Where you fall, you stand up.¡± But not everyone has the courage to get up.


    After experiencing the feeling of being cut by a knife, who would be willing to touch it again so easily?


    Escaping slowly became an instinct.


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    ¡°But it¡¯s often said that the best way to get out of a traumatic rtionship is to enter a new one quickly,¡±


    David replied.


    ¡°But this is unfair to you.¡± Rachel knew she could not break free from David¡¯s embrace, so she let him


    hug her. She sighed slightly and said calmly, ¡°If I agree to your pursuit to walk out of the trauma of my


    previous rtionship, I think this is a despicable method. Not only will it taint the beauty of love, but it


    will also


    insult your feelings.¡±


    David was incredibly patient. When Rachel finished speaking, he asked casually, ¡°Then tell me what


    the essence of love is?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a choice without weighing the pros and cons.¡±


    ¡°Yes and no.¡± David lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him directly. ¡°Love is that I have


    ovee all obstacles to lead the sunlight to you. Love is that I am willing to be a weapon on your


    battlefield. I will forever submit to you and be your most loyal believer.¡±


    Rachel looked into his deep eyes, and her heart seemed to be gripped by something. It began to race


    uncontrobly.


    Her fingertips curled slightly as she muttered softly, ¡°David Jones¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, David suddenly leaned over and kissed her lips.


    This kiss was different from the past. It revealed an oppressive force and did not allow Rachel to catch


    her breath at all.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes trembled in panic, and the first aid kit in her hand fell to the ground.


    She struggled and pushed David¡¯s chest, but it was like a mayfly shaking a tree.


    David hugged her tightly and plundered her breath. He greedily took her breath away and did not let go


    of any corner.


    Unknowingly, Rachel gradually lost the strength to struggle. Her entire body was limp as she leaned


    into his arms. Her arms involuntarily hooked around his neck as she endured his intense kisses. Her


    fair face was dyed red as she struggled to breathe.


    Just as her head spun and she was about to suffocate, David reluctantly released her.


    He looked at her blushed face, and his eyes were filled with a faint smile. ¡°Rae¨CRae, be my woman.¡±

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    There were no extravagant or romantic words. He only said simply, ¡°Be my woman.¡±


    At that moment, Rachel somehow felt a sense of sincerity and warmth.


    She even wondered if anyone in this world other than David Jones was willing to tolerate and protect


    her.


    He even told her, ¡°Do what you want. I¡¯ll support you in whatever you do.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to submit to you and be your most loyal believer.¡±


    He never cared about her indifference and sensitivity.


    He was still willing to open his arms even if she was covered in thorns and filled with hostility.


    ¡°I can¡¯t follow your steps.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Facing Rachel¡¯s suggestion, David pressed on. ¡°Then tell me what steps I should take.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    At this moment, Mrs. Brown knocked on the door from outside. ¡°Miss Grey, the food is ready.¡±


    Rachel turned to look at David and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Her pure ck and white eyes seemed to be covered in ayer of mist, itching David¡¯s heart


    inexplicably.


    David smiled and replied calmly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to leave this room, feel free to look at me like this.¡±


    Rachel was left speechless again by his words.


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking when you already know the answer?¡± David


    slowly bent down and caressed her sensitive ears with his fingertips. His deep voice slowly sounded.


    ¡°Be my woman, will you?¡±


    His breath was on the skin between her neck, making her tremble. Her fair cheeks were blushed with


    shyness. ¡°I just feel that our progress is a little too fast.¡±


    ¡°You just feel?¡± David raised his eyebrows, and a meaningful smile shed across his eyes. ¡°Can I take


    it as an agreement?¡±


    Rachel looked at him. A sly smile shed across her


    almond¨Cshaped eyes as she imitated his previous tone. ¡°Yes and no. After all, I haven¡¯t felt the 100%


    sincerity of someone¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯ll be plenty of time for you to feel it.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Rachel said calmly. ¡°However, I have three rules. You can¡¯t kiss me whenever you want. You


    have to keep a proper distance from me¡­¡±


    The smile on David¡¯s face disappeared a little when he heard her words. ¡°You can continue to keep a


    distance from me, but I reject your three rules.¡±


    She had agreed to him and refused to kiss and hug him. She even wanted to keep a distance from him.


    ¡°How dare she!¡± David thought.


    Rachel had nothing to reply to him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were hungry? Come, let¡¯s go downstairs for dinner.¡±


    As he spoke, he held Rachel¡¯s hand and walked out.


    Rachel looked at their interlocked fingers and could not help but smile.


    She knew that she had staked everything on this.


    Her future was out of her control from the moment she agreed to him.


    While they were eating, the atmosphere was very quiet. However, David¡¯s actions and how he looked


    at Rachel had an unusual amount of pampering and infatuation.


    Rachel ate with her head lowered, but she could clearly feel David¡¯s burning gaze on her as if he


    wanted to swallow her whole.


    She ate in silence until she felt full. Then she put down the cutlery in her hand and picked up a napkin


    to wipe the corners of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll inform my assistant to pick me up this afternoon.¡±


    David looked up at her with aplicated and dark gaze. ¡°Arge part of your illness is caused by your


    irregr diet and unstable schedule. Moreover, you¡¯ve just recovered and are not suitable to work


    quickly. Why don¡¯t you stay here and rest for a while?¡±

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    Rachel smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll adjust my schedule.¡±


    Moreover, she felt it was inappropriate for her to live here.


    David¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the office tomorrow morning.¡±


    In other words, she was not allowed to leave tonight.


    Mrs. Brown, who had been silent at the side, spoke up as if it was the truth. ¡°Miss Grey, before the


    doctor left, he specially instructed you to rest well. Mr. Jones is right. You should stay tonight for your


    health.¡±


    Rachel hesitated for a long time. Ultimately, she could not stand the two¡¯s eager and hopeful gazes and


    nodded silently.


    David¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile as he continued eating.


    After lunch, he held Rachel¡¯s hand and walked around the garden. Finally, they stopped at the pavilion


    to rest.


    David looked at Rachel, who was sitting opposite him and frowned imperceptibly. ¡°Are you afraid of


    me?¡±


    Rachel shook her head slightly. ¡°I think we still need to maintain a certain distance.¡±


    ¡°The appropriately closer distance between couples can benefit the rtionship,¡± David said as he


    stood up and walked straight toward Rachel. Without exnation, he carried her in his arms and


    ced her on hisp.


    The woody fragrance instantly enveloped her.


    Rachel looked up and happened to meet David¡¯s deep eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.


    She struggled frantically. ¡°David¡­¡±


    She had received a good upbringing since she was young, so she


    still had a conservative concept in her morality and would care about the views of the world.


    At this moment, in broad daylight, they were sitting so intimately together. It was very embarrassing for


    her.


    ¡°No one wille over at this time.¡± David held her slender wrist with one hand and held her slim waist


    tightly with the other. He pinched the soft flesh on her waist gently. ¡°Let me kiss you again, okay?¡±


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    Rachel pped him angrily. ¡°David Jones!¡±


    ¡°He has always been abstinent and reserved. Why does he look like a scoundrel now?


    ¡°Could it be that my crush on him had subconsciously beautified his image?¡± Rachel wondered.


    She frowned and looked at him. The distance between them was very close. Their breaths brushed


    past each other. It seemed that as long as they moved slightly, they could kiss.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡±


    Before Rachel could react, David leaned over and kissed her lips deeper and deeper.


    He could not help tightening his grip around her waist.


    He had always been calm and restrained but only lost control when facing her.


    His grandfather had previously warned him that beauty was like a poisonous snake. It could easily


    disintegrate a person¡¯s


    consciousness. Forget about touching a beauty. He couldn¡¯t even think about it.


    At this moment, he remembered his grandfather¡¯s advice, but it was already toote.


    Not only did the woman in front of him disintegrate his willpower, but she also addicted him.


    His deepest obsession was to take her for himself.


    Rachel¡¯s entire body gradually went limp from his violent kisses. Her head was dizzy, and she gradually


    forgot to struggle. She responded reflexively.


    The fiery atmosphere took the opportunity to rise, and their rationality gradually burned away.


    At this moment, the phone suddenly rang.


    When Rachel heard the familiar ringtone, her entire body jolted. She did not know where she got the


    strength from, but she pushed David away and tidied up the wrinkles on her clothes before answering


    the call.


    ¡°You¡¯re not at the office?¡± Tom Johnson¡¯s voice entered Rachel¡¯s ears through the phone.


    His voice was calm and emotionless, but it made Rachel feel indescribable oppression.


    She took a deep breath to calm the guilt in her heart and answered calmly, ¡°Uncle Tom, I have


    somethinge up.¡±


    Sitting on the rattan chair, David listened silently to Rachel¡¯s call. His eyes flickered with a dark light.


    He almost forgot that there was still a big problem.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel¡¯s heart was still beating faster, as if she had been caught cheating.


    She took a deep breath and turned to look at the man in the wicker chair.


    The man casually ced his left hand on hisp and held a cup of tea in his right hand. His clean


    jawline exuded cold and abstinent vibes.


    The most eye¨Ccatching thing was the faint lipstick mark at the corner of the man¡¯s mouth.


    Rachel could not help but recall the scene of the two of them kissing. Her face turned red. ¡°I¡¯ll go back


    to my room first.¡±


    With that, she turned around and ran without waiting for David¡¯s response.


    When she returned to her room, she pressed her back against the door and covered her slightly hot


    face.


    This was definitely the craziest day she had ever had.


    Not only did she agree to his pursuit, but she even allowed his kiss.


    Moreover, somehow, she wanted to kiss him more.


    Rachel¡¯s hand slowly slid down her burning cheek and tapped her lips. The corners of her mouth curled


    up uncontrobly.


    She shook her head and controlled herself from letting her imagination run wild. She raised her hand to


    lift the hair that had slid down in front of her face and walked towards the bathroom.


    The warm water wrapped around her body like silk, and fatigue gradually swept over her.


    After drying her hair, she lolled about on the bed and slowly fell asleep.


    At the same time, the gate of the manor slowly opened on both sides, and a dark purple Bugatti drove


    into the manor.


    As soon as Jimmy entered, he went straight to David¡¯s study. He sized up the books on the bookshelf


    with interest and said casually, ¡°David, it¡¯s rare for you toe back. Don¡¯t always be busy with work.


    Shall we go out for a gathering tonight?¡±


    ¡°Not interested.¡± David flipped through the document in his hand.


    Jimmy loungedzily on the side of a single sofa, his legs crossed and his beautiful eyes sparkling. The


    angle of his raised eyebrows was just right, revealing a hint of flirtation amidst his yful gaze, which


    was why he was good at sweeping women off their feet.


    ¡°David, although work is important, we still have to strike a bnce between work and rest, right?


    You¡¯ve been attending meetings and working ever since you came back. Where¡¯s the fun in that? I was


    sincerely looking forward to having a wee party for you. I even came here personally. You can¡¯t


    keep rejecting me, can you?¡±


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    David did not hesitate at all. ¡°No.¡±


    He was worried about Rachel¡¯s departure tomorrow morning.


    He wanted to spend more time with her as much as possible before she left.


    Jimmy was speechless.


    He could not help but sit up straight and look at David from head


    to toe.


    Compared to Jimmy who did not reject anyone, David had always been calm and unapproachable.


    Previously, he had always thought that David looked down on those vulgar women, but now, David¡¯s


    indifferent attitude had made Jimmy wonder.


    Jimmy was wondering that maybe, just as others said, David had some secrets that he was too


    embarrassed to talk about.


    Just as Jimmy was about to speak, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang. He hesitated for half a


    second before picking up the call. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The butler on the other end of the call said respectfully, ¡°Miss Shaw suddenly has a fever and wants to


    see you.¡±


    ¡°If she has a fever, let her go to the hospital!¡± Jimmy¡¯s eyebrows were filled with impatience.


    With that, he hung up.


    He turned around and saw David sitting in a chair with a thoughtful expression. He called out


    tentatively, ¡°David?¡±


    David asked thoughtfully, ¡°A sudden fever?¡±


    Jimmy paused for a moment, then a knowing smile appeared on his face. ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than a little


    trick, like deliberately taking a cold shower. Her acting skills are really poor.¡±


    His words were filled with disdain.


    ¡°It does seem like that,¡± David said.


    Jimmy looked at him. He did not know if it was his imagination, but he felt that David was thinking about


    something else.


    ¡°David, why don¡¯t you consider having a gathering tonight? I heard that it¡¯s gonna rain tonight. Why


    don¡¯t we take the opportunity topete? It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve done something this


    exciting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna rain tonight?¡± thought David.


    Now David felt that Jimmy¡¯s suggestion was very good.


    An imperceptible dark glint shed across David¡¯s eyes. ¡°Okay.¡°

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    The sky was gloomy and dark clouds were rolling. There were very few people on the streets. The


    lively car racing track in the east of the city was a little out of ce.


    This track was one of the few racing venues in the country that was used to hold the FIA Form 1


    World Championship. It was only open to the public every year when there was a rally or a friendly


    competition.


    At this moment, three cars of different colors were roaring at the starting point of the track, as if they


    were provoking each other.


    As the referee waved the g in his hand, the three cars instantly rushed out like wild horses.


    Although it was said to be a simple match when they came, easy to arouse a man¡¯s desire to win on


    the track.


    was


    Thepetition became more and more intense. These three cars were almost evenly matched.


    After fiveps, the ck Aventador driven by David sessfully crossed the line, followed by Landon,


    and thest was Jimmy.


    After the three of them got out of the car, a few staff members immediately went forward to check on


    the cars.


    Jimmy took off his helmet and shook his messy hair. ¡°Fuck! Let¡¯spete again!¡±


    Losing just like that made Jimmy very unconvinced.


    Landon smiled. ¡°It¡¯s useless no matter how many rounds wepete in.¡±


    ¡°Landon, you are so boring. I was holding back just now. If you have the gut,pete with me again.¡±


    Jimmy looked at Landon¡¯s back away and quickly chased after him.


    Landon raised his hand, pulled open the cor of his protective suit, and said casually, ¡°It¡¯s so boring to


    bully noobs.¡±


    Jimmy was so angry that he raised his middle finger at Landon¡¯s back. When Jimmy turned around, he


    realized that David was holding the helmet in one hand and thinking about something. ¡°David, what are


    you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t it say it would rain tonight?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jimmy was stunned for a moment and then looked up at the sky. ¡°Who knows? Maybe it won¡¯t


    rain.¡±


    As soon as Jimmy finished speaking, David left directly.


    Jimmy and Landon came out of the changing room and saw David standing in front of the floor¨Cto¨C


    ceiling windows with one hand in his pocket and staring at the sky not far away.


    ¡°Do you think David has something on his mind? Otherwise, why would he be so looking forward to a


    rainy day?¡±


    Landon followed Jimmy¡¯s gaze and looked over. A yful smile shed across Landon¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Perhaps he was dumped?¡±


    ¡°What kind of huge joke is that?¡± Jimmy quickly waved his hand. ¡°He¡¯s not even in love. How can he be


    dumped?¡±


    Besides, with David¡¯s rich financial resources, as long as he just stood there, thousands of hundreds of


    women would volunteer to approach him. As far as Jimmy was concerned, it was totally impossible for


    David to be dumped.


    Landon did not say anything, but there was a faint meaningful smile on his lips.


    As the two of them were discussing, they suddenly heard David say lightly, ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡±


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    It was just a simple sentence, but it made Jimmy and Landon sensitively feel David¡¯s contentment.


    The two of them looked at each other with a sh of mockery in their eyes.


    David was too strange today. There must be something fishy going


    1. on.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you find anything fishy when you went to Sandalwood Hills?¡± Landon asked lightly.


    Jimmy thought for a moment. ¡°What can there be? There¡¯s nothing!¡±


    Landon clicked his tongue and sighed from the bottom of his heart. ¡°How stupid.¡±


    Seeing Jimmy¡¯s unconvinced expression, Landon continued, ¡°Since Sandalwood Hills was built, when


    has he ever taken the initiative to go back?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that David is hiding a woman in Sandalwood Hills?¡± Jimmy instantly understood, and


    his eyes flickered with


    excitement. ¡°Oh my god! Looks like I have to go to Sandalwood Hills again tonight.¡±


    Landon patted Jimmy¡¯s shoulder heavily and said meaningfully, ¡°Feel free to go ahead. I¡¯ll go visit your


    grave next year.¡±


    Jimmy couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    Perhaps the heavens had sensed David¡¯s eagerness for rain, the rain gradually became heavier, and


    there were faint signs of a storm.


    David ran into the car in the rain and sessfully drenched himself. He also asked the driver to turn on


    the air conditioner in the car. As expected, David sensed that his body temperature was a little


    abnormal in the middle of the night.


    David took out a thermometer and measured it. It was 101.3¡ãF.


    David got up and threw all the fever medicine and cold medicine the servants had prepared into the


    toilet bowl to flush them away. Then, David returned to the bed and revealed a satisfied smile.


    The next morning, the sun was shining brightly.


    Afterst night¡¯s heavy rain, the air was faintly filled with the smell of grass and earth.


    Rachel changed her clothes and was about to go downstairs. When Rachel opened the door, she


    happened to meet Mrs. Brown who passed by the door.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Grey.¡± Mrs. Brown greeted Rachel with a smile when she saw Rachel. Sensing


    that Rachel¡¯s gaze was on the decoction in her hand, Mrs. Brown hurriedly exined, ¡°Mr. Jones was


    fine yesterday. However, he suddenly had a fever this morning. I think it was probably because he was


    drenched in the rainst night. I don¡¯t know where the fever medicine at home went, so I brewed some


    heat¨Crelieving decoction for him first.¡±


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but be worried. ¡°Have you informed the doctor?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± At the mention of this, Mrs. Brown could not help.but sigh. ¡°But Mr. Jones has never liked to take


    medicine. I have no choice.¡±


    ¡°Give it to me.¡± Rachel raised her hand and fiddled with the hair by her ear to hide the unnatural look


    that shed across her face.


    Mrs. Brown was stunned for a moment. She secretly sized up Rachel, and a fleeting smile appeared in


    her eyes. ¡°Thank you, Miss Grey.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and took the tray with both hands.


    After watching Mrs. Brown leave, Rachel turned around and walked toward David¡¯s bedroom with the


    decoction.


    Rachel knocked on the door and heard David¡¯s low and hoarse voice. ¡°Come in!¡±


    Rachel pushed open the door and realized that David was not resting on the bed. Instead, he was


    flipping through a document in his hand.


    Compared to his usual dress of a ck shirt, today, David was wearing dark blue pajamas. The outline


    of his corbone and his sexy Adam¡¯s apple could be vaguely seen at the cor.


    The thin pajamas clung to David¡¯s body, vaguely outlining his strong and sexy chest muscles.


    His sleeves were rolled up, revealing firm arms. The blue blood vessels protruded, looking especially


    strong.


    ¡°Get out after putting the things down.¡± David¡¯s indifferent voice sounded in the quiet bedroom,


    revealing an indifference that kept people a thousand miles away.


    Perhaps sensing that the person didn¡¯t move, David raised his eyes and his pitch¨Cck gaze pierced


    straight through with a piercing coldness.


    That bone¨Cchilling gaze was like a dagger pressed against Rachel¡¯s heart. Rachel held her breath and


    tightened her grip on the tray. Her legs went weak as if she was stepping on clouds, and she did not


    dare to move.


    When David saw Rachel, the coldness in his eyes disappeared in an instant, and a gentle smile


    appeared. ¡°Why are you up so early?¡±


    David closed the document in his hand and waved at Rachel.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Rachel took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and walked toward David with the tray. ¡°I heard from Mrs.


    Brown that you have a fever.¡±


    Rachel ced the tray on the bedside table and raised her hand to test the temperature of David¡¯s


    forehead with the back of her hand. Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°You didn¡¯t take your medicine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± David pulled Rachel¡¯s hand from his forehead, his fingers caressing the protruding joints of


    her wrist.


    Rachel¡¯s originally slightly cold fingers on David¡¯s palm instantly became hot. Rachel looked at David¡¯s


    unusually red face and the worry between her brows intensified. ¡°How can you not take medicine?¡±


    As she spoke, Rachel stood up and prepared to get the first aid kit.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    Unexpectedly, David suddenly stretched out his arm and wrapped it around Rachel¡¯s slender waist,


    firmly locking her in his arms.


    The cold elegant fragrance instantly enveloped Rachel.


    Rachel was caught off guard and directly fell into David¡¯s arms. The two of them were pressed tightly


    against each other. Even through the thin material of the clothes, Rachel could still clearly feel the


    unusually hot temperature of David¡¯s body.


    Even David¡¯s breathing was at a different temperature from before.


    David¡¯s hot breath sprayed on Rachel¡¯s face, sweeping the hair at her temples, causing her fingertips


    to curl up slightly, and her ears unknowingly turned red.


    A little shy, Rachel pushed at David¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯ll get your medicine.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± David¡¯s low and hoarse voice sounded above Rachel¡¯s head.


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    The short sentence sounded like amand, but also like coaxing, which was irresistible.


    Rachel stopped struggling and let David hug her like an obedient rag doll.


    Perhaps Because David sensed that Rachel in his arms was


    gradually rxing, his hand on her waist gradually rxed a little. David rested his chin on Rachel¡¯s


    shoulder. ¡°Rae¨CRae is such a good girl.¡±


    As he spoke, David rubbed his head against Rachel¡¯s neck like a good and clingy dog.


    Rachel was tickled by David¡¯s hair and couldn¡¯t help but shrink back. Rachel reached out and pushed


    his shoulder. ¡°It tickles.¡±


    However, in the end, Rachel almost fell from David¡¯s arms.


    Rachel¡¯s face instantly turned pale in fear. She instinctively reached


    out her arm and hooked it around David¡¯s neck, barely stabilizing her center of gravity.


    David tightened his grip on Rachel¡¯s waist. ¡°Rae, are you testing me by throwing yourself at me so


    early in the morning?¡±


    David¡¯s originally low and hoarse voice was mixed with sexy hoarseness, like sand grinding in Rachel¡¯s


    heart, especially bewitching and seductive.


    ¡°You¡¯re clearly the one who wrapped me in your arms¡­¡± Rachel red at David angrily and was about


    to get up and leave.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his tense jawline showed some restraint.


    Rachel vaguely sensed the change in David¡¯s body. In an instant, her face turned red, and she sat


    where she was, not daring to move at all.


    After a long while, Rachel asked carefully, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, please allow me to remind you that I¡¯m a normal man.¡± David stared at Rachel with dark


    eyes. He reached out his fingertips and tucked the hair behind Rachel¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I won¡¯t


    force you.¡±.


    Unknowingly, his well¨Cdefined fingers slid behind Rachel¡¯s ear and caressed it teasingly.


    ¡°Then take the medicine obediently.¡± Rachel pped David¡¯s hand away and took the chance to break


    free from his arms. Then, Rachel picked up the medicine on the table and said, ¡°Take the medicine


    quickly to reduce the fever.¡±


    David looked at the colorful pills in front of him and frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s just a fever. I will be fine


    slowly.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and take the medicine, or what if you be silly from the fever?¡± A hint of worry appeared


    between Rachel¡¯s eyebrows.


    ¡°You feed me.¡±


    ¡°Then open your mouth.¡±


    ¡°Silly Rae¨CRae, you know what I mean, right?¡±


    When Rachel saw David¡¯s meaningful smile, she immediately understood. ¡°Take it or leave it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it, alright?¡± Seeing that Rachel was about to leave in anger, David grabbed her wrist and


    brought the ss of water in Rachel¡¯s hand to his lips. ¡°Look at how obedient I am to my girlfriend.¡±


    This form of address made Rachel instantly blush. She nced at David hurriedly and turned her head


    to hide the smile on her face. ¡°Have a good rest after taking the medicine. I¡¯lle and see youter.¡±


    However, David¡¯s grip on her wrist suddenly tightened, and Rachel fell into his chest without warning.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    Before Rachel could look up, David¡¯s palmnded on her head, and he carefully pulled her into his


    arms. ¡°Stay with me.¡±


    It was just a simple action, but it made Rachel¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll disturb you if I stay here¡­¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve already disturbed my mind, so you have to be responsible for me to the end.¡±


    David¡¯s deep voice slowly wrapped around Rachel¡¯s ears with a hint of sexy charm, making the tips of


    Rachel¡¯s ears itchy and her cheeks burn unconsciously.


    Rachel tilted her head and avoided David¡¯s hand. ¡°Then have a good rest first. You can continue


    working after the fever subsides.¡±


    David looked down at Rachel with a doting smile. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Then go to sleep first. I¡¯ll stay here and watch over you.¡±


    However, David seemed to have expected this. He grabbed Rachel¡¯s waist and picked her up


    horizontally. ¡°If you move, I can¡¯t guarantee that I won¡¯t do something.¡±


    Rachel understood the hint and threat in David¡¯s words. A hint of embarrassment and shyness


    appeared on her face. Rachel bit her lips and allowed David to wrap his arms around her waist.


    The cold elegant fragrance from David engulfed Rachel¡¯s breath, making her heart palpitate.


    David bent down and gently pecked Rachel¡¯s long eyshes before gently patting her back. ¡°Go to


    sleep.¡±


    Originally, Rachel nned to leave quietly after David fell asleep. However, Rachel did not expect


    herself to fall asleep in the end.


    Listening to Rachel¡¯s light and regr breathing, David slowly opened his eyes.


    Rachel rested her head on his arm in peace, like an obedient and docile ragdoll.


    Rachel¡¯s thick, curly eyshes were like fans, casting a faint shadow under her eyes. Her nose bridge


    was high, and her round nose exuded the unique innocence of a woman. Her moist lips had an alluring


    luster, like fruits waiting to be harvested.


    The loose cor faintly revealed the fair and tender skin of Rachel¡¯s chest.


    David¡¯s dark eyes darkened, and he wore a helpless smile.


    Rachel quite trusted him.


    David reached out his fingertips and gently caressed the exquisite outline of Rachel¡¯s face, his eyes


    filled with infatuation which even he himself didn¡¯t realise.


    David had never understood why Louis would rather choose Olivia over Rachel.


    In terms of looks, Olivia was not worthy of being Rachel¡¯s


    opponent at all. In terms of family background, Rachel could easily crush Olivia even more.


    It could be said that there was nothing about Rachel that made people picky.


    However, it was good that Louis had abandoned Rachel.


    Otherwise, David might have wasted more effort to snatch Rachel


    over.


    As David was thinking, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    David hurriedly took the phone and picked up the call. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡±


    On the other end, Louis was stunned. He subconsciously looked at the phone number and confirmed


    that there was no mistake. Ayer of coldness appeared on Louis¡¯s face then. He secretly gritted his


    teeth. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Rachel Grey.¡±


    When David heard the man¡¯s voice, he wore a mocking smile.


    David looked down at the woman in his arms and slowly got up. He walked to the balcony and


    continued, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for her to answer the phone now.¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m looking for Rachel Grey! Who are you? Why are you answering her phone?¡± Louis¡¯s words


    were filled with jealousy which even he himself didn¡¯t realize.


    However, before Louis could finish speaking, David hung up directly.


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    Louis listened to the beeping sounding from the phone, and his eyebrows were filled with


    viciousness as if a big storm wasing.


    Suddenly, Louis sneered. ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re so great!¡±


    When the assistant walked in from outside and saw Louis standing in front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling


    window with an extremely gloomy expression, he subconsciously held his breath.


    After hesitating for a while, the assistant said carefully, ¡°Mr. Smith, everyone is here. Should we start


    the meeting?¡±


    Hearing the assistant¡¯s words, Louis, who was standing in front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window, looked


    up. His dark eyes were bottomless, and there was a coldness between his brows that made people


    tremble in fear.


    ¡°What did the people sent to investigate Rachel learn?¡±


    The assistant was stunned for a moment before he hurriedly replied, ¡°They haven¡¯t gotten any news. It


    seems like someone is deliberately hiding Miss Grey¡¯s whereabouts¡­¡±

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    It could be said that since Rachel left Smith Group, they knew nothing about her.


    Even the surveince footage of Rachel leaving back then had been wiped clean.


    Louis frowned tightly. Could Rachel really be hiding some secret that Louis did not know about?


    Louis sorted out his thoughts and asked coldly, ¡°What did Mr. Justin of Johnson Corporation say?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Justin said that he has been transferred to another branchpany and won¡¯t be back for a


    while¡­¡±


    As the assistant spoke word by word, he clearly felt the temperature in the office drop sharply. It was as


    if he was in an ice cave in a world of ice and snow, so bone¨Cchilling.


    The assistant sized up the terrifying low pressure on Louis. After hesitating for a while, the assistant


    said carefully, ¡°Mr. Smith, it¡¯s time for the meeting.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Louis gripped the phone in his hand and walked toward the conference room.


    Compared to Louis¡¯s gloomy mood, Rachel seemed particrly


    rxed.


    Rachel opened her eyes and subconsciously looked around. Her gaze finallynded on David, who


    was lying on the sofa.


    Rachel was slightly stunned. She thought that David would take the opportunity to¡­


    Thinking of this, Rachel chuckled helplessly.


    Sometimes, Rachel really could not understand David.


    David was clearly domineering and did not give Rachel any chance to escape, but he would maintain a


    suitable distance at the critical


    moment.


    David was the one who was domineering. He was also the one who was humble.


    No matter what David was like, he could easily conquer the softest part of Rachel¡¯s heart, making it


    difficult for her to reject him.


    Rachel sat on the bed for a while, lifted the nket, and got out of bed. She picked up the thermometer


    and gently walked to David.


    Rachel slowly squatted down and took his temperature. She looked at the result, 97.7¡ãF.


    Rachel secretly heaved a sigh of relief and muttered softly, ¡°The fever has finally subsided.¡±


    ¡°Are you relieved now?¡± David¡¯s low and slow voice sounded.


    David slowly opened his eyes. His deep eyes were filled with light, making one sink into it.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes trembled slightly as she slowly straightened her body. ¡°Good medicine is bitter.


    Even if you don¡¯t like it, you have to take it on time. No matter what, you have to take care of yourself.¡±


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    ¡°Mrs. Brown told you?¡± David raised his eyebrows slightly and slowly sat up.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Mrs. Brown is worried about you.¡±


    David stared at Rachel without blinking. He raised his eyebrows slightly, and there was a faint trace of


    a smile at the corner of his eyes. ¡°Sometimes, what others tell you might not be everything. If you want


    to understand me, you might as well ask me directly.¡±


    Perhaps because David had just woken up, his voice was even deeper than before. It was like the bass


    strings of a cello, maic and pleasant to the ears.


    Rachel blinked and secretly sized up the man in front of her.


    David¡¯s t pajamas had some wrinkles, and some of his hair was covering his forehead, adding some


    fierce charm for him.


    ¡°If you want to put it that way, don¡¯t I have to stay up a few nights, write down all the questions I can


    think of, and ask you one by one?¡±


    Actually, there indeed was a certain level of curiosity that Rachel had toward David.


    Rachel¡¯s intuition told her that the identity of the man in front of her was not just limited to the owner of


    Sandalwood Hills and the president of Ster Corporation. These might be the tip of the iceberg of his


    many identities.


    Hearing her words, David let out a lowugh from his throat. He reached out and tucked a strand of


    hair, which was hanging in front of her face, behind her ear, his eyes filled with indulgence. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you


    everything you want to know, no matter when or where.¡±

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95


    After lunch, David and Rachel went for a walk in the garden.


    When David reached the door, he paused for a moment. He turned slightly and extended his hand to


    the person beside him.


    Rachel pursed her lips and gave David her hand.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    In an instant, David wrapped his palm tightly around Rachel¡¯s soft little hand.


    David and Rachel walked alongside each other. Although Rachel was not as tall as David, her aura


    was not inferior to his. They were surprisinglypatible.


    After the heavy rain, the air was exceptionally fresh, making people feel inexplicablyfortable.


    ¡°Are you going back to the office tomorrow?¡± David suddenly asked as he looked at Rachel¡¯s beautiful


    face.


    Rachel shook her head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m leaving in a while.¡±


    David frowned imperceptibly. Then he heard Rachel exin, ¡°There are some matters in thepany


    that need my attention.¡±


    Most importantly, Rachel¡¯s uncle, Tom, would go to thepany to look for her in the afternoon.


    Moreover, Rachel felt that her uncle seemed to know something.


    However, Rachel had yet to think of an exnation for David to her family. After all, it had only been


    half a month since she and David confirmed their rtionship. She was worried that if she announced


    her rtionship with David now, her family would object again.


    When David heard Tom¡¯s name, a dark glint shed across David¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you to thepany


    this afternoon.¡±


    Rachel was worried about David¡¯s physical condition and subconsciously rejected him. However, David


    ced his index


    finger on her lips. ¡°Rae¨CRae, as my woman, you have the right to enjoy all the benefits I give you.¡±


    David¡¯s slightly cold fingertipnded on Rachel¡¯s lips. The distinct touch made Rachel blush.


    Rachel cleared her throat and said calmly, ¡°Thank you for trouble.¡±


    your


    ¡°It¡¯s never a trouble when ites to you,¡± David said. ¡°Not everyone is worthy of my time and effort to


    please or has the right to order me around.¡±


    Rachel was caught off guard. Her flushed cheeks gradually made her ears turn red.


    David noticed that Rachel was a little depressed, and the smile on his face disappeared. ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong?¡±


    Rachel looked at David. After pondering for a moment, she said in a low voice, ¡°I just feel that I¡¯m not


    worth your time and effort.¡±


    Ever since she could remember, everyone had left her. No one liked her from the bottom of their hearts.


    Even if she was obedient and sensible enough and tried her best to be the way those people


    wanted, she couldn¡¯t gain their liking.


    She was ttered by David¡¯s favoritism.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s worth it or not has never been your problem. It¡¯s my problem.¡± David stared at Rachel


    without blinking. ¡°In my mind, you¡¯re the most worthy person in the world for me to give my all.¡±


    On the way back to Johnson Corporation, Rachel sat quietly in the car. She looked at the rapidly


    retreating scenery outside the window, but David¡¯s words echoed in her ears.


    It turned out that she deserved to be loved.


    The first floor of Johnson Corporation.


    Louis sat in the car and stared thoughtfully at the towering


    building in front of him. After pondering for a long time, he finally opened the car door to get out of the


    car.


    Louis had more or less expected that the bidding for thend in South Valley would fail. However, he


    did not expect Ster Corporation, which he had always looked down on, to be able topete against


    Johnson Corporation.


    After the bid failed, Louis had been nning to coborate with Johnson Corporation. With Mr. Justin


    acting as the intermediary, Louis felt pretty confident in this matter. He did not think that things could go


    wrong.


    However, after Louis left Best Fry in a hurry that day, Mr. Justin rejected Louis¡® request and even


    returned all the things Louis had given him previously.


    Louis wanted to know if Mr. Justin had second thoughts or if it was Ms. Grey, the president of Johnson


    Corporation, who interfered!

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96


    Louis¡® assistant opened the car door. Louis bent down to get out of the car and walked straight into


    Johnson Corporation.


    After Louis exined the purpose of his visit to the receptionist, the receptionist had a standard smile


    on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Smith. Ms. Grey is not in thepany at the moment. If you want to see


    her, you can make an appointment first.¡±


    ¡°Is Ms. Grey not in thepany, or is she deliberately avoiding us?¡± Louis¡® assistant was a little angry.


    During this period, they had tried to see this elusive Ms. Grey more than once, but their trips had been


    futile. It was obvious that she


    did it on purpose.


    Even an honest person with a good temper would feel resentful in the face of such a situation.


    Louis was a little angry, but his expression remained neutral. ¡°If you see Ms. Grey, please pass on the


    message.¡±


    With that, he turned around and left.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Louis¡® assistant red at the receptionist angrily and hurriedly caught up to Louis. ¡°Mr. Smith, it¡¯s


    obvious that this Ms. Grey is deliberately avoiding us!¡±


    If his assistant could sense it, how could Louis not?


    However, Louis could not understand why the other party would avoid him.


    Louis was sure that he had never offended anyone from Johnson Corporation. To coborate with


    Johnson Corporation, he had even feigned civility with Mr. Justin, that greedy and lewd person, for so


    long.


    Even though Louis felt resentful, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and swallow his anger.


    After all, Smith Group was not qualified to be enemies with


    Johnson Corporation.


    Louis snapped out of his thoughts. When he turned around, he seemed to see a familiar figure.


    Louis stopped in his tracks. Was that¡­ Rachel?!


    However, on second thought, Johnson Corporation was not a ce


    where Rachel could enter and leave as she liked. He must have made a mistake.


    At this moment, Louis heard the assistant beside him stammer, ¡°Could it be that¡­ Miss Grey offended


    someone she shouldn¡¯t have in the past?¡±


    Back then, Rachel had worked hard for Smith Group and made outstanding contributions, but there


    were also many awful rumors. Hearing what his assistant said, Louis said thoughtfully, ¡°When we get


    back to thepany, ask the assistant who used to work for Rachel.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t have offended Johnson Corporation.


    If anyone had offended Johnson Corporation, it could only be Rachel, this woman who didn¡¯t care


    about the consequences. She might have offended Johnson Corporation unknowingly.


    Who knew the number of enemies she had secretly made for Smith Group and the pressure she had


    faced all these years?


    In the president¡¯s office on the top floor.


    Rachel had just returned to the office when Linda brought an important document. ¡°Ms. Grey, these are


    the candidates for the brand ambassador shortlisted by the strategy department. Please take a look.¡±


    Rachel rejected Olivia as the brand ambassador soon after she returned to thepany. The strategy


    department felt a lot of pressure imperceptibly.


    To cater to Rachel¡¯s taste, it took the strategy department more


    than half a month to select a few suitable candidates for her final selection.


    ¡°Jessica Tower?¡± A dark glint shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes as she looked at the relevant information on


    the top. She tapped her fingertips on the document. ¡°She¡¯ll do!¡±


    Linda was not surprised at all to hear this reply. The smile on her lips involuntarily deepened. ¡°Yes.¡±


    As soon as the news on the brand ambassador of Johnson Corporation¡¯s resort was released, it quickly


    caused a wave of public opinion on the inte.


    Bald Girl said, [Who is this model?]


    Evil L said. [The gossip I saw previously said that this endorsement was Sarah¡¯s. Why did it


    suddenly be Jessica¡¯s? Could it be that Jessica has the backing of a big shot?]


    I am Wizard Merlin said. [Speaking of which, didn¡¯t Sarah offend someone she shouldn¡¯t have and get


    cklisted?!]


    Juicy Chicken Drumstick said. [Don¡¯tizens remember? When this woman debuted, she was


    exposed for being a bully in school! I seriously suspect that Sarah got cklisted because this woman


    plotted it. Her goal was to be famous!]


    Green with Envy said, [It¡¯s another day of heartache for my Olivia.]


    The zealousizens uncovered every secret about Jessica. Her behavior was scandalous, from going


    to pubs as a minor to smoking, drinking, and fighting.


    Half an hourter, Olivia¡¯s Twitter post was trending.


    Olivia said, [Hard work beats talent. It is said that good luck favors girls who like to smile. I hope to be


    favored by the Goddess of Fortune.] ¡°Photo¡±


    ¡°Olivia is such an attention¨Cseeker. She never stops!¡± When Mary saw Olivia¡¯s post, she angrily


    mmed her phone on the table.


    Those brainless fans whomented on her post are even more


    disgusting. Aren¡¯t they afraid they¡¯ll be struck by lightning along


    with Olivia?¡±

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    When Jessica heard her words, a smile appeared on her cold face. ¡°Everyone has changed after so


    many years. Only you are still the same as before.¡±


    ¡°Are you secretly mocking me for not making any progress?¡± Mary raised her eyebrows and looked at


    Jessica. Her gazended on Jessica¡¯s chest, and a teasing smile shed across her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve


    indeed changed a lot. It can be said to be a qualitative leap.¡±


    Jessica took thedy¡¯s cigarette away from her lips and leaned forward with her chest puffed up. ¡°Do


    you wanna try a try on this?¡±


    ¡°Jessica, you¡¯re a girl. You should be reserved!¡± Mary could not help but blush from Jessica¡¯s teasing.


    As the two of them were joking around, Rachel asked, ¡°Are you still leaving aftering back this


    time?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± Jessica put thedy¡¯s cigarette in her hand into the ashtray on the


    coffee table and stubbed it out. ¡°I¡¯ll just take it one step at a time.¡±


    As she spoke, Linda pushed open the door and walked in. She nodded at Mary and Jessica and looked


    at Rachel. ¡°Ms. Grey, the trending topic has been removed.¡±


    Rachel gave a nod and turned to look at Jessica. ¡°Shall we go to the studio to take a set of photos


    first?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Jessica said as she stood up and walked out.


    With Adrian¡¯s arrival, Mary wisely left first.


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    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Rachel poured him a ss of water and ced it on the table.


    ¡°Your Uncle Tom had something on and specially asked me toe and see you. Coincidentally, I


    happened to pass by and came up to take a look.¡± Adrian sat on the sofa and looked Rachel up and


    down. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Much better.¡± Rachel sat in the armchair beside him.


    Adrian picked up the cup and took a sip. His gazended on the cigarette butt of thedy in the


    ashtray. The depths of his eyes under the sses had a dark glint as he silently tightened his grip on


    the cup. He asked casually, ¡°Since when did Mary, this little girl, begin to smoke?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Mary. It¡¯s another friend of mine,¡± Rachel exined.


    Adrian¡¯s fingertips caressed the edge of the cup. His eyebrows were slightly raised, and the corners of


    his lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°Do I know her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Jessica. You should have an impression of her.¡±


    Unsurprisingly, when he heard this name, a meaningful smile shed across Adrian¡¯s eyes. He


    drawled, saying calmly, ¡°So it¡¯s her¡­¡±


    Rachel failed to notice Adrian¡¯s expression and said, ¡°By the way, I want you to help me find a house


    closer to thepany.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to find a house. I have an apartment nearby avable. I¡¯ll get someone to send the key


    to youter.¡±


    The two of them exchanged a few words before Adrian stood up and left.


    After a busy week of work, it was Old Mr. Smith¡¯s 80th birthday in the blink of an eye.


    When Rachel went to Old Mr. Smith¡¯s residence, she first went to mour Pavilion, a famous antique


    shop in Seaxas.


    As soon as Rachel entered, the shop assistant immediately weed her. Rachel picked up a pocket


    watch and packed it away as if she was strolling in her own backyard.


    After leaving, she took a car to Old Mr. Smith¡¯s residence.


    Naturally, Old Mr. Smith¡¯s 80th birthday was a big deal. Coupled with the fact that the Smith family was


    now a popr rising family,


    there were naturally people who rushed to curry favor with him.


    In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Rachel deliberately bypassed the main entrance and entered


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s courtyard through the side door.


    At this moment, in the courtyard, the Smith family gathered to have coffee and chat.


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s arrival, everyone was slightly stunned, their faces revealing a trace of amazement.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98


    Rachel was wearing a burgundy velvet suit with a ckce sling inside. The female sexiness in her


    capable and decisive


    temperament was evident. Her long hair was casually tied into a simple bun, and a few strands of hair


    hung down from her temples, exuding a casual charm.


    She exuded an innate pride and confidence as she walked over step by step without looking sideways.


    She carried herself with an aura that was difficult for one to ignore.


    This kind of aura was innate, deeply engraved in her bones day after day. It was as if everything in the


    world was under her control. Olivia couldn¡¯t stand Rachel¡¯s pride the most. It was as if nothing in this


    world could hit her fancy.


    In Olivia¡¯s eyes, Rachel was just a person born in the countryside who had no power or influence and


    Rachel had nothing to show off in front of her.


    The disgust and hatred in Olivia¡¯s eyes shed across, reced by a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Rachel,


    long time no see.¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Rachel nced at her expressionlessly. Her cold and steady voice sounded. ¡°You really don¡¯t take your


    lesson!¡±


    Olivia lowered her eyes and looked like she was about to cry. ¡°Rachel, are you still not forgiving me?¡±


    As she spoke, she reached out to pull Rachel¡¯s arm.


    However, Rachel avoided her imperceptibly and walked straight to Old Mr. Smith¡¯s room.


    Jane was furious when she saw her arrogant look. ¡°Rachel, are you blind? There are so many elders


    here. Don¡¯t you have the manners to greet them?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. Her cold gaze swept across everyone in the hall as she said


    frostily, ¡°Those who have watched


    me grow up and care for me all the time are called elders. Do you think you people¡­ are worthy of


    being my elders?¡±


    Everyone present had hurt her before.


    Everyone appeared elegant and noble, but their actions were despicable and shameless.


    The fact that Rachel did not get even with them was already the greatest tolerance she had for the


    group of people in front of her. It was simply wishful thinking for her to bow down and curry favor with


    them!


    ¡°Look at your outfit. Looks like you¡¯ve climbed up the socialdder, so now you look down on us.¡± At


    this moment, a woman in a purple dress spoke in a sarcastic tone. She sized up Rachel with a faint


    smile.


    The woman in front of Rachel was married to Louis¡¯s second uncle. When she was young, she was


    also a rare beauty. Unfortunately, as time went by, her exquisite and beautiful oval face turned into her


    current sharp and mean face.


    Previously, when Rachel was in the Smith family, she often mocked Rachel. Now that she knew that


    Rachel had been chased out of the Smith family, she became even more unscrupulous.


    As the saying goes, three women make a show. With so many women here, they were enough to


    drown Rachel with saliva.


    ¡°You¡¯re all dressed up now, but you¡¯ve forgotten where youe from!¡±


    ¡°If Louis hadn¡¯t been kind enough to bring you back to the Smith family back then, you wouldn¡¯t even


    know where you are now! Why are you looking down on us now that you¡¯ve climbed up the social


    ladder? Rachel, you have no conscience at all!¡±


    Rachel gave a shortugh, but there was a terrifying coldness in the depths of her almond¨Cshaped


    eyes. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re qualified to talk about conscience with me? Have you forgotten that if it


    weren¡¯t for me, the Smith family would have gone bankrupt long ago? Am I the one who has no


    conscience or you people!¡±


    ¡°How dare yon!¡± Mrs. Smith mmed the table and stood up to her feet. ¡°Rachel, what kind of ce do


    you think this is? Do you think you can behave atrociously at will?¡±


    Rachel looked at her with mockery in the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve already behaved atrociously in front


    of you many times. What the difference does it make if I behaved atrociously again?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Mrs. Smith red at her and sneered. ¡°You severely injured Olivia in public, and now you¡¯re


    spouting nonsense in front of the Smith family. You know that you can¡¯t marry into the Smith family.


    You¡¯repletely unleashing your nature and doing whatever you


    want!¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, her eyes darting around everyone


    present. She understood something as she saw a gloating smile on everyone¡¯s face.


    This group of people did not just appear here to drink coffee and chat. They had specially waited here


    for her to criticize her!


    Rachel¡¯s expression was indifferent, and a trace of mockery shed past her eyes.


    Wasn¡¯t this group of people best at gathering together and criticizing others with the airs of elders?


    However, in the past, Rachel had swallowed her anger for Louis. Now, she had no scruples!

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    Rachel walked to the side and sat in an armchair.


    She raised her eyes and looked coldly at the Smith family¡¯s women who were led by Mrs. Smith. She


    had an aura all around her.


    ¡°Olivia deserved it!¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Jane pointed at Rachel and scolded, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for a vicious woman like you deliberately


    blowing up the matter, Olivia wouldn¡¯t have been banned by thepany! You asked for two million


    dors! You were driving her to the corner! Now that you¡¯ve caused her to be like this, you say that it


    has nothing to do with you. You¡¯re shameless!


    ¡°In the final analysis, you¡¯re just jealous of Olivia! You¡¯re jealous of her better family background and


    cannot stand the fact that my brother would rather choose her than you. That¡¯s why you took the


    opportunity to take revenge on Olivia! Fortunately, my brother dumped you. Otherwise, if he married a


    vicious woman like you, our Smith family would be in deep trouble!¡±


    ¡°Jane, stop talking. It¡¯s been so long. Besides, my actions at that time were indeed a little


    inappropriate.¡± Olivia gently pulled Jane¡¯s arm and looked pitifully at Rachel, who was sitting in the


    armchair. ¡°Whether it¡¯s my appearance or Louis¡¯s choice, Miss Grey, just hate me. I¡¯m willing to bear all


    of it. It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s your fault!¡± Rachel cut her off. She looked at Olivia coldly. ¡°You brought all this upon


    yourself!¡±


    When Jane heard her words, she immediately flew into a rage. ¡°What do you mean by that? You¡¯re the


    one who¡¯s in the wrong! You clearly know that my brother loved someone else, but you were pestering


    him and dreaming of marrying him. You deserve to be abandoned in the end!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and there was a faint fierceness in the depths of her almond¨Cshaped


    eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right. I deserve to be abandoned. Since I¡¯ve been abandoned, can I take away the


    investors I¡¯ve found for the Smith family all these years?¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Back then, when the Smith family was on the verge of bankruptcy, Rachel worked like a horse in order


    to find investors for the family. She found new investors for the Smith family and brought it back on


    track.


    Thanks to her, the Smith family¡¯s crisis was solved, making it emerge as a rising family in Seaxas.


    All these years, Mrs. Smith was well¨Cversed in the ways of the world. She was worried that Rachel


    would use this matter to threaten the Smith family, so she had long be friends with the investors¡®


    wives. However, there were no eternal friends in this world, only unchanging interests.


    If Rachel was tempted by benefits, it was hard to guarantee that those people would not change sides


    and choose Rachel.


    At the thought of this, Mrs. Smith¡¯s sharp eyes flickered across Rachel as she said indifferently, ¡°Alright,


    it¡¯s all past.¡±


    Mrs. Smith paused for a moment. Like a parent who cared for her juniors, she lectured Rachel,


    ¡°Rtionships don¡¯t always make sense. Louis did some ill¨Cconsidered things at the wedding venue


    that day. I¡¯ll say the same thing as before. If you have any grievances in your heart, feel free to ask


    something for us. We¡¯ll do our best to satisfy all your requests to make up for you.¡±


    Ill¨Cconsidered¡­


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile.


    On the day of the wedding, Rachel was abandoned by her fianc¨¦ and was mocked by the guests. In


    the end, all she got in return was the word ¡®ill¨Cconsidered¡®.


    Rachel took a deep breath and tried her best to suppress the hatred raging in her chest.


    Today was Old Mr. Smith¡¯s 80th birthday after all. She did not want to make things too ugly and upset


    him.


    Rachel stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to pay my respects to Old Mr. Smith!¡±


    Seeing her get up and leave, Mrs. Smith hurriedly stood up as well. ¡°Since you¡¯re back this time, why


    don¡¯t you stay for a mealter?¡±


    Mrs. Smith specially asked Louis to bring Rachel back. It was not just to celebrate Old Mr. Smith¡¯s


    birthday.


    T


    Moreover, the Smith family was thriving now. All the guests invited were either rich or noble. There was


    no need for a country girl like Rachel to join in the fun.

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    At Mrs. Smith¡¯s words, a trace of hesitation shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s birthday had been held grandly in the past three years, but it had nothing to do with


    Rachel.


    The Smith family always kept her in the family because they were worried that Rachel¡¯s background


    would be ridiculed.


    Would Mrs. Smith be so kind as to ask her to stay for dinner?


    Narrowing her eyes, Rachel gave Mrs. Smith a deep and long look and said, ¡°Mrs. Smith, I appreciate


    your kindness, but I gotta go


    now.¡±


    Facing her indifferent attitude, Mrs. Smith had a hint of displeasure emerging in her eyes. ¡°I know you


    hate me in your heart. I want to make up to you for the past. Are you gonna turn me down?¡±


    ¡°Just because you want to make up to me doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll let it go and forgive you,¡± Rachel said in a


    cold voice and walked away.


    Rachel had never owed the Smith family a thing. Instead, the Smith family owed her too much.


    Perhaps it was because of what Rachel had been through in her childhood that she had trouble


    epting others¡® kindness, so she would remember their kindness and charity.


    During the Smith family¡¯s most difficult time, Rachel stepped forward bravely. However, in the end, not


    only did the Smith family not show any appreciation, but they even devalued her three years of hard


    work. They treated her sincerity toward Louis as one¨Csided.


    From the moment Rachel broke up with Louis, she and the Smith family were like fire and water. It was


    impossible for her to be with Louis again.


    If Old Mr. Smith had not personally made the call, she would


    never have set foot in the Smith family.


    Without any hesitation, Rachel walked toward Old Mr. Smith¡¯s courtyard room.


    As Old Mr. Smith got old, he grew weary of the lively atmosphere. Instead, he liked to stay in a


    secluded garden, lie on a rattan chair, listen to music, and drink coffee.


    As expected, when Rachel arrived at the small garden, she saw Old Mr. Smith sitting on a rattan chair


    from afar. He was holding a birdcage in his hand and ying with the parrot in it.


    This parrot was specially found by Rachel back then, but it had been raised by Old Mr. Smith all these


    years.


    Looking at the parrot¡¯s smooth fur, she knew that it had been carefully raised.


    ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re finally here. Old Mr. Smith has been talking about you all morning.¡± When the nanny


    saw Rachel, her face was filled with joy.


    Old Mr. Smith hurriedly put down the birdcage in his hand and sat up from the rattan chair. With a


    smile, he waved at Rachel. ¡°You¡¯re. finally here. You¡¯ve made me wait.¡±


    As he spoke, he clenched his fists and coughed a few times.


    ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an old problem.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith looked at Rachel¡¯s worried expression and hurriedly exined, ¡°I know my body. It¡¯s not


    a big problem. It won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, pfft, pfft!¡± Rachel turned her head and spat a few times. She darted Old Mr. Smith an angry look


    and said, ¡°Today is your birthday. It¡¯s so unlucky to mention that.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith was amused by her actions andughed heartily. Then, he held her hand and patted it


    gently. The smile on his face faded a little as he said, ¡°I know about you and Louis, I don¡¯t ask


    you to forgive anyone. I just hope that you can get over it as soon as possible and not make things


    difficult for yourself.¡±


    Rachel shed him a smile. She knew that Old Mr. Smith cared about her.


    ¡°I was struggling with how to put this to you before. Since you¡¯ve mentioned, this is much easier for


    you.¡±


    As Rachel spoke, she took out a red brocade box from her bag. Inside the box was a green bracelet.


    ¡°Since I¡¯ve broken up with Louis, I¡¯m supposed to return this to you.¡±


    Seeing this bracelet, Old Mr. Smith was not happy at all. Instead, his heart felt even heavier. He sighed


    deeply. ¡°Rachel, I¡¯ve seen everything you¡¯ve done in the past three years. The Smith family owes you a


    huge favor, and so does Louis. We can never repay the debt we owe you in this lifetime.


    ¡°Since this bracelet is given to you, it¡¯s yours. Keep it well. Treat it


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    memento that I left for you.¡±

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101


    Rachel shook her head and refused. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know the meaning of this bracelet, I might have kept it.


    Well, since I knew that its meaning is extraordinary, why would I keep it?¡±


    There was nothing worthy of reflection between her and the Smith family.


    The only person she found attached to was probably this old man in front of her.


    During the three years when Rachel was in the Smith family, she had been looked down upon. Only the


    old man in front of her, who was about the same age as her maternal grandfather, truly doted on her


    and cared for her in every way.


    Old Mr. Smith knew Rachel well. He knew that there was basically no room for negotiation when she


    had made a decision.


    He sighed and gave a bitter smile. He picked up the red brocade box and said regretfully, ¡°Louis


    doesn¡¯t get the luck to have you.¡±


    Olivia, who was hiding in the corner, saw the jade bracelet in Old Mr. Smith¡¯s hand. She clenched her


    fists tightly with her long nails digging into her flesh, but she did not feel any pain.


    Previously, she had underestimated Rachel.


    She thought that with Rachel¡¯s background, no one would think highly of her in the Smith family, let


    alone treat her nicely. She did not expect that Rachel could actually coax Old Mr. Smith to give her


    such a valuable bracelet in private.


    Fortunately, Rachel tactfully returned the bracelet.


    Otherwise, Olivia thought it would take her a lot of effort to get the bracelet back.


    Olivia collected her thoughts and walked in with a smile. ¡°Grandpa Smith.¡±


    At the sight of Olivia, the smile on Old Mr. Smith¡¯s face faded a little. He said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    It was visible that he was a little displeased by Olivia¡¯s appearance here.


    Olivia looked at Old Mr. Smith. Her gazended on the document that he handed to Rachel.


    On it was clearly written the ¡®share transfer agreement¡®!


    Olivia¡¯s pupils constricted. The smile on her face stiffened slightly, and her eyes widened in disbelief.


    Old Mr. Smith wanted to transfer the shares under his name to Rachel?


    In terms of background, Olivia was the daughter of the Cruise family, which was well¨Cknown in Seaxas,


    although it wasn¡¯t one of the few wealthy families.


    Rachel, however, was just a wild girl from the countryside.


    What made her gain so much favor from Old Mr. Smith?


    Qld Mr. Smith first rejected the arrangements to announce her engagement with Louis at the birthday


    banquet. Now, he even secretly took out his shares and gave them to Rachel.


    Could it be that Rachel was better than her in Old Mr. Smith¡¯s eyes?


    1


    Olivia took a deep breath and restrained the intense jealousy in her eyes. Her face was still gentle and


    pleasant as she said calmly, ¡°Grandpa Smith, since Miss Grey is here, why don¡¯t we let her go to the


    banquet in the front hall?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Old Mr. Smith put down the share transfer agreement and looked up at Rachel. ¡°Rachel,


    since you¡¯re here, have a meal with me.¡±


    Rachel wanted to refuse, but Old Mr. Smith finally wore her down. In the end, she nodded and agreed.


    While they were drinking, Mrs. Smith stood up with a wine ss and proposed, ¡°Old Mr. Smith, today is


    your 80th birthday. Why don¡¯t we take the opportunity to announce another good news? I know you¡¯ve


    been looking forward to your great¨Cgrandson¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Old Mr. Smith mmed the wine ss in his hand on the


    table.


    He looked up at Mrs. Smith. ¡°Did you turn a deaf ear to what I said before?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Mrs. Smith was caught off guard and met the old man¡¯s sharp gaze. Her eyes were filled with


    panic. ¡°I just think¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an eyesore at my age?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. You know that I don¡¯t mean that¡­..¡±


    Mrs. Smith was so anxious that she couldn¡¯t exin herself. Instead, she made things


    worse.


    Mr. Smith pursed his lips and said at the right time, ¡°Dad, Lillian wants you to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Appreciated, but shove that kind of thoughts out of your mind. I¡¯m not dead yet. It¡¯s not up to you to


    make decisions for me!¡± Old Mr. Smith took a deep look at Mrs. Smith with air of quiet authority.


    How could he not know what Lillian was thinking?


    It was nothing more than forcing him to acknowledge Olivia as his granddaughter¨Cinw on this


    asion. He had looked down on Olivia whom he thought was a fair¨Cweather girlfriend for Louis in the


    first ce. Besides, Olivia stirred up a wave on the Inte a few days ago, which would only bring


    disgrace to the Smith family if she got engaged to Louis at this


    time!


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Moreover, if Louis was engaged to Olivia shortly after he broke up with Rachel, what would the outside


    world say about Louis and the Smith family?


    The dining table was filled with a solemn atmosphere. It was not until halfway through the meal that all


    the guests raised their sses to propose a toast for Old Mr. Smith that the atmosphere eased.


    After Jane sat down, she looked at Rachel, who was sitting not far away. Her eyes flickered slightly.


    ¡°Grandpa, Olivia has specially prepared a big gift for you. Why don¡¯t you show uster?¡±

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    Chapter 102


    Chapter 102


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. There¡¯s still time for you to eat,¡± Old Mr. Smith said calmly.


    Jane Smith¡¯s lips curled into a satisfied smile. When she raised her ss, she raised her eyebrows at


    Rachel Grey, who was sitting near and facing her. There was a hint of provocation in her eyes.


    In the past, Rachel had never attended Old Mr. Smith¡¯s birthday banquet, so she naturally prepared a


    gift this year.


    Jane especially went to look at the item that Rachel had sent. The packaging of the box looked


    ordinary, and it was evident that it was not anything valuable.


    Rachel noticed Jane¡¯s gaze. Rachel just calmly picked up the ss of water and took a sip.


    After the gathering ended, the servants presented Jane¡¯s gifts. There were at least dozens


    of them.


    The rtives opened the carefully selected gifts one by one, cing them on the table for Old Mr.


    Smith to look at.


    As everyone knew, Old Mr. Smith loved paintings and art pieces, so most of the congrattory gifts


    were to his liking.


    Surprisingly, Mr. Lewis from a powerful corporation even gifted a famous Baroque sculpture.


    Jane unwrapped the gift that Olivia Cruise had meticulously prepared. ¡°Grandpa, do you like this


    painting?¡± Jane asked.


    Jane handed it over to Old Mr. Smith.


    Old Mr. Smith looked up at the painting and was overjoyed. ¡°This is¡­ a painting from the Baroque


    period?¡±


    Then Rachel raised her head and smiled meaningfully.


    Olivia replied, ¡°Yes, Grandpa Smith. I specially visited a collector and bought this painting. from him. I


    hope you like it.¡±


    ¡°This painting is very valuable. What¡¯s there not to like about this?¡± Old Mr. Smith joked.


    He carefully held the painting. It was not exactly exquisite, but even its canvas seemed to be made of


    special material.


    Before the painting fell into the hands of others, it was monopolized by the nobles. They were a


    common gift among the nobles then, somoners rarely came across them.


    Old Mr. Smith looked at it repeatedly and caressed it lovingly. Even though he did not like Olivia, he


    could not help but say sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Miss Cruise.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it,¡± Olivia said. She appeared to be generous, seemingly not asking for anything in


    return.


    However, other gifts paled inparison to Olivia¡¯s gift.


    ¡°Olivia has lost a lot of weight recently. She refused to say anything when I asked her. I see. she has


    been trying to think of a way to please Old Mr. Smith. What an affectionate child.¡±


    With Mrs. Smith praising Olivia, some also pitched in, ¡°Mrs. Smith is so lucky. Her son is outstanding,


    and even her future daughter¨Cinw ispetent. How enviable.¡±


    ¡°If I get such a considerate daughter¨Cinw, I might thank the gods.¡±


    ¡°Good girls like Oliva are hard toe by. Louis, you must hurry up. Otherwise, you¡¯ll regret it when


    Olivia is sick of you.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, Olivia and Louis are about the same age. The two of them grew up together. They


    should get engaged as soon as possible to carry on the Smith family bloodline.¡±


    Seeing that everyone was being increasingly straightforward, Olivia shyly leaned into Louis¡¯s arms.


    However, she vaguely realized that he was a little distracted.


    Olivia leaned against Louis¡¯s chest and followed his line of sight. Then she saw Rachel sitting not far


    away. Olivia secretly gritted her teeth, but there was still a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Louis, what¡¯s


    wrong?¡±


    Louis snapped back to his senses and heard his second aunt say, ¡°Louis, Olivia is in love with you. You


    can¡¯t let her down.¡±


    Louis tightened his grip on Olivia¡¯s waist. He looked at the woman in his arms with a gentle smile. ¡°I


    definitely won¡¯t.¡±


    Seeing this, the Smith family¡¯s rtives revealed ambiguous smiles.


    As everyone spoke, they secretly sized up Rachel, who was sitting not far away, trying to spot any


    change in her expression.


    However, Rachel just sipped her tea as usual, as if she was uninvolved.


    Everyone could not help but purse their lips. They were amazed at how Rachel could pretend to be


    unfazed. They wanted to see how much longer she could put up the act.


    Then Jane said casually, ¡°Miss Grey, I haven¡¯t seen your gift. Speaking of which, this is your first time


    attending Grandpa¡¯s birthday banquet. I think your gift must be an extraordinary


    one!¡±


    As Jane spoke, she looked at Rachel with a smile on her face. There was a hint of schadenfreude in


    her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing special,¡± Rachel said tly.

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    Chapter 103


    Jane Smith snorted and opened the box. Then she saw an ordinary¨Clooking pocket watch inside. Her


    eyes revealed a trace of disdain.


    Jane was convinced that Rachel Grey didn¡¯t have the ability to procure a decent gift.


    ¡°With how confident you carried yourself, I thought you would have a rare gift, but it turns out to be a


    defective pocket watch.¡±


    A part of the pocket watch was stained. It was obvious that someone else had used it. It was unknown


    which trash pile Rachel had picked it up from.


    ¡°Miss Grey, I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s the gift you brought.¡±


    ¡°As expected, no matter how well one dress up, a pauper will always be a pauper!¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, if you¡¯re really short of money, you cane over for meals. After all, we, the Smith family,


    invite you over not because we want anything from you.¡°¨C


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Aren¡¯t you openly humiliating the Smith family by giving something defective like this?


    More and more people started to raise their voices. They seemed bound on humiliating Rachel.


    ¡°Rachel, I thought you would have led an easier life after you left the Smith family. I¡­¡± Louis Smith


    stopped. He sighed slightly. ¡°Feel free to ask me for help if you have any difficulties. I will do my best to


    make it up to you.¡±


    Rachel did not even spare Louis a nce. She only let out a softugh.


    She put down the teacup in her hand and walked towards Old Mr. Smith, looking forward. There was a


    faint smile on her lips. ¡°Grandpa Smith, did you see what¡¯s inside?¡± Jane sneered, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a broken


    pocket watch? Don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s valuable?¡± Just as Jane was about to reach for the pocket watch,


    Old Mr. Smith eximed, ¡°Stop!¡± Not only was Jane shocked, but everyone else was as well. It was


    because the stern look that Old Mr. Smith gave had scared them.


    Everyone subconsciously looked at the pocket watch in the box. It was just an ordinary pocket watch.


    Could it be that there was much more to it than that?


    ¡°Rachel Grey, let me remind you out of kindness. Today is Granpa¡¯s birthday. Don¡¯t me me for what


    happens if you present anything unbing,¡± Jane warned Rachel, gritting her teeth.


    Unexpectedly, Old Mr. Smith reprimanded Jane before she could finish speaking. ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t


    embarrass yourself here!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Jane stared at him with an aggrieved expression.


    ¡°Jane Smith, be good,¡± Mr. Smith warned coldly.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Jane pouted indignantly and walked over to Mrs. Smith.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, could this pocket watch be¡­ Jehan Cremsdorff¡¯s Gold, Enamel, and Diamond¨Cset


    Chapter 103


    Verge Watch?¡± Old Mr. Smith stared at the item in the box intently. He wanted to take the pocket watch


    out from the box to have a closer look but retracted his hand, for fear that he might damage the


    antique.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°I¡¯m impressed. You really know your stuff.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith was so pumped up that he felt his blood pressure rise.


    It was known as one of the most valuable collectibles in recent years. A rare and unique antique like


    that was a godsend to Old Mr. Smith, a collector.


    At this moment, Mr. Lewis, who was an avid collector of antiques, said with a trembling voice, ¡°Jehan


    Cremsdorff¡¯s Gold, Enamel, and Diamond¨Cset Verge Watch? The one that was auctioned off for 1.91


    million dors?¡±


    ¡°1.91 million dors? How can such a thing be worth so much?¡±


    Mr. Lewis shook his head and exined patiently, ¡°You don¡¯t get it. This pocket watch was crafted by


    Jehan Cremsdorff, a watchmaker during thete 17th century. It¡¯s value as a collectible is


    immeasurable.¡±


    With that, the banquet hall fell silent.


    Olivia Cruise¡¯s expression froze a little. Her sharp nails dug into her palm. She was not expecting that


    thing to be so valuable.

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    ¡°I¡¯m concerned that this might be a fake,¡± Second Aunt, who was in the crowd, could not help but


    question. She raised her eyes and looked at Rachel Grey with a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s understandable if this


    is a gift from Miss Cruise, but if it¡¯s from Miss Grey, then I¡¯m afraid¡­ I feel there is a need to question


    it.¡±


    The others murmured, ¡°1.91 million dors is not a small sum. I¡¯m afraid Miss Grey has never seen so


    much money in her life, right?¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, this doesn¡¯t need to be appraised at all. It¡¯s definitely a fake!¡±


    Other than the guests who did not know Rachel¡¯s identity, all of the members of the Smith family were


    aware of Rachel¡¯s identity.


    She was just a country girl from a humble background. She was lucky enough to get into the University


    of Seaxas.


    Otherwise, she would probably never have the chance toe to Seaxas in her life. She might even


    spend her whole life in the countryside.


    The stunned Jane Smith finally came back to her senses and said disdainfully, ¡°Do you think such


    antiques are easy to procure? It must be a fake!¡±


    ¡°Handing us fakes on this important asion¡­ She¡¯s deliberately embarrassing us in front of


    outsiders!¡±


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t have money, so be it. Why is she being so pretentious? Now that she¡¯s been exposed, I


    want to see what else she has to say!¡±


    ¡°As the saying goes, it is sincerity that matters most. No matter what, this is Miss Grey¡¯s sincerity. I¡¯m


    afraid Miss Grey is just inexperienced and isn¡¯t aware of the shenanigans within the antique market, so


    it¡¯s reasonable for her to be deceived.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Olivia Cruise was seemingly trying to help Rachel, but Olivia was, in fact, deepening the impression


    that Rachel had given Old Mr. Smith a ¡°fake.¡±


    The current Smith family was no longer the same as before. Although the Smith family could not


    compare to the four top families in Seaxas, it was still one of the richest families.


    Wealthy families in simr positions not only pursued power, but also cared about their reputation.


    Meanwhile, Rachel had publicly presented a fake at Old Mr. Smith¡¯s 80th birthday banquet. It was


    undoubtedly a humiliation to both Old Mr. Smith and the Smith family.


    Old Mr. Smith had invited rich and powerful families in Seaxas to his birthday banquet. If this matter


    was spread, how could the Smith family face others in the future? Even if Old Mr. Smith was biased


    toward Rachel, he couldn¡¯t protect her now, right? Olivia¡¯s eyes shed with imperceptible mockery.


    Now, Rachel had offended the entire Smith family. She wanted to see how this bitch would escape from


    this predicament! The guests present had different views. Since they were not implicated, they only


    watched the show as a bystander. They only secretly nced at Old Mr. Smith, who was sitting in the


    main seat.


    Ever since the pocket watch had been called out as a ¡°fake,¡± the old man had remained silent with a


    calm expression, making it difficult to fathom his thoughts.


    After a long time, he said calmly, ¡°Child, I appreciate your kindness. I like this very much.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s attitude stunned everyone present.


    Initially, they thought that Old Mr. Smith would chase Rachel out in a fit of anger, or he would not treat


    her as amiably as before. It was out of their expectations to see Old Mr. Smith not pursue the matter.


    Rachel looked at the old man calmly. ¡°It¡¯s just something minor. What¡¯s most important is that you like


    it.¡±


    ¡°So, are you going to keep putting up an act until the end?¡± Jane nced at Rachel with ridicule in her


    eyes, the corners of her mouth revealing a sneer. ¡°You¡¯re still being stubborn at this point! Do you think


    weck the know¨Chow for discerning antiques?¡±


    At this moment, someone in the crowd said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that simple? Just find someone to appraise it. If it¡¯s


    authentic, we can prove thisdy¡¯s innocence. If it¡¯s fake¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, if this is fake, you will have to smash the pocket watch, then kneel and apologize to


    Grandpa.¡±

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    The banquet hall fell silent as soon as Jane Smith uttered those words.


    No one had expected Jane, who was widely known as a refined youngdy of the Smith family to be so


    unreasonable.


    Although it was disrespectful for Rachel Grey to present a fake as a gift at Old Mr. Smith¡¯s birthday


    banquet, it was not to the extent of kneeling and apologizing in public.


    In the silence, Rachel suddenly chuckled. Her voice was ice¨Ccold. ¡°But what if it¡¯s authentic?¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Jane turned around and met Rachel¡¯s unfeeling eyes. A chill instantly rose from the bottom of her feet,


    and she forgot to answer Rachel for a moment.


    Rachel patiently repeated the question. ¡°What if it¡¯s authentic?¡±


    Jane suddenly came back to her senses. She cleared her throat and straightened her back. ¡°If it¡¯s


    authentic, I¡¯ll kneel and apologize to you.¡±


    ¡°Jane Smith!¡± Mrs. Smith snapped.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s fine. Do you really think she can afford 1.91 million dors?¡± Jane raised her chin slightly and


    looked at Rachel triumphantly.


    Jane was certain that Rachel¡¯s pocket watch was a fake.


    ¡°You¡¯d better keep your word.¡±


    Upon hearing Rachel Grey¡¯s words, Jane¡¯s body tensed, and fear arose in her heart momentarily.


    But how could she take back her words? What¡¯s done was done.


    Moreover, that was 1.91 million dors. Jane did not believe that Rachel could afford it at all.


    Jane wanted to see how Rachel would continue acting all arrogantly after the result of the appraisal


    was out.


    There was somemotion within the crowds as many seemed to be discussing amongst themselves.


    ¡°But we¡¯re not experts in this field. We wouldn¡¯t dare make conclusions on our own.¡±


    ¡°Is there anyone familiar with such things here?¡±


    Silence ensued as soon as the man finished speaking.


    At the end of the day, they were just spectators. There was no need to offend anyone by standing out.


    Mr. Lewis looked at Rachel with aplicated expression. Then, he took a step forward and said


    respectfully, ¡°I¡¯ve met the antiquarian, Mr. Griffin, a few times. Why don¡¯t I call him and invite him over?


    He has a certain level of authority in the antique dealing market. I believe the conclusion he gives will


    convince everyone. What do you think?¡±


    Old Mr. Smith, who had been silent all this while, suddenly said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Mr. Lewis.


    Please invite him over.¡±


    Chapter Th


    Meanwhile, something was happening at the mour Pavilion.


    Mr. Griffin sat cross¨Clegged on the couch. He picked up a teacup and nced at the man sitting


    opposite him. ¡°I wonder what business Mr. Jones has with me?¡±


    David Jones looked up at Mr. Griffin, and the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile that revealed


    a hint of mystery. ¡°I heard Mr. Griffin has some connections with the Johnson family in Seaxas.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, Mr. Griffin¡¯s eyes darkened. His gaze was like a sharp ice de that stabbed


    straight at David. ¡°Mr. Jones, I don¡¯t know the reason for your engagement with the Johnson family, but


    I¡¯ll be straightforward with you¡­ You can¡¯t touch the Johnson family!¡±


    Mr. Griffin¡¯s tone was calm, but there was a certain aggression felt in his words.


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me, Mr. Griffin,¡± David exined calmly. ¡°I¡¯d like to visit you in a few days, but I


    don¡¯t know what Mr. Griffin¡¯s likes are, so I specially came this time.¡±


    Mr. Griffin narrowed his eyes and stared at the man in front of him.


    At this moment, Mr. Griffin¡¯s assistant entered the room and handed him the phone. ¡°Mr. Griffin, there is


    a call from someone named Mr. Lewis looking for you.¡±


    Mr. Griffin nced at his assistant. Then he picked up the phone and got up. When he spoke again, he


    returned to his usual kind tone. ¡°Bernard, I heard you¡¯re looking for me?¡±


    Mr. Lewis, who was on the other end of the phone, told him everything about what happened at the


    Smith¡¯s residence. Mr. Griffin¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°You¡¯re talking about¡­ Jehan Cremsdorff¡¯s Gold,


    Enamel, and Diamond¨Cset Verge Watch?¡±


    That pocket watch was unique to mour Pavilion.


    Even fakes could not be easily found on the market.


    However, the employees at mour Pavilion said that it had fallen into the hands of Rachel, so how


    did the pocket watch appear in the Smith family?


    Mr. Lewis said, ¡°The Smiths insisted that the gift was a fake. Although it had nothing to do with me, I


    can¡¯t bear to see a little girl forced to kneel and apologize. That¡¯s why I¡¯vee to ask for your help. I


    want you to help uphold justice.¡±


    Mr. Griffin pondered for a moment. ¡°Alright, give me a moment.¡±


    With that, Mr. Griffin hung up the phone and turned to look at David. ¡°Mr. Jones, I¡¯m really


    sorry. My friend is in need of my help. Please excuse me for now.¡±


    ¡°Is Mr. Griffin heading to the Smith family?¡± David stood up as well.


    Mr. Griffin replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going over too. Why don¡¯t I send you there?¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you,¡± Mr. Griffin replied.

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    Meanwhile, the drama was still ensuing at the Smith family¡¯s house.


    The servants removed all the unnecessary things from the banquet. All the guests sat on both sides


    and waited expectantly for the legendary,big¨Cshot antiquarian, Mr. Griffin, to


    appear.


    Members of the Smith family were gloating as they looked at Rachel.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    There was no sign of panic on Jane¡¯s face. She sipped her tea as usual, her every move elegant and


    noble.


    The golden sunlight shone on her body and her exquisite face. She was as beautiful as a refined


    painting, pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°Rachel Grey, stop putting up an act.¡± Looking at Rachel¡¯s arrogant conduct, Jane was furious. ¡°We


    won¡¯t me you as long as you tell the truth. Otherwise, you will be exposed once Mr. Griffin arrives.


    There will be no way back.¡±


    Jane felt incredibly disturbed by how confident Rachel was when she said ¡°You¡¯d better keep your


    word.¡± However, there was no turning back. Jane could only pressure Rachel to admit that her gift was


    fake as soon as possible.


    Jane had secretly searched on her phone just now. The value of this pocket watch was immeasurable.


    It had been bought by an anonymous collector at an auction for 1.91 million dors. Until now, no one


    knew the identity of the collector.


    However, no matter who this person was, it was definitely not Rachel Grey.


    Ever since this pocket watch was sold for an astronomical price, there had been fakes circting in the


    market.


    Therefore, Jane was even more convinced that Rachel¡¯s gift was fake.


    Rachel raised her eyebrow and nced at Olivia¡¯s painting. Rachel slowly lowered her head and said


    casually, ¡°Miss Smith, don¡¯t show off how ignorant you are.¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling ignorant?¡± Jane was infuriated.


    Jane wanted to teach Rachel a lesson when Mrs. Smith quickly grabbed her and warned her coldly,


    ¡°Behave yourself!¡±


    Rachel looked at the tea leaves floating in the cup and said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know the symbol on the


    box? Have you never heard of mour Pavilion? It¡¯s quite famous.¡±


    Jane¡¯s pupils constricted slightly on hearing the name ¡°mour Pavilion.¡±


    Everyone looked at the woman sitting on the chair with aplicated expression.


    Jane said that the pocket watch was from mour Pavilion.


    Could she be a member of mour Pavilion?


    Everyone looked at Rachel in disbelief, but they quickly rejected the thought that had just popped up in


    their minds.


    This was simply impossible!


    Chapter 106


    mour Pavilion had a long history and had always been regarded as an authoritative existence by


    antique collectors. Its branches were spread all over the world. Not only did it have a certain amount of


    influence and appeal in Seaxas, but it also had a superior status


    within the country.


    Those who could ess mour Pavilion were either rich or noble. They would have more than a


    dozen million assets under their name, which was the bare requirement. Most of these members had


    huge worths.


    How could Rachel be a member considering her background?


    Jane sneered. ¡°Rachel Grey, ording to what you said¡­ you¡¯re a member of mour Pavilion? Do


    you know what you¡¯re talking about? The Smith family is well aware of your background. You may be


    able to fool others but not us. Do you think we¡¯re that gullible to believe your words?¡±


    Rachel raised an eyebrow but said nothing.


    However, she looked up at Jane as if she was looking at a clown.


    Louis, who was sitting opposite Rachel, frowned slightly. His piercing ck eyes stared straight at


    Rachel as if he wanted to see through her.


    In the past three years, Louis thought that he knew Rachel very well, but at some point, Rachel had


    be a stranger to him.


    mour Pavilion, Rachel Grey¡­


    Was there really a connection between the two?

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    Betrayal At The Altar By Dolores Delia Chapter 107


    Louis Smith¡¯s second aunt spoke again. ¡°Miss Grey, do you know what kind of existence mour


    Pavilion is? You dare use its reputation. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to survive in


    Seaxas from now on.¡±


    Her opinion was in unison with the other rtives of the Smiths. ¡°Show us evidence that you¡¯re a


    member of mour Pavilion. We¡¯ll naturally be convinced if you do.¡±


    ¡°She spent money to buy a counterfeit, disguising it as authentic. And she even used mour


    Pavilion¡¯s name to tter herself. Isn¡¯t she just exaggerating?¡±


    mour Pavilion had been established for many years. However, the leading figure had changed


    many times, but no one was aware of their identities. People only knew even the president of the


    Association of Literary Schrs had to be respectful of the figure. It was more than enough to show


    that the figure had a pivotal position in Seaxas.


    ¡°Miss Grey, please make up a more convincing lie. It¡¯s full of loopholes. Do you think it¡¯s that easy to


    fool us?¡±


    Old Mr. Smith, who was sitting at the head of the table, could not stay still. He gripped his walking stick


    tightly, and his palm was full of cold sweat. He was actually more concerned than he appeared to be.


    ¡°Child, whether the gift is fake or authentic doesn¡¯t matter to me. Can you tell me the truth? I won¡¯t


    me you at all.¡±


    Today was his birthday. He did not expect such a big mistake to happen because of the birthday gift,


    nor did he expect Jane Smith to make a big deal out of this matter. Now that the matter had reached its


    climax, Jane would definitely not let it go. If Old Mr.¡± Smith did not pursue the issue, the reputation of


    the Smith family would be implicated.


    After much thought, the only way to salvage the situation was for Rachel to lower her head and admit


    her mistake.


    Although he had wronged this girl, it was better than kneeling in public, right?


    Rachel looked up at the old man and was about to speak when Louis interjected, ¡°Today is Grandpa¡¯s


    birthday. You should apologize for causing a ruckus regardless of your gift¡¯s authenticity.¡±


    His tone was unquestionablymanding.


    Rachel narrowed her eyes and sneered. ¡°Causing a ruckus? Louis Smith, just because you¡¯re blind


    doesn¡¯t mean everyone here is too!¡±


    Everyone present knew very well that things hade to this point because the Smith family was


    being unreasonable.


    Unfortunately, with the Smith family¡¯s current prestige, no one dared to voice their anger.


    Mr. Lewis, who was among the crowd, said timidly, ¡°Miss, if you¡¯re a member of mour Pavilion, why


    don¡¯t you show us your proof?¡±


    As long as Rachel proved herself, she could resolve her predicament instantly.


    Unexpectedly, Rachel said tly, ¡°No.¡±


    1/2


    Mr. Lewis was at a loss for words:


    This was the first time he had seen such a self¨Crighteous person in his life.


    Just as the atmosphere fell into a strange silence, a loud and clear voice suddenly sounded out. ¡°It¡¯s


    lively at the Smith¡¯s today.¡±


    Everyone looked over and saw an old man in a gray suit walking over leisurely.


    He wore a watch on his left hand, while his right hand was behind his back. Some of his hair was


    graying at his temples. He had a polite and kind smile, but his gaze was sharp and full of vigor.


    Mr. Lewis hurriedly stood up to wee Mr. Griffin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you. You even had to make a


    trip yourself.¡±


    Someone asked, ¡°Who is this old man?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know Mr. Griffin, the collector of ancient literature!¡± The person¡¯s voice was trembling.


    ¡°Ah, I believe you should have heard of the consultant of mour Pavilion?¡±


    That person eximed, ¡°mour Pavilion?¡±


    Then, they looked at Rachel sympathetically. ¡°She brought it upon herself!¡± they thought.


    It seemed things for Miss Grey would not end up well today.

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    Chapter 108


    Mr. Griffin smiled and exchanged pleasantries with Mr. Lewis. When he looked up, he noticed Rachel


    Grey sitting on a chair. The smile on his lips gradually deepened.


    He walked past Mr. Lewis and quickly approached Rachel. ¡°Child, why are you here?¡±


    This left everyone dumbfounded.


    Could it be that Mr. Griffin knew Rachel seeing how he addressed her amiably?


    Jane Smith panicked. She had a bad feeling about this. Her eyes trembled as she looked at the


    inconspicuous pocket watch on the table.


    Was that thing really from mour Pavilion?


    But wasn¡¯t Rachel from the countryside?


    Rachel had no power, nor was she an influential figure. What right did she have to be a


    member of mour Pavilion?


    Rachel put down the teacup in her hand and asked casually, ¡°Has mour Pavilion started selling


    counterfeits?¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°What are you talking about, you brat!¡± Mr. Griffin reprimanded, but there was no anger on his face.


    ¡°You know I hate counterfeits the most. With me around, there is no way those counterfeits will be able


    to make their way into mour Pavilion.¡±


    Mr. Griffin was not only the president of the Association of Literary Schrs in Seaxas, but


    also a consultant for mour Pavilion.


    Every item would have to be appraised by him before they could make their way into mour Pavilion.


    Hence, there would be no counterfeits in mour Pavilion.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you take a look at that pocket watch?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and turned to the


    pocket watch on the table.


    Mr. Griffin followed her gaze and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Is there a need for that? You¡­¡°.


    Rachel suddenly raised her head and gave him a meaningful look. Mr. Griffin instantly understood her


    intentions, so he did not continue.


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll have a look,¡± Mr. Griffin said as he subconsciously nced at Rachel.


    But Rachel seemed indifferent. One would have thought that this matter had nothing to do with her.


    Mr. Griffin cleared his throat and fished a magnifying ss from his chest pocket, then carefully studied


    the embedding of the diamonds and the craftsmanship of the gold work. ¡°This is authentic.¡±


    Those three words were like a p to Jane¡¯s face. Her face instantly turned pale, and her legs almost


    gave way.


    ¡°What¡­ Could this be the pocket watch that was previously stored in mour Pavilion?¡± Mr. Lewis


    eximed, his voice trembling. He looked at the pocket watch with a fiery gaze. He was too emotional


    to speak.


    Mr. Griffin slowly put the magnifying ss in his pocket and fiddled with his watch. ¡°That¡¯s


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    Chapter 190


    right.¡±


    The hall was in an uproar after having heard Mr. Griffin¡¯s affirmation once again.


    ¡°But I heard that this pocket watch had been auctioned off for 1.91 million dors. How does mour


    Pavilion have the heart to¡­¡± Mr. Lewis raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat


    off his face.


    Mr. Griffin smiled and said, ¡°The articles of mour Pavilion are not only for sale. If we meet someone


    fated, we will naturally be willing to sell them.¡±


    The Smith family¡¯s second aunt could not help but blurt out, ¡°That¡¯s still 1.91 million


    dors¡­¡±


    Since when had Rachel be so rich?


    Rachel seemed to understand what the aunt meant. She put down the cup in her hand and said


    casually, ¡°Miss Cruisepensated me 2 million dors. It was just enough to purchase this pocket


    watch.¡±


    Her tone was t, but every word was like a knife stabbing into Olivia Cruise¡¯s heart. Everyone¡¯s eyes


    were filled with mockery and sympathy as they looked at Jane.


    Jane gradually came back to her senses under everyone¡¯s gaze. Their gazes felt like des shing


    at her. She really could not stand them.


    Her eyes were filled with chaos. She endured the bitterness in her heart and stood on the spot in a


    sorry state.


    The pocket watch was actually authentic?


    Then, what would happen to her? Jane suddenly remembered the bet earlier.


    No, she would never kneel!


    She was the daughter of the Smith family. If she knelt and apologized to Rachel in front of everyone


    today, how would she hold up her head in the future?


    Old Mr. Smith had already guessed this would be the case since Rachel was so calm. Old Mr. Smith¡¯s


    heart sank when he heard Mr. Griffin say that. He did not feel happy at the slightest to receive that gift.


    If Jane knelt in front of everyone present, the Smith family would also lose face.


    Old Mr. Smith looked at Rachel with aplicated expression, but Rachel ignored him. Rachel then


    looked at the ashen¨Cfaced Jane with a faint smile. ¡°Miss Smith, isn¡¯t it time for you to keep your word?¡±

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    Chapter 109


    Jane Smith looked up at Rachel Grey in shock.


    Rachel¡¯s expression was cold, and the corners of her lips curled up with a hint of ruthlessness.


    Jane¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously retreated. She grabbed Mrs. Smith¡¯s arm tightly


    and stammered, ¡°Ra, Rachel Grey, what are you trying to do? You are in the presence of the Smith


    family!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of that that Miss Smith has to keep her word.¡± Rachel looked at her with a faint


    smile. ¡°If you go back on your word, I¡¯m afraid the Smith family will be seen as dishonest people in the


    eyes of outsiders onward.¡±


    Jane had never felt more regretful in her life. Now, she was in a predicament.


    But what was the use of such regret? Everyone was looking at her eagerly as if they would not stop


    until they saw her kneel and apologize.


    Perhaps everyone¡¯s unfeeling gazes agitated her. Jane red at Rachel with hatred in her eyes. She


    roared indignantly, ¡°Just because you say so doesn¡¯t make it authentic! Maybe this old man is taking


    your side, or this was all nned by you in advance!¡±


    Everyone was shocked by her words. Then, Jane became the center of attention in an instant.


    They could not help but think that the youngdy of the Smith family was not only stupid but also


    hopeless.


    Mrs. Smith frowned. Just as she was about to reprimand Jane, Old Mr. Smith, who had been silent,


    bellowed, ¡°Jane Smith, shut up!¡±


    Given Mr. Griffin¡¯s prestige in Seaxas, he was definitely not someone the Smith family could offend!


    However, Jane challenged Mr. Griffin¡¯s authority in front of others. She was just. -hopelessly stupid!


    ¡°Grandpa, I¡­¡± Jane stuttered, looking at her grandfather¡¯s stern expression. Aggrieved, she bit her lips,


    and tears welled up in her eyes.


    Mrs. Smith patted Jane¡¯s hand gently, indicating for her to calm down.


    ¡°Rachel Grey, why didn¡¯t you say anything if you knew that the pocket watch is


    authentic?¡± Mrs. Smith frowned at Rachel. There was a hint of anger on her face. ¡°Could it be that you


    did it on purpose to humiliate Jane Smith?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel could not help but chuckle. ¡°Would you believe me if I imed that? From


    the beginning, the Smith family has been making things difficult for me. It was Jane Smith who


    pressured me to kneel and apologize. It was also Jane Smith who made the bet. Now that things have


    not gone as you wish, are you going to bite back at me?¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, Jane Smith is still young and impetuous. It¡¯s inevitable for her to be rash and hot¨Cheaded


    at this age. I hope you can be magnanimous and forgive her this once,¡± Olivia, Cruise¡¯s gentle voice


    sounded.


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    Chapter 109


    ¡°Why should I be magnanimous? I am also still young. I refuse to give in. Those who try to step on me


    should be prepared for my retaliation. This is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!¡±


    ¡°Rachel. I didn¡¯t expect you to be like this. Previously, you were warm¨Chearted despite your cold


    appearance. You would look at the big picture in everything you do. But now, you¡¯re selfish andck


    consideration for the consequences at all¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Rachel roared. She raised her eyes and looked at Louis Smith with a sinister gaze. ¡°Louis


    Smith, you¡¯re thest person with the right to say that to me! Why didn¡¯t you say anything when I was


    treated hostilely? What were you doing earlier when others. pressured me to ept the bet? And now


    you¡¯re pretending to be kind? It¡¯s toote! I don¡¯t want to hear any more nonsense from you! ept the


    consequences since you chose to make a bet. Jane Smith, kneel this instant!¡±


    Jane¡¯s cold voice was both powerful and intimidating.


    In an instant, everyone present fell silent.


    Jane¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred as she red at Rachel. ¡°I¡¯m not going to kneel! You bitch, I¡¯ll fight


    you to the death!¡±


    A cold glint appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes.

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    Chapter 110


    At this critical moment, Old Mr. Smith suddenly raised his walking stick and whacked Jane Smith on the


    leg.


    Jane grimaced in pain. The excruciating pain made her knees go weak, and she fell to the ground in a


    sorry state.


    ¡°Jane!¡± Mrs. Smith was appalled. Her heart ached as she rushed to help Jane up. ¡°My baby, how are


    you? Did you


    hurt yourself?¡± ¨C


    Jane grabbed Mrs. Smith¡¯s arm and wailed. ¡°Mom, Grandpa doesn¡¯t love me anymore. He hit me! He


    hit me for an outsider!¡±


    Her wailing resounded throughout the hall.


    Everyone could not help but sigh.


    Old Mr. Smith still had a gloomy expression. He bellowed, ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take


    her away. What a disgrace!¡±


    Mrs. Smith was stunned for a moment. Then, she restrained her emotions and quickly left with Jane.


    Jane growled indignantly, ¡°Rachel Grey, just you wait, I¡­ Ugh!¡±


    Mrs. Smith was afraid that this stupid girl would cause trouble again. She hurriedly covered Jane¡¯s


    mouth and dragged her away.


    Rachel watched the two leave with a hint of sarcasm in her eyes. Then she looked at Old Mr. Smith


    indifferently. ¡°Do you intend to defend her?¡±


    Anyone who wasn¡¯t stupid could tell Old Mr. Smith¡¯s intentions.


    Old Mr. Smith had resolved Jane¡¯s predicament with one whack of his stick. Jane wouldn¡¯t. have to


    kneel now. Naturally, the Smith family would not lose face as well.


    That was a clever move by Old Mr. Smith.


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s expression was a little awkward. He kept rubbing the walking stick in his hand and


    pondered for a moment before calmly saying, ¡°Jane Smith started the matter. In the end, she was the


    one who dug her own grave.¡±


    As he spoke, he smiled embarrassingly. ¡°Grandpa doesn¡¯t expect you to forgive her. I hope you can let


    her off this time on my ount.¡±


    Even if Jane was not made to kneel and apologize today, it was enough to affect her reputation in the


    eyes of others.


    Rachel patiently waited for the old man to finish speaking. The corners of her mouth. curled into a faint


    smile as she said unhurriedly, ¡°Today is your eightieth birthday. Since you¡¯ve already spoken¡­ How


    would I dare disobey you?¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Smith secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    But before he could let his guard down, he heard Rachel say, ¡°But I can¡¯t say the same for the others.¡±


    Chapter 110


    Old Mr. Smith was stunned. Rachel¡¯s ironic smile had told him that she had no intentions to let the


    matter go.


    He sighed slightly and looked at Rachel with aplicated expression. ¡°Then¡­ what will you do?¡±


    He could use his seniority to plead for Jane¡¯s pardon. But he couldn¡¯t do so for the others¡­


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    It was highly likely that Rachel would not agree even if he did try.


    In the end, those people behind him only had themselves to me. They could have just stayed out of


    the matter but chose to involve themselves, refusing to let it go when they had the chance.


    Rachel looked up at her second aunt and a few other rtives in the crowd. Her almond¨Cshaped eyes


    were filled with mockery, and her t, unemotional voice was mixed with a hint of coldness. ¡°Didn¡¯t you


    all insist that this was a fake just now? Why are you all mute now?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re a member of mour Pavilion, why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier? You¡¯re plotting against us!¡±


    The Smith family¡¯s second aunt rebutted.


    When Mr. Griffin heard this, he looked up at her. There was a faint sarcasm in his eyes. ¡°Who told you


    that Miss Grey is a member of mour Pavilion?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a member?¡± The second aunt frowned, anger boiling inside her. ¡°Rachel Grey, what exactly


    do you mean? Are you toying with us?¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Mr. Griffin said casually, ¡°She owns the entire mour Pavilion.¡±


    His words were like a resounding p to the faces of the Smith family and their elitist rtives.

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    Chapter 111


    The entire hall quietened down.


    All eyes were focused on Rachel Grey.


    Who would have thought that the woman who was ¡°besieged¡± by the Smith family was the head of the


    mour Pavilion?


    It was no wonder Mr. Griffin¡¯s attitude towards her seemed unusual. Now, Rachel¡¯s unfazed attitude


    made sense since 1.91 million dors was just pocket change to her.


    Now that they thought about it, the scene of the Smith family ganging up on her earlier was simply


    ridiculous.


    David Jones, who was leaning against the door, raised his eyebrows in surprise when he heard Mr.


    Griffin¡¯s words.


    His gaze passed through the crowd andnded on the slender figure who was sipping tea on a chair.


    His eyes narrowed slightly, and the smile on his lips revealed a hint of mischief.


    In the crowd, Olivia Cruise¡¯s pupils constricted as she looked at Rachel in disbelief.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Rachel was the head of mour Pavilion?


    But Louis Smith told her that had a Rachel lowly background and was just a country girl who changed


    her fate by studying. How had she be the head of mour Pavilion all of a sudden?


    Could it be that Louis had lied to her?


    She looked at Louis with a scrutinizing gaze and realized that the man was staring at Rachel Grey. He


    was clearly caught off guard by the news he had just received.


    The Smith family¡¯s second aunt swallowed her saliva and her voice trembled uncontrobly. ¡°Are you


    kidding me? H¨Chow can she be the head of mour Pavilion?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if the two of you colluded to fool us, you should at leaste up with something


    more believable.¡±


    ¡°We know very well about her background. Do you think you can deceive us this easily?¡±


    They were all doubtful of Mr. Griffin¡¯s identity.


    ¡°All of you, shut your mouths! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve caused enough trouble?¡± Old Mr. Smith roared.


    His piercing gaze swept across the people behind him and he said in a low voice, ¡°Apologize to Miss


    Grey this instant!¡±


    ¡°Dad, what are you talking about? Why should we apologize to her?¡± the second aunt was the first to


    voice her doubts.


    In the end, Rachel was just a girl from the countryside. Even if Rachel became the head of mour


    Pavilion, she would never apologize to Rachel.


    If word got out that she did apologize, she would be aughing stock!


    Mr. Griffin fiddled with his watch calmly and said casually, ¡°The conduct in which the


    Chapter 111


    Smiths carry themselves has surprised me today. Just earlier, you all surrounded a girl and pressured


    her to kneel and apologize. Now that the matter has been exined clearly, there¡¯s not even a word of


    apology. I see that the Smith family relies on their power to oppress others.¡±


    Mr. Griffin had dragged the Smith family¡¯s name through the mud with just a few sentences. The Smith


    family would be known for oppressing others by relying on their


    power.


    ¡°You can even do such ungrateful things. What¡¯s bullying to the Smith family!¡± A cold voice suddenly


    sounded. It seemed to have a chill that prated one¡¯s heart. The cold temperature suddenly lowered


    the air in the room, making one tremble.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Rachel suddenly turned around and was met with David standing not far


    away. Panic shed across her eyes.


    When did he appear here?


    Did he see everything that happened just now?


    All women hope to only the person they liked their beautiful side, and Rachel was no exception.


    She didn¡¯t want David to see her cold and heartless side.


    The man seemed to have sensed the panic in her heart. The corners of his lips curled into


    a gentle smile. He mouthed with his thin lips, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid with me around.¡±


    This simple sentence overwhelmed Rachel.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the Smith family¡¯s second aunt looked at David with hostility.


    ¡°Her supporter!¡± The man had thin lips, and his tone was as apathetic as he looked.

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    Her supporter?


    It turned out that there was really unreasonable favoritism in this world. There would be people who


    would tolerate your indifference and ept everything about you.


    Rachel Grey felt like her chest had been thumped lightly, and a warm current gradually filled her broken


    heart. She felt warm and cozy all over.


    At this moment, she really wanted to run up to him, hug him tightly, and you, David Jones.¡±


    say,


    ¡°Thank


    She thought, ¡°Thank you for showing up when I was in such a sorry state and bringing me a trace of


    warmth..


    ¡°Thank you for standing on my side and believing me unconditionally.¡±


    Although Old Mr. Smith did not know David¡¯s identity, he could tell that David was not someone to be


    underestimated.


    Old Mr. Smith narrowed his eyes, shifting his gaze between David and Rachel. Then, he sighed and


    said tly, ¡°What are you all waiting for? Apologize now! Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about stepping in


    my house from now on!¡±


    In other words, Old Mr. Smith wanted to sever ties with them.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    If that were the case, wouldn¡¯t all of Old Mr. Smith¡¯s assets fall into the hands of Old Mr. Smith¡¯s eldest


    son if he passed away?


    Upon hearing this, some of them finally lost their cool and panicked. A man stood up and apologized,


    ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m sorry. We were wrong earlier. Please ept my sincere apology.¡±


    Rachel sat on the chair and did not react at all. She was fiddling with a cup in her hand as if


    deliberately waiting for someone else to do the same.


    The group of people looked at one another and stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do.


    It wasn¡¯t until the Smith family¡¯s second uncle broke the silence. He nudged his wife. forward, saying,


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry and apologize!¡±


    ¡°What was that for?¡± the Smith family¡¯s second aunt red at him angrily. ¡°Apologize yourself if you


    want to!¡±


    Old Mr. Smith was getting older day by day. No one could guarantee that an ident would not


    happen. They would regret it for life if they missed out on dividing Old Mr. Smith¡¯s assets because of


    this incident.


    At the thought of this, Second Uncle Smith, who had always been afraid of his wife, became even more


    determined. ¡°If you don¡¯t apologize today, we¡¯ll get a divorce!¡±


    Second Aunt Smith stared at him in disbelief. Her eyes were slightly red. ¡°Frederick Smith, how dare


    you¡­ How dare you ask me for a divorce!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not want a sharp¨Ctongued woman like you!¡± Second Uncle Smith looked at her


    1/2


    at a sharp¨Ctongued


    You¡± Second Uncle Smith looked at her


    16:56


    Chapter 112


    with a dark expression. I¡¯ll give you two choices. Either apologize to Miss Grey now, or we¡¯ll divorce


    and you can leave with nothing!¡±


    Second Aunt Smith subconsciously cried and sought protection from members of the Smith family.


    However, she realized that everyone had an indifferent attitude. They even looked at her with some


    resentment and hatred. She felt threatened. It was like someone had held a knife to her neck.


    At this moment, she seemed to feel the terror of being the target of public criticism.


    She subconsciously straightened her back and clenched her fists tightly. Her lips trembled


    uncontrobly as she said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­


    Her voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.


    Rachel did not seem to hear her at all. She just sipped her tea quietly.


    Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Rachel was dissatisfied with the apology.


    Hence, the others started to give Second Aunt Smith suggestions on how she should apologize. ¡°Your


    voice was too soft just now.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not sincere enough.¡±


    ¡°And also¡­ When you apologize, you have to seem more willing. You¡¯re apologizing to seek


    forgiveness, so don¡¯t put on airs.¡±


    Rachel looked at the ridiculous scene in front of her silently. A trace of imperceptible mockery shed


    across her eyes.


    See, this was human nature.


    Once their own interests were involved, there were no such things as familial ties, let alone the Smith


    family, whose members looked kind and united on the surface but stepped on each other in private.


    If Second Aunt Smith¡¯s death could suffice as an apology, they would have ripped her into . pieces.

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    Chapter 113


    Second Aunt Smith clenched her fists so tightly that there were nail marks on her palms, but she did


    not feel any pain She lowered her eyes and restrained her emotions. She suppressed the indignation


    and humiliation she felt and finally gave in. ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong!¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°nk!¡± That was the sound of the cup being ced on the table. The Smiths could not help but


    tremble.


    Rachel Grey slowly raised her eyes and looked at her. ¡°Just this once.¡±


    With that, she stood up and was about to leave when she realized that David Jones was no longer in


    the hall. It was as if everything that had happened earlier was only her imagination.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Old Mr. Smith suddenly called out to her from behind.


    Rachel stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Old Mr. Smith.


    Old Mr. Smith pulled out the ¡°Shares Transfer Agreement¡± that he had prepared previously. ¡°You came


    to celebrate my birthday with good intentions today, but in the end, so much trouble arose. Take this as


    compensation from me.¡±


    Everyone panicked when they saw Old Mr. Smith pull out the agreement. ¡°Dad, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°How can you give thepany¡¯s shares to outsiders so nonchntly?¡±


    Old Mr. Smith red at them and scolded, ¡°Shut up, all of you!¡±


    Everyone was indignant, but they had no choice but to shut their mouths.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ept this,¡± Rachel rejected again.


    She did not need anypensation from the Smith family, nor did she want to be involved with the


    Smith family in any way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll feel bad if you don¡¯t ept it,¡± Old Mr. Smith said. ¡°All these years, the Smith family has owed you


    much. Now that such a thing has happened, how will I face you in the future if you don¡¯t ept this?¡±


    Rachel curled her lips. ¡°Grandpa Smith, I¡¯ve never wanted anything from the Smith family. In the past, I


    feel the same as I do now.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith saw that Rachel had made up her mind and knew that there was no point in saying


    anything more.


    He pondered for a long time before speaking again. ¡°I hope that you can attend next month¡¯s


    anniversary celebration¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel immediately understood why Old Mr. Smith insisted on transferring 5% of the


    company¡¯s shares to her.


    There was a hint of mockery in her eyes.


    No one would treat another well unconditionally.


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    Chapter 113


    The Smith Group has nothing to do with me.


    After saying that, Rachel did not stay any longer and turned to leave.


    However, when Rachel left, she lowered her eyes and nced at the painting, which was Olivia


    Cruise¡¯s gift to Old Mr. Smith. The corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth curled into a meaningful smile.


    Mr. Griffin followed her gaze and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why is this here?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at the painting. Hesitation shed across their eyes. Could it be that there was


    some unknown story behind this painting?


    Olivia, on the other hand, thought that someone with good knowledge had finally discovered the


    painting¡¯s value. She was secretly delighted but acted calm andposed. ¡°This is a painting from the


    Baroque period. Is there anything wrong with it?¡±


    When Mr. Griffin heard this, his smile deepened. His left hand caressed the watch he wore on his right.


    His seemingly casual actions revealed a deeper meaning. ¡°Well, ythings meant for entertainment.¡±


    It was not surprising to him. It was extremely difficult to differentiate fakes from authentic given the


    current counterfeiting technology.


    Even the collectors who had been in the antique dealing market for many years dare to make rash


    conclusions.


    did not


    If he had not noticed Rachel¡¯s gaze just now, he might not have noticed this painting.


    Sensing something, Mr. Lewis thought for a moment and said carefully, ¡°Mr. Griffin, could it be that this


    painting is not aged?¡±


    Mr. Griffin looked at his watch and patted Mr. Lewis¡® shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s talk again when the chance


    arises.¡±


    Mr. Lewis realized what Mr. Griffin was hinting at but did not pursue it further.


    Olivia, who was standing at the side, vaguely sensed that something was wrong. She hurriedly chased


    after him. ¡°Mr. Griffin, I¡¯ve procured the painting from mour Pavilion¡­¡±

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    Chapter 114


    Mr. Griffin suddenly turned around and red at Olivia Cruise. ¡°What kind of ce do


    think mour Pavilion is?¡±


    you


    His cold gaze was like a knife pressed against her aorta, intimidating her. Her pupils trembled slightly


    as she looked at Mr. Griffin.


    Mr. Griffin still had a smile on his face, but it did not seem genuine. ¡°I believe I¡¯ve already been subtle


    with my words. I hope you learn your lesson, Miss Cruise.¡±


    It was not until Mr. Griffin left that Olivia finally regained her senses.


    Everything that had happened today wentpletely out of control, and everything that she had


    imagined in her mind had exceeded her expectations.


    At first, Olivia thought she would be able to please Old Mr. Smith with the painting she had bought for


    his birthday. She had spent a lot of money on it. She was confident her gift could overwhelm those


    brought by others, including Rachel Grey.


    However, the broken pocket watch that Rachel brought, in the end, was not only authentic but also


    exposed her identity as the head of mour Pavilion.


    On the other hand, the gift that Olivia painstakingly prepared had be a fake!


    She went from the object of everyone¡¯s admiration to somebody no one cared about. It was like she fell


    from the heavens and into hell. She just could not take the humiliation. She had never felt this way her


    entire life.


    And all of this was thanks to Rachel Grey!


    Olivia could not understand why every time she wanted to embarrass Rachel, she herself would end up


    being the one to suffer.


    First, it was her career, and now it was her reputation.


    This Rachel was her nemesis!


    Olivia looked at Rachel leave. Then, Olivia could not take it anymore and chased after Rachel.


    On the other side, the members of the Smith family gathered in front of Old Mr. Smith after the guests


    had left. ¡°Dad, you shouldn¡¯t have given her thepany¡¯s shares even if you wanted topensate


    her!¡±


    ¡°Then are you going to watch her destroy the Smith family if not?¡± Old Mr. Smith snorted. ¡°That girl is


    determined to cut ties with the Smith family now. If she takes revenge, are you sure that she will show


    us mercy? On what grounds? Your ability to add fuel to the fire? Or Louis Smith¡¯s betrayal?¡±


    Louis Smith¡¯s father, Harrison Smith, pondered for a moment and said slowly, ¡°Are you worried that she


    might cause trouble if Louis and Olivia Cruise get engaged?¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°She and Louis had been in love for three years. Then she was abandoned at the wedding ceremony.


    Just this alone is enough to make Louis bear the infamy of being a heartless man. If the news of the


    engagement between Louis and Olivia Cruise spreads, how do you think this will affect the Smith


    Group?¡± Old Mr. Smith stared at Harrison.


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    Chapter 114


    Harrison¡¯s face darkened instantly.


    Old Mr. Smith nced at him. ¡°Louis¡® marriage is his own problem, but I only have one thing to say,


    and that is: we shouldn¡¯t let personal problems affect thepany.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Harrison was aware of the seriousness of this matter. If he did not handle it well, Smith


    Group might be hurt. The current Smith Group could not withstand any more troubles.


    When Old Mr. Smith walked to the door, he suddenly thought of something and turned to look at


    Harrison. ¡°Jane Smith can¡¯t keep her cool. Let her stay in her room and reflect on her mistakes!¡±


    Harrison did not dare to have any objections and quickly said, ¡°I understand.¡±


    When Old Mr. Smith left, the others surrounded Harrison. ¡°Harrison, what exactly is going on? Didn¡¯t


    you say that Rachel Grey was a vige girl from the countryside?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I thought she was said to be uncultured and unrefined? But I couldn¡¯t find any faults with


    the way she carried herself earlier.¡±


    ¡°Most importantly, how did she be the owner of mour Pavilion?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mour Pavilion we¡¯re talking about here. Its worth is immeasurable!¡±


    If they had known that Rachel was so rich, they would not have let Louis break up with her so easily


    back then. No matter what, they would have made herpensate for all the expenses the Smith


    family spent on her over the years!

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115


    Braxton could not figure out why things had turned out this way. Louis was simrly stumped.


    Although Braxton did not know Mr. Griffin well, he had heard rumors about him. Not much was known


    about Mr. Griffin¡¯s background, but no one could provoke the power behind him.


    Otherwise, how was Mr. Griffin able to regte the antique market in Seaxas?


    However, Braxton could not understand how Rachel Grey was acquainted with someone like Mr.


    Griffin.


    Could it be that Rachel had been hiding something from him?


    Braxton sighed. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s end this here.¡±


    With that, he went upstairs without looking back.


    When Rachel walked to the door, she was stunned to see the man leaning against the car.


    David Jones seemed to have sensed something. He looked up. The moment his gaze was met with


    Rachel¡¯s, the frost in his eyes disappeared instantly. The apathetic expression on his face was reced


    by a gentle and affectionate one.


    Rachel did not know what she should say to this man.


    He had appeared out of nowhere and even acted as her supporter. He also understood her inner


    sensitivity and left enough personal time for her to settle down.


    Just as she stepped forward, Olivia Cruise¡¯s voice sounded from behind. ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    Hearing her voice, Rachel frowned slightly, but her footsteps continued, showing no signs of halting.


    Olivia quickly chased after Rachel and grabbed her wrist. She questioned coldly, ¡°Rachel Grey, didn¡¯t


    you hear me speaking to you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the energy to pay attention to dogs barking by the roadside.¡± Rachel raised. her eyebrows


    slightly. She sized Olivia up from head to toe and smiled faintly. ¡°I was in such a hurry to leave I forgot


    to wish Miss Cruise a happy engagement.¡±


    The way these words were uttered so casually made Olivia¡¯s expression change instantly. Her beautiful


    eyes revealed deep hatred and unwillingness. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you mock me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a reason to mock you.¡± Rachel turned around and left. Her expression was indifferent.


    Olivia took a step forward and blocked Rachel¡¯s way. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why Grandpa Smith


    gave you the shares?¡±


    you


    Olivia paused slightly and continued, ¡°That¡¯s because Grandpa Smith wants to tie down this way. He¡¯s


    worried that your wild ambitions will propel you to take revenge on the Smith family. He¡¯s worried that


    the news of my engagement with Louis Smith will affect thepany, so he hopes you can attend the


    annual meeting as a shareholder to


    16:57


    Chapter 115


    appease public opinion.¡±


    Rachel was not fazed at all.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Rachel had already guessed so when Old Mr. Smith pulled out the contract in front of


    everyone.


    Rachel could not help but feel a sharp pain in her chest the moment she heard Olivia say that.


    Rachel could not help but wonder how sincere Old Mr. Smith¡¯s love for her was during the three years


    she was with the Smith family.


    Just how much was his care and concern for her genuine?


    Olivia said, ¡°Rachel Grey, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re so naive as to think that Old Mr. Smith really cares about


    you?¡± Olivia looked at Rachel¡¯s gloomy expression. Olivia felt a little relieved from her pent¨Cup


    emotions. ¡°Just think about it. If you weren¡¯t useful to the Smith family, would they have allowed you to


    pester Louis Smith for three years? If you weren¡¯t working for the Smith family, would Old Mr. Smith


    have given you the bracelet?


    ¡°Only those whock love will remember the kindness of others and want to repay them with everything


    they have. Sometimes, I feel sorry for you when I see that no one loves you.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Rachel questioned.

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116


    The corners of Rachel Grey¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. It seemed charming, yet dangerous. ¡°Even if I¡¯m


    not acknowledged, I am at the very least capable. What else can you do other than curry favor with


    Louis Smith by making use of your status as a daughter of the Cruise family? Even though I don¡¯t want


    to waste my time on you, I¡¯ll remind you kindly that you won¡¯t be able to reach my current height in your


    life! You don¡¯t even have the right to be my enemy!¡±


    ¡°To me. Louis Smith is just a choice. To you, Louis Smith is your only choice! After all, the Cruise family


    is different from before. Without Louis Smith as your backer, what else do you have?¡±


    Rachel looked at Olivia Cruise with disdain and pity before turning around and leaving.


    It was not until Rachel left that Olivia came back to her senses. She quickly chased after Rachel. Olivia


    was not done with the argument yet. But then she saw Rachel a get into a


    car.


    It was different from the previous Rolls¨CRoyce. This time, it was a simple and imposing Bentley.


    Could it be that Rachel had a new sugar daddy?


    Olivia quickly reacted and took out her phone to take a photo of Rachel bending down. and getting into


    the car. She also took a photo of the license te number of the car.


    Then, she made a series of calls. ¡°Help me check the information of the car owner in the photo. The


    sooner the better!¡±


    If Rachel¡¯s sugar daddy found out she was just a disposable the Smith family had thrown away¡­ Olivia


    could not wait to see how the arrogant Rachel would end up.


    After waiting for a moment, her informant said, ¡°This car is registered under the name of the Lucky


    Entertainment Center. There¡¯s only recent rental information.¡±


    The word had caught Olivia¡¯s attention. ¡°Rental?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but the other party is anonymous, so I can¡¯t find any information for the time being¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    After Olivia hung up the phone, a sarcastic smile appeared on her face.


    At first, Olivia thought Rachel had gotten lucky and hooked up with a sugar daddy, but it turned out that


    her sugar daddy was pretending to be a scion from a wealthy family.


    Olivia had once ¡®defeated¡± Rachel. Hence, Olivia deemed Rachel to be unworthy to be her opponent.


    Rachel got into the car and fastened her seatbelt. To her surprise, the car had already started.


    ¡®Aren¡¯t we waiting for Mr. Griffin?¡± She looked at David Jones in surprise.


    David tantly lied, ¡°We¡¯re not heading the same way.¡±


    1/2


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    16:57


    Rachel did not think too much about it. ¡°Drop me off at the entrance of Johnson Corporationter.


    Feeling impatient, David frowned. ¡°Are the elite teams at Johnson Corporation just for show?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rachel looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°Will thepany go bankrupt without you?¡±


    Rachel asked, ¡°¡­What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°A ¡°qualified¡± girlfriend should set aside a reasonable amount of time to apany her boyfriend


    outside of work. In other words, we should go on dates.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like you at all.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. My girlfriend is too charming.¡± David looked at her. Affection seemed to ooze out of


    his ck eyes. No one would not be able to resist it.


    Rachel took a deep breath and controlled her impulse. ¡°But I have a meeting this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°But I will miss you dearly,¡± David said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired? From running through my mind all day? I


    suggest you apany me this afternoon tofort me and my longing for you.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    It was unbelievable that David would say such corny words of love.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, don¡¯t you miss me?¡± She could hear the reluctance in his low and masculine voice. It was


    his natural voice and was pleasant to listen to.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly. Looking at the man¡¯s handsome face, her heart raced


    uncontrobly.

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117


    The scene of their first meeting was still fresh in her mind. At that time, David Jones had left a deep


    impression on her. He was always gentlemanly, calm and reserved, modest and polite.


    He was like an immortal, untainted by the emotions and desires of this mortal world.


    However, it was the same man who kept sweet¨Ctalking her. What was worse was that she could not


    resist him.


    Rachel Grey had always felt that she was the one who had the upper hand in maintaining rationality.


    However, in the face of David¡¯s gentle and domineering advances, as well as this face that could


    mesmerize anyone, she was defeated time and time again.


    She slowly closed her eyes and silently told herself not to over¨Cindulge and to remain rational.


    ¡°Is this really your first time dating?¡± Rachel finally asked the question she had been wondering.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly. He looked at the conflicted expression on her face, and his dark


    eyes flickered. He understood what she meant. ¡°A man doesn¡¯t need to be taught certain things when


    facing the woman he likes.¡±


    Rachel went speechless.


    She suspected that this man was hinting at something.


    Feeling a little ufortable, she tucked the loose hair behind her ear and changed the topic without


    batting an eyelid. ¡°Why did you suddenly appear at the Smith¡¯s residence?¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t say it out loud, she was still concerned whether David had seen her strong and


    ruthless side.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. Do whatever you want. I¡¯ll support you in whatever you do. You don¡¯t have to worry


    about the consequences.¡± His deep voice carried a hint of unquestionable favoritism. It sounded like an


    order, but he was pampering her, making it impossible for anyone to resist.


    In other words, no matter what Rachel did at the Smiths today, David would help her unconditionally.


    Rachel stared at him for a moment and suddenly chuckled. ¡°What if Imit murder and arson one


    day? Will you feel that I¡¯m not gentle at all and cold¨Cblooded?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be gentle. I will always be behind you no matter what.¡± David looked at her. His


    mysterious ck eyes were mesmerizing as if telling her that he would indulge. her.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    She did not need to be gentle¡­


    She had once wondered if she had agreed to David¡¯s pursuit in a short period because she was


    impulsive or because she could not help but be tempted.


    Chapter 11:


    Now that she heard. vid¡¯s answer, she felt that it waspletely reasonable for her to fall in love with


    someone like him within a short period.


    This man could always touch her heart with ease.


    At this moment, she received a call from Mr. Griffin. That sessfully interrupted her thoughts.


    She came back to her senses and picked up the phone.


    Then she heard Mr. Griffin¡¯s angry roars. ¡°Why did you leave me behind? How could you?¡±


    ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t heading the same way?¡± Rachel nced at David, who was paying attention to


    the road.


    Mr. Griffin, who was on the other end of the phone, resisted the urge to curse. Going back to the topic,


    he said, ¡°That painting. Whose work do you think it is?¡±


    The person who made the counterfeit could mimic the appearance of the original artwork and make the


    counterfeit look aged but at the same time will leave behind personal characteristics.


    It was like a subconscious habit.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Rachel lowered her eyes to hide the cold glint in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you already have an answer?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Mr. Griffin hung up the phone after saying that.


    David looked at Rachel. ¡°Are you an avid collector?¡±


    Rachel said, ¡°My maternal grandfather is. I gained some understanding after being influenced by him


    gradually when I was young.¡±


    ¡°I happen to have some collections too. I¡¯ll bring you to take a look when I have time.¡± David looked at


    her with a smile.


    For some reason, when she saw the man¡¯s smiling face, she was reminded of how the Big Bad Wolf


    impersonated Little Red Riding Hood¡¯s grandma and tried to deceive her. It was obvious David had ¡°ill


    intentions.¡±


    The car stopped at the entrance of the Johnson Corporation. Rachel unbuckled her seatbelt. ¡°I¡¯m


    leaving.¡±


    The moment she reached for the door, the man suddenly pounced on her and pressed her against the


    car window.

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118


    Rachel Grey widened her eyes and struggled. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    David Jones looked at her. His gaze slid down bit by bit and finallynded on her lips. ¡°I demand


    compensation.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he kissed her lips fiercely.


    The man¡¯s kiss was unlike his temperament. It was domineering, and he did not allow her to catch her


    breath. As the kiss deepened, she felt the kiss convey his displeasure to her.


    Rachel tried her best to control her breathing. The man reluctantly let go of her when she was about to


    suffocate.


    She clutched the shirt on his chest tightly, her lips slightly parted as she breathed heavily. Her fair


    cheeks were bright red, and her almond¨Cshaped eyes were moist. She looked somehow charming


    even while being disheveled.


    David looked at her, his eyes darkening. ¡°The meeting might have to be postponed.¡±


    Before Rachel could react, he leaned in and kissed her again.


    This kiss was even more impudent than before. It was as if he wanted to swallow her whole.


    He tightened his grip around her waist. He wished they would never separate again.


    There was a fiery and ambiguous atmosphere in the narrow space within the car.


    Then Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang. The confusion in her eyes dissipated in an instant and she


    regained her usual rity.


    Rachel pushed his chest. ¡°I really should go.¡±


    David pressed his forehead against hers and pinched her blushed earlobe. ¡°See you tonight.¡±


    It was just a simple action, but Rachel bolted out of the car in response.


    David looked at Rachel leave and reached out to rub the corner of his lips with his. fingertips as if he


    was reminiscing about the lingering warmth.


    Suddenly, an idea shed across his mind. He picked up his phone and made a call. ¡°Add one more


    person to the contract signing event with Johnson Corporation.¡±


    After Rachel returned to thepany, Linda noticed her swollen lips.


    Linda¡¯s intuition told her that it must be rted to the man who suddenly barged into the office thest


    time.


    Linda gathered her thoughts and stepped forward, handing the prepared information to Rachel. ¡°Ms.


    Grey, this is the information about Ster Corporation and the contract.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly. Then she realized that Linda had no intention of leaving. Rachel could not help


    but look up at Linda. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Linda pursed her lips. ¡°I want to take a day off tomorrow¡­¡±


    1/2


    16:53


    Chapter 118


    Are you in trouble?¡± Rachel raised her hand and slowly closed the document file.


    Linda shook her head and smiled bitterly. ¡°Tomorrow is my mother¡¯s birthday, so I want to apany


    her¡­¡±


    Upon hearing her answer, Rachel¡¯s eyes shed with understanding. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to send you


    there tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself Jessica promised to apany me.¡± Linda smiled. apologetically.


    Tve already troubled you enough over the years.¡±


    Rachel was slightly stunned. She said tly, ¡°Then be careful on your way. Call me if you need anything


    ¡°Okay¡±


    After walking out of the office, Linda took out her phone and contacted Jessica. ¡°Jessica, Ms. Grey


    approved my leave. How about we set off tonight?¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Jessica respondedzily, ¡°Anything you say.¡±


    This mere sentence made Linda¡¯s heart race uncontrobly.


    Half an hourter, Ster Corporation¡¯s delegation arrived at the conference room.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Hearing the footsteps at the door, Rachel looked up and swept her gaze across everyone until she saw


    thest man who walked in. The smile on her face froze slightly.


    Didn¡¯t Ster Corporation say that David wouldn¡¯t appear in this negotiation?


    The man sensed her gaze and raised his eyebrows slightly. His thin lips curled into a faint.


    smile.

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Grey.¡± The man leading the team smiled politely at Rachel Grey. ¡°I¡¯m Joseph


    Zimmer from Ster Corporation.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Rachel nodded slightly, indicating for them to take a seat.


    As the representative of this Ster Corporation for this negotiation, Joseph sat in the middle of the


    table, opposite of Rachel.


    On the other hand, David Jones sat at the side with his legs crossed, resting his elbows on the


    armrests. His slender fingers supported his forehead. Even though he did not say at word the entire


    time, it was still difficult to ignore his existence.


    Even Rachel, who was a few meters away from him, could feel the man¡¯s fiery gaze on


    her.


    She cleared her throat and tried her best to ignore the man¡¯s presence and focused on her work.


    Rachel and David had already agreed on the terms of cooperation on the day of the auction. However,


    there was a change in the ratio of shares they had previously agreed.


    The initial n was for Johnson Corporation to take 55% of the shares and Ster Corporation to take


    45%. But now, Ster Corporation openly requested 60% of shares.


    The project manager¡¯s expression changed slightly when he saw the changes in the contract. ¡°Ms.


    Grey, this¡­¡±


    Rachel nced at him. The project manager did not continue what he was about to say, but he looked


    at the Ster Corporation¡¯s delegation with resentment.


    ¡°Ourpany hopes to gain more profit. In return, Ster Corporation will undertake the design and


    construction. After themercial district is officiallypleted, Ster Corporation will carry out free


    publicity in all aspects,¡± Joseph said.


    In the early days, Ster Corporation relied on the media to make a name for itself. Even though itter


    began to develop in all aspects, its media section was still the best in the industry.


    Marketing has always been a costly investment. Now that Ster Corporation was willing to help


    promote marketing for free, Johnson Corporation would benefit significantly


    from it.


    Rachel closed the contract in her hand and said slowly, ¡°We still retain the right to participate in the


    design and construction. To show our sincerity, we are willing to split it


    50-50.¡±


    Joseph was discussing with the people around him when he inadvertently nced at David, who was


    sitting at the end.


    Then Joseph suddenly realized Mr. Jones was staring infatuatedly at Johnson.


    Corporation¡¯s Ms. Grey. Mr. Jones abstained from women but did not seem like his usual self now.


    He was like a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing scion of a wealthy family.


    Those from Ster¡®


    poration were engaged in heated discussions. Joseph wanted to seck Mr. Jones¡® opinion, but he


    realized that Mr. Jones was focused on admiring Ms. Grey¡¯s stunning beauty.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can count on him¡­¡± Joseph thought.


    After a while, Joseph said calmy, ¡°We are willing to withdraw from the early stages of design and


    construction, but we will intervene in theter stages of nning. At the same time, we will maintain


    free offline publicity. To show our sincerity, we are willing to take on the publicity of all the oflline


    products of Johnson Corporation. What do you think. Ms. Grey?¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll do as you say!¡±


    After signing the contract, Rachel politely invited them to dinner. ¡°Mr. Zimmer, if it¡¯s convenient for you,


    we¡¯ve reserved a room at the Hilton Hotel¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Grey, my apologies. Ourpany has booked a restaurant, but only Miss Grey is invited.¡± Joseph


    smiled faintly and said, ¡°I hope Ms. Grey can ept our invitation.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel turned to look at David.


    The man raised his eyebrows slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his thin lips.


    Faced with such an alluring face, Rachel was genuinely powerless to resist. In the end, she nodded.


    When Rachel left the meeting room, Linda Galler approached her and said, ¡°Ms. Grey, Mr. Adrian


    Johnson¡¯s assistant is waiting for you in the office.¡±


    In order to differentiate between Tom Johnson and Adrian Johnson, Linda addressed them by their full


    name.


    Rachel walked into the office. The assistant handed her the key. ¡°Miss, this is the key to the


    apartment.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rachel said.


    The assistant smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Miss. Mr. Johnson has given me orders. Please let me


    know if you need anything.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After sending off his assistant, Rachel poured a cup of coffee and walked over to the French window.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the office door. Without turning around, she said, ¡°Put them on


    the table.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Grey, are you thinking about me?¡± The man¡¯s low and maic voice sounded beside her ear His


    voice was like the bass chord of a cello. It made her heart race

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120


    Rachel Grey suddenly turned around and looked into his attractive ck eyes. ¡°David¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± David


    stared at her intently; unknown emotions surged in his


    ¡°You¡­ haven¡¯t left yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll always be behind you. I¡¯ll prove myself time and time again.¡±


    eyes.


    He spoke calmly, but what he said waspletely different from his tone, exhibiting his dominance and


    confidence.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly, and she gripped the coffee cup in her hand tightly. Not only was


    he answering what she said earlier, but he was also making a promise to her.


    She looked away and said calmly, ¡°David, don¡¯t make any promises to me. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to


    respond to you.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you?¡± David muttered.


    He held her wrist and brought the coffee cup she was holding to his lips. He took a sip from the spot


    where her lipstick was printed.


    Some of the lipstick was printed on David¡¯s lips, leaving a shallow mark before it was swept away by


    the tip of his tongue.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°¡­My cup,¡± she thought.


    The man noticed her expression and pretended not to know. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Rachel looked at him in a daze, ignoring the burning sensation on her face. ¡°I still have work to do. I


    might need to get off of work at ater time.¡±


    She had just taken a step when the man reached out and pulled her into his arms again.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    He pressed his lips against her ear and said in a low voice, ¡°Rae¨CRae, you can respond as long as you


    want to.¡±


    As long as she wanted to?


    How should she respond?


    Rachel lowered her eyes to hide her conflicted emotions.


    David was like an experienced and patient ¡°hunter.¡± He stared at her for a moment and gradually let go


    of her waist. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can wait¡­¡±


    When Rachel noticed that the man had let go of her, she felt a sense of emptiness.


    Her body reacted before her thoughts and grabbed the man¡¯s hand.


    David suddenly froze on the spot the moment she touched him, and a sh of surprise shed across


    his eyes.


    The next second, he saw Rachel lean in closer, and a cool softnessnded on his lips.


    1/2


    16:58


    It was as if there was an electric current flowing rapidly through his entire body. In an instant, his mind


    became nk.


    Although it was just a peck, it was enough to make David lose control.


    David stared at the woman who was right in front of him. Lust surged in the depths of his


    eyes.


    Rachel slowly pulled away from him and looked at him without blinking. Her


    almond¨Cshaped eyes were filled with unprecedented determination. ¡°David Jones, I won¡¯t abandon you


    if you don¡¯t leave me!¡±


    Hearing this, David stared at her with his dark eyes.


    Rachel sized him up. She was trying to observe his expression, but the man¡¯s calmness made her


    panic.


    It was as if she had taken out her most precious thing for him, but not only was the other party not


    interested, he even felt a little disdainful.


    The smile on her face faded a little, and her grip on the man¡¯s hand gradually loosened.


    Just as she was about to retract her hand, David suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her into his


    arms.


    He wrapped his arm around her waist naturally and held her chin with his other hand. He bent down


    slightly and let out a lowugh. ¡°Rae, you should leave such things to men.¡± His deep and cold voice


    echoed in her ears, making her heart race.


    Rachel was forced to look up at him. Her eyes flickered slightly; her heart pounding with anticipation.


    ¡°Then how should I respond?¡±


    She responded to David¡¯s promise with one of the same weight, which she thought was the fairest way.


    ¡°With your actions.¡±

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121


    David Jones tucked some loose hair over her ear. His thumb gently caressed her cheek and rubbed


    her lips suggestively. His mesmerizing ck eyes were surging with desire. and lust for her.


    Rachel Grey could not help but roll her eyes. ¡°David Jones, is this all you can think of?¡±


    ¡°All he thinks about is kissing!¡± she thought. How shameless!


    ¡°This is all I can do at this point,¡± David held her face and leaned over to kiss her forehead gently. He


    treated her so preciously as if she was fragile.


    The next second, he said, ¡°Rae¨CRae, marry me!¡± It came as a shock to Rachel.


    ¡°David Jones, you¡¯re pushing your luck!¡± Embarrassed, Rachel broke free from his embrace. She stood


    up and walked toward the desk. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a month since we met and confirmed our


    rtionship. Now, you¡¯re even thinking of marrying me?¡±


    ¡°This is my heartfelt wish!¡± David said.


    He knew very well in his heart that he liked Rachel. He always had, from the first time he met her, even


    until now. It had been long premeditated.


    Everything was out of his control the moment he fell in love with Rachel.


    Before David met Rachel, he had never considered marriage. He did not have any ns for it nor had


    he envisioned himself in marriage.


    However, he became obsessed with marriage ever since he met Rachel.


    He wanted to announce to the world that Rachel was his. He also wanted the both of them to grow old


    together.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the fact that we¡¯ve only known each other for dozens of days. We¡¯ve already acted


    rashly enough by making our rtionship official. How can we marry like this? It¡¯s slipshod.¡±


    It would certainly cause an uproar in the Johnson family if her maternal grandfather and uncles found


    out about it.


    Rachel leaned against the desk and looked at him with her arms crossed. ¡°You know well that I ended


    a three¨Cyear rtionship not long ago. That three¨Cyear rtionship did not end well, so how can you


    guarantee our short rtionship willst?¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    David sneered, his tone condescending. ¡°Don¡¯tpare me to a scumbag.¡±


    Rachel paused. Then her red lips curled up into a bright charming smile. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Then why won¡¯t you marry me?¡± David demanded an answer.


    Rachel was about to exin when her phone suddenly rang.


    It was from Mary Green.


    She looked apologetically at David. ¡°Sorry, I have to take this call.


    Rachel heard Mary¡¯s exims as soon as Rachel picked up the call. ¡°Rae, I¡¯ll marry you for


    Chapter 12t


    real if you were a man!¡±


    Spill. Was there anything that happened?¡± Rachel knew Mary¡¯s personality all too well.


    Mary wouldn¡¯t have said that out of the blue had she note across something major.


    On the other end of the line, Mary quickly exined what she heard. Mary retold the story of the


    Smiths ganging up on Rachel and the dramatic turn of events. Mary was even aware of the part where


    Jane Smith was demanded to kneel and apologize.


    ¡°The Smith family is full of snobbish people. Do they think you have no power or influence? And that


    little bitch Jane Smith dared to force you to kneel and apologize. The audacity of her!¡±


    Rachel was the youngdy of Seaxas¡® wealthiest family, the Johnson family!


    Even Old Mr. Johnson had never asked her to kneel before them. How dare Jane Smith demanded


    Rachel to do so? Jane must be wishing for death!


    Rachel did not know what to do. ¡°Is it trending on the inte?¡±


    ¡°What do you think? With the Smith family¡¯s current reputation, it¡¯s not impossible for a few reporters to


    sneak in. Besides, the news of Olivia Cruise and Louis Smith¡¯s engagement has long spread. I reckon


    those reporters want to film Olivia Cruise about marrying into a rich family. They weren¡¯t expecting you


    to deal such a blow to the Smith family. Now, theizens are searching for news about you


    everywhere! Someone even wants you to debut immediately, iming they¡¯re your fans!¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips. ¡°Not interested.¡±


    ¡°Then are you not going to consider razing the Smith family to the ground?¡± Mary asked honestly.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122


    Rachel Grey could revive the Smith family with ease, given her capabilities. Simrly, she could also


    make the Smith family lose everything overnight.


    Back then, Rachel had resolutely chosen Louis Smith at the cost of cutting ties with the Johnson family.


    Mary Green had never understood what Rachel was after.


    Money? The value of assets of the Johnson family was roughly estimated to be in the tens of billions.


    Power? The Johnson family was at the pinnacle of the socio¨Ceconomic level in Seaxas. No other


    families coulde close to them.


    So was Rachel after Louis Smith himself?


    But Louis was just a poor loser back then when the Smith family was facing bankruptcy.


    Rachel pursed her lips. After pondering for a long time, she said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s just take it that I owe


    him.¡±


    If Louis had not saved her by chance five years ago, Rachel Grey would have long disappeared from


    this world.


    This was the reason why she spared the Smith family.


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel informed Lucas Johnson to immediately remove the trending


    searches.


    Rachel let out a sigh. Before she could react, she felt her surroundings darken. In front of her was a


    dark figure.


    The man¡¯s slender fingers grabbed her chin, and his well¨Cdefined face inched closer. His dark eyes


    were piercing. ¡°Tell me, is Louis Smith the reason why you refuse to marry me?¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. There was an imperceptible coldness in her eyes. ¡°Is a scumbag worth me


    sacrificing all my youth for?¡±


    Hearing this, David Jones smiled meaningfully. ¡°Then why did you spare the Smith family?¡±


    Whether it was the Johnson family¡¯s wealth or Rachel¡¯s ability, there were many ways to ruin the Smith


    Group, but she chose to stay put. This made him curious about her reasons for doing so.


    It was not necessarily true that Rachel had deep feelings for the Smith family.


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled up. Her usually cold demeanor instantly brightened. No one could resist her striking


    beauty. ¡°No one can stop me if I intend to acquire the Smith Group.¡±


    David had the utmost confidence in Rachel¡¯s capabilities, for she was able to get the Smith Group back


    on track in just one year.


    However, Rachel did not answer his question.


    David did not question further since she didn¡¯t want to talk about it.


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    It was never Louis who made David feel threatened, but the three years that Rachel had wasted on


    Louis.


    However, the fact that Rachel called Louis Smith ¡± a scumbag¡± was enough to show that she had


    completely let go of the past.


    In that case, the reason she was unwilling toy her hands on the Smith family was not entirely


    because of Louis.


    ¡°Then why won¡¯t you marry me?¡± David repeated his question.


    Rachel looked at him and chuckled. ¡°I am of the opinion that there is a certain process to marriage.¡±


    ¡°Process?¡±


    That was a new perspective for David.


    From what he knew since he was young, he had to get what he liked. The process was not important;


    the oue was.


    ¡°From meeting each other, to knowing each other, to loving each other, to living and being together¡­


    These processes seem simple, but we need time to get used to each other. I think the ideal love is


    sticking together in every difficult situation and tribtion.¡±


    This had always been the kind of love that Rachel yearned for.


    David observed her expression. He did not miss the yearning on her face when she was speaking. He


    felt that even the stars in the skies could not bepared to the beauty in her eyes.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    He pursed his lips and looked at Rachel warmly. ¡°I¡¯ll do that if that¡¯s what you want.¡±

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Rachel Grey smiled while looking at him.


    David Jones looked at her smiling face and could not help but bend down gradually.


    Rachel leaned back intuitively, her almond¨Cshaped eyes shing with confusion.


    The cool woody fragrance gradually enveloped her.


    He stared at the woman in front of him intently. Then their lips locked. His thin lips. parted slightly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    David¡¯s voice was low and hoarse, making Rachel feel as if she was intoxicated.


    Rachel¡¯s heart raced. Her fingertips curled up slightly as she cleared her throat. ¡°Can you stay away


    from me?¡±


    At such a close distance, she could not help but feel nervous because she didn¡¯t know when the other


    party would kiss her.


    ¡°We are in a romantic rtionship, and we will get more intimate in the future, so you have to learn to


    get used to it in advance.¡± As David spoke, his fiery gaze


    Rachel¡¯s face instantly flushed with embarrassment. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask when you kissed me earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re pretending to be gentlemanly now?¡± Rachel thought.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not against me kissing you.¡±


    Rachel did not know how she should reply.


    There was no way to continue this conversation.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the office door.


    -Rachel pushed David away at once and sat up straight. ¡°You may enter.¡±


    Linda entered the room, immediately noticing David.


    Linda¡¯s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.


    That was weird.


    Linda hadn¡¯t seen this person earlier. How did he get in?


    Linda gathered her thoughts and walked up to Rachel. ¡°Ms. Grey, this is the information you


    requested.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly. When Rachel looked up, she realized that Linda was staring at David.


    There was no admiration in Linda¡¯s eyes. She only observed David intently as if trying to tell if David


    was someone who would hurt Rachel.


    David did not care about Linda¡¯s judgemental stare at all. He took a nce at the furnishings of


    Rachel¡¯s office.


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    17:40 ¦¥


    Chapter 123


    Then Linda retracted her gaze. She turned to look at Rachel as if wanting to say something but just left


    in the end.


    David held the apartment key card between his fingers It was the key card that her uncle¡¯s assistant


    had sent earlier. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Rachel looked at the card and reached for it, putting it in her bag casually. ¡°My uncle arranged an


    apartment for me.¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°You want to move out and live on your own?¡± An imperceptible glint shed across David¡¯s eyes.


    Rachel flipped through the documents in her hand and exined patiently, ¡°My maternal grandfather¡¯s


    ce is too far from thepany. It¡¯s quite inconvenient traveling to and fro work.¡±


    David nodded thoughtfully and blurted out, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stay at my ce?¡±


    Rachel looked up at David in disbelief.


    ¡°We¡¯re officially a couple. There is nothing wrong about us living under the same roof,¡± David Jones


    said matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. ¡°We can go to work together in the future. More importantly, it¡¯s easier for us to


    spend time together.¡±


    ¡°I think there is a need for us to maintain some distance at this point of our rtionship.¡± ¡°Are you not


    going to takeplete responsibility for me?¡± David looked at her bitterly. Rachel chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t


    think I took advantage of you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already kissed and hugged me. How else do you want to take advantage of me?¡± David¡¯s lips


    curled into a faint suggestive smile. ¡°You can do whatever you want tonight if you want to.¡±


    As he spoke, he wrapped his palm around Rachel¡¯s soft and small hand, fiddling around with it.


    ¡°How about moving out anding to stay at my ce?¡±

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124


    The way he looked at her drew Betrayal At The Altar By Dolores Delia Chapter 124Betrayal At The


    Altar By Dolores Delia Chapter 124her in. His gaze was tender and affectionate. Rachel Grey didn¡¯t


    want to snap out of her trance at all.


    Rachel had never thought of herself as someone obsessed with looks. However, in the face. of David


    Jones, she felt she needed to reflect on herself. It was almost like she felt out of touch with herself.


    Why else would she give up resistance every time she was faced with David¡¯s temptation?


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    She took a deep breath and retracted her hand. ¡°No!¡± she said firmly.


    David¡¯s dark eyes were filled with disappointment when hearing her firm rejection. He pinched her face


    bitterly and stood up to leave.


    His eyebrows furrowed and he clenched his teeth slightly. There was no apparent change in his


    expression, but one could clearly tell he was displeased.


    Rachel held his wrist and stood up. She leaned into his arms and poked his sharp jawline with her


    slender fingers. A smile appeared on her lips. ¡°You be upset when things. don¡¯t go your way. Do


    you know how much more sensible and obedient other men I¡¯vee across are? Aren¡¯t you afraid


    they might take your ce?¡± she teased.


    Before she could finish speaking, David grabbed her hand. ¡°Rachel Grey!¡±


    His tone was cold, implying a clear warning to her.


    This woman was an expert at hitting him where it hurt.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Rachel freed her other hand and gently ced it on his chest. She scratched his


    chest softly. ¡°As you know, men would go all out to please me just because I¡¯m the daughter of the


    Johnson family.¡±


    ¡°Well, that seems to be the case, but I dare them to do so.¡± David cracked a smile, but it did not seem


    genuine. ¡°No one can touch my woman!¡±


    . His voice was like ice, cold and unforgiving.


    However, Rachel was not intimidated at all. Instead, she was ttered by his domineering acts. She felt


    warm and cozy all over.


    ¡°People who truly love each other will not be defeated by the boundaries of space and time.¡± Rachel


    looked at the man in front of her with a gentle gaze. Looking at his sharp jawline, she finally could not


    help but stand on her tiptoes, leaning in to kiss him. ¡°David Jones, I hope our rtionship cane to


    fruition.¡±


    David¡¯s pupils constricted as he looked at the woman in front of him in a daze.


    He held Rachel¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Rachel Grey, You¡¯ll marry me eventually. Just wait.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s body stiffened.


    She was overwhelmed with emotions.


    It was a magical feeling.


    ¡°Okay!¡± she replied.


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    Chapter 194


    So this was how it felt to be loved.


    She had to admit that her resistance was futile in front of this man. Now, she even gave up resisting


    and indulged in the joy of him gradually conquering her.


    It wasughable that she had wasted three years of her youth in exchange for a meaningless apology.


    However, this man, whom she had only known for dozens of days, gave her unprecedented


    satisfaction.


    ¡°Is Ms. Grey inside?¡± Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s voice sounded from outside the office. The sound of a walking


    stick nking against the ground grew louder.


    Rachel felt her muscles tense up. ¡°Oh no! Grandpa is here!¡±


    Rachel was acting all panicky.


    David could not help butugh when he saw how flustered she was. ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡±


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t let him see you!¡± Rachel blurted out.


    David¡¯s face darkened instantly, and his eyes flickered dangerously. ¡°Exin yourself.¡±


    He was not even ugly, nor did he have an unbefitting status. So why did he have to avoid her maternal


    grandfather when he was her boyfriend?

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    Chapter 125


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to exin.¡± Rachel Grey grabbed his hand. She wanted to send David Jones out the


    door before her grandfather noticed, but it was toote. She could already hear footsteps approaching.


    ¡°We¡¯re finished. We won¡¯t make it in time.¡± Rachel was feeling very anxious.


    David raised his eyebrows. Mischief shed across his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before we meet


    anyway.¡±


    Meanwhile, Rachel panicked so much that she couldn¡¯t hear what he said. She looked around


    frantically and saw her spacious andfortable desk. Then she grabbed David¡¯s arm and quickly


    walked over. She tried to make him go under the desk without saying a word.


    ¡°Try to put up with it in the meantime.¡±


    David was speechless.


    ¡°Rachel Grey, you¡¯re the first person who dares do this to me.¡± He held her wrist and stared at her


    warningly.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice either.¡± Rachel stood on her tiptoes and nted a kiss on his lips. She gave him


    a sweet smile to fawn adoration. ¡°Be good.¡±


    ¡°Am I that unpresentable?¡±


    ¡°Should we go on a date tonight?¡±


    David lowered himself and went under the desk without Rachel even asking when he heard her say


    that.


    At the same time, the door to the office opened.


    Although the Johnson family had been prosperous in every generation, Old Mr. Johnson led the family


    to be the most sessful they had ever been. Even though he had retired and was now behind the


    scenes, legends of him conquering the business world were still circting.


    Old Mr. Johnson entered with his walking stick and looked around. ¡°Linda told me that you have a


    guest?¡±


    Rachel nced at David subtly. He was currently hiding under the desk with a gloomy expression while


    supporting his chin with his hand. Rachel tantly lied, ¡°He just left.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson nodded slightly. ¡°I heard from Adrian that you¡¯re moving out and living by yourself?¡±


    Thepany has just started a new project. I might need to work overtime regrly, so it¡¯s


    inconvenient to continue staying at home.


    Old Mr. Johnson frowned, his expression solemn. ¡°Rae¨CRae, tell Grandpa honestly. Do you have a


    boyfriend?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Grandpa, I¡­


    This morning, a servant found a bouquet of withered roses from your room. Old Mr.


    12


    17:31


    Chapter 125


    Johnson interrupted her, his voice mellow. ¡°Rae¨CRac, Grandpa isn¡¯t against dating, but girls should be


    more reserved. Be vignt about who you choose to date. The world is full of treacherous people.


    Grandpa fears you can¡¯t see through those with ulterior motives. since you¡¯re still young.¡±


    David was speechless. He felt like he was being called out right now,


    Old Mr. Johnson was very direct with his words.


    David was curious about what Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s reaction would be if he pulled out the engagement


    token.


    Rachel caught a glimpse of David¡¯s displeasure. Worried that David would act


    impulsively, Rachel quietly patted his head. She felt like she wasforting a dog about


    to go on a rampage.


    ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s normal for someone to pursue someone as outstanding as me.¡± Rachel stood up and


    walked towards Old Mr. Johnson. She reached out and held his arm. She leaned on his shoulder and


    acted like a spoiled child. ¡°Or do you wish that no one loves. your precious granddaughter?¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson snorted at Rachel¡¯s self¨Cdeprecating words. ¡°Hmph, those who don¡¯t are just blind!¡±


    He paused for a while and continued, ¡°Rae¨CRae, you¡¯re different from your uncles. I¡¯m fine with them


    not returning for the night. I¡¯m not worried even if they don¡¯te home. for half a month. However,


    you¡¯re a girl, so you¡¯ll be at a disadvantage. Therefore, it¡¯s safer to stay at home.¡±


    Rachel finally understood. It turned out that Old Mr. Johnson was concerned for her safety. He was


    reminding her to be prudent regarding her sexual life.


    She cleared her throat. ¡°Grandpa, I only moved out for work. But I do, in fact, have a boyfriend. I know


    how to take care of myself, though. So you don¡¯t have to worry about me. Rachel was a little


    ufortable.


    ¡°Who is he? How old is he? Where is he from?¡± Old Mr. Johnson was very curious.


    Rachel saw how nervous Old Mr. Johnson was being and felt that it was not the right time. to announce


    David¡¯s existence.


    Using her peripheral vision, she nced under the desk. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce him to you


    the timees.¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s expression darkened. He looked at Rachel with aplicated look.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126


    Fortunately, Old Mr. Johnson quickly returned to his usual self. ¡°One of the Shain family¡¯s


    granddaughters will be getting engaged. I want you to attend the ceremony on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Rachel Grey replied.


    Then she heard Old Mr. Johnson say, ¡°Your Grandpa Shain told me that a special guest from would


    come this time. He¡¯s about the same age as you. I think your interests and hobbies are simr. He


    hopes that you can be his guide while he¡¯s here in Seaxas.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    The so¨Ccalled engagement of the Shain family¡¯s granddaughter was just a pretense.


    Their real purpose was toe up with an excuse for Rachel to meet with the special guest.


    ¡°Grandpa, I already have a boyfriend.¡± Rachel nced in the direction of the desk, hoping David Jones


    could stay put.


    Meanwhile, under the desk, David¡¯s face darkened once he heard Old Mr. Johnson.


    David knew who this special guest was even if Old Mr. Johnson did not name him.


    Just as David was thinking about how he should send Jimmy Shain away, he heard Rachel say, ¡°I just


    took over thepany not long ago, I have many tasks on hand and don¡¯t have. extra time. Why don¡¯t


    I arrange for Linda Galler to take care of the guest in my ce?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stick to one choice.¡± Old Mr. Johnson said matter¨Cof¨Cfactly, ¡°Besides, only the two of us


    know about this. As long as you don¡¯t say anything, he definitely won¡¯t know.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips andughed dryly.


    On the surface, there seemed to be only two people in the office, but in reality, there were three.


    David must have heard everything they said.


    ¡°I have an appointment with someone. We¡¯re going to y chess. So, I need to leave now.¡± Old Mr.


    Johnson walked toward the door with his walking stick. Just before he left, he turned around and


    looked at Rachel meaningfully. ¡°Rae¨CRae, your mother¡¯s greatest wish is for you to grow up safe. Do


    you understand?¡±


    Rachel became depressed the moment the subject was brought up. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°I


    know.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson returned to his car, his gait rxed.


    The butler sat in the front passenger seat and looked at the worried Old Mr. Johnson. ¡°Sir, how was it?¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson shook his head and sighed. ¡°That girl won¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Then he chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s still a child, in the end, thinking that she deceived everyone. The cups on the


    coffee table have long exposed her.¡±


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    ¡°Should we get Mr. Adrian to look into this?¡± the butler probed.


    Old Mr. Johnson waved his hand. ¡°You know how stubborn Adrian is. He might go out of hand if he


    gets wind of this. Let¡¯s just observe for now.¡±


    He turned his head and stared at the Johnson Corporation building. Then, he leaned back in his chair


    with a tired expression. He sighed and slowly closed his eyes.


    He could say that his precious daughter, who passed away, had given him a major problem.


    He hoped that Rachel could stay away from disputes, but now it seemed that everything was fated.


    On the other side, Rachel walked over to the french window and looked down at the busy street under


    her feet. She could not help but fall into deep thought..


    Rachel recalled Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s mannerisms earlier. She could not help but think that he was acting


    strangely.


    Previously, when Old Mr. Johnson found out that she was dating Louis Smith, not only did he react


    violently, but he also ordered her to break up with Louis immediately.


    Initially, she thought Old Mr. Johnson objected to her rtionship with Louis because their statuses


    were unmatched. She understood why Old Mr. Johnson felt relieved when she broke up with Louis.


    She could start dating again once she was single. However, Mr. Old Johnson did not seem too pleased


    about it.


    Was it simply because she had started a new rtionship too quickly, or was it because of something


    else?? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127


    If it wasn¡¯t because of the former, what could it be?


    Rachel Grey narrowed her eyes, which glinted with an obscure emotion.


    She felt that Old Mr. Johnson was hiding something from her.


    Could it be that he was hiding some unknown secret?


    She could not feel any more irritated and vexed. Then she massaged her temples.


    ¡°Rachel Grey, shouldn¡¯t you give me an eptable exnation?¡± The man¡¯s deep and cold voice


    sounded from behind.


    Rachel came back to her senses and turned around.


    David Jones unbuttoned his suit jacket and tugged at his tic.


    However, his tie tightened, intensifying his impatience.


    Seeing this, Rachel pursed her lips and said ingratiatingly, ¡°Shall I?¡±


    David paused. He took off his suit and threw it on the sofa. He stood quietly on the spot, waiting for


    Rachel.


    Rachel took a deep breath and slowly stepped forward, reaching for his tie to untie it.


    The tie was dark blue and made of excellent material. It was smooth and cold to the touch.


    Perhaps David had pulled on it too hard earlier. Rachel had to use quite some strength to untie it.


    She subconsciously took a step forward, her slender fingers pulling hard at the knot.


    David Jones looked at the woman in his arms. The faint fragrance on her body made him intoxicated


    and slightly addicted.


    Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and her long eyshes fluttered. Her facial features were well¨C


    defined, and she had a high nose bridge. Her chin was small but not thin, making her seem like a


    young girl in her teens in some way.


    She looked adorable when she was quiet.


    His arm gentlynded on the woman¡¯s slim waist. Without realizing himself, he was actually moving


    closer to her.


    Feeling the sensation of his touch, Rachel retreated instinctively.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly. His dark eyes flickered dangerously as he stared at her intently.


    He exuded an aggressive aura as he approached her.


    Rachel kept retreating, but she hit her heel against the sofa and she fell backward.


    However, she was still holding on to David¡¯s tie


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    Hence, the owner of the tie also fell on top of Rachel because she dragged him.


    David knelt on one knee on the sofa, his arms on both sides of Rachel¡¯s head. He used his masculine


    figure topletely envelop the woman in his arms.


    ¡°So you¡¯re nning to apologize with your actions?¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded especially husky when


    he smiled. It was almost bewitching.


    Like a dull drumbeat, his rhythmic voice caused ripples in her heart.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do this on purpose. It was an ident. Can you get up¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    David rejected her request firmly. At the same time, he bent down and leaned in closer, his thin lips


    brushing past her cheek. ¡°Rae¨CRae, you make me feel insecure.¡±


    ¡°A man doesn¡¯t need a sense of security.¡±


    Weren¡¯t these things usually only needed by women?


    David curled his lips and lifted her chin with his slender fingers. His fingertips gently caressed her red


    lips. ¡°I feel insecure because I care about you.¡±


    Rachel was at the loss for words.


    She couldn¡¯t refute this reason.


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want to leave a mark on you.¡±


    Rachel stared at him nkly.


    The next second, David bent down and bit the skin on the side of her neck.


    She felt his warm breath against her skin and flinched as if she was scalded.


    With the pain, David Jones looked at the mark on the woman¡¯s neck. His eyes darkened and the


    corners of his lips curled up into a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to have a mark that belongs to me.¡±


    Rachel Grey pursed her lips and did not say anything. She just looked at him indifferently.


    Suddenly, she tightened the end of her tie and pulled the man back to her face. Without a word, she bit


    his Adam¡¯s apple.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128


    ¡°Hiss-


    David Jones gasped. His eyes suddenly darkened, tightening his grip on the sofa. His entire body was


    tense.


    It did not hurt.


    It felt more like a phantom itch if anything. He wanted to relieve the itch but he could not pinpoint where


    the itch was. A part of him felt like losing control.


    His breathing was heavy as he stared at the woman in front of him.


    Rachel Grey slowly raised her head. There was a sly glint in her eyes. ¡°This is called reciprocation. Mr.


    Jones.¡±


    Rachel was unscrupulous aspared to David showing leniency. She left red marks on his skin and


    also an obvious bite mark.


    It would take at least a week for the mark to subside.


    Looking at her exquisite face, David¡¯s eyes darkened.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get off work.¡± Rachel gently pushed his chest.


    However, the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. At the same time, his broad palm


    supported the back of her neck.


    Rachel looked up to see his face inch closer. There was a yful smile on his face. ¡°You want to


    escape unscathed after lighting a fire?¡±


    An indescribable desire surged in his eyes. He couldn¡¯t control it, nor could did he want


    1. to.


    The moment their eyes met, Rachel felt as if she had been scorched.


    Her fingertips curled slightly, and there was no expression on her face. ¡°You can do it, so why can¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± David suddenly chuckled and pinched her chin with his fingertips. ¡°You really know how to


    torture me.¡±


    His husky voice invaded her ear canal. Rachel could not help but feel her heart pound in anticipation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go now. Didn¡¯t you say you want to invite me on a date?¡± She hurriedly pushed David away and


    slowly tidied the creases on her dress.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    David casually picked up his coat on the sofa and extended his hand to Rachel. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Like an ordinary couple, the two of them went for dinner first. Then, they walked side by side on the


    street and chatted.


    What was important was not the content of the conversation but each other¡¯s While the two walked


    together, they felt the evening breeze swish past them.


    The dim streetlights cast their shadows on the ground, In the beginning, they just walked


    side by side. But now, they could not help but interlock their fingers.


    Rachel tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear. Then she suddenly realized that her ear studs


    were gone.


    She was stopped in her tracks. Then she looked around her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± David quickly noticed something was wrong. His gaze fell on her empty left earlobe.


    ¡°My earring is missing,¡± Rachel muttered thoughtfully. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s just an earring.¡±


    However, David did not seem to hear her. He walked toward the path they came from and checked


    them one by one. In the end, he found Rachel¡¯s earrings beside a grass patch.


    David ignored Rachel¡¯s outstretched hand and moved closer to her. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    The moment he approached her, the familiar woody fragrance on the man¡¯s body filled her nostrils,


    causing her heart to race uncontrobly.


    David lowered his eyes to look at the obedient woman. His fingers brushed past her cheek and through


    her soft hair. Then he held the back of her head and kissed her.


    Although it was just a simple touch, it made Rachel¡¯s entire body feel as if it had been electrocuted. A


    numbing feeling swept through her entire body. ¡°You¡­ Many people are watching!¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s okay when no one¡¯s around?¡±


    Rachel was at a loss for words.


    This man would always distort her words. But the worst thing was that she could not refute him.


    She felt that she might as well not say anything since the more she spoke, the more mistakes she


    would make.


    Rachel pursed her lips and continued walking forward. Suddenly, a little girl jumped out. from behind


    her.


    She dodged instinctively. She wore heels, hence, she was unable to keep her bnce, staggering


    backward.

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129


    Just as she thought she was going to fall, David Jones suddenly appeared and wrapped his


    arms around her waist.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Rachel Grey replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did she bump into you?¡± The little girl¡¯s father looked at Rachel apologetically.


    Rachel shook her head.


    The girl¡¯s father smiled and quickly approached the little girl. He squatted down and reprimanded her


    seriously, ¡°Nancy, didn¡¯t I tell you not to run around outdoors? Daddy will never take you out again if


    you don¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°Daddy, I was wrong¡± The little girl tugged at her father¡¯s sleeve coquettishly, blinking her big round


    eyes. ¡°Daddy, I want to eat cotton candy. Can you buy me cotton candy?¡±


    The father couldn¡¯t stand his daughter¡¯s loveliness, and his serious expression softened slightly. ¡°Then


    promise me you won¡¯t run around in the future.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The moment the little girl got the cotton candy, she crawled into her father¡¯s arms and kissed him.


    This scene struck a chord with Rachel. A hint of sadness shed across her eyes.


    When she came back to her senses, she realized that the man who had been by her side. had


    disappeared.


    She looked around and saw David Jones walking towards her, holding cotton candy.


    Even in the noisy crowd, he was still that unique existence.


    Try it.¡±


    It turned out that he noticed Rachel¡¯s intent gaze on the cotton candy, so he specially went to buy it for


    her.


    Rachel hesitated for a while before taking the cotton candy and licking it.


    The cotton candy was very sweet.


    It was so sweet that Rachel felt a hint of sweetness seep into her heart.


    ¡°What were you thinking just now?¡± David asked.


    He did not forget the sadness that shed in the depths of her eyes just now, nor did he ignore the


    bitter smile on her face.


    Rachel¡¯s grip on the cotton candy stick tightened, and there was a hint of coldness in her eyes. ¡°I


    thought of some unworthy people and some unworthy things.¡±


    Just forget about them if they¡¯re not worth it.¡± David reached out and held her cool hand. ¡°Never torture


    yourself for someone else¡¯s mistake.¡±


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    A smile bloomed on Rachel¡¯s lips. She raised her eyebrows, showing off her unique charm. ¡°How can


    you be sure I was not the one in the wrong but others?¡±


    ¡°Your happiness is far more important than what is right or wrong.¡±


    The gentle evening breeze, coupled with the man¡¯s husky voice, caused waves of uncontroble


    ripples in her heart.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered and she sighed softly. ¡°My mother passed away when I was very young. Later,


    my father remarried. It was also on that day that I found out that I had a younger sister who was three


    months younger than me. Everything was fine at the beginning, butter on¡­¡±


    Her body was a little stiff and tense. She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms as


    she tried to control her surging emotions.


    Even so, her voice still trembled slightly. ¡°Later, when maternal grandfather found out I was not doing


    well, he brought me back to the Johnson family. I lost contact with them, but even if I decided not to


    think about these people or such things, I would still inadvertently think of the past.¡±


    David listened quietly, his face expressionless. His gazended on Rachel¡¯s pale face; the emotions


    within his ck eyes became even more unfathomable.


    He did not miss her hand that was gradually turning colder, nor her trembling voice.


    It must have been a particrly painful memory.


    So much so that she didn¡¯t have the courage to look back.


    He sensed the woman trembling, so he stopped in his tracks. He carefully pulled her into his arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte and didn¡¯t appear by your side in time, but you don¡¯t have to bear the storm alone in


    the future.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s pupils constricted as she suddenly tightened her grip on the man¡¯s suit jacket.


    Suddenly, a gentle smile appeared on her lips.


    Rachel had taken an enormous bet with herself. She wanted to entrust her life to him. She bet that he


    would apany her for the rest of her life.

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    Chapter 130


    As Rachel Grey was almost done finishing the cotton candy, their walk came to an end as there was no


    more path ahead.


    For the first time, she wished that there was no end to a path.


    Back in the car, Rachel held the cotton candy in one hand and struggled to buckle her seatbelt with the


    other.


    At this moment, David Jones suddenly leaned over, reaching out to pull the seatbelt over and buckling


    it.


    The two of them were very close, and their gazes inevitably collided. Their faces were imprinted in


    each other¡¯s eyes, and their breaths entwined.


    There was an ambiguous atmosphere that lingered within the car.


    Rachel could not help but recall the kiss just now. She pursed her lips ufortably and a hint of


    embarrassment appeared on her face.


    ¡°I bought you cotton candy.¡± David¡¯s gaze was fixed on her moist lips. His husky voice revealed a hint


    of seductive charm.


    Rachel was slightly stunned. ¡°How much was it? I¡¯ll transfer you the money?¡±


    David did not say anything. He only frowned imperceptibly and looked at her quietly.


    Rachel noticed his gaze on her lips and suddenly thought of how the little girl kissed her father after he


    got her the cotton candy. Did David mean he hoped she could take the initiative and kiss him too?


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered. She lowered her eyes and slowly leaned forward to kiss his cheek.


    However, the moment she approached him, David suddenly turned his head.


    She was caught off guard and her lipsnded on his thin lips.


    Unlike the gentle kiss on the streets earlier, this kisssted longer.


    He reached out and held the back of her neck, craving for more.


    ¡°Breathe. Just as Rachel was in a daze, the man¡¯s husky voice sounded beside her ear.


    She was just like a puppet receiving orders. Instinctively, she followed his instructions and. struggled to


    breathe.


    All David could smell was Rachel¡¯s intoxicatingly sweet scent. He could not get enough of it. He was


    addicted.


    He kissed her gently until he realized that he himself was struggling and on the verge of losing control.


    Then, he reluctantly let go of her.


    Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks were dyed with a faint blush, and her clear almond¨Cshaped eyes. glistened. Her


    lips were also red and swollen. She was like a delicate flower that had just been ravaged by a storm.


    Pureness mixed with charm easily attracted the evil thoughts in David Jones¡¯s heart.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


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    He suppressed the restless thoughts in his heart and touched her cheek. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Rachel Grey did not act pretentiously and gave him an address.


    On the way, Mary Green sent Rachel Grey a Whatsapp message.


    She clicked on it and saw that it was a photo.


    The photo was of Rachel and David kissing on the streets.


    The soft lighting from the streetmp shone on the two of them, which made the scene. look


    exceptionally warm.


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled up slightly. It was a genuine smile.


    Mary had sent another voice message to tease her. [Rae, that¡¯s quick of you! You didn¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve


    started a new rtionship!]


    [He has good looks, but what¡¯s most important is his performance!]


    Rachel clicked on the voice message, but before she could put the phone to her ear, the second


    sentence was already yed.


    Rachel was stupefied.


    She fumbled to switch the phone off.


    Then there was only silence. Rachel held her breath, her body stiffening. She could only stay still


    because she was extremely embarrassed.


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried, you can examine that at any time.¡± David¡¯s deep voice sounded all of a sudden.

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131


    Rachel Grey widened her eyes in shock.


    She could not believe what she just heard.


    Examine?


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    How would she examine that?


    She cleared her throat, trying to suppress the surge of emotions. ¡°You¡¯re excellent for


    sure.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± David Jones looked at her with a meaningful smile. ¡°But how do you know that without


    experiencing it for yourself?¡±


    Rachel took a deep breath and met his gaze fearlessly. Her almond¨Cshaped eyes conveyed her


    sincerity. ¡°I have confidence in you.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, silence ensued.


    Then, the man let out a chuckle.


    His alluringughter echoed within the car. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell me why you have such confidence


    in me?¡±


    Rachel did not know how she should reply.


    No matter how she answered this question, she would be stepping into his trap.


    She could only remain silent and silently curse Mary Green in her heart!


    The car continued on its journey. Rachel still did not speak. She just lowered his


    eyes.


    David nced at her. Her facial features were striking, and he could vaguely see the blush. on her fair


    cheeks.


    He smiled subtly.


    His intuition told him that she would be mad if he continued to tease her.


    Just as he was about to say something, he saw a suspicious¨Clooking car in the rearview


    mirror.


    The ck car carefully tailed them and used other cars as cover from time to time. It was obvious that


    the driver was an expert at this.


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold glint shed in his eyes.


    He silently sped up the car.


    Rachel, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, sensed the sudden increase in speed. She


    frowned and turned to look at David. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Sleep for a while if you¡¯re tired.¡± David hid his hostility and looked at Rachel.


    Rachel didn¡¯t say anything. She nced at the rearview mirror and naturally discovered the ck car


    that had been following behind their car.


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    HD


    Chapter 131


    Her


    eyes narrowed, and there was a hint of coldness in her gentle voice. ¡°Can you shake them off?¡±


    David¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°Rae, don¡¯t question your man¡¯s ability.¡±


    ¡°Are they here for you?¡± There was no panic on Rachel¡¯s face. Instead, she was calm andposed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    His whereabouts had always been hidden. No one could discover his whereabouts.


    Rachel understood the situation now. ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve implicated you.¡±


    Her casual tone aroused David¡¯s curiosity.


    What exactly had she experienced?


    He gathered his thoughts and asked calmly, ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Rachel looked at him with a cid smile. ¡°I have you with me. At most, we¡¯ll perish


    together.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear to.¡±


    The girl he loved should grow up under the scorching sun and enjoy the light of everyone¡¯s attention,


    not be apanied by bones and yellow soil.


    ¡°Can we y a song?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Rachel reached out and turned on the yer. A melodious violin tune sounded from the car¡¯s speakers.


    The Love That Transcends Time.


    It was a song Rachel was familiar with.


    David noticed the surprise that shed across Rachel¡¯s face and asked casually, ¡°Do you like violin


    pieces?¡±


    Rachel curled her lips into a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, nor do I hate it.¡±


    David did not continue the conversation.


    His silence surprised Rachel. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious?¡±

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    Chapter 132


    ¡°Do you mind telling me?¡± David Jones asked.


    Without waiting for Rachel Grey to speak, he continued, ¡°I can be your listener if you¡¯re willing to. If not,


    I won¡¯t ask any more questions.¡±


    His tone was soft, but she was deeply moved by his domineering ways.


    Rachel¡¯s felt her heart pounding as she pursed her lips.


    After a while, she said calmly, ¡°For as long as I remember, my mother rarely smiles. It¡¯s only when I


    y the violin that she smiles. And this was her favorite piece. Every time I y this piece, her gaze


    bes exceptionally gentle. Sometimes, she even ys the piano too.


    ¡°Then I yed this song for a long time to please my mother and to see her smile. As time passed. I


    could not tell if I genuinely liked the violin or if I liked to see my mother smile. After my mother passed


    away, I did not touch the violin for long.


    ¡°When I returned to the Johnson family, Grandpa was very strict with me. He said that the Johnson


    family¡¯s children had to be proficient in arts and music. Because I would inherit the Johnson family in


    the future, I represented the Johnson family and its reputation, so I had no choice but to pick up the


    violin again.¡±


    David held her hand. ¡°We can do a duet when the timees.¡±


    You know how to y the piano?¡± Rachel looked at him in surprise.


    On second thought, given his status and background, it was not strange for him to know these things.


    David¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°I know a lot. You¡¯ll get to know me better in the future.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    As they spoke, the car arrived at Sandalwood Hills.


    ¡°What are you¡­¡±


    Rachel was a little surprised that David brought her here.


    David honked the horn once, and the huge manor gate gradually opened. ¡°Before the crisis is resolved,


    you will stay here for the time being.¡±


    That was unquestionably an order that no one could refuse.


    Moreover, David was doing this for her safety. She had no reason to refuse.


    Seeing that she did not oppose, David could not help but raise his eyebrows. ¡°Rae¨CRae, you¡¯re actually


    looking forward to living under the same roof as me, right?¡±


    Rachel looked at him with a smile. ¡°Mr. Jones, you¡¯re too thick¨Cskinned.¡±


    As she spoke, she opened the door and got out pretentiously.


    David quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and caught up to her. He held her hand and said shamelessly,


    ¡°How else would I have courted you if I wasn¡¯t thick¨Cskinned?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Embarrassed, Rachel quickened her pace.

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    Chapter 133


    ¡°And you¡¯ll be my wife soon.¡± David said, ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time.¡±


    Mrs. Brown was dazed when she saw Rachel. Then, she nodded respectfully at Rachel. ¡°Hello, Miss


    Grey.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± Rachel nodded slightly. She felt a little restless when she met Mrs. Brown¡¯s meaningful gaze.


    Mrs. Brown must have seen David hold her hand.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Rachel struggled to shake off David¡¯s hand and walked ahead, returning to the room.


    Once she was back in her room, she took off her coat and did some stretches. Then she prepared to


    take a bath in the bathroom.


    When she opened the wardrobe, she was surprised to find that the clothes inside were neatly arranged


    without any tags removed. They were all thetest styles of the season.


    All of them were ording to her preferences,


    This stirred her up. Rachel was incredibly moved.


    She took a set of clothes and went into the bathroom.


    Meanwhile, David was sitting on the leather sofa in the study.


    The dim light made his defined facial features stand out even more, and he exuded a cold


    aura.


    ¡°Investigate the matter. I want to know who¡¯s ying with fire.¡±


    His unfeeling voice was filled with hostility and threat. It made Eddie Brook¡¯s heart skip at beat. Eddie


    bowed respectfully even though David could not see him at all. ¡°Yes, Mr. Jones.¡±


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    Chapter 133


    Chapter 133


    After Rachel Grey came out of the bathtub, she noticed that the phone on the table had been vibrating.


    She walked over to answer the call.


    It was from Lucas Johnson.


    ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯ve finally picked up the call.¡± Lucas heaved a sigh of relief.


    Rachel did not know what had happened on Lucas¡® end.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Rachel asked casually while drying her hair.


    ¡°I went to Uncle Adrian¡¯s apartment and realized you weren¡¯t home. I called you, but you didn¡¯t answer.


    I thought something had happened to you.¡± Lucas paused. ¡°By the way, the things I bought for you are


    in the fridge.¡±


    Rachel said, ¡°Help me search for a ck car with a license te number ending with digits 256.¡±


    Lucas fell silent, but Rachel could vaguely hear him typing rapidly on the keyboard. After a moment, he


    finally said, ¡°This is a branded car, but ording to the information given, this car should have been


    scrapped.¡±


    He paused for a moment. ¡°Why are you investigating this?¡±


    A cold glint shed through her eyes. ¡°Help me keep an eye on Mr. Griffin.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried that those people might have seen what happened when you were at the Smith


    family?¡± Lucas asked.


    Rachel was a little surprised. ¡°You know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to deal with that bunch of trash from the Smith family.¡± Lucas only had disdain for


    them. ¡°I heard that Olivia Cruise, the idiot caused trouble and ran to the antique dealing street with the


    fake she bought to get a refund. She even threatened to destroy their shop. Do you think the other


    party will let the matter go?¡±


    Rachel thought it was not surprising that Olivia Cruise would be called an idiot after she heard what


    had happened.


    There were unspoken rules in every field, and there were many for antique dealing. One of them was


    that refunds were strictly not allowed.


    If one had purchased an authentic antique, then one would profit from it. However, they could only


    consider themselves unlucky if they purchased a fake.


    Olivia had clearly broken the rules.


    Rachel was about to say something when someone knocked on the door.


    She turned around and opened the door. Mrs. Brown was standing outside.


    ¡°Miss Grey, Mr. Jones specially instructed me to bring some warm milk for you.¡±


    Lucas heard Mrs. Brown¡¯s voice. ¡°Rachel Grey, it¡¯ste now. Why aren¡¯t you home? Where are you?¡±


    he demanded.


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    Rachel said expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯m at a friend¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Friend? Who? Do I know him?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too noisy.¡±


    With that, Rachel hung up the phone.


    Lucas was speechless as well.


    She must have felt guilty since she didn¡¯t answer his question!


    Meanwhile, Rachel noticed a cup of coffee on Mrs. Brown¡¯s tray. ¡°Is this for David?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Mrs. Brown said. ¡°Drinking coffeete at night is bad for the body. As servants, we don¡¯t


    dare persuade him, but health is always more important than work. Don¡¯t you think so, Miss Grey?¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips. ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­ change the coffee to milk and I¡¯ll bring it over for you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Mrs. Brown quickly reced the drink and handed them to Rachel as if afraid Rachel


    might go back on her words. ¡°Miss Grey, sorry to trouble you.¡±


    Rachel felt like she had been tricked. ¡°Not at all.¡±


    She walked to David¡¯s room and knocked on the door before gently pushing it open.


    The man looked up. His expression was cold and indifferent, and his gaze was exceptionally piercing.


    If looks could kill, one would have died umpteen when faced with his dagger¨Clike stares.


    His gaze was just like when she entered the room when he had a fever that day. It was bone¨Cchilling.


    It was not intentional, but it made Rachel feel suffocating.


    She tightened her grip on the tray. She exhaled softly and walked in.


    The moment he saw Rachel, the cold expression on his face was reced by a warm


    smile.


    Rachel watched as he closed the document file and casually ced it aside. ¡°Am I disturbing you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± David answered bluntly.


    Rachel pursed her lips in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯ll leave after putting down these.¡±


    She went to the table, set the milk on his desk, and turned to leave.


    Just as she ced her hand on the door handle, a palm brushed past the hair near her nape the


    moment the door opened. Then Rachel was pressed against the door.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134


    Rachel Grey watched as David Jones closed the document file and casually ced it aside. ¡°Am I


    disturbing you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± David answered bluntly.


    Rachel pursed her lips in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯ll leave after putting down these.¡±


    She went to the table, set the milk on his desk, and turned to leave.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as she ced her hand on the door handle, a palm brushed past the hair near her


    nape the moment the door opened. Then Rachel was pressed against the door.


    The refreshing woody scent instantly enveloped her. David pressed his warm and firm chest tightly


    against her back.


    ¡°But you already disturbed me, so why don¡¯t you take full responsibility?¡±


    Rachel could hear the man talking into her ear in his husky voice, sending shivers down her spine. She


    could also feel his breath as he spoke.


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    While she was silent, the man stretched out his hands to help straighten her body; he was looking at


    her gently.


    His fingers touched the damp hair that hung down the side of her shoulder. ¡°Did you take a shower?¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    When she looked up, she noticed that his eyes were bloodshot. She suddenly remembered what Mrs.


    Brown had said earlier.


    ¡°Drinking coffeete at night is bad for the body. As ser vants, we don¡¯t dare persuade Mr. Jones, but I


    think health is far more important than work.¡±


    *Rachel could not help but look a little worried. Her tender gaze was mixed with a hint of


    pity. ¡°David Jones, you don¡¯t have to work so hard. At most, I¡¯ll support you.¡±


    ¡°Do you


    feel sorry for me?¡± David observed the change in her expression, his smile


    widening.


    Rachel lowered her eyes and subconsciously raised her chin. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    David brushed some of her damp hair aside. He said unhurriedly, ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    Rachel was stubborn and wanted to retort. but when she looked up, she happened to meet David


    Jones¡® deep ck eyes.


    His


    eyes were filled with affection as if he was going to hold the back of her head and kiss her the next


    second.


    She held her breath and a trace of panic shed across her eyes. ¡°Hurry up and return to work. Try to


    rest early tonight.¡±


    As she spoke, she grabbed the man¡¯s hand and walked towards the desk.


    However, the man suddenly grabbed her back. He bent down and carried her on his shoulder.


    It all happened in an instant. He seemed very experienced. It was as if he had rehea rsed it many


    times.


    ¡°David Jones, what are you doing? Put me down!¡± Rachel screamed.


    ¡°Behave yourself!¡± David raised his hand and pped her bu tt. He carried her out of the study and


    went straight to the guest room.


    Rachel blushed. She punched his back in exasperation. ¡°David Jones! Put me down right


    now!¡±


    David strode into Rachel¡¯s room and threw her onto the bed without saying a word.


    Rachel sank into the soft bed. She felt a little dizzy.


    Before she could react, David¡¯s masculine figure pressed down on her.


    Rachel¡¯s heart raced, and her eyes flickered with confusion.


    The man¡¯s cold aura enveloped her. Her body stiffened, and she gripped the nkets below her tightly.


    ¡°David Jones, you¡­¡±


    As David got closer, Rachel flinched and closed her eyes. Her long eyshes fluttered, revealing the


    panic and uneasiness in her heart.


    Rachel could feel his warm breath on her face and around her neck.

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135


    Rachel Grey was very tensed up. She could not help but tighten her grip on the nket below her.


    ¡°David Jones, please¡­ I beg you¡­¡± Rachel did not know what to do.


    Her soft voice was trembling.


    As soon as she finished speaking, the man on top of her coaxed, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Rachel opened her eyes to see the man walking past her and picking up the hairdryer on the bedside


    table. Her face flushed red in response.


    So, he wasn¡¯t trying to¡­


    Rachel bit her lip and lowered her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± David looked at her with a meaningful smile. ¡°But I heard you beg me just now. What are


    you begging me for?¡±


    His voice was deep and mellow. It almost sounded bewitching.


    Blush slowly crept up his face and to her ears. She felt her ears itch a little, and her heart was


    pounding.


    Looking at his smile, she knew that this man was deliberately teasing her just now.


    She cleared her throat and tried to steady her racing heart. ¡°Nothing,¡± she said tly.


    David looked at the faint blush on her face and the smile on his lips gradually widened. ¡°Come here.¡±


    After adjusting the hairdryer, he hooked his finger at Rachel.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself,¡± Rachel and sat up to grab the hairdryer.


    David stepped backward and nimbly dodged her. At the same time, he raised the -hairdryer above his


    head. Rachel was caught off guard and fell into his arms.


    Her nose bumped into his firm chest, making her wince in pain. Then tears welled up in her almond¨C


    shaped eyes. She looked pitiful this way.


    ¡°David Jones, do you know how detestable you are?¡±


    She rolled her eyes at him angrily and sat on the end of the bed with her back facing him.


    David stretched out his arm and wrapped it around her waist. He lifted her and held her in his arms.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t bepared with you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Exin yourself!¡±


    Rachel was honestly impressed by this man¡¯s ability to turn the tables.


    David¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. He bent down and pressed his lips against her cheek. ¡°You agreed to


    be with me but kept me in suspense when you know I yearn for you. If this isn¡¯t hateful, what is?¡±


    Rachel was rendered speechless by the sudden sweet talk.


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    Her chest felt warm and full. She was quite new to such feelings.


    So this was how it felt to be coaxed by a man¡¯s sweet words.


    Although her rationality reminded her to control herself, her heart felt otherwise. It was telling her to


    indulge herself.


    Her eyshes trembled slightly. She looked at the man¡¯s face, which was so close to hers, and her


    heart raced uncontrobly.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    It was hard to imagine that a man with such an alluring face had been single all these


    years.


    With his power and status, countless women would pounce on him if he let them.


    Could it be that he had some issues?


    David sensed the sympathy in the woman¡¯s eyes and frowned. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Rachel lowered her eyes to hide her emotions.


    David stared at her for a moment before switching on the hairdryer.


    He ran his fingers through the woman¡¯s soft hair and gently caressed her scalp. He could clearly feel


    the woman in his arms tremble slightly.


    She was quite sensitive.

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136


    The ss window in the room looked like a reflective mirror under bright light.


    Rachel Grey could see the reflection of David Jones holding a hairdryer and gently drying her hair.


    It had to be said that this man had an unparalleled face. No matter what he did, it was pleasing to the


    eye.


    Even when he was holding the hairdryer, he did not look out of ce at all. He still lookedposed,


    elegant, and noble.


    ¡°If you keep looking at me like that, I won¡¯t be able to hold it in anymore.¡± David gently partitioned her


    hair. She could not help but think that his husky voice was euphonious. Rachel could not help but turn


    back to look at him. He ced his palm on the top of her head and nudged her back. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Then silence ensued, but the sound of the hairdryer was faintly audible.


    Rachel¡¯s gaze drifted to the wardrobe. ¡°Did you prepare all the clothes in the wardrobe?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± David


    replied. ¡°This ce will belong to you sooner orter.¡±


    It seemed he was very certain about the future. Rachel lost herposure. It was as if a stone had


    been thrown into a calm river, instantly setting offyers of ripples.


    She turned her head and looked at the man in a daze. Then her lips moved. ¡°How can you be so


    sure?¡±


    At this moment, David switched off the hairdryer. His slender fingers grabbed her chin, and his ck


    eyes stared at her keenly. An unfathomable emotion surged within the depths of his eyes. ¡°Rachel


    Grey, you¡¯ve attracted my attention. Do you think you can escape from me?¡±


    Rachel moved her lips. But before she could say anything, he put a finger to her lips. ¡°You can continue


    to doubt me, but I don¡¯t mind cutting off all your escape routes. I will myself with actions and that you


    can only be my woman in this life.¡±


    prove


    Once a cold¨Chearted man is swayed by emotions of love, he will never leave the woman he is


    obsessed with.


    The dim lighting entuated the man¡¯s facial features. His thin lips curled into a faint smile, but his


    eyes showed otherwise.


    A dangerous aura lingered around him. It was as if he came from the abyss.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    However, Rachel was attracted by this quality of his and could not resist getting closer to him.


    It was difficult for her to maintain her rationality when he had such an alluring face.


    She thought that she would follow her heart since she could not give him any guarantees.


    ¡®I¡¯ll prove it to you.¡±


    David was amused. He gave her a meaningful smile. ¡°Prove what?¡±


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    Before he could finish speaking, Rachel hooked her arms around his neck and raised her head to kiss


    him.


    He could feel the warm jelly¨Clike sensation on his lips as they came into contact with hers. He also


    thought she tasted kind of sweet.


    David was dumbfounded. Then he looked at the woman in front of him.


    It was just a peck on the lips.


    The sensation on his lips disappeared the moment she retreated.


    David pursed his lips, seemingly savoring the aftertaste of that kiss. However, he also seemed unkeen


    to press her to continue.


    He looked up at her, his dark eyes revealing a hint of restlessness.


    ¡°You have to keep your word.¡± Rachel looked at him with a bright smile. ¡°You can¡¯t have any other


    woman apart from me in this life!¡±


    David was astonished. The anger in his heart gradually subsided.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should go to bed.¡±


    In other words, it was time for him to leave.


    Rachel stood up and prepared to go to bed.


    Her wrist was suddenly grabbed by him and a force pulled her back.


    Rachel¡¯s expression changed slightly. Taken aback, she fell into his arms.


    Then the man seized both her wrists andy her down on the bed forcefully.


    She could not resist in the face of his cold domineering aura. His handsome face inched. closer and he


    printed his lips on hers.

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137


    Rachel suddenly widened her eyes. Her entire body was imprisoned in his domineering arms as she


    felt his madness.


    David kissed her lips deeply and greedily took a deep whiff of her scent, forcefully exploring a certain


    corner.


    The man¡¯s kiss was like a sudden storm that caught her off guard. Her mind went nk.


    Her eyshes fluttered in panic, and her hands struggled uneasily.


    It seemed like he had lost control¡­


    After an unknown period of time, David¡¯s low and hoarse voice sounded in her ears. ¡°You¡¯re bent on


    torturing me to death¡­¡±


    His face was still buried in her neck. His scorching breath brushed past her neck, making her tremble.


    Rachel pulled out of his embrace ufortably and asked seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t you still have work to do?¡±


    ¡°So?¡± David rolled over and faced upward.


    Rachel said, ¡°Hurry up and go to work. Try to rest early tonight.¡±


    ¡°Let me apany you for a while longer.¡± David wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for me toe in.¡±


    Rachel could not help butugh. ¡°This is your turf. Do you usually get stopped when you


    ¡°If you¡¯re not here, what¡¯s the point of me staying here?¡± David kissed the top of her head- and said in a


    low voice, ¡°Before I had you, I didn¡¯t know the taste of love. After you, all the vors in the world have


    be nd.¡±


    Rachel was mentally prepared for the sweet nothings that he would say from time to time, but every


    time she heard it, her heart would flutter uncontrobly.


    It felt like a bullet had still pierced through her chest even though she was wearing a bulletproof vest.


    However, at this moment, what pierced through her heart was not a cold bullet, but David, this man


    who looked gentle and indifferent on the outside, but was actually domineering and a little paranoid on


    the inside.


    Rachel was not a saint. She would drool over beauty and love sweet nothings. Everything she liked


    was satisfied by David.


    How could she not be smitten with him?


    How could she continue to maintain her rationality?


    She looked at the man who was so close to her. Her gentle gaze was mixed with a faint trace of joy.


    She said with a smile, ¡°David, you¡¯re hopeless.¡±


    There¡¯s hope. David¡¯s arm tensed up a little. He leaned over slightly and whispered into


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    her ear, ¡°You are my medicine.¡±


    Rachel was stunned for a moment. She pursed her lips and reached out to poke his chest. ¡°I have an


    early meeting tomorrow. I really should rest.¡±


    ¡°Go to sleep then.¡±


    Initially, he was just saying it out of spite. He did not expect Rachel to actually say goodnight¡® and fall


    asleep on his arm.


    The room was filled with the woman¡¯s fragrance. It was faint and not overwhelming.


    It was as if it was teasing his heart all the time.


    In the darkness, David¡¯s lips twitched helplessly.


    He never thought that he would lose control tonight.


    David nced at Rachel who had fallen into a deep sleep and sighed inaudibly. This heartless woman


    was indeed dead set on sleeping.


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    He gently lifted the nket and walked out of the room.


    If he didn¡¯t leave now, he wasn¡¯t sure he would lose control tonight.


    When Rachel heard him deliberately lighten his footsteps, his lips could not help but curl up.


    She really didn¡¯t know what to say about this man.


    Sometimes, he was as domineering as a bandit leader, but at critical moments, he would suppress his


    thoughts and continue with his usual humble attitude.


    Just like tonight, for example. If he really wanted to get intimate with her, there would be nothing she


    could do. After all, this was his territory, and she didn¡¯t seem to be that resistant¡­


    However, he did not go overboard and still respected her wishes at the most critical *juncture.

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138


    The next morning, Rachel casually chose an apricot-colored suit.


    She was wearing a white silk sling top underneath her zer, paired with a knee-length skirt. She was


    elegant and naturally charming.


    Her straight and slender legs were especially eye-catching as she walked.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Grey.¡± When Mrs. Brown saw Rachel, her face was covered with a friendly smile.


    ¡°Sir is waiting for you in the dining room.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly and walked straight to the dining room.


    Hearing the footsteps, David put down his phone and slowly looked up. When he saw Rachel, he was


    slightly stunned and a faint trace of glee appeared in his eyes. ¡°Have something to eat before I send


    you to the officeter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Rachel sat down unhurriedly and looked at the food on the table.


    As expected, the dishes in front of her were all her favorites.


    David scooped a bowl of oatmeal and carefully picked out the raisins in it one by one while asking


    casually, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stay in Sandalwood Hills for the time being?¡±


    Rachel shook her head slightly and refuted, ¡°You can¡¯t be protecting me all the time.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± David asked.


    Rachel picked up a piece of toast and nced at him with some thoughts in her mind. ¡°Would you like


    to have a virtuous wife?¡±


    David didn¡¯t even think about it and simply answered straight away, ¡°No.¡±


    Rachel bit her spoon and raised her eyebrows slightly, quietly looking at the man seated. opposite her.


    David stood up and ced the oatmeal in front of her.


    Returning to his seat, he took a napkin and slowly wiped his fingers. His deep, cold voice sounded


    unhurried as he said, ¡°I want a woman who can fight alongside me. I¡¯m sessful and famous. She


    can be the icing on the cake. If all my previous efforts are in vain, she can still hold her own and have


    the courage to work with me to make aeback.¡±


    His gaze was extremely aggressive, but he looked straight at Rachel with a clear goal.


    He knew Rachel¡¯s ideals and understood her ambitions.


    How could a person as dazzling as the sun and as rich as a peony be imprisoned in an ordinary


    corner? She should be the center of attention.


    A strong desire to conquer appeared in the man¡¯s dark and deep eyes. His words were filled with


    determination. ¡°Rachel, you can grow unrestrictedly with me. You don¡¯t have to care about what the


    outside world thinks, nor do you have to care about any consequences. You just have to live as you


    wish.¡±


    She just had to live as she wished¡­


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    Chapter 138


    When this sentence came out of David¡¯s mouth, it seemed imbued with extraordinary magic.


    Gentle yet powerful.


    Every word was a powerful blow to her heart.


    Her frozen blood seemed to be flowing again at this moment, and her heart beat faster.


    Rachel¡¯s throat felt slightly dry. She stared at him for a long time.


    His presence had added vibrancy and color to her deste and lonely life.


    Suddenly, a bright and moving smile appeared on her moist red lips. ¡°What a coincidence. We share


    the same sentiments.¡±


    ¡°To be precise, we are a match made in heaven¡±


    The two of them looked at each other and smiled, their eyes sparkling like stars.


    Even though they weren¡¯t saying anything now, they knew each other¡¯s feelings.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    After they were done with breakfast, David sent Rachel to the office.


    Rachel opened the door and got out of the car. She turned around, only to see the parked car turning


    back again.


    ¡°Why¡­¡±


    Before the man could finish speaking, Rachel¡¯s lips had already been pressed against his.

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139


    Eddie, who was sitting in the front row, was caught off guard.


    He closed his eyes silently, thinking to himself, ¡°out of sight, out of mind.¡±


    Rachel had always been reserved and restrained, but for some reason, she really wanted to kiss him


    just now.


    So she did what she wanted.


    The man¡¯s lips were stained with lipstick, adding a hint of frivolity to his cold and abstinent face.


    David looked at Rachel faintly, with enigmatic emotions surging in his pitch-ck eyes.


    The woman curved her eyebrows, her upturned eyes exuding an indescribable charm. Her red lips


    parted slightly. ¡°David, thank you for appearing in my life when I¡¯m at my worst.¡±


    She did not know what the man in front of her was thinking at this moment. She only knew that she had


    been preparing for this moment to thank him for a long time.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been the one to watch me leave. This time, it¡¯s my turn to watch you leave, okay?¡± She


    asked, staring at the man in front of her.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly and rubbed her fingertips against the corner of his lips as if he were


    reminiscing about the kiss just now. ¡°You can¡¯t bear to part with me, huh?¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The woman¡¯s unpretentious answer rendered David speechless.


    He stared at her with a burning gaze and suddenly lifted the corners of his thin lips. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up


    from work tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She stepped back and waved at David.


    Looking at the car that was getting further and further away, the emptiness in her heart grew stronger.


    When the carpletely disappeared from her sight, she could not help but sigh softly. She turned


    around and walked towards thepany.


    ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t you have anything to exin to me?!¡± A low and cold voice suddenly sounded.


    Rachel turned around. The moment she saw Louis, the smile on her face faded a little, and her eyes


    were filled with an unknown coldness.


    She raised her eyebrows without batting an eyelid and said sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯wonder what identity you¡¯re


    questioning me with? An ex-boyfriend?¡±


    We just broke up and you¡¯re already so eager to be intimate with another man. I really didn¡¯t expect you


    to be such a woman!¡¯ Louis looked at Rachel with disappointment. It was as if in their past rtionship,


    Rachel was the traitor.


    Chapter 139


    When Rachel saw his disappointed and using gaze, the corners of her mouth curled into a mocking


    smile. ¡°You said it yourself. We¡¯ve broken up, so it¡¯s not your ce to ask about my matters! Am I


    supposed to mourn for you for three years after we break up?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Louis looked at Rachel in disbelief.


    As far as he could remember, Rachel may have always been aloof, but she would always obey him. At


    any time, he would be the center of her world, and her decisions would revolve around him.


    Over the years, he had gradually gotten used to being surrounded by Rachel.


    It was also because of Rachel¡¯s submission that his self-esteem was boosted.


    However, Rachel, who had once been gentle to him, was now covered in thorns and filled with hostility


    toward him. He had a hard time epting the drastic difference.


    Perhaps what he really could not ept was not the change in Rachel but the fact that he could be


    reced so easily.


    He took a deep breath and soothed the anger in his heart. He said coldly, ¡°Rachel, I know that the


    breakup has been a huge blow to you. But please respect yourself. Don¡¯t try to use such a degrading


    method to gain my attention!¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡± Rachel snapped as she looked at him coldly.

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140


    ¡°When I chose you, I could make you the center of attention and even allow you to stand side by side


    with me. But when I gave up on you, you were worthless in my eyes. Why would I humiliate myself for


    you? You¡¯re overestimating yourself!¡±


    ¡°In the past, I liked you because I was inexperienced. Now that I¡¯ve met someone better, I naturally


    won¡¯t take you seriously. So, Mr. Smith, don¡¯t tter yourself!¡±


    Every word she said seemed to be filled with sarcasm and disdain.


    After saying that, Rachel did not even look at him and walked straight towards the door of the Johnson


    Corporation building.


    Logically speaking, after breaking up, Louis Smith shouldn¡¯t be criticizing Rachel¡¯s life.


    He also knew that the best condition for exes was to not contact each other and not disturb each other.


    He understood all these principles.


    However, when he saw Rachel going out with another man and kissing him, he could not control his


    emotions. He felt absolutely disgusted and his heart ached as if it had been pricked by needles.


    Could it be that Rachel could really pretend that nothing had happened between them after that heart-


    wrenching rtionship of three years?


    There wasn¡¯t even the least bit of sadness or pain?


    ¡°Rachel, we just broke up, and you¡¯re already embroiled with another man. Do you dare to say that this


    man has nothing to do with you?!¡±


    In other words, the rtionship between Rachel and David was already ambiguous long


    ago.


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    Hearing the deeper meaning hidden in his words, Rachel stopped in her tracks. She narrowed her


    eyes, which flickered with a cold light. ¡°Louis Smith, I advise you not to test my patience!¡±


    Her voice was like the frost of winter, and her calm gaze was sharp, making one shudder.


    Facing her gaze, Louis¡¯ heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously held his breath.


    When Rachel turned around and left, he felt the frozen blood in his body begin to flow again.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, are we still going in?¡± The assistant standing at the side asked carefully as he looked at


    Rachel¡¯s back and then at the sullen Louis.


    Louis frowned slightly. Only then did he remember why he came here.


    ¡°Is everything ready?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all here.¡±


    The assistant patted the document bag he carried with him.


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    Louis nodded slightly, adjusted his tie, and walked towards the Johnson Corporation¡¯s building.


    However, she did not expect to be stopped by the security guard at the door as soon as she walked in.


    ¡°Stop! Who are you?!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re from Smith Group. We want to see Ms. Grey.¡± The assistant looked at the security. guard in


    front of him with disdain.


    The security guard thought of the new order he had just received and said with a straight face, ¡°You


    can¡¯t go in.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we go in?!¡± There was a hint of displeasure on the assistant¡¯s face.


    The security guard said expressionlessly, ¡°Because you¡¯re from the Smith Group. To be honest, the


    higher-ups have just issued a new order. We won¡¯t see anyone from the Smith Group! So, please


    leave!¡±


    Louis¡¯ expression turned sullen when he heard that. Even his voice was subconsciously cold. ¡°Is this


    Ms. Grey¡¯s idea?¡±


    ¡°Noment!¡± the security guard said.


    After being rejected, the two of them naturally would not stay long downstairs at the Johnson


    Corporation building.


    However, before leaving, the assistant hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Mr. Smith, Miss Grey


    walked in unimpeded just now, which means that she must be rted to the Johnson Corporation.


    Coincidentally, the new CEO of the Johnson Corporation has thest name ¡®Grey¡¯. Do you think Miss


    Grey is¡­¡±


    He felt that everything was too coincidental.

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141


    When Louis heard his words, a trace of disdain shed across his eyes. ¡°Rachel has no rtives.¡±


    How could it be rted to the Johnson family? How could it be the newly appointed CEO of the


    Johnson Corporation?


    This was simply nonsense!


    The assistant also knew that his guess was a little ridiculous.


    After all, Louis had sent him to personally investigate Rachel¡¯s background.


    Given her background, she was indeed unworthy of being rted to the Johnson family, let alone


    bing the female CEO of the Johnson Corporation.


    Louis said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡±


    When the assistant heard this, he did not dare to continue making wild guesses.


    The next second, he heard Louis say, ¡°Go talk to the security guard at the doorter. Ask him to find


    out what position Rachel Grey currently holds in the Johnson Corporation.¡±


    Now, CEO Grey of the Johnson Corporation had turned them away and refused to see them, let alone


    talk about a coboration.


    If he wanted to see Ms. Grey, he could only work on Rachel.


    However, they had just parted on bad terms. He was not sure if Rachel would agree to his request.


    Louis frowned. Based on his understanding of Rachel, this woman would definitely not help him.


    After thinking for a moment, he took out his phone and called Old Mr. Smith.


    After he briefly exined the situation, he said earnestly, ¡°Grandpa, you also know that cooperating


    with the Johnson Corporation means a lot to Smith Group. If I wasn¡¯t desperate, I wouldn¡¯t have asked


    you toe forward.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way to contact her, but I can¡¯t guarantee that she¡¯ll


    help you.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Old Mr. Smith hesitated again and again before calling Rachel.


    Rachel frowned slightly when she saw the call from Old Mr. Smith. However, she still picked it up out of


    consideration for their past ties.


    As soon as she did, Old Mr. Smith said, ¡°Girl, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re willing to answer my call.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Rachel said, ¡°May I know why you¡¯re calling me?¡±


    Her cold voice was indifferent, and there was almost no fluctuation in her tone.


    Old Mr. Smith knew very well that Louis had let her down. Coupled with the incident at


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    his birthday banquet, this girl also felt estranged from him.


    However, when he thought of the Smith family¡¯s current awkward situation, the guilt in his heart was still


    overwhelmed by the Smith family¡¯s development prospects. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else. I just hope that


    you can attend the Smith Group¡¯s anniversary celebration. After all, it¡¯s all thanks to you that we can be


    where we are today. Therefore, I hope that you can attend the Smith family¡¯s celebration personally.¡±


    ¡°The Smith family doesn¡¯t have any connection with me, so my appearance won¡¯t affect the Smith


    family in any way.¡± Rachel paused for a moment, and her lips curled into an ironic smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think


    any of them would want me to appear there.¡±


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    When Old Mr. Smith heard this, he fell into a short silence. ¡°Rae-Rae, I don¡¯t have the right to beg you


    to forgive them. After all, they were the ones who let you down first. However, in life, you should be


    looking forward. Why take the past to heart? Get over the past, and everything will develop in a good


    direction.¡±


    ¡°Am I developing in a good direction, or is the Smith family developing in a good direction?¡± Rachel¡¯s


    cold voice came through the phone, revealing an unreasonable coldness.


    On the other end of the phone, Old Mr. Smith was speechless.


    ¡°I can promise you that I won¡¯t go against the Smith family¡¯s people. I¡¯m also willing to leave the Smith


    family some dignity. However, I hope that you guys won¡¯t provoke me again.¡± Rachel said coldly, ¡°I still


    have something on. I¡¯ll hang up now.¡±


    With that, she hung up.


    However, after a while, her phone rang again. After she declined, it rang again.


    There was a trace of impatience and frustration between her eyebrows as she picked up the phone.


    However, it was not Old Mr. Smith¡¯s voice that came from the phone.

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    Chapter 142


    ¡°Dear, you finally picked up the phone!¡± Mr. Griffin¡¯s voice trembled slightly in excitement.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Tell me, how much are you nning to charge this time?¡±


    ording to her understanding of Mr. Griffin, he would never have called her if he was not desperately


    short of money.


    Mr. Griffin was good at everything. His only w was that he would lose his rationality when he sees


    any rare items at the auction.


    Therefore, when she received Mr. Griffin¡¯s call, Rachel thought that it was most likely for money.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re Miss Grey, huh?¡± An unfamiliar and arrogant question came from the receiver.


    As soon as he finished speaking, she heard Mr. Griffin shout from the other end, ¡°Help! They


    kidnapped¡­¡±


    ¡°Old fogy, if you don¡¯t behave yourself, I¡¯ll cut off your tongue!¡± The man scolded angrily, apanied


    by a muffled groan as Mr. Griffin fell to the ground.


    Mr. Griffin was kidnapped?!


    A cold glint suddenly appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes, and her delicate face was covered with a sullen


    coldness. ¡°What do you want!¡±


    ¡°As expected of the boss of mour Pavilion, you¡¯re so open-minded, Miss Grey.¡± The man smiled


    insincerely and said, ¡°We want 50 million USD to be sent to the pier in an hour! Otherwise, I¡¯ll take this


    old fogy¡¯s life!¡±


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    With that, the other party hung up.


    Rachel frowned slightly. Mr. Griffin usually stayed at home most of the time. Who could he have


    provoked?


    Suddenly, an idea shed in her mind.


    For some reason, she thought of the suspicious car that tailed her yesterday.


    Rachel immediately contacted Lucas and tracked down Mr. Griffin¡¯s location through the phone call.


    He wasn¡¯t at the pier, but at an unfinished building.


    She pursed her lips and drove straight to the unfinished building.


    Olivia happened to see Rachel¡¯s car pass by her on the way back to the Cruise family¡¯s residence after


    meeting a close friend for tea.


    A trace of coldness instantly appeared on her face.


    Since she gave out a fake at Old Mr. Smith¡¯s birthday banquet, she had lost all her pride in front of the


    Smiths.


    17-44 24


    Chapter 142


    She was so furious that she went to the antique shop to reason with them. After causing a scene, not


    only did she not get any benefits, but she also made a fool out of herself.


    Therefore, she secretly med all of this on Rachel.


    She was determined to ruin Rachel¡¯s reputation.


    Olivia stared thoughtfully in the direction of Rachel¡¯s car.


    ording to the Smiths, Rachel didn¡¯t have any friends or rtives in Seaxas, so she didn¡¯t need to


    socialize at all. Now, she wasn¡¯t driving toward mour Pavilion.


    What was Rachel trying to do?


    Could it be that she has some shameful secret?


    At the thought of this, Olivia¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of her mouth curled into a sinister


    smile.


    She wanted to see what Rachel was up to!


    Rachel, who was in front, dialed Lucas¡¯s number. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the unfinished building now. Bring


    some people over to support me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, why did you act first without informing me beforehand!?¡± Lucas could not help but sigh.


    Immediately after, there was the sound of people putting on their clothes in a flurry. ¡°Rachel, I¡¯m


    warning you. Before I bring my men over, you¡¯re not allowed to act on your


    own!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± With that, Rachel hung up.


    She looked up at the rearview mirror and noticed the car following behind her. The corners of her eyes


    were slightly raised in mockery.


    Olivia noticed that Rachel¡¯s car suddenly sped up. She wondered if she had been exposed.


    Or did Rachel have an unspeakable secret that she was worried might be discovered?


    She made up her mind and sped up to catch up.


    After driving for over an hour, the car finally reached an uninhabited area.


    This ce was unmanaged all year round. Weeds had grown everywhere, and the old facilities hidden


    in the grass gave off a sinister and terrifying vibe.

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    Chapter 143


    Olivia gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands. She looked around and drove carefully.


    She was now even more certain that Rachel must be hiding an unspeakable secret. Otherwise, she


    wouldn¡¯t have tried to shake her off ande here.


    After the car drove for a distance, she saw Rachel¡¯s car.


    After hesitating for a while, she got out of the car with her phone and quietly followed her. At the same


    time, she turned on her phone and prepared to take a photo of Rachel if she discovered her secret


    later, and then report her immediately.


    On the other side, Rachel arrived at the unfinished building and managed to find the kidnappers¡® hiding


    ce with ease.


    There were one fat and one thin man cooking some sausages in a small iron pot.


    The thin man muttered, ¡°Do you think that woman will really send 50 million USD to the pier?¡±


    The fat man turned his head and looked at Mr. Griffin, who was tied up. ¡°I don¡¯t think so! How can an


    old man be worth so much money!¡±


    ¡°Boss has really gone overboard. He¡¯s asking for too much. Isn¡¯t he afraid that he¡¯ll run away?¡±


    When Mr. Griffin saw Rachel¡¯s figure, he immediately became so excited that his eyes filled with tears.


    His hands and feet were tied and thrown to the ground. His mouth was still sealed with ck tape. At


    this moment, he was all curled up on the ground like a big worm, mumbling something indistinctly.


    ¡°What are you shouting for!?!¡± The fatty kicked him impatiently.


    When he turned around and saw Rachel, he was so frightened that his entire body trembled. ¡°You!


    Who are you!?!¡±


    Rachel looked up and nced at him expressionlessly. She walked straight to Mr. Griffin and pulled off


    the tape on his mouth.


    Mr. Griffin moved his mouth and craned his neck to look outside. Then, he stared at Rachel in disbelief.


    ¡°You came alone?!¡±


    ¡°If we call the police, they might kill you,¡± Rachel said.


    Mr. Griffin was speechless.


    If that was the case, then charging over alone was no different from him getting killed!


    ¡°Tell me, what happened?¡± Rachel raised her chin at the fat and thin men standing opposite her.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Mr. Griffin¡¯s eyes glistened guiltily as he stammered, ¡°Remember that painting I¡¯ve been investigating


    for the past few days? These people said that they had clues, so I followed them here. Then, I was


    kidnapped¡­¡±


    1/2


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    Chapter 143


    He noticed Rachel¡¯s meaningful gaze and sighed. ¡°Well, as you know, since Vince¡¯sir was wiped out


    three years ago, his whereabouts have been uncertain. That¡¯s why I set up a bounty¡­¡±


    He had initially nned to win by surprise, but who knew he would end up digging his grave?


    The two of them chatted as if no one else was around, making the kidnappers feel insulted. In


    exasperation, one of them fished out the dagger hidden at his waist and wiped the de of the dagger


    with his fingertips. ¡°What are you two talking about?! Do you really think we don¡¯t exist?!¡±


    ¡°These two are the ones.¡± Mr. Griffin raised his chin slightly, indicating for Rachel to look over. ¡°The


    imitation painting was sold by them.¡±


    Rachel looked at the thin man with the dagger and squinted slightly.


    The thin man turned his head and spat, his eyes gleaming with a fierce and cold glint. ¡°Cut the crap. If


    you know what¡¯s good for you, hurry up and surrender. Otherwise, don¡¯t me my dagger for being


    blind!¡±


    ¡°If you hurt me, you won¡¯t be able to escape!¡± Rachel looked at him expressionlessly, her eyes


    flickering with a cold light.


    The thin man chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s a path to heaven, but you chose not to take it. There¡¯s no door to hell,


    but you insist on charging in. In this case, don¡¯t me me!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he held the dagger and stabbed it straight at Rachel.

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144


    The dagger cut through the air and stabbed straight at Rachel.


    ¡°Be careful¡­¡± Mr. Griffin¡¯s expression changed drastically, and his pupils constricted.


    Rachel seemed to have been prepared. When the thin man tried to stab her, she swiftly took a step to


    the side. At the same time, she grabbed his wrist and bent it back forcefully. As a result, he let go in


    pain and the dagger fell to the ground.


    She kicked the dagger with the tip of her foot and it slid in front of Mr. Griffin.


    Then, with a clean elbow strike, she tilted her shoulder and grabbed the man¡¯s arm, throwing him over


    her shoulder.


    With a bang, dust flew everywhere.


    The thin man was thrown to the ground and left in a sorry state. His thin body curled up on the ground


    as he was in excruciating pain.


    If Mr. Griffin was not busy cutting the rope, he would have jumped up and pped his hands to


    apud.


    The fat man looked at his partner, who was in a sorry state, and his eyes instantly widened in shock.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    As he spoke, he opened his arms and pounced at Rachel like a crazy gori.


    Mr. Griffin quickly threw the dagger to Rachel. ¡°Catch!¡±


    She grabbed the dagger and pressed it against the fat man¡¯s neck the moment he rushed


    over.


    Her lips curled into a seductive smile, like a blooming poppy. ¡°I advise you not to move.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± The thin man questioned as he gritted his teeth and tried to get up from the


    ground with both hands.


    In the end, Rachel mercilessly kicked him back to his original spot.


    She shifted her gaze downwards to look at the thin man coldly. ¡°Take me to see your higher-ups.¡±


    One of the characteristics of Vince Sales was that they would search for all kinds of hooligans from all


    over the country and send them to different areas to sell their goods. Each person could sell their


    goods once at a time and was strictly not to appear in the


    same area.


    Everyone was assigned to superiors, and only the core members could see Vince.


    If Rachel and the others wanted to find Vince¡¯s whereabouts, the only way was to follow the trail of


    these two people.


    A glint shed in the eyes of the skinny man who was being trampled on the ground. ¡°Will you let me


    go as long as I take you there?¡±


    That will depend on your performance,¡± Rachel said calmly.


    Five minutester, the thin and fat men walked out of the unfinished building one after another, tied up.


    ¡°Nobody moves!¡±


    Apanied by messy footsteps, a group of armed SWAT officers surrounded them. ¡°Hands on your


    heads and squat on the ground!¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    She turned to look at Mr. Griffin, who wasbing his hair with a smallb. ¡°Did you call the police?¡±


    ¡°You must be joking,¡± Mr. Griffin said. ¡°You really didn¡¯t call the police?¡±


    Rachel shook her head.


    Unsurprisingly, the group was taken away.


    When Rachel and the others got out of the car, they handed over their belongings and were brought


    into the interrogation room by the staff.


    At this moment, a group of people walked out from the other end of the corridor.


    A man in a uniform walked in front and looked at the man in a suit beside him from time to time.


    ¡°Special Assistant Brook, thank you very much for the clues you provided. We will definitely investigate


    this matter thoroughly and arrest the criminals as soon as possible!¡±


    Bright early this morning, the car that the president of Ster Corporation was in was attacked. Not only


    was the car severely damaged, but the perpetrator also left a threatening letter.


    Although Ster Corporation was not as eye-catching as the Johnson family, it still had a significant


    ce in Seaxas.


    At this moment, Eddie was not paying attention to the words of the people around him. Instead, he


    looked at one of the interrogation rooms thoughtfully. ¡°What crime did the people in heremit?¡±

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145


    The captain followed Eddie¡¯s gaze and hesitated.


    Coincidentally, the door of the interrogation room opened and an interrogator walked out. When he saw


    the captain, he greeted respectfully, ¡°Captain Cole.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Don Cole raised his chin in the direction of the interrogation


    room.


    The interrogator exined, ¡°Someone just called the police and said that they saw someone being


    suspected of carrying out illegal transactions. Well, it happens that we¡¯ve just wiped out the criminal


    gang. They¡¯re arranging an interrogation inside.¡±


    ¡°Illegal transactions?¡± Eddie repeated in a low voice.


    The interrogator nodded and subconsciously nced at Don. Seeing that he did not stop him, he


    continued, ¡°All these years, there have been people secretly selling antiques and paintings. There have


    also been people who took advantage of the situation to cheat others out of their money with replica


    antiques and artifacts. ording to the evidence plundered from these people, we suspect that these


    people are rted to the case three years ago.¡±


    Don looked at the expression on Eddie¡¯s face and asked carefully, ¡°Special Assistant Brook, is there a


    problem with this case?¡±


    Eddic came back to his senses and looked at Don with a faint smile. ¡°This case sounds very important.


    Looks like I¡¯ll have to trouble the captain to personally take care of it. I still have something on, so I¡¯ll


    take my leave first.¡±


    With that, he left with one hand in his pocket.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    If he was not mistaken, the person in the interrogation room was Rachel.


    However, he did not know if David knew about this.


    Eddie pondered about it for a moment and decided to head back to the office immediately to inform


    David about the matter.


    After all, this captain was known for being impartial.


    At this moment, in the police station, the interrogators were interrogating them one by


    one.


    Rachel sat in the middle with her hands cuffed and ced on the table. On the wall behind her were


    the words ¡°If you confess, we will be lenient. Resist and you will face severe punishment.¡±


    When Don walked into the interrogation room, he saw Rachel sitting on the chair and said coldly, ¡°Tell


    me your name, age, and profession!¡±


    Rachel calmly answered them one by one.


    ¡°Why were you at the scene? Were you conducting an illegal transaction? Did you bring these things


    here?!¡±


    ¡°I was there to save someone. No, no.¡± Rachel answered his questions with the simplest


    1/2


    17:44 m


    Chapter 145 words.


    The captain was angered by Rachel¡¯s casual attitude. He mmed the table. ¡°Youngdy, you¡¯re quite


    pretty. Let me give you a piece of advice. If you confess, you¡¯ll be punished leniently! Otherwise, you¡¯ll


    face harsh treatment and spend your prime in prison!¡±


    What happened today was a little strange. Rachel did not know who had called the police, but she did


    not want to waste her time on such trivial matters.


    ¡°Can I make a call?¡±


    ¡°Do you think this is your home where you can do whatever you want!?!¡± The captain was furious. He


    red at Rachel angrily. ¡°I advise you to cooperate obediently. Otherwise, you¡¯ll suffer!¡±


    Rachel looked up at the clock on the wall and said calmly, ¡°Up to you.¡±


    She thought, ¡®Lucas should have received the news and rushed over, right?¡®


    In the interrogation room next door, Mr. Griffin was sweating profusely.


    What he wanted to know the most now was who the hell called the police!


    It was simply trying to kill him!


    If Old Mr. Johnson found out that Rachel had been arrested because of him, he would skin him alive


    and feed him to the dogs.


    However, he was more afraid of the two scions of the Johnson family.


    These two scions looked like they usually had nothing to do and loafed around all day but they were


    typical ¡°ves¡± to their nieces. They werepliant with Rachel and had no bottom line or principles


    when it came to matters rted to her.


    If they knew, would they directly raze the police station to the ground?!


    He had really caused a huge disaster this time!

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146


    After Eddie returned to thepany, he directly barged into David¡¯s office.


    David looked up. It was as if a dagger had darted out from the depths of his pitch¨Cck eyes, exuding


    a destructive ruthlessness.


    Eddie¡¯s heart constricted under the man¡¯s gaze. His hands that were hanging by his sides. were


    subconsciously clenched into fists.


    Sensing the low pressure around David, he could not help but take a deep breath. After hesitating for a


    while, he said carefully, ¡°David, I saw Miss Grey at the police station just now.¡±


    Sure enough, after hearing the words ¡®Miss Grey¡®, the coldness between David¡¯s eyebrows could not


    help but converge. He put down the pen in his hand. ¡°Was she there to do something?¡±


    Eddie noticed that David¡¯s attitude was mellow andposed. Although he wanted to tease him, he


    knew that this matter involved Rachel, so it was to be taken seriously.


    If anything really happened to Miss Grey at the police station, he would have to make up for it with his


    life.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about the details, but I heard from the staff in charge of the case that Miss Grey


    seems to be involved in an illegal transaction as well as a case three years ago¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, David rushed out with his coat.


    Eddie was stunned speechless.


    Although he knew that Rachel was special to David, he did not expect David to care so much.


    However, looking at David¡¯s nervous attitude, he reckoned that his annual bonus could be doubled this


    time!


    ¡°Then it was at the police station.


    Rachel was seated on the chair with her legs crossed and one hand supporting her cheek. Every now


    and then, she would look up at the clock hanging on the wall.


    She seemed to be waiting for someone.


    Of course, her little actions did not escape the eyes of the police officers in the surveince room.


    ¡°Take a look. Are these people the ones you saw?¡±


    As the door opened, a graceful figure walked into the police officer¡¯s line of sight.


    Olivia walked to the one¨Cway ss in front of the surveince camera and looked at Rachel who was


    handcuffed in the interrogation room. She felt that the depressed feelings that had been hovering in her


    heart had finally dissipated a lot.


    Her gaze swept past Rachel and eventuallynded on the fat man and the thin man. ¡®It¡¯s the two of


    them. I can recognize them even if they turn into ashes!


    17:44


    Chapter 146


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Back then, it was these two people who sold the replicas to her, causing her to be greatly humiliated in


    front of the people from the Smith family.


    Hearing her affirmative answer, the police officers looked at each other.


    The police officer said, ¡°Miss Cruise, thank you for your help. You can leave after the registration.¡±


    ¡°Leave?¡± Olivia looked at the police officer in front of her in surprise. She calmed down a little and


    smiled gently. ¡°What I mean is, what will happen to these people after I leave? They cheated me of


    more than 400 thousand dors!¡±


    Although the money was nothing to Olivia, she was unwilling to leave just like that.


    She wanted to see with her own eyes how Rachel slipped into despair. She wanted to see her in a


    sorry state when she got thrown into jail!


    ¡°We¡¯ll let you know if there are any new developments in the case,¡± the clerk said. ¡°Miss Cruise, please


    follow me.¡±


    Seeing the staff¡¯s firm attitude, Olivia did not say anything else.


    However, when she left, she could not help but take a deep look at Rachel. An


    imperceptible viciousness shed across her eyes, like a poisonous snake hiding in the depths of the


    grass.


    The tables had turned. Now, Rachel was finally getting a taste of being ruined!


    In the interrogation room, Rachel seemed to have sensed something. She looked nced over with a


    straight face.


    The woman¡¯s almond¨Cshaped eyes seemed to be stained with the frost of winter. There was ayer of


    coldness in the depths of her eyes, making one shudder.


    The moment they looked at each other, Olivia¡¯s heart seemed to be clenched by something, and her


    breathing slightly stagnated.


    Her eyes flickered slightly, and an imperceptible trace of panic and guilt shed across her eyes. She


    blurted, ¡°She can see me!¡±

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147


    The police officer did not think too much about her reaction.


    He only thought that she was worried that the criminals would take revenge in the future.


    ¡°Miss Cruise, don¡¯t worry, they can¡¯t see you,¡± the staff exined patiently.


    Olivia¡¯s suddenly tense heart slowly rxed. She took a deep breath and turned around to leave with


    the staff.


    As the two of them left, the interrogator entered the interrogation room again. He mmed the folder on


    the table and looked at Rachel impatiently. ¡°Have you considered it?!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t listen to me or believe me. What else do you want me to say?¡±


    Looking at Rachel¡¯snguid attitude, Don mmed the table and stood up. He scolded. angrily, ¡°Rachel


    Grey, don¡¯t make me do this the hard way! Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re a woman, we can¡¯t do


    anything to you! Selling national cultural relics, forging cultural relics, and illegal trading. Either of these


    two crimes is enough for you to suffer!¡±


    Rachel was unmoved. She said calmly, ¡°I want to see your Chief Brown!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t see Chief Brown whenever you want!¡± Don sneered. ¡°Lock her up and let her starve for a


    few meals. I want to see how long she canst being that tight¨Clipped!¡±


    The police officer beside him did not take action immediately. Instead, he stood walked to Don¡¯s side.


    He whispered in his ear, ¡°Captain, something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Don frowned slightly, making his already austere face look a little scary and


    shrewd.


    ¡°How did she know that our chief¡¯sst name is Brown?¡±


    up and


    These words caused Don¡¯s furrowed brows to tense up further as he fell into a brief moment of


    contemtion. ¡°Where¡¯s her information?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± The interrogator handed the folder to Don.


    This information had just been collected after an investigation not long ago. They were in


    a hurry to sort out the case and had not had the time to read it.


    When he opened the document, he saw that the background check on Rachel only contained a few


    words.


    ¡°Captain, this¡­¡± The interrogator widened his eyes in disbelief.


    Given the technical skills of the police department and the super advanced equipment they had, they


    could basically investigate anything they wanted.


    However, Rachel¡¯s information could be said to be nk except for the mandatory details, such as her


    name, date of birth, and sex.


    There were only two possibilities for this phenomenon.


    Either the background of the person they were investigating was really as clean as a piece of white


    paper, or her identity was deliberately hidden. At this stage, they had no right to


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    17:441


    Chapter 147 investigate.


    Don and the interrogator looked at each other and could not help but fall into deep thought.


    Although the two of them did not say anything, looking at Rachel¡¯s calm expression, they felt that the


    second possibility was more likely.


    However, as far as they could see, there was no one with thest name ¡®Grey¡® in the entire Seaxas.


    For a moment, the atmosphere in the interrogation room was a little heavy.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door of the interrogation room and a staff member walked in.


    He first took a deep look at Rachel, then walked to Don¡¯s side and said in a low voice, ¡°Captain, Chief


    Brown is asking to see you!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he go to a nearby city for a meeting?¡± A look of surprise appeared on Don¡¯s face.


    The man shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, he heard Chief Brown shout sternly, ¡°Where¡¯s Don Cole? That little


    bastard! Get him toe out quickly!¡±


    Hearing this, the people in the interrogation room subconsciously looked up and sized up the


    expression on Don¡¯s face.


    Don frowned slightly, handed the information to the person beside him, and turned around to leave.


    However, just as he walked out of the door, he bumped into Chief Brown, who was walking in the wind.


    ¡°You¡¯re really something! Every single day, you make me worry!¡± Chief Brown gritted his teeth and


    looked at him. ¡°What sin have Imitted to bring you here, you troublemaker!?!¡±


    ¡°Chief Brown, you just have double standards. Why didn¡¯t you say that when I made positive


    contributions?¡± Don took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to Chief Brown. ¡°Do you want


    one?¡±


    Chief Brown was so livid that heughed. ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood to smoke at this juncture? Go ahead


    and smoke. Take it as a farewell for yourself!¡±


    Don was speechless.


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    17:44


    Chapter 148.


    Chapter 148


    Don held a cigarette between his fingers as he watched Chief Brown walk past him with at


    dumbfounded expression.


    When he came back to his senses, he hurriedly chased after him. He did not forget to mutter self¨C


    righteously, ¡°Chief Brown, this case is extraordinary. Perhaps we can take this opportunity to capture


    Vince, who has been wanted for three years. Now, I beg the higher¨Cups¡­¡±


    As soon as he entered, he saw Chief Brown personally removing the handcuffs for Rachel. There was


    a look of pity between his brows, and his tone was apologetic. ¡°Rac¨CRae, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯mte. I¡¯ve let you


    suffer.¡±


    The interrogator was dumbfounded.


    Don, who was standing at the door, was speechless.


    One had thest name ¡®Brown¡®, and the other had thest name ¡®Gray¡®. How did they be uncle


    and niece?


    Chief Brown in front of him was indeed not Rachel¡¯s uncle, but Lucas¡¯s biological uncle.


    However, when she was young, Lucas often brought her in and out of Morris Brown¡¯s family at will.


    After a while, the Brown family started acknowledging her and treating her like one of them.


    From then on, Rachel treated Morris Brown like her uncle, just as Lucas did.


    To others, it was a great thing to be rted to the Brown family.


    However, to the Brown family, it was a great honor for Rachel to be willing to acknowledge them.


    It was because Rachel was the apple of Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s and the entire Johnson family¡¯s


    eyes.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel moved her wrist and looked at Morris with a smile. ¡°Did Lucas look for you?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Morris¡¯s expression changed drastically. An imperceptible panic shed across his


    eyes. ¡°What! Lucas knows that you¡¯re locked up here?¡±


    If Lucas knew, his brother¨Cinw would probably know too.


    The police station would probably face another bloodbath.


    After all, Rachel was the apple of the Johnson family¡¯s eyes.


    Rachel looked at Morris¡¯s hopeless expression and a hint of contemtion shed in the depths of her


    eyes.


    If it wasn¡¯t Lucas, then who could it be?


    Just as she was deep in thought, she heard someone barge in. ¡°Chief Brown, Mr. Johnson is here.


    Chief Brown¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    Chapter 148


    What he was afraid of really came true.


    Morris calmed down and looked at Rachel with a smile. His tone was cautious and fawning. ¡°Rae¨CRae,


    why don¡¯t youe with me?¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    The two of them walked out of the interrogation room one after another.


    When Morris passed by Don, he glowered at him in exasperation. ¡°Come over too. You can take


    responsibility for what you¡¯ve done!¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t even think about dragging me down with you!¡® he thought:


    Don still did not understand what he had done wrong.


    He thought that Rachel was involved in this illegal transaction case. It could be said that she had been


    caught red¨Chanded. This was not something that could be easily resolved with a backer.


    In the office.


    Tom was sitting on the ck sofa with his legs crossed. There was a hint ofnguidness in his noble


    posture, and he was holding a lit cigarette between his slender fingers.


    Hearing footsteps at the door, he looked up.


    The moment the man¡¯s sharp gaze cast over, a strong pressure overwhelmed him, immediately making


    Morris gasp.


    Despite his position as brother¨Cinw and his older age, Morris still felt unprecedented reverence and


    fear every time he met Tom.


    He hesitated for a moment and smiled awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. Sorry to have. troubled you


    toe personally, Mr. Johnson.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, what happened?¡± Tom put out the cigarette in his hand and casually looked up at Don who


    was behind Morris.


    The man¡¯s voice was low and cold, making one shudder.


    Morris red at Don. ¡°Speak up! Are you mute now?!¡±

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148


    Don held a cigarette between his fingers as he watched Chief Brown walk past him with at


    dumbfounded expression.


    When he came back to his senses, he hurriedly chased after him. He did not forget to mutter self¨C


    righteously, ¡°Chief Brown, this case is extraordinary. Perhaps we can take this opportunity to capture


    Vince, who has been wanted for three years. Now, I beg the higher¨Cups¡­¡±


    As soon as he entered, he saw Chief Brown personally removing the handcuffs for Rachel. There was


    a look of pity between his brows, and his tone was apologetic. ¡°Rac¨CRae, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯mte. I¡¯ve let you


    suffer.¡±


    The interrogator was dumbfounded.


    Don, who was standing at the door, was speechless.


    One had thest name ¡®Brown¡®, and the other had thest name ¡®Gray¡®. How did they be uncle


    and niece?


    Chief Brown in front of him was indeed not Rachel¡¯s uncle, but Lucas¡¯s biological uncle.


    However, when she was young, Lucas often brought her in and out of Morris Brown¡¯s family at will.


    After a while, the Brown family started acknowledging her and treating her like one of them.


    From then on, Rachel treated Morris Brown like her uncle, just as Lucas did.


    To others, it was a great thing to be rted to the Brown family.


    However, to the Brown family, it was a great honor for Rachel to be willing to acknowledge them.


    It was because Rachel was the apple of Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s and the entire Johnson family¡¯s


    eyes.


    Rachel moved her wrist and looked at Morris with a smile. ¡°Did Lucas look for you?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Morris¡¯s expression changed drastically. An imperceptible panic shed across his


    eyes. ¡°What! Lucas knows that you¡¯re locked up here?¡±


    If Lucas knew, his brother¨Cinw would probably know too.


    The police station would probably face another bloodbath.


    After all, Rachel was the apple of the Johnson family¡¯s eyes.


    Rachel looked at Morris¡¯s hopeless expression and a hint of contemtion shed in the depths of her


    eyes.


    If it wasn¡¯t Lucas, then who could it be?


    Just as she was deep in thought, she heard someone barge in. ¡°Chief Brown, Mr. Johnson is here.


    Chief Brown¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    Chapter 148


    What he was afraid of really came true.


    Morris calmed down and looked at Rachel with a smile. His tone was cautious and fawning. ¡°Rae¨CRae,


    why don¡¯t youe with me?¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    The two of them walked out of the interrogation room one after another.


    When Morris passed by Don, he glowered at him in exasperation. ¡°Come over too. You can take


    responsibility for what you¡¯ve done!¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t even think about dragging me down with you!¡® he thought:


    Don still did not understand what he had done wrong.


    He thought that Rachel was involved in this illegal transaction case. It could be said that she had been


    caught red¨Chanded. This was not something that could be easily resolved with a backer.


    In the office.


    Tom was sitting on the ck sofa with his legs crossed. There was a hint ofnguidness in his noble


    posture, and he was holding a lit cigarette between his slender fingers.


    Hearing footsteps at the door, he looked up.


    The moment the man¡¯s sharp gaze cast over, a strong pressure overwhelmed him, immediately making


    Morris gasp.


    Despite his position as brother¨Cinw and his older age, Morris still felt unprecedented reverence and


    fear every time he met Tom.


    He hesitated for a moment and smiled awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. Sorry to have. troubled you


    toe personally, Mr. Johnson.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, what happened?¡± Tom put out the cigarette in his hand and casually looked up at Don who


    was behind Morris.


    The man¡¯s voice was low and cold, making one shudder.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Morris red at Don. ¡°Speak up! Are you mute now?!¡±

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149


    Don, who was suddenly called out, subconsciously looked up at Tom. He cleared his throat and told


    him the whole story. ¡°ording to the evidence we have so far, she is the biggest suspect in this case.¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± Tom sneered.


    Morris immediately felt hopeless.


    Oh no, oh no. The King of Hell smiled.


    He was kind enough to give Don a chance to redeem himself.


    Good lord, he actually dug his own grave here!


    Tom nced at Don and said in a cold voice, ¡°Since you¡¯re a special forces police officer who retired


    from the top, you should know that there¡¯s a different set of rules in every ce. You detained someone


    without any direct evidence. You should know the seriousness of this nature.¡±


    ¡°But we received a police report and found the stolen goods at the crime scene. Aren¡¯t these


    counted?!¡±


    Don had to retire from the army a year ago due to his injuries and came here to be a captain.


    He did not like ttery, nor did he like the bootlicking in the bureaucracy. He had always done things his


    own way. To put it nicely, he was confident, but to put it bluntly, he was stubborn.


    Because of this, he had beenined about more than once and ostracized by others.


    Seeing that he was not having a good time up there, Morris thickened his skin and asked him toe


    over. Therefore, every time he faced Don¡¯s trouble, he would admit defeat. After all, he was the one


    who invited him to join him.


    However, this time, Don harmed Rachel. Morris could not even protect himself. How could he have the


    extra energy to protect him? He could only pray for himself.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the witness? Where¡¯s the confession?¡± Tom questioned.


    Don was stunned for a moment. His self-righteous aura immediately dissipated a little. ¡°We¡¯re still in the


    interrogation stage. For the time being, we don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Tom narrowed his dark eyes, which flickered with a terrifying coldness. ¡°You¡¯re forcefully. detaining her


    without any testimony. Are you nning to abuse your authority?¡±


    This casual sentence was like a thousand-pound stone that smashed into Don¡¯s heart, making him


    unable to breathe.


    He moved his lips, but no words came out.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious. Who called the police?¡± Rachel suddenly asked.


    Don frowned slightly and pursed his lips, looking like he had nothing to say.


    Rachel smiled. You can¡¯t tell me?¡±


    1/3


    Chapter 149


    Morris, who was watching from the side, was scratching his heart and lungs. Why was he still so


    stubborn at this juncture?!


    He poked Don¡¯s waist with his elbow and red at him. Then, he looked at Rachel and smiled. ¡°We¡¯re


    all family. You don¡¯t need to be so polite.¡±


    In the end, Don reluctantly said, ¡°Olivia Cruise.¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Upon hearing this name, the smile on Rachel¡¯s lips deepened, making her gorgeous face look even


    more beautiful and alluring.


    ¡°So it¡¯s her.¡±


    At this moment, Olivia was walking out of the office and looking at the interrogation room where Rachel


    was being held.


    She realized that the door of the interrogation room was open and there was no one inside.


    She frowned and asked, ¡°Where are the people inside?!¡±


    The female police officer shook her head, indicating that she did not know either.


    female police officer asked, ¡°Jim, where are the people inside?¡±


    tally, at this moment, the person in charge of interrogating Rachel passed by. A


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Captain Cole has met a tough nut to crack this time.¡± Jim shook his head and sighed.


    He was about to say something else when he noticed Olivia standing at the side. He swallowed the


    words that were about toe out of his mouth and patted the female police officer¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Our


    captain is getting lectured in the chief¡¯s office. If you have anything to say, it¡¯s best to look for him


    tomorrow.¡±


    After watching Jim leave, the female police officer looked at Olivia. ¡°Miss Cruise, I¡¯ll send you off.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to trouble you.¡± Olivia smiled distractedly. ¡°By the way, I want to know how many years of jail


    someone convicted of illegal transaction like this will usually be sentenced


    *to?¡±


    The female police officer looked at Olivia with a polite and cold smile. ¡°This case is not just a simple


    illegal transaction. It needs to be investigated further.¡±


    She felt that something was wrong.


    Therefore, Olivia was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, she returned to the car and waited to see what


    would happen.


    After a while, she saw a few cars parked in front of the police station, followed by a group of people.


    She sat in the car and stared thoughtfully at the backs of the group of people. The corners of her lips


    suddenly curled into a smile.


    Since Rachel had caused such huge trouble and attracted so much attention, she might as well add


    fuel to the fire!

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150


    In the chief¡¯s office.


    Don believed that Rachel was a suspect and insisted on detaining him.


    Morris was in a dilemma.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    One was his brother-inw, whom he was terrified of, and the other was a powerful subordinate under


    him.


    He could only ce his hopes on Rachel.


    Fortunately, Rachel did not disappoint and took out the recording on his phone.


    The recording happened to be a conversation between herself and Mr. Griffin, who was iming to


    have been kidnapped and the kidnappers extorting money.


    ¡°So you were really going to save someone?¡± Don still found it unbelievable.


    It was hard for him to imagine that this beautiful woman actually had the courage to enter the tiger¡¯s


    den alone.


    He took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Then if this case is convicted ording to kidnapping¡­¡±


    Rachel shook her head at Don. After thinking for a few seconds, she said indifferently, ¡°This case can¡¯t


    be deemed as a simple case of kidnap. We still have to use these two people as a breakthrough point


    to find out who¡¯s the mastermind behind them. Other than these two people, there¡¯s another fish that


    escaped the. We need you to capture it as soon as possible to avoid alerting the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Are you suspecting that they are rted to Vince?¡± Tom asked as he looked at Rachel with a


    thoughtful look in his eyes.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted the Department of Investigation Services and asked them to


    bring the relevant case files over. As for the rest, I¡¯ll leave it to Uncle .Morris.¡±


    Hearing how she addressed Morris, Tom sneered in disdain. ¡°What kind of uncle is he?¡±


    Morris was speechless.


    Although he was out of his league, there was no need for him to openly despise him in front of


    outsiders.


    ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing else, can I leave now?¡± Rachel asked.


    Don hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll send you off.¡±


    When he reached the door, Rachel suddenly thought of something. ¡°Uncle Morris, you haven¡¯t told me


    who informed you toe.¡±


    Morris did not think too much about it and said casually, ¡°It¡¯s Special Assistant Brook from Ster


    Corporation.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows without batting an eyelid. She lowered her head slightly to hide the smile


    on her lips. ¡°So it¡¯s him.¡±


    17:45


    Chapter 150


    It was self-evident who Special Assistant Brook of Ster Corporation represented.


    Unlike the gleeful Rachel, Tom, who was sitting on the sofa, had an ambiguous look in his eyes as he


    seemed to be thinking of something.


    After Rachel walked out of the police station, Eddie immediately walked forward quickly. ¡°Miss Grey,


    Mr. Jones is waiting for you in the car.¡±


    With that, he was about to bring Rachel to the car.


    However, Don rushed forward and blocked his way. ¡°Special Assistant Brook, can I ask you a


    question?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Eddie asked patiently.


    ¡°There¡¯s no enmity between us. May I ask why you asked me to personally target Miss. Grey?¡±


    Eddie was bbergasted.


    ¡®When did I ask you to target Miss Grey personally?!¡¯ he thought.


    He subconsciously looked at Rachel.


    The corners of the woman¡¯s lips curled up into a faint smile as she looked at him meaningfully.


    Eddie broke out in cold sweat under her gaze. Thoughts raced through his mind, and he finally looked


    at Don. ¡°Captain Cole, I was helping you out of goodwill. You can¡¯t harm me so tantly!¡±


    ¡°But it was clearly you who asked me to personally take special care of Miss Grey?!¡± Don looked at


    Eddie innocently.


    Eddie was caught betweenughter and tears. He secretly gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Captain Cole, I


    meant for you to take good care of Miss Grey, literally. There¡¯s no deeper meaning, and I didn¡¯t ask you


    to target her!¡±


    He really didn¡¯t know if he should say that Captain Cole was pure and cute or that he was so stupid that


    it was cringe-worthy.


    He couldn¡¯t even understand the most basic literal meaning.

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151


    ¡°Take your time.¡± Rachel¡¯s mind was filled with David¡¯s face. She really did not have the patience to


    listen to their exnation.


    Eddie looked at Rachel¡¯s back and then at Don. ¡°You really got me into trouble!¡±


    It was a pity that the double bonus that he had been longing for had turned into dust.


    Don sneered. ¡°I should be the one saying that!¡±


    As the two of them were talking, amotion broke out outside.


    Eddie and Don looked at each other and rushed out tacitly.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    They saw a group of reporters gathered at the entrance of the police station.


    At this moment, they were aiming their cameras at Rachel.


    Their expressions suddenly changed, and confusion appeared in their eyes. ¡°Why are the reporters


    here?!¡±


    Don was also puzzled.


    This case was still to be investigated. If it was really rted to the smuggling case three years ago, the


    appearance of the reporters would only alert the enemy.


    He rushed out quickly, followed by Eddie, whose mind was filled with thoughts of a promotion and a


    raise.


    However, their appearance didn¡¯t have any effect. Instead, it made the reporters even crazier.


    ¡°May I ask if this suspected sale of cultural relics is rted to the smuggling case three years ago?¡±


    ¡°Since the case is still under investigation, why is the suspect free to move around?¡± ¡°ording to an


    insider, is it true that there¡¯s a power trade in your police department?¡± Don had never been good at


    dealing with interpersonal rtionships, let alone feigning civility with reporters.


    Hearing the reporters making things difficult for him, his face suddenly turned sullen and he shouted


    coldly, ¡°Stop talking nonsense here! Otherwise, I¡¯ll treat you to tea at the police station!¡±


    As soon as he said this, the reporters instantly found a new breakthrough. ¡°Is this a sign of a guilty


    conscience?¡±


    ¡°As a police officer, you threatened us. We¡¯re going to report you.¡±


    While Don was speechless, Rachel suddenly said, ¡°Where¡¯s the evidence?¡±


    She stood in the crowd, but she did not panic at all. Instead, she was calm andposed in the face of


    danger. A powerful aura engulfed her, shrouded in an unknown coldness that made people shudder.


    Everyone was stunned for a moment before someone reacted. ¡°The video of your illegal transaction


    has already be a trending topic. Why are you still being so stubborn?!¡±


    ¡°There are witnesses and evidence, yet you¡¯re still not confessing?!¡±


    ¡°Of course, she can be self¨Crighteous if she has someone powerful to protect her. Otherwise, how can


    she stand here as if nothing has happened?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s gaze swept over nonchntly. The depths of her almond¨Cshaped eyes were filled with


    coldness, and her red lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°You guys convicted me with just a video. Do you


    really think you¡¯re godly detectives who can crack cases?¡±


    Her words were filled with obvious mockery.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that we¡¯re not great detectives, but you can¡¯t deny it in the face of concrete evidence!¡± The


    reporter retorted with a hint of provocation in his eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled up casually. ¡°Did you see it with your own eyes?¡±


    The reporter looked at Rachel aggressively. ¡°There¡¯s no smoke without fire. If you¡¯re really innocent


    and you have nothing to do with this case, why are you here?¡±


    Rachel chuckled. ¡°You seem to have a point.¡±


    In the ears of everyone, these words were equivalent to admitting to her crime.


    Just as everyone thought that they had first¨Chand information and began to n for tomorrow¡¯s


    headlines, they heard Rachel suddenly say, ¡°Officer Cole, how many years will you be sentenced to for


    defamation?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Don, who was suddenly called out, was stunned.


    When he met Rachel¡¯s cold gaze, he immediately came back to his senses and said with a serious


    expression, ¡°You will be sentenced to not more than three years of fixed¨Cterm imprisonment, criminal


    detention, control, and deprivation of political rights.¡±


    As soon as he said this, the reporter¡¯s expression changed.


    Is this woman crazy?

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152


    He actually wanted to sue them for nder!


    Is she still unclear about the situation!?!


    What right did she have to stand in front of them and mor!?!


    All of a sudden, all the reporters¡® questions became even more shrewd.


    ¡°Since you insist on your innocence, where¡¯s your evidence?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re innocent, why did the police arrest you as the suspect?¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask the person who called the police.¡±


    When the situation was in a deadlock, a staff member ran over in a hurry.


    He nced at everyone present. Then, he walked to Don¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°Captain Cole, those


    two have spoken.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look!¡± Don turned around and was about to leave.


    Unexpectedly, the staff grabbed his hand and looked at Rachel meaningfully. ¡°Um, Miss Grey might


    have to go back too¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Don¡¯s eyes suddenly turned sullen as his sharp gazended on Jim.


    Jim stammered, ¡°ording to the two suspects, Miss Grey is in cahoots with them


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on Rachel. Their gazes were filled with


    mockery.


    His gaze seemed to be saying, ¡°Let¡¯s see how you¡¯re going to quibble now.¡±


    Rachel squinted slightly, and a hint of coldness appeared in the depths of her almond¨Cshaped eyes.


    ¡°Since we can¡¯t leave, let¡¯s go in and talk.¡±


    When she turned around and passed by Eddie, she said, ¡°Help me tell your boss¡­


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell him in person?¡± Eddie pointed his chin in the direction behind Rachel.


    Rachel turned around and saw David walking straight towards her, d in a ck suit.


    The man walked with his head held high. His sonorous and fierce steps were the perfect definition of


    the word ¡®arrogant¡®.


    He stood in front of Rachel and extended his hand to her. ¡°Together?¡±


    Rachel looked up and met the man¡¯s deep ck eyes. She smiled. ¡°Sure.¡±


    The moment their fingers intertwined, an untimely sweetness spread from the bottom of


    her heart.


    The Smith family.


    After Jane saw the trending topic on Twitter, she rushed out of the room and went straight to the chess


    room. ¡°Mom, look at Twitter. Rachel is a trending topic!¡±


    Upon hearing Rachel¡¯s name, the smile on Mrs. Smith¡¯s lips faded a little. A hint of disgust appeared on


    her face. ¡°Don¡¯t mention this person again in the future. The mere thought of


    her makes me feel unlucky!¡±


    The otherdies exchanged nces, and aplicated and obscure expression appeared In their


    eyes.


    Although Mrs. Smith had tried her best to hide Rachel¡¯s existence, everyone present knew that if not for


    Rachel, the Smith family would have long been kicked out of the upper¨Css circle.


    However, because the current Smith family was Seaxas¡¯s hot new noble, everyone knew about it and


    did not say it out loud.


    ¡°Ah, I haven¡¯t heard this name for a long time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Since she broke up with Mr. Smith, I haven¡¯t heard about her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that one should never forget those who helped them in difficult times. If Mr. Smith hadn¡¯t


    brought her back, she might have suffered elsewhere. In the end, Mr. Smith didn¡¯t despise her, but she


    despises him instead. Indeed, this person is an ingrate.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Those words were interpreted differently by Mrs. Smith.


    When these words reached Mrs. Smith¡¯s ears, she felt that the other party was hinting at them openly


    and secretly, mocking them.


    For a moment, the atmosphere at the card table was a little heavy. Mrs. Smith gradually lost interest in


    ying cards. After ying a round, she casually found an excuse to send them away.

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to mention Rachel Grey in front of outsiders? Did you ignore my words?!¡± Mrs.


    Smith red at Jane.


    Because of Rachel¡¯s existence, she had always been unable to hold her head up high in front of the


    other wealthydies.


    She thought that she would be able to hold her head high after Rachel left the Smith family, but she did


    not expect her life to still be unsatisfactory.


    The name ¡°Rachel Grey¡± was like a lingering haze that loomed over the Smith family.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°But it¡¯s different this time!¡± Jane blinked, her eyes filled with a gloating joy. ¡°Someone exposed that


    she¡¯s suspected of illegal transactions. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to turn things around this time!¡±


    Originally, Jane¡¯s heart had always been filled with hatred for that p in the hospital. Later on, she


    was grounded because of Rachel.


    She hated Rachel to the core and cursed Rachel to hell every day.


    Now that she saw that Rachel was going to suffer, she was naturally overjoyed.


    ¡°Illegal transactions?¡± When Mrs. Smith heard these words, she could not help but show a strong


    interest on her face.


    She took out her phone and looked at the unsightlyments in thements section with interest.


    The mocking smile on her face intensified. ¡°In the end, you¡¯re just an unpresentable country bumpkin.


    Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you have control over mour Pavilion? In


    the end, someone still managed to get hold of evidence against you!¡±


    She wanted to see what right Rachel had to be arrogant now!


    ¡°What evidence?¡± Old Mr. Smith¡¯s voice suddenly sounded.


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Although Old Mr. Smith was advanced in years and did not pay much attention to things on the


    Inte, he could sense something unusual from Mrs. Smith¡¯s sarcastic tone.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Rae¨CRae?¡± He looked at Rianne, who was sitting on the sofa. His turbid eyes


    darkened slightly, revealing a hint of


    intimidation.


    ¡°Well, Rachel was arrested by the police because she¡¯s suspected of taking part in illegal transactions.¡±


    Jane was still brooding over Old Mr. Smith¡¯s beating. Her tone was inevitably a little harsh. ¡°Grandpa,


    you have to be careful! Perhaps the pocket watch she gave you previously was one of the stolen


    goods!¡±


    ¡°What illegal transaction? What stolen goods?¡± Old Mr. Smith could not help but frown.


    Jane looked a little smug. ¡°You don¡¯t know yet, do you? She was caught by the police when she met


    with the scammers today. Currently, the police have already filed a case for investigation. Now, there¡¯s


    a huge stir on the Inte, and it has attracted a lot of attention. I reckon that there¡¯s a high chance that


    she won¡¯t be able to make aeback this time. However, at least she has found someone to rely on


    for the rest of her life, lest you keep worrying about her having no one to rely on in Seaxas.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith walked to the sofa and sat down. He took out his reading sses and looked at his


    phone.


    Looking at his serious expression, Mrs. Smith, who had been silent all this while, said, ¡°Dad, if you ask


    me, you¡¯re just making things difficult for yourself. All these years, she¡¯s been living off of us and we¡¯ve


    already treated her as well as we can. Don¡¯t say that we have let her down again in the future. After all,


    she was the one who took the initiative to break up with Louis back then. She even pretended to be


    generous and refused to ept Louis¡¯spensation.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, she has severed ties with our family now. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t our family be implicated by


    her and suffer with her!?! Since she was caught by the police this time, her crime is most likely set in


    stone. Don¡¯t mention inviting her to the anniversary celebration again. She¡¯ll be a disgrace to the Smith


    family!¡±


    Upon hearing Mrs. Smith¡¯s words, Old Mr. Smith¡¯s expression turned slightly sullen. ¡°Even if you look


    down on her background, don¡¯t forget that if it weren¡¯t for her help, the Smith family wouldn¡¯t have


    made it this far! She has to attend the anniversary celebration!¡±


    Hearing this, Mrs. Smith looked down to hide the coldness in her eyes.

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154


    Jane was young and impetuous. She was not as patient as Mrs. Smith. When she heard Old Mr. Smith


    defend Rachel, she could not help but retort, ¡°I really don¡¯t know what kind of bewitching drug Rachel


    Grey gave you to make you so protective of her! Those who don¡¯t know might think that she¡¯s your


    biological granddaughter!¡±


    Her words were filled with resentment.


    When Old Mr. Smith heard this, he took off his reading sses and looked up at her. His turbid eyes


    flickered with an unfathomable dark light. ¡°If you can¡¯t control yourself when something happens, you¡¯ll


    suffer a huge loss sooner orter.¡±


    Based on his understanding of Rachel, this matter was definitely not that simple.


    Since Rachel was the owner of the mour Pavilion, she could easily earn a living by selling any item.


    Why would he create counterfeits and carry out illegal transactions? Wasn¡¯t this clearly asking for


    trouble?


    Before the verdict was out, everything was possible.


    Jane felt wronged and vexed at being criticized for no reason.


    Her eyes reddened. Just as she was about to retort, Mrs. Smith grabbed her hand and gently patted


    the back of it, indicating for her to calm down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know what kind of personality Jane has?¡± Mrs. Smith turned to look at Old Mr. Smith and


    said gently, ¡°She has always been hot¨Cheaded and impulsive since she was young. It¡¯s an old problem.


    In the past, when Mother was still alive, she had never been able to correct her rash personality.


    Moreover, Jane still can¡¯t quite distinguish right from wrong. I¡¯ll get her to correct it in the future.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith nodded in relief. ¡°It¡¯s time to take her in hand so that she won¡¯t cause any trouble in the


    future.¡±


    Mrs. Smith smiled perfunctorily. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    However, she could not help but sneer in her heart. The public opinion online was enough to drown


    Rachel. Rachel¡¯s crime was a certainty.


    When Rachel¡¯s verdictes out, she wanted to see what other reason


    the old man had to invite Rachel to the Smith Group¡¯s anniversary celebration!


    Jane¡¯s heart was burning with anger. She bit her lips and humphed softly before pulling her hand back


    angrily.


    Coincidentally, a notification popped up on her phone. The system notified her that there was a live


    stream.


    She looked down to see that it was actually a live stream from the police station.


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s a live stream!¡±


    Her eyes glistened with a gloating joy as she turned on her phone to watch the live stream.


    The screen of the live stream was filled with red. The pop¨Cupments were so densely packed that it


    was suffocating to look at. Moreover, the entire screen was covered with multiplements repeating


    just one


    sentence-


    ¡°Scammer! May your family die!¡±


    Jane was afraid that Old Mr. Smith would miss it, so she directly projected the live stream page onto


    the LED television in the living


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    room.


    She turned around and saw that Old Mr. Smith was slowly putting on his reading sses and looking at


    the television screen with a solemn expression.


    In the huge conference room, Rachel sat in the interrogation room.


    She crossed her legs and ced her hands naturally on herp. Her posture was casual and a little


    lazy. She did not look like she was undergoing interrogation at all.


    Instead, it was more like she was interrogating the person sitting opposite her.


    The staff sitting opposite her was shocked by her aura. She subconsciously straightened her back and


    forcefully increased her morale.


    This was the first time they had seen such an arrogant suspect.


    Rachel nced at the people in front of her and said calmly, ¡°Since


    everyone is here, let¡¯s talk about today¡¯s case.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Everyone subconsciously agreed.


    Then, he realized that something was wrong!


    This time, they were the ones in charge of interrogating them. Why was he being led by the nose by the


    suspect?!


    One of them said coldly, ¡°Rachel Grey, watch your attitude! ording to the testimonies of the other


    two suspects, they im to have been instructed by you. Are you still not going to confess?!¡±

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155


    ¡°Confess to what?¡± Rachel said, ¡°If it¡¯s kidnapping, I think I¡¯ve already exined it very clearly to Officer


    Cole. If you have any doubts, you can ask him.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Don took out the recording provided by Rachel.


    The interrogator mmed the table hard and reprimanded coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t confuse us here. We¡¯re not


    talking about the kidnapping case now, but an illegal transaction where you colluded with the other two


    suspects. We now have sufficient reason to suspect that you used your identity as the owner of


    mour Pavilion to sell smuggled cultural relics and create replicas of cultural relics.¡±


    ¡°In addition, ording to the confessions of the two suspects, they imed that they were instructed by


    you and that the two of them were coerced by you to varying degrees, so they had no choice but to


    submit and cooperate. Rachel Grey, the current situation is very disadvantageous to you. I advise you


    to say everything that needs to be said. If you behave well, you might even be able to get a reduced


    sentence. Otherwise, you will spend your good years in prison.¡±


    Rachel turned around and looked at the female interrogator sitting at the side. Her lips curled into a


    faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m not guilty. Why should I confess? Whatever those two people say. Don¡¯t you have the


    ability to distinguish right from wrong?¡±


    When the people present heard her words, they could not help but be dumbfounded.


    Rachel was definitely the first person in history to openly question the ability of a police officer!


    Wasn¡¯t she afraid of being scolded to death by the public?


    Eddie Brook looked down at the livestream on his phone. The overwhelming curses were so dense that


    it was dazzling.


    ¡°Where did this womane from? Why is she so arrogant?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of reasoning with such a person? Just drag him out and shoot him!¡±


    Eddie Brook looked up at Rachel, who was sitting in the middle. He


    could not help but secretly sweat for her.


    Why didn¡¯t he realize that Rachel was so arrogant in the past?


    Although Rachel had someone backing her up, she still had to put on an act in front of the cameras and


    reporters.


    The reporter¡¯s pen was as sharp as a knife.


    These words were not groundless.


    Even if Rachel could prove her innocence in the end, her current arrogant attitude was enough for the


    reporters to find faults from other angles and push her to the center of public opinion.


    Does David not care? Eddie wondered.


    He turned to look at David, who was sitting at the side.


    He realized that there was nothing wrong with the man¡¯s face. There was a faint smile on his lips, and


    there was even a trace of¡­ pride?!


    David really had the potential to be a fatuous ruler!


    Olivia sat in the car and looked at Rachel in the live stream. His lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°Idiot!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Rachel was probably tired of living to openly question the ability ofw enforcement officers!


    Be it the reporters or the cameras, everyone was well¨Cbehaved. However, she had a condescending


    attitude. She deserved to be chased and scolded by theizens.


    However, this was also good. It saved her the cost of spending money to buy fake reviewers.


    She thought that Rachel would not be able to escape this time.


    Olivia was in a good mood as she started the car and prepared to leave.


    However, at this moment, a ck Audi sped over and suddenly stopped at the entrance of the police


    station.


    The car door opened and a middle¨Caged man with white hair got out.


    The group of people were dressed uniformly, and their words and actions exuded a sense of rigor that


    was different from ordinary people.


    The group of people did not stop at all and headed straight for the police


    station.


    Olivia could not help but stop the car and look thoughtfully at the backs of the group of people.


    ¡®What do these people do?¡®


    After hesitating for a moment, she turned off the engine, opened the door, and chased after him.

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156


    The Johnson family¡¯s mansion.


    At this moment, Old Mr. Johnson was trimming the flowers and nts. He put down the scissors in his


    hand and looked at them carefully. He asked casually, ¡°Did Rae¨CRae call today?¡±


    The butler was at a loss for words.


    Ever since Rachel moved out, Old Mr. Johnson would ask them every day if she had called back.


    However, Rachel never called back.


    The butler collected his thoughts and said calmly, ¡°Sir, Rachel has just taken over thepany. It¡¯s


    inevitable that she can¡¯t find the time.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson snorted softly. ¡°Those are all excuses!¡±


    He picked up his walking stick and turned to leave. Coincidentally, he passed by a few servants who


    were watching the live stream on their phones.


    The group of people huddled together and watched with great interest. They did not notice Old Mr.


    Johnson at all.


    It was only when the butler coughed lightly that everyone suddenly came back to their senses and


    called out respectfully, ¡°Sir.¡±


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Old Mr. Johnson asked casually. ¡°No, nothing¡­¡±


    The servant who was holding the phone dodged guiltily. In the end, her hand trembled and the phone


    fell to the ground.


    Coincidentally, it slid to Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s feet.


    He bent down to pick it up and saw Rachel in the live stream.


    Although Old Mr. Johnson was old and his thoughts could not keep up with the pace of young people,


    he was very clear about the development of the current society.


    The live stream provided convenience for everyone. It made many professional streamers. At the same


    time, it also provided a broadcasting channel for some major events.


    At this moment, Rachel was at the police station and there were so many reporters around. Clearly, the


    severity of the matter was beyond imagination.


    Old Mr. Johnson took a deep look at Rachel in the camera and returned the phone to the servant. He


    turned around and strode out. ¡°Prepare the car immediately!¡±


    The butler practically scurried after him.


    After the two of them left, the servants gathered together to watch the live stream again. ¡°I told you that


    the person inside is Missy, but you insisted that I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°But Missy has never had to worry about food and clothing since she was young. Why would she do


    something as illegal as to be when she¡¯s guarding such a huge mountain of gold?¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Maybe she feels that his life is too smooth and she wants to find some excitement?¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, look! What are these people doing?!¡± An excited voice instantly attracted everyone¡¯s


    attention.


    In the live stream, a few people in ck suits barged into the


    interrogation room. The leader had white hair and was wearing a ck business zer.


    Although he was not as formal as the others, the aura on his body was extraordinary. One could tell the


    difference between him and the others at a nce.


    Morris was slightly stunned when he saw the person in the lead. He immediately stood up and went up


    to him. ¡°Chief Holmes, why are you suddenly here?¡±


    However, the appearance of the person in front of him only brought Morris shock and not joy.


    What right did his small police station have to rm such a big shot toe personally?!


    Chief Holmes smiled. ¡°I heard that the two suspects this time are rted to the smuggling case from


    three years ago, so I took the opportunity toe over while delivering the case files. I didn¡¯t expect it


    to be so lively here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    Holmes patted Morris¡¯s shoulder and walked to Rachel. ¡°Did Ie just in time?¡±


    Rachel nced at him. ¡°It¡¯s a littleter than I expected.¡±


    ¡°You also know that the case file from three years ago is a littleplicated to find, so it took some


    effort,¡± Chief Holmes exined.


    The reporters sitting at the side watched the conversation between the two people in front of them as if


    they did not notice the tense atmosphere in the interrogation room.

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157


    At this moment, a reporter noticed Chief Holmes¡¯s presence and could not help but ask hispanion


    beside him softly, ¡°Could this be Chief Holmes from the anti¨Csmuggling department?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be, right? Chief Holmes from the anti¨Csmuggling department knows the suspect?¡±


    ¡°I saw an interview about Chief Holmes a few years ago. He looks a little simr to this person in front


    of me.¡±


    ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m the person in charge of the anti¨Csmuggling department,¡± Chief Holmes said


    unhurriedly. ¡°This n is the entire process of the Vince smuggling case three years ago. It contains


    the entire process of Miss Grey¡¯s participation. All these years, Miss Grey has been trying to arrest


    Vince, but Vince is sly and cunning. His whereabouts are unpredictable.¡±


    ¡°Although we haven¡¯t arrested him, I¡¯ll rify to everyone and the media that Miss Grey has nothing to


    do with this case. Please don¡¯t spread


    rumors.¡±


    The man¡¯s hair was white, but his back was straight and taut. His entire body was filled with dignified


    prestige.


    His powerful words silenced everyone present.


    Olivia, who was standing outside the door, widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°The anti¨Csmuggling


    department¡­¡±


    How could Rachel Grey be rted to this department!


    She could actually get Chief Holmes to personally rify things for her!


    Don wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, his heart beating uncontrobly faster.


    Although he was at the police station, he was no stranger to Chief Holmes¡¯s name and deeds.


    This person was the longest¨Cserving director in the history of the anti¨Csmuggling department. He had


    once solved the sensational 813 smuggling case. In the following year, he had arrested and arrested


    dozens of smuggling gangs.


    For a time, Chief Holmes¡¯s reputation soared and he became a hero and


    role model in the eyes of many people.


    Who exactly was this Miss Grey? She could actually make another and get Chief Holmes to personally


    come down to help her rify.


    However, if he really wanted to help Rachel rify things, it would be the same if someone else came


    out with the pier. However, Chief Holmes. personally came out. It was obvious that he attached special


    importance. to Rachel.


    After the reporters read the smuggling case file from three years ago, they fell silent.


    If Rachel was really a suspect, Chief Holmes of the anti¨Csmuggling department would not personally


    protect her. If they questioned her, wouldn¡¯t they be openly going against the department?


    ¡°Looks like she really was wronged.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the two suspects nned to drag her down with them to take revenge on her.¡±


    Seeing that the public opinion was about to change, an imperceptible sinister look shed across Olivia


    Cruise¡¯s eyes.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    In order to ruin Rachel Grey¡¯s reputation, she had specially called for reporters. She could not let all her


    previous efforts go to waste because of Chief Holmes¡¯s appearance!


    She took a deep look at Rachel Grey and turned to leave. At the same time, she took out her phone


    and quickly typed a message.


    A reporter¡¯s phone in the kidney cavity suddenly vibrated. After taking a look, her eyes lit up. She


    suddenly asked, ¡°This can only mean that she has nothing to do with the smuggling case three years


    ago. It can¡¯t be used as direct evidence that she has nothing to do with this case. If she¡¯s really


    innocent, how can you exin the stolen goods that appeared at the scene? Why did the two suspects


    ignore the others and insist that she was the one who instructed them?¡±


    As soon as he said this, everyone nodded in agreement and began to ask sharp questions.


    ¡°Even if she has nothing to do with the smuggling case three years ago, how can we exin what


    happened today? We have reason to suspect that she used her identity as the owner of mour


    Pavilion tomit fraud and profited through illegal means!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no smoke without fire. If she¡¯s innocent, she can at least produce evidence to exin


    everything, right?¡±


    ¡°Just because she helped the police solve the smuggling case from three years ago, she can write off


    today¡¯s matter? Is she relying on the ¡®get¨Cout¨Cof¨Cjail¨Cfree¡® card to do whatever she wants?!¡±


    ¡°Thew enforcement department has always adhered to the principles. of fairness and openness.


    Now, they¡¯re being lenient with her just because she helped the police. It¡¯s really difficult to convince


    the public. I¡¯m afraid it will also disappoint the people!¡±


    Olivia watched the public opinion suppress Rachel again, her red lips curled into a satisfied smile.


    So what if she had a death exemption card?


    Didn¡¯t she still have to bow down to public opinion?


    She wanted to see who else could protect Rachel now!


    She put on her sunsses and returned to her car. She opened the live stream and continued


    watching the live stream. At the same time, she contacted the ghostwriters to lead the live stream,


    stubbornly insisting on the argument that thew enforcement officers were deliberately protecting her.

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158


    Rachel, who was in the interrogation room, naturally noticed something fishy when he saw this.


    She squinted and looked at the female reporter who was leading the way. Her red lips curled into a


    faint smile. ¡°You want an exnation?¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Of course!¡± The female reporter looked into Rachel¡¯s cold eyes and held her breath.


    She took a deep breath and straightened her neck, looking self¨Crighteous. ¡°Everything is about


    evidence. You said you¡¯re innocent. In this case, you have to show evidence to prove it, right?¡±


    At this moment, a male voice sounded. ¡°We rushed over. We finally made it.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s attention was instantly diverted. They subconsciously turned to look at the man who walked


    in.


    The man had a buzz cut and was wearing a dark leather jacket. Not only was his figure perfect, but


    even his face was stunning too. His resolute facial contours could beat those exquisitely dressed young


    hunks outside in minutes.


    He was simply a dreamboat.


    For a moment, all the female reporters present were dumbfounded, and their faces were graced with


    the shyness of a young girl in love.


    When Lucas entered, he ced all his attention on Rachel.


    He sized up Rachel from head to toe. After confirming that she was safe and sound, he finally felt


    relieved.


    Fortunately, she was unscathed. Otherwise, he would have been whipped again.


    The moment Don saw Lucas appear, his eyes widened in disbelief. His trembling pupils were filled with


    shock and horror. ¡°Captain Johnson!?!¡±


    He was no stranger to this name.


    This was a person who was even more legendary than Chief Holmes.


    He enlisted at eighteen, became a second lieutenant at twenty, and was


    promoted to colonel at twenty¨Cfour. He was known as the youngest colonel.


    However, just as his future was bright, he retreated due to uncontroble factors. Then, in just a year,


    he established Blue Nuclear Technology.


    Since then, it upied an irreceable position in the technology industry.


    Don had fought side by side with Lucas during his military service, so the two of them formed a deep


    friendship.


    When Lucas saw Don, he could not help but be stunned. Then, a faint smile appeared on his resolute


    face.


    ¡°You want evidence, right?¡± Lucas turned around and brought over a person who had been beaten up


    into a pulp from the door. He took out the testimony from his pocket and handed it to the interrogator.


    ¡°Thest suspect has been arrested. Now, we can interrogate the other two suspects together.¡±


    Rachel stood up casually and gave her seat to the person who was captured by Lucas.


    Under everyone¡¯s attention, he confessed to his crimes.


    Rachel¡¯s suspicion was naturally cleared.


    This turn of events caught everyone off guard. They never expected that the suspect would be caught


    within such a short period of time and admit to all the crimes without hesitation.


    ¡°How do we know if this person you caught isn¡¯t just a scapegoat?¡± The female reporter jumped out


    again to force her presence. ¡°Look at his bruised face. I¡¯m afraid he was tortured into confessing,


    right?¡±


    On the way to the police station, Lucas did not miss the live stream. He was no stranger to this


    reporter.


    Every time things came to an end, this person would always step forward and stir up trouble again.


    She was determined not to give up until she dragged Rachel down.


    ¡°Sir?¡± Eddie asked David for instructions.


    He really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He didn¡¯t know which newspaper house that reporter was from but


    he couldn¡¯t understand why she kept


    harping on it and refusing to let Rachel off!


    David looked up, his dark eyes flickering with a hidden hostility. ¡°Go and find out who instructed her.¡±


    That


    person was obviously being unreasonable. He was clearly doing it on purpose.


    Eddie was secretly delighted. David was finally unable to sit still and was about to make a move.


    However, he did not show it on his face. Instead, he replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    When he reached the door, he bumped into a group of people.

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159


    The middle¨Caged man in the lead was wearing an administrative jacket, and there were a few people


    following behind him, including Adrian.


    Great. Because of a group of reporters who blew things up, those who should be alerted and those


    who shouldn¡¯t be alerted had all been alerted.


    ¡°Hello, excuse me,¡± one of them said.


    Eddie was stunned for a moment and quickly took a step back.


    The group of people walked through the door. The middle¨Caged man in the lead said, ¡°I¡¯ll help her


    prove it.¡±


    David squinted when he saw the middle¨Caged man walking in.


    Then, his gazended on Rachel, and his thin lips curled up imperceptibly.


    No wonder she was so calm.


    So she still had another trump card.


    Morris, who was standing at the side, watched as yet another big shot appeared and inexplicably felt


    his blood boil.


    If not for the fact that Rachel had identally gotten involved in this case, he, a mere police chief,


    would probably never have seen such a gathering of big shots in his life.


    Morris recovered from his shock and wiped the sweat from his palms. He walked forward and greeted,


    ¡°Mr. Clinton, why did such a small matter alert you?¡±


    Mr. Clinton smiled. ¡°This is no small matter.¡±


    Someone asked, ¡°Who is this person?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him, but judging from his outfit, he¡¯s definitely someone we can¡¯t afford to offend.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that this room is filled with big shots that we can¡¯t afford to offend!?!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±


    As everyone discussed softly, they heard Mr. Clinton speak again. ¡°I have the evidence you want.¡±


    He gestured for Jamie, who was following behind him, to pass the document to the reporter in front of


    him.


    When the reporters saw the red¨Cstamped brown paper bag, they immediately felt like it was a hot


    potato.


    They looked at each other. No one dared to open it rashly for fear that they would touch some core


    secret that they should not touch.


    Don did not know Mr. Clinton, but seeing Morris¡¯s attitude, it was not difficult to guess his identity. For a


    moment, he clenched his fists by his side and took a deep breath.


    At this moment, he had to remain calm and not act as if he had never seen much of the world.


    However, when he thought about how he had failed to recognize a formidable person and provoked


    Rachel previously, he could not help but feel his knees go weak.


    Mr. Clinton looked at the group of reporters in front of him with a serious expression. ¡°Miss Grey is not


    a suspect. She¡¯s a first¨Css Cultural Relic Restorer and our special advisor.¡±


    He paused for a moment, and his tone was even harsher than before. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know who


    deliberately stirred up trouble, the situation this time is serious. We will cooperate with the relevant


    departments to investigate thoroughly!¡±


    When the person in charge of the Cultural Relics Bureau said this, not only were the people present


    shocked, but even Jamie, who was following behind him, was stunned.


    When she first entered the Cultural Relics Bureau, she heard that there used to be a particrly


    powerful cultural relic appraiser here.


    Not only was she able to observe thoroughly, but she could also deduce the other party¡¯s forgery


    technique and process based on the traces of the counterfeit.


    Three years ago, she even helped the police solve a smuggling case.


    However, what was most superb was her cultural relic restoration technique. It was simply superb, and


    no one couldpare to it.


    Everyone in the institute praised the legendary deeds of this godly


    restorer.


    People with brains and abilities would definitely have a certain amount of arrogance in their nature.


    However, this group of people had no right to be arrogant in front of Rachel.


    Jamie had imagined countless images of Rachel in her mind. she thought he might be an elderly man


    with white hair, a person with sses, or an unfathomable expert.


    However, she had never thought that it would be a very young woman.


    The reporters at the scene were even more dumbfounded.


    The reversal of the situation hadpletely exceeded their expectations.


    The middle¨Caged man in the lead was wearing an administrative jacket, and there were a few people


    following behind him, including Adrian.


    Great. Because of a group of reporters who blew things up, those who should be alerted and those


    who shouldn¡¯t be alerted had all been alerted.


    ¡°Hello, excuse me,¡± one of them said.


    Eddie was stunned for a moment and quickly took a step back.


    The group of people walked through the door. The middle¨Caged man in the lead said, ¡°I¡¯ll help her


    prove it.¡±


    David squinted when he saw the middle¨Caged man walking in.


    Then, his gazended on Rachel, and his thin lips curled up imperceptibly.


    No wonder she was so calm.


    So she still had another trump card.


    Morris, who was standing at the side, watched as yet another big shot appeared and inexplicably felt


    his blood boil.


    If not for the fact that Rachel had identally gotten involved in this case, he, a mere police chief,


    would probably never have seen such a gathering of big shots in his life.


    Morris recovered from his shock and wiped the sweat from his palms. He walked forward and greeted,


    ¡°Mr. Clinton, why did such a small matter alert you?¡±


    Mr. Clinton smiled. ¡°This is no small matter.¡±


    Someone asked, ¡°Who is this person?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him, but judging from his outfit, he¡¯s definitely someone we can¡¯t afford to offend.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that this room is filled with big shots that we can¡¯t afford to offend!?!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±


    As everyone discussed softly, they heard Mr. Clinton speak again. ¡°I have the evidence you want.¡±


    He gestured for Jamie, who was following behind him, to pass the document to the reporter in front of


    him.


    When the reporters saw the red¨Cstamped brown paper bag, they immediately felt like it was a hot


    potato.


    They looked at each other. No one dared to open it rashly for fear that they would touch some core


    secret that they should not touch.


    Don did not know Mr. Clinton, but seeing Morris¡¯s attitude, it was not difficult to guess his identity. For a


    moment, he clenched his fists by his side and took a deep breath.


    At this moment, he had to remain calm and not act as if he had never seen much of the world.


    However, when he thought about how he had failed to recognize a formidable person and provoked


    Rachel previously, he could not help but feel his knees go weak.


    Mr. Clinton looked at the group of reporters in front of him with a serious expression. ¡°Miss Grey is not


    a suspect. She¡¯s a first¨Css Cultural Relic Restorer and our special advisor.¡±


    He paused for a moment, and his tone was even harsher than before. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know who


    deliberately stirred up trouble, the situation this time is serious. We will cooperate with the relevant


    departments to investigate thoroughly!¡±


    When the person in charge of the Cultural Relics Bureau said this, not only were the people present


    shocked, but even Jamie, who was following behind him, was stunned.


    When she first entered the Cultural Relics Bureau, she heard that there used to be a particrly


    powerful cultural relic appraiser here.


    Not only was she able to observe thoroughly, but she could also deduce the other party¡¯s forgery


    technique and process based on the traces of the counterfeit.


    Three years ago, she even helped the police solve a smuggling case.


    However, what was most superb was her cultural relic restoration technique. It was simply superb, and


    no one couldpare to it.


    Everyone in the institute praised the legendary deeds of this godly


    restorer.


    People with brains and abilities would definitely have a certain amount of arrogance in their nature.


    However, this group of people had no right to be arrogant in front of Rachel.


    Jamie had imagined countless images of Rachel in her mind. she thought he might be an elderly man


    with white hair, a person with sses, or an unfathomable expert.


    However, she had never thought that it would be a very young woman.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    The reporters at the scene were even more dumbfounded.


    The reversal of the situation hadpletely exceeded their expectations.

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160


    Olivia, who was watching the live stream through her phone, had a gloomy expression as she stared


    straight at the phone screen.


    She never expected that the people from the Cultural Relics Bureau would personally help Rachel


    rify.


    She did not expect Rachel to be a first¨Css Cultural Relic Restorer and special advisor of the Cultural


    Relics Bureau.


    How could this be?


    Wasn¡¯t Rachel from the countryside?


    How did she suddenly be a prominent figure who was valued highly by the Cultural Relics


    Bureau?


    What surprised her even more was that during the live stream, Adrian personally went down to hold the


    media reporters ountable.


    ¡°We have been entrusted by Miss Rachel Grey and we are here to make a statement about our client


    being framed and having rumors being spread about her for no reason.¡± Adrian raised his hand and


    pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose. He nced at the reporters in front of him


    expressionlessly. ¡°We will file awsuit against the persons who have framed my client and spread


    rumors about her. We will also hold ountable all the users who vited my client¡¯s reputation in this


    live stream. We will pursue this matter to the end and will not tolerate it!¡±


    The man had a refined temperament and was upright. Even when he spoke, he had a gentle attitude,


    making it impossible to detect any aggression.


    However, every word of his was like a sharp sword cutting their throats.


    In an instant, all the media reporters present turned ashen.


    They were most familiar with Adrian¡¯s face.


    He was not a Saint. He had never lost a case in his career, and his professional ability made everyone


    tremble in fear.


    Anyone who provoked him would end up with their reputation ruined. It was normal for them to go


    bankrupt.


    Once he made a move, it would undoubtedly be the most effective way to


    make these crazy reporters shut up.


    Rachel could definitely be considered to have turned the tables this time.


    After the live stream ended, many people discussed it on the forum.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    However, if nothing goes wrong, an ident would happen.


    Just as theizens were discussing fervently, the error 404 page popped up out of nowhere.


    All the keywords rted to the name ¡®Rachel Grey¡® were banned.


    Therefore, the entire Inte realized that this woman, Rachel Grey, was definitely not someone they


    could provoke casually.


    Olivia, who was sitting in the car, stared at the scene of the live stream ending. There was intense


    indignation and hatred in the depths of her


    eyes.


    Why was it that things would slip out of hand every time she was so close to sess?


    Everything was clearly within her n, but things did not go ording to her wishes at the most critical


    moment!


    Fury spiraled in her chest as she pounded the steering wheel like a maniac.


    Then her phone rang.


    She picked up the phone. The person on the other end of the line bluntly asked her to pay the


    compensation. ¡°Miss Cruise, please transfer the money to our ount on time. Otherwise, we will have


    no choice but to tell the truth.¡±


    After all, they had all been targeting Rachel today only because of Olivia¡¯s orders.


    Olivia did not expect Rachel to really sue the media reporters.


    Rachel had been in the entertainment industry for a long time. Most of the celebrities would threaten to


    sue them as a form of warning, but Rachel was actually serious.


    The person on the other end of the line did not hear Olivia¡¯s voice for a long time. Hence, he threatened


    again, ¡°Miss Cruise, we¡¯re in the same boat now. If we suffer, you won¡¯t have a good time either. I know


    you¡¯re


    nning to make aeback recently. You¡¯re a smart person, so you should know what to do.¡±


    With that, the other party hung up.


    Olivia¡¯s chest heaved up and down in anger. Finally, she could not take it anymore and tossed her


    phone aside.


    After paying thepensation, she was almost bankrupt.


    Even though she was suffering deep down, she could not mention a word about it to anyone.


    Otherwise, she would be admitting it.


    This was a major loss. Yet, she had to suffer in silence!

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161


    Meanwhile, the Smith family was not in the best situation.


    Jane Smith stared nkly at the television.


    She never thought things would end up like this.


    The Cultural Relics Bureau stepped in to clear Rachel Grey from suspicion. They also revealed the


    identities of Rachel Grey as a first¨Css Cultural Relic Restorer and a special advisor.


    Even Tom Johnson came forward to help her with thewsuit.


    Old Mr. Smith appeared solemn the entire time. After Rachel Grey¡¯s identity was revealed, his weighty


    mood did not improve.


    Instead, he sighed faintly, ¡°It was a huge mistake.¡±


    Back then, everyone in the Smith family thought Rachel Grey was just a poor girl from the countryside.


    However, not only was she the owner of mour Pavilion, but she was also a first¨Css Cultural Relic


    Restorer and a special advisor at the Cultural Relics Bureau.


    If Louis Smith had not given up on Rachel Grey back then, the Smith family would have benefitted from


    Rachel Grey¡¯s identity exposure.


    However, it was all toote.


    Mrs. Smith did not realize what was at stake. All she could think about was whether Rachel Grey would


    take revenge on the Smith family.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to go wrong during the anniversary celebration.¡± Old Mr. Smith expressed his


    concern.


    He was actually hoping that Rachel Grey would be able to attend Smith Group¡¯s anniversary


    celebration.


    Mrs. Smith was jolted back to her senses. She pursed her lips stiffly. ¡°Got it.¡±


    She recalled contacting her assistant an hour ago to strike Rachel Grey¡¯s name off the guest list. Now,


    she had to get someone to put Rachel Grey¡¯s name back on the list.


    That was, indeed, very humiliating.


    After the meeting ended, Louis Smith returned to his office. Not long


    after, his assistant rushed in. ¡°Mr. Smith, you might want to have a look at this.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± Louis Smith casually took the iPad handed over by his assistant.


    It was Rachel Grey¡¯s live stream channel.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    It was at the part where Mr. Clinton from the Cultural Relics Bureau helped Rachel Grey to prove her


    innocence.


    Louis said deep down, ¡°She is a first¨Css Cultural Relic Restorer of the Cultural Relics Bureau and¡­


    ¡°Why have I never heard Rachel Grey mention this before?


    ¡°¡±


    ¡°Was she not from a remote vige and had no rtives or friends in Seaxas? How did she suddenly


    be connected to the people from the Cultural Relics Bureau?¡±


    Previously, he had agreed to break up with Rachel Grey mainly because he felt that Rachel Grey was


    not worthy of him. He was worried that she would be a burden to him and would affect the future


    development of hispany and himself.


    Who knew Rachel Grey had such a noble status?


    An awkward silence filled the huge office.


    After the live stream ended, he returned the iPad to his assistant grimly. ¡°Has the guest list for the


    Smith Group¡¯s anniversary celebration been drawn up?¡±


    The assistant replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Is Rachel Grey on the list?¡± Louis Smith asked.


    The assistant was stunned for a moment before pressing his lips against each other. ¡°An hour ago,


    Mrs. Smith called and specially instructed to have Miss Grey¡¯s name crossed out.¡±


    When Louis Smith heard that, his face suddenly darkened. His gaze pierced through his assistant


    beside him like an icicle. ¡°Have you forgotten who is in charge of thepany?¡±


    ¡°I will make changes to the name list now.¡± The assistant turned around and left.


    After he left, Louis Smith leaned back against the seat tiredly and massaged his temples with his


    thumbs.


    For some reason, images of Rachel Grey massaging his temples in the office shed through his mind.


    ¡°If only Rachel Grey was still here,¡± he thought.


    His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ringing of his phone. It was his father.


    ¡°Louis, did you see the live stream?¡±


    Louis Smith replied emotionlessly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me. No matter what, you have to contact Rachel Grey and ask her to attend the Smith


    Group¡¯s anniversary celebration. It would be even better if you could make her write off all the grudges


    from before.¡±

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162


    Hearing what his father said, Louis Smith could not help but smile bitterly. ¡°Dad, she has been in the


    Smith family for so many years, and I bet you know her character inside out.¡±


    Once Rachel Grey decided on something, no one could ever change her mind.


    That also applied to her hatred toward certain people.


    Back then, he promised to give her any form ofpensation other than emotion and status, but that


    was not what Rachel Grey wanted.


    Therefore, it was simply impossible to write off the previous grudges.


    At this moment, Mrs. Smith¡¯s voice came on the phone. ¡°But in the three years she had been in the


    Smith family, we had never mistreated her, right? This rtionship between you two had always been


    consensual. She was the one who insisted on marrying you, not us. Tell her that for the past three


    years, she had been living off our family and using our family¡¯s resources. We do not need a dime from


    her, but she has to use her connections to help Smith Group.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Louis Smith sneered in response. ¡°Try saying this to her face yourself!¡±


    He hung up right after that.


    However, the phone that was thrown on the table kept ringing. It was from the Smith family.


    After the Smith family learned of Rachel Grey¡¯s identity, everyone hoped that Louis Smith would lobby


    Rachel Grey.


    After everyone left, Rachel Grey looked around and noticed that David Jones¡¯s seat was empty.


    Adrian Johnson looked at Rachel Grey and said mockingly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving? You can¡¯t bear to


    leave?¡±


    She suppressed the sadness in her heart and took a light breath. ¡°Okay, let us go.¡±


    Adrian Johnson walked in front while Lucas Johnson and Rachel Grey followed behind. Lucas Johnson


    had one hand in his pocket.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to act together only after I arrive? Why are you acting on your own again!¡± Lucas


    Johnson hushed his voice.


    He was anxious about it.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Rachel Grey smiled cheekily. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it.¡±


    Lucas Johnson was speechless.


    This reason was as perfunctory as it could be.


    However, he knew very well that Rachel Grey was worried that something would happen to Mr. Griffin.


    That was why she barged in.


    ¡°This girl is always like this. When others treat her well, she wishes to repay their kindness in tenfolds.¡±


    Lucas Johnson thought to himself


    ¡°Same old rules. Don¡¯t tell Grandpa about this,¡± Rachel Grey whispered.


    When Lucas Johnson heard this, he looked at Rachel Grey with a sorry frown. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is toote.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel Grey felt a chill running down her spine.


    She seemed to have sensed something and turned to look at the courtyard.


    Sure enough, she saw Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s exclusive car.


    Her eyebrows twitched.


    ¡°You let it slip in front of Grandpa?¡± Rachel Grey questioned.


    ¡°Unless I¡¯m out of my mind and cannot wait to get a good beating.¡± Lucas Johnson defended himself.


    He then subconsciously took out a cigarette from his pocket and wanted to smoke. However, when Old


    Mr. Johnson rolled down the window, Lucas Johnson felt an inexplicable difort at the back of his


    head.


    He quickly put the cigarette back. ¡°You¡¯re making waves so big that it will be hard for him not to notice.¡±


    Moreover, Rachel Grey had been under the watchful eyes of Old Mr. Johnson since she was a child.


    He would react at the slightest matter. How could he pretend not to know about this?


    Rachel Grey looked at David Jones¡¯s car, fluttered her eyes, and looked at Lucas Johnson with a faint


    smile. ¡°Lucas dear¡­¡±


    ¡°Shush!¡± Lucas Johnson immediately interrupted her. He took a step back in an effort to draw a line


    between them. ¡°Your ¡®dear¡® is too heavy for me to ept, honorable Miss Grey.¡±


    Nothing good ever came out of her calling him ¡°dear.¡± It felt like his life was put on the line instantly


    every time she used that word.


    Rachel Grey walked towards Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s car with a heavy heart.


    Lucas Johnson looked at Rachel Grey¡¯s departing figure and suddenly realized that he had forgotten to


    ask Rachel Grey where she had stayedst night.

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163


    Chapter 163


    Rachel Grey sat in Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s car.


    She looked at the slightly gloomy old man and called out softly, ¡°Grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Why did you not call me when such a big thing happened?¡± Old Mr. Johnson snorted angrily, but he


    couldn¡¯t help but look at her worriedly and with a wrenched heart.


    Rachel Grey sensed that the old man was not really angry, and a bright smile appeared on her face. ¡°I


    am just afraid that you will be worried, Grandpa. Besides, look at me now, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She reached out and wrapped her arm around the old man¡¯s as she spoke. She leaned on his shoulder


    and said softly, ¡°Grandpa, do not be angry. I promise there is no next time.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson lowered his eyes and looked at the girl leaning on his shoulder. In Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s


    eyes, Rachel Grey looked like his precious. daughter snuggling in his arms lovingly.


    His cloudy eyes flickered slightly as he raised his hand to stroke her soft hair. ¡°You look exactly like


    your mother.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the smile on Rachel Grey¡¯s face faded a little.


    It had been a long, long time since she had heard anything about her mother.


    Whether it was the two uncles in the family or her maternal grandfather, everyone kept their mouths


    shut about their mother. It seemed that only then would they forget the cruel fact that their mother had


    passed away.


    ¡°Grandpa, do you miss her?¡± Rachel Grey held the old man¡¯s hand and asked softly.


    Unexpectedly, the old man shook his head. ¡°In my heart, she has never


    left.¡±


    Not long after returning to the Johnson family¡¯s mansion, the other three men of the Johnson family


    returned as well.


    The three of them got to Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s study.


    The old man was looking up at an oil painting hanging on the wall while


    pressing his hands on his walking stick.


    The painting depicted a forest in the sunset. There was a moose standing at the entrance to the forest


    as if it was suggesting people to follow its footsteps, or warning people not to try to break into the


    forest.


    There was a strange sense of ipatibility in the beautiful painting.


    This painting did note from any famous artist. Instead, it came from the Johnson family¡¯s most


    beloved Sophia Johnson.


    Tom Johnson, the eldest son in the family, broke the silence. ¡°In order to avoid unnecessary trouble for


    Rae¨CRae, I have already wiped out all data.¡±


    ¡°Have you investigated the matter regarding the reporters?¡± Old Mr. Johnson turned around and


    casually nced at the three men standing in front of him.


    Adrian Johnson said. ¡°They said that they were following orders given by Olivia Cruise.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson sat on the chair and ced his walking stick aside. He fiddled with the jade ring on his


    thumb and said coldly, ¡°Since you have the answer, you know what to do next, right?¡±


    With the Johnson family¡¯s identity and status, the Cruise family¡¯s existence was too insignificant to draw


    their attention.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    However, Olivia Cruise¡¯s malign intentions targeted at Rachel Grey served the former pernicious


    consequences to bear.


    Olivia Cruise thought all her evil deeds were done privily. Little did she know there were no secrets in


    Seaxas and the Johnson family!


    Adrian Johnson nodded. ¡°The Cruise family will be in the headlines


    tomorrow.¡±


    His calm tone was terrifyingly firm.


    In the business industry, only very few of those experienced ones are free from crooked thoughts and


    intentions. The Cruise family was one of the wiliest ones. Back then, it was not pure luck that allowed


    them to survive the financial crisis unscathed.


    Old Mr. Johnson looked up at Lucas Johnson. ¡°Resolve Vince¡¯s matter as soon as possible, just in


    case.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Lucas Johnson replied.

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164


    Meanwhile, at Sandalwood Hills.


    In the half¨Cunderground wine cer, the wine cabs made of ss on all four walls were filled with a


    dazzling array of famous wines.


    In front of the ck¨Cand¨Cgold marble bar counter, David Jones and Landon Walker sat side by side.


    Jimmy Shain was walking around like a tourist.


    It was not that Jimmy Shain had not seen something like that. It was just that David Jones treasured


    this wine cer so much that he barely let anyone in.


    ¡°You were never a nosy one.¡± Landon Walker yed with the whisky tumbler in his hand and gave a


    sneering smile.


    The live stream had caused such a sensation that it was hard for them not to know about it.


    Upon hearing his words, Jimmy Shain quietly walked to the bar counter.


    The two of them looked at each other, and an imperceptible tease shed across their eyes.


    ¡°I thought you loathed the camera? Why are you so keen today?¡± Jimmy Shain picked up a cube of ice


    and plonked it into his tumbler. As he shook it gently, the ice clinked. ¡°You rarely interfere in Vince¡¯s


    matters and whatever happens in the country. Are you not afraid of breaking the peace this time?¡±


    David Jones leanedzily against the bar counter, his arm resting on the corner of the table. His ck


    shirt was rolled up to his biceps, revealing his porcin¨Cwhite skin, and his clean and slender fingers


    wrapped the wine ss.


    The amber liquid in the ss made his knuckles look almost translucent.


    The warm lighting around the bar counter shone on David Jones like a coating of golden light, softening


    his strong aura.


    He raised his head and finished the wine in his ss. He slowly nced at Jimmy Shain. ¡°There is


    going to be a shipment at the docks tonight. You are in charge of it.¡±


    Jimmy Shain was stunned.


    He was drowned in embarrassment and anger.


    No exnations would make sense.


    Landon Walker¡¯s lips curled up into a gloating smile. He coughed lightly and straightened his


    expression. ¡°Is that woman from the Johnson family?¡±


    He could not think of any other reason.


    Upon hearing this, Jimmy Shain raised his eyebrows in surprise. He licked the corner of his lips with


    the tip of his tongue as if he could smell an affair happening. He stared intently at David Jones. ¡°Do not


    tell me you have desires for that youngdy of the Johnson family, who has a different family name.¡±


    They did not forget David Jone¡¯s sole purpose of returning to Seaxas.


    He came back to break off the engagement with the Johnson family. Yet, David Jones did not mention


    anything about the annulment of the engagement after such a long time. That aroused their suspicion.


    ¡°To be fair, that woman looks scintiting, very simr to you, I must say, but other than that, I do not


    think she is worthy of you at all,¡± Jimmy Shainmented bluntly. The harshness in his words was a


    little like a vicious mother¨Cinw.


    Landon Walker nodded in agreement. ¡°With her capability, I am afraid she will not be able to move at


    will in the Jones family and earn anyone¡¯s recognition. You have to remember one thing. Whoever


    stands by your side must be able to survive independently.¡±


    A woman like a dodder was not suitable for David Jones.


    After listening to their in¨Cdepth analysis, David Jones remained calm. No one could tell if he was happy


    or angry.


    After a moment of silence, David Jones ced his ss tumbler on the bar counter with a dull thud that


    made would make one shudder.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    He leaned back and rested one arm on the bar stool. His deep and cold voice sounded unhurried. ¡°As


    long as she is willing to, I can push her up to an untouchable position that no one can reach.¡±


    David Jones sounded casual, but the two people in front of him could hear the implication of arrogance


    and supremacy.


    The name ¡°David Jones¡± represented a godly status.


    Some people were fated to live a carefree and wealthy life from birth and would not care less about


    love.


    That was David Jones¡® case.


    However, he had changed for a woman.

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165


    Betrayal At The Altar By Dolores Delia Chapter 165


    A thought popped up in Jimmy Shain and Landon Walker¡¯s minds almost at the same time.


    ¡°This man in front of us is out of his mind.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°He is actually doing something for a woman!¡±


    ¡°Madness. This is madness!¡± Jimmy Shain muttered and quickly took a sip from the ss tumbler in his


    hand to calm himself down.


    On the other hand, Landon Walker was much calmer than Jimmy Shain. The former raised his eyes,


    and through his eyes, one could see that he was in deep thought. ¡°If you rashly brought her back, not


    only will your family not acknowledge her, but I am afraid it will also bring her unnecessary trouble. I


    would advise you to think twice.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will not bring her back recklessly.¡± David Jones said, ¡°She shall receive a handsome


    betrothal gift, and I will marry her officially. Our wedding will be as grand as the royals, and I will give


    her everything. She shall be received most grandly.¡±


    At this moment, even the usually calm Landon Walker could not help but fall silent.


    David Jones, who had always been calm and restrained, had been blinded by beauty. If news of this


    got out, it would probably cause a storm.


    However, this man had always done whatever he wanted. No one could change what he had set his


    mind on.


    ¡°We shall see if she could receive your good intentions graciously.¡± Landon Walker smiled.


    In Seaxas, Rachel Grey had the Johnson family¡¯s protection, but things would be different with the


    Jones family.


    Even if the Johnson family wanted to protect her, it would probably be beyond their reach.


    David Jones traced his finger along the rim of his whisky tumbler. His movements were neither slow nor


    hurried, revealing a hint of indolence. ¡°I, David Jones, shall be her mainstay!¡±


    There was an insufferably arrogant and domineering tone in his words, which made one¡¯s heart quiver.


    The phone on the table suddenly buzzed.


    Landon Walker and Jimmy Shain simultaneously looked at David Jones¡¯s phone.


    They were surprised to see the caller ID named ¡°honey.¡±


    The two of them felt a gush of mawkishness.


    It was hard to imagine that such a mushy nickname would appear on David Jones¡¯s phone.


    Landon Walker and Jimmy Shain looked at each other with a hint of mockery in their eyes.


    ¡°Alright, I guess he is serious this time,¡± they thought.


    Just as they were holding their sses and waiting for David Jones to pick up the call, David Jones


    very calmly told them to leave.


    Jimmy Shain was too stunned to speak.


    He gripped his ss tightly and resisted the urge to flip the table.


    Landon Walker put down his ss, picked up his jacket, and stood up. He patted Jimmy Shain¡¯s


    shoulder. ¡°We should go. I will send you to the docks.¡±


    Jimmy Shain stuck out his tongue and tapped his cheek. He put down the ss in his hand forcefully


    and turned around to leave.


    As the two of them left, they vaguely heard David Jones say gently, ¡°Why are you not asleep yet?¡±


    Jimmy Shain scolded Davied Jones in his heart. ¡°What a bastard! What happened to bro code?¡±


    Rachel Grey and David Jones were on the phone for more than ten minutes when suddenly, there was


    a knock on the door.


    ¡°I will talk to youter. Good night.¡±


    She hurriedly hung up the phone and jumped off the bed to open the door.


    Tom Johnson was standing at her door. ¡°Are you in bed already?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Rachel Grey brushed her long hair with her hands and stood daintily next to Tom Johnson.


    ¡°Uncle Tom, what is the matter?¡±


    Tom Johnson stared at her deeply.


    After hesitating for a while, he thought of Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s repeated reminders and finally suppressed


    the thought of finding out about her rtionship with David Jones.


    ¡°Sir asked me to remind you to attend the wedding of the Shain family¡¯s heiress on time tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    After Tom Johnson went off, Rachel Greyzily climbed back into bed and scrolled through the unread


    messages on her phone. She


    inadvertently caught a glimpse of the quiet and lifeless chatgroup Mary Green created.


    She suddenly thought of something and quickly removed Mary Green from her cklist.


    Right after that, countless messages by Mary Green that had been blocked popped up.


    One of them was an invitation to Iris Shain¡¯s wedding

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166


    The Shain family was one of the four big families in the Seaxas. Old Mr. Shain and Old Mr. Johnson


    were best friends, so Rachel had to attend this wedding.


    However, with the Shain family¡¯s status, the news of the Shain family¡¯s eldest daughter¡¯s wedding


    would attract a lot of attention.


    However, Rachel did not see the news of Iris¡® wedding ceremony when she woke up.


    Instead, the Cruise family was suspected of tax evasion, and the relevant departments were


    intervening in the investigation.


    Rachel sat at the dining table and watched Olivia¡¯s father being taken away in public with an indifferent


    expression.


    She was not too surprised.


    She had no intention of letting Olivia off.


    ¡°Take not a musket to kill a butterfly.¡± There was no need for the Johnson family to deal with Olivia.


    However, she could just chill since the Johnson family had taken action.


    Compared to Rachel¡¯s calmness, Mary was super chatty.


    ¡°This is retribution!¡± Mary said, ¡± ¡®Good deedse back to you, and bad deedse back to haunt


    you. Does she think that the daughter of the Cruise family has great status? She¡¯s just relying on her


    previous connections to hold on, but she still has to find a shortcut to court death! She¡¯s suicidal!¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s the first person who can make our Miss Green so angry that she¡¯s


    gritting her teeth.¡±


    Mary said without hesitation, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Rachel noticed that Mary was looking around with a ss of wine in her hand as if she were looking for


    something. She could not help but ask, ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the Shain family has a special guest. Otherwise, why do you think all thedies in Seaxas


    are dressed so beautifully today?¡± Mary¡¯s gazended on Rachel. She sized her up and could not help


    but tease,


    ¡°You¡¯re dressed so low¨Ckey. Are you worried that you¡¯ll be the target of public criticism, or are you


    keeping your chastity for someone only?¡±


    After hearing Mary¡¯s words, an unnatural blush appeared on Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks. ¡°What nonsense are


    you talking about?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    To think that she could say the word ¡®keep her chastity¡°!


    Mary¡¯s eyes shed with the light of gossip. ¡°Others don¡¯t understand you, but how can I not


    understand you? For a reserved person like you to be able to do such intimate actions in public, there¡¯s


    a high chance that you¡¯ve fallen for someone.¡±


    ¡°We just met by chance,¡± Rachel said lightly.


    ¡±


    However, the subsequent development of the matterpletely exceeded her expectations. The


    progress between the two of them had advanced by leaps and bounds after a short period together.


    She had to admit that she had chosen topromise with this menacing


    man.


    ¡°You can fool others with your words, but don¡¯t try to fool me!¡± Mary said firmly. She held Rachel¡¯s hand


    and said earnestly, ¡°Rae¨CRae, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re willing to interact with others. I¡¯m just curious about


    who the other party is. He made you open your heart and ept him in such a short period after


    dumping Louis, that bastard.¡±


    Louis saw Rachel from afar. After hesitating for a moment, he finally walked over.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked in, he heard Mary calling him. ¡°bastard¡°.


    After a moment of silence, he coughed softly. ¡°Rachel.¡±


    Mary turned around. The moment she saw Louis, there was no embarrassment or awkwardness on her


    face. Instead, she smiled calmly. ¡°Hey, Mr. Smith, did you hear me badmouthing you?¡±


    Without waiting for Louis to answer, Mary continued, ¡°So be it. After all, I don¡¯t know how to lie.¡±


    The expression on Louis¡¯s face was slightly gloomy, but in front of everyone, he would only appear


    ungentlemanly if he argued with a


    woman.


    ¡°Rachel, I have a few words to say to you in private.¡± He looked at


    Rachel.

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167


    Rachel said expressionlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t have time. I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡±


    As she turned to leave, Louis grabbed her wrist. ¡°Rachel, I know that our separation hurt you a lot, but I


    will try my best to make it up for you. Why won¡¯t you give me a chance?¡±


    ¡°Why should I forgive you after you¡¯ve apologized? Then I have to pretend that nothing has


    happened?¡± Rachel raised her eyes. Her gaze was cold, and the coldness pierced straight into Louis¡®


    eyes. She smiled sarcastically, ¡°We will never reconcile!¡±


    Louis looked at Rachel¡¯s cold attitude and could not help but tighten his grip on her wrist. He secretly


    gritted his teeth and said in a cold voice, ¡°Are you determined to be strangers with me?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be?¡± Rachel¡¯s face showed a hint of mockery. ¡°Do you want me to fall in love with


    you, go crazy with jealousy, and then wantonly take revenge on Olivia?¡±


    Hearing her words, Louis¡® expression changed. ¡°If you want to revenge, juste at me. Olivia is


    innocent!¡±


    Rachel seemed to have heard a joke. She forcefully pried his fingers away and turned to leave.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Louis could not help but frown as he watched Rachel walk into the inner


    venue.


    ¡°Since when did Rachel have such a close rtionship with the Shain family?¡±


    She could walk into the inner venue and sit at the banquet.


    The wedding ceremony held by the Shain family seemed to have invited all the people with status in


    Seaxas.


    However, it also cleverly distinguished the difference between them with


    a screen.


    The outer venue is an autonomous social area, while the inner venue is a banquet area.


    Anyone who could enter the inner venue and attend the banquet was a noble among nobles.


    The person guarding the door saw the argument between Rachel and Louis. He asked politely, ¡°Miss


    Grey, do you need security to invite Mr. Smith away?¡±


    To put it nicely, he was inviting him to leave. To put it bluntly, he was chasing them out.


    Everyone was smart enough to understand.


    Rachel nced at the person in front of her indifferently. Her red lips curled up slightly, revealing a


    polite and warm smile. ¡°Thank you, please.¡±


    Hearing her words, Mary secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Why are you sighing?¡± Rachel looked at her in confusion.


    Mary said, ¡°I almost thought you couldn¡¯t bear to part with him.¡±


    Rachel smiled and said calmly, ¡°He¡¯s not worthy.¡±


    The two of them walked into the inner venue. Lucas walked over and sized up Rachel from head to toe.


    ¡°Why are you here dressed like this?!¡±


    The other women were dressed gorgeously. They were all showing their most beautiful and


    outstanding look. Only Rachel came in a simple white suit.


    In this group of women, she just looked so simple.


    Rachel raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    She thought that it was enough as long as she dressed appropriately since she was attending


    someone else¡¯s wedding. Why did she have to steal the bride¡¯s limelight?


    ¡°Maternal grandfather is looking for you.¡± Lucas tilted his head slightly and gestured to her.


    Rachel handed the wine ss to Lucas and walked over gracefully in her high heels.


    As soon as she approached, Old Mr. Johnson hurriedly waved. ¡°Rae¨CRae,e and greet your


    Grandpa Shain.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Grandpa Shain,¡± Rachel greeted him obediently.


    Old Mr. Shain smiled and replied. He sized up Rachel. ¡°Rae¨CRae is, bing prettier. I wonder which


    brat will benefit from this in the


    future.¡±


    On such a topic, Rachel, as a girl who hadn¡¯t gotten married, naturally couldn¡¯t reply to him, so she


    could only smile without saying a word.

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168


    However, Old Mr. Johnson continued, ¡°I only have one precious


    granddaughter. Of course, I have to choose carefully. I can¡¯t be careless on this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Old Mr. Shain continued, ¡°However, with Rae¨CRae¡¯s social status, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to


    be very difficult to pick someone who¡¯s worthy of her in Seaxas.¡±


    As their conversation went on, Rachel felt that something was amiss.


    As expected, in the next second, Rachel heard Old Mr. Johnson ask Old Mr. Shain, ¡°I wonder if you


    know someone who would be a suitable candidate?¡±


    The two of them exchanged nces and quickly came to a consensus. ¡°Now that you mention it, I do


    have one.¡± Old Mr. Shain said.


    Before Old Mr. Shain could finish speaking, his trusted aide hurriedly approached him and whispered


    something in his ears.


    Old Mr. Shain was always very good at masking his emotions. However, when Old Mr. Shain heard


    what his trusted aide had said, his face turned solemn as he asked, ¡°Are you really sure of what you


    have seen?¡±


    The butler looked at Old Mr. Shain solemnly and replied. ¡°I¡¯m absolutely certain!¡±


    Old Mr. Shain stood up and smoothed the non¨Cexistent creases on his clothes. ¡°Hurry and bring me to


    him! I¡¯ll personally bring him in!¡± Old Mr. Shain said nervously.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Just when Old Mr. Shain had just taken a step forward, footsteps could be hearding from the door.


    Everyone could not help but look in the direction of the footsteps.


    They saw a tall and upright figure entering the room steadily.


    The man was wearing a ck suit, which had been ironed meticulously. The well¨Ctailored suit


    entuated his tall figure and the man exuded an innate aura of nobility. People could also feel an air


    of suppression that wasing from the man, which made them feel slightly intimidated. There was a


    hint of coldness in his exquisite eyes and his thin lips were slightly pursed. When they were staring into


    his dark and fathomless


    eyes, they could not read what he was thinking. However, one could feel that they were staring into a


    bottomless pit and could feel impending danger.


    The crystalmp outlined his distinct facial features,plementing the dangerous aura which could


    not be hidden.


    Without looking sideways, the man walked towards the crowd and caught sight of Rachel effortlessly.


    Although his gaze lingered on Rachel for only an instant, the corners of his lips curled up quietly,


    revealing a faint smile.


    The spacious room seemed narrow and cramped because of David¡¯s arrival as the aura which he


    emitted seemed to fill up the entire room.


    Everyone looked at David in unison and discussed in low voices.


    ¡°Who is this man?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before. He probably has a powerful background. Didn¡¯t you see that Old Mr. Shain


    had even stood up in order to wee him in person?¡±


    ¡°Could he be the distinguished guest that Old Mr. Shain had mentioned?¡±


    It is well known that the existence of the Shain family in Seaxas is not as important and irreceable


    aspared to the Johnson family.


    The reason why the Shain family was able to be part of the top four most prestigious families in


    Seaxas, was mainly due to the Shain family¡¯s support in the background.


    Some said that the Shain family who was backing the Shain family in Seaxas was actually the real


    aristocrats.


    Even Old Mr. Shain himself would pale inparison in front of the Shain family and would be


    considered to be someone who is not worth mentioning.


    At this moment, Old Mr. Shain had already stepped forward to wee the guest in person.


    After five years, the man in front of Old Mr. Shain seemed to be even calmer and more reserved than


    before. However, the indifferent and noble aura which surrounded him made Old Mr. Shain feel that it


    was hard to breathe.


    Even though Old Mr. Shain was many years older than David, Old Mr. Shain naturally disyed


    unprecedented respect and fear for David the moment when he saw David.


    Pursing his thin lips, David looked at Old Mr. Shain and said, ¡°Old Mr. Shain, I apologize for showing up


    although I was not invited. I¡¯m sorry for the intrusion.¡±


    David said steadily in a deep and cold voice, making one¡¯s body tense up unknowingly.


    1


    Feeling ttered, Old Mr. Shain immediately said, ¡°Mr. Jones, you¡¯re being too polite. It¡¯s our greatest


    honor that you have came to visit.¡±


    Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Old Mr. Shain¡¯s attitude towards David was a tad too


    polite.


    Although the Shain family¡¯s social status in Seaxas was not as high as the Johnson family, with Old Mr.


    Shain¡¯s current social status, he should not be as polite to David as he should have been.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, please.¡± Old Mr. Shain personally led David in and invited David to take the head seat.

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169


    David approached Old Mr. Johnson and stopped in front of him. David lifted his head and said, ¡°Old Mr.


    Johnson, I should have visited you when I had just returned to Seaxas, but I was dyed by other


    matters. Please forgive me.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson pursed his lips and said absent¨Cmindedly, ¡°Mr. Jones, you¡¯re being too polite.¡±


    After finishing his sentence, Old Mr. Johnson lowered his head to hide the gleam in his eyes.


    Old Mr. Johnson held the cane in his hand and rubbed at the gem that was embedded in the dragon¡¯s


    eye at the head of the cane, seeming to be lost in thought.


    The butler duly stepped forward to serve tea to David.


    At this moment, Old Mr. Shain asked, ¡°I wonder if Mr. Jones has met with Mr. Shain?¡±


    Hearing Old Mr. Shain¡¯s words, David raised his eyebrows and looked at Old Mr. Shain, ¡°Didn¡¯t Jimmy


    inform you that he was going on an emergency business trip?¡±


    Taken aback, Old Mr. Shain paused before he replied, ¡°I see. Jimmy must have been in a hurry to leave


    and forgot to inform me.¡±


    As Old Mr. Shain spoke, he nced at Old Mr. Johnson instinctively.


    However, Old Mr. Johnson frowned imperceptibly after hearing David¡¯s words.


    ¡°How could there be such a coincidence?¡± Old Mr. Johnson pondered. Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s intuition was


    telling him that this seemed to have been purposely arranged by someone.


    Old Mr. Johnson took a deep and long look at David, with his turbid filled with deep thought.


    eyes


    David sat in the head seat with his legs crossed. Even though David was silent, he still emitted a strong


    and overbearing aura that made him seem as if everything was under his control.


    Such a person was born to be a king and was definitely not someone who


    would be easily controlled by ordinary people.


    As the thought shed in his mind, Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s eyes darkened and he said, ¡°Since you have a


    guest, we¡¯ll make a move first.¡±


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to leave?¡± Old Mr. Shain asked. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, why don¡¯t you


    sit down and have a drink before leaving?¡± Old Mr. Shain suggested.


    David gently set down the cup in his hand and said in a deep and cold voice, ¡°Could it be that my


    arrival has ruined Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s mood?¡±


    The moment when David had finished his sentence, the huge room was filled with a strange and eerie


    silence.


    A trace of panic shed across Old Mr. Shain¡¯s eyes as he said quickly, ¡°Mr. Jones, what are you


    talking about? It¡¯s our greatest honor that you¡¯re willing to show up here today!¡±


    The words came as a surprise to everyone.


    Although the people present did not know very well about Old Mr. Shain¡¯s temper, they had heard a


    thing or two about it.


    There were only a few people in the whole of Seaxas whom Old Mr. Shain would look straight in the


    eye, and treat with respect. However, Old Mr. Shain¡¯s attitude towards David now was more than just


    being polite.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as her probing gazended on Old Mr. Shain. Rachel was secretly


    sizing Old Mr. Shain up and seemed to be lost in thought.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Mr. Jones? I¡¯m just worried that I¡¯ll ruin your mood,¡± Old Mr. Johnson said


    calmly.


    David¡¯s neatly trimmed and clean fingers held the lid of the cup as he gently brushed away the tea


    leaves which was floating at the top of the cup. ¡°Speaking of which, the Johnson family has had a few


    fateful encounters with me in the past. Old Mr. Johson, you¡¯re being too polite.¡± David said calmly.


    Old Mr. Johnson frowned imperceptibly when he heard David¡¯s words. There was a grave look in Old


    Mr. Johnson¡¯s eyes, but it shed past in an instant and was not noticeable.


    Rachel quietly sized up Old Mr. Johnson.


    ¡°David had a few fateful encounters with the Johnson family in the past? ¡°Why hadn¡¯t my maternal


    grandfather mentioned it to me before?


    ¡°Moreover, ever since my maternal grandfather had met David, he had seemed to be very nervous.¡±


    Rachel pondered.


    At this moment, the butler walked to Old Mr. Shain¡¯s side and said in a low voice, ¡°Sir, the banquet is


    ready.¡±


    Old Mr. Shain nodded slightly and stood up. ¡°Everyone, please follow me and be seated.¡± Old Mr.


    Shain said.


    Everyone was seated. Perhaps it was an unlikely coincidence, but there was only one empty seat left,


    and that seat was right beside David¡¯s.


    Rachel subconsciously looked up and stared at David, only to see him rise to his feet.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    David pulled at the empty chair on his right and said, ¡°Miss Grey, please.¡±

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170


    As soon as David finished speaking, the atmosphere at the table instantly. became so quiet that one


    could hear a pin drop.


    Everyone looked at Rachel with a hint of curiosity.


    Everyone who sat at the same table with Old Mr. Shain was directly rted to the Shain family in


    Seaxus.


    Therefore, David was not a stranger to them. On the other hand, how could they not be curious when


    Mr. Jones, who had never been close to women, personally invited Rachel to sit beside him?


    Under everyone¡¯s watchful gaze, Rachel¡¯s red lips curled up slightly into a faint smile, and walked


    calmly towards the chair that was pulled out.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae!¡± Old Mr. Johnson suddenly called out to Rachel with a serious expression. Although Old Mr.


    Johnson was not scolding Rachel, one could tell that Old Mr. Johnson was not pleased by his tone.


    Rachel turned to look at Old Mr. Johnson.


    Initially, Rachel only suspected that her maternal grandfather had some conflict with David. However,


    Rachel was certain now that her maternal grandfather did not like that Rachel was being close to


    David, and was strongly against the idea.


    ¡°Could it be that my maternal grandfather knew about my rtionship with David?¡± Rachel pondered.


    However, Rachel¡¯s intuition told her that things might not be as simple as she thought.


    Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s eyes met Rachel¡¯s probing gaze and knew that he had overreacted just now.


    Old Mr. Johnson regained hisposure and his facial muscles visibly rxed. ¡°That seat is not a


    ce where you should be sitting at. Come and sit beside me.¡±


    David said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Miss Grey and I hit it off at first sight. It¡¯s my honor to have her apany me.¡±


    As David had put his words so bluntly, Old Mr. Johnson could only give


    1. up.


    As soon as Rachel had sat down, she could smell David¡¯s fresh and wooden scent. The fragrance was


    unique to David and was now surrounding Rachel.


    Rachel turned to look at the man beside her subconsciously.


    David took off his diamond cuffs slowly and rolled up his sleeves, revealing a portion of his arm. The


    faintly bulging veins on his muscr arm made David look especially powerful and strong. David was


    just like a cheetah who was lying in waiting and was ready to attack anytime. No one would have dared


    to underestimate him.


    ¡°Miss Grey, do you have something to tell me?¡±


    Hearing David¡¯s words, everyone at the table turned to look at Rachel in unison.


    Old Mr. Johnson also turned to look at Rachel.


    Rachel, who was sharp and clever, noticed the sh of unease and nervousness in her maternal


    grandfather¡¯s eyes. Several thoughts and doubts shed in Rachel¡¯s mind.


    Rachel really wanted to ask David and her maternal grandfather if they were hiding something from


    her. Unfortunately, now was not the best time to do so.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    After calming herself down, Rachel let out a smile and said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Jones.¡±


    Eddie, who was standing behind Rachel and was serving her tea, almost spilled the tea as his hands


    trembled.


    With a perplexed look, Eddie took a quick nce at Rachel as he thought to himself. ¡°What¡¯s Miss Grey


    doing?¡±


    Hearing Rachel¡¯s words, David slowly lifted his head. David looked at Rachel with his dark eyes as he


    studied her. A few secondster, the faint smile on David¡¯s face slightly deepened and he said, ¡°There¡¯s


    no need to thank me.¡±


    Due to David¡¯s arrival, everyone was more or less unable to feel at ease and felt restrained.


    The tense atmosphere continued until Iris, who was wearing a gown. walked over with the groom for a


    toast.


    Other than a few elders who remained seated, almost everyone stood up. However, David was an


    exception and did not stand.


    But even so, no one dared to say anything.


    After all, David was not someone they could afford to offend.


    The moment when Iris saw David, she was slightly taken aback. Then, the corners of her mouth curled


    upwards as Iris asked, ¡°Mr. David, why are you here alone? Where¡¯s Louis?¡±


    ¡°Iris, don¡¯t be rude!¡± Old Mr. Shain¡¯s expression was stern as he berated.


    However, Iris ignored Old Mr. Shain.


    Iris was the only girl in her generation in the Shain family. Hence, Iris was doted on and spoilt by the


    Shain family.


    One could also say that the reason why the Shain family had its current social status was partially due


    to the main family¡¯s love for Iris, and was willing to amodate her family too.


    Iris had stayed by Jimmy¡¯s side since young, and everyone had doted on her as if she was their little


    sister. Hence, David was not a stranger to Iris.

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171


    ¡°A sudden business trip.¡± David said, ncing at Eddie. ¡°He asked me to bring you a wedding gift.¡±


    Eddie handed a ck velvet box to Iris.


    Iris epted it graciously and couldn¡¯t resist but to ask David, ¡°What about my brother Jimmy, did you


    not prepare anything for him?¡±


    ¡°The pass will be delivered to youter.¡±


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    Others might not know the purpose and significance of that pass, but Iris knew too well.


    That was a visa to enter and leave Aureliana at will, and there was no limit to the number of re¨Centries.


    There were only a few dozen cardholders worldwide.


    ording to family rules, when Iris got married, she became part of another family and could no longer


    enter and leave her own family as she pleased.


    Iris was simply ttered when David promised to deliver the pass to herter.


    She tried to hide the surprise on her face and said, beaming, ¡°Deal.¡±


    As she turned to leave, she noticed that Rachel Grey was sitting next to David. She was slightly


    stunned, and realization dawned on her.


    While the public was unfamiliar with David Jones, she had spent years shadowing Jimmy and knew


    him inside out.


    This gentleman was notorious for his disinterest in women, yet here he was, sitting next to Rachel


    Grey.


    ¡°Miss Grey.¡± Iris¡® lips curved into a perfect smile as she raised her ss in a toast to her. ¡°Thank you for


    coming to my wedding.¡±


    Rachel replied politely, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    After the banquet, Rachel left with Old Mr. Johnson.


    She pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°Grandpa, do you grudges against David Jones?¡±


    hold any


    Upon hearing this, Old Mr. Johnson replied cautiously, ¡°It¡¯s not really a grudge. We just have a bit of a


    history.¡±


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you mentioned it before?¡± Rachel continued to ask, her intuition telling her that her


    grandfather must have been hiding something.


    Old Mr. Johnson raised his eyes and gave Rachel a deep look, then pursed his lips. ¡°Grandpa is tired,


    I¡¯ll rest for a while.¡±


    Rachel, looking at her grandfather¡¯s slightly tired face, obediently responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Old Mr. Johnson closed his eyes, Rachel whipped out her phone and quickly typed away, hoping


    to get some valuable information from Lucas.


    However, Lucas didn¡¯t respond with anything else except¡­


    ¡°Stay away from this man!¡±


    Rachel looked at the text on the screen and couldn¡¯t help but be filled with curiosity.


    The confusion lingered in Rachel¡¯s mind even upon returning to the Johnson family¡¯s mansion.


    She hesitated for a moment in bed before finally dialing David¡¯s number.


    ¡°Look who finally decided to call me, you heartless thing.¡± David¡¯s tone was cold, yet there was


    something in the way he spoke that hinted at a hidden tenderness, drawing people in.


    Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She cleared her throat and calmly changed the topic. ¡°Can I ask you a


    question?¡±


    ¡°Ask away,¡± David replied without hesitation.


    Rachely on the bed, ying with a strand of hair that hung down the side of her face. ¡°What¡¯s your


    connection with the Johnson family? Why haven¡¯t you mentioned it to me before?¡±


    After a moment of contemtion, David answered, ¡°Nobody in the Johnson family has mentioned it to


    you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Rachel, ¡°And it seems like my grandfather doesn¡¯t n to tell me anything concrete


    either.¡±


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have used being tired as an excuse to avoid her today.


    ¡°Since Old Mr. Johnson doesn¡¯t want to tell you, there must be a reason for it,¡± said David.


    Although he was unaware of Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s intentions, he did not n to be the one rocking the


    boat.

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172


    Rachel immediately detected the man¡¯s evasiveness through his words.


    Clearly, David was not going to be forting without prompting.


    This made Rachel feel a little depressed and unhappy.


    She felt like everyone around her knew something she did not, which was a very unpleasant feeling.


    After hanging up, shey on her back and stared nkly at the ceiling above.


    Suddenly, the door was pushed open.


    She sat up abruptly and saw Lucas walking in. She gasped, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°To take you out and clear your mind?¡± Lucas pulled out a chair and sat down with his legs wide open.


    Rachel looked at him, feeling very irritated and indeed in need of venting her emotions.


    She hesitated for a moment and suggested, ¡°The usual?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Lucas said.


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    The two of them walked out one after the other and bumped into Old Mr. Johnsoning out of the


    room.


    Old Mr. Johnson furrowed his brows at Rachel¡¯s attire and then turned to Lucas with a stern


    expression. ¡°Are you taking Rachel out to have fun again?¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, we¡¯re just going out for a walk,¡± Rachel grinned and hooked her arm around his, supporting


    him as they walked down the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ll be staying at Uncle Tom¡¯s tonight, but I wille back this


    weekend to have dinner with you.¡±


    Her words left Old Mr. Johnson speechless.


    He looked into Rachel¡¯s eyes which were strikingly simr to Sophia¡¯s and sighed helplessly. ¡°Be


    careful and stay safe.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Lucas said, ¡°As long as Rae¨CRae¡¯s with me, she will be fine.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson sneered coldly. ¡°You have the nerve to speak. It¡¯s only when you¡¯re with her that she


    acts unruly like you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± Lucas would¡¯ve developed a headache if he had continued to listen to Old Mr.


    Johnson¡¯s nagging. He quickly tugged on Rachel¡¯s wrist and left.


    As Old Mr. Johnson watched Rachel leave, his face immediately became solemn.


    ¡±


    ¡°Sir, are you worried about the matter of Miss Rachel¡¯s marriage?¡± the butler asked.


    Old Mr. Johnson turned to look at him and sighed. ¡°What do you think of it?¡±


    The butler nced at him and smiled knowingly. ¡°In my humble opinion, our children have their own


    destiny. Sir, why worry about it?¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson pursed his lips and remained silent, turning his head to gaze into the distant horizon.


    He watched the birds flying in the sky, and a hint of imperceptible loneliness appeared in his eyes.


    Of course he understood what the butler was saying, but he just couldn¡¯t bear to let go.


    At five in the afternoon, Lucas drove Rachel to the Apex Supercar Society.


    After both of them had changed their attires, two cars were brought out by the club staff.


    Rachel walked straight to the deep purple Lycan after adjusting her outfit. Lucas naturally opened the


    door of the sleek ck Shelby and got into it. He lowered the car window, rested his hand on it, and


    gave Rachel a provocative look. ¡°Rae¨CRae, don¡¯t cry if you loseter.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± Rachel averted her gaze.


    She focused on the countdown ahead and then floored the elerator.


    The car took off like a rocket.


    Lucas guessed that Rachel would be unfamiliar with the car since she had


    not driven for many years.


    Unexpectedly, she was performing exceedingly well.


    With clean cornering and expert use of racing techniques, Rachel smoothly gained speed through two


    consecutive turns.


    Lucas¡® grin disappeared as he saw Rachel about to outmaneuver him in a


    turn.


    They were locked in a tight battle, both refusing to give up any ground.


    This spectacle instantly piqued the curiosity of other members of the club.

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173


    The rest area was equipped with a professional sound system and a broadcast screen. A huge floor¨C


    to¨Cceiling window allowed the people in the area to see the situation on the track.


    Landon held his wine ss and looked at the cars speeding past the track with interest. ¡°Since we


    have nothing to do, do you want to take the opportunity to ce a bet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m betting on the Leckon.¡±


    Landon turned to look at David. Sensing the smile in David¡¯s eyes, Landonnded his gaze on the


    Leckon. There was a hint of yfulness in Landon¡¯s eyes.


    In the future, Jimmy would have to take the obvious losses.


    On the track, Rachel, who had gradually gotten into a good state, kept increasing the car speed.


    Lucas had taught Rachel how to race.


    Back when they were overseas, in pursuit of novelty and excitement, Rachel and Lucas would often


    climb over the school wall in the middle of the night and race on the mountain road.


    Rachel didn¡¯t know if it was because she hadn¡¯t touched a car in a long time or because she was


    unhappy, but she was having a good time today. Rachel didn¡¯t feel that she was driving too fast.


    Hearing the sound of the wind whistling past her ears, Rachel felt an unprecedented sense of joy.


    Lucas, who was in the car behind, did not expect Rachel to be so crazy today.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    When this girl sped up the car, it was as if she did not care about her life. In thestp, Rachel¡¯s dark


    purple Leckon overtook the finish line by an absolute advantage.


    Rachel parked the car near the finish line and leaned against the back of the seat for a while. The


    stimtion of her blood pumping dissipated the unhappiness and frustration in her heart.


    Rachel opened the door and got out of the car. She let her long hair


    loose.


    At this moment, a staff member in uniform walked over. ¡°Miss Grey, Mr. Jones wants to see you.¡±


    Rachel stopped ying with her hair. She was a little surprised to meet David here.


    Rachel gathered her thoughts and nodded slightly. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll go change my clothes.¡±


    ¡°Please!¡±


    In the changing room, Rachel heard a few hotly dressed women chatting.


    ¡°I passed by the VIP room just now and saw the man inside. He¡¯s so handsome!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! When the manager asked me to send the wine in, I noticed him. His look and figure


    were even better than celebrities in the entertainment industry!¡±


    ¡°I heard the manager call him Mr. Jones. Look at how our manager is nodding and bowing like ackey.


    I guess this Mr. Jones is a real big shot.¡±


    ¡°Most women won¡¯t catch his attention, right? I feel that there¡¯s nock of women around him.¡±


    ¡°There are so many women anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter if I join, right?¡±


    Their next step was to discuss how to attract David¡¯s attention. Their tricks were nothing more than


    identally sshing water, deliberately spraining an ankle, creating coincidences, and so on.


    The women walked past Rachel, chattering and discussing how to take her man. Rachel could not tell if


    she was angry or not. Rachel just had a strange feeling.


    In fact, when Rachel looked in the mirror, she vaguely felt that she was already cheated on.


    Rachel walked out of the cloakroom and followed the staff to the private room. Rachel happened to see


    the woman, who was in the changing room, next to David after dressing up meticulously.


    The woman sashayed to David¡¯s side. ¡°Mr. Jones, let me pour you a drink.¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡± The man suddenly said. His deep and cold voice was as cold as the water under a cier,


    making one shudder.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, I¡­¡±


    Impatience appeared between David¡¯s eyebrows. David nced at the woman in front of him with a


    sharp gaze and shouted coldly, ¡°Get lost!¡±


    In an instant, the temperature in the entire private room dropped by several degrees, and the cold air


    wreaked havoc.


    The woman did not expect David to be so cold. She knew that she had met a hard bone to bite, so she


    did not dare to have any other thoughts. The woman hurriedly cleaned up and left.


    When the woman went out, she bumped into Rachel.

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174


    The woman was slightly stunned. Her exquisitely made¨Cup face showed embarrassment after being


    exposed.


    Then, she sized up Rachel from head to toe. A hint of mockery appeared in the woman¡¯s eyes.


    The woman had already thrown herself at David just now, and she still got kicked out. What else could


    happen to Rachel in front of her?


    Rachel did not care about the ridicule in the woman¡¯s eyes at all. Rachel just walked straight in.


    Seeing Rachel walk in, the woman was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, she stood at the door and


    waited to see Rachel make a fool of herself.


    However, to the woman¡¯s surprise, not only did David not chase Rachel out, he even took the initiative


    to pull Rachel into his arms.


    In an instant, the woman¡¯s expression changed rapidly. It was interesting to watch.


    However, Rachel sensed the woman¡¯s gaze and slowly raised her eyes. Rachel looked straight at the


    woman and raised her eyebrows slightly without blinking. Rachel¡¯s red lips curled into a faint smile.


    Rachel¡¯s smile was filled with provocation.


    The woman¡¯s pupils constricted. She lowered her eyes in a panic and turned to leave in


    embarrassment.


    When Rachel saw the woman leave, the thrill of revenge in her heart disappeared.


    Rachel brushed away David¡¯s hand and sat on the seat beside him.


    Rachel casually picked up the wine ss on the table and took a sip before ying with it carefully.


    David looked at Rachel quietly for a few seconds. Suddenly, David Jones reached out and grabbed


    Rachel¡¯s waist, putting her on hisp.


    David snatched the wine ss from Rachel¡¯s hand and ced it on the table.


    Rachel was caught off guard. After a short moment of being in the air, Rachel was already sitting on the


    man¡¯sp.


    Rachel frowned slightly and subconsciously dodged backward.


    However, the man¡¯s arm wrapped around Rachel¡¯s waist. David held Rachel in his arms.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Rachel was speechless.


    Rachel looked at David calmly. Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly as if she was asking him what he


    was doing.


    David¡¯s hand lingered on the woman¡¯s slender waist. David took a light breath and suppressed the


    restlessness in his eyes. ¡°How did I provoke you? Tell me, why torture yourself?¡±


    ¡°Did you provoke me?¡± Rachel asked.


    David stared at Rachel¡¯s face without blinking. His lips curled into a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t?¡±


    Rachel said expressionlessly, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s just cuddle like this. When you¡¯re willing to tell me, we¡¯ll go eat.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly and struggled some. ¡°Let go of me.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Rachel couldn¡¯t say anything more.


    Rachel quietly looked at the man in front of her. Rachel¡¯s gaze slowly slid down.


    The two buttons on the man¡¯s shirt were unbuttoned, revealing his Adam¡¯s apple and defined


    corbone.


    In private, David had always had such azy attitude. David exuded a casual andzy aura.


    However, for some reason, David looked especially irksome today. Rachel felt that David was like a


    peacock spreading its tail, expressing goodwill to the opposite sex everywhere.


    Rachel narrowed her eyes and finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Can you put on your clothes properly?¡±


    David was confused.


    David looked down at his clothes, and he didn¡¯t think there was anything


    wrong with them.


    Rachel raised her hand and tugged at David¡¯s cor. There was a hint of coldness in her eyes. ¡°What


    do you look like if you¡¯re not dressed


    properly!¡±


    ¡°Not dressed properly?¡± David looked down at his open cor. The smile on David¡¯s lips became even


    bolder, spreading on his face to the corners of his eyes.


    Rachel noticed the smile on David¡¯s lips and deliberately turned cold. ¡°Do you have a problem with


    that?¡±


    ¡°I have no objections. I¡¯ll listen to my girlfriend.¡± David leaned over and kissed Rachel¡¯s chin. David


    reached out and buttoned his shirt tightly. ¡°Is my girlfriend satisfied now?¡°

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175


    Rachel looked at the man¡¯s neat cor. David¡¯s sexy Adam¡¯s apple was faintly discernible. He was even


    more seductive than when his cor was


    open.


    Rachel frowned slightly and pursed her lips as she looked at the stunning face in front of her. Rachel


    could not help but sigh. It was all because of David¡¯s face.


    David looked at Rachel¡¯s slightly furrowed brows and could not figure out what she was thinking.


    ¡°You¡¯re not satisfied?¡±


    Rachel suddenly smiled and looked at David meaningfully. ¡°Mr. Jones¡¯s charm is outstanding. No


    wonder you attract attention everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, I feel a sense of aplishment.¡± David¡¯s arms tightened around Rachel¡¯s


    waist, gradually closing the distance between them. David pinched the soft flesh at Rachel¡¯s waist. ¡°So


    I¡¯m so charming.¡± Rachel was wordless.


    Rachel secretly cursed in her heart, ¡°Shameless.


    ¡°I praised you a little, and you¡¯re taking it seriously!¡±


    David saw Rachel¡¯s emotion through her face clearly and chuckled. ¡°I wonder if Miss Grey is interested


    in me?¡±


    David¡¯szy and sexy voice wrapped around Rachel, making her ears tingle. Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a


    beat.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel said nothing, just stared at David in silence.


    ¡±


    David looked at the unnatural blush on Rachel¡¯s face, and the smile in his eyes intensified. David


    leaned forward and rested his chin on Rachel¡¯s shoulder. He smiled and breathed into her ear. ¡°I¡¯m not


    interested in others. I only want to seduce you with this body. Are youing with me tonight?¡±


    The man¡¯s breathnded on Rachel¡¯s ear. Rachel felt like her ear was on fire. It was a little hot and


    numb for a moment.


    Faced with such an ambiguous invitation, Rachel felt her heart race uncontrobly. Her fingertips curled


    up slightly.


    Looking at the man in front of her, Rachel smiled. ¡°Mr. Jones, are you


    proposing to sleep with me?¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, do you ept it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    Landon, who was standing at the door, heard Rachel and David¡¯s conversation. Landon hated himself


    for being untimely. Landon was forced to witness Rachel and David¡¯s love.


    However, what surprised Landon the most was David¡¯s attitude toward Rachel.


    As far as Landon could remember, David had never been a very patient person.


    David didn¡¯t have much patience for things he was interested in, let alone lowering his status to coax a


    woman.


    Landon turned around and left with a meaningful smile on his lips.


    When Landon reached the hall, he happened to see Lucas. Lucas was about to make a call.


    Landon¡¯s eyes flickered as he walked forward. ¡°Lucas.¡±


    Lucas looked up and saw Landon walking towards him. Lucas smiled. ¡°Landon, long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see. Let¡¯s have a drink together?¡± Landon took out a cigarette from his pocket and


    handed it to Lucas.


    Seeing that Lucas was a little hesitant, Landon asked again, ¡°Is it inconvenient?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lucas replied.


    When the two of them left, Landon took out his phone and sent a message to David. [I¡¯ve taken him


    away. Today¡¯s bet is even.]


    When David received the message, the smile on his lips deepened. David held Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°Best


    Fry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±


    Then it was at Best Fry.


    In order to shut the reporters up, Olivia had almost emptied her fortune.


    Olivia had narrowly escaped, but her father, Richard Cruise, was not so


    lucky.


    This


    year,


    for some reason, there was a sudden crackdown on tax evasion. Coincidentally, the Cruise family got


    caught and became a ssic example.


    The Cruise family was considered a reputable family in Seaxas. They had used a lot of their energy


    and financial resources over the years and had more or less umted some connections.


    The Cruise family also got to know many people from sensitive departments.


    In the past, every time there was the slightest movement, Olivia¡¯s father would always be prepared at


    the first moment. However, this time, Richard was caught off guard, causing their family to be


    completely unprepared.


    Olivia looked at Matthew, who was sitting opposite her. ¡°Uncle Matthew, there are no outsiders here.


    Why don¡¯t you tell me if my father¡¯s matter is easy to resolve?¡±

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176


    Matthew had received the favor of the Cruise family many years ago, so he had been secretly helping


    the Cruise family all these years.


    At this moment, when Matthew heard Olivia¡¯s words, he put down the knife and fork in his hand, and


    slowly wiped the corners of his mouth. Matthew looked up at Olivia. ¡°Olivia, to be honest, this matter


    was too sudden. Two minutes after I received the notice, your father was taken away. I don¡¯t know


    much about the details.¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia clenched her fists under the table. Her nails dug into her palms as Olivia tried her


    best to remain calm.


    ¡°Uncle Matthew, is there no room for negotiation? To be honest, ever since my father was taken away,


    my mother has been bedridden. I really don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Even though Olivia tried her best to control her emotions, her voice still revealed the panic in her heart.


    Matthew looked at Olivia and pondered for a moment. ¡°Olivia, think about it. Did your family offend


    someone recently?¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia frowned and fell into deep thought.


    The current Cruise family was far inferior to the Cruise family five years ago. Otherwise, Olivia wouldn¡¯t


    have returned to Louis¡¯s side.


    Moreover, ever since the news of Olivia¡¯s engagement to Louis spread, many people had offered the


    Cruise family olive branches. The Cruise family had used this opportunity to climb up. How could they


    offend someone at this critical moment?


    ¡°Or have you offended anyone recently?¡± Matthew looked at Olivia meaningfully.


    Olivia met Matthew¡¯s gaze. Rachel¡¯s face immediately appeared in Olivia¡¯s mind.


    Olivia was about to get engaged to Louis and was on good terms with people everywhere. Why would


    Olivia seek revenge at this juncture?


    The only possibility was Rachel!


    Even though Rachel was a first¨Css Cultural Relic Restorer and a special advisor of the Cultural


    Relics Bureau, she was not capable of doing such


    a thing or secretly targeting the Cruise family.


    Therefore, Olivia quickly denied this possibility.


    ¡°Uncle Matthew, I really don¡¯t know who the Cruise family has offended recently. Can you please ask


    around so that we can personally visit and apologize?¡± Olivia looked at Matthew eagerly.


    Whoever targeted the Cruise family was able to get past Matthew and aim directly at them. It meant


    that the identity and status of this person were not ordinary.


    This matter had to be dealt with properly. Otherwise, it would be a cmity for the Cruise family.


    If anything happened to the Cruise family, it would be difficult for Olivia to marry Louis sessfully.


    ¡°I can only do my best,¡± Matthew said. ¡°Since the other party has made a move on the Cruise family,


    they won¡¯t just make a small move.¡±


    Olivia nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    However, there was an ominous feeling lingering in Olivia¡¯s heart, and she could not shake it off.


    After Rachel and David finished eating, they walked out of the private room. Rachel received a call


    from Lucas. ¡°You¡¯re not at the office or at home at this time. Tell me the truth!¡±


    Although Lucas had someputer skills on him, he had never vited Rachel¡¯s privacy.


    ¡°I got a boyfriend,¡± said Rachel.


    Lucas said, ¡°Rachel, you¡¯ve really forgotten the pain after your scar healed. With your past experience


    with bad boys, you still dare to choose a man yourself!¡±


    Upon hearing Lucas¡® words, Rachel said unhappily, ¡°Lucas, believe it or not, I¡¯ll beat you up!¡±


    What did Lucas mean by past experience with bad boys?


    Others might not know why Rachel chose Louis back then, but it wasn¡¯t like Lucas didn¡¯t know either.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you,e back immediately!¡± Lucas said. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell


    my father. You¡¯ll suffer when the timees!¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°If you dare to say another word, I¡¯ll smash your garage!¡±


    Lucas treasured his garage the most.


    There were many limited edition sports cars parked there.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Rachel, I¡¯m warning you onest time. Come back immediately!¡±


    Rachel sensed the seriousness in Lucas¡® tone. Rachel pursed her lips and said angrily, ¡°Got it.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel kicked the flower pot in front of her as if she was venting her anger.

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177


    ¡°Who provoked you?¡± David walked over and took her hand. ¡°Why is your hand so cold?¡±


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s sullen expression, he grabbed her hand and stuffed it into his pocket. His deep and


    cold voice was filled with gentleness as he spoke. ¡°Let your boyfriend warm you up.¡±


    Rachel looked at the man¡¯s side profile. The corners of her lips curled


    slightly, but her tone was somewhat depressed. ¡°Send me back to


    tinum Mansionter.¡±


    David lifted his hand to touch her face and replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    As the two of them spoke, they walked out of Best Fry.


    When they reached the door, they bumped into Olivia and Matthew.


    After Matthew waved goodbye to Olivia, the car slowly started.


    He saw Rachel¡¯s figure from afar and thought she looked somewhat familiar.


    However, after thinking about it carefully, he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen her before.


    Therefore, he did not take it to heart.


    On the other hand, as soon as Olivia saw Rachel again, intense disgust and jealousy appeared in her


    eyes.


    At this moment, the manager of Best Fry walked over and bent down slightly to say something to


    Rachel.


    Olivia could not help but widen her eyes in shock.


    Best Fry had survived in Seaxas for the past few years. They had an endless stream of guests. This


    was enough to prove that the boss behind the store was powerful. Therefore, the manager of Best Fry


    behaved more arrogantly than ordinary people.


    Yet at this moment, the manager of Best Fry was bowing and scraping to Rachel.


    She pursed her lips and watched as the manager and David left. She couldn¡¯t help but walk forward.


    ¡°Rachel.¡±


    Rachel heard the voice and turned around. When she saw Olivia¡¯s figure, she narrowed her eyes as a


    cold glint appeared in them.


    Olivia said coldly, ¡°You are everywhere!¡±


    Rachel smirked. A trace of coldness shed across her almond¨Cshaped eyes as she said casually, ¡°I


    didn¡¯t expect the Cruise family to have the face to act as proud as before after the incident.¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Her words hit Olivia hard.


    Every word was filled with mockery, stabbing into her heart like a knife.


    Olivia¡¯s expression suddenly changed. She frowned and stared at Rachel¡¯s face viciously.


    Since Rachel left the Smith family, Olivia could no longer control her.


    She thought about how Rachel, who she had once stepped on, was actually mocking her now.


    Jealousy welled up in her heart and spread like wildfire.


    Without hesitation, she raised her hand and ruthlessly pped Rachel on her face.


    However, Rachel grabbed her wrist and pulled her hard. She looked at her with a sharp gaze. ¡°Olivia


    Cruise, do you know that you¡¯re courting death?¡±


    Olivia was wearing ten¨Ccentimeter high heels. The two were about the same height, so there was


    almost no height difference.


    However, Rachel¡¯s aura overshadowed her when she met Rachel¡¯s cold


    eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to hit me!¡± Olivia pulled her wrist hard.


    However, Rachel clenched her fists tightly. When she heard Olivia¡¯s words, she frowned slightly and


    said arrogantly, ¡°Hit you? I¡¯m an elegantdy from a wealthy family.¡±


    ¡°Hah! How dare you call yourself an elegantdy?!¡± A cold and sarcastic smile appeared on Olivia¡¯s


    face. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    She pulled her hand out forcefully, but Rachel suddenly let go.


    Olivia staggered and lost her footing. She fell backward.


    With a loud bang, Olivia fell to the ground and crashed into a rosewood partition.


    In an instant, everyone in the hall looked at Olivia.

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178


    When the people in the hall heard the sound, they were about to check on the situation when they


    realized David was standing not far away and watching quietly.


    The warm yellow light from the corridor fell on his body. His exquisite and clean facial features seemed


    ted with ayer of golden light.


    The man¡¯s suit jacket was draped over his arm. Then, he pulled out a chair and sat down before


    crossing his legszily.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    An indulgent smile appeared in his indifferent and cold eyes at this moment, making one unable to help


    but sink into it. They wished they could drown in his gentle and indulgent eyes.


    Those who could enter and leave Best Fry at will were all influential people at Seaxas.


    The store assistant did not dare to rush up rashly. They were worried that they would draw fire upon


    themselves, so they could only secretly inform their manager.


    However, the manager was standing behind David. He was sizing up the expression on David¡¯s face.


    The manager realized that David had no intention of interfering at all. Instead, he was watching the


    show with interest.


    David looked like a parent watching their child fight, knowing their child would not lose.


    Olivia fell to the ground in a sorry state. Sensing the mocking gazes of the people around her, she


    clenched her fists tightly and lowered her eyes, suppressing the bitterness in her heart.


    ¡°Oh, Miss Cruise, are you alright?¡± Rachel looked down at her from above. The concerned smile on her


    face was utterly hypocritical. ¡°I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t be able to stand steadily in your high


    heels, so I wanted to help you. I didn¡¯t expect you would fall just like that!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Olivia Cruise looked up and red at Rachel. Her expression gradually became hideous. She


    wished she could pounce on Rachel and fight her to death.


    ¡°Rachel Grey, what are you doing!¡± Louis¡¯s voice came from behind.


    Rachel turned around and saw Louis rushing in.


    When he saw Olivia, who had fallen to the ground, he bent down to help her up with a heartbroken


    expression and carefully protected her in his


    arms.


    ¡°Louis¡­¡± Olivia called out softly. She leaned into his arms, looking extremely weak. Her teary eyes


    made Louis feel like his heart was about to break.


    She knew very well how to make Louis¡¯s heart ache for her.


    Instead ofining about how Rachel treated her in full detail, it was better to keep her mouth shut


    and pretend topromise.


    This was the only way to make Louis¡® heart ache and make him think that Rachel had bullied her.


    As expected, when Louis saw Olivia¡¯s teary eyes, the heartache in his eyes intensified. ¡°Rachel, when


    did you be so irrational? Even if you can¡¯t sit down and chat calmly with Olivia, you shouldn¡¯t hit


    her every time!¡±


    When he saw the finger marks on Olivia¡¯s wrist, he looked at Rachel with utter reproach and disgust.


    It was as if Rachel, who was standing before him, was a heinous viin.


    When Rachel saw his gaze, a mocking smile appeared on her face. ¡°If you think I¡¯m irrational, stay


    away from me. I don¡¯t live to impress you!¡±


    At the same time, the moment Louis appeared, David walked straight to Rachel¡¯s side. He stretched


    out his arm and wrapped it around the woman¡¯s shoulder. His deep voice was as cold as ice. ¡°Even if


    you are blind, the surveince camera is not. Do you want to see what happened just now?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Olivia¡¯s clenched fists tightened a little. An imperceptible panic shed across her


    eyes.


    Rachel nced at Louis indifferently. Then, the corners of her mouth curled into a very mocking smile.


    ¡°You two are really a match!¡±


    Her words were filled with sarcasm and disdain.


    Louis frowned slightly. As he watched Rachel turn around and leaye, he subconsciously wanted to


    chase after her.

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179


    However, Olivia sobbed softly in his arms. ¡°Louis, I¡¯m sorry. I caused you trouble again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Louis felt the person in his arms tremble slightly. Finally,passion overshadowed


    the impulse in his heart.


    He caressed Olivia¡¯s back gently andforted her. ¡°Rachel is a heartless person. Remember to stay


    away from her when you see her in the future.¡±


    Olivia replied obediently, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Upon hearing her answer, Louis couldn¡¯t help but look at Rachel¡¯s back.


    He saw David reaching out and hugging Rachel¡¯s slender waist.


    When the two of them stooped and got into the


    into the car, David deep look.


    The man¡¯s lips suddenly curved into a provocative smile.


    gave Louis a


    At that moment, Louis could not help but feel ufortable and confused.


    It was as if something that should have belonged to him had been snatched away right before him.


    Even if he didn¡¯t care about and didn¡¯t want Rachel, he didn¡¯t want other men to touch her.


    Nestled in his arms, Olivia sensed the man¡¯s gaze. Jealousy instantly shed across her eyes. ¡°Louis,


    will Miss Grey forgive us? Will she still be willing to cooperate with us to participate in thepany¡¯s


    anniversary celebration?¡±


    Louis lowered his eyes and looked at the tears on Olivia¡¯s face. He gently wiped away the tears on her


    face with pity. ¡°It¡¯s up to her whether she forgives us, but she has to participate in the celebration!¡±


    When Olivia heard this, her eyes narrowed slightly. A sinister cold gaze flickered in her eyes, like a


    poisonous snake hiding in the depths of the grass, waiting for an opportunity to move.


    In the car, David studied the expression on Rachel¡¯s face. There was a faint smile at the corner of her


    eyes. ¡°An elegantdy from a wealthy


    family?¡±


    No doubt, Rachel knew David was teasing her.


    She frowned slightly, and her clear almond¨Cshaped eyes exuded a hint of charm. ¡°Is there something


    wrong?¡±


    David looked at her exquisite eyebrows and reached out to touch her cheek. His eyes were filled with


    infatuation. ¡°Everything you say is right.¡±


    He bent down slowly and kissed her lips gently, plundering every inch of her domineeringly.


    The driver in the front seat nced at the rearview mirror and quickly looked away. He understood and


    quietly raised the partition in the middle.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The ambiguous atmosphere spread like wildfire in the small space, gradually burning their rationality.


    Until the phone suddenly rang.


    David hung up without hesitation, but the call came back very quickly.


    He couldn¡¯t take it anymore and finally picked up. ¡°You better have something important!¡±


    His voice was so cold that it made Jimmy Shain, who was on the other end of the phone, tremble


    uncontrobly. ¡°Um, is our goods getting robbed considered something important¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± David said indifferently. The dark chill in his ck eyes made people shudder.


    ¡°The sea area of the Golden Triangle has always been calm. I don¡¯t know how a group of people


    suddenly appeared and intercepted all our goods. Those are goods worth tens of billions! They are the


    raw materials and essories the base urgently needed!¡±


    As soon as David heard that, his eyes darkened. ¡°Contact Landon now. I¡¯ll be there soon!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Jimmy said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring some people to check the surroundings.


    first.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, David looked at Rachel sitting on hisp.


    The woman¡¯s lips were slightly red and swollen, and her clear


    almond¨Cshaped eyes were filled with reluctance. ¡°Are you going business trip?¡±

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180


    David pursed his lips and reached out to hug her waist tightly. He kissed her cheek and temple. ¡°Be


    with me?¡±


    The request was tempting to Rachel, but rationality prevailed at the critical moment. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to


    come back.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear to part with you.¡± David¡¯s palm sped the back of her neck. Their foreheads were


    pressed together, their breaths blending.


    Simrly, Rachel was extremely reluctant to part with David.


    After hearing David¡¯s conversation, she could already make a guess about what was going on.


    However, the moment David voiced it out, she was still involuntarily filled with disappointment and


    reluctance.


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips curled up slightly as she gently kissed David¡¯s lips. ¡°How long will you be gone for?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not confirmed,¡± David said. ¡°Could be two or three days, could be a week.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a gloomy atmosphere quietly filled the


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    car.


    Suddenly, Rachel chuckled.


    A dangerous glint shed across the depths of David¡¯s dark eyes. He pinched the soft flesh at her waist


    and said sinisterly into her ear, ¡°You heartless girl, are you so eager to not see me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± The ticklish Rachel retreated backward and exined anxiously, ¡°I just confirmed


    something.¡±


    David raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at her meaningfully.


    His gaze seemed to be saying, ¡°You¡¯d better give me a satisfactory


    answer.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I didn¡¯t love Louis Smith that much.¡±


    In the three years she had been dating Louis, business trips had be amon urrence.


    However, at that time, she was not too reluctant or disappointed.


    On the other hand, when she found out that David was about to leave,


    the disappointment and reluctance she felt were unprecedented. For a moment, it even felt somewhat


    unfamiliar.


    At the same time, she was once again sure that she didn¡¯t love Louis that much.


    It had to be said that Rachel¡¯s exnation sessfully pleased David.


    However, he did not show it on his face. He pretended to be angry and said with a dark expression,


    ¡°Are youparing me to a scumbag?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m justparing my past self with my current self,¡± Rachel said.


    She looked at his slightly furrowed brows and gently smoothed them with her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to


    return.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± David kissed her lips.


    After the car stopped at the tinum Mansion, Rachel opened the car door and got out.


    However, as soon as she turned around, she saw Lucas jump out of nowhere.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that bastard? Let me take a good look at his face!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you!¡± Rachel pulled on Lucas¡® arm angrily.


    It was not that she was worried that Lucas would cause trouble for David, but rather, she was worried


    that he was not David¡¯s match.


    Lucas tapped her forehead. ¡°Stupid girl, you¡¯ve only been dating for a few days and you¡¯re already


    siding with outsiders! Who am I doing this for? If I wasn¡¯t worried that you would be cheated, I wouldn¡¯t


    have waited here for so long!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a three¨Cyear¨Cold kid,¡± said Rachel as she walked into the corridor.


    The elevator went all the way to the top floor.


    A nearly 100 feet curved floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window was enough to have a panoramic view of all of


    Seaxas.


    At the other end of the balcony was a sky garden. The thriving nts added to the brutality of the night.


    The apartment had probably not been lived in for a long time. Even with the new venttion system on,


    it still exuded a cold aura.


    After Lucas entered, he followed Rachel around like a shadow. ¡°Hurry up and tell me who that


    delusional bastard is!¡±


    Rachel nced expressionlessly at him and walked to the refrigerator in the kitchen. ¡°Coke or beer?¡±


    ¡°Beer,¡± Lucas said.

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181


    The pair were sitting on rattan chairs when Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang. When she saw the message


    from David, her lips curled into a smile.


    Lucas looked at the smile on her lips and was slightly dazed.


    He still remembered how Rachel looked when she first came to the Johnson family.


    She was as skinny as a kitten, and her eyes were filled with panic and uneasiness.


    She was not as delicate as other girls who were like little princesses. Or rather, the encounters she had


    had when she was young made her more sensible than other girls her age.


    She was independent and strong. She never said anything when she was wronged, afraid that she


    would bring trouble to others. She was so sensible that it made one¡¯s heart ache.


    At that time, Lucas had sworn to himself that he would dote on this sister of his. As long as she asked,


    he would move heaven and earth for her.


    He had never felt that Rachel was a burden. He even enjoyed her following him around.


    Until five years ago, when they were attacked overseas.


    From then on, Rachel seemed to have be a different person. She kept quiet about what had


    happened that night.


    Their rtionship was closer than before, but he also sensed a hint of coldness in the marrow of


    Rachel¡¯s bones.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, have you ever regretted it?¡± Lucas¡® frosty voice was slightly hoarse.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Rachel looked at him and smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no regret in the adult world. You can only strive to move


    forward.¡±


    When Lucas heard her answer, his lips twitched silently.


    ¡°Lucas, do you know David Jones?¡± Rachel went straight to the point.


    Lucas¡® probing gazended on her. After staring at her for a moment, he lowered his eyes to conceal


    his emotions. ¡°I don¡¯t know him. I¡¯ve only


    heard some rumors about him. It¡¯s said that he came from a country that we can¡¯t touch. This ce


    exists independently and doesn¡¯t belong to any country or institution in this world.¡±


    Rachel had always known that this world was not as simple as it seemed.


    When she heard that Lucas had something to say, she was still curious and shocked.


    At this moment, Lucas¡® voice sounded faintly. ¡°Rae¨CRae, stay away from him. He¡¯s not a good person.¡±


    Rachel looked up at Lucas. Without saying a word, she raised her head and took a sip of beer.


    Not a good person¡­


    However, no one in this world had ever clearly distinguished between good and bad people, right?


    Everyone had a scale in their hearts. When the other end of the scale was tied to the person they


    loved, the scale had already shifted unknowingly.


    David was such a person for Rachel.


    However, the more the people around her kept quiet about him and reminded her to stay away from


    him, the more she wanted to investigate.


    She wanted to know what kind of soul was hidden under his exquisite skin.


    Lucas looked at the silent Rachel, and the expression in his eyes could not help but turn cold. ¡°Rae¨C


    Rae, did you hear what I said!¡±


    There was a hint of stern warning in his icy voice.


    Rachel nced at him. Sensing the aura lingering around him, she smiled. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Eleven o¡¯clock at night.


    Rachel tossed and turned in bed. Lucas¡® words echoed in her ears¡­ ¡°Came from a country that we


    can¡¯t touch.¡±


    What kind of existence was that?


    Driven by curiosity, Rachel opened her phone to search ¡®David Jones


    Unsurprisingly, a nk page popped up: I¡¯m sorry, no information rted to ¡®David Jones¡® could be


    found.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°You¡¯re quite mysterious.¡±


    She exited the page and went to Whatsapp. The chat box with David stopped at thest message he


    had sent. [Rest early. Don¡¯t miss me.]


    Rachel Grey curled her lips andy on the bed with a sigh.


    So this was what it felt like to miss someone.

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182


    The next morning, Rachel went to office as usual.


    In the conference room, she rested her forehead in one hand and quietly listened to the department


    head¡¯s report on stage.


    Under Rachel¡¯s gaze, the supervisor was on tenterhooks. His back was unknowingly drenched in cold


    sweat, afraid that he might say something


    wrong.


    At this moment, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    She quickly picked it up and took a look. It was David.


    She pursed her lips and suppressed the smile on her face. She stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for


    today. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡±


    The supervisors secretly heaved a sigh of relief and watched Rachel leave.


    Back in her office, Rachel picked up the video call.


    David¡¯s stunning face appeared clearly on her phone screen.


    ¡°Did you not rest wellst night?¡± David¡¯s dark eyes stared at Rachel¡¯s face and noticed the faint dark


    circles beneath her eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes shed slightly. Of course, she could not admit that she had lost sleep the night before


    because she had missed him.


    Hence, she found a random excuse. ¡°I drank a littlest night and had a headache.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the wine?¡± David asked.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Rachel said thoughtfully, ¡°It depends on who I drink with.¡±


    David raised his eyebrows without batting an eyelid. He looked at her with a meaningful smile in his


    eyes. ¡°When I return, drink for me.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t rested yet?¡± Rachel noticed David¡¯s bloodshot eyes and could not help but feel her heart


    ache. ¡°Did things go smoothly?¡±


    David, who was sitting on the sofa, stood up and picked up the wine ss on the table. He took a sip


    and said, ¡°It¡¯s a little tricky.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°Will you be in danger?¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± He raised his eyebrows, a soft light glowing in his dark eyes.


    He stared at her affectionately, as if he was going to jump out of the screen the next second and kiss


    the back of her head.


    On the screen, David noticed that Rachel was staring at his face in a daze. He felt a little proud, and


    the smile on his lips involuntarily deepened, making his stunning face even more beautiful.


    This was the effect he had been longing for.


    Rachel could not help but blush as she stared at him.


    She cleared her throat. ¡°I was afraid you might go back on your word,¡± she said tly.


    David understood the hidden meaning in her words. ¡°You¡¯re not married yet. How could I dare to die?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, pfft, pfft.¡± Rachel hurriedly turned her head and spat a few times. She looked at him somewhat


    resentfully. ¡°It¡¯s so unlucky to mention that word for no reason.¡±


    David¡¯s fingers caressed her face through the screen. His deep eyes were filled with love and


    indulgence. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep for a while. Shall we talk tonight?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Rachel was a little surprised, but she still nodded. ¡°Remember to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    David answered and hung up.


    The smile on his face gradually faded, and his eyes were filled with stormy rage. ¡°Attack in the wee


    hours of the morning. Don¡¯t fight!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give the order now!¡± Landon replied.


    When he left the room, he turned to look at Jimmy Shain, who was still bandaging himself, and


    frowned imperceptibly.


    They had been brothers for so many years. Even if it was just a look, they knew each other¡¯s thoughts.


    Jimmy Shain pursed his lips and teased, ¡°Can you not look at me like that? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m hopeless!¡±


    Landon chuckled and opened the door to leave.

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183


    Rachel hung up and reimmersed herself in work.


    When it was almost noon, Jessica and Mary barged into her office after filming the poster.


    ¡°Dear Ms. Grey, if you have time, let¡¯s have a meal together?¡±


    Rachel looked at the two people before her and smiled. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Hearing this, it seems that our rich and powerful Ms. Grey is going to give us a treat.¡± Mary raised her


    eyebrows at Jessica and said with a wicked smile, ¡°Quickly think of how to rip her off.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a kaiseki restaurant in the east of the city. Shall we go and try it out?¡± Jessica asked.


    Mary said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    When the three of them went out, they specially waited for Linda.


    Speaking of which, the four of them had been ssmates since high school. Now that they could


    reunite, the atmosphere was harmonious and noisy.


    Especially when they talked about their school days, it instantly resonated with everyone.


    Even Linda, who had always been quiet, said, ¡°Before I met Jessica, I always thought that she had


    be simr to the rumors, an out¨Cand¨Cout bad girl.¡±


    When they were in middle school, Jessica wore exquisite makeup and dressed boldly. She often went


    to deplorable ces like nightclubs.


    She was proficient in smoking, drinking, fighting, and brawling.


    When the hooligans around the school saw her, Jessica nodded and bowed submissively.


    However, who would have thought that the turning point of fate would pull the two of them, who should


    not have interacted at all, together, and let this ¡®bad girl¡® in the eyes of others be her salvation in


    life?


    Thinking of this, Linda quietly looked up at Jessica.


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    Coincidentally, she met Jessica¡¯s gaze, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on her face at being


    caught looking.


    ¡°Jessica isn¡¯t bad,¡± Mary said. ¡°The one who is truly bad is your Ms. Grey! She¡¯s evil!¡±


    As she spoke, she nced at Rachel through the rearview mirror, her eyes sparkling meaningfully.


    Rachel curled her lips. ¡°We¡¯re the same.¡±


    Although this kaiseki restaurant had just opened, its marketing methods were unique. It was also good


    at grasping consumers¡® mentality, so it attracted many people.


    Fortunately, Jessica had reserved seats early. Otherwise, the four of them would probably have had to


    come away empty¨Chanded.


    When the group entered the private room, the door at the end of the corridor opened.


    When Olivia Cruise saw Rachel and the others, she frowned slightly and disgust shed across her


    eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Louis followed her line of sight but did not see anything.


    Olivia came back to her senses and put on a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Nothing. Uncle Matthew said


    that he¡¯s at the door. Let¡¯s go receive him together.¡±


    Louis nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    At the dining table, Louis asked about her father.


    ¡°Uncle Matthew, I wonder if there¡¯s any news about Uncle Cruise?¡±


    Matthew Shaw put down the wine ss in his hand and looked up at him. ¡°To be honest, I went back


    and asked around. This matter seems to be rted to the Johnson family.¡±


    ¡°The Johnson family?¡± Louis¡® expression changed. He turned and gave Olivia a telling look.


    Olivia¡¯s expression likewiise changed drastically. Across the entire Seaxas, only Seaxas¡¯s richest


    people, the Johnson family, could make people¡¯s faces turn pale.


    In terms of power, no one could top the Johnson family. In terms of


    status, if the Johnson family sneezed, Seaxas would tremble.


    The entire Johnson family was invincible in Seaxas.


    It was precisely because of this that no one dared to make enemies with the Johnson family, let alone


    the current Cruise family.


    Although she knew it deep down inside, Olivia still held a trace of fantasy in her heart.


    She clenched her fists and asked in a tense voice, ¡°Are you talking about the richest people in Seaxas,


    the Johnson family?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Matthew Shaw said firmly.

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184


    Rachel hung up and reimmersed herself in work.


    When it was almost noon, Jessica and Mary barged into her office after filming the poster.


    ¡°Dear Ms. Grey, if you have time, let¡¯s have a meal together?¡±


    Rachel looked at the two people before her and smiled. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Hearing this, it seems that our rich and powerful Ms. Grey is going to give us a treat.¡± Mary raised her


    eyebrows at Jessica and said with a wicked smile, ¡°Quickly think of how to rip her off.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a kaiseki restaurant in the east of the city. Shall we go and try it out?¡± Jessica asked.


    Mary said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    When the three of them went out, they specially waited for Linda.


    Speaking of which, the four of them had been ssmates since high school. Now that they could


    reunite, the atmosphere was harmonious and noisy.


    Especially when they talked about their school days, it instantly resonated with everyone.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Even Linda, who had always been quiet, said, ¡°Before I met Jessica, I always thought that she had


    be simr to the rumors, an out¨Cand¨Cout bad girl.¡±


    When they were in middle school, Jessica wore exquisite makeup and dressed boldly. She often went


    to deplorable ces like nightclubs.


    She was proficient in smoking, drinking, fighting, and brawling.


    When the hooligans around the school saw her, Jessica nodded and bowed submissively.


    However, who would have thought that the turning point of fate would pull the two of them, who should


    not have interacted at all, together, and let this ¡®bad girl¡® in the eyes of others be her salvation in


    life?


    Thinking of this, Linda quietly looked up at Jessica.


    Coincidentally, she met Jessica¡¯s gaze, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on her face at being


    caught looking.


    ¡°Jessica isn¡¯t bad,¡± Mary said. ¡°The one who is truly bad is your Ms. Grey! She¡¯s evil!¡±


    As she spoke, she nced at Rachel through the rearview mirror, her eyes sparkling meaningfully.


    Rachel curled her lips. ¡°We¡¯re the same.¡±


    Although this kaiseki restaurant had just opened, its marketing methods were unique. It was also good


    at grasping consumers¡® mentality, so it attracted many people.


    Fortunately, Jessica had reserved seats early. Otherwise, the four of them would probably have had to


    come away empty¨Chanded.


    When the group entered the private room, the door at the end of the corridor opened.


    When Olivia Cruise saw Rachel and the others, she frowned slightly and disgust shed across her


    eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Louis followed her line of sight but did not see anything.


    Olivia came back to her senses and put on a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Nothing. Uncle Matthew said


    that he¡¯s at the door. Let¡¯s go receive him together.¡±


    Louis nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    At the dining table, Louis asked about her father.


    ¡°Uncle Matthew, I wonder if there¡¯s any news about Uncle Cruise?¡±


    Matthew Shaw put down the wine ss in his hand and looked up at him. ¡°To be honest, I went back


    and asked around. This matter seems to be rted to the Johnson family.¡±


    ¡°The Johnson family?¡± Louis¡® expression changed. He turned and gave Olivia a telling look.


    Olivia¡¯s expression likewiise changed drastically. Across the entire Seaxas, only Seaxas¡¯s richest


    people, the Johnson family, could make people¡¯s faces turn pale.


    In terms of power, no one could top the Johnson family. In terms of


    status, if the Johnson family sneezed, Seaxas would tremble.


    The entire Johnson family was invincible in Seaxas.


    It was precisely because of this that no one dared to make enemies with the Johnson family, let alone


    the current Cruise family.


    Although she knew it deep down inside, Olivia still held a trace of fantasy in her heart.


    She clenched her fists and asked in a tense voice, ¡°Are you talking about the richest people in Seaxas,


    the Johnson family?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Matthew Shaw said firmly.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185


    Matthew stepped forward with a surprised smile on his face. He stood in front of Rachel in a humble


    manner.


    Louis and Olivia were well aware of Matthew¡¯s identity.


    If not for the favor that Matthew had received from the Cruise family many years ago, Matthew would


    have looked down on the Cruise family, which was now on the decline.


    However, his attitude towards Rachel, who came from the countryside, was so respectful. It was really


    thought¨Cprovoking!


    ¡°Oh, Miss Green is here as well,¡± Matthew greeted Mary with a smile.


    When Mary saw Matthew walking out with Olivia, she believed that they were of the same stock and


    did not buy it.


    Rachel nodded slightly. She nced at Matthew and smiled. ¡°Uncle Matthew, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Who was Rachel Grey?


    That was the treasure that the Johnson family held in their palms.


    Initially, Matthew was prepared to be treated coldly, but he did not expect the other party to greet him in


    a friendly tone. Matthew was immediately ttered.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. It¡¯s indeed been a long time. I thought that you had forgotten about me after so many


    years.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Matthew, you are too humble.¡± Rachel looked up and nced pointedly at Louis and Olivia


    standing not far off. There was a


    meaningful smile on her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving first. I won¡¯t disturb you guys further.¡±


    ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯m leaving too. Do you want me to send you off?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡±


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    With that, she turned around and left.


    Mary caught up with Rachel and could not help but say, ¡°Why are you talking to him for no reason?


    Aren¡¯t you afraid that he¡¯ll let it slip?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not stupid enough to offend the entire Johnson family,¡± Rachel said.


    Her identity could not be exposed. This was what the Johnson family wanted.


    Unless Matthew was bold enough to go against the Johnson family!


    Mary pursed her lips and muttered indignantly, ¡°As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. I


    think he¡¯s venting his anger on Olivia!¡±


    Rachel nced at her. ¡°People will always safeguard their own interests at the first opportunity.¡±


    If Matthew could not even understand this, he would not have climbed to his current position.


    Matthew only turned around when Rachel¡¯s figure disappeared from his sight.


    Olivia, who stood rooted to the ground, widened her eyes in disbelief and could not make a sound.


    What was going on?


    Why was Matthew so respectful and fearful when he saw Rachel?


    Could it be that her father was really in trouble because he had offended Rachel?


    But what did the Johnson family have to do with Rachel?


    She took a deep breath, swallowed to moisten her dry throat, and asked with some difficulty, ¡°Uncle


    Matthew, do you Grey?¡±


    know Mise


    ¡°Not really,¡± Matthew said.


    It was just a meeting many years ago. He wanted to tter himself, but it was a pity that the other party


    looked down on his status.


    Hearing his words, Olivia¡¯s anxious heart gradually rxed.


    It turned out that she was thinking too much.


    In the next second, she heard Matthew say, ¡°After all, I¡¯m not worthy ofparison with someone of


    her status.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s expression changed drastically, and her eyes trembled violently. ¡°Uncle Matthew, are you


    seeing things? Miss Grey is unapanied in


    Seaxas.¡±


    How noble could her status be!


    Matthew subconsciously exined, but when he thought about how the Johnson family had tried so


    hard to hide Rachel¡¯s identity all these years, he swallowed the words that were about to escape from


    his mouth and continued, ¡°Probably.¡±


    He nced at the time. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I still have an ad hoc meeting. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Matthew, have a safe journey,¡± Olivia said.


    Louis watched as Matthew left, his eyes filled with deep thoughts.

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186


    After returning to the Smith residence, Louis went straight to Old Mr. Smith¡¯s courtyard.


    When Old Mr. Smith saw Louis arriving, he was slightly stunned. He handed the birdcage in his hand to


    the servant beside him. ¡°Why did you suddenlye to see me today? What happened at the


    company?¡±


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    The servant brought a cup of tea to Louis.


    After the person left, Louis said, ¡°Grandpa, I met Rachel when I was with Olivia today.¡±


    When Old Mr. Smith heard this, he only looked up at him and waited patiently for him to continue.


    ¡°Matthew¡¯s attitude towards Rachel is really intriguing. Louis said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he would even look down


    on the Smith family with his current status, let alone Rachel, who came from the countryside. However,


    his attitude towards Rachel is extremely respectful, even somewhat fearful.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith was very clear about Matthew¡¯s character.


    He was an impartial person. If not for the favor he had received from the Cruise family back then, it


    would probably be difficult for the Cruise family to even meet him now.


    Old Mr. Smith frowned slightly. ¡°Are you worried that Rachel has other identities?¡±


    At the birthday banquet, Rachel first exposed the identity of the owner of mour Pavilion. He had


    really been shocked.


    Back then, when she came to the Smith family, they had secretly investigated.


    She was just a poor girl from the countryside. She had no status or background, nor did she have the


    power that the Smith family needed.


    Otherwise, the Smith family would not have abandoned her and chosen Olivia.


    Later on,


    it was identally exposed that she was a first¨Css Cultural Relic Restorer and a special advisor to


    the Cultural Relics Bureau.


    Old Mr. Smith was shocked, and at the same time, he also felt a lingering


    fear.


    His intuition told him that Rachel¡¯s identity was far more than that.


    Louis nodded with a slightly solemn expression. ¡°I keep feeling that this matter is not simple, so I hope


    you cane forward and make peace with Rachel. Please let her participate in the Smith Group¡¯s


    anniversary celebration.¡±


    On the way here, he had already prepared everything in his head.


    Once Rachel attended the anniversary celebration, he would


    immediately notify reporters and publicize the rtionship between Rachel and the Smith family.


    Even if Rachel wanted to draw a line with the Smith family, in the end, she would have no choice but to


    use the people around her to pull the Smith family up under the pressure of public opinion.


    At that time, the Smith family¡¯s status in Seaxas would also rise.


    Old Mr. Smith looked down and thought for a moment. Suddenly, he asked, ¡°When you went today, did


    Matthew tell you who was targeting the Cruise family?¡±


    ¡°He said that Olivia had provoked someone she shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Louis¡® eyes were filled with thoughts.


    He did not hide anything. ¡°He said it vaguely, but I guess it has something to do with the Johnson


    family.¡±


    The Johnson family¡­


    In the whole of Seaxas, only Seaxas¡¯s richest people, the Johnson family, could make people tremble


    in fear.


    Even in the upper¨Css circle, there were differences in status.


    The existence of the Johnson family was no different from the top of the pyramid. No one could shake


    it. Next was the remaining the Shain family, the Green family, and the low¨Ckey Page family. The Smith


    family was barely in the third level.


    Whether it was the current Smith family or the Cruise family, they were not qualified to touch the


    upper¨Css circle that the Johnson family belonged to.


    How could he offend the people protected by the Johnson family?


    Old Mr. Smith suddenly thought of something. ¡°If I remember correctly,


    the Johnson family¡¯s new CEO is surnamed Grey?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Louis Smith said.


    Old Mr. Smith lowered his gaze and carefully recalled the change in the Smith family after Rachel left.


    Not to mention whether Rachel had deliberately concealed those identities, these identities could not


    be obtained overnight.


    In other words, Rachel¡¯s identity had not been simple from the start.


    He looked at Louis thoughtfully and muttered in a low voice, ¡°Ms. Grey of the Johnson Corporation,


    Rachel Grey¡­ Do you think she¡¯s¡­¡±

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187


    Louis understood Old Mr. Smith¡¯s conjecture. A hint of shock shed across his eyes. ¡°Are you


    suspecting that Rachel Grey is a member of the Johnson family?¡±


    Old Mr. Smith frowned slightly and looked at Louis with a solemn expression. He nodded lightly.


    Louis could not help but think of Rachel being treated as a distinguished guest by the merchants and


    chatting happily with Linda Galler.


    He couldn¡¯t help but be silent, deep in thought.


    A strange stillness fell across the room.


    However, very quickly, Old Mr. Smith shook his head again. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. Everyone


    knows that Old Mr. Johnson dotes on this granddaughter very much. Although she has an outsider¡¯s


    surname, she has always been the apple of the Johnson family¡¯s eye and has been long announced as


    the Johnson family¡¯s sessor. If she¡¯s really a member of the Johnson family, with Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s


    love for her, why would he let her stay in the Smith family for so many years?¡±


    Regarding Rachel¡¯s identity, it seemed to have hit into a dead end. No matter what, it did not make


    sense.


    ¡°Maybe all of this is just a coincidence?¡± Louis guessed. ¡°I¡¯ve investigated her identity and background.


    There shouldn¡¯t be any mistake.¡±


    When he said this, he felt inexplicably uneasy.


    Old Mr. Smith put down the cup in his hand. ¡°You still have to spend some effort to investigate this


    matter again in private.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Louis pursed his lips and hesitated for half a second before continuing, ¡°Actually, I still


    have something I need your help with.¡±


    ¡°You want me to contact Rachel?¡± Old Mr. Smith looked up at Louis.


    Louis met the old man¡¯s sharp gaze and felt a little ashamed. ¡°I tried to get her forgiveness, but Rachel


    insisted on not reconciling with me. That¡¯s why I have no choice but to ask Grandpa for help.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith understood Rachel¡¯s character.


    Once she hated someone, it was very difficult to get her forgiveness.


    Originally, Rachel¡¯s feelings for the Smith family were not that deep. Coupled with Louis¡® betrayal, it


    was enough for her topletely give up on the Smith family.


    After that, Jane Smith had made a scene at the birthday banquet. He wanted to protect Jane and retain


    the Smith family¡¯s dignity.


    Now, that girl¡¯s attitude towards him was not as good as before.


    Even so, under the premise of choosing between the Smith family and Rachel, he would still choose


    the Smith family without hesitation.


    After all, it was the blood and sweat of a few generations.


    ¡°You can go back first. I¡¯ll handle this matter.¡±


    After Louis left, the servant looked at the hesitant Old Mr. Smith and could not help but say, ¡°Sir, if you


    make the request, it will really ruin the past three years of friendship with Miss Grey.¡±


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    How could Old Mr. Smith not know? However, in the face of the Smith family¡¯s future, he had no choice


    but to choose this friendship with Rachel.


    Finally, he dialed Rachel.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Upon hearing Old Mr. Smith¡¯s voice, Rachel was not particrly surprised. Her tone was even and


    calm. ¡°May I help you with anything?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I just wanted to ask if you can attend the Smith Group¡¯s anniversary celebration


    this weekend.¡±


    Rachel twirled a pen between her fingers. ¡°The Smith family has nothing to do with me, so I¡¯m not


    obligated to participate.¡±


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, I know you hate the Smith family. Grandpa is willing to make it up to you as much as


    possible, so can you¡­¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your care over the three years in the Smith family. I can agree to one of your requests.


    However, after this request, we will not longer have anything to do with each other.¡± Rachel interrupted


    Old Mr. Smith coldly. ¡°As for this request, I hope you can consider it carefully before contacting me.¡±


    With that, she hung up.


    Mary propped her chin on her hand and looked at her. She could not help but click her tongue. ¡°When


    will you change your reluctance to owe people favors?¡±

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188


    Rachel let out a long sigh, closed her eyes, andzily nestled in the chair. ¡°Consider it thest favor I


    owe the Smith family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that the other party will take advantage of you for a favor!¡± Mary looked at Rachel. ¡°Don¡¯t


    me me for saying this. The Smith family¡¯s elder is also an expert at taking advantage of his seniority.


    He clearly knows that the Smith family has done so many disgusting things, but he still shamelessly


    asked you to participate in the Smith family¡¯s anniversary celebration. What exactly is his intention!¡±


    How could Rachel not know what the people from the Smith family were thinking?


    She guessed that Louis must have told Old Mr. Smith what he had seen at the kaiseki restaurant that


    day.


    ¡°They want to use my resources to help the Smith family.¡± Rachel slowly opened her eyes and her red


    lips curled into a meaningful smile.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°Woman, do you have a n for revenge?¡± Mary looked at Rachel¡¯s dangerous and charming


    appearance. She leaned forward with a face full of admiration. ¡°Tell me quickly, how do you n to take


    revenge on the Smith family?¡±


    Rachel said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s to fulfill the Smith family¡¯s wish.¡±


    As for whether the other party could withstand it, that would depend on their luck.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Old Mr. Smith called again. There was only a simple sentence.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, I hope you won¡¯t bete for this weekend¡¯s anniversary celebration.¡±


    In fact, Rachel had already expected this oue.


    Howeyer, when the results were disclosed, a sudden wave of bitterness surged up, causing her


    fingertips to curl up.


    Once again, she had been abandoned¡­


    It turned out that three years of friendship could really be given up so easily.


    In the face of benefits, she would always be the one who was abandoned.


    ¡°I respect your choice,¡± Rachel said and hung up.


    She calmed herself down and dialed Lucas¡® number. ¡°Have you found anything on the matter I asked


    you to investigate previously?¡±


    ¡°When I handle things, you don¡¯t have to worry about it,¡± Lucas said. Rachel smiled. ¡°Send it to my


    email.¡±


    Meanwhile, after Louis learned that Rachel would be attending the anniversary celebration, Mr. and


    Mrs. Smith found out as well.


    Mrs. Smith looked at Mr. Smith¡¯s face that was brimming with joy and could not help but secretly roll her


    eyes. ¡°Do you have to be so excited?¡± In her opinion, people like Rachel could only attend the


    anniversary celebration because the Smith family had given Rachel a lot of face.


    Mr. Smith said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re too soft¨Chearted!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m soft¨Chearted! When Rachel came to our house, you didn¡¯t like her either!¡± Mrs. Smith


    threw her phone on the sofa, annoyed, and scolded him angrily, ¡°Why are rushing to curry favor with


    her now that it seems like she¡¯s not a simple person? Your Smith family is really good at worshiping the


    strong and stepping on the weak!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Mr. Smith frowned at her. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t forcefully broken Louis and Rachel up, would our


    family be begging her toe now?¡±


    ¡°I admit that I look down on her background, but I¡¯m grateful from the bottom of my heart for what she


    did for the Smith family. Without her, the Smith family wouldn¡¯t be where it is today. But look at what


    you two have done. No wonder people are saying that our family is ungrateful!¡± Mrs. Smith could not


    help butugh in anger. ¡°ording to what you said, I¡¯ve be the sinner who dyed your Smith


    family¡¯s meteoric rise? Didn¡¯t you also tacitly agree when I set Louis and Olivia up? Now that you know


    that Rachel can be used, you¡¯re pinning all the me on


    me!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Mr. Smith sighed deeply and looked at Mrs. Smith helplessly. ¡°Can you be reasonable? When


    did I me you! I just feel that our entire family owes her. I¡¯m worried that others will gossip about us.


    You know those unscrupulous reporters. Who knows what they will say to harm. our family.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mrs. Smith rolled her eyes and came up with a n. ¡°I


    have an idea.¡°

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189


    Rachel walked home in the dark and resisted the urge to call David Jones.


    She turned on herputer and checked the emails from Lucas.


    Her fair and slender fingers slid across the mouse and she read ten lines at a nce.


    At this moment, Lucas¡¯s video call came. ¡°I told you back then that this kind of man is unreliable, but


    you didn¡¯t believe ine! Now that the evidence is in front of you, you have to admit it!¡±


    ¡°People make mistakes sometimes.¡± Rachel rested her chin on one hand and browsed through the


    information calmly.


    Lucas looked at her calm expression and could not help but ask, ¡°No, aren¡¯t you sad at all?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyes and looked at Lucas on the screen. After a moment of silence, she calmly said,


    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t have that much feelings for him.¡±


    It was just that he had suddenly appeared at a time when she needed it the most and she had


    mistakenly let that gratitude develop into dependence.


    After spending so much time together, she hade to treat this dependence as love.


    She had once thought that Louis was someone who would never abandon her. However, she had been


    unprepared when he did abandon her, catching her off guard.


    The moment Louis abandoned her, she even recalled some painful memories from her childhood.


    So she couldn¡¯t make peace.


    Lucas lit a cigarette and leaned back. He unhurriedly took a puff. After a long while, he asked, ¡°Rae¨C


    Rae, do you really think the person you met that night five years ago was Louis?¡±


    In the darkened room, only the cigarette between his fingers was stained with a scarlet light, flickering.


    His dark eyes were like a coldke, and the outline of his exquisite and


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    tough face revealed an unknown ruthlessness.


    Rachel stared at him intently. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Ever since you told me, I¡¯ve investigated in private. I realized that although Louis appeared in


    Yndais, he didn¡¯t stay long.¡± Lucas straightened his arm and rested his wrist on the table. His


    slender fingers flicked the cigarette ash. ¡°I suspect that someone used Louis¡® whereabouts to cover it


    up.¡±


    These words immediately made Rachel¡¯s expression change drastically. Her pupils constricted in shock


    as she opened her mouth, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°After all, so many years have passed. There are too few clues that I can use.¡± Lucas looked at her.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, you can find an opportunity to test it


    out.¡±


    Rachel said, ¡°I understand.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel sat in front of theputer as if her soul had left her body.


    Her mind was filled with Lucas¡® words.


    If the person that night wasn¡¯t Louis, then who was it?


    If the person she had been looking for wasn¡¯t Louis, then thest bit of mercy she had retained for the


    Smith family would be gone, right?


    At this moment, her phone suddenly rang.


    She picked up her phone and nced at it. A faint gentleness appeared in her eyes.


    She gently swiped the screen with her fingertip and picked up the call.


    David¡¯s exquisite face appeared clearly on the phone screen. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting for me?¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    The two of them spoke at the same time. Then, they looked at each other and smiled.


    David stared at the face on the screen that he had been thinking about day and night. He carefully


    observed every part of her face, not letting go of even the slightest change. ¡°You look like you have


    something on your mind.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel was slightly stunned. She raised her hand and touched her face. Then, her lips


    curled into a beautiful smile. ¡°No, I¡¯m probably too tired today.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, an imperceptible dark glint shed across David¡¯s eyes. He said indulgently,


    ¡°No matter how busy you are with work, you have to take good care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Rachel looked at his face.


    The depths of his eyes seemed to be filled with endless affection. Even if it was just a nce, he could


    easily lock her in.


    She pursed her lips. ¡°How¡­long more will it be before you return?¡±

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190


    ¡°Did you miss me?¡± David asked.


    Rachel got up and went to sit on the sofa. She casually picked up the cherries on the table. The dark


    red cherries made her fingertips look as fair as jade.


    Her red lips parted slightly, and she bit into a cherry.


    In the camera, David watched her every move. His eyes became darker and deeper. Without batting an


    eyelid, his Adam¡¯s apple rolled up and down.


    At this moment, Rachel slowly spat out the cherry pit and said unhurriedly, ¡°What if I answer yes?¡±


    And if I say yes?


    The simple sentence traveled to David¡¯s ears. It beat thousands of honeyed words.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    It simply made him so happy that he was soaring!


    David¡¯s eyes were fixed on Rachel, filled with infatuation. He did not realize how worthless his smile


    was at that moment.


    Rachel looked at the man silently staring at her for a long time. She could not help but sigh. It turned


    out that he was so easy to coax.


    At the same time, she secretly rejoiced inside. She would always passively ept his romantic words.


    This time, the tables had finally turned.


    At this moment, she heard his low¨Cpitched voice. ¡°Then I feel much better.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at him.


    ¡°After all, I¡¯ve been thinking non¨Cstop about you!¡±


    This time, Rachel lost the battle.


    David admired the sultry blush on her fair cheeks, and the smile on her lips that reached the corners of


    her eyes. ¡°To be fair, I¡¯ll allow you to keep thinking non¨Cstop about me.¡±


    ¡°Dream on!¡± Rachel raised her chin proudly and picked the fruit tter up in her arms, identally


    knocking it over.


    The phone slid down and the camera happened to be aimed at her chest.


    Two buttons on her shirt were unbuttoned, and the cor was slightly open, revealing her slender neck


    and sexy corbone. Her chest rose and fell, and the curve of her chest was faintly discernible.


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze gradually darkened. ¡°Rae¨CRae.¡±


    The moment these two words came out of his mouth, it was as if he had been endowed with some kind


    of magic. It was naturally pleasant to the ears and exceptionally bewitching.


    It easily stirred up a ripple in Rachel¡¯s heart.


    Her almond¨Cshaped eyes were filled with confusion as she looked at him.


    ¡°You know that I miss you so much that I can¡¯t control myself, but still want to tease me like this? On


    purpose?¡±


    you


    Rachel looked at herself in the camera and realized that the camera was aimed at her chest. Her face


    instantly turned red.


    She hastily picked up her phone. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did it on purpose,¡± David interrupted her seriously.


    Rachel was at a loss for words.


    It seemed that she could not exin it clearly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯m the best at settling scores.¡± David saw the blush on her face and couldn¡¯t help


    but smile. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Rest early.¡±


    Rachel was a little reluctant, but she was so embarrassed that she did not know what to say. She could


    only reply, ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    After hanging up, David called Eddie Brook.


    ¡°Who did she see today?¡±


    At the thought of Rachel¡¯s troubled expression that night, David frowned slightly, his eyes frosty.


    Other than the Smith family, he thought that no one in the entire Seaxas could cause trouble for


    Rachel.


    Even through the phone, Eddie could clearly feel the terrifying low/ pressureing from David.


    So much so that he did not even need to think about who David was referring to. Without thinking, he


    said, ¡°Miss Grey, she happened toe across Louis Smith and Olivia Cruise today.¡±


    The other party fell into a long silence.

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191


    The heavy atmosphere made it difficult for Eddie to breathe. He sighed to himself. As expected, no


    matter how mighty and wise a man was, a calm man could not escape being preupied with love.


    He secretly took a deep breath and said carefully, ¡°Sir, I heard that the Smith family is preparing for the


    anniversary celebration. Miss Grey happens to be on the invitation list. Should we¡­¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± David knew what Eddie meant. ¡°Send someone to keep an eye on her. Don¡¯t let anyone get


    in her way.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Eddie eximed in disbelief.


    His master was really magnanimous!


    He knew that that person from the Smith family was Miss Grey¡¯s ex¨Cfianc¨¦, but he still let Miss Grey do


    whatever she wanted.


    Thinking about how the incumbent treated his predecessor. Which one of them didn¡¯t regard thetter


    as a sworn enemy?


    Could it be that David was ying hard to get and retreating in order to advance?


    Just as he was brainstorming and imagining a romance drama, he heard the man¡¯s cold voice. ¡°Don¡¯t


    you understand?¡±


    His deep and cold voice was like water submerged under a cier, revealing a bone¨Cchilling coldness.


    Eddie quickly came back to his senses and replied, ¡°Understood!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the other party hung up.


    Eddie sighed faintly. Then, he followed David¡¯s instructions.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the Smith family¡¯s anniversary celebration.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    In order to cater to the Smith family¡¯s current identity, they specially chose the Hilton Hotel.


    At this moment, the Smith family members were standing at the entrance of the hotel, awaiting


    Rachel¡¯s arrival.


    However, as time passed, the sky steadily darkened, and impatience


    increasingly appeared in their eyes.


    ¡°What does Rachel mean? Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s deliberately ignoring us!¡±


    ¡°Our Smith family is giving her face by showing her favor, but she¡¯s putting on airs!¡±


    ¡°I already told you not to invite her, but you didn¡¯t listen. Now, you¡¯ve let her p your face for no


    reason!¡±


    Apanied by the chatter around him, Old Mr. Smith¡¯s expression gradually darkened.


    He held the walking stick in his hand and pounded the ground heavily. He scolded in a low voice, ¡°Shut


    up, all of you!¡±


    Seeing that the old man was angry, no one dared to say anything else. They only looked at each other


    and silentlyined to each other using their eyes.


    At this moment, Olivia, who was in the crowd, said gently, ¡°Grandpa Smith, all the guests have arrived.


    Why not all of you go in and entertain the guests? I¡¯ll stay here and wait for Miss Grey.¡±


    Her soft and gentle tone vividly disyed adylike gentleness.


    Old Mr. Smith nced at Olivia.


    Olivia was wearing a white gown that day. Her dark brown curly hair fell naturally behind her back,


    making her look as graceful as an angel descending from heaven.


    Standing together with Louis, they were indeed a match made in heaven.


    At that day¡¯s anniversary celebration, the Smith family would officially announce before the media that


    Louis and Olivia were about to get engaged.


    Hence, no one could find any fault with her outfit that day.


    Originally, Old Mr. Smith intended for them to slow down a little, but the Cruise family could no longer


    wait.


    Previously, the Cruise family had taken out arge sum of money to help the Smith family resolve its


    urgent need. The prerequisite was that Olivia had to marry into their family.


    However, it was too rushed to get married, so the old man had no choice.


    but to announce that the two of them were about to get engaged.


    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, feel free to leave. I¡¯ll wait for her here myself.¡± After saying that, the old man held the


    walking stick in his hand and quietly waited for Rachel.


    Seeing the situation, everyone was caught between a rock and a hard ce. They could only


    reluctantly stay where they were.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192


    ¡°Louis, bring Olivia in first,¡± Mrs. Smith said.


    Everyone was standing there. If the guests found that there was no reception, it would definitely invite


    gossip.


    Louis nodded and left with Olivia.


    After the pair left, Jane indignantly said, ¡°This Rachel must have done it on purpose!¡±


    Mrs. Smith red at her. ¡°Stop talking! Be careful that your Grandpa will punish you behind closed


    doors!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Jane could only resentfully shut her mouth.


    She had not been allowed to leave the house for an entire month ever since Grandpa¡¯s birthday


    banquet previously, when she had been punished that way.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that today was the Smith Group¡¯s anniversary celebration, she might not have


    had the chance to go out until now even if she begged!


    Standing beside her, Mrs. Smith was filled with anxiety. Her hands, which were hanging by her sides,


    were tightly clenched into fists.


    She had already arranged for the reporters inside. If Rachel did note today, wouldn¡¯t her n be


    ruined?


    As time dragged on, everyone¡¯s expressions were as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof.


    Even Old Mr. Smith, who had always been calm, could not help but panic.


    Based on his understanding of Rachel, since she had promised him, she would definitely not go back


    on her word for no reason.


    Could it be that someone had leaked the news and let her know the actual arrangements for this


    anniversary celebration?


    At the same time, a white Bentley Continental gradually came into view.


    Linda, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, saw the Smith family members standing at the


    entrance of the hotel and could not help but


    mutter softly, ¡°Why are all of them standing here? Could it be that they¡¯re waiting for someone?¡±


    Rachel looked up and narrowed her eyes. Her red lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°They¡¯re waiting for


    me.¡±


    In the car after dinner a few days ago, Mary had exined the rtionship between Rachel and the


    Smith family to her and Jessica.


    The moment she found out that Rachel had been abandoned because of her identity, Linda could not


    help but say, ¡°They¡¯re really blind!¡±


    Therefore, when she heard Rachel¡¯s words and looked at the actions of the Smith family, she could not


    figure out what the Smith family was up


    1. to.


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to fawn over me!¡± Rachel said calmly.


    In the three years with the Smith family, she knew their faces the best.


    It was nothing more than seeing that she still had connections that they could make use of!


    The car slowly came to a stop and Rachel got out.


    She nodded gently at Old Mr. Smith, who was standing in the front, and called out, ¡°Old Mr. Smith.¡±


    Although it was just a simple greeting, Old Mr. Smith could sense that it was different from before.


    He forcefully swallowed the bitterness he felt and pasted on a smile as he walked into the hotel.


    ¡°Rachel, we were all talking about you just now!¡± Second Aunt Smith. squeezed out of the crowd and


    walked up to Rachel with a smile. ¡°The timing is just right. Let¡¯s go in quickly.¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Rachel nced at her expressionlessly. ¡°I¡¯m more used to your previous arrogant attitude.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they could not help but reveal gloating smiles.


    After Second Aunt Smith had gotten a rebuff, she no longer bothered to pretend.


    In the banquet hall, everyone was dressed to the nines and leisurely


    drinking. The atmosphere was rxed and harmonious.


    With the sound of high heels clicking on the ground, everyone¡¯s gaze turned to the door.


    The door of the hall was pushed open, and Rachel walked in.


    Compared to everyone¡¯s gorgeous clothes, Rachel, who was dressed in business attire, looked a little


    out of ce.


    Her tall and slender figure looked thin, but every move she made had an imposing manner that was


    difficult to ignore.


    This aura was innate. As days passed, it was deeply engraved in her bones. It was as if everything in


    the world was in the palm of her hands.


    Rachel raised her chin slightly. The chandelier reflected a bright light that outlined her face that was like


    cold jade. The corners of her mouth curled up casually, revealing a faint sharpness that could not be


    concealed.


    She was like a blooming poppy bringing with it a lethal force.


    ¡°Who is this woman?¡± someone in the crowd asked.

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193


    All the guests who attended the Smith Group¡¯s anniversary celebration included not only thepany¡¯s


    higher¨Cups, but also the guests who had attended Louis¡® wedding.


    After those present saw Rachel¡¯s face clearly, they naturally answered, ¡°She is Ms. Grey, who used to


    be from the project department of the Smith Group.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Horale¡® hotel developed by Smith Group was single¨Chandedly nned by her.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°Could she be the legendary person who saved the Smith Group from ruin?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s her!¡±


    ¡°Without her, there wouldn¡¯t be the Smith family of today.¡±


    Upon hearing the guests¡® approval of Rachel, the smile on Louis¡® face gradually turned cold.


    Every sentence was filled with praise for Rachel. It was especially piercing to his ears.


    Even though Rachel had already left the Smith Group, in everyone¡¯s eyes, no matter how hard he tried,


    he could not shake off Rachel¡¯s halo.


    Without Rachel, how could there be the Smith family of today¡­


    His dark eyes were fixed on Rachel in the crowd. The hand holding the wine ss tightened, and the


    veins on the back of his hand were faintly visible.


    He wanted to see if the Smith family could not do without Rachel, or if Rachel co not do without the


    Smith family!


    Old Mr. Smith brought Rachel to a quiet ce. ¡°Rae¨CRae, I know you hate me. I don¡¯t ask you to


    forgive me, but I hope you can understand


    me.¡±


    ¡°The Smith family has been through hardships all these years. I can¡¯t just watch as the hard work of


    generations of the Smith family is in tatters. just like that. In terms of rtionships, Louis has let you


    down first. Grandpa is willing to transfer all the shares under his name to you aspensation.¡±


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth curled up into a faint smile, but her eyes were terrifyingly cold. ¡°I made it


    very clear on the phone previously I¡¯m indebted to you for taking care of me for three years in the Smith


    family. I¡¯ll agree to one request of yours, but after this request, there¡¯s no longer any rtionship


    between us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t forgive anyone in the Smith family, nor will I understand your painstaking efforts.¡±


    For Rachel, kindness was kindness, and faults were faults. Since they did not owe each other anything,


    any further pestering would only be a waste of energy.


    Mrs. Smith looked at Rachel¡¯s arrogant attitude and could not help but frown. ¡°Miss Grey, aren¡¯t you


    being too casual with your words? You just glossed over everything that happened in the Smith family


    over the three years!¡±


    ¡°Or else?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and nced at her coldly. ¡°What is your n, Mrs. Smith?¡±


    At first, Mrs. Smith was hesitating about what to say, but since Rachel had said this, it was exactly what


    she wanted.


    ¡°We¡¯ve provided for your needs all these years with the Smith family. However, on ount of you


    giving advice to thepany, we can choose not to pursue the matter.¡±


    Hearing Mrs. Smith¡¯s shameless words, Rachel¡¯s eyes could not help but be filled with scorn.


    The corners of her lips curled into a meaningful smile. She lowered her eyes to look at the wine ss in


    her hand and patiently waited for Mrs. Smith to continue.


    ¡°Louis and Olivia were originally childhood sweethearts. It¡¯s just that there was a misunderstanding


    back then, so they broke off contact. As for you¡­¡± Mrs. Smith initially wanted to say ¡®meddler, but she


    was afraid that Rachel would fly into a rage out of humiliation from being exposed.


    She paused for a moment and deliberated over her words before continuing. ¡°All these years, Louis


    has never abandoned you. Instead, he insisted on marrying you despite his family background. There


    was an ident at the wedding ceremony. His actions were indeed a little too rash, but he never


    thought of abandoning you. You were the one who suggested breaking up.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, there are many guests at the wedding ceremony. As the person involved, you have to


    come out and give everyone an


    exnation, right?¡±

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194


    All the guests who attended the Smith Group¡¯s anniversary celebration included not only thepany¡¯s


    higher¨Cups, but also the guests who had attended Louis¡® wedding.


    After those present saw Rachel¡¯s face clearly, they naturally answered, ¡°She is Ms. Grey, who used to


    be from the project department of the Smith Group.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Horale¡® hotel developed by Smith Group was single¨Chandedly nned by her.¡±


    ¡°Could she be the legendary person who saved the Smith Group from ruin?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s her!¡±


    ¡°Without her, there wouldn¡¯t be the Smith family of today.¡±


    Upon hearing the guests¡® approval of Rachel, the smile on Louis¡® face gradually turned cold.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Every sentence was filled with praise for Rachel. It was especially piercing to his ears.


    Even though Rachel had already left the Smith Group, in everyone¡¯s eyes, no matter how hard he tried,


    he could not shake off Rachel¡¯s halo.


    Without Rachel, how could there be the Smith family of today¡­


    His dark eyes were fixed on Rachel in the crowd. The hand holding the wine ss tightened, and the


    veins on the back of his hand were faintly visible.


    He wanted to see if the Smith family could not do without Rachel, or if Rachel co not do without the


    Smith family!


    Old Mr. Smith brought Rachel to a quiet ce. ¡°Rae¨CRae, I know you hate me. I don¡¯t ask you to


    forgive me, but I hope you can understand


    me.¡±


    ¡°The Smith family has been through hardships all these years. I can¡¯t just watch as the hard work of


    generations of the Smith family is in tatters. just like that. In terms of rtionships, Louis has let you


    down first. Grandpa is willing to transfer all the shares under his name to you aspensation.¡±


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth curled up into a faint smile, but her eyes were terrifyingly cold. ¡°I made it


    very clear on the phone previously I¡¯m indebted to you for taking care of me for three years in the Smith


    family. I¡¯ll agree to one request of yours, but after this request, there¡¯s no longer any rtionship


    between us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t forgive anyone in the Smith family, nor will I understand your painstaking efforts.¡±


    For Rachel, kindness was kindness, and faults were faults. Since they did not owe each other anything,


    any further pestering would only be a waste of energy.


    Mrs. Smith looked at Rachel¡¯s arrogant attitude and could not help but frown. ¡°Miss Grey, aren¡¯t you


    being too casual with your words? You just glossed over everything that happened in the Smith family


    over the three years!¡±


    ¡°Or else?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and nced at her coldly. ¡°What is your n, Mrs. Smith?¡±


    At first, Mrs. Smith was hesitating about what to say, but since Rachel had said this, it was exactly what


    she wanted.


    ¡°We¡¯ve provided for your needs all these years with the Smith family. However, on ount of you


    giving advice to thepany, we can choose not to pursue the matter.¡±


    Hearing Mrs. Smith¡¯s shameless words, Rachel¡¯s eyes could not help but be filled with scorn.


    The corners of her lips curled into a meaningful smile. She lowered her eyes to look at the wine ss in


    her hand and patiently waited for Mrs. Smith to continue.


    ¡°Louis and Olivia were originally childhood sweethearts. It¡¯s just that there was a misunderstanding


    back then, so they broke off contact. As for you¡­¡± Mrs. Smith initially wanted to say ¡®meddler, but she


    was afraid that Rachel would fly into a rage out of humiliation from being exposed.


    She paused for a moment and deliberated over her words before continuing. ¡°All these years, Louis


    has never abandoned you. Instead, he insisted on marrying you despite his family background. There


    was an ident at the wedding ceremony. His actions were indeed a little too rash, but he never


    thought of abandoning you. You were the one who suggested breaking up.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, there are many guests at the wedding ceremony. As the person involved, you have to


    come out and give everyone an


    exnation, right?¡±

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195


    Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. A cold light appeared in her eyes, dangerous and intimidating.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    What they had said earlier was merely to pave the way. This was their true goal.


    Her wrist swiveled the wine ss in her hand slightly as she said indifferently, ¡°I wonder how you want


    me to exin?¡±


    Seeing that she had relented, Mrs. Smith secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Her tone was also a little


    kinder than before. ¡°Actually, this matter is not troublesome. After Louis speaks on stageter, the


    reporters will raise the issue of your rtionship. At that time, you cane out and announce to the


    public that the two of you are not on good terms. You have already broken up with him.¡±


    They were really shameless!


    It was obvious that Louis had abandoned her and chosen Olivia. Now, in order to protect Louis¡¯s


    reputation and not let the Smith family bebeled as ungrateful, they wanted her to bear all the me


    and public opinion.


    Louis had abandoned her at the wedding ceremony. Those who had ulterior motives secretly guessed


    that she had done something to let Louis down. Once she spoke in front of the reporters, it was


    equivalent to confirming those false rumors.


    Should she say it or not, the Smith family really had a good n!


    Rachel raised her eyes and looked at Mrs. Smith with a faint smile. ¡°Mrs. Smith, what painstaking


    efforts!¡±


    The woman¡¯s tone was calm, without any fluctuation, but it made one shudder.


    Mrs. Smith met her gaze and inexplicably felt a chill run down her spine. Her eyes shed and she said


    weakly, ¡°Rachel, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. Putting aside your family background, the Smith


    family and the Cruise family are already engaged. If we really want to talk about it, you¡¯re the third party


    who took advantage of the situation!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, a month before your marriage, you disappeared for no reason. When you were found, your


    clothes were already disheveled.


    Who knows what happened? When such a thing happened back then, Louis didn¡¯t despise you and


    was even willing to marry you. He was already benevolent enough, but you insisted on breaking up!


    Now that Louis is being discussed, it¡¯s not too much for you to exin as the person involved!¡±


    When Rachel heard this, she continued to wear a polite smile on her face, but her eyes were


    terrifyingly frosty. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Since the two of them are engaged, why only say it now?¡±


    This time, Mrs. Smith was a little embarrassed and did not know how to exin.


    Back then, the Smith family¡¯s engagement with the Cruise family was not a joke. It was just that the


    Smith family took it seriously.


    At that moment, Old Mr. Smith said, ¡°Rae¨CRae, you don¡¯t have to worry about this. I¡¯ll get Louis to take


    the initiative to bear everythingter. He has let you down in this matter. This is the punishment he


    deserves!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel turned to look at Old Mr. Smith.


    She stared at him for a moment before a smile suddenly appeared on her red lips. She couldn¡¯t help


    butugh.


    When Mrs. Smith saw Rachel like this, she subconsciously looked at Old Mr. Smith.


    Herughter attracted the attention of the surrounding guests. Everyone looked at her inquisitively.


    Mrs. Smith saw the situation and quickly came forward. She secretly tugged at her clothes. ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong with you!¡±


    ¡°My apologies. I just didn¡¯t expect everyone¡¯s acting skills to be so superb.¡± Rachel pretended to wipe


    the tears from the corners of her eyes.


    Old Mr. Smith frowned slightly. ¡°Rae¨CRae¡­¡±


    ¡°In the past, I always thought that you were different from others. Now, it seems that I was wrong,¡±


    Rachel interrupted Old Mr. Smith icily.


    She looked at him with obvious disdain and mockery. ¡°Today is the anniversary celebration of Smith


    Group. With your strict personality, you will never allow any mistakes. Do you dare to say that you


    didn¡¯t arrange all of this today? If you were really willing to let Louis take the me, you wouldn¡¯t have


    tried so hard to call me over, right?¡±


    Seeing that Old Mr. Smith kept silent, the mocking smile on Rachel¡¯s lips became even more apparent.


    ¡°Actually, you already nned to sacrifice me to protect your Smith family¡¯s wealth, right? Since that¡¯s


    the case, why put up a show in front of me? Do you want me to willingly be used by you? Or do you


    want me to retain a trace of friendly sentiments for the Smith family after this matter is over?¡±


    ¡°Rae¨CRae¡­¡± It was as though she had stabbed Old Mr. Smith in the heart. The blood drained from his


    face as he stood rooted to the ground and looked dazedly at Rachel.


    ¡°You want both kindness and fame. You¡¯re too greedy!¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Smith could not take the blow and his body swayed.


    He struggled to grab the walking stick in his hand and supported his body with difficulty. His deep voice


    was mixed with a trace of hoarseness. ¡°Rae¨CRae, I know you hate me inside, but I hope you can put


    yourself in my shoes and think for me. Thepany is the hard work of generations of the Smith


    family. I can¡¯t watch it be destroyed¡­¡±


    ¡°So you chose to sacrifice me to help the Smith family?¡± Rachel looked at Old Mr. Smith derisively.


    Old Mr. Smith met her gaze and could not help but tighten his grip on his walking stick. He pondered for


    a moment and calmly said, ¡°Child, the Smith family has let you down in the end¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Smith family has let me down in more ways than one,¡± Rachel interrupted him coldly.


    She was no longer as respectful as before. There was only indifference and coldness in her eyes as


    she looked at Old Mr. Smith. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since I¡¯m here today, I¡¯ve naturallye prepared.¡±


    As she spoke, she took a deep look at Old Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith before walking towards the stage


    without looking back.


    Looking at her sinister smile, Mrs. Smith¡¯s eyebrows twitched. She felt that Rachel was up to no good!


    At this moment, Louis was on stage briefing the guests about the background and development of the


    Smith Group. He also mentioned


    the future development of the Smith Group.


    Following the thunderous apuse from the audience, Louis walked down the stage ording to the


    rules.


    At this moment, some reporters surrounded him. ¡°Mr. Smith, can you tell us about your future personal


    development?¡±


    ¡°I heard that you got engaged to your fianc¨¦e carly, but why did you not hold the wedding ceremony for


    a long time?¡±


    ¡°Rumor has it that you frequented high¨Cend ces with the daughter of the Cruise family. Did your


    rtionship with your fianc¨¦e break down?¡±


    Louis frowned as he looked at the reporters who had suddenly appeared. His gaze grew increasingly


    icy.


    ¡°I will answer everything you want to know.¡± Rachel¡¯s cold voice sounded from behind.


    Louis turned around and stood beside Rachel.


    The woman¡¯s exquisite and attractive facial features revealed a kind of breathtaking beauty under the


    light. However, her face was indifferent, and there was an aura that kept people away from her. She


    was like a thorny red rose that could only be looked at from afar but not touched.


    When Mrs. Smith saw her attitude, an ominous feeling rose in her heart.


    She clenched her fists nervously and secretly prayed that Rachel could follow the n!


    ¡°Today is the 30th anniversary celebration of the Smith Group. I¡¯m very lucky to be able to attend. I¡¯ve


    seen a few old faces at the venue, but there are also many who don¡¯t know me. Then I¡¯ll do a self¨C


    introduction.¡±


    Rachel paused for a moment and looked at everyone calmly. Her tone was calm, but every word was


    powerful. ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Rachel Grey!¡±


    In an instant, the scene was in an uproar.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196


    Everyone was very familiar with the name Rachel Grey.


    She had single¨Chandedly saved the Smith Group and put the Smith Group on the right track. In the


    following three years, she had relied on one swift decision after another to help the Smith Group


    escape the siege and be the current hot upstart of Seaxas.


    ¡°So she¡¯s Rachel Grey.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her all these years, would the Smith Group have been able to achieve its current


    glory?¡±


    ¡°I heard that she and Mr. Smith of the Smith Group were in love, but I clearly saw Mr. Smith and Miss


    Cruise just now¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by love! It¡¯s just that the Smith Group took a fancy to Rachel¡¯spetence and


    used it to win people¡¯s hearts! Now that their status is secured, they kicked her out!¡±


    ¡°At the wedding ceremony back then, he left her at the scene and didn¡¯t bother about her. The scene


    was simply too ugly!¡±


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect the Smith family to be so ungrateful!¡±


    Soon, the word ¡®ungrateful¡® spread throughout the entire banquet hall.


    Everyone praised Rachel, apuded her ability and methods, and admired her boldness.


    However, behind every praise, it was as if they were mocking Louis¡® ipetence.


    Not only did Mrs. Smith¡¯s face turn red and pale from anger. Even Old Mr. Smith could not maintain his


    composure.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Louis¡¯s handsome face was stone¨Ccold as he stared menacingly at Rachel, who was standing on the


    stage.


    He knew that Rachel hated him, but it was the Smith Group¡¯s anniversary celebration that day. He


    would never allow Rachel to smear the Smith family¡¯s reputation at this critical moment!


    He quickly walked forward and prepared to pull Rachel off the stage.


    But before he could take a step forward, a hand suddenly grabbed his


    wrist.


    He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Mrs. Smith.


    ¡°Mom, you¡­¡±


    I have my own ns,¡± Mrs. Smith interrupted him. Her eyes shed with a meaningful smile as she


    looked at Rachel, who was standing on the stage.


    Rachel had stayed in the Smith family for three years. She knew very well how arrogant Rachel was.


    She also knew that she was a rebel. How could such a person be willingly ordered around by others?


    Therefore, in order to deal with Rachel, she had other arrangements.


    At this moment, someone in the crowd suddenly said, ¡°Since ancient times, only those who have the


    three books and six rituals are legitimate wives. She doesn¡¯t even have the most basic rules. What kind


    of fianc¨¦e is she? Moreover, I heard that this Miss Grey mysteriously disappeared before she got


    married. In order to protect her reputation, the Smith family blocked the news. It can be considered as


    doing her a great favor!¡± Hearing this, everyone¡¯s expressions changed unpredictably.


    In a moment, the looks they gave Rachel were slowly stained with disdain and disgust.


    ¡°In that case, she doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate favors!¡±


    ¡°I thought that she came from a poor background, but she¡¯s a puredy after all. I didn¡¯t expect her to


    be so terrible.¡±


    ¡°From the looks of it, she let down Mr. Smith¡¯s good intentions first.¡±


    Rachel stood quietly on the stage. Her tall and slender posture revealed her innate arrogance.


    She stared intently at the person hiding in the crowd, and there was an imperceptible hostility in her


    gaze.


    Very few people knew about her kidnapping.


    This was an ugly scar that she had buried in her heart. Louis had vowed to her that he would never let


    anyone know.


    Later, Jane used this to mock her, Mrs. Smith used it as a bargaining chip,


    and now, it had be a tool for the Smith family to guide public opinion.


    It turned out that the man she once trusted was actually so


    untrustworthy!


    She turned to look at Louis, who was standing at the side. A trace of scorn shed across her eyes. ¡°Is


    this what you promised me?¡±

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197


    Louis met her sorrowful gaze and felt a dull pain in his heart. His lips moved as he said softly. ¡°Rachel,


    listen to my exnation. It¡¯s not what you think¡­¡±


    ¡°Louis, I thought that, even if we no longer had feelings for each other, we could still preserve some


    dignity for each other and part on good terms. You knew that I trusted you, relied on you, and treated


    you as my everything, but you chose to betray me again and again¡­¡±


    Rachel seemed to have hit the nail on the head. Her cold voice was mixed with heart¨Cwrenching sobs.


    ¡°I feel that I¡¯m not worthy of you, so I¡¯m trying my best to catch up with you. I don¡¯t care about the


    Smith¡¯s prejudice against me. You know very well that I¡¯m not coveting the Smith¡¯s wealth. I just want to


    be with you.¡±


    Suddenly, she raised her head and smiled bitterly, as if she was trying her best to suppress the tears in


    her eyes. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll just treat everything as wishful thinking. From now on, there¡¯s nothing between


    us!¡±


    Her sobbing voice made everyone present inexplicably worried.


    Especially when they saw her lowering her head as if she was trying her best to hold back her tears, it


    made their heart ache even more.


    Little did they know that Rachel was not crying. Instead, she was trying her best to hide her smile.


    Who didn¡¯t know how to act?


    Since the stage was set up, she might as well y along with the Smith family!


    The audience was in an uproar. There were all kinds of opinions.


    Almost everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Louis.


    The man¡¯s handsome face was an icy mask as he stared at Rachel, who was standing on the stage.


    From where he was standing, he could see the sneer on Rachel¡¯s lips.


    This woman was not sad at all!


    She was pretending!


    From the beginning, it was all an act to guide public opinion and gain everyone¡¯s sympathy!


    Louis¡® hands, which had originally been hanging by his side, were tightly clenched into fists. His chest


    was filled with rage at being yed.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Mrs. Smith didn¡¯t notice that much and was filled with self¨Csatisfaction.


    Originally, she had been worried that something would happen with Rachel. She had not expected


    things to be so simple.


    She restrained the relief and joy she felt, cleared her throat and walked forward. She held Rachel¡¯s


    hand and said earnestly, ¡°Rachel, you¡¯ve been giving advice to the Smith family all these years.


    Although you can¡¯t marry into the Smith family, the Smith family isn¡¯t ungrateful. If you¡¯re fine with it,


    we¡¯re willing to give you 10% of our shares.¡±


    When Rachel heard that, an imperceptible sneer appeared on her face.


    If she epted it, it would be equivalent to tying herself to the Smith family. The Smith family would


    naturally end up with a good reputation of being loyal and grateful!


    If she refused, she would be someone who did not know what was good for her in the eyes of


    everyone.


    As for the Smith family, not only did they protect their reputation, but they also kept their shares. They


    had both fame and fortune!


    It had to be said that the Smith family¡¯s n was really well thought out!


    ¡°I appreciate the Smith family¡¯s kindness. You should keep the shares for yourselves.¡± Rachel


    ruthlessly retracted her hand and looked up at Mrs. Smith. A mboyant smile abruptly appeared on


    her lips. ¡°I wish the Smith Group prosperity in the future!¡±


    Mrs. Smith looked at her beautiful face and felt that there was an indescribable danger hidden beneath


    her smile.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± She looked at Rachel with a tense expression.


    Rachel looked down at the watch on her wrist and smiled. ¡°To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the


    founding of the Smith Group, I naturally have to prepare a big gift!¡±

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198


    Mrs. Smith narrowed her eyes and stared at Rachel inquisitively.


    In the next second, the 360¨Cdegree surround sound equipment in the hall emitted a sound that made


    one¡¯s imagination run wild.


    ¡°Louis, do you love Rachel or me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s you. You don¡¯t know how much I love you.¡±


    ¡°Louis, I want to return to your side. I don¡¯t want to continue this ambiguous rtionship with you.¡±


    ¡°Give me a little more time.¡±


    The expressions of the guests present changed rapidly. Coincidentally, the electronic disy in the


    middle of the stage suddenly lit up.


    In an instant, everyone¡¯s gazes directed their gazes on the screen. Crystal¨Cclear photos were ying


    before everyone¡¯s eyes in a slide show. The photos showed Olivia and Louis kissing in the elevator as


    if no one was around and Olivia rushing into the hotel with Louis on the day of his


    return.


    All signs indicated that Louis had abandoned Rachel long ago. He had already secretly dated Olivia!


    When Old Mr. Smith saw the photos, he immediately felt blood rush to his head. His vision darkened,


    and he staggered backward.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    Mrs. Smith and Mr. Smith quickly grabbed him.


    As Olivia saw those photos, a chill rose from the bottom of her feet and crept through her limbs.


    Her body trembled uncontrobly, and her charming face turned pale.


    Mrs. Smith looked at the messy banquet hall before her and rushed to theputer. ¡°What are you


    waiting for? Hurry up and stop the video! Stop it!¡±


    The staff member was so anxious that they were sweating profusely. Their fingers were about to


    cramp, but theputer screen did not react


    at all.


    ¡°Madam, theputer seems to be detected with a virus. It¡¯s not reacting


    at all.¡±


    Mrs. Smith pulled the staff away in exasperation and did it herself.


    As the staff member said, neither the mouse nor the keyboard was reacting to theputer.


    She mmed the keyboard furiously and noticed the power source under her feet. Suddenly, she had


    an idea and ripped out the power source.


    Finally, the screen in the middle of the stage fell into darkness.


    Mrs. Smith heaved a sigh of relief.


    In an instant, the audience fell into dead silence. It was like the calm before the storm. A strange


    silence filled the hall.


    In the next second, chatters broke out.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect Mr. Smith to be such a person!¡±


    ¡°The daughter of the Cruise family isn¡¯t a good person either! She knows he has a fianc¨¦e, but she still


    shamelessly climbs onto his bed and seduces him. She¡¯s simply shameless!¡±


    ¡°While using Rachel to make ns for the Smith family, he¡¯s also having an affair with his friend. He¡¯s


    clearly the one who betrayed Rachel first, yet he acts like he is loyal. What a disgrace!¡±


    ¡°It takes two to tango. Even if Olivia seduced him first, Mr. Smith also made a mistake.¡±


    All kinds of criticisms and meanments came at Olivia like a tide. She gradually regained


    consciousness.


    Her throat was dry and tense as she exined weakly, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    Where did those photos and recordingse from?!


    Rachel had publicly announced that she had broken up with Louis, so she could naturally date Louis.


    However, why did things turn out like this?!


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    As she turned around, she caught sight of Rachel standing at the side.

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199


    The woman stood quietly, not far away. Her eyes were cold as she smiled faintly. She clearly seemed


    expressionless, but it made Olivia grit her teeth in hatred.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Olivia roared hysterically. She rushed towards Rachel like a madman and raised her hand


    without hesitation.


    However, Rachel seemed to have already seen through her intentions. She grabbed Olivia¡¯s raised


    wrist and said, ¡°Miss Cruise, watch your


    manners.¡±


    Her face was brimming with a bright smile, and her clear almond¨Cshaped eyes were filled with


    mockery. Her cold voice was mixed with aggressive indifference.


    Olivia looked at Rachel¡¯s face and instantly understood everything.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    This woman had never intended to let her and the Smith family off from the start.


    Rachel did everything!


    Not only did she want to destroy the Smith family, but she also wanted to destroy Olivia!


    Olivia red at Rachel. Her beautiful eyes were filled with hatred. She wished she could bite off


    Rachel¡¯s neck and drink her blood.


    ¡°You b*tch!¡±


    While speaking, she raised her hand and wed at Rachel¡¯s face.


    A loud smack rang out.


    Rachel mercilessly pped her face.


    Caught off guard, Olivia turned her head away. However, before she could react, Rachel grabbed her


    hair and pped her again!


    ¡°This p is for not knowing your ce and always disrespecting me!¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Rachel gathered her energy and pped Olivia hard again. ¡°This


    p is for turning a blind eye to my warning every time!¡±


    Rachel did not show any mercy while pping her.


    After getting pped, Olivia felt dizzy and fell to the ground in a miserable state.


    After a long while, she covered her swollen cheek in disbelief and red violently at Rachel. ¡°How dare


    you hit me?!¡±


    Rachel shook her slightly numb palm and curled her lips into a smile. She asked, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I


    dare?¡±


    ¡°You bitch, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Olivia quickly got up from the ground, but she tripped over her long


    skirt and fell heavily to the ground.


    Rachel looked down at her with disdain and mockery. ¡°I heard that you want to return to the


    entertainment industry. This is a good way to help you return to the public eye.¡±


    At this moment, Louis had already rushed out of the crowd. He bent down and carefully protected


    Olivia in his arms. ¡°Olivia, are you alright?¡± ¡°Louis, I¡¯m too ashamed to face anyone.¡± Olivia cried as she


    threw herself into Louis¡¯s arms.


    At this moment, everyone could not help but sigh when they saw Louis and Olivia. Their eyes were


    filled with disdain.


    People loved to gossip, and it was also a tool used by media reporters to dig up gimmicks.


    In an instant, all the reporters present targeted Louis, Olivia, and Rachel. This was a love triangle


    between wealthy families!


    Rachel lowered her eyes and looked at Louis, caring for Olivia. He had never shown her so much love


    before. However, it was no longer important to her now.


    ¡°Louis, back then, you promised to marry me when thepany returned to the right track. You said


    you would take good care of me and love me for the rest of my life. We were together for three years.


    We¡¯ve been through so much and nned our future life in the past three years. I thought we were the


    two closest people in the world. Now, you make me feel like a fool who had been deceived by you!¡±


    She chuckled and lowered her head slightly. Then, she raised her hand to wipe away the tears that did


    not exist in the corners of her eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t love me, you could have told me. Why do you have to


    hide it and end up with both sides suffering?¡±

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200


    Seeing her feigning benevolence, Olivia was so angry that her entire body was trembling and she was


    gritting her teeth tightly. If looks could kill, her scowl was like a deadly snake that could murder Rachel


    with one bite.


    As soon as Rachel finished speaking, someone in the crowd suddenly said. ¡°Of course, they want to


    use you! It¡¯s easy to manipte a woman who is blinded by love. If not, you wouldn¡¯t have worked like


    a dog for the Smith family voluntarily. And they gave you meager pay but asked you to do all the heavy


    lifting. They really are shrewd businessmen.¡±


    Rachel narrowed her eyes and looked at Mary, who was hiding in the crowd. A gentle smile flitted


    across her face.


    Everyone seemed to agree with thatment as it raised a storm of criticism and mockery in the quiet


    venue right after.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this Miss Grey at the Smith Group anniversary celebrations over the years or heard


    them mention anything about her. But now, they¡¯ve asked her over to cover the ass of Mr. Smith and


    Miss Cruise. How shameful!¡±


    ¡°They even yed a despicable trick of toying with Miss Grey¡¯s feelings in order to use her. Fortunately,


    she left her job early. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been sucked dry by this family!¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey is so kind to the Smith family. She devoted herself to working for them simply because of a


    verbal agreement. In the end, not only was she cheated, but she was also used by them. I feel so bad


    for her.¡±


    ¡°A real man should take responsibility for his actions. But when something goes wrong, Mr. Smith asks


    a defenseless woman to bear all the responsibility. This is no different from those hypocrites!¡±


    Those people were defending Rachel and what they said was particrly convincing.


    The public couldn¡¯t help but take pity on her who had been deceived and used.


    Mrs. Smith totally didn¡¯t expect that to happen.


    The corners of her eyes trembled slightly as she looked up at Rachel. A trace of coldness shed


    across her eyes.


    ¡°I thought my n was well thought¨Cout and we could force Rachel to give in willingly. Unexpectedly,


    our whole family is tricked by the bitch instead.


    ¡°Not only did she win everyone¡¯s sympathy with her poor acting, but she also caused our reputation to


    hit rock bottom.


    ¡°She is going to screw us up and push us over the edge.


    ¡°This bitch is so vicious.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith was staring at Rachel with a sharp gaze from afar.


    ¡°So, she hase well prepared.¡±


    The reason why he had agreed to let Mrs. Smith exin everything was to pave the way for what


    would happen next.


    Without the ability and resources, those photos and audio recordings would not be retrieved in a short


    time.


    Also, the few people who tried to stir up public sentiment just now were all part of Rachel¡¯s n.


    The Smith family thought the game was under their control, but they did not know that from the moment


    Rachel entered the arena, she had turned them around her fingers.


    Old Mr. Smith knew that Rachel hated Louis and everyone in the Smith family.


    Initially, he thought he could ask her to show mercy on his family on ount of her three¨Cyear


    rtionship with them.


    However, he had underestimated Rachel. He did not expect her to be so ruthless.


    He suddenly thought of what she had said before. ¡°I¡¯ll agree to one of your requests since you¡¯ve taken


    care of me for three years. But after that, I¡¯ll have nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have nothing to do with you¡­


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°She really means what she says.¡±


    Suddenly, he felt a little tired.


    It was the kind of mental fatigue after exhausting every power of his


    mind and achieving nothing.


    But then, he chuckled.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Mr. Smith looked at his father worriedly.

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201


    Old Mr. Smith nced at him andughed. ¡°Haha, I have to admit I¡¯m old.¡±


    He had been smart his entire life. Unexpectedly, he was tricked by a youngdy in the end.


    ¡°Dad, what should we do now?¡± Mrs. Smith regained herposure and stared at the old man


    hopefully.


    Old Mr. Smith looked up at her calmly. ¡°We are the ones at fault in this matter. We can only apologize


    and beg for her forgiveness.¡±


    Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith exchanged nces upon hearing that.


    Would Rachel choose to forgive them?


    No!


    The Smith family knew it very well.


    They had to apologize regardless of whether she would forgive them or not. At the very least, they had


    to show remorse so that their reputation would not be ruined.


    Not only Old Mr. Smith but Louis also thought of that.


    From the moment the photos were exposed to the point where Rachel put on a hypocritical show, she


    managed to push the Smith family to the center of public censure effortlessly.


    She even painted Louis as an ungrateful man.


    He always knew that Rachel waspetent and there was more to her than met the eyes. But he


    thought she would show them some respect.


    He did not expect her to be so ruthless.


    Louis slowly stood up with Olivia in his arms. After staring at Rachel for a moment, he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and patiently waited for him to finish his sentence.


    ¡°I¡¯ve let you down. I hurt you and hurt Olivia indirectly. I¡¯m willing to do my best to make it up to you and


    fulfill all your requests.¡±


    However, his sincere words did not earn any mercy from Rachel.


    Instead, she just stood quietly in front of him.


    She was filled with hostility, but she looked very calm. No one could tell that she would take things to


    the extreme. She was like a spectator, watching coldly and elegantly as the fish that had fallen into the


    mire struggled desperately.


    She said in a casual manner, ¡°What is done is done. Saying sorry can fix no mistake.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, I know you hate me, but do you have to get back at us in this way? Since you left Louis,


    you¡¯ve been secretly plotting everything in order to take revenge on us, right? But do you have to do


    this to Grandpa Smith and Louis? Do you know they¡¯ve been trying to make it up to you¡­¡±


    Oliviained tearfully, hinting to everyone that Rachel was the one who bit the hands that fed her.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I hate him?¡± Rachel did not hide her resentment. Her lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°He


    deceived my feelings and wasted three years of my life. He even shattered all my dreams for the


    future. And you knew that we were going to get married, yet you fooled around with him behind my


    back. You deserve to die!


    ¡°Back then, you thought the Smith family wasn¡¯t good enough for you, so you gave up on him and went


    to further your studies overseas. Now that they have achieved great sess, you throw yourself at him


    again. Why should I suffer while you reap the fruits of my sacrifice?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s head¨Con confrontation instantly rendered Olivia speechless, and her face turned pale.


    ¡°A mistress who destroys others¡® rtionships still has the cheek to confront her lover¡¯s girlfriend. This


    is eye¨Copening,¡± someone in the crowd ridiculed.


    The person¡¯s remark invited another round of condemnation. ¡°She doesn¡¯t think she is wrong ruining


    others¡® rtionships!¡±


    ¡°She did something so shameless but she¡¯s not afraid of getting bad karma. Instead, she¡¯s worried that


    others despise her. What a joke!¡±


    ¡°She chooses to be a mistress, yet she is so thick¨Cskinned to point the finger at someone else.¡±


    With just a few words, Olivia wasbeled as a ¡®vain mistress!


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Her face turned red. She stared at Rachel with a malicious gaze, like a venomous snake flicking its


    tongue.

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202


    Chapter 202


    ¡°Rachel, it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m willing to shoulder all the responsibility by myself. It has nothing to do with


    Olivia.¡± Louis held Olivia in his arms lovingly.


    Olivia looked at Louis with teary eyes and said, ¡°No, Louis. That is not true. It¡¯s all my fault. I couldn¡¯t


    control my feelings. It¡¯s all my fault. It has nothing to do with you¡­¡±


    Rachel looked at Olivia with a fake smile. ¡°Knock it off. I can recite your words backward. Pleasee


    up with other lines. You¡¯ve bent my ears.¡±


    The crowd burst outughing after hearing that.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes hardened slightly, and her face was burning with embarrassment and anger.


    ¡°Rachel, I sincerely apologize to you. I¡¯ll do anything if you¡¯re willing to forgive me,¡± Louis said.


    Rachel pursed her lips. There was a glint of mockery in her eyes. ¡°Why should I forgive you just


    because you apologize sincerely? We¡¯re all adults. We should pay the price for our mistakes. Isn¡¯t that


    fair?


    ¡°You two hook up with each other and betray me. So, I should be a bigger person and say it¡¯s fine and


    continue with my life after you apologize? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you. I¡¯ll never be a bigger


    person.¡±


    In other words, she wanted to humiliate Olivia and the Smith family.


    Even though Rachel¡¯s words were harsh and cruel but no one there med her for being cold¨C


    blooded.


    After all, they were stupid bystanders. They were polite enough not to p and cheer when Rachel fell


    out with the Smith family,


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Moreover, Louis and Olivia had done a shameless thing. They betrayed Rachel first. Even if their


    reputations were destroyed, they deserved it.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for ruining your engagement party.¡±


    Although Rachel said that, she didn¡¯t look apologetic at all. Instead, there was a hint of derision in her


    voice. ¡°By the way, I wish the two of you a happy marriage and eternal harmony.¡±


    With that, she walked away without looking back.


    ¡°Rachel!¡±


    Suddenly, Old Mr. Smith walked over slowly with his son¡¯s help. ¡°I know you hate Louis, but you can¡¯t


    force a rtionship. He risked his life to fight off the bad guys and saved you before. Why can¡¯t you


    forgive him because of that?¡±


    Rachel narrowed her eyes, which gleamed with an icy cold light.


    She did not expect that Old Mr. Smith would still want to make her feel that she was indebted to them.


    The old man met her cold gaze and inexplicably felt his face burning. He said diffidently, ¡°Even if Louis


    has done you wrong, you can¡¯t erase everything during the three years you¡¯ve been together¡­¡±


    Mrs. Smith quickly chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. We all make mistakes. Why can¡¯t you give him a second


    chance? You¡¯ve stayed with us for three years, and we¡¯ve never mistreated you. Why can¡¯t you let


    bygones be bygones?¡±


    ¡°Let bygones be bygones?¡± Rachel suddenly smiled. There was a terrifying gleam in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t


    you think it is too hypocritical? I¡¯m vindictive and small¨Cminded. I like it when the table is turned and I


    enjoy seeing evil people get the punishments they deserve. Only this will make me happy.


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been merciful enough to you today. Don¡¯t push your luck.¡±


    After speaking, she walked towards the door.

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203


    Old Mr. Smith looked at Rachel¡¯s determined figure. He knew that being merciful was Rachel¡¯s bottom


    line toward the Smith family.


    The Smith family members gritted their teeth as they watched Rachel leave unscathed.


    Especially Mrs. Smith.


    She thought about how she had been yed by Rachel. Not only had Rachel ruined the Smith family¡¯s


    anniversary celebration, but she had also ruined their reputation.


    Mrs. Smith was infuriated and rage finally got the better of her.


    ¡°Rachel Grey, stop right there!¡± Mrs. Smith rushed forward and grabbed Rachel¡¯s wrist. ¡°You¡¯ve made


    such a big mess, and now you want to just leave like that?¡±


    Before anyone could see clearly, Rachel counter¨Creacted and grabbed Mrs. Smith¡¯s arm.


    She looked at Mrs. Smith with a faint smile. ¡°Yes, I am leaving. What can you do about it?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Mrs. Smith was at a loss for words. She was not going to take it lying down as she red at


    Rachel.


    Rachel sneered and pushed her away. Then she left without turning back.


    At this moment, a group of men in ck appeared.


    A smug smile appeared on Mrs. Smith¡¯s face. ¡°Rachel Grey, do you think you can just leave?¡±


    However, before she could finish speaking, the group of men in ck moved past Rachel and


    surrounded the Smith family instead.


    ¡°Are you out of your minds?¡± Mrs. Smith red at the man in ck in front of her in exasperation. ¡°Do


    you know who hired you?¡±


    The man in ck was like an emotionless machine. His eyes were terrifyingly cold, and he was


    extremely hostile.


    Mrs. Smith felt a chill down her spine from the man¡¯s stare. She swallowed her saliva and quietly


    retreated.


    Just when there was dead silence, Rachel suddenly chuckled. Her eyes were filled with disdain as she


    nced at the Smith family members. Then, she left arrogantly.


    As the men in ck left with Rachel, the intense feeling in the atmosphere gradually dissipated, and


    everyone secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Mrs. Smith was left staring after Rachel, and her eyes reddened. ¡°What should we do now? Those


    reporters will never show mercy. If today¡¯s incident gets out, not only will Louis be reproached by the


    public, but ourpany¡¯s reputation will also be affected!¡±


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s expression was slightly glum as he said coldly. ¡°In the end, you are the ones who are


    insatiable!¡±


    Originally, he only wanted Rachel to forgive the Smith family and use her connections to help them.


    However, Mrs. Smith secretly nned to use Rachel Grey as the scapegoat to cover up for Louis and


    Olivia¡¯s scandals.


    Mrs. Smith wanted Rachel to be known as an ingrate. Then everyone would see that Louis was loving


    andpassionate.


    What Mrs. Smith did not expect was that with Rachel¡¯s temper, she would not be manipted by the


    Smith family.


    Rachel had been in the Smith family for three years. Everyone treated her like she was a nobody. On


    the surface, they mocked her, but behind her back, they said worse things.


    Now that the Smith family members had discovered Rachel¡¯s identity, they wanted her help instead.


    They only had themselves to me for this embarrassing oue.


    ¡°But I did it for the Smith family!¡± As Mrs. Smith felt that she was scolded by Old Mr. Smith for no


    reason, she looked a little unhappy. ¡°Are you going to allow everyone to hear that Louis is a heartless


    and ungrateful


    man?¡±


    Old Mr. Smith nced at her. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯ve been egging Louis and Olivia on to


    continue seeing each other behind my back!¡±


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Hearing this, Mrs. Smith¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    At this moment, Jane said, ¡°Grandpa, can you be reasonable? Mom is doing this for Louis. Let¡¯s not


    talk about anything else. Remember the night Rachel Grey was kidnapped and disappeared? Who


    knows what happened? Don¡¯t tell me you really want Louis to marry this woman?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Old Mr. Smith mmed his walking stick heavily on the ground. His cold expression revealed


    a hint of intimidation.


    Jane stepped back in fear and snuggled up to Mrs. Smith.


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s turbid eyes narrowed slightly, and there was a hint of seriousness between his brows.


    No matter what, he could not let Rachel go just like that!

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204


    After Rachel walked out of the door, the group of men in ck tactfully dispersed in all directions, not


    saying a single word.


    She guessed that it must be Lucas who had given them instructions. Hence, she did not think more


    about the matter.


    At this moment, Mary was handing out a stack of banknotes to a few people in suits and leather shoes.


    ¡°You did a good job today!¡±


    ¡°Boss, remember to call us if there is such a good deal again!¡±


    ¡°I will, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Those discussions that were in Rachel¡¯s favor did not appear coincidentally. Mary deliberately arranged


    that.


    She was partly responsible for the reversal of public opinion to Rachel¡¯s advantage.


    Rachel looked at the people who left happily with the money. Then she slowly walked forward. ¡°Where


    did you find these people?¡±


    ¡°My dear Rachel, have you forgotten that money makes the world go round?¡± Mary raised her hand


    and took off the sunsses on her head. She stuck them at her cor and looked in the direction of the


    messy hall with a hint of mockery in her eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Smith family to be so shameless! They want to use your connections and even


    delude themselves into thinking that you¡¯ll help Louis and Olivia cover up their scandals. They have


    really disgraced themselves this time!¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang. The call was from Lucas.


    As soon as the call connected, Rachel could hear Lucas¡¯szy voice. ¡°Everything okay? Do you want


    to enjoy a good lunch to celebrate?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Rachel said, ¡°Remember to add an extra chair.¡±


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll go over and pick you up now!¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Mary gave the bag to Rachel. ¡°You go to the exit first. I¡¯m going to the


    washroom.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rachel took the things and walked toward the exit.


    However, as she was walking, a hand suddenly reached out from the door of a private room beside her.


    Before she could react, she was pulled into the private room.


    Rachel frowned slightly. She quickly grabbed the other party¡¯s wrist.


    The other party seemed to have expected this and overpowered her easily. He pinned her arm behind


    her back and pressed her against the wall.


    ¡°Oh no! You want to murder your husband!¡±


    The man chuckled softly, and his charming voice sounded in Rachel¡¯s


    ears.


    Upon hearing the familiar voice, Rachel¡¯s heart started beating faster. She thought, ¡°Is David back?


    Didn¡¯t he say that things were tricky, and he might take a week or a month before he coulde


    back?¡±


    The moment the lights in the private room were turned on, Rachel could see the face in front of her


    clearly.


    The man¡¯s exquisite facial features looked even more perfect. His dark eyes seemed to be filled with


    endless gentleness.


    The moment she confirmed that her guess was right, Rachel was so happy that she seemed confused.


    She just looked at the man in front of her in a daze.


    A warm smile shed across David¡¯s eyes as he watched her go from shock to a daze. He reached out


    his slim fingers and gently caressed her cheek. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The warmth from David spread from his fingertips to Rachel¡¯s body. Rachel smiled and pressed her


    cheek against his palm lovingly. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect you to appear suddenly.¡±


    Looking at Rachel in his arms, a certain emotion surged in David¡¯s deep ck eyes.


    Finally, he couldn¡¯t help but grab her chin and kiss her.


    He had yearned for this moment of tenderness day and night that he seemed to have lost control.


    The intense and hot feeling gradually filled the entire room, and the two of them slowly seemed to sink


    into their own world.


    David pressed his lips on Rachel¡¯s and bit her lips as if he had lost control.

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205


    It was not until Rachel¡¯s vision blurred that David finally let go of her as he panted heavily. His slightly


    cold fingers gently caressed her red lips. ¡°Look at the stars and the moon, and think of nning for the


    future. Are both of us the most intimate people in this world?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rachel couldn¡¯t keep up with David¡¯s train of thought.


    ¡°Are you confused or pretending not to understand what I have said? Huh?¡± David raised her eyes and


    smiled.


    However, Rachel keenly sensed a sense of danger from his words.


    She blinked her eyes and seemed to be thinking about how to give David, a satisfactory answer.


    However, David did not have that much patience. ¡°Rae¨CRae, I¡¯m jealous.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes seemed to be smiling faintly. She stretched out her arms and


    wrapped them around David¡¯s neck. At the same time, she rubbed against his chest. ¡°He¡¯s history.


    You¡¯re my present.¡±


    ¡°I will also be your future!¡± David¡¯s wide palm sped the back of her neck. His dark and deep eyes


    stared deeply at Rachel. ¡°I just regret that I did not have the chance to meet you earlier.¡±


    David didn¡¯t mind Rachel¡¯s past, but he was affected by the fact that he wasn¡¯t in her life earlier.


    If he had appeared earlier, she would not need to be alone and forced herself to be strong. She also


    need not face the current situation alone.


    A magical warmth flowed from Rachel¡¯s heart to her whole body. She looked up at the man in front of


    her.


    Rachel could feel David¡¯s warm breath on her face. Her palm on his chest could clearly feel the steady


    heartbeat in his chest.


    His deep ck eyes were filled with indescribable affection. He was going to lower his head and kiss


    her lips in the next second.


    Even though Rachel had seen this handsome face up close more than once, she was still attracted to


    his face and could not bring herself to reject him.


    Her heartbeat was in a mess.


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to kiss me,¡± David said.


    Rachel was stunned. Before she could react, the man grabbed her chin and kissed her lips again.


    David looked at Rachel¡¯s almond¨Cshaped eyes, which had turned from surprise to embarrassment. He


    smiled very widely.


    After the kiss, David rubbed her earlobe with his slim fingers and chuckled. ¡°My Rae¨CRae has always


    been reserved. How can I let you take the initiative?¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    She looked down and saw the call from Lucas. Only then did she remember that she had stood Lucas


    and Mary up.


    She nced at David, picked up the phone, and walked to the corner. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Mary¡¯s furious voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Where did you go? Lucas and I have been


    waiting for you for hours! Don¡¯t tell me you were waid by some man!¡±


    Rachel was afraid that David would hear something he shouldn¡¯t hear, so she deliberately pressed the


    phone tightly against her face. However, she identally pressed the speaker button.


    Thus, Mary¡¯s loud voice could be heard throughout the entire private


    room.


    David heard everything clearly.


    Rachel was extremely embarrassed. She wished she could hide somewhere.


    After a moment of silence in the private room, Rachel said without changing her expression, ¡°Hello!


    Hello! Can you hear me? The signal doesn¡¯t seem too good here.¡±


    Then, she ended the call.


    Mary was speechless!


    She thought that Rachel was really ridiculous!


    After Rachel hung up the phone, she coincidentally caught the mocking smile on David¡¯s face.


    She felt her face burn with embarrassment.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206


    At this moment, David walked over and extended his hand to her. ¡°Miss Grey, are you willing to have a


    meal with me?¡±


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Rachel cooperated and put on a condescending posture. She ced her hand in David¡¯s palm.


    The moment their skin touched, David grabbed her hand.


    The two looked at each other and smiled.


    The door of the private room opened and the two of them walked out. Rachel noticed some men in


    ck were following them but she just raised her eyebrows slightly without batting an eyelid.


    She realized that they were employed by David.


    Warmth shed across her heart, and a gentle smile appeared on her moist red lips.


    All these years, she was used to being strong and facing everything on her own.


    Just like today¡¯s matter, she couldplete it independently without anyone¡¯s help, but David still


    helped and protected her in his own way.


    If she won, he would be the icing on the cake. If she was defeated, he would back her up.


    He had told her to do whatever she wanted. If anything disastrous happened, he would be there to


    help.


    It turned out that he wasn¡¯t just saying that. He was proving it to her with his actions.


    Thinking of this, Rachel tightened her grip on David¡¯s hand and stared at him without blinking.


    Through this small action, David seemed to have sensed something. He turned to look at Rachel.


    Their eyes met without warning.


    David¡¯s deep eyes seemed to be filled with infinite gentleness, like an endless ck hole, tempting her


    and trapping her in it.


    Rachel stared at David for a moment. Her eyes flickered slightly, and she


    lowered her eyes.


    The Smith family¡¯s anniversary celebration ended on a very bad note.


    The Smith family members walked out of the hall with ashen faces. Coincidentally, they met Rachel


    and David who just left the private room next door.


    The moment the Smith family members saw the two of them, the Smith family members¡® expressions


    changed.


    Olivia gently tugged at the corner of Louis¡® shirt. She knew who they were but she still asked, ¡°Louis,


    don¡¯t you think that person looks like Miss Grey?¡±


    Louis followed her line of sight and saw Rachel.


    The man beside Rachel was dressed in a well¨Ctailored suit. His tall and straight figure exuded an


    innate noble aura. Even though it was just his back view, it was difficult to ignore his extremely


    oppressive and intimidating aura.


    Even though Rachel was wearing high heels, she was still shorter than him.


    Surprisingly, when the two of them stood together, not only did Rachel not lose out to any aura, but


    they actually matched each other.


    It was this man again!


    Could it be that this was the man who hired those men in ck to barge into the celebration venue?


    Louis frowned slightly. His handsome face turned cold.


    He saw Rachel interlocking her fingers with the man. A gentle smile appeared on her cold face. She


    was like a red rose under the sun, dazzling and eye¨Ccatching.


    That was a side he had never seen before.


    In his impression, Rachel always had a cold expression, and she was always swift and decisive in her


    actions. However, this gentle side of Rachel was unfamiliar to him.


    Now he realized that she could also shed her cold temperament and reveal such a gentle side.


    Just as everyone was secretly specting about Rachel¡¯s rtionship with this man, they heard Jane


    say, ¡°A promiscuous woman will never change! You just broke up with my brother, and you can¡¯t wait to


    fall into the arms of another man!¡±


    Even though Jane deliberately lowered her voice, Rachel could still hear her words clearly in the


    spacious and quiet hall.


    David noticed Rachel¡¯s eyes turning cold. He secretly threw a gaze at Eddie.

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207


    Eddie understood immediately.


    He deliberately slowed down and unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt one by one. Then he rolled up his


    sleeves.


    When the Smith family members walked over, Eddie grabbed Jane¡¯s arm and gave her a tight p.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Jane was sent staggering to the ground by the hard p.


    The people around her could not help but exim. The rtives of the Smith family were even more


    worried that they would be implicated. They quickly dispersed in fear, leaving Jane who had fallen onto


    the ground.


    Louis¡® second aunt, who was hiding furthest from themotion, secretly sized up Eddie Brook.


    Eddie looked gentlemanly. When the members of the Smith family passed by him, none of them were


    vignt. Who would have thought that he would suddenly hit Jane?


    Moreover, the impact of the p was very strong. Otherwise, Jane would not have fallen onto the


    ground.


    As Janey on the ground, everyone could see that her cheek became swollen almost immediately.


    There was blood in her mouth.


    Half of her face felt numb, and there were ringing sounds in her ears. For a moment, Jane could not


    hear what people were saying.


    ¡°Jane!¡± Mrs. Smith hurriedly rushed forward and knelt on the ground. She wrapped her arms around


    Jane and stroked Jane¡¯s head with her palm. ¡°Jane, how are you feeling?¡±


    The moment Jane was in Mrs. Smith¡¯s arms, she finally could not help but cry out loud.


    Her unseemly cries were so heartwrenching that Mrs. Smith felt an extremely tight feeling in her heart.


    Mrs. Smith gave birth to Jane when she was 35 years old. Naturally, she doted on Jane, and Jane grew


    up being pampered by everyone.


    As a result, Jane became a spoilt and domineering woman.


    However, even if her personality was not pleasant, Jane would always be Mrs. Smith¡¯s precious baby


    as she was her flesh and blood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, my baby! Mom is here.¡± As Mrs. Smith spoke, She suddenly raised her head and looked at


    Eddie angrily. ¡°Mister, there¡¯s no enmity between us. What right do you have to hit my daughter?¡±


    ¡°Who says there is no enmity between us?¡± Eddie lowered his eyes and looked at Mrs. Smith


    indifferently.


    Then, his cold gaze moved from Mrs. Smith to Jane¡¯s face. His cold voice sounded. ¡°Miss Smith used


    unpleasant words to humiliate our young mistress. To give her just one p is already a light


    punishment. Her tongue should be pulled out.¡±


    Hearing that, Jane shuddered and snuggled into Mrs. Smith¡¯s arms.


    Perhaps because Eddie had been by David¡¯s side for a long time, his tone was exactly as cold and


    emotionless as David¡¯s.


    Eddie knew better than anyone else how important Miss Grey was to David.


    Rachel was the number one person in David¡¯s heart. Eddie knew that because David rushed back


    overnight when he found out what had happened despite being on a business trip in Odrax.


    The Smith family members still had the cheek to make nderous remarks about Rachel in front of


    David. They really deserved a good beating!


    ¡°This is intimidation, and it is against thew!¡± Mrs. Smith sensed the hidden hostility from Eddie, and


    she felt fear in her heart.


    However, she did not dare to do anything else except criticize him with a


    stern tone.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s call the police. Your daughter can admit to her offense of ndering others,¡± Eddie said


    casually.


    Mrs. Smith was speechless.


    ¡°Remember, Rachel Grey is not someone you would want to offend!¡±


    Eddie¡¯s tone was indifferent and slow, and his voice seemed so cold that it made people shiver.


    In an instant, everyone fell silent.


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s eyebrows twitched intensely. She looked up at David standing in the distance and


    narrowed her eyes. A cold glint shed across her eyes. ¡°This man is really arrogant!¡°

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can give it a try.¡± David¡¯s tone was calm and emotionless.


    However, there was a sense of danger in his words.


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Her body stiffened as she stood rooted to the ground.


    Eddie looked at the Smith family in front of him. They were all angry but did not dare to say anything.


    He could not help but sneer. ¡°A bunch of cowards!¡±


    Upon hearing that, the family¡¯s facial expressions changed unpredictably.


    Standing in the distance, Rachel gently held David¡¯s hand and shook her head.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    David knew that she was not being merciful to the Smith family. She was just worried that it would


    cause trouble for him.


    He reached out and rubbed his fingers gently against her cheek. ¡°Remember, your matters are never


    troublesome to me.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Rachel said.


    After the two of them left, Eddie left with the men in ck.


    The oppressive atmosphere immediately dissipated. The aggrieved Mrs. Smith immediately took out


    her phone and contacted Louis. ¡°Louis, this is bad. Your sister got beaten up¡­¡±


    Rachel followed David to the underground parking lot.


    After they got into the car, Rachel looked at David. ¡°Do you want to take a short nap?¡±


    She noticed the fatigue in David¡¯s eyes early on.


    ¡°Do you feel sorry for me?¡± David raised his eyebrows slightly and stared at her with his dark eyes.


    Rachel looked at the emotions in the man¡¯s eyes and vaguely guessed where it was going.


    She lowered her eyes and changed the subject. ¡°Why did you suddenlye back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried.¡± David held Rachel¡¯s hand and rubbed it repeatedly as if he was ying with an object. ¡°I


    don¡¯t know what made you protect their dignity and hesitate to attack the Smith family, but I don¡¯t want


    you to be used by them again and again because you are soft¨Chearted. Fortunately, my silly girl didn¡¯t


    repeatedly give in¡­¡±


    Everyone med her for being cold¨Cblooded and heartless that day.


    Only David said she was soft¨Chearted¡­


    Hearing that, Rachel could not help but smile. She looked at David curiously. ¡°What if I gave in?¡±


    ¡°They may not be able to walk out of the hotel this easily.¡±


    The man¡¯s casual words were filled with hidden danger.


    ¡°No matter how they treated you in the past, they are not reasons for them to use you.¡± David said


    earnestly, ¡°Past kindness toward someone should not be a way for anyone to gain benefits.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, the smile on Rachel¡¯s face disappeared.


    ¡°I originally thought that Old Mr. Smith was different from others. When I joined the Smith family, he


    was the only one who treated me sincerely. He would bring me a cup of warm ginger tea when I was


    drenched in the rain, instruct the servants to send me an umbre when it rained, leave amp for me


    in the dead of night, and even give me gifts on New Year¡¯s Eve.¡±


    ¡°During the three years with the Smith family, he was the only one who was not prejudiced against me.


    I thought he was different from the others, so I was always grateful. Unfortunately, this gratefulness is


    not worth a single cent in the face of benefits!¡±


    Perhaps it was because she had been neglected too much when she was young, so even if someone


    just showed her a small kindness, she would remember it in her heart and promise to repay it.


    When Old Mr. Smith chose to trade with her using her gratefulness to him, she knew in her heart that


    the kindness he showed her had lost its original meaning.


    Rachel took a deep breath. ¡°Nobody can¡¯t me me for the Smith family¡¯s current situation.¡±

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209


    It was the Smith family¡¯s fault for being insatiable.


    They wanted to make use of her connections and make her cover up for Louis and Olivia.


    But she was Rachel Grey!


    She was the eldest daughter of the wealthiest family in Seaxas, the Johnson family!


    How could she be used by others in exchange for nothing?


    ¡°I¡¯m not like them.¡±


    Faced with David¡¯s sudden words, Rachel looked at him in confusion.


    David raised her chin and caressed the corner of her lips with his well¨Cdefined fingers. ¡°I love you and


    don¡¯t covet anything from you.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly. She tried her best to control her voice and said softly, ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know,¡± David said. ¡°If you do, why would you be so calm?¡± In other words, Rachel should


    express her gratitude.


    A smile shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes. She stretched out her arm and hooked it around the man¡¯s neck


    and him on the lips.


    Eddie, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, silently raised the rear partition.


    The moment their lips touched, David wrapped his arms around her waist and carried her onto hisp.


    He turned the tables and pressed her against the seat.


    David had never thought he would one day be so addicted to a


    Woman.


    Every time he got close to her, he would uncontrobly yearn for more. He wanted to take her by his


    side and look at her all the time.


    His grandfather had taught him never to fall for anyone, including


    women.


    Once he falls for someone, he will have a weakness.


    However, he did not want to follow his grandfather¡¯s teachings then. He only wanted to love her


    wholeheartedly.


    He could even overturn his kingdom without hesitation if she wanted him to.


    It wasn¡¯t until Rachel was dizzy and extremely short of breath that David finally let her go.


    The redness on the woman¡¯s fair cheeks was clearly visible. His palm was on the back of her neck, his


    forehead tightly pressed against hers, and the tip of their noses rubbed against each other.


    Suddenly, a chuckle escaped from his throat.


    Rachel looked up at him in confusion.


    .


    ¡°Everyoneughs at those foolish kings who were seduced by women and lost their rationality. But right


    now, I can understand how they felt.¡± David¡¯s pitch¨Cck eyes were filled with indescribable affection.


    The smile on his lips made people unable to look away.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Then aren¡¯t you afraid that I will destroy your empire?¡±


    ¡°My empire is more than enough for you to mess around however you want,¡± said David.


    In contrast to the intimate atmosphere between the two of them, the Smith family had be a street


    rat that was hated by everyone.


    Some things did not require people to experience it themselves for them to hate it, such as when a third


    wheel interferes with a rtionship.


    Therefore, when the anniversary celebration incident was exposed, Olivia went viral in a unique way.


    Olivia locked herself in her room and smashed everything she could to vent her


    anger.


    Even so, it was still difficult to vent all the anger in her heart.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the fruit knife on the fruit tter. She picked up the knife and


    stabbed the apple. ¡°Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!¡±


    Itsted until there was a knock on the door, and her mother¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Olivia, are


    you in your room? Louis is here to see vou?¡±


    When Olivia heard that, she looked nervously at the messy room and the fruit knife in her hand. At that


    moment, she also noticed the blood on her fingers. She did not have time to think and quickly tidied her


    things.


    Outside the door, her mother waited long but did not hear Olivia¡¯s voice. She thought Olivia had suicidal


    thoughts, so she knocked on the door even more urgently. ¡°Olivia? Are you listening? Olivia?¡±


    She looked nervously at Louis beside her.


    Louis frowned slightly. He knocked on the door hurriedly and twisted the lock. ¡°Olivia, this is Louis. Are


    you inside?¡±


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Just as he was almost about to break in, the door was opened.

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210


    Olivia stood at the door in a white dress.


    Her pale face was covered in tears, and the marks of the two ps from Rachel could be vaguely seen


    on her cheeks. They were abnormally red and swollen and were especially eye¨Ccatching.


    She looked pitiful, like a flower that had been ravaged.


    ¡°Louis¡­¡± Her gentle voice was mixed with heartbroken hoarseness as she plunged into his arms with


    tears in her eyes.


    Louis frowned and felt a sharp pain in his heart.


    He reached out and pulled Olivia into his arms. He patted her trembling body gently andforted her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s mother, Bertha Cruise, did not want to disturb them, so she left quietly.


    However, as she walked away, she deliberately took a look.


    As expected, Olivia pulled Louis into her room. A vague and ambiguous smile shed across Olivia¡¯s


    mother¡¯s eyes.


    At that moment, a servant walked over with a cup of tea for Richard. ¡°Madam.¡±


    ¡°Give it to me.¡± Bertha reached out to take the things and turned to walk into Richard Cruise¡¯s study.


    As soon as she entered, Bertha choked on the smoke lingering in the room and coughed repeatedly.


    She ced the tea on the table and waved away the dirty air in front of her. Then, she walked to the


    balcony and opened the window.


    ¡°Why are you smoking so much for no reason? You don¡¯t care about your health anymore.¡±


    Richard took a deep puff of his cigarette and slowly exhaled white smoke from his mouth. ¡°Louis is


    here?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in Olivia¡¯s room.¡± There was a hint of an ambiguous smile on Bertha¡¯s face.


    Richard frowned imperceptibly. He put out the cigarette in his hand and


    threw it into the ashtray. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Since he is willing toe, it means that he still


    cares about Olivia. As long as he cares, things won¡¯t be too difficult.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Bertha was an actress in the opera troupe a few years ago. She only knew how to win a man¡¯s heart,


    so she naturally did not understand these twists and turns in the business world.


    She sized up the serious expression on Richard¡¯s face. ¡°Do you have other ns?¡±


    ¡°Olivia¡¯s reputation was destroyed, and the marriage arrangement between the Smith family and us


    was also dyed. I naturally have to make Rachel Grey pay the price!¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    As he spoke, Richard¡¯s eyes shed with a ruthless cold light.


    At the same time, Rachel felt a chill run down her spine. ¡°Achoo!¡±


    ¡°Did you catch a cold?¡± David felt for Rachel¡¯s slightly cold hand, took off his coat, and wrapped it


    around her.


    Rachel sniffed. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    The two of them bent down and got into the car. David instructed the driver to turn on the warm air.


    The car drove toward Rachel¡¯s apartment.


    That was not the first time David had sent Rachel home, so Rachel did. not think too much about it.


    Rachel felt that something was off only when David followed her all the way to the entrance of the


    apartment and refused to leave.


    She had some vague guesses but pretended not to know. She blinked and looked at him innocently.


    ¡°I¡¯ve reached home.¡±


    In other words, he could leave.


    David looked at her tiredly and exined seriously, ¡°I¡¯m so tired. I just want to sleep for a while.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    No wonder he had been forcing himself not to sleep.


    He wasying the groundwork for that!


    David did not carry Rachel into the house like a bandit. Instead, he exined reasonably, ¡°I took a flight


    for more than ten hours and didn¡¯t rest for two whole nights. I went to look for you as soon as I got off


    the ne.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Rachel hid the smile on her face and looked at him, pretending not to understand what he was


    saying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just take a nap on the couch.¡±


    Rachel looked at the fatigue in his eyes and finally gave in. She moved aside and invited David into the


    apartment.


    David was genuinely tired.

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211


    He had just finished dealing with matters in Odrax and learned that Rachel had participated in the


    anniversary celebration alone.


    He could not care about anything else at the moment. He only wanted to try his best to return to her


    side and protect her.


    Although he knew that Rachel might not be at a disadvantage, he could not help but worry.


    Rachel looked at the man lying on the bed and frowned slightly.


    Even though he had fallen asleep, his brows were still filled with fatigue. She lightened her footsteps


    and gently covered him with a nket.


    When she got up, she stared at the man¡¯s face without blinking. She pursed her lips and leaned


    forward to kiss the corner of his lips.


    The kiss was like a stone thrown into a calmke. It easily caused ripples in David¡¯s heart.


    His brows moved slightly, but he finally suppressed the urge to open his


    eyes.


    However, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and there was a faint smile on his lips.


    When he heard Rachel leave, he remained silent for a few seconds before slowly opening his eyes.


    He pulled the nket to his chest and touched the corner of his lips with his thumb. There seemed to


    be a lingering taste and warmth of her on it.


    He suddenly regretted not opening his eyes.


    ¡°This is worth me not sleeping for almost twenty hours.¡±


    The next morning.


    Rachel opened her eyes and instinctively picked up her phone to check the unread messages.


    Suddenly, she thought of something and stood up abruptly. She lifted the nket and walked out of the


    room barefooted.


    David was no longer on the sofa in the living room.


    ¡®He just left like that?¡± she thought.


    That man was really unpredictable.


    She suspected he wanted to take advantage of the situation, but there was nothing wrong with his


    actions. He kept a distance from her and never crossed the line.


    He looked domineering, yet he maintained a respectful distance in every aspect and was humble and


    polite.


    Rachel walked to the sofa and sat down. Her fingertips quickly tapped on the phone as she sent a


    message to David. ¡°You left?¡±


    After a while, David replied, ¡°I made breakfast. Remember to warm it up if it¡¯s cold.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rachel said.


    David replied, ¡°I prefer to express my gratitude with actions.¡±


    Rachel smiled resignedly. She threw her phone on the sofa and walked into the kitchen.


    After eating, she got up and changed her clothes before leaving.


    However, when she walked into the elevator, she was surprised to find that the house opposite seemed


    to have a new door, and there was a new surveince camera installed above the door.


    Rachel¡¯s floor had the best geographical environment in the


    neighborhood, so the housing price had always been the highest within the neighborhood.


    Ever since she moved there, the house opposite had been unupied. She did not expect to wee


    a new neighbor so soon.


    Moreover, if she remembered correctly, she did not see any action in the house the day before.


    The elevator reached, and Rachel retracted her curious gaze and walked in.


    She took out her phone and browsed through the news on Twitter.


    After the exposure the day before, it was no surprise that Olivia, who was


    away from the spotlight, gained a lot of poprity and attention.


    Although the Cruise family tried their best to remove the trending topic, it was useless.


    The intimate photos of Olivia and Louis on the Inte went viral. They were all reposted by various


    ounts with many followers. Moreover, a few people in the know described everything that happened


    at the banquet vividly.


    As a result, the posts were filled with curses against them.


    ¡°As a public figure, she became a third wheel knowingly! We must cancel such a person!¡±


    ¡°She has the image of a pure and innocent girl but is doing the dirty work of a bitch. It¡¯s so fucking


    disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, the girlfriend isn¡¯t a romantic. Otherwise, she really needs to wake up!¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212


    During that period of time, Olivia had been nning for hereback.


    She attended various charity events, volunteered, and went to the impoverished mountains to film. She


    wanted to take advantage of the audience¡¯s forgiveness and slowly return to the public¡¯s view.


    However, after the exposure incident, the Inte was filled with merciless scolding toward her. It


    worsened her situation.


    It meant that all her previous efforts were in vain!


    Louis left the Cruise familyte the night before, leaving the Cruise family to face the terrible situation


    ahead of them.


    The living room was filled with lifeless air.


    Richard didn¡¯t say a word and just smoked one cigarette after another.


    Although Bertha was annoyed, she did not dare to say anything at that moment. She could only endure


    the smoking and not re up.


    She turned around and met Olivia¡¯s anxious gaze. She slowly lowered her eyes and nodded slightly.


    ¡°Dad, quickly think of a way! Are you going to watch me get destroyed?!¡± Olivia red at Richard in


    frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. I came back this time to marry into the Smith family. If I fail, our family will be


    completely doomed!¡±


    At the end of the day, the Cruise family¡¯s fate depended on Olivia.


    If Louis gave up on Olivia, it would be equivalent to the Smith family giving up on the Cruise family.


    When Richard heard her words, there was finally a glimmer of light in his indifferent eyes. He slowly put


    out the cigarette in his hand and said. ¡°What are you afraid of? We¡¯re not the ones who should be


    worried now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Olivia frowned and looked at her father in confusion.


    Richard¡¯s lips curled into a deep smile. ¡°The people who should be worried now is the Smith family.¡±


    Seeing that Olivia still did not understand, he exined with patience,


    ¡°The Smith family is in the same boat as us now. Other than working together to tide over the


    difficulties, they have no other choice.¡±


    ¡°Think about it. The matter between you and Louis has already caused an uproar. In the eyes of


    outsiders, the matter between you and Louis is basically set in stone. If the Smith family gives up on


    you right now, it will only cause them to be scolded. So, they won¡¯t leave you to face it alone.¡±


    ¡°Louis is the Smith family¡¯s only hope. Moreover, didn¡¯t you always say Louis is obedient to you?¡±


    Upon hearing that, the panic on Olivia¡¯s face gradually dissipated.


    At that moment, the Smith family was in an abyss of suffering.


    Old Mr. Smith did not sleep for the entire night. It was as if he had aged ten years overnight.


    He was no longer as energetic and hale and hearty as he usually was.


    ¡°Louis, how do you n to exin what happened yesterday to the board of directors?¡± Old Mr. Smith¡¯s


    deep voice was mixed with old hoarseness.


    After the matter was exposed, the board of directors requested Louis to step forward and give


    everyone a satisfactory answer.


    However, Louis knew it was the most critical moment then. The shareholders were like hungry jackals


    waiting to devour him, and the entrance of thepany was blocked by reporters. He could not show


    up then.


    However, he knew very well that he could not hide forever. Sooner orter, he would have to give a


    satisfactory answer.


    Louis pondered for a moment and said calmly, ¡°Last night, I met Olivia. After discussion, we tentatively


    decided not to respond to anything. Then, the two of us will hold a board meeting to give an


    exnation.¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213


    Old Mr. Smith knew very well that that was not the best solution, but it was a way to retain the Smith


    family¡¯s reputation.


    If the Smith family gave up on Olivia at such a time, Louis would never be able to shake off the infamy


    of being a heartless man.


    However, with that incident, Olivia would be firmly tied to Louis.


    ¡°The Cruise family only has one daughter, Olivia. They won¡¯t give up on her. Now that the two of you


    can¡¯t be separated, you have to think about it at length.¡± Old Mr. Smith looked up at Louis with an


    unfathomable expression in his eyes.


    Louis frowned slightly. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Then what about Rachel?¡± Mrs. Smith could not help but ask after holding it in for a long time. ¡°She¡¯s


    really hurt our family this time. Are we just going to let her have her way?¡±


    When Mrs. Smith thought of Rachel¡¯s arrogant attitude, she gritted her teeth in hatred.


    If Rachel had not caused such a scene during the anniversary celebration, the Smith family would not


    have been pushed to the center of attention. It caused the Smith family to be unable to raise their head


    in front of everyone. It also caused Louis to be scolded for no reason.


    When Old Mr. Smith heard that, he snorted coldly with a dark expression. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what


    you¡¯re thinking!¡±


    Upon hearing that, Mrs. Smith¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    ¡°If you spent more effort disciplining Jane, would she have been pped? If you ask me, it¡¯s not a loss


    for her to be pped!¡±


    With that, he stood up with his walking stick and left.


    When he reached the stairs, he happened to see Jane standing at the bedroom door. ¡°Go back to your


    room and reflect on yourself! Think carefully about what you did wrong! Leave your room when you¡¯ve


    thought it through!¡±


    In other words, if she could not understand, she shouldn¡¯t even think about stepping out of the room


    from then on!


    After being pped by Eddie the day before, the swelling on Jane¡¯s face had not subsided. It was so


    painful that she did not sleep well the entire night.


    Hearing her grandfather¡¯s unreasonable reprimand, Jane felt wronged and angry.


    She could not understand what she had done wrong!


    She even felt that her grandfather was venting his anger on her.


    In the past, Grandpa had always doted on Rachel. He would always think of Rachel whenever there


    was something good. Now that Rachel had left the Smith family, Grandpa was still protecting Rachel.


    Instead of thinking about how to take revenge on Rachel for the Smith family, he only thought about


    punishing her.


    Jane¡¯s hatred for Rachel intensified.


    Jane secretly gritted her teeth, turned around, and returned to her room, mming the door behind her.


    She buried her head in the nket and shouted hysterically as if that was the only way to vent the


    hatred in her heart.


    However, she could not figure out where Rachel had hooked up with that


    man.


    Thinking of that man¡¯s arrogant attitude and tone, he was definitely not an ordinary wealthy second¨C


    generation heir.


    Ever since Rachel left the Smith family, Jane had been looking forward to seeing Rachel being


    trampled under her feet.


    But why did it go against her wishes?


    The old and new grudges were about to erupt at any moment.


    Jane¡¯s dull and lifeless eyes gradually overflowed with viciousness like a venomous snake flicking its


    tongue.


    She was determined to ruin Rachel¡¯s reputation!


    At that point, who else would side with Rachel Grey?


    With that in mind, she jumped off the bed and quickly pounced on her


    After Rachel arrived at thepany, she worked as usual.


    Mary suddenly barged in. ¡°I knew the Smith family would not let this


    matter rest!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rachel looked up at the furious Linda and closed the document in front of her.

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214


    ¡°You don¡¯t know yet?!¡± Mary looked at Rachel in disbelief.


    She was here to take the things she had left in Rachel¡¯s officest night. Unexpectedly, she saw a post


    about Rachel on the Inte on the way.


    She then sped up and hurried over. To her surprise, Rachel knew nothing about it.


    Mary couldn¡¯t help cursing herself for being too anxious.


    Rachel took a sip of coffee and said casually, ¡°Your things are on the sofa.¡± As she spoke, she calmly


    opened the web page on herputer.


    It was a post about the Smith family¡¯s anniversary celebration. In thements section, someone


    anonymously posted a link that was pinned.


    As soon as Rachel clicked on the link, she saw another post.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Shocking news! Erotic photos of the fianc¨¦e of Smith Group¡¯s CEO!¡±


    Not much was said in the post, but Rachel immediately saw the photos of herself with almost nothing


    on.


    Rachel¡¯s face turned pale and her pupils contracted.


    No one knew the origin of these photos better than she did.


    They were taken after she was kidnapped.


    Rachel still remembered what had happened that day. Louis asked her out for dinner after work. He


    also said that he would take her to pick out the wedding dress after dinner.


    However, after waiting for a long time, Louis did note to pick her up. Just as she was about to


    leave, a bunch of people suddenly appeared from behind.


    Despite her desperate struggle, someone injected an unknown liquid into her neck, causing her to


    ck out immediately.


    When Rachel woke up in a daze, she saw a few masked people aiming cameras at her while putting


    her in all kinds of sexy poses.


    She fought to the death with those people but failed to stop them from taking photos.


    However, she clearly remembered that she had destroyed all the cameras. So, where did the poster


    get the photos?


    The post distorted the truth. It said that Rachel had voluntarily taken these photos to get paid, and she


    had deliberately hidden her disgraceful profession and fabricated her identity and educational


    background in order to marry into the Smith family.


    Rachel grabbed the mouse so tight that her knuckles turned pale. She couldn¡¯t help but tremble all


    over.


    She took a deep breath to calm herself down before opening thements section.


    ¡°Yesterday, she kept saying that Mr. Smith betrayed her, but it turns out that she¡¯s a bitch!¡±


    ¡°Heavens, I didn¡¯t expect such a cold beauty to be a whore!¡±


    ¡°I feel so sorry for Mr. Smith. How hapless to be pestered by such a woman!¡±


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s pale face, Mary said with a frown, ¡°Rachel, are these photos real? What the hell


    happened?!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t doubting Rachel¡¯s moral character. She was just worried about her. Under what


    circumstances would Rachel take such photos?


    Rachel took a deep breath and struggled to sound calm. ¡°I was kidnapped a month before my wedding


    with Louis.¡±


    Mary¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    After a long while, she cursed, ¡°Damn it! What the hell is going on? It was something big. Why have


    you never mentioned it to me?!¡±


    Rachel briefly exined in a calm tone how she was kidnapped that night.


    However, the more she acted like she didn¡¯t care, the more Mary¡¯s heart ached for this forbearing,


    strong woman in front of her.


    Even though Rachel was independent and strong, she was a woman.


    She also needed to be protected, doted on, and taken care of.


    Mary managed to hold back her tears. She sniffed and said, gritting her


    teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll call someone to look into it now. I swear I¡¯ll find that bastard


    and cut him into pieces!¡±


    ¡°I know who did it.¡± Rachel said.

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215


    Stunned, Mary could not help but look at Rachel inquisitively.


    When she met Rachel¡¯s cold gaze, she immediately figured out who she was talking about. Mary said


    with a meaningful smile, ¡°It¡¯s time for the Smith family to go bankrupt!¡±


    Other than the Smith family, Rachel had never mentioned the


    kidnapping to anyone else.


    Firstly, this was something disgraceful. Secondly, it had been so long, and she didn¡¯t want to make


    others worry about her.


    She had thought it waspletely over, but now, someone was attracting her online using the photos


    as a weapon.


    Rachel was shocked at the sight of the photos. Next, she immediately associated them with the Smith


    family.


    She remembered that it was Louis who took care of the aftermath of that incident personally.


    Not only did he help the police get the kidnappers, but he also destroyed all information rted to that


    incident. He even cut everyone off from the news to keep her reputation from being ruined.


    This man wasn¡¯t a Grey, but he did everything he could to protect her.


    Rachel was touched. She also secretly felicitated that she had found a man she could rely on for the


    rest of her life.


    Now, she realized how stupid she was back then.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Whether it was Louis or his family, they only wanted to use her.


    For the sake of the Smith family¡¯s future, they would abandon her without hesitation.


    They knew how important reputation was to an unmarried woman, but they still treated her so cruelly in


    order to turn the table.


    Being ungrateful was the nature of some people.


    When they were in power, they didn¡¯t care who once gave them a hand when they were in difficulty.


    Now, the Smith family couldn¡¯t wait to deal her with a heavy blow.


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a sneer. Her clear, almond¨Cshaped eyes were filled with indifference and


    coldness.


    As for these photos¡­


    She looked up, an unfathomable light shing across her eyes.


    At this moment, her phone rang. When she saw that the caller ID was David, her cold eyes softened a


    little.


    Just as she put it through, David¡¯s deep, cold voice rang out. ¡°Do you need my help?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Rachel said.


    She could handle these things.


    However, there was still one thing she was worried about. ¡°Now you should know what a terrible


    woman I am, right?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you think, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll always love you.¡±


    David spoke softly, but Rachel sensed his domineering aura in an instant. She clenched her fingers


    slightly, grabbing her phone even tighter.


    Rachel took a deep breath, managing to calm herself down.¡°Do you really know what kind of person I


    am? Do you really not care about these photos?¡±


    She thought any man would be suspicious at the sight of these photos, and David was no exception.


    Once they became doubting, her fate was doomed.


    No one would care if she was innocent or not. In their eyes, she had be an evil woman who


    deserved to die.


    She had been abandoned so many times.


    If she and David were destined to get their separate ways, she wanted to be the one who offered to


    break up, not the one who was dumped.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re vulnerable and sensitive inside, but it shouldn¡¯t be the reason for you to push me away.¡±


    David sounded a bit annoyed, but what he said touched the softest part of Rachel¡¯s heart like a tiny


    hook.


    She was lost for a while.


    Then a magical warmthing out from her heart spread throughout her body.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, let¡¯s get married!¡±

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, let¡¯s get married.¡±


    There was no smooth talk or pledge of undying love.


    But these few in words from David shocked Rachel, like thunder rumbling in her ears.


    When she heard that, her eyshes fluttered in panic.


    Although David did not say that much, she understood the profound meaning behind his words.


    He was showing his determination in this way.


    He wanted to say that he wouldn¡¯t abandon her and be willing to take care of her and protect her for the


    rest of his life whether she was poor, old, ill, or in difficulty.


    Rachel felt as if someone had just stuffed a cotton ball into her throat. Bitterness and sourness surged


    in there, and she could not utter a sound. Warm tears welled up constantly, gradually blurring her


    vision.


    Rachel secretly bit her cheek and moved her hand from the corner of the table to her knees, grabbing


    her dress tightly.


    Why did God not let her meet David a bit earlier?


    After a long time, she took a deep breath and said, managing to keep her voice from trembling, ¡°I¡¯ll take


    care of this.¡±


    David didn¡¯t say anything but listened patiently on the other end of the line.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be a w or weakness in your life. I will do my best to be a woman who is worthy of


    you in every way!¡± Rachel promised.


    Since David would not leave her, she was willing to do anything for him.


    ¡°Alright.¡± David said dotingly, ¡°Kid, don¡¯t force yourself to do anything. If your can¡¯t take it anymore, just


    cry.¡±


    When Rachel heard that, a hint of a smile appeared in her misty eyes. ¡°I know.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, she let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Come on, tell me what to do!¡± Mary, who was sitting on the sofa, was like a


    warrior ready to fight, her eyes full of anger and determination.


    Seeing her like this, Rachel could not help but smile. ¡°It¡¯s time to use your marketing ount.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mary frowned slightly and asked in confusion, ¡°What are you doing?! Do you want


    more people to see the post?¡±


    Rachel nodded and slowly stirred the coffee in her hand, saying calmly, ¡°I¡¯m sure the Smith family did it!


    They wanted to take this opportunity to divert everyone¡¯s attention and ruin my reputation!¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Mary raised an eyebrow, listening with interest.


    She had long known that Rachel was a scheming girl.


    When they were at school, Rachel looked like an obedient student, but she was actually full of evil


    tricks. However, because of her good academic performance, the teachers all liked her, and the


    parents of other students all hoped that their kids would be as outstanding as her.


    Even if she did something wrong, as long as it did not cross the line, people would forgive her.


    ¡°Since the Smith family wants to y the game, I don¡¯t mind ying with them.¡± Rachel looked up at


    Mary and said with a meaningful smile, ¡°What the Smith family care about the most is power and


    status. Since I could help them get this bit by bit, I can make them lose everything and go back to their


    old lives, of course!¡±


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s tooplicated. Why don¡¯t you just make them go bankrupt?¡± Mary asked.


    Hearing that, Rachel shook her head lightly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more torturous than losing something


    after obtaining it. I won¡¯t bring them down until they enjoyed being surrounded by people like stars. I


    want them to feel the pain of watching themselves lose but unable to do anything about it.¡±


    Rachel said indifferently, her tone full of disdain and arrogance. When Mary heard this, she felt a chill


    down her spine.

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217


    However, Mary was not worried about Rachel because she knew that Rachel had never been a weak


    and submissive person.


    Nheless¡­


    ¡°But I still think we should make the Smith family bankrupt!¡± Mary looked at Rachel with a hint of


    persistence in her eyes.


    She gritted her teeth in hatred when she thought of those ungrateful people from the Smith family.


    If Rachel hadn¡¯t appeared three years ago, the Smith family wouldn¡¯t have existed in Seaxas.


    It was no exaggeration to say that without Rachel back then, there would be no upstart Smith family in


    Seaxas!


    ¡°One should never forget those who helped them in difficult times.¡± However, these heartless people


    were not only ungrateful, but they also wanted to go against Rachel!


    Rachel could not help butugh. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it to gain a pyrrhic victory.¡± Moreover, there was still


    something she had yet to figure out.


    Before she figured it out, she would let the Smith family be free for a while. Mary nced at the clock


    and raised her eyebrows. Her eyes flickered with a sly light. ¡°It¡¯s time for afternoon tea. Shall we go?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Rachel said, ¡°The greatest benefit of being a boss is that you have the final say when you go


    to and from work!¡±


    This was the biggest thought Rachel had since she became the CEO of the Johnson Corporation.


    The two of them took the elevator down to the underground parking lot.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as they walked out of the elevator, Eddie, who was dressed in a suit,


    approached them.


    He nodded politely and respectfully at Mary. Then, he looked at Rachel and said humbly, ¡°Miss Grey,


    Mr. Jones has been waiting for you.¡±


    Rachel was slightly stunned. ¡°He has been waiting for me?¡±


    Eddie¡¯s smiled faintly. ¡°Mr. Jones is worried about you. He has been waiting


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    for you here since the incident happened.¡±


    ¡°So David was already here when he called?¡±


    Rachel looked past Eddie at the car parked in the dark.


    The person in the car seemed to have sensed something and slowly lowered the car window.


    Behind the car window, a well¨Cdefined face gradually appeared. His facial. features were exquisite and


    well¨Cdefined. It was perfect.


    Especially that pair of exquisite and deep eyes. Even a casual gaze revealed strong and fierce


    intimidation, making one feel astonished.


    Mary¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement and curiosity. When she looked into the man¡¯s eyes, her throat


    seemed to be tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and she forgot to breathe for a moment.


    At this moment, Rachel said hesitantly, ¡°Well, I¡­¡±


    Before Rachel could finish, she heard Mary say, ¡°Ipletely understand! Love over friendship!¡±


    Mary¡¯s words left Rachel at a loss of words.


    ¡°Can you lend me your car keys? My car is still parked at the Hilton Hotel!¡±


    ¡°Drive safe on the road.¡±


    Mary waved at Rachel with the car key and turned around to leave.


    When she heard the car door close, she immediately took out her phone and called Lucas. ¡°Something


    big happened to your sister!¡±


    Lucas, who was on the other end of the line, spat. ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m serious!¡± Mary stomped her feet anxiously. She exined immediately, ¡°Rae¨CRae left with a


    man. I¡¯m sending the car¡¯s license te number to you. You have to check itter!¡±


    Lucas immediately perked up. There was a hint of disdain in his tone. ¡°Send it over quickly and let me


    have a look!¡±


    ¡°My intuition tells me that you are no match for this man,¡± Mary said faintly.


    Lucas felt as if he had been insulted. ¡°Mae, you¡¯re just boosting others¡® morale and lowering one¡¯s


    prestige! Cut the crap and quickly send me that man¡¯s license te number! I¡¯m going to investigate


    him from top to


    bottom!¡±

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218


    Rachel got into the back seat of David¡¯s car.


    The man hooked his arm, wrapped one hand around Rachel¡¯s slender waist, and the other hand


    passed through the crook of her leg. He picked Rachel up horizontally and ced her on hisp.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    This sudden action made Rachel shout out in surprise. She subconsciously wrapped his arms around


    David¡¯s neck.


    The distance between the two of them was suddenly shortened.


    ¡°Do you know how hard it took me to resist the urge to take you away?¡± The man¡¯s deep, hoarse voice


    sounded beside her ear.


    Rachel lowered her head to hide the emotions in her eyes.


    After a moment of silence, she bit her lip and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± David looked at her red


    lips that were bitten by herself. He narrowed his eyes, and a dark and deep danger shed in them.


    ¡°Look at me!¡±


    His tone was casual, but when he finished speaking, it was more like an order that could not be


    disobeyed.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly. She slowly raised her eyes and looked at the man¡¯s dark and


    deep eyes without blinking.


    The moment their eyes met, she could see the darkness in the man¡¯s eyes.


    His eyes were dark with unfathomable emotion, making one feel inexplicably timid.


    ¡°David, I¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, the man grabbed the back of her neck and bent down to kiss her lips.


    The man¡¯s aura domineered every single cell in her body.


    He was more aggressive and expressive than usual. He gave his all. His ruthless bite was mixed with a


    wave of unknown anger, making Rachel unable to resist.


    Her hand that was pressed against the man¡¯s chest kept curling up as she gripped the man¡¯s shirt


    tightly.


    The man finally let go of her when she felt all the air in her lungs had been drained, and she was


    dazzled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it again!¡±


    The man¡¯s deep and cold voice sounded beside her ear


    In an instant, Rachel felt a chill rush throughout her entire body


    Rachel looked up and was caught off guard by the man¡¯s dark eyes.


    There was an undisguised dominance and tyranny hidden in his dark eyes. It was obvious that he was


    determined to get Rachel


    Suddenly, a smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s face.


    She leaned against the man¡¯s chest and said calmly, ¡°I remember mom telling me that every child is a


    gift from God to a family, so children should enjoy the love and pampering of their parents, but I¡¯ve


    never felt true love, and pampering.


    ¡°I¡¯ve experienced too much abandonment. Every time I¡¯m abandoned, I¡¯ll subconsciously think that the


    problem lies with me. Is it because I¡¯m not sensible enough? Is it because I didn¡¯t perform well enough?


    Is it because I¡¯m not obedient enough? However, even if I try my best to be better, I can¡¯t change their


    prejudice against me. I can¡¯t reverse the oue of being abandoned.


    ¡°So when the news was exposed online, I instinctively thought that I was going to be abandoned


    again.¡±


    There was a suffocating sense of oppression in the car.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave you behind!¡± David grabbed the back of her neck and leaned over to nt a light kiss


    between her eyebrows. ¡°No matter what happens, I will always be by your side.¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°I know.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    The moment David said that they were getting married, Rachel sensed his determination and firmness.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t have confidence in myself.¡±


    David was born to be the center of attention. He was destined to stand at the peak. His life should be


    dazzling and not be influenced by anything, not even by her.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t give up. I can change.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± David interrupted her firmly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to change yourself for anyone, including me. You are


    Rachel Grey, a distinct and unique individual.¡±

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219


    ¡°No one and nothing can be a reason for you to change yourself.¡± David stared at her. ¡°You don¡¯t


    have to change yourself. I¡¯ll slowly adapt to you¡­¡±


    Hearing his words, Rachel felt a lump growing in her throat without warning. Warm tears gradually filled


    her eyes.


    The tears that she had been holding back finally fell uncontrobly from the corners of her eyes, like


    broken pearls off a string.


    The heartache and panic that David felt at this moment finally defeated the calmness and restraint in


    his eyes.


    He hurriedly wiped away the tears on Rachel¡¯s face. ¡°Be good, don¡¯t cry. Let me hug you properly.¡±


    Listening to his clumsy coaxing, Rachel could not help butugh through her tears. ¡°David, do you


    know how to console girls or not?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± David frowned slightly and exined seriously, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know much about being


    gentle, but for you, I¡¯m willing to do my best.¡± When Rachel heard this, a smile appeared in her wet,


    almond¨Cshaped eyes.


    After pondering for a while, she said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, I don¡¯t ept verbal expressions of thanks¡­¡±


    Before David could react, Rachel kissed him lightly on the lips.


    Just like the kiss they sharedst night.


    It was short but gentle as if everything had just been David¡¯s imagination.


    Just as David leaned down, Rachel pressed against his chest. ¡°David, I only


    have an hour.¡±


    David frowned slightly and revealed a trace of displeasure as if he wereining about Rachel


    spoiling the mood.


    The car arrived at a Chinese restaurant.


    The authentic taste whetted Rachel¡¯s appetite as she ate a bowl of rice.


    At this moment, her phone on the table suddenly rang.


    She took a look and hurriedly swallowed the rice in her mouth, but choked on it and started coughing.


    The next second, a well¨Cdefined hand handed her a ss of water.


    Rachel hurriedly took a sip and picked up the phone.


    ¡°Rachel!¡± Lucas¡¯s deafening voice entered Rachel¡¯s ears through the phone


    receiver.


    Instinctively, she pulled the phone away from her and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Bullshit! Do you know


    that the Inte is filled with posts defaming you!¡± ¡°They might not be ndering me,¡± Rachel said.


    Lucas gathered something from her words and sneered. ¡°You could fool an idiot with those photos, but


    they were like child¡¯s y to me!¡±


    Those photos were a mixture of real and fake ones. Most of them had been. processed and


    synthesized through special methods.


    ¡°Then why are you asking me about it when you already know?¡±


    Lucas was speechless.


    Why did he feel like he had been tricked?


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already hacked all the posts¡­¡±


    ¡°Who told you to hack them?!¡± Rachel said, ¡°Mary and I spent a lot of effort. just to be popr.


    Why did you hack them just like that? Now hurry up and release the posts!¡±


    Lucas, who was on the other end of the phone, felt that something was. wrong. He had helped Rachel


    out of goodwill. However, not only did this little girl not appreciate it, but she was even using him of


    doing something wrong!


    ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re getting bolder and bolder. Who are you shouting at here? I¡¯m the real godfather of the


    Scarlet Cyber Union. I might not agree to help others even if they asked. I¡¯m helping you out of


    kindness here, and yet you¡¯re ming me instead!¡±


    ¡°Did I beg you to help me? Didn¡¯t you take action first without telling me, and then mess up my n?


    Many people want to help me. Even if it were ording to the seniority ranking, it wouldn¡¯t ever be your


    turn! Every time I


    ask


    you to help me is to show you some respect. Now that you¡¯re saying this, it¡¯s obvious that you don¡¯t


    want that respect even if I offer it to you!¡±

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220


    On the other end of the phone, Lucas finally understood what the saying ¡°Only women and small¨C


    minded men are difficult to deal with¡± meant.


    ¡°I want it!¡± Met with Rachel¡¯s total control, Lucas¡¯s attitude was sincere. He lowered his head and


    admitted his mistake without pausing. ¡°It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t want the respect others give to me, but I can¡¯t


    refuse the respect given by our Miss Grey. Who are you? You¡¯re the Johnson family¡¯s proper little


    princess! It¡¯s my blessing that you¡¯re willing to give me a chance to help you! It¡¯s my supreme honor!¡±


    Faced with this excessive praise, Rachel sighed from the bottom of her heart. ¡°You¡¯re worth teaching


    yet.¡±


    Lucas was speechless once more.


    He suspected that this girl was trying to manipte him!


    ¡°Same rules as always. We¡¯ll keep this between us.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Lucas patted his chest and promised. ¡°But let¡¯s make it clear first. If you truly get


    wronged or bullied, I can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing.¡±


    Hearing this, amusement seemed to sh past Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°With my vengeful personality, who


    could bully me?¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel picked up her fork.


    When she looked up, she happened to meet David¡¯s teasing eyes. Her eyshes trembled in panic.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very happy to get to know you again,¡± David said as he stood up and handed the peeled prawns to


    Rachel.


    Rachel could not help a blush spreading across her fair face. She asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m too


    unreasonable?¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± David smiled faintly. ¡°I love you. Whether it¡¯s good or bad things, I love them all as long as


    theye from you.¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s sudden expression of love, Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and then it sped up


    uncontrobly.


    She lowered her head to hide the blush on her face and silently ate the dish


    in her bowl.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t need my help?¡± David asked.


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°I can handle it.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you my bottom line.¡± David took out a tissue and slowly wiped the oil stains on his fingers


    away. ¡°If you suffer any sort of loss, or if anyone. bullies you, I don¡¯t mind expelling the Smith family


    from Seaxas!¡±


    His casual tone was filled with insufferable arrogance and an unrestrained


    sense of dominance.


    Rachel looked up at him.


    The man¡¯s dark and deep eyes were like endless ck holes, or an abyss filled with corpses.


    The moment their eyes met, it sent shivers down her spine and inexplicably made her feel like giving in.


    For some reason, the warning Lucas gave Rachel suddenly appeared in her


    mind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him. I¡¯ve only heard some rumors about him. It¡¯s said that hees from a country that


    we can¡¯t reach. That ce exists independently and doesn¡¯t belong to any country or organization in


    this world¡­.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, stay away from him. He¡¯s not a good person¡­¡±


    Even though Lucas¡¯s warning had always been engraved in Rachel¡¯s heart, how could she restrain her


    heart from falling further into love when she was faced with such a person who doted on and indulged


    her all the time?


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Her eyes were fixed on David¡¯s exquisite face.


    Caught off guard, Rachel blurted out, ¡°David, are you a good person?¡±


    When David heard this, a hint of gloominess shed across his dark eyes. ¡°That depends on what kind


    of ssification you have for good and bad.¡±


    He put down the cup in his hand and stared at Rachel with a burning gaze. His eyes were filled with a


    calm sort of malice. ¡°When a good person makes a mistake, people will say that his true colors have


    been revealed. When a bad person does a good deed, he will be hailed as turning over a new leaf. So


    what¡¯s the distinction between good and bad?¡±


    His voice was low and slow, conveying a lethal danger.

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221


    A faint smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s lips, and her clear almond¨Cshaped eyes were filled with a gleam.


    ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯m not considered a good person, and I don¡¯t like so¨Ccalled good people.¡±


    The maliciousness in David¡¯s eyes gradually dissipated and was reced by interest.


    ¡°So?¡± There was a smile on his lips as he looked at her indulgently.


    Rachel put down the forks in her hand and picked up a tissue to wipe the corners of her mouth. She


    slowly folded the tissue and ced it in the corner of the table. Every move she made disyed her


    innate nobility vividly.


    She looked up at David, her eyes shining with determination. ¡°We¡¯re a match. made in heaven!¡±


    Perhaps before David proposed, or even earlier, she had a chance to escape unscathed.


    She had also imagined that she would retreat after learning about David¡¯s unknown side.


    However, at this moment, facing the man in front of her, her rationality told her to stop seeing him, but


    her selfishness told her that she could do anything for this man who favored her.


    She remembered that when they first met, David told her that she could be


    loved.


    In their subsequent interactions, he had indeed used his actions to prove it to


    her.


    Since David could get closer to her without caring about anything else, she thought she should take a


    bold step forward too.


    The moment David heard Rachel¡¯s expressing her feelings, he felt something explode in his mind,


    leaving only a nk space.


    He sat on the spot in a daze, and aplicated gleam flickered through his sharp ck eyes.


    ¡°Can you give me a ride to thepany?¡± Rachel looked at David, who was sitting opposite her with


    an unreadable expression.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Upon hearing his answer, Rachel stood up and walked towards the door. However, before her hand


    could touch the door, the man grabbed her arm and hugged her so tightly as if he wanted to rub her


    into his body. ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave me!¡± The man¡¯s head was tightly buried in her neck. His thin lips were


    pressed against her temples, and his deep and cold voice slowly entered her ears. ¡°I won¡¯t give you


    any chance to leave me.¡±


    From the moment he saw Rachel, he firmly believed that this woman was destined to be a unique


    existence in his life.


    She was something out of his control, the woman he was certain and determined to get.


    A bright smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s lips. She slowly looked up and met his eyes. ¡°What a coincidence.


    I was thinking that you can never get rid of me for the rest of your life!¡±


    When the two of them walked out of the private room, Rachel sensitively


    noticed the whispers around her and behind her.


    She guessed that Lucas had re¨Creleased the post.


    This move would undoubtedly boost Jane¡¯s confidence.


    The original post had mysteriously disappeared. Jane felt uneasy and wondered if someone was


    helping Rachel behind the scenes.


    Now that everything had returned to normal, Jane was certain that the other


    party¡¯s power was not very great.


    However, after a few minutes of excitement, the door was suddenly kicked open from the outside.


    Before Jane could react, Louis strode in and grabbed her cor, lifting her up from the chair. His sinister


    gaze swept across theputer screen andnded on Jane. He said in an icy tone, ¡°As expected, you


    did it!¡±


    Jane¡¯s heart skipped a beat and her eyes flickered. ¡°What do you mean I did it? I don¡¯t understand


    what you¡¯re talking about!¡±


    She subconsciously turned off theputer screen. In her panic, she was still a step toote.

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222


    Chapter 222 Squeezing Her Neck Hard


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re still denying!¡± Louis gritted his teeth and red at her. He pressed her head and her face tightly


    against theputer screen. ¡°Then tell me what this is! Say it!¡±


    Jane had been pampered since she was young. Although she was unruly and willful and always


    caused trouble, it was rare to see Louis looking at her with such a cruel gaze.


    His hand gripped her neck tightly. Soon, Jane felt a little short of breath.


    She instinctively reached out her hands to pull Louis¡® hands. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m your sister!¡±


    At this moment, a tumultuous shuffle of footsteps came from the door.


    Mrs. Smith rushed in with a panicked expression. When she saw Louis¡® furious face, her pupils could


    not help but dte. ¡°Louis, Jane is your sister. Can¡¯t you talk with her?¡±


    The moment Jane saw Mrs. Smith, it was as if she had seen a life¨Csaving straw. Her eyes flickered.


    ¡°Mom, save me! Louis is gonna strangle me to death!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mrs. Smith could not think about anything else anymore. She hurriedly rushed


    forward and pped Louis¡® back hard. With tears in her eyes, she criticized Louis, ¡°Jane is your sister.


    Even if there¡¯s any conflict. between the two of you, as the big brother, you should always go easy on


    her!¡±


    Perhaps out of sheer fear, she did not know where she found the strength, but she forcefully pushed


    Louis away as he remained indifferent. She held Jane tightly in her arms as if shielding her from harm.


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    The moment Jane pounced into Mrs. Smith¡¯s arms, tears rolled down the corners of her eyes. Jane


    looked at Louis with resentment in her eyes. Obviously, she did not think she had done anything wrong.


    Mrs. Smith caressed Jane¡¯s head and did not forget to me Louis. ¡°If something happens to the


    company, you can vent your anger on those ruthless shareholders. How could you run home and bully


    your sister? Is that what you call being a man? You actually dared to hit your sister. I think you¡¯ve


    lost your mind!¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯d better see what she did!¡± Louis said as he threw the phone in front of Mrs. Smith.


    Mrs. Smith was stunned when she saw the post. She lowered her eyes and looked at Jane, who was


    hiding in her arms.


    Jane lowered her eyes guiltily. She bit her lip and did not move.


    ¡°Jane, did you really do this?!¡±


    Unable to avoid the situation, Jane finally broke free from Mrs. Smith¡¯s embrace and dered, ¡°Yeah, I


    did it. So what?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you discuss this with your family?¡± Mrs. Smith did not me Jane as others had imagined.


    ¡°If someone finds out that you did this, what will happen to your reputation?¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± Jane nced at the gloomy Louis. ¡°What right. does Rachel have to leave


    such a mess and leave? Didn¡¯t she hook up with a big shot? This post is now a hot topic. Let¡¯s see


    which man dares to want her


    from now on!¡±


    Not only did she want to ruin Rachel¡¯s reputation, but she also wanted her to be a rat that


    everyone despised and hated!


    When Mrs. Smith heard that, she subconsciously nced at Louis, who had a solemn expression, and


    sighed slightly. ¡°Jane was indeed a little rash this time, but wasn¡¯t she still anxious to stand up for you?


    Although our family didn¡¯t treat Rachel well back then, we never mistreated her. But how did she repay


    us?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if she doesn¡¯t want to sacrifice herself for you and Olivia, but why did she pretend to cooperate


    and create those photos? I think she can¡¯t wait to destroy you and Olivia, and even the Smith family!


    ¡°Since she¡¯s heartless, why should we be nice? In my opinion, Jane did a good job this time. Not only


    did she avenge you, but she also diverted everyone¡¯s attention. It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone.


    Besides, Jane isn¡¯t framing her. She¡¯s just telling the truth!¡±


    The kidnapping of Rachel on the eve of her marriage had always been something that bothered Mrs.


    Smith.

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223


    Chapter 223 Make The Same Mistake


    When Louis heard that, a mocking smile appeared on his face. ¡°Two birds. with one stone?¡±


    Seeing the situation, Mrs. Smith could not help but frown. ¡°What kind of expression is that? Could it be


    that you¡¯ve mellowed for Rachel at this time?!¡±


    Without waiting for Louis to speak, she continued, ¡°This time, Rachel caused trouble, causing the Smith


    family to be pushed to the center of the storm. It even caused the stock market of Smith Group to fall


    again and again. Even if you¡¯re soft¨Chearted, shouldn¡¯t you see the big picture? Now, she¡¯s the one


    who let us down. We haven¡¯t done anything bad to her!¡±


    ¡°Mr. David, Sir is asking for you. He has to ask you some questions.¡± At this moment, the butler ran


    over in a hurry.


    Louis could not help but clench his fists. He took a deep breath and said coldly, ¡°Got it.¡±


    With that, he turned around and left.


    However, when he reached the door, he instructed the servant beside him,


    ¨C ¡°Go and confiscate all the electronic equipment in Miss Smith¡¯s room! Other


    than the necessary three meals a day, don¡¯t send her anything!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Jane panickedpletely. ¡°Mom, did you hear what he


    said?¡±


    Mrs. Smith usually yed cards, drank tea, and chatted with those rich wives. She was very good at


    reading people¡¯s expressions.


    Her intuition told her that things might not be as simple as they seemed.


    She patted Jane¡¯s hand absentmindedly. ¡°Be a good girl and listen to your


    brother.¡±


    With that, she left without looking back.


    Meanwhile, Louis had already arrived at Old Mr. Smith¡¯s room.


    As soon as he entered, Old Mr. Smith took the initiative. ¡°Are you the one


    who caused all the thing on the inte?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Louis did not dare to hide anything and exined all of them.


    Old Mr. Smith was instantly infuriated. With a wave of his hand, the teacup on the table was knocked


    over and instantly shattered into pieces,


    sttering everywhere.


    Even so, Louis stood rooted to the ground, not daring to move.


    The room was filled with a suffocating oppressive aura.


    After a long while, Old Mr. Smith said, ¡°How do you n to resolve this


    matter?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡±


    With Rachel¡¯s hatred for him, she would definitely not forgive him.


    Apart from such a thing, she probably wanted to tear him into pieces, let alone forgive him.


    Old Mr. Smith slowly closed his eyes. His wrinkled face was covered with ayer of solemnity.


    ¡°Apologize to her. Regardless of whether she forgives you or not, you have to show your sincerity.¡±


    Louis looked up at the old man in surprise.


    After a moment, a hint of contemtion shed across his eyes. After pondering for a moment, he


    asked tentatively, ¡°Are you worried about the person behind her?¡±


    ¨C In the end, the reason why Louis flew into a rage against Jane and why Old


    Mr. Smith scolded Louis was the same. They were afraid of the person behind Rachel, whom they


    could not afford to offend.


    They were afraid of the person who had been hiding in the dark and protecting Rachel. They were even


    more afraid of Rachel¡¯s unknown identity.


    All the previous signs indicated that Rachel¡¯s identity was definitely not simple.


    They could not act rashly before they investigated clearly.


    But they did not think that Jane would actually cause such a huge disaster.


    At present, it seemed unlikely for the Smith family to reconcile with Rachel,


    let alone use her to advance their interests.


    Old Mr. Smith coughed heavily a few times. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that our previous guess wille true.¡±


    Previously, Matthew reminded Olivia that she had offended someone she should not have offended,


    which was why the Cruise family was targeted.


    If the person that Matthew mentioned was indeed Rachel, then the Smith


    family was making the same mistake.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Louis¡¯s pupils trembled fiercely. He looked at Old Mr. Smith with a heavy andplicated expression.

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224


    Chapter 224 Trouble


    ¡°Louis, it¡¯s not easy for us, the Smith family, to rise from the ashes, so I hope you can consider the big


    picture,¡± Old Mr. Smith said. ¡°The Cruise family is a warning to us, and we should choose carefully. I


    believe you know what to do.¡±


    He knew how proud and conceited a person Louis was.


    Butpared to the Smith family¡¯s future, Louis had to swallow his pride.


    If Rachel was really rted to the Johnson family, they had to protect the Smith family at any cost.


    Louis knew what Old Mr. Smith was thinking of.


    ¡°I understand.¡± He bowed slightly. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he walked towards the door without looking back.


    When he walked out of the room, he bumped into Mrs. Smith, who was eavesdropping at the door.


    Mrs. Smith met Louis¡® sharp gaze. She did not feel awkward about being caught eavesdropping.


    Instead, she looked anxious. ¡°Louis, tell me, did Jane cause trouble this time?¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Louis smirked coldly. ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t it toote for you to realize it now?¡±


    Hearing this, Mrs. Smith¡¯s pupils dted. She froze on the spot as if she had been struck by lightning.


    Even though Louis was angry, he had no choice but topromise in front of his mother. He took a


    deep breath and said expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way to resolve this matter. If you really want to


    help, keep an eye on Jane!¡±


    Mrs. Smith watched as Louis left. Her eyes were filled with panic andplicated emotions.


    The online public opinion about Rachel had caused some discussion, to the point where employees in


    thepany were talking about it in the restroom.


    ¡°Could the person in the photo really be Ms. Grey?¡±


    ¡°Previously, didn¡¯t Mr. Johnson say that Ms. Grey had been studying overseas all these years? Could it


    be true?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s such a scandal. As parents, they gotta do some damage control


    when their child screws up. They won¡¯t go around making a big deal out of it, will they?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe it, she¡¯s always so aloof like an ice queen, but behind the


    scenes, she¡¯s involved in this kind of thing! Who knows, she might be aplete slut!¡±


    As soon as she said this, it immediately made the other twopanions beside herugh.


    Before she could finish speaking, she heard the door of the cubicle behind her being kicked open.


    Linda¡¯s face seemed to be covered with ayer of ice. Her cold and sharp gaze swept over the three


    women who were standing in front of the sink and discussing animatedly. ¡°Do you dare to repeat what


    you just said?¡±


    The few of them looked at each other, as if they were saying, ¡°Why is there another person here?¡±


    They had long heard of Linda, the Special Assistant of Ms. Grey, who had always treated Ms. Grey¡¯s


    words as an imperial edict and followed her lead.


    ¡°M¨CMs. Galler!¡± One of the women in a pink dress smiled awkwardly. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    The restroom on the top floor was under maintenance, so Linda ran downstairs to use the restroom.


    Unexpectedly, when she went to the toilet, she happened to hear these gossipy women gossiping


    behind her back!


    Linda knew what these people in thepany called her behind her back.


    They said that she was Rachel¡¯spdog and she was under Rachel¡¯s thumb.


    Indeed, in her heart, Rachel had always been a sacred existence, just like


    Jessica¡¯s status in her heart.


    Therefore, she would never allow anyone to insult Rachel, not even one word!


    Linda looked at one of the women wearing a tight skirt and did not hesitate to retort, ¡°You¡¯re all dressed


    up, but we all know you¡¯re here to work! Someone who didn¡¯t know better would think you¡¯re a


    streetwalker!¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± The woman in the skirt was furious. She did not even care about the


    broken lipstick in her hand. She pretended to rush-


    forward and fight Linda.

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225


    Linda was not afraid. She walked to the sink calmly and said, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. If you don¡¯t


    understand, I don¡¯t mind repeating myself! You dress up all day long. Those who don¡¯t know might think


    that you¡¯re aplete slut!¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way! I¡¯m going to tear her mouth apart!¡± The woman in the tight skirt was so angry that


    her entire body was trembling. She red at Linda with red eyes. ¡°Linda Galler, are you fucking


    addicted to being apdog? Did Rachel give you some kind of potion? Do you think her farts smell like


    roses or something?¡±


    Linda turned off the tap, took a tissue, and slowly wiped her fingers. ¡°You¡¯re talking so dirty. Did you


    forget to wipe your mouth when you went to the toilet just now? Do you want me to help you?¡±


    Setting aside Linda¡¯s status in thepany, just the fact that she was also a close confidante of


    Rachel¡¯s was enough to make them realize they could


    not afford to mess with her.


    Thepanion of the woman in the tight skirt was worried that things would get out of hand. They


    quickly covered that woman¡¯s mouth and looked at Linda apologetically. ¡°Ms. Galler, she didn¡¯t mean it.


    Please ignore what she just said. It was all our fault before. We gotta go now.¡±


    As soon as they finished speaking, they dragged the tight skirt woman out of the restroom immediately.


    After the group of people left, Linda leaned against the sink with weak legs. She took a deep breath to


    calm herself down and returned to the top floor.


    However, just as she returned to her office, before she could sit down properly, Rachel¡¯s internal call


    came. ¡°Come to my office.¡±


    ¡°Right away!¡± After Linda hung up the phone, she quickly walked into Rachel¡¯s


    office.


    As soon as she entered, she heard Rachel ask, ¡°Did you quarrel with someone?¡±


    Linda was stunned for a moment. She bit her lip and nodded.


    Many people were watching her position with envy, just waiting for her to make a mistake and be


    punished so they could take her ce.


    Therefore, it was not strange for Rachel to know so quickly.


    ¡°Those people are trash¨Ctalking you behind your back.¡±


    She had expected Rachel to be enraged, but to her amazement, Rachel


    simply let out a softugh. ¡°Let them say what they will. Their words hold no power over me.¡±


    Before Rachel could finish her sentence, Linda refuted firmly, ¡°No!¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and stared at Linda with interest.


    Linda fidgeted with the hem of her garment as she struggled to find the words. ¡°You¡¯re not at fault. It¡¯s


    not you who¡¯s wrong, but rather those who have hurt you! You taught me that we should never forgive


    those who hurt us, but rather retaliate with the utmost directness!¡±


    Rachel looked at Linda and could not help but sigh. ¡°Linda, you¡¯ve really


    changed.¡±


    Linda had be more confident.


    She was no longer submissive and at the mercy of others.


    Upon hearing this, Linda¡¯s pupils trembled. Then, her lips curled into a smile. ¡°That¡¯s because you guys


    appeared in my life.¡±


    If not for them, Linda would still be living in a swamp of pain.


    To be more precise, if it were not for their appearance, Linda might have long disappeared from this


    world.


    They were the light of her life.


    Hence, she would not allow anyone to ruin them.


    At this moment, Linda¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She saw that there was no caller ID on it and frowned


    slightly. She hesitated for half a second before picking up the call.


    Rachel had already blocked Louis¡® contact information.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Louis had no choice but to call Linda and try to contact Rachel through her.


    After bearing Louis¡® words, Linda turned to look at Rachel and mouthed, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Smith from the Smith


    Group. He wants to see you.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly.


    It was just a subtle expression. Linda instantly understood. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know this Miss Grey


    you¡¯re talking about!¡±


    With that, she hung up.

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226


    Chapter 226 Higher-Ups¡¯ Mistake?


    After Louis¡® call was hung up, his expression suddenly became extremely gloomy.


    Louis¡® assistant, who was sitting in the front row, held his breath instinctively and tried his best to make


    himself inconspicuous.


    Since Miss Grey left the Smith family, her attitude toward Mr. Smith had been terrible.


    And even stranger, ever since then, the Smith family had encountered trouble after trouble. They had


    not had a day of peace.


    Miss Grey refused to see Mr. Smith now. It was obvious that she still hated Mr. Smith.


    Louis¡® assistant looked at Louis¡® expression and was downcast for a long time. Then, he asked


    gingerly, ¡°Mr. Smith, why don¡¯t we try our luck by taking the route back to Miss Grey¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°Do you know where she lives?¡± Louis looked at his assistant coldly.


    Louis¡® assistant was startled and stammered, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°That would¡¯ve been an impossible feat,¡± he thought.


    After Miss Grey left Smith Group, it was as if she had vanished. No one even knew her whereabouts,


    let alone hear any news about her.


    Louis sighed faintly and raised his hand to massage his temples. ¡°Go to Johnson Corporation.¡±


    Louis guessed that Rachel must be in Johnson Corporation now. Otherwise, Rachel could not have


    come and left as she pleased and eaten with Linda.


    As the car drove slowly, Louis¡® phone suddenly rang. It was a call from the bank president.


    ¡°Mr. Smith.¡±


    ¡°Mr. White.¡± Louis asked humbly, ¡°Was the loan that we previously applied for approved?¡±


    Hearing Louis¡® words, the person on the other end fell into a short silence. It was as if he found this


    topic rather difficult to broach.


    Mr. White pondered for a moment and said tentatively, ¡°Well, Mr. Smith, after


    the higher¨Cups reviewed the materials you submitted, they declined the loan. Why don¡¯t you try to


    submit your loan application to another bank?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t approved?¡± Louis frowned. His handsome face seemed to be shrouded with coldness. ¡°Did


    the higher¨Cups make a mistake?¡±


    ¡°In the past, every loan from Smith Group had been approved by this bank. The materials and loan


    applications would be reviewed and approved very quickly. Why was the loan declined this time?¡± Louis


    wondered.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, I can understand your feelings.¡± Mr. Whiteforted Louis. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve asked the


    higher¨Cups. They¡¯re not targeting you alone. Recently, the higher¨Cups have issued new rules and


    modified the policies. They¡¯ve judged the size of yourpany and the loan you applied for to be high¨C


    risk, so they rejected your application.¡±


    When Louis heard this, the expression on his face remained grim. His frown. deepened.


    After a long time, Louis said calmly, ¡°I understand. Thank you for your trouble during this period.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Louis secretly gritted his teeth and endured the anger swirling in his chest.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Louis wondered.


    ¡°Previously, the loan approval process had been exceptionally smooth. Why is it stuck at thest step


    this time?


    ¡°Could it be that the Johnson family had taken action?


    ¡°However, if it were really the Johnson family who did it, their punishment


    wouldn¡¯t have been so mild.


    ¡°But no matter what, the most important thing now is to find Rachel and try to appease the anger in her


    heart.¡±


    When the car was heading towards Johnson Corporation, Louis happened to see Rachel preparing to


    get into a car and leave.


    Louis threw caution to the wind. He rolled down the window and shouted, ¡°Rachel!¡±


    Hearing Louis¡® voice, Rachel¡¯s movements paused slightly.


    Rachel narrowed her eyes and looked at Louis, who had opened the car door and was rushing towards


    her.


    David, who was sitting in the car, saw Louis walking over quickly. David¡¯s


    eyes darkened and were shrouded with coldness.


    ¡°Give me a moment,¡± Rachel bent over and said to David.

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227


    Chapter 227 My Boyfriend Gets Jealous


    Rachel wore a champagne¨Ccolored silk dress with a light¨Ccolored suit.


    The hem of Rachel¡¯s dress swayed in the wind, drawing beautiful arcs, revealing her straight and


    tanned calves.


    Rachel¡¯s beauty had always been willful and rampant. Even if it was a casual


    nce, it was enough to make people focus all their attention on her.


    Especially at this moment when Rachel was silent, the coldness that


    assaulted her face was harder to ignore.


    Louis turned to look at the car beside him.


    The car window was dark, so Louis could not see the face of the person in the car clearly. However,


    Louis¡® intuition told him that the man in the car was the man he had seen previously.


    Perhaps it was Louis¡® pride at y, or Louis just wanted to prove in another way that he was unique to


    Rachel.


    Louis pondered for a moment and said slowly, ¡°Can we talk in private?¡±


    Rachel chuckled with a faint mocking look in her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s just talk here. After all, my boyfriend gets


    jealous easily.¡±


    Louis felt as if his heart had been ruthlessly stabbed by something. A dense pain surged up bit by bit.


    His hands, which had been hanging by his sides, suddenly tightened.,


    ¡°Mr. Smith, did youe here just to clench your fists?¡± Rachel¡¯s gaze swept past Louis¡® clenched


    hands and sneered tantly.


    Louis was stunned for a moment. He took a deep breath and took a bank card from his pocket. ¡°Take


    this. The password is your birthday.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Mr. Smith, what do you mean by this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to apologize on behalf of Jane¡­ No, I¡¯m here to apologize to you on behalf of the entire


    Smith family.¡± Louis paused for a second before he exined sincerely, ¡°Jane is young and impulsive.


    Don¡¯t hold it against her. This time, the Smith family has let you down. Take this money as our


    compensation to you.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. Rachel lowered her eyes slightly to hide the expression in her


    eyes.


    However, the casual aura around her was gone. Instead, it was filled with bloodthirsty ruthlessness.


    Suddenly, Rachel chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s this? The carrot¨Cand¨Cstick approach?¡±


    Her words were filled with sarcasm.


    Louis felt a burning sensation on his face. He licked his dry lips and said in a low and hoarse voice,


    ¡°This matter started because of me. I¡¯m sorry. I


    apologize to you.¡±


    ¡°If an apology suffices, bad karma wouldn¡¯t have existed in this world!¡± Rachel interrupted Louis coldly.


    ¡°An apology isn¡¯t enough to undo what you


    did to me this time!¡±


    Louis¡® expression froze, and a hint of panic shed across his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve never expected you to forgive


    me just like that. I merely hope that I can do my best to make it up to you. I know very well what you¡¯ve


    done for the Smith family all these years. I¡¯m grateful to you from the bottom of my heart. However,


    gratitude is one thing, feelings are another.¡±


    ¡°You know that I don¡¯t love you. If I had married you, you would only be more hurt, right?¡±


    Rachel looked at Louis mockingly. ¡°Who would be more hurt, Olivia or me?¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to help you recall why I was kidnapped?¡± The mocking smile on Rachel¡¯s face


    disappeared. Her sharp gaze was like a sharp knife that stabbed straight at Louis. ¡°You said personally


    that you would dine with me after work, and then we would choose my wedding dress. I waited


    downstairs foolishly, but where were you?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°You were probably sleeping with Olivia at that time and had forgotten about everything else!¡±


    Louis¡® pupils constricted, and his eyes trembled violently. It was as if


    someone had a fatal hold on him. His face turned uncontrobly pale.

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228


    Chapter 228 Suffer For Your Happiness?


    Louis slowly lowered his eyes and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    However, before Louis could finish speaking, Rachel raised her hand and pped Louis hard on the


    face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve let me down more than once! All these years, I¡¯ve been strategizing and working so hard for


    the Smith family, but how did you treat me?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with hostility. ¡°Now that the Smith


    family hase under criticism, you pushed me out to divert everyone¡¯s attention. You didn¡¯t hesitate


    to leak my privacy and nder me unscrupulously!¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten that if it weren¡¯t for me back then, the Smith family wouldn¡¯t have be the new


    rich of Seaxas? It is all because of me that the Smith family enjoys endless glory now. Without me, the


    Smith family is nothing!¡±


    Hearing this, Louis¡® expression tightened. He pursed his lips and muttered softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Rachel shouted coldly. She raised her hand and pped Louis hard on the face.


    Louis¡® head tilted to one side. There was a clear palm print on his cheek, but he did not dodge at all.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. I don¡¯t covet anything from the Smith family, nor do I care about the ridiculous title of


    Mrs. Smith! But you¡¯ve hurt me again and again! Now, you¡¯re using such a despicable method to frame


    me, yet you try to brush it off with the excuse of Jane being young and insensible. I¡¯m curious if there¡¯s


    something wrong with this heiress of the Smith family, who¡¯s in her early twenties. Has she not grown


    any smarter since her childhood? Is that why you can be self¨Crighteous and justify her mistake by


    iming she¡¯s young?¡±


    Louis understood the implication in Rachel¡¯s words. His expression changed slightly as he looked at


    Rachel with a gloomy gaze.


    ¡°Rachel, the Smith family has let you down in this matter. I¡¯m willing to make it up to you as much as


    possible. I hope you¡¯ll show mercy and not hold it against Jane. Moreover, if this matter blows up, we¡¯ll


    all be embarrassed, right?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel sneered unceremoniously. ¡°Are you nning to use coercion now that


    reconciliation doesn¡¯t work?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Louis frowned. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean then?¡± Rachel interrupted Louis with a domineering attitude. ¡°You offered me a


    bank card and a hypocritical apology, and I had to ept it? Or am I expected to be magnanimous


    because of your apology and forgive the Smith family for doing such a despicable thing?¡±


    ¡°Can I take it that you guys created such a farce online to force me to submit. and let the Smith family


    do whatever they want?¡±


    Louis looked at the aggressive Rachel in front of him, and his patience gradually ran out. ¡°Rachel, can


    you calm down? Why can¡¯t you listen to me calmly? When will you be as considerate as Olivia?¡±


    ¡°Considerate? Why must I suffer to make you guys happy?¡± Rachel sneered. ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have


    to disappoint you. I¡¯ve always been a vindictive person! Back then, I made the Smith family sessful.


    That gave you the confidence to test my bottom line repeatedly. But now, I regret it!¡±


    ¡°You have my word. I¡¯ll do my best to get the Smith family back to what it


    was!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s words sounded firmly in Louis¡® ears.


    Every word was like a thunderp that exploded in Louis¡® chest. Louis¡® pupils trembled violently as he


    looked at Rachel with aplicated expression.


    However, Rachel put her phone in her bag without any hesitation and turned


    around to leave.


    Yet, when Rachel bent down to get into the car, she suddenly thought of something and stopped in her


    tracks.


    Rachel turned slightly and asked coldly, ¡°Louis, have you been to Phareborough?¡±

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229


    Chapter 229 Overwhelmed In An Instant


    This question had been nagging at Rachel.


    After all, this was the reason why Rachel had chosen Louis despite her family¡¯s objections back then. It


    was the reason why she had worked so hard for the Smith family.


    The moment Rachel blurted out this sentence, her heart was in her throat.


    When Louis heard Rachel¡¯s words, a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.


    Rachel looked at Louis quietly and suddenly had an answer in her heart.¡±


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    A faint and cold smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s red lips. Without any hesitation, Rachel opened the car


    door and bent down to get into the car.


    The car started to drive away, leaving Louis rooted to the ground.


    When the carpletely disappeared from Louis¡® sight, Louis suddenly


    remembered what Rachel had said.


    ¡°Back then, I made the Smith family sessful. That gave you the confidence to test my bottom line


    repeatedly. But now, I regret it!¡±


    ¡°You have my word. I¡¯ll do my best to get the Smith family back to what it


    was!¡±


    Louis wondered, ¡°Would Rachel do that?¡±


    If it had been the past Rachel, who was submissive to him, Louis firmly believed she would not do that.


    After all, the Smith family had experienced many twists and turns when they made aeback back


    then, and Rachel had put in a lot of effort to help the Smith family.


    ¡°But what about the current Rachel?¡± Louis thought.


    First, Rachel had experienced Louis¡® betrayal of her. Now, she had


    encountered the trouble caused by Jane.


    With Rachel¡¯s personality, she would definitely not let the matter rest!


    At the thought of this, Louis trembled uncontrobly.


    A chill spread from the soles of his feet to his limbs and bones, making him shiver uncontrobly.


    In his panic, he quickly took out his phone to contact Old Mr. Smith.


    However, on second thought, the Smith family now was no longer the same as the Smith family of the


    past. It would be impossible for Rachel to destroy the Smith family that easily.


    The Smith family had so many important development projects on their hands. As long as the loan was


    approved and the government approved the projects, it would be enough to protect the Smith family¡¯s


    current status.


    Therefore, it was simply impossible for Rachel to bring down the Smith. family now!


    Ever since Rachel got into the car, she had been silent as she looked at the scenery outside the car


    window.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that your boyfriend will be jealous now?¡± David¡¯s cold and maic voice sounded


    from behind.


    Rachel snapped out of her thoughts and looked at David¡¯s outstretched arm. She understood his


    gesture and leaned over. ¡°I suddenly feel that my persistence over the years had been ridiculous.¡±


    In the end, it turned out that the truth she firmly believed in was meaningless.


    Rachel suddenly felt that her persistence over the years had be


    ridiculous.


    ¡°You went to Phareborough?¡± David suddenly asked.


    Aplicated look shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes. She hesitated for half a second before nodding. ¡°I


    once attended summer camp there with Lucas. When I couldn¡¯t fall asleep at night, I slipped out of the


    school through the wall and unknowingly barged into that ce¡­¡±


    In that ce, Rachel had witnessed the fragility of human life and the cruelty


    and numbness of human nature.


    Time seemed to have been deliberately slowed down by God. Every minute and second became


    iparably torturous.


    Under the rain of bullets, everyone covered their ears and hid in the filthy corners, like rats struggling at


    death¡¯s door.


    That was the most painful memory in the depths of Rachel¡¯s memory.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a ce for girls,¡± David said.


    When Rachel heard this, she sat up straight and stared at David with clear, pretty eyes. It was as if she


    could see into the depth of his being.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Rachel lowered her eyes and shook her head gently.


    A long time ago, she had escaped that bloody and turbulent night with that person¡¯s protection.


    At that time, that man had said the same thing.


    All these years, Rachel had been struggling to find the answer. Yet, the


    moment when she asked Louis the question, it suddenly seemed meaningless.


    However, what David said next overwhelmed Rachel in an instant¡­

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230


    Chapter 230 Take The Money And Let It Go


    David¡¯s tone was casual. ¡°I have been to Phareborough. Perhaps we have met there before?¡±


    At that, Rachel¡¯s entire being froze.


    Her heart, however, still pounded rapidly.


    She stared unblinkingly at the man in front of her as if trying to discern more information through his


    eyes.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± David lifted her chin with his fingertips, a faint smile with a hint of indifference on his


    lips.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly as she leaned against David¡¯s shoulder again.


    In that instant.


    An absurd thought had struck her.


    However, she did not dare to act rashly without confirmation, for she was worried that she would be


    disappointed again.


    David tucked her hair behind her ear, his fingers slightly bending as he did so. ¡°Are you going to let the


    Smith family go just like that?¡±


    At that, Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered meaningfully, and her hand gently stroked the phone she held. ¡°It is not


    that simple.¡±


    The Smith family may have been the one who started this game, but whether the game could end and


    when it would end was up to Rachel Grey!


    When Louis got home, he received a call from Olivia.


    Her tone dripped with gratitude as she spoke. ¡°Louis, thank you for everything you have done for me.¡±


    The Inte was currently in an uproar due to those inappropriate photographs of Rachel Grey. There


    was almost no need for instigation or anyone to guide public opinion, for thements section was


    already filled with criticisms of Rachel Grey.


    Thements section was overflowing with all kinds of vicious and mean


    rebukes.


    The post about her rtionship with Louis also ceased to be a center of


    attraction because of that, and she seized the opportunity to remove that topic.


    She was naturally happy that Rachel Grey¡¯s reputation had been ruined.


    However, the most gratifying thing was that Louis did not hesitate to expose Rachel¡¯s privacy to protect


    her.


    As expected, this woman was no match for her at all!


    She did not even need to take the initiative to attack, for Rachel Grey had already been defeated.


    The most painful thing in the world was the person she once deeply loved giving her a mortal blow, and


    she believed that Rachel now knew what


    torture that was.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Louis found himself at a loss for words at Olivia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Louis, my father is very grateful for everything you have done for me, so he wants to invite you over for


    a meal so he can thank you in person.¡± Olivial


    paused for a moment. ¡°So when will you be free?¡±


    Louis frowned imperceptibly. ¡°I have a lot of work to deal with recently. How about when I am done with


    them?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Olivia¡¯s tone was gentle and considerate. ¡°No matter how busy you. are, you must still take


    good care of yourself. Otherwise, my heart will ache.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After he hung up, he threw the phone on the sofa, and then he also sank onto the sofa exhaustedly.


    When Mrs. Smith walked down from the room on the second floor, she saw Louis slumped on the sofa.


    She could not help but be anxious. ¡°How is it? Is the matter settled?¡±


    Louis¡® countenance was expressionless. ¡°She refused to forgive and let it go.¡±


    The look on Mrs. Smith¡¯s face was one of scorn. ¡°She prefers a harsh


    punishment to our gentle offer! Does she think that the Smith family will be afraid of her? Now that


    something like this has happened, why does she not just take the money and let it go? Why must she


    put on airs? Now that themotion on the Inte is getting increasingly intense, is she still hoping


    that her backer will help her?¡±


    ¡°So you chose to stand by and do nothing?¡± A rich and aged voice demanded


    at the door.

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231


    Chapter 231 An Outsider


    Louis suddenly sat up. When he saw Old Mr. Smith walking over on crutches, he quickly stood up and


    nodded slightly to greet him. ¡°Grandpa.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith often yelled at Mrs. Smith recently. Though she was full of resentment, Mrs. Smith did


    not dare to show it on her face. She put on a respectful look and call out, ¡°Old Mr. Smith.¡±


    ¡°Tell me how you negotiated with Rachel.¡± Old Mr. Smith stared at Louis, his sharp eyes full of scrutiny.


    ¡°As long as she¡¯s willing to forgive us, we can hold a press conference to help her rify it.¡±


    When Mrs. Smith heard this, she immediately raised her head and said angrily, ¡°Old Mr. Smith, what¡¯s


    wrong with you? She was the one who let us down first. Why should we rify it for her when she was


    caught in scandals? ¡°Besides, if Louis does as you say, it¡¯s like pping him in the face in front of


    everyone!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Old Mr. Smith hit the floor hard with his walking stick.


    Hearing the noise, Mrs. Smith felt like the stick was hitting her heart and she immediately fell silent.


    ¡°Why would my son marry an ungrateful woman like you? If it weren¡¯t for Rachel¡¯s advice, there¡¯s no


    way the Smith family could get out of the crisis and rise again. Everything you have now is earned by


    Rachel! You wear fancy clothes and luxurious jewelry. You do nothing every day except for drinking


    coffee and ying cards. How can you live such afortable life without her?


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t sowed discord between Louis and Rachel back then, they would have married a long


    time ago. There wouldn¡¯t have been so much trouble! Don¡¯t you feel ashamed to use her of letting


    us down?¡±


    Old Mr. Smith retired years ago because of his illness. After handing thepany over to Louis, he


    had been living in his own small vi to enjoy his retirement life. He rarely asked about thepany¡¯s


    business and had never interfered with his family¡¯s affairs.


    He had been tough when he was young. But now, everyone thought his temper had softened and he


    cared about nothing other than his health.


    It turned out that they were wrong. When Old Mr. Smith lost his temper, they


    were so frightened that they did not dare to make a sound.


    ¡°Grandpa, I should be med for letting Rachel down. I already realized my mistakes. But no matter


    what I said, she refused to forgive me.¡± Louis sighed faintly and told Old Mr. Smith about his


    conversation with Rachel.


    Upon hearing this, Old Mr. Smith¡¯s face turned solemn. ¡°Did she really say that?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Louis nodded seriously. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mrs. Smith, who had been struggling to hold back her anger roared, ¡°How dare Rachel say that? Did


    she think that the Smith family was still as down and out as three years ago? Why did you apologize to


    her? It was unnecessary to do so! Someone kidnapped her and took those photos. She deserved it! A


    woman like her should¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Old Mr. Smith interrupted her coldly.


    He looked at Mrs. Smith, his sharp eyes darting fire.


    When Mrs. Smith met his gaze, she hurriedly lowered her head and forced back the rest words.


    ¡°As an elder, how could you say something like that?¡±


    Mrs. Smith was not convinced, and she thought Old Mr. Smith was not reasonable at all. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t


    want the others to gossip about her, she shouldn¡¯t have done such a thing. Why should we cover up


    her dirtyundry?¡± Rachel was just an outsider to them. Mrs. Smith did not understand why Old Mr.


    Smith would put her first instead of the Smith family when something happened.


    ¡°Fortunately, she took the initiative to break up with Louis. Otherwise, Louis would have beenughed


    at by others! Once words get out, the Smith family will be a standing joke with everyone!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Old Mr. Smith shouted angrily again. ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet. An outsider like you don¡¯t have the


    right to tell what the Smith family should do!¡±


    The word ¡°outsider¡± was like a knife stabbing into Mrs. Smith¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232


    Chapter 232 Bad News


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. She clenched her fists so tight that her sharp fingernails


    dug into her palms.


    She struggled to hold back her tears and said with a sneer, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m just an outsider. No matter


    how much I devote myself to this family, you won¡¯t take what I say seriously!¡±


    Louis tugged at her sleeve with a frown. ¡°Mom, stop¡­¡±


    Mrs. Smith shook off his hand and nced at him coldly before she said with a snort, ¡°Let me finish.¡±


    Since she married into the Smith family, the old man had never said a word to her in a pleasant


    manner. He would reprimand her at any time without taking her dignity into consideration.


    After all, she had given birth to the children of the Smith family. Even if she did not make any


    contributions, she deserved to be respected.


    However, it turned out that the old man only took her as an outsider!


    This was ridiculous!


    Before Mrs. Smith could speak, Mr. Smith rushed into the room. ¡°Bad news! Something big happened!¡±


    ¡°What happened? Why are you in such a panic?¡±


    Old Mr. Smith hated it the most when his son panicked every time something


    happened.


    Otherwise, he would not have passed his son and handed thepany to his grandson, Louis.N?velDrama.Org content.


    When meeting Old Mr. Smith¡¯s displeased gaze, Mr. Smith managed to calm himself down. He


    swallowed hard and exined, ¡°Rachel just posted a statement online, saying that the photos that went


    viral on the Inte were fake. Adrian Johnson, thewyer she hired also personally filed awsuit


    against those who spread rumors!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Old Mr. Smith stood up and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Did you just say ¡®Adrian Johnson¡®?¡±


    Adrian was a well¨Cknownwyer who had never lost a case.


    Not only was he one of the top 10wyers in the world, but he was also the


    second son of the Johnson family.


    He was proud and picky, and would not defend anyone simply for money.


    The Smith family wanted to hire him as a consultant at its peak but was mercilessly rejected.


    Now, he was personally defending a nobody like Rachel?


    If what had happened before was a coincidence, how could this be exined


    now?


    Though he knew it was a little ridiculous, Old Mr. Smith¡¯s suspicion about Rachel¡¯s identity was getting


    stronger.


    Panic flickered in his eyes as he fell onto the sofa with a heavy heart.


    ¡°Could it be that Rachel really is a Johnson?¡± he wondered.


    Unlike Old Mr. Smith, what Mrs. Smith was worried about was that Jane might be punished because of


    the incident.


    She grabbed her husband¡¯s hand and asked nervously, ¡°Have they found out who did it?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything yet.¡± Mr. Smith shook his head.


    Hearing that, Mrs. Smith calmed down a little.


    At this moment, Louis¡® phone suddenly rang. It was his assistant.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, bad news! Miss Grey exposed the recording of the conversation between you two!¡±


    ¡°What recording?¡± Louis frowned.


    The assistant said, ¡°You contacted Miss Grey in private today. She recorded your conversation. Now,


    this incident has be a trending topic online¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Louis suddenly disconnected the call.


    As soon as he opened Twitter, he saw an article titled ¡°Recording! Exposing the scumbag from the


    despicable Smith family in Seaxas!¡± on the trending


    list.


    The recording exposed Louis¡® dirtyundry. From the conversation between him and Rachel, the


    netizens could tell that the so¨Ccalled erotic photos of Rachel were just a way for the Smith family to


    divert attention.


    The most serious problem was that everyone knew what Jane had done!


    Louis¡® pupils constricted, and his eyes were filled with panic.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mrs. Smith was the first to notice that something was not right with him.


    Louis raised his eyes and said angrily, gritting his teeth, ¡°Rachel secretly recorded our conversation


    and posted it online. Now, theizens are all condemning the Smith family. They want Jane to pay the


    price.¡±

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233


    Chapter 233 Destroying The Smith Family


    ¡°What?¡± Mrs. Smith¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Even Old Mr. Smith, who was usually calm, had a trace of panic in his eyes.


    The old man found it hard to breathe and his face turned pale. He grabbed his clothes tightly, frowning


    in pain.


    ¡°The medicine! Feed him the medicine!¡± Mr. Smith was the first to react. He rushed up to the old man,


    took out the pills for heart infarction from his pocket, and poured some into Old Mr. Smith¡¯s mouth.


    He then stroked Old Mr. Smith¡¯s back to help him catch his breath.


    After quite a while, Old Mr. Smith slowly recovered.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    However, he looked like he had suddenly aged more than 10 years.


    He leaned against the sofa weakly and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Hold a press conference now. You must


    admit your mistake and tell everyone that you¡¯re willing to ept any punishment.¡±


    Louispressed his lips, a hint of coldness shing across his narrowed eyes. He said coldly, ¡°I see.¡±


    He did not expect Rachel to do so.


    For some reason, he suddenly remembered what Rachel had said to him not long ago.


    ¡°You have my word. I¡¯ll do my best to get the Smith family back to what it was!¡±


    Louis¡® eyes turned gloomy. He frowned and there was not the slightest warmth on his chiseled face.


    He thought Rachel was just bluffing back then. It turned out that she was serious.


    She really wanted to destroy the Smith family with her own hands!


    Louis clenched his fists tightly and struggled to hold back his anger, veins popping out on the back of


    his hands.


    After sending Old Mr. Smith back to his room to rest, Mrs. Smith could not help but curse, ¡°Rachel is


    such a vicious woman! I didn¡¯t expect us to fall for her trick!¡±


    ¡°Stop talking.¡± Mr. Smith sighed faintly and turned to look at Louis. ¡°Louis, I¡¯ll go to the office with you


    now.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Now, even though they were reluctant to admit their mistake, the Smith family had no choice but to


    lower their heads.


    After they left, Mrs. Smith was left alone in the room. The more she thought about it, the angrier he


    became.


    She felt like she was about to explode if she did not vent her anger right away. After changing her


    clothes quickly, she left home to find Rachel.


    However, just as she reached the door, she received the court summons.


    Looking at the words on it, Mrs. Smith couldn¡¯t stop her hands from trembling.


    Her legs felt so feeble that she suddenly fell to the ground.


    ¡°Madam!¡± The servant beside her eximed and rushed over to help her up.


    Mrs. Smith held her hand and said, ¡°Hurry up! Call Mr. Smith and Louis, and let them back right now!¡±


    -Louis stayed in the office to deal with thepany business. When Mr.


    Smith hurried back, he saw Mrs. Smith crying herself out of breath.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mr. Smith asked the servant beside him and found out what had happened a while


    later.


    ording to the regr procedure, the entire process would take some time from the filing of the


    lawsuit to the summons being issued.


    But Rachel¡¯swyer was Adrian Johnson.


    Maybe he had pulled strings and made the court speed up the process.


    ¡°Hubby, what should we do?¡± Mrs. Smith asked between sobs. ¡°Jane is so young, and she¡¯s a girl. If


    she really goes to jail, no man will want to marry her in the future.¡±


    Of course, Mr. Smith knew the severity of this matter.


    If they could not figure out a way, not just Jane¡¯s, but the whole family¡¯s reputation would be ruined.


    Sitting on the sofa, Mr. Smith kept smoking. After a long time, he said in a low voice, ¡°We must figure


    out a way to get Rachel to drop thewsuit.¡±

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234


    Chapter 234 Negotiation


    Hearing what her husband said, Mrs. Smith stopped crying. She sniffed and looked at Mr. Smith, her


    eyes red and puffy. ¡°Will she agree with it?¡±


    They knew very well that after what had happened at the Smith Group¡¯s anniversary celebration, they


    hadpletely fallen out with Rachel.


    So, it would be hard to make Rachel drop thewsuit.


    Moreover, Louis betrayed Rachel first. Now that Jane had caused such a huge trouble, Rachel would


    definitely not let it go easily.


    ¡°Whether she agrees or not, we must give it a try,¡± Mr. Smith looked at Mrs. Smith and said earnestly.


    Having been with this woman for so many years, how could he not know what Mrs. Smith was


    thinking?


    He hesitated for a moment before he continued, ¡°You have toe with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Before Mrs. Smith could reject him, Mr. Smith raised his hand and


    interrupted her. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like her, but this is about the Smith family. and Jane. Do you want to


    watch Jane go to jail?¡±


    Hearing this, Mrs. Smith fell silent.


    She slowly closed her eyes and sighed. Despite her reluctance, she spat out. a word, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll contact Rachel first.¡± Mr. Smith patted her hand, gesturing for her to


    rx.


    Rachel was a little surprised to receive a call from Mr. Smith.


    Old Mr. Smith had three sons. Unfortunately, none of them were outstanding.


    If Louis wasn¡¯t a smart, cute boy when he was little, Old Mr. Smith would not have valued his eldest


    son¡¯s family that much.


    The far¨Csighted Mrs. Smith knew it well, so she simply left Louis to Old Mr. Smith¡¯s care. Because of


    his son, Mr. Smith enjoyed many privileges over his


    two brothers.


    ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m Louis¡® father. Do you have time after work? I have something


    to talk to you about.¡± Although Mr. Smith did not do well in business, he was qualified as an elder, a


    father, and a husband.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°If you have something to tell me, just say it over the phone.¡±


    Facing the Smith family made her feel sick.


    If she had an option, she would not meet any of them.


    Mr. Smith did not expect Rachel to be so heartless. He felt a bit embarrassed, but he did not fly into a


    rage.


    He unwittingly looked at Mrs. Smith, who was sitting on the sofa. After thinking for a moment, he said


    calmly, ¡°Jane has been spoiled rotten since she was young. She¡¯s unruly and willful, and she always


    says something offensive to you. As her parents, we should be med for that. We apologize for what


    she did to you.¡±


    Hearing that, Rachel thought it would be inappropriate to be harsh to Mr.


    Smith.


    Now that he was sincere to apologize, Rachel did not interrupt him or


    disconnect the call.


    ¡°I called you mainly because I hope you can drop thewsuit.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    When Rachel heard this, her eyes turned cold. She said with a chuckle, ¡°Drop thewsuit? My time is


    precious. I don¡¯t want to waste it on joking around with you!¡±


    Her casual words were carrying obvious contempt and disdain.


    From Rachel¡¯s voice alone, Mrs. Smith could imagine how arrogant she was


    at this moment.


    This made her even angrier.


    Just as she was about to shoot back, she saw Mr. Smith eye her with a


    signal.


    Now that they were asking a favor from Rachel, they had to be humble and


    swallow the humiliation.


    Mr. Smith pondered for a moment before he braced himself and continued, ¡°Jane should be med for


    hurting you. As long as you¡¯re willing to withdraw thewsuit, I can promise you anything you want.¡±

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235


    Chapter 235 Jane¡¯s Future


    No one spoke on the other end of the line.


    Time passed bit by bit. Mr. and Mrs. Smilth felt like a blunt knife was rubbing against their hearts, which


    made them so frightened and nervous.


    After a long time, Rachel suddenly asked, ¡°How much Jane¡¯s future is worth. in your eyes?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    There was even a faint smile on their faces.


    ¡°Tell me whatever you want. But it¡¯s inconvenient to talk about it over the phone. I wonder if we can


    meet.¡± Mr. Smith continued to probe Rachel¡¯s


    attitude.


    Even though things hade to this point, they still clutched to a scrap of hope that Rachel would let it


    go for the old time¡¯s sake.


    Rachel knew the Smith family very well.


    She could even imagine how those people would pile on the moral pressure.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s inconvenient for you, there¡¯s no need for us to continue chatting.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t hang up!¡± Mr. Smith was afraid that Rachel would disconnect the call, so he hurriedly said,


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. Miss Grey, we prepared 2 million dors for you. Can you withdraw thewsuit?¡±


    Actually, they had not prepared the money at all.


    Mr. Smith said so because he wanted to test Rachel¡¯s appetite and to stall


    for time.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, do you think I¡¯ll be interested in this tip of money?¡± Rachel said, ¡°Keep it and hire a good


    lawyer for Miss Smith.¡±


    With that, she was about to hang up.


    Mr. Smith¡¯s anxious voice came from the phone, ¡°Miss Grey, there¡¯s still room. for negotiation!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel pressed the phone against her ear again.


    Mr. Smith continued, ¡°But we don¡¯t know what you want. Can you put it straight?¡±


    ¡°Well, 5% of the Smith Group¡¯s market value.¡± Rachel said casually, ¡°Also,


    want thend in the business district in South Valley.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith¡¯s faces


    darkened.


    The Smith Group¡¯s current market value was 60 million dors, so 5% was a


    lot of money.


    Thend in the South Valley business district alone was worth 10 million


    dors.


    These two items added up to a total of 13 million dors!


    It seemed like Rachel was trying to ckmail them!


    ¡°Rachel, you¡¯ve gone too far!¡± Mrs. Smith could not take it anymore and she snatched the phone from


    her husband. ¡°You want the shares and thend? Dream on! Do you really think the Smith family is so


    stupid that we¡¯ll give whatever you want?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t force you. So let¡¯s meet in court.¡± With that, Rachel hung up.


    When Mr. Smith heard the beepinge from the other end of the line, his face gradually turned cold.


    Mrs. Smith cursed angrily, ¡°Rachel is such a bitch! How dare she take the opportunity to ask for so


    much money? Isn¡¯t she afraid of being punished by


    God?¡±


    No matter what, she would not give so much money to Rachel,


    After a long time, Mr. Smith walked out with a gloomy face. ¡°I¡¯ll bank ount to see if we can gather


    enough money.¡±


    go check our


    As for thend in the South Valley, he needed to discuss it with Louis.


    After all, Louis was the person who was in charge of the Smith Group.


    When Mrs. Smith heard what he said, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°You really want to give her so much


    money?¡±


    That was a huge amount of money!


    Even if they could gather so much money, the Smith family might decline


    because of this.


    Mr. Smith¡¯s face darkened after Rachel hung up the phone. When he heard Mrs. Smith¡¯s words, he


    grew even more upset and impatient. ¡°Then tell me what to do! Besides satisfying her, can you figure


    anything out to save


    Jane?¡±

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236


    Chapter 236


    In the past, Mr. and Mrs. Smith had always thought that Rachel was just a viger girl who came to


    S*s alone.


    If she was not that smart and resourceful, there was no way the Smith family would take her in.


    However, ever since the vige girl they looked down upon left the Smith family, she seemed to be out


    of their league.


    Not only did she be the owner of mour Pavilion, but she could also make the most famous


    lawyer in the city, Adrian Johnson work for her.


    She was no longer someone they could afford to mess with now.


    At this moment, Mrs. Smith was so worried about Jane that she was not in the mood to think long-term


    as Mr. Smith did.


    ¡°No! Jane is so young. I won¡¯t let her go to jail no matter what!¡± Mrs. Smith¡¯s eyes were filled with panic,


    and she could not hold back her tears anymore. ¡°If she was imprisoned, she would never be able to


    raise her head in front of others in the future, and no one from a decent family in Seaxas would want to


    marry her.¡±


    Jane was locked in the room, and herputer and phone had been taken away by her parents, so


    she could notmunicate with the outside world.


    Even so, she could clearly hear the conversation between Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith downstairs. She


    did not expect Rachel to be able to prove her innocence with those photos, nor did she expect Rachel


    to sue her. If she did not withdraw thewsuit, Jane would most likely have to spend years in prison. At


    the thought that her reputation would be ruined and she would have to live under the same roof as


    those desperadoes in the future, Jane felt a chill down her spine. ¡°No! I can¡¯t go to jail! I don¡¯t want to


    go to jail!¡± she cried in her heart. Jane was so anxious that she wanted to break out of the room, but the


    door was locked and there was no way she could get out.


    She banged the door desperately, full of regret. If she had known that things would havee to this


    point, she would not have posted the photos of Rachel on the Inte.


    Downstairs, Mr. Smith looked at Mrs. Smith who was crying her heart out. He was not in the mood to


    comfort her, so he only said, ¡°I¡¯ll go consolidate the assets under my name. If it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll borrow


    some from my friends. I guess we can scrape together the money.¡± Mrs. Smith nodded in a daze.


    Mr. Smith nced at her before leaving. After a while, he sighed helplessly and left without looking


    back.


    Soon, Rachel learned from Lucas that the Smith family began to sell their shops.


    Those shops were located in the busiestmercial district and were worth a lot.


    ¡°You deserve to be a Johnson!¡± Lucas said smugly.


    He was not proud of the Johnson family, but of Rachel as a Johnson.


    People from the Johnson family were all vengeful.


    They would definitely return an eye for an eye.


    Under the influence of Old Mr. Johnson, Rachel was especially mean to those who offended her. She


    would seek revenge for the smallest grievance and let those people pay a hundredfold.


    ¡°You must buy the shops before anyone else does.¡± Rachel looked up at Lucas, who was sittingzily


    on the sofa, and said calmly, ¡°In less than five years, those shops will be priceless.¡±


    Lucas said, ¡°I won¡¯t let you down. You can feel assured.¡±


    After pausing for a moment, he suddenly sat upright and looked at Rachel curiously. ¡°I¡¯m curious. How


    much did you ask from them?¡±


    Rachel must have made a tough offer. Otherwise, the Smith family would not have given up those


    profitable shops. It seemed like they were selling their family assets.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and said with a faint smile, ¡°5% of the market value of the Smith


    Group¡­¡±


    Although the current Smith family could not bepared to the Four Families in Seaxas, it was in the


    second tier at least.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Five percent of the Smith Group¡¯s market value was a huge amount of money.


    The next second, Rachel¡¯s cold voice sounded again, ¡°Other than that, I also asked them to give me


    thend in the business district in South Valley.¡±


    Lucas was stupefied.

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237


    Chapter 237 It Was Wrong


    Lucas picked up the cup in front of him and took a sip, barely suppressing the shock in his heart.


    After he did not see her for a few years, this girl was even more ruthless than before.


    She had no intention of giving the Smith family a way out.


    Thinking of this, he could not help but mourn for the Smith family in his heart. However, the change in


    Rachel surprised him.


    Previously, Rachel had risked her life for Louis. Now, did she finally change her mind?


    Lucas looked at Rachel with a thoughtful look in his eyes.


    ¡°Did you ask Louis?¡±


    Arge part of the reason why Rachel stayed in the Smith family all these years was because of what


    had happened five years ago.


    Rachel didn¡¯t say a word about that night, so Lucas didn¡¯t ask.


    Based on his experience that night, he knew that something big must have happened to Rachel!


    This girl had always told him the good news and no bad news.


    The more she said that she was fine, the more likely it was that something big had happened.


    Upon hearing this, Rachel looked up at him. ¡°Wrong. It was wrong from the beginning.¡±


    When she asked Louis if he¡¯d ever been to Phareborough, she saw


    iprehension in his eyes, followed by revulsion, as if the existence of that ce were no different


    from what he considered trash.


    With thew and order in Phareborough, most people would show disgust and not care about it.


    However, this person should not be Louis.


    ¡°No wonder you showed no mercy to the Smith family.¡± Lucas could not help but chuckle.


    Rachel asked, ¡°Have you found any new clues?¡±


    Wrong


    Lucas shook his head and yed with the cup with his fingertips. He said casually, ¡°After all, there are


    very few clues left behind after five years. Moreover, since the other party wanted to hide his


    whereabouts back then, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let anyone find any clues.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the huge office was filled with a depressing atmosphere.


    After an unknown period of time, Rachel¡¯s phone rang. She could not help but have a headache when


    she saw the caller ID.


    She could manage to hide what happened on the Inte from her maternal grandfather, but it was


    simply impossible to hide it from her Uncle Tom who was very powerful.


    When Lucas saw the pained expression on Rachel¡¯s face, a name automatically came to his mind.


    In order to avoid being implicated, he finished the coffee in his cup and stood up with his coat. ¡°I still


    have something on. I¡¯ll leave first!¡±


    Rachel was speechless.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    This time, the scapegoat also ran away.


    After much hesitation, Rachel braced herself and picked up the phone. She said obediently, ¡°Uncle


    Tom.¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Tom said in a deep voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when such a big thing


    happened?¡±


    Underneath his stern tone was more concern for Rachel.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Rachel sat on the chair and turned her back to the office door. Her feet were used


    as support as she turned the chair back and forth. Her every move revealed a child¨Clike satisfaction.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who will suffer losses.¡±


    When Tom heard her words on the other end of the phone, his gloomy expression softened a little.


    He had heard a little about the Smith family¡¯s current actions.


    In fact, Rachel didn¡¯t just say she wouldn¡¯t suffer losses to reassure him.


    ¡°It¡¯s Eleanor¡¯s birthday this weekend. Remember to make time,¡± Tom said. Rachel replied, ¡°Got it.¡±


    After hanging up, Tom lit a cigarette.


    He held a cigarette between his clean and slender fingers. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up,


    revealing the silver wristwatch on his wrist.


    He brought the cigarette to his lips and took a puff. His thin lips parted slightly, and the white smoke


    dispersed in front of him like a mist.


    His assistant John knocked on the door and walked in. ¡°Mr. Johnson, are you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Find a random reason to destroy the Smith family¡¯s prestige!¡±


    It was just a casual sentence, but it made John shudder with fear.


    John knew in his heart that Tom was angry.


    Tom was going to personally avenge Miss Grey!


    ¡°Yes!¡±

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238


    Chapter 238 Deep Interest


    After Rachel hung up the phone, she could not help but think about what kind of birthday gift she


    should prepare for Eleanor.


    Her aunt, Eleanor, was born in the Page family. She was the eldest daughter of the Page family.


    Charlie had always adhered to the principle of giving his daughter a


    the best things when it came to food, clothing, amodation, and transportation.


    However, she did not be pampered or develop a domineering and unruly personality.


    On the contrary, she was a person who would help when she saw injustice, and she abhorred evil.


    However, ever since she married into the Johnson family, she restrained herself and took care of her


    husband and children in peace. Later on, she treated Rachel as her own daughter and doted on Rachel


    even more than Lucas.


    Back then, when Rachel did not hesitate to turn against the Johnson family for Louis, Eleanor was the


    only one who stood on her side and supported her in pursuing true love.


    After that, in the three years that Rachel and the Johnson family had cut ties, her aunt Eleanor had


    asked her out for dinner and chatted with her more than once. Eleanor had even used her own private


    savings to support Rachel.


    In the end, Rachel was worried that Eleanor would be angered by her maternal grandfather and Uncle


    Tom, so she ruthlessly rejected her aunt¡¯s good intentions.


    Now that Rachel thought about it, she felt that she was really stupid back then.


    For someone who was not worth it, she had let down the person who truly doted on her.


    Rachel sighed slightly. She took out her phone and dialed a string of numbers.


    After the call was picked up, she heard a calm and respectful middle¨Caged


    man¡¯s voice. ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°Darcy, can you see if there are any rare items at the recent auction?¡± Rachel asked.


    Darcy was Rachel¡¯s private butler. He had been in charge of managing the assets under Rachel¡¯s


    name and various investments over the years.


    He also paid attention to all kinds of antiques worth collecting at the major auctions.


    Hearing her words, Darcy seemed to have been prepared. ¡°I¡¯ve paid attention to all the recent auctions.


    There are no cultural relics worth collecting for the time being. Most of them are imitations. There¡¯s not


    much room for value addition.¡±


    Rachel knew that Darcy had misunderstood. She smiled and exined, ¡°It¡¯s not for private use. It¡¯s for


    someone else.¡±


    Hearing this, Darcy pondered for a few seconds. ¡°Most of the recent auction items are jewelry. Miss


    Grey, if you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t youe to the scene to take a look?¡±


    Rachel could know the underlying meaning in his words. She raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Could it be


    that there¡¯s something good?¡±


    ¡°No matter what it is, it¡¯s lucky to be able to catch your eye,¡± Darcy said. ¡°To be honest, there¡¯s


    something that you should be interested in.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a crown,¡± Darcy said unhurriedly. ¡°About a few months ago, this crown began to be auctioned in


    the various auction venues, but no one was willing to bid. It wasn¡¯t sold because the starting price was


    said to be too high.¡±


    ¡°Actually, such a situation is not umon at auctions. It¡¯s just that most people will choose to lower


    the price when they know about it. But the price of this crown increases instead of decreasing. The


    starting price directly increased from the previous 4 million dors to 12 million dors.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, great interest appeared in her eyes.


    Something that could be collected by the auction house must be something that was hard to get.


    However, a crown that couldn¡¯t be sold appeared again and again. It really made people curious.


    Rachel lowered her eyes. ¡°When is the recent auction?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow,¡± Darcy said. ¡°There¡¯s an Old Fashion Column in Fujiby. That crown will be


    there then, too.¡±


    ¡°Leave me an invitation,¡± Rachel said and hung up.

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239


    Chapter 239 Like A Cheetah


    After Rachel got off work, she walked out of the building of Johnson Corporation and saw the ck


    Rolls¨CRoyce phantom parked by the roadside.


    At this moment, the night screen had hung down and the lights had just been turned on. The ck car


    was like a cheetah lurking in the dark.


    Even if it did not move, it was hard to ignore its wild and aggressive aura.


    A faint gentleness appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes. She looked at the driver beside her. ¡°I¡¯ll leave by myself.¡±


    With that, she grabbed her bag and quickly crossed the road to the car on the other side of the road.


    In the car, David leaned against the seat. When he saw Rachel¡¯s figure getting closer and closer, the


    corners of his lips curled up slightly.


    He opened the car door and got out of the car.


    The dim light from the roadside shone on his tall figure.


    The powerful aura around him was extremely oppressive. Although he was just standing there without


    saying a word, he still looked so aggressive that everyone had to admire him.


    However, the moment Rachel ran toward him, he bent down slightly and protected her in his arms.


    It was just a simple hug, but because of the love in their eyes, there was an indescribable ambiguity.


    ¡°Are you done with your work?¡± David ced his lips on her temple and kissed her gently. Hisrge


    palm caressed her back.


    Rachel nodded in his arms. ¡°Why are you here? Why didn¡¯t you call me in advance?¡±


    In the past, David would call her in advance every time he came to pick her up.


    This time, she did not receive a call from him, so she simply kept working and didn¡¯t get off work until


    just now.


    ¡°I happened to pass by, so I decided to wait here for a while.¡± David¡¯s hand held her shoulder and


    pulled away from her. His pitch¨Cck eyes seemed to be filled with starlight, making her heart flutter.


    Chanter 239 E


    Cheetan


    ¡°If I had known it earlier, I would havee outte.¡± Rachel pursed her lips and deliberately


    suppressed her smile. She muttered softly, ¡°I must grind your temper¡­¡±


    When David heard this, even his eyes were filled with happy smiles. He raised his hand and tapped the


    tip of her nose. His deep voice was filled with endless indulgence. ¡°No matter howte it is, I¡¯ll wait for


    you.¡±


    He looked down at the woman in his arms and saw that the corners of her eyes were red. Her eyes


    were bloodshot, and she couldn¡¯t hide the tiredness in her eyes.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He frowned slightly.


    The matter on the Inte was in an uproar. He thought that Rachel must have been affected by the


    rumors in thepany.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be at the restaurant for a while. Why don¡¯t you get in the car and sleep for a while?¡± As David


    spoke, he naturally wrapped his arm around her slender waist and brought her into the car.


    Rachel was already troubled by what had happened online. In addition, she received a call from Mr.


    Smith in the afternoon. She was indeed a little tired.


    After getting into the car, she simply leaned against David¡¯s shoulder. Her hand was held tightly by him,


    and she really fell asleep unknowingly.


    Her light and regr breathing sounded in his ears.


    David put his arm around her thin shoulders and looked down at Rachel.


    Her curly and thick eyshes were as long as butterfly wings, and her pink lips were slightly moist.


    Rachel, who had fallen asleep, was not as arrogant as usual. Instead, she


    was quieter and gentler.


    However, there was a faint bruise under her eyes, which was especially


    irksome.


    David frowned imperceptibly. He took out his phone and sent a message to Jimmy, [Teach the Smith


    family a lesson!]


    When Jimmy saw the message from David, he subconsciously sat upright. However, when he saw the


    message clearly, he looked at Landon with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°The Smith family?¡±


    Which Smith family?


    Landon thought for a moment and roughly understood the reason for the matter. A meaningful smile


    shed across his eyes. ¡°In the entire Seaxas, the only one that can leave an impression on me is the


    Smith Group.¡±

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240


    Chapter 240 Are You Publicly Provoking Me?


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Jimmy drawled as if he had suddenly realized something. ¡°Do you mean the Smith


    family who relied on women to make aeback?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Landon casually picked up the wine ss beside him.


    He already knew that David had ulterior motives toward Miss Grey, but he did not expect that


    David would make things difficult for the Smith family for Miss Grey.


    It seemed that David had indeed fallen in love this time!


    Jimmy was puzzled. ¡°Does the Smith family have any conflict with David?¡±


    When it came to business matters, the Smith family was not on the same level as them at all.


    Logically speaking, people who were not on the same level should not have any conflicts.


    Landon looked at Jimmy with a faint smile.


    With Jimmy¡¯s personality, he probably would not be able to figure out that David was angry


    because of a woman this time.


    However, Landon did not intend to say anything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about nonsense. Work hard!¡± He patted Jimmy¡¯s shoulder meaningfully.


    Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be long before David introduced Rachel to them.


    The shop under Mr. Smith¡¯s name was located in a prime location. As soon. as the news of selling it


    was released, someone quickly bid for it.


    The issue ofpensation was resolved, but he had no choice but to call Louis regarding thend in


    the South Valley.


    ¡°Louis, I know how important the South Valley project is to you, but Jane is your biological sister. You


    can¡¯t just stand by and watch her die.¡± Mrs. Smith. begged with a choked voice. ¡°Jane is the Smith


    family¡¯s child, your biological sister: She and the Smith family are bound together for good or ill. You


    understand this.¡±


    Louis secretly gritted his teeth.


    It had to be said that Rachel had really given him a big problem.


    The South Valley project was the focus of Smith Group¡¯s development this


    year. As long as he got the market in South Valley, the Smith family¡¯s status in Seaxas would rise.


    Giving up thend in South Valley was equivalent to giving up the right topete with Ster


    Corporation for the market in South Valley.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    On one side was the Smith family, and on the other side was his biological sister¡­


    It was really difficult for him to make a choice.


    Mrs. Smith did not get a response from Louis for a long time. She had some guesses in her heart. She


    cried very miserably, ¡°Louis, Jane is your biological younger sister. How can you watch her go to jail? If


    she goes to jail, I don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡±


    The heart¨Cwrenching cries made Louis frustrated.


    He raised his hand and pinched his forehead. He said coldly, ¡°Tell Rachel that I agree to her request!¡±


    With that, he hung up the phone without saying another word.


    He sat in his office and looked out the window at the night. He silently lit a cigarette.


    At this moment, the assistant pushed open the door and entered. ¡°Mr. Smith, Mr. Zane and the


    others are here¡­¡±


    When Louis heard this, his pupils constricted. He knew very well that Mr. Zane had most likely


    come to denounce him.


    He stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and said calmly, ¡°Got it.¡±


    As expected, as soon as Louis arrived at the meeting room, he heard the directors, led by Mr.


    Zane, making things difficult for him.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, you better give us a reasonable exnation!¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey just left and such a big problem happened to thepany. Mr. Smith, does it mean


    that you¡¯re not capable enough?


    ¡°You affect thepany because of your private problems. Not only has it severely affected the


    company¡¯s operations, but it has also affected thepany¡¯s stock market. As the direct leader


    of thepany, if you can¡¯t set yourself as an example, I think it¡¯s better to rece this position


    with


    someone else!¡±


    When Louis heard this, his face suddenly darkened. ¡°Mr. Zane! Are you


    openly provoking me?¡±

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241


    Chapter 241 Born To Oppose Him


    ¡°So what if I am!¡± Mr. Zane slowly put out the cigarette in his hand and met Louis¡¯s aggressive gaze


    fearlessly. The corners of his mouth curled into al mocking smile.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t thepany involved in this storm because of your rtionship problems? Why do you have to


    think about Miss Cruise night and day when. you¡¯re engaged to Miss Grey? You¡¯re cheating on Miss


    Grey with Miss Cruise and now, what you¡¯ve done is all over the Inte. You even exposed Miss.


    Grey¡¯s scandalous photos to distract everyone. Why? Do you not dare to own. up to what you¡¯ve


    done?¡±


    Mr. Zane looked at the ashen¨Cfaced Louis, but he did not stop there. Instead, he said sharply, ¡°Miss


    Grey was right back then. As the person in charge of thepany, you should know that your image


    and reputation directly affect thepany. You don¡¯t even have this bit of awareness. What right do


    you have to think that you¡¯re still suitable to be in your current position?


    ¡°We didn¡¯t invest money in the Smith Group to embarrassed along with you!¡±


    Louis¡¯s expression was tense. He clenched his fists tightly and tried his best to suppress the anger that


    was about to burst out of his chest.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, we¡¯ll give you time to resolve the matter. If you can¡¯t give us a satisfactory answer, we can


    only consider withdrawing our investment!¡± After saying that, Mr. Zane stood up and mmed the door


    before leaving.


    When the others saw Louis hesitating to speak, they sighed deeply and stood up to leave.


    Only Louis was left in the huge conference room.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Just as his assistant was about to enter, he happened to hear the loud sound


    of something shattering in the conference room.


    He could not help but be alert. He stopped in his tracks and stood. rooted to the ground.


    After some time, the door of the conference room was opened.


    Louis walked out with an extremely gloomy expression. His entire body was wrapped in a terrifyingly


    vicious aura.


    The assistant silently sized him up for a moment and walked forward with trembling hands. He called


    out respectfully, ¡°Mr. Smith.¡±


    Louis¡¯s ck eyes swept across him like knives.


    The assistant trembled as he handed him a document.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Louis asked coldly.


    The assistant gulped nervously. After hesitating for a while, he exined, ¡°It¡¯s a document that was just


    issued by the higher¨Cups.¡±


    Louis strode toward the office and read the document quickly.


    His frown deepened, and his well¨Cdefined face seemed to be covered in ayer of ice.


    He had to bite the bullet and give up on the plot ofnd at South Valley to protect Jane.


    However, that had not stopped him from shifting his focus to other projects. Yet, the document in his


    hand seemed to have already seen through his thoughts.


    Louis thought, ¡°No!


    ¡°He must have been born to oppose me!¡±


    The authorities suspected that the Smith Group had sewage problems and asked the Smith Group to


    suspend the hot spring hotel project.


    They were in the early stages of the project, and every day that the project was dyed was an


    additional loss in ie.


    At this rate, the Smith Group would sooner orter be dragged down by the projects at hand.


    This was the first project he was in charge of since Rachel left the Smith Group. He would not allow


    any mistakes.


    He would lose his current position if the directors found out.


    It truly never rained but poured.


    Louis suddenly closed the document in his hand and restrained the panic in his eyes. ¡°Contact Chief


    Kandor. The sooner the better!¡±


    Pearlview Restaurant.


    There were small bridges, flowing water, and pavilions around, making the area exude an ancient, yet


    elegant aura.


    Under the night sky, the flowing spring water was like silver silk.


    This private restaurant was never open to the public. Usually, it only entertained the rich and powerful


    people from prominent families in Seaxas.


    It was also because of the strict privacy protection that the ce was enjoyed and sought after by


    Seaxas dignitaries.


    After three rounds of drinks, Louis asked, ¡°Chief Kandor, when will the investigation end?¡±

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242


    Chapter 242 Following The Cruise Family


    In Chief Kandor¡¯s current position, what he needed to do was to make friends.


    and establish connections.


    Chief Kandor was naturally willing to befriend the Smith family, which was al popr family that had


    just risen up the ranks in Seaxas.


    Therefore, he decided toe as a favor to Louis after receiving his call.


    It was also why he was not surprised by Louis¡¯s question.


    When Chief Kandor heard this, he put down the wine ss in his hand and looked at him with a dark


    andplicated gaze. ¡°Mr. Smith, you¡¯re now considered a popr figure among the new nobles in


    Seaxas. You¡¯re in the limelight. With all that is happening to you now, hasn¡¯t it crossed your mind that


    you have provoked someone you shouldn¡¯t have?¡±


    Louis¡¯s heart could not help but skip a beat when he heard this. His fingers. silently tightened around


    the wine ss.


    He lowered his gaze to hide the panic in his eyes.


    For some reason, he felt that those words sounded a little familiar.


    He suddenly thought of the Cruise family¡¯s misfortune. When Olivia entertained Matthew back then,


    Matthew had earnestly warned Olivia, ¡°The higher¨Cups asked me to tell you not to provoke someone


    you shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    At this moment, a chill ran down Louis¡¯s spine as he carefully recalled Chief


    Kandor¡¯s words.


    He thought, ¡°Could it be that the Smith family had followed in the Cruise family¡¯s footsteps so quickly?¡±


    For some reason, Louis suddenly thought of Rachel¡¯s cold and beautiful face.


    She had said, ¡°You have my word. I¡¯ll do my best to get the Smith family back.


    to what it was!¡±


    He thought, ¡°Could it be Rachel?


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Louis quickly denied this idea in his heart.


    Even if Rachel had something up her sleeves, he did not think that Rachel


    alone could influence the decision of the higher¨Cups.


    However, after thinking about it carefully, other than Rachel, the Smith family had never provoked


    anyone.


    If it wasn¡¯t Rachel, who could it be?


    ¡°Chief Kandor, I know that rising up the ranks so quickly will naturally attract troublemakers. That¡¯s why


    the Smith family has always been on good terms with people. I really don¡¯t know who I offended. I was


    wondering if you could help me find out. I will go and pay the person a visit and apologize.¡± As Louis


    spoke, he stood up and poured Chief Kandor a ss of wine. Then, he raised his hands and lowered


    his posture.


    The Smith family had finallye back to life and escaped the predicament


    of the past to obtain their current status.


    He would not allow the Smith family to fall into a predicament again.


    Chief Kandor looked up and stared at Louis for a moment before reaching out to take the wine ss he


    handed over. ¡°We¡¯re friends. I¡¯m naturally willing to help with this.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Louis¡¯s serious expression finally eased a little.


    However, he still felt uneasy.


    His meal tasted like he was chewing wax. He did not know what he was


    eating.


    Meanwhile, Rachel received a call from the Smith family.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°Miss Grey, we have to go through the proper procedures with these things. Do you have time


    tomorrow?¡±


    Rachel swirled the ss of red wine in her hand. The corners of her lips curled up casually, making her


    beautiful face look even more soul¨Cstirring. The corners of her eyes were slightly raised like an alluring


    hook.


    David stared at her without blinking. His gaze gradually became more


    passionate.


    Rachel did not notice the change in the man¡¯s gaze. She raised her crimson lips and said calmly,


    ¡°You¡¯re quite fast.¡±


    Mr. Smith¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. He quickly exined, ¡°Miss Grey, this is not a


    small sum. It will take some time.¡±


    Rachel was toozy to listen to his exnation. ¡°Tomorrow at three in the afternoon!¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel picked up the wine ss beside her. However, she had lost


    interest in the delicious food in front of her.


    It was very strange.


    She was neither happy nor excited about her revenge. Even though the Smith family agreed to her


    excessive request, her heart was surprisingly calm.

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243


    Chapter 243 Come With Me Tonight


    Perhaps it was when she broke off her rtionship with Louis, or when she learned that Louis was not


    the person she had been searching for, or when she realized that her feelings for Louis were not love,


    but dependence. The Smith family had be aplete stranger to her.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    How could there be so much love and hatred between strangers?


    The reason why she wanted to take revenge on the Smith family was because the Smith family had


    provoked her and crossed her bottom line. Rachel picked up her wine ss and took a sip.


    David looked up at her. ¡°Is the food not to your liking?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡± Rachel put down her wine ss and casually wiped the


    corners of her mouth with a napkin.


    David lowered his gaze to hide the coldness in his eyes. He said calmly, ¡°Out of sight, out of mind.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel suddenly raised her gaze and stared at him. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only promised you that I won¡¯t interfere in this matter, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ll let them do


    whatever they want in the future.¡± David¡¯s pitch¨Cck eyes were like a bottomless well. His words


    carried his own arrogance, enough to make people tremble in fear.


    He believed that Rachel had been subjected to unprovoked abuse solely because of the Smith family.


    As long as the Smith family disappeared, Rachel¡¯s life would be smooth sailing and no one would


    cause trouble.


    Rachel vaguely sensed something from his expression and could not help but ask, ¡°What did you do to


    the Smith family?¡±


    ¡°Take a guess?¡± David raised his eyebrows slightly and put a piece of prawn into his mouth to chew.


    He flicked the prawn into his mouth with the tip of his tongue. It was just a simple action, but it


    disyed a terrifying charm.


    Rachel lowered her gaze and held the wine ss beside her to hide the panic in her heart. ¡°Forget it if


    you don¡¯t want to say it.¡±


    ¡°What did you ask the Smith family for?¡± David asked.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes moved slightly. ¡°1% of the Smith Group¡¯s market value and thend at South Valley.¡±


    She was not interested in the shares of Smith Group.


    Since she had cut ties with the Smith family, the shares of the Smith Group were like a hot potato to


    her. Why would she be stupid enough to ask for their shares?


    However, she felt that an insignificant lesson to the Smith family would not be enough to vent her


    anger.


    She knew that Mrs. Smith was a vain person and aplete egoist. However, she doted on Jane and


    saw her as the apple of her eye.


    True revenge was never just an eye for an eye. Instead, it was a steady, urate, and ruthless strike to


    the other party¡¯s heart.


    What Mrs. Smith cared about the most were Jane and the Smith family¡¯s current financial status.


    However, the price for destroying the Smith family overnight was a little too much. Though, destroying


    Jane was different.


    Moreover, this incident started because of Jane. It was justifiable to hold her


    ountable.


    On one side was the Smith family¡¯s fortune, and on the other was her precious daughter. This was


    enough for Mrs. Smith to have to make a


    difficult decision.


    As for the plot ofnd at South Valley¡­


    It was not of much use to her. It was purely to torment Louis.


    She knew that the Smith Group wanted to tap into South Valley¡¯s market, so


    she naturally would not let them have their way.


    Since they dared to provoke her, she would definitely hit them back with doubl¨¦ the pain.


    Otherwise, how could she live up to the word ¡°vengeful¡°?


    A faint smile appeared in David¡¯s eyes when he heard that. He raised the wine ss in his hand.


    ¡°We¡¯re a match made in heaven!¡±


    They were both ruthless.


    They were both petty and would take revenge when crossed.


    Rachel looked at the ss he raised in the air and smiled. She clinked sses with him and drank the


    wine in her ss in one gulp.


    ¡°Are you free the day after tomorrow?¡± David asked.


    Surprise shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you out for some fresh air,¡± David said. ¡°There¡¯s a charity dinner. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll be


    interested.¡±


    ¡°It just so happens that I¡¯m going too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect.¡±


    David walked over to Rachel as he spoke.


    He slowly squatted down and brushed his clean and slender fingers across her cheek beforending


    on her lips. ¡°Are youing with me tonight?¡±


    This simple sentence was a flirtatious invitation.

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244


    Chapter 244 Notification


    The light reflected in his pitch¨Cck pupils was as dazzling as a myriad of


    stars.


    Even if it was just a hurried nce, his gaze made people sink into his alluring eyes, unable to extricate


    themselves.


    While she was in a daze, the man¡¯s kissnded on her lips.


    In the quiet private room, the two of them emitted a flirtatious aura that spread to every corner of the


    room.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Then, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    It was Old Mr. Johnson.


    Rachel¡¯s brow twitched. She quickly picked up the phone and greeted obediently, ¡°Grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, it¡¯s me.¡± Mr. Chadwick¡¯s voice came from the phone.


    Rachel was a little surprised. ¡°Mr. Chadwick?¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, Old Mr. Johnson saw the news online. They are being punished


    at study. Do you want toe back and take a look?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel suddenly stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡±


    David could not help but frown when he saw her rushing out of the door. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Send me back to the Johnson family mansion!¡±


    Rachel briefly exined the situation to David on the way back.


    David¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°I thought something major happened.¡±


    ¡°My uncles probably wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of bed for three days if our traditional punishment was


    used.¡± After Rachel finished speaking, she opened the car door and got out of the car without looking


    back.


    David sat in the car with a meaningful smile on his lips as he watched Rachel


    leave.


    He had underestimated Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s love for Rachel.


    And this love would be a hurdle for him in getting the beauty he


    wanted.


    Rachel headed straight for the study after having rushed back to the Johnson family mansion.


    As soon as she reached the door, she heard Old Mr. Johnson scold angrily, entrusted Rae¨CRae to you


    two so that you could protect her well. But what did you do? You actually got her implicated in these


    kinds of nonsense! Are you fit to be her uncle?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, there was the sound of a board hitting


    someone¡¯s flesh.


    Rachel, who was standing outside the door, could not help but feel her scalp tingle.


    She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Old Mr. Johnson asked angrily.


    Rachel gulped nervously. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s me.¡±


    She heard Old Mr. Johnson scold angrily the next second, ¡°You two brats actually dared to notify


    Rachel?¡±


    Tom was speechless.


    As was Adrian.


    When Rachel boldly pushed the door open and entered, she happened to see Old Mr. Johnson raise


    the board in his hand and ruthlessly hit her two uncles. She could not help but shiver.


    ¡°Grandpa, have a cup of coffee. Calm down.¡± Rachel obediently brought Old Mr. Johnson a cup of


    coffee.


    Old Mr. Johnson looked at her and handed her the board in his hand. He took the cup.


    The old man silently observed as Rachel exchanged nces with her two uncles kneeling on the


    ground.


    He ced the cup on the table, and let out an audible grunt.


    Rachel suddenly came back to her senses and immediately looked at Old Mr. Johnson. She smiled like


    a blooming flower, her smile filled with ttery. ¡°Grandpa, let me massage your shoulders.¡±


    ¡°Why are you back sote at night?¡± Old Mr. Johnson sized up Rachel. He could not help but frown


    when he saw the tiredness in her eyes. ¡°Rae¨CRae, I handed you thepany for you to pass the time.


    I didn¡¯t ask you to devote


    all your time to thepany.¡±


    Everything in the Johnson family would be handed over to Rachel sooner or


    He had only wanted her to manage thepany so that she could gain some understanding of how to


    do so. He did not expect the girl to work so


    hard.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t belittle me and are willing to give me thepany¡¯s reins. Why would I feel that it¡¯s too


    tough?¡± Rachelughed. She looked up at the two people still kneeling on the ground. She cleared her


    throat and changed the topic. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t have it as tough as my two uncles.¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Johnson could not help but sneer, ¡°They have it tough?¡±

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245


    Chapter 245 Ipetent


    Tom and Adrian, who were kneeling on the ground, were so frightened that they did not dare to say a


    word.


    Rachel said, ¡°Grandpa, I was the one who asked them to hide this from you. If you have to punish


    someone, punish me.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed the board to the old man, indicating for him to hit her.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s expression darkened. He felt that the board in front of him was bad luck


    and threw it out without thinking.


    Rachel squatted down and obedientlyid on the old man¡¯sp. ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t be angry anymore.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re a girl. How can you be ndered so badly!¡±


    There was a hint of anger in Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s words.


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s pupils trembled slightly, and a warm feeling surged into her heart.


    This inexplicable feeling of being trusted by her family instantly made her feel as if she had an entire


    army backing her. It was as if she suddenly had the courage to go against the world.


    There was a faint smile in her eyes. While touched, she did not forget to help. her two uncles.


    ¡°Grandpa, you know that I¡¯ve never cared about these things. Moreover, Tom and Adrian have always


    protected me in their way.¡±


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, you don¡¯t have to speak up for the two of them!¡± Old Mr. Johnson did not appreciate her


    kindness. He red at the two people kneeling on the ground and said, ¡°And you call yourselves her


    uncle! You made Rae¨CRae suffer for no reason! You can¡¯t do anything right!¡±


    Tom, the ipetent politician, was speechless.


    As was Adrian, the ipetent elitewyer.


    Although they felt indignant, the two of them knew very well that they were responsible for the


    indignance faced by the Johnson family¡¯s precious offspring.


    They had wanted to kill the people from the Smith family when they saw those obscene words and


    unsightly photos.


    At this moment, Old Mr. Johnson nced at the two people kneeling on the ground. His eyes were


    filled with disdain. ¡°Hurry up and go. I¡¯m annoyed just by looking at you!¡±


    The two of them looked at each other, stood up from the ground, and turned to leave the study.


    Rachel spent the night at the Johnson family¡¯s residence. It was rare for her to sleep until she woke up


    naturally.


    After washing up, she put on her clothes and went downstairs to eat.


    She saw a dazzling array of clothes in the living room. There were six to seven rows of clothing sorted


    by color and length.


    There was nock of limited¨Cedition clothing.


    All of them belonged to Rachel.


    Rachel was used to this.


    ¡°Miss Grey, these will be delivered to the apartment you are currently living in,¡± the butler, Mr.


    Chadwick, said.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa?¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Johnson went fishing with someone.¡± Mr. Chadwick paused for a moment. ¡°Also, Old Mr.


    Johnson asked me to tell you that he wants you to take a week off.¡±


    Rachel paused in her chewing when she heard this and smiled. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±


    Since her maternal grandfather had ordered her to take a break, all she could do was obediently follow


    his instructions.


    Thus, she transformed herself into the daughter of a rich family.


    When it was almost noon, Mary called. ¡°Let¡¯s go out and have fun tonight! It¡¯s been a long time since


    we drank and clubbed together!¡±


    Rachel thought for half a second. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I heard that a new bar has just opened. Let¡¯s go have a look tonight!¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    After hanging up, she received a dinner invitation from David.


    At this moment, the meeting at Ster Corporation wasing to an end. Everyone secretly heaved a


    sigh of relief.


    mp¨¦ter


    At this moment, David¡¯s phone on the table suddenly vibrated.


    Eddie took the opportunity to nce at the phone. He instinctively sized up David¡¯s expression after


    reading what was on the phone.


    As expected, the man frowned slightly, and his well¨Cdefined face silently emitted a cold aura.

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246


    Chapter 246 Suffer A Double Loss


    [I have an appointment with a friend tonight. Let¡¯s meet another day.] David frowned as he looked at


    the message on his phone.


    The atmosphere around him suddenly darkened. The temperature in the entire meeting room seemed


    to have dropped to zero, and it was cold.


    The executive standing on the stage in the middle of a presentation unconsciously thought he had


    made a mistake and began to stutter and repeat himself, even shaking uncontrobly.


    At the end of the presentation, he took a deep breath as if he had survived a cmity, only to find the


    man sitting at the head of the table unmoved.


    He could not help but look at Eddie. The pleading look in his eyes was hard to ignore.


    Eddie sighed softly. Sure enough, it couldn¡¯t be done without him.


    ¡°Sir?¡± he called cautiously.


    David put away his phone and nced at him.


    A trace of coldness shed across the man¡¯s eyes, making Eddie shiver.


    Eddie suppressed the panic in his heart and said calmly, ¡°Sir, the presentation from the marketing


    department is over.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± David replied, ¡°The meeting is over.¡±


    Everyone secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Back in the office, David called Rachel. ¡°What time do you finish tonight? Shall I pick you up?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Rachel said.


    She knew Mary¡¯s personality very well. She would not stop until she was drunk tonight!


    She didn¡¯t know when it would be over.


    ¡°I have something to doter. I have to go.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel turned to look at the cafe.


    Unsurprisingly, she saw the Smith family¡¯s car in the parking lot.


    A meaningful smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.


    She did not expect the Smith family people to arrive early. It seemed that they had waited for a long


    time.


    ¡°Miss Grey.¡± Mr. Smith stood up with a gentle smile on his face. ¡°The


    password is six zeros.¡±


    Rachel sat in the chair and looked at Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith for a moment. ¡°Where¡¯s the transfer


    letter?¡±


    ¡°Here!¡± Mrs. Smith hurriedly took out the item. ¡°It will take effect as long as you sign it.¡±


    Rachel took it and looked at it. After making sure there was nothing wrong with it, she took the pen and


    signed it.


    The moment they saw her sign, Mrs. Smith and Mr. Smith looked at each other and heaved a sigh of


    relief.


    ¡°Miss Grey, we¡¯ve done what you asked. Can you withdraw thewsuit now?¡± Mr. Smith asked


    carefully.


    Rachel looked up and there was a trace of coldness in her exquisite eyes. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Hearing this, Mrs. Smith suppressed the excitement in her heart and held Mr. Smith¡¯s hand tightly.


    However, this did not stop her from hating Rachel more.


    She had wanted to teach Rachel a lesson that no matter how good she was, she couldn¡¯t stand up to


    the Smith family.


    But who would have thought that in the end, the Smith family would suffer a double loss?


    However, no matter how much they hated her, they could only grit their teeth and swallow it.


    Louis, sitting in the car, had nned to get out with Mr. Smith, but he got an impromptu phone call from


    Chief Kandor.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Chief Kandor, did you find out what I asked you to do?¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Chief Kandor said, ¡°Mr. Smith, I¡¯ve asked around. Thest name of the


    person in charge of investigating yourpany is Shain!¡±


    When Louis heard this, his eyebrows twitched fiercely. ¡°Shain?¡±


    Why was this suddenly rted to the Shain family?


    He calmed himself down and said, ¡°Chief Kandor, I can assure you that I¡¯ve never provoked anyone


    from the Shain family!¡±


    Back then, on the day of Miss Shain¡¯s wedding, he was kicked out of the house. In order not to cause


    unnecessary trouble, he did not show any displeasure. How could he offend the Shain family?


    ¡°Chief Kandor, is there some kind of misunderstanding?¡± Louis probed.

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247


    Chapter 247 Not Interested


    Chief Kandor couldn¡¯t help but question Louis¡¯s words. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Chief Kandor, you and I can be considered old acquaintances, so why should I hide it from you when I


    have a favor to ask of you?¡± Louis exined


    anxiously.


    Chief Kandor, who was on the other end of the line, pondered for a moment before he said, ¡°The Shain


    family asked me to warn you not to do it again!¡±


    Not to do it again¡­


    After Chief Kandor hung up, Louis was puzzled.


    Back when Miss Shain got married, the Smith family had prepared a generous congrattory gift, and


    even when he was thrown out in the end, he never revealed anything in front of others.


    Therefore, it was absolutely impossible that he had offended the Shain family!


    Who did he offend?


    Not to do it again?


    Where did this warninge from?


    It was impossible for someone like Rachel to know the Shain family!


    His handsome face was covered with an unprecedented solemnity. As he turned around, he happened


    to see Rachel walking out of the cafe.


    ¡°Follow her!¡± Louis said to the driver without any hesitation.


    Rachel was about to open the car door and get in when Louis suddenly appeared. ¡°Rachel!¡±


    Hearing Louis¡¯s voice, a fleeting coldness shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes as


    she turned to look at him.


    Louis calmed down and said gently, ¡°I have no other intention. I just wanted to see if there was


    anything I could do for you.¡±


    ¡°Then please stay away from me in the future!¡± Rachel looked at him expressionlessly and bent down


    to get into the car.


    Louis did not seem to give up. Just as the car door was about to close, he reached out and stopped it.


    ¡°Rachel, do you know the Shain family people?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯ve met them a few times.¡± Louis stood rooted to the


    ground as he watched Rachel leave. His frown deepened.


    Did she just say she had met them a few times?


    Could it be that thepany was really targeted because of Rachel?


    But why had he never heard Rachel mention the Shain family before?


    He used to think he knew Rachel Grey well enough to manipte her and make her work for him


    willingly. But now, he realized that his understanding of Rachel was only the tip of the iceberg.


    There were too many unsolved mysteries about this woman.


    After the car was started, the driver asked Rachel, ¡°Miss, where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Back to tinum.¡±


    This is the apartment currently upied by Rachel.


    As night fell, Mary¡¯s car arrived at the apartment building on time.


    ¡°Rae, aren¡¯t you dressed too conservatively?¡± Mary held the steering wheel with one hand and sized up


    Rachel¡¯s outfit from head to toe. Her eyes were filled with unconcealed disdain.


    Rachel disagreed. ¡°I think it¡¯s just right.¡±


    She sensed Mary¡¯s gaze and frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to change your clothes,¡± Mary said and started the car.


    Mystical Bar.


    Probably because the bar had just opened, the bar was unprecedentedly lively.


    In the luxurious atmosphere, people indulged themselves on the dance floor, twisting their bodies and


    exchanging flirtatious nces, like a contest between prey and hunters.


    In the booth on the second floor.


    Jimmy leanedzily on the sofa and looked at David sitting in the dark corner. ¡°David, you still haven¡¯t


    told me how the Smith family offended you.¡±


    Speaking of which, Jimmy had invested in this bar. This new bar started


    business today, and he had pulled out all the stops to get David here from hispany.


    In the end, ever since David arrived, he did not say a word. He just stared at the phone, waiting for


    something.


    David lowered his eyeszily, looking like he was not interested in anything. ¡°Landon, don¡¯t you think


    David looks like he¡¯s in love now?!¡± Jimmy nudged Landon beside him and gave him a meaningful look.


    Landon raised his eyes and nced at David. His lips curled into a secretive smile.

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248


    Chapter 248 A Fearsome Presence


    ¡°I heard you called the young man of the Johnson family?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jimmy replied vaguely. ¡°You know that this is not in our territory. In Seaxas, we have to show


    some respect to the Johnson family.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Davids¡¯s indifferent eyes moved.


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    But only for a moment.


    At this moment, Lucas was led into their booth by the manager.


    Lucas¡¯s gaze swept past Jimmy and Landon before finallynding on David.


    He narrowed his eyes, and aplicated expression shed across the depths of his eyes.


    None of the three people in front of him were people he could provoke casually, especially David, who


    was sitting in the corner.


    He greeted them one by one. ¡°Mr. Shain, Mr. Walker.¡±


    Landon raised his ss and toasted him. Then, he gestured for him to sit beside Jimmy.


    Lucas walked over and sat down in a manner neither servile nor overbearing, but his gaze keptnding


    on David.


    He felt like he had seen this person somewhere before.


    But he couldn¡¯t remember for a moment.


    Coincidentally, Landon handed him a ss of wine.


    He reached out to take it. When he raised his head to drink, he slowly looked at David again from the


    corner of his eye.


    The man sat on the sofa casually. The cor of his shirt was slightly open, revealing his beautiful


    corbone lines, revealing a hint of fierceness and


    wildness.


    He exuded a natural noble aura, and the pressure around him was difficult to ignore. Even as he sat


    there motionless, he was inexplicably submissive.


    David seemed to have sensed something and looked over.


    Lucas suddenly froze when he met that pair of cold eyes that were as deep as a coldke.


    However, he did not look like a deserter who had lost his armor. Instead, he met the man¡¯s eyes


    fearlessly.


    ¡°That¡¯s Mr. Jones,¡± Landon introduced to Lucas. ¡°You can call him David.¡±


    When Lucas heard this, a hint of understanding shed in the depths of his eyes.


    Whether it was Landon in front of him, Jimmy, who was drinking and having fun, or ¡°Mr. Jones¡± here,


    they all came from a ce beyond the reach of ordinary people.


    Aureliana!


    Located in North Ordax, it was not a city, but arge stateposed of many cities.


    It didn¡¯t belong to any country in North Ordax, nor to any country or institution in the world. Instead, it


    was an independent region.


    And Aureliana¡¯s intelligence was highly ssified.


    Therefore, other than the heads of corporations and the leaders of various countries, the outside world


    was unaware of the existence of this ce. Legend had it that there were once ancient Four Families in


    Aureliana, but they suffered riots in the continent decades ago.


    At that time, many forces were eyeing them covetously, waiting for an opportunity to make a move.


    However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, the chaos in the continent subsided and Four Families in the


    continent were reshuffled overnight.


    As for the existence of the Jones family, it was an existence that even the Elders in Aureliana had to be


    wary of!


    Lucas¡¯s eyes shed as he finished the wine in his ss..


    As more and more people came, the atmosphere became more and more lively, so everyone started


    ying dice.


    As the saying went, people were in high spirits when involved in happy events. By rights, they should


    have had good luck, too. However, Jimmy was extremely unlucky.


    Before long, all the wine on the table was in his stomach.


    ¡°Mr. Johnson, you¡¯re in luck tonight.¡± Jimmy had a cigarette in the corner of


    his mouth as he looked at Lucas meaningfully.


    Lucas smiled and said calmly, ¡°I was just lucky.¡±


    Landon¡¯s smile was very annoying. He looked at Jimmy with a provocative gaze. ¡°Dude, don¡¯t find an


    excuse for losing! If you¡¯re willing to bet, admit defeat! Drink quickly!¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Jimmy put out his cigarette and rolled up his sleeves, resisting the urge to flip the table as he


    said, ¡°I¡¯ve never been afraid of anyone when ites to drinking!¡°

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249


    Chapter 249 A Gentleman Wants A Lady


    The surrounding people followed suit. Only David sat there like an outsider. He tapped on his phone


    screen from time to time, as if he was waiting for a message from someone.


    ¡°David, you¡¯ve been ying with your phone the whole night! Come and join us for some fun!¡± Jimmy


    raised his hand and tugged at his cor. There was still no sign of drunkenness in his eyes.


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    Lucas seemed to sense something. He looked at Landon. ¡°Waiting for a call?¡±


    Landon¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°The gentleman is fond of a fairdy.¡±


    Although he said that, Lucas was still very curious about how beautiful the woman who could make


    David, who was in the number one position in Aureliana, was.


    At this moment, a deafening cheer instantly piqued the curiosity of everyone in the booth.


    ¡°Mr. Shain, have you prepared a surprise?¡±


    Jimmy stood up and walked to the viewing tform. ¡°The show has just begun.¡±


    The others followed him and came forward.


    In the middle of the bar, the stage slowly rose. All the lights were aimed at the men in suits on the


    stage.


    As the sexy music yed, the men in suits on stage slowly began to undo their zers, then their


    ties¡­


    In the crowd, Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched when she saw this scene.


    She had never expected the owner of this bar to be so unrestrained.


    But she had to admit that the well¨Cshaped gentlemen managed to win the hearts of all the women


    present with their looks.


    The men took off their clothes one by one. In the end, they danced with their upper bodies naked.


    Their firm and muscr muscles gave people a strong visual impact.


    Even as they stood silently under the stage watching, these women clearly


    felt the thrill of pumping blood.


    The women¡¯s crazy shouts rose and fell. The craziest one was Mary, who was beside Rachel. ¡°I¡¯ve


    been doing good deeds all my life. This is what I deserve to watch!¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    She had been friends with Mary for many years, but she did not know that girl had the potential to be


    so dirty.


    Especially when the men made those seductive dance moves, the excited screams at the scene


    seemed to be able to overturn the roof of the bar.


    As the men came down from the stage to interact with people under the stage, Mary reached out and


    touched them, feeling the touch of their big pecs. She excitedly pulled Rachel and said in all


    seriousness, ¡°Rae, I suddenly understand one thing!¡±


    Rachel was puzzled.


    ¡°As long as we change men often enough, there¡¯s no sorrow for us, only love!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating.¡± Rachel calmly rejected the man¡¯s invitation.


    Mary looked at the calm Rachel and looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Rae¨CRae, how can you be so calm?


    Don¡¯t you want to touch it and feel it?¡±


    Rachel shook her head slightly.


    With pearls and jade in front of her, it was difficult for her to withstand tiles and stones.


    She was used to seeing David, so she subconsciously used David as a reference.


    Apparently, these men were nothingpared to David.


    As she was thinking, Mary shook her arm. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, look, that man has been staring at you!¡±


    She gave Rachel Grey a look that signaled her to look in a certain direction. Rachel looked up and


    caught sight of David in the crowd.


    The man was wearing a ck shirt, and there was a terrifying pressure around him as if he was the


    ruler who had walked out of the darkness. Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250


    Chapter 250 Exuding Deadly Danger


    David did not expect to meet Rachel here.


    His eyes narrowed slightly as his cold gaze swept across her body.


    Rachel was wearing a strapless dress. Her limbs were long and symmetrical, and her beautiful and


    exquisite corbones were eye¨Ccatching.


    Her legs were straight and slender under a fishtail skirt. Her tiny waist was tightly wrapped in the skirt,


    making her perfect waist¨Cto¨Chip ratio very conspicuous.


    With her outfit and her stunning face, she quickly attracted the attention of all the men present.


    Seeing that the men around Rachel were staring at her with wolf¨Clike eyes, David¡¯s pitch¨Cck eyes


    darkened, and an ice¨Ccold expression appeared on his face.


    His entire body was immersed in a destructive aura that made people tremble in fear.


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    Rachel turned around guiltily. Without another word, she grabbed Mary¡¯s hand and ran.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing!¡± Mary, who was at a loss, was pushed and shoved by Rachel in the


    crowd. ¡°This is just the beginning. Why are you in such a hurry to leave!¡±


    However, before she could finish speaking, two men in ck stood in front of them.


    Mary looked at the two people with ill intentions in front of her. The smile on her face instantly


    disappeared, and her eyes were filled with coldness. ¡°What do you want!¡±


    The man in ck looked at Rachel expressionlessly. ¡°Miss Grey, my boss wants to see you.¡±


    ¦°


    Rachel didn¡¯t know what to say.


    In the end, she couldn¡¯t dodge it.


    She took a deep breath and turned to look at Mary. ¡°Can you go home by yourself?¡±


    Mary nodded. looked at Rachel, who was about to leave. quickly arabbed her


    hand, and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m meeting a friend,¡± Rachel said.


    Under the night sky, Seaxas was like a bright pearl, signaling the beginning of a life of luxury.


    There were lots of luxury cars in the parking lot, but the ck Rolls¨CRoyce stood out from the crowd.


    Just like its owner.


    He was born to be a ruler and was destined to be admired by everyone.


    The man in ck brought Rachel to the car and opened the door. He gestured to Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey,


    please get in the car.¡±


    Rachel looked down at the open car door.


    In the car, the man was sitting inside. He slowly removed his diamond cufflinks and rolled up his


    sleeves with his well¨Cdefined fingers.


    His well¨Cdefined side profile looked sharp in the dim light. His exquisite facial features were half¨Clit, but


    they looked even more profound.


    His eyes were lowered, so no one could see his expression clearly.


    Rachel swallowed her saliva and braced herself to get into the car.


    After a moment of silence, Rachel pursed her lips stiffly. ¡°What a


    coincidence¡­¡±


    The moment she blurted it out, she couldn¡¯t help but secretly bite her tongue.


    What kind of nonsensical opening statement was this?


    The man heard her voice and looked up at her.


    His lips curled into a smile, and his eyes were cold. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a


    coincidence.¡±


    Rachel bit her lip and lowered her eyes.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how much David had seen, nor did she know how to exin such a thing. However,


    the guilt in her heart made her feel like she had done. something wrong and was caught red¨Chanded.


    ¡°As long as we change men often enough, there will be no sadness for us, only love?¡± The man¡¯s deep


    and cold voice was like rough sandpaper polishing the tip of her heart, making her scalp tingle.


    Rachel didn¡¯t know what to say.


    It was so noisy at the scene, but he heard every word.


    As she was thinking, a powerful and terrifying aura gradually approached her.


    The man¡¯s tall and broad figure pressed down bit by bit,pletely enveloping her.


    Rachel looked up and met the man¡¯s eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.


    His pitch¨Cck eyes were as deep as a vortex, making it impossible for anyone to break free once they


    fell into it, and there was a faint smile on his lips that exuded a fatal sense of danger.

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251


    Chapter 251 The Grass Is Greener On The Other Side Of The


    Fence


    Rachel gulped nervously, not knowing how to exin.


    Suddenly, a muffled sound came from the window behind her.


    A quarreling couple had pressed down on the window.


    Their ambiguous conversation also entered the ears of Rachel and David.


    ¡°How dare you flirt with guys in the club behind my back?¡±


    ¡°Guys are free to go to every club and flirt with girls. I just did what men do all the time. After all, the


    grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.¡±


    ¡°I think you just need to be taught a lesson!¡±


    As the noisy couple left, it became silent again in the car.


    ¡°Huh!¡±


    The man suddenly chuckled.


    It was very short, but Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    She raised her eyes and met his eyes which were as deep as a coldke. Her heart tightened.


    David bent down slightly and enveloped Rachelpletely with a cold aura. ¡°Is it true? The grass is


    always greener on the other side of the fence?¡±


    If what Mary had said, ¡°Get a new boyfriend before love bes sorrow. was the fuse, ¡°the grass is


    always greener on the other side of the fence.¡± had pulled the trigger.


    Even if Rachel was slow to react, she could sense the jealousy in his words.


    ¡°That¡¯s what others think, not me.¡± Rachel Grey exined righteously.


    David grabbed her chin with his well¨Cdefined fingers. His dark and deep eyes slowly scanned her face.


    ¡°You do need to be taught a lesson.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered in panic.


    The next second, he leaned over and kissed her lips fiercely.


    The kiss that was like a siege carried a hint of lingering anger as he nibbled an her soft lips as


    punishment.


    Rachel was pressed down by the man in such a narrow ce. Her hands were pinned behind her


    back.


    She used to think she was strong enough to protect herself, not amb to be


    butchered.


    However, with David, she could not fight back at all. She could not even


    move.


    ¡°David¡­¡± Rachel Grey was in pain from his bite. She said in a broken voice,


    ¡°You¡¯re hurting me.¡±


    David¡¯s hand sped the back of her neck. His dark and deep eyes surged with a desire that had been


    suppressed for a long time. ¡°Are you dissatisfied


    with me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Rachel struggled to get up, but David¡¯s hand was on the back of her neck as if it was holding her


    lifeline. She did not dare to struggle at all.


    David looked down at her and slowly bent down. His right hand guided her palm to his chest. ¡°Are you


    satisfied with this?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rachel could sense that things had gone out of her control.


    She just wanted to end this topic as soon as possible.


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    ¡°What about here?¡± David Jones pressed his forehead against hers and guided her hand down slowly.


    ¡°Are you satisfied with this too?¡±


    Rachel Grey was forced to stroke the man¡¯s firm abs.


    Even through the thin material of his clothes, her palm could still clearly feel


    his warmth.


    Hershes fluttered fiercely, and she cleared her throat to hide the panic. ¡°Yes.¡±


    His cold and sexy voice was near her ear. ¡°Then who¡¯s better? Me or the man on the stage?¡±


    His scorching breath sprayed on her ears and swept her hair, making Rachel ufortable. She


    subconsciously tensed up.


    ¡°You.¡±


    That¡¯s sloppy.¡±


    David gently bit her earlobe as punishment. An electric current quickly¨Cswept


    through her body, making her tremble uncontrobly. Her heart began to


    beat uncontrobly.

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252


    Chapter 252 On This Side Of The Fence


    Rachel could feel that David was different tonight.


    Her intuition told her this man was on the verge of insanity tonight. She should not provoke him.


    He was like a rampaging lion that could only be obedient.


    David narrowed his eyes and looked at the silent woman in his arms. He chuckled and said casually,


    ¡°You¡¯re dissatisfied with me.¡±


    Rachel was embarrassed and annoyed with his not letting things go. ¡°David, are you crazy tonight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m crazy?!¡± David¡¯s lips curled into a smile, but his eyes were cold. ¡°Then tell me, if I flirt with some


    woman in the club behind your back, could you


    pretend not to care? Could you stay calm?!¡±


    Rachel got speechless.


    If she put herself in David¡¯s shoes, everything he did seemed reasonable, and¡­


    It wasn¡¯t that excessive.


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    David bent down. His gazended on her lips. His dark pupils surged with a desire that had been


    suppressed for a long time. ¡°Rae¨CRae, tell me what you like most about me?¡±


    Rachel stared at him, wide¨Ceyed.


    He can¡¯t get over this topic!


    ¡°Here?¡± David Jones guided her hand down bit by bit and brushed past his chest and abs¡­


    Rachel¡¯s eyes widened. Her pupils trembled violently.


    She felt as if she had been burnt. She subconsciously wanted to fling her hand away, but his grip on


    her wrist was firm.


    David looked at Rachel¡¯s blood¨Cred cheeks and chuckled softly. ¡°Rae¨CRae, you have to be responsible


    for me.¡±


    Rachel stared at him, speechless.


    The man pinched her chin and kissed her lips again.


    After an unknown period, the ambiguous atmosphere in the car was


    suddenly gone.


    ¡°The grass is much greener on this side of the fence.¡± David sounded joyful.


    Rachel Grey looked up at him in disbelief.


    She didn¡¯t expect this cold and abstinent body to say such words.


    The man took a tissue and wiped Rachel¡¯s hand. He did not even let go of the gaps between her


    fingers.


    Rachel¡¯s wrist was extremely sore, so she let the man do whatever he wanted.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you off next time.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Rachel gave him a fake smile.


    Why didn¡¯t he say mercifully to let her go when he forced her to help him just now?


    David seemed to read Rachel¡¯s mind. He smiled. ¡°Shall we have lunch tomorrow?¡±


    Rachel did not say anything. It was an approval.


    ¡°Bring your friend along,¡± David said.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and knew what he was up to. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After returning to the apartment, Rachel contacted Mary. A strange feeling


    arose.


    It was as if she was bringing her boyfriend to meet her parents.


    In short, it was a feeling of anticipation and excitement.


    Meanwhile, Mary was busy enjoying life when she suddenly received a call


    from Rachel.


    She walked to the bathroom and picked up the phone. ¡°Rae¨CRae. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Are you free tomorrow afternoon? I want to introduce you to my boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Mary was putting on her lipstick in front of the mirror. She answered absent¨Cmindedly. When


    she realized what Rachel had said, her lipstick snapped by herself. ¡°Wait, what did you just say?


    Repeat it! Who are we meeting?!¡±


    Rachel repeated, ¡°My boyfriend.¡±


    Mary was shocked and speechless at the sudden news. After a long time,


    she was afraid that Rachel would return to her word, so she quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s


    a deal. Tell me the when and where. I¡¯ll be there on time tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you a message on Whatsappter.¡±


    After hanging up, Mary turned around and walked out of the bathroom.


    Unexpectedly, she bumped into someone.

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253


    Chapter 253 Unexpected Encounter


    Mary¡¯s bag fell to the ground, and things scattered over the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the man said and hurriedly bent down to pick up the items one by


    one.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± When Mary took the things, she looked up at the man.


    At that moment, her heart felt as if it had been pierced by a bullet, and her mind was nk.


    ¡°Miss? Miss?¡± A waiter passing by kindly reminded Mary when he heard her phone ringing.


    However, Mary didn¡¯t listen to anything.


    The face that had just appeared couldn¡¯t be erased.


    She suddenly turned around.


    Her eyes were fixed on the door of the men¡¯s washroom.


    Suddenly, she rushed straight into the men¡¯s washroom.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡±


    ¡°Why the fuck is there a woman!¡±


    ¡°Fuck! Is this the men¡¯s washroom or not?¡±


    Apanied by curses, a few men rushed out of the washroom in panic.


    However, Mary did not seem to hear their voices. Her gaze was fixed on Jimmy Shain¡¯s face.


    When the man turned around, she saw his face. A sudden sourness surged up her throat, choking her


    until her eyes could not help but moisten.


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    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± Jimmy looked at the woman in front of him who wasughing and crying at the


    same time. He frowned slightly.


    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was one of his old lovers.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Mary¡¯s rationality slowly returned.


    Her lips twitched. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    As she turned to leave, cold liquid dripped from her eyes and smudged her exquisite makeup.


    Look, it had been so long, but she still hadn¡¯t forgotten him¡­


    Mary suddenly lost interest in ying and contacted a designated driver on her phone.


    She stood under the streetmp in boredom and noticed a group of people walking out of a restaurant


    on the other side of the road.


    The first one she saw was Louis Smith, who was held by his assistant.


    After he forced himself to walk out of the restaurant and sent the others away, he stumbled to the trash


    can and vomited in a sorry state.


    When Mary saw this scene, for some reason, her originally depressed mood was instantlyforted.


    The corners of her lips curled into a sneer. She took out her phone and took a set of photos for Rachel


    before sending a voice message. ¡°Remember, never, look for a boyfriend in the trash can!¡±


    Recently, the Smith family did doing well. First, they were ruthlessly extorted by Rachel. Then, they


    were ordered to suspend the hot spring hotel project. The board received the news and imed to


    withdraw their investment.


    Louis had no choice but to engage in social activities and apologize.


    If it were before, he would naturally think nothing of these small investors. However, at this point, he


    could not afford to becent.


    He had barely eaten anything tonight. At this moment, he only felt his stomach burning.


    ¡°Louis.¡± Olivia¡¯s voice came from not far away.


    Louis saw Olivia in a nude pink silk dress walking over quickly.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± He frowned slightly and looked at his assistant meaningfully.


    The assistant did not know how to exin, but Olivia was the first to speak. ¡°I forced him. If you want to


    me someone, me me.¡±


    ¡°You refused to answer my calls. I was worried about you, so I couldn¡¯t help bute see you.¡±


    Her eyes were covered in mist, making her look pitiful.


    Her simple outfit and makeup made her look delicate and fragile, causing Louis¡¯s heart to ache.

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254


    Chapter 254 Making The Smith Family Bleed


    ¡°Silly girl, how could I me you?¡± As he spoke, he pulled Olivia into his arms. and gently wiped away


    the tears at the corner of her eyes. ¡°Things went wrong in thepany recently. Some people wanted


    to withdraw their investment. I¡¯m still working on it.¡±


    When Olivia heard this, her eyes flickered slightly. ¡°Including Mr. Zane?¡±


    Olivia had a dream of being an actress since she was young. She had never


    dealt with business.


    Not like Rachel and her tactics.


    Therefore, when Olivia was curious about business, Louis was happy to answer her questions.


    ¡°It¡¯s a few other investors,¡± Louis Smith said lightly. ¡°I n to draw them over to my side.¡±


    When Mr. Zane publicly provoked him at the board meeting, he realized he should have taken


    precautions.


    Currently, all the investments were drawn over by Rachel.


    These people trusted in Rachel, and there was no guarantee that one day Rachel would not lobby


    them to divest and catch him off guard.


    Olivia looked at him guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all because of me. If it weren¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have


    been misunderstood. The board wouldn¡¯t have made things difficult for you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Louis looked at Olivia in his arms with tenderness andforted her gently. ¡°But at


    this stage, it¡¯s not suitable for us to announce our engagement. You might be feeling aggrieved.¡±


    Olivia snuggled in his arms. ¡°As long as you love me with all your heart and soul, I could take any


    grievances.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Louis could not help but reveal a trace of guilt in his eyes. He hugged Olivia tightly


    and said, ¡°Olivia, don¡¯t worry. I will give you a grand wedding in the future.¡±


    Olivia smiled and did not say anything. She suddenly thought of something and looked up at Louis. ¡°I


    heard that Mr. Zane and his wife are deeply in love. Perhaps there¡¯s something we can do about Mrs.


    Zane?¡±


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    ¡°Mr. Zane only invested because of Rachel¡¯s lobby. Although I don¡¯t know how she did it, Mr. Zane¡¯s


    investment did bring the Smith Group a lot of


    benefits.¡±


    Louis did not even realize his eyes were filled with admiration for Rachel


    when he talked about this.


    It was a pain in the neck for Olivia.


    She secretly gritted her teeth and lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in her eyes. ¡°I met Mrs. Zane a


    few times when I was doing charity work. She seems to be holding a charity auction next month. When


    the timees, we¡¯ll go and support her. Perhaps this could be a chance?¡±


    Louis heard this and smiled. ¡°You are my good wife, always giving me advice at critical moments.¡±


    ¡°Well, after all, I¡¯m your legitimate fianc¨¦e.¡± Olivia smiled. She raised her head and gently kissed him on


    his lips.


    Rachel came out of the bathroom and received a call from Mary.


    As soon as she picked it up, Mary¡¯s voice came in. ¡°Have you seen the message I sent you?¡±


    ¡°I just finished reading it.¡± Rachel casually wiped her wet hair, then walked to the counter and poured a


    ss of water for herself. ¡°Although the incident at the annual meeting has affected the reputation of


    Smith Group to a certain. extent, it won¡¯t make Smith Group go bankrupt. It won¡¯t make them feel good


    either.¡±


    Five percent of thepany¡¯s market value and thend in South Valley could be said to have made


    the Smith family bleed.


    Even if thepany didn¡¯t die, it was still injured.


    Mary said, ¡°After the scandals of Louis and Olivia were exposed, the shares. of the Smith family fell


    again and again. The board will not let it go!¡±

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255


    Chapter 255 Is He Showing Off To Me?


    Businessmen valued the benefits in their hands the most.


    Once their returns on investment decreased, they would naturally demand an exnation from Louis.


    ¡°That depends on the Smith family¡¯s luck,¡± Rachel said.


    It was not easy to get Mr. Zane¡¯s investment back then.


    Mr. Zane, on the other hand, was stubborn and conservative both in business and in rtionships.


    ¡°Are you just going to wait and see?¡± Mary asked in disappointment.


    ¡°You know how I like to kick someone when they¡¯re down.¡± Rachel chuckled. ¡°By the way, don¡¯t forget


    about tomorrow¡¯s lunch date.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Mary said, ¡°I¡¯ll be there early. It¡¯s been a while since thest time we went shopping


    together.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Speaking of which, it had been a long time since they went shopping togetherst time.


    Rachel and Mary first came to the clothing store. Then they went to the lingerie store. When it was near


    the appointed time, David called.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± David asked.


    Rachel frowned when she saw Mary gesturing at her with a


    leopard¨Cpatterned bra. She quickly turned around and said, ¡°I¡¯m shopping in Times Square with Mary.¡±


    She paused for a moment. ¡°What about you? Are you done with your work?¡±


    David said, ¡°Turn around.¡±


    Rachel saw David in a ck suit standing in the corridor.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    His well¨Ctailored suit entuated his tall figure, and his meticulous tie


    exuded a strict sense of abstinence.


    The bright lights shone on him, coating him with ayer of faint silver light, which made him look soft.


    However, his indifferent eyes carried invible


    coldness.


    Rachel looked at him and smiled.


    David hung up and reached out to Rachel, looking at her expectantly. It was a simple action, but he did


    it with indescribable gentleness.


    At that moment, there was only one thought in Rachel Grey¡¯s mind.


    Run to him and hug him tightly.


    She had just taken a step when Mary grabbed her arm. ¡°I want to go to the toilet. Apany me.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    For real, her best friend was good at spoiling the mood.


    Without waiting for her to speak, David walked towards Rachel step by step.


    Mary caught a glimpse of David. Her eyes flickered with excitement as she kept looking at Rachel.


    Rachel blushed and introduced the two to each other. ¡°My good friend, Mary Green.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Miss Green.¡± David smiled politely.


    Mary smiled and nodded, but her gaze was sizing David up and down critically.


    Not to mention his temperament, his face alone was prettier than those stars in the entertainment


    industry.


    His ck eyebrows were exquisite. His eyes were deep, and his nose was high. Every part of him


    revealed he was the one that God favored.


    Most of the customers in the lingerie shop were women. The existence of David was especially eye¨C


    catching.


    Rachel noticed the gazes that fell on David. She was embarrassed. ¡°Let¡¯s go


    to the restaurant first.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Mary said calmly.


    She subconsciously walked forward and tried to hold Rachel¡¯s arm as usual.


    However, she could not even touch the corner of Rachel¡¯s clothes. David walked up and pulled Rachel


    into his arms.


    She looked at her empty hand and could not help but frown.


    When she looked up, she happened to see David raise his eyebrows. The smile on his face revealed a


    hint of provocation.


    Mary frowned. Was this man showing off to her?


    This was really boring and childish!


    However, she had to admit that what he did had sessfully aroused her


    desire to win.

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256


    Chapter 256 A Serious Rtionship.


    While eating, Mary and David began topete in secret.


    They tried to do all kinds of things for Rachel. Passing the salt. Handing the tissue. Refilling her ss.


    The two of them acted like they were fighting in an arena.


    Rachel sensed the unusual atmosphere between them and could not help. but look at Mary..


    Her gaze seemed to be saying, ¡°What is going on between you two?¡±


    Mary shrugged slightly and looked at David with a smile. ¡°Sir, you haven¡¯t introduced yourself.¡±


    ¡°David Jones, Rachel¡¯s boyfriend.¡± After David finished speaking, he looked at Rachel with a gentle


    gaze that could drown someone.


    Mary could not help but feel a chill.


    Being intimate with David in front of Mary, Rachel felt ufortable.


    Without batting an eyelid, she pulled her hand back and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Mary saw all of Rachel¡¯s small gestures. Her raised eyebrows immediately revealed a hint of


    smugness.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, how did you meet?¡±


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    In other words, your existence is not that important. I have never heard Rae¨CRae mention you before.


    Rachel pressed her lips into a line. ¡°The day before I broke up with Louis.¡±


    Coincidentally, it was the day of her wedding ceremony with Louis.


    After being abandoned by Louis, she walked alone and encountered heavy


    rain.


    She was wearing a white wedding dress and trying to find shelter from the rain. Then she was


    identally hit by his car.


    Such a dramatic scene was the beginning of her encounter with David.


    ¡°You¡­ He¡­¡± Mary¡¯s shocked gaze fell on both of them back and forth.


    She did not expect the man in front of her to be the man who had sent Rachel to the hospital, nor did


    she expect him to be the owner of that suit!


    ¡°You hid it from me for so long and only told me now!¡±


    When she looked up, David raised his ss and toasted Mary across the air. His eyebrows were


    slightly raised, and the corners of his mouth curled into a


    faint smile.


    Damn it!


    He was showing off!


    Mary snorted and raised her chin proudly. She picked up the wine ss and drank it in one gulp.


    During the meal, she noticed that David took good care of Rachel. Most importantly, none of the side


    dishes that Rachel hated were on the table.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, how long do you n to maintain your rtionship with Rae¨CRae?¡±


    Upon hearing Mary¡¯s question, Rachel tightened her grip on her knife and fork. She turned her attention


    to David.


    David said genuinely, ¡°I¡¯m serious about it.¡®


    Strangely, at this moment, Mary understood what he meant.


    She was afraid that David was only ying with Rachel, and that Rachel might get hurt again.


    But now, this man wanted to tell both Mary and Rachel that the original intention of the rtionship was


    to get married.


    When Mary heard this, her hostility towards David decreased.


    As a bystander, she had been observing the interaction between David and


    Rachel.


    She looked like she wanted to say something but didn¡¯t because of Rachel¡¯s presence.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom,¡± Rachel said.


    Mary asked, ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡±


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    When the door closed, Mary changed her joking attitude and looked at David seriously. She said


    bluntly, ¡°Mr. Jones, I don¡¯t know how deep your feelings for Rae¨CRae are, but as an outsider, I don¡¯t


    think highly of your rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Before you, she had a boyfriend who had been in love with her for three


    years. The two of them were together through thick and thin. It wasn¡¯t easy for them to enter the


    wedding hall, but that man still abandoned her in the end. Although I don¡¯t know what you did to win


    Rae¨CRae¡¯s heart, I want to say that since you chose her, please don¡¯t do anything to hurt her.¡±


    ¡°This girl is so silly that it makes one¡¯s heart ache. If others treat her well, she would want to repay


    them with all her heart. She looks cold on the outside. But she¡¯s very fragile on the inside. The more


    she cares about something, the more she pretends she doesn¡¯t care. Therefore, please don¡¯t be


    deceived by her cold appearance. Please don¡¯t let her down.¡±


    David said, ¡°Thank you for telling me this.¡±

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257


    Chapter 257 What Am I To You?


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet,¡± Mary said. ¡°If you make Rae¨CRae sad or do anything to let her down, I will make


    you pay the price! That¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Rachel, who was standing outside the door, felt a lump in her throat when she heard what Mary said to


    David.


    Mary¡¯s every word urately hit the softest spot of her heart.


    A sudden sourness filled her heart, causing her eyes to tear up uncontrobly.


    What followed was another wave of satisfaction.


    The misfortunes of her childhood made her think she was born unblessed.


    Therefore, she had to suffer cold treatment and humiliation.


    She was d that Mary had appeared when she felt abandoned by the


    world.


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    With such a friend who truly understood her in her life, it seemed that her life was not as bad as she


    had imagined.


    Rachel held the tears in her eyes and put on a smile. She pushed the door open and entered. ¡°I¡¯m


    back.¡±


    The lunchtime was longer than usual, but there was no ttery or formality. The harmonious


    atmosphere was more like a gathering with good friends.


    However, the banquet eventually ended.


    The three of them separated in the parking lot. After Rachel and David watched Mary leave, they


    turned around and got in the car.


    ¡°Mary is careless about her speech. If she says something that offends you, don¡¯t take it personally,¡±


    Rachel said.


    David tugged at his tie and nced at her meaningfully. ¡°Are you trying to be a peacemaker here?¡±


    Rachelughed. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you might feel offended and take revenge on her.¡±


    ¡°Then, aren¡¯t you worried about me?¡± David raised his eyebrows slightly. His smile looked somehow


    dangerous.


    ¡°Do you have anything for me to worry about?¡±


    So far, Rachel knew little about David¡¯s identity. However, her intuition told her that no matter what, this


    man would never be at a disadvantage.


    ¡°You mayugh at this. Before I met Mary, I didn¡¯t have a true friend whom I can share my confidence


    with. So I won¡¯t let anyone bully her.¡± Rachel stared at David primly and said, ¡°Not even you.¡±


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. His well¨Cdefined fingers grabbed her chin. His fingertips gently rubbed


    the corner of her lips, pressing himself toward


    Rachel.


    The two of them faced each other. Their breaths intertwined as if they could


    kiss at any moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re heartless.¡± His sexy and low voice slowly rang in her ears. ¡°You¡¯re protecting others from me?


    Am I your boyfriend or your enemy?¡±


    No one dared to lecture him in public, let alone say ¡°I will make you pay the price¡± to him.


    He felt that he had been polite enough to Mary.


    Rachel raised her chin slightly and gently pecked his lips. ¡°I just want to show you what Mary means to


    me.¡±


    ¡°What about me? What do I mean to you?¡± David¡¯s ck eyes stared at her without blinking. There was


    an unconceble dominance in his eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly.


    The man¡¯s palm brushed past her cheek. His nimble fingersbed through her hair and grabbed the


    back of her head. Suddenly, he moved his face closer to hers. His low and sexy voice gently said,


    ¡°Rae, what am I to you?¡±

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258


    Chapter 258 Not Now, Sooner Or Later!


    After a long while, Rachel said, ¡°Before I met you, I always felt unlucky. Now I realize all my


    misfortunes and hardships were for meeting you.¡±


    In an instant, the blood in his body froze.


    A strange warm current slowly flowed from the bottom of David¡¯s heart to his limbs and bones. He


    regained consciousness.


    However, his heart was beating uncontrobly faster.


    ¡°Say that again.¡± David looked at Rachel with a burning gaze.


    Rachel refused to say anything else.


    Compared to words, she preferred the love buried deep in her heart.


    David did not give up. He held her face and kissed it fiercely. ¡°Rae¨CRae, can you repeat it for me?¡±


    He was like a clingy golden retriever, rubbing against Rachel¡¯s neck.


    Eddie, sitting in front, cried out in pain when he saw this!


    He had been by his master¡¯s side for so many years. When had he ever seen his master act like this?


    If word got out, his reputation would be ruined!


    ¡°David, sit down.¡± Rachel could not stand David¡¯s badgering.


    However, David hugged her tightly. ¡°I won¡¯t unless you repeat it to me.¡±


    Rachel said nothing.


    The two of them yed a war of tugging.


    David buried his head in her neck. His warm breath brushed the skin on her neck, and a numbing and


    itchy feeling spread to her limbs and bones.


    ¡°Get up quickly.¡± Rachel pushed his head in embarrassment.


    However, David did not move at all. The hand on her waist could not help but tighten. ¡°I won¡¯t let go


    until you tell me.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not going to work in the afternoon?!¡±


    ¡°The most important thing is to apany my wife.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s fair face could not help but blush. ¡°Watch your words!¡±


    ¡°Not now, but sooner orter!¡±


    His tone gave off a sense of confidence the moment he spoke.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After Rachel was sent back to her apartment, David touched her face. ¡°I¡¯l pick you up tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rachel said, ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Seeing David walk to the elevator, Rachel closed the door.


    She changed her clothes and slowly walked into the bathroom.


    The warm water wrapped around her body like silk, instantly wiping away her fatigue.


    At this moment, her phone rang. It was a call from Darcy.


    ¡°Miss Grey, the invitation is already in the private mailbox of the apartment.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel closed her eyes and leaned against the bathtub. After a long time, she put on


    her clothes and went to the mailbox downstairs. She took out the invitation to the Fujiby auction


    meeting.


    The heavy little ck envelope was imprinted with a ssical andplicated pattern. The Fujiby logo


    was printed on the wax seal.


    The invitation to the Fujiby was divided into three levels ck, gold, and silver, representing the top¨C


    tier, intermediate, and beginner members.


    The invitation letter in Rachel¡¯s hand was ck, which was for top¨Ctier members.


    Rachel opened it and took a look at the time. Then, she returned to the apartment.


    At the same time, Olivia obtained the invitation letter through hardships and came to the Smith family


    immediately.


    As soon as she walked in the door, she felt a low atmosphere.


    Mrs. Smith came down from upstairs. When she saw Olivia walk in, the smile on her face was not as


    warm as before. ¡°Hi. Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Smith.¡± Olivia looked at her with a smile. ¡°I specially asked a friend to bring the wine over. I hope


    you like it.¡±

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259


    Chapter 259 Karma


    ¡°Look at you. You don¡¯t have to bring a gift.¡± Mrs. Smith gave the help a look, indicating that he should


    ept the gift.


    Mrs. Smith walked to Olivia¡¯s side, took her hand, and patted it gently. ¡°I watched you grow up. You¡¯re


    kind, sensible, obedient, and considerate. In the future, Louis will be lucky to marry you.¡±


    When Olivia heard this, she had a shy smile on her face. ¡°Mrs. Smith, it¡¯s good that you don¡¯t me


    me. If it weren¡¯t for me, the Smith family wouldn¡¯t have been involved in the scandal¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not your fault!¡± Mrs. Smith interrupted Olivia. There was a coldness between Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s brows. Mrs. Smith gritted her teeth and said, ¡°If we have to me someone, me that bitch


    Rachel! Not only did she scheme against you and Louis, but she also schemed against the entire.


    Smith family! Think about it. If the Smith family hadn¡¯t taken her in all these years, how could she have


    lived such an easy life? Now that she has a powerful backer, she can¡¯t wait to trample on us! People


    like her will suffer retribution sooner orter!¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It was all thanks to Rachel that the Smith family suffered such a disaster this time!


    However, they had forgotten that if they had not been greedy and if Jane had not taken the opportunity


    to take revenge, the Smith family would not have. ended up like this.


    Seeing Mrs. Smith hate Rachel, Olivia immediately felt extremely happy.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, be careful not to get angry.¡± Olivia helped Mrs. Smith sit on the sofa and very


    considerately took the cup from the servant and handed it to Mrs. Smith.


    Mrs. Smith took a sip and heaved a long sigh of relief. Mrs. Smith looked up at Olivia. ¡°By the way, why


    are you here this time?¡±


    Olivia smiled. ¡°There¡¯s a Fujiby auction tomorrow. I want to take this opportunity to take Jane out to


    hang.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mrs. Smith¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why I said that you¡¯re sensible and considerate.¡±


    Ever since Jane got into trouble, she had been locked in her room.


    Mrs. Smith didn¡¯t feel good either when she saw her daughter sulking.


    However, this time, both the old man and Louis med Jane for everything. It was not appropriate for


    Mrs. Smith to say anything else.


    Mrs. Smith could take advantage of Olivia¡¯s suggestion to release Jane.


    As expected, after Olivia made the offer, Louis made a concession. The old man could not say anything


    else.


    After Olivia told Jane about attending the charity banquet, Jane was so


    excited that she did not sleep well the entire night.


    After being locked up at home for more than half a month, Jane was about to go crazy.


    Now, Jane finally had a chance to get some fresh air and shine.


    At 7 o¡¯clock in the evening, the city lights were shining.


    As one of thendmarks in Seaxas, the exhibition center disyed a magnificent aura under the


    dazzling lights.


    The fountain in the middle of the square was like a dancer waving her sleeves under the unpredictable


    lights, twisting her soft waist, and dancing.


    Not long after, a silver Koenigsegg slowly drove into the VIP passage from


    afar.


    The car door opened, and a man walked out. The man had straight and slender legs. He walked


    elegantly and steadily to the front passenger seat.


    A woman stretched out her slender hand and ced it on the man¡¯s hand. The woman stepped on the


    ground in her high heels, and she bent down to get out of the car.


    The woman was in a white suit, which entuated her natural coldness and


    elegance.


    Even though the man beside her had an overpowering aura, the woman did not lose out at all. Instead,


    she was surprisinglypatible.


    Not long after, a middle¨Caged man in uniform walked up to Rachel and called out respectfully, ¡°Miss


    Grey.¡±

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260


    Chapter 260 The Man Who Lived Off A Woman


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Darcy, long time no see.¡± Rachel smiled and handed over the invitation letter


    in her hand.


    When David saw the invitation letter that Rachel handed out, a meaningful. smile shed across his


    eyes.


    It made sense. The Johnson family was the richest family in Seaxas. Being the top¨Ctier member of


    Fujiby was simply not worth mentioning.


    Darcy stretched out his hands and took the invitation letter. Darcy¡¯s gaze swept across David without


    leaving a trace, and a dark light shed in the depths of his eyes.


    Darcy lowered his eyes to hide his expression. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. Pleasee


    in.¡±


    David seemed to understand what Darcy meant. The corners of his mouth. curled up slightly into a faint


    smile.


    David¡¯s arm naturally wrapped around Rachel¡¯s waist as he walked in. At the same time, David leaned


    forward slightly and whispered into Rachel¡¯s ear, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to be Miss Grey¡¯s man.¡±


    The way those people looked at David just now was filled with nitpicking. It was obvious that people


    thought of David as a loser who lived off a woman.


    Rachel raised her eyebrow. ¡°Are you afraid now?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± David¡¯s deep and cold voice was sexy andzy. ¡°I¡¯m determined to get you!¡±


    Rachel smiled.


    Top¨Ctier members were different from other members. They could have their own private rooms and


    enjoy the most preferential service.


    Rachel sat on the sofa and casually picked up the coffee beside her to take a sip. Rachel casually


    looked up and nced at the huge electronic screen in


    front of her.


    David sat on the sofa with his legs crossed. David supported his chin with one hand and flipped


    through the list of items on the table.


    There was a hint of nonchnt elegance and nobility in David¡¯sziness.


    Anything that could be recorded by Fujiby was naturally a rare treasure.


    Chapter 260 The Man 1 Lived C


    However, David was not very interested.


    David came this time to bring Rachel out for a walk. Secondly, he wanted to find someone.


    David gently tapped his fingertip on the page with the picture of the queen¡¯s crown on it.


    This crown looked like a queen¡¯s crown.


    The crown was solemn and exquisitely made. The queen¡¯s crown was decorated with a string of


    jewelry. The emerald phoenix spread its wings and flew among the jewelry leaves.


    The outer side of the crown was surrounded by jade and various gems. They were dazzling and


    majestic.


    However, this was not a precious old item.


    It was not surprising that the queen¡¯s crown had been rejected several times.


    At this moment, Darcy knocked on the door and walked in.


    Darcy seemed to have something to say to David, but he didn¡¯t say it.


    Rachel understood. ¡°Darcy, if you have something to say, just say it. There are no outsiders here.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Darcy looked at David meaningfully. Then, Darcy slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I


    just want to ask other than this crown, is there anything else that catches your eye, Miss Grey?¡±


    Rachel elegantly put down the cup in her hand. ¡°I overheard them discussing diamonds just now?¡±


    Darcy said, ¡°It¡¯s a blue diamond weighing 15.1 carats. It¡¯s thergest blue diamond in the history of


    auctions. It¡¯s extremely rare.¡±


    Since it was extremely rare, it meant that many people would bepeting for this blue diamond


    tonight.


    Rachel looked up at the disy screen in front of her. ¡°How much money do! have left in my fund


    pool?¡±


    When Darcy heard this, he handed the tablet to Rachel as if he was prepared. Darcy tapped on the


    screen and said, ¡°Currently, there are still 160 million


    dors.¡±


    ¡°Help me bid for this blue diamond first,¡± Rachel said calmly.


    After all, Rachel¡¯s main goal this time was to find a satisfactory birthday gift for her aunt, Eleanor


    Johnson.


    When Darcy heard this, his eyes flickered slightly. ¡°Miss Grey, what about the queen¡¯s crown?¡±

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261


    Chapter 261 Who Wouldn¡¯t Like Secrets?


    Darcy initially thought that Rachel hade for the unidentified queen¡¯s


    crown.


    Rachel picked up a crystal grape and put it into her mouth. There was an innate elegance in her


    movements and determination in her clear almond¨Cshaped eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a sure thing!¡± she said.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± David asked.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Rachel looked sideways at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the least curious that an unidentified crown could be listed


    at a Fujiby auction?¡± she said. ¡°Besides, why would Fujibi put it on the final stage if it has no value?¡±


    All signs indicated that the crown might contain some undiscovered secret.


    No matter what kind of secret it was, it needed someone with a mind to dig it out slowly.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and get ready,¡± Darcy said.


    Rachel nodded.


    David closed the register in front of him after Darcy left. ¡°You like to dig up the secrets, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t like secrets?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes shed with a sly light.


    David looked up at her.


    His deep eyes were filled with love and indulgence that no one had seen before. ¡°I can tell you


    everything you want to know,¡± said David.


    ¡°I prefer to dig slowly on my own.¡±


    As Rachel spoke, she held her chin with one hand and looked at the disy


    screen in front of her.


    At this point, the screen happened to have a panoramic view of the inside of


    the hall.


    The men were in suits and ties. The women were dressed in gorgeous clothes. Among them, there was


    nock of political and business celebrities in Seaxas. It was like a grand banquet for the wealthy.


    There was actually a hint of extravagance in the magnificent hall.


    However, Rachel noticed a few familiar figures in the crowd.


    They were Olivia and Louis.


    And Jane was behind them.


    Since the Smith family turned the tables, Louis had be a nouveau riche in Seaxas, a young and


    promising figure in the eyes of outsiders. For a time, he had be a candidate for many daughters of


    wealthy families.


    However, the scandals caused by the Smith Group¡¯s anniversary celebration and the Cruise family¡¯s


    daughter, Olivia, were still despised by many people.


    Especially when everyone saw Olivia, who appeared with Louis, they sized her up from head to toe.


    Olivia was wearing a champagne¨Ccolored tube top fishtail dress today. Her curly, algae¨Clike hair fell


    naturally over her shoulders, and the lines of her corbones were faintly discernible.


    The dress wrapped around her graceful figure, entuating her curves.


    Instantly, she attracted the attention of countless men present.


    She lowered her eyelids to hide the emotion in her eyes.


    She enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention. After all, she hade to impress everyone


    this time.


    ¡°Olivia, the ce is so beautiful!¡± Jane looked up at the exaggerated, gorgeous relief sculpture and the


    large crystal chandeliers above her head.


    If Olivia had not brought her here, she would never have been able toe to such a ce in her life.


    She had long investigated the Fujiby auction in private. Those who were qualified to participate were


    either rich or noble.


    Jane¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation. She swept her gaze across every young man


    present and fantasized about she would meet her Prince Charming tonight.


    To set off the theme of the Renaissance, numerous golden decorations and flowers were used at the


    site. The exaggerated decorations highlighted the aristocratic aura.


    It was as if they were at an aristocratic banquet of the European royal family in thest century.


    Jane said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect an auction to make such a big scene!¡±


    In fact, Olivia had never participated in an auction before. However, she was smarter than Jane and


    knew how to restrain her inner shock and


    was


    inexperienced pettiness.

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262


    Chapter 262 A Trap For The Prey


    Olivia¡¯s lips curved into a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s probably to cater to the theme of this auction,¡± said she.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there and take a look, Olivia,¡± said Jane. She looked curiously at the pre¨Cexhibition


    location and pulled Olivia¡¯s hand to walk away.


    A hint of disgust shed across Olivia¡¯s eyes. Jane had no vision at all.


    If it weren¡¯t for the open invitation to Louis, she wouldn¡¯t have brought Jane


    out to embarrass herself.


    She suppressed her annoyance and looked longingly at Louis. ¡°Louis, we¡¯ll be right back,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Olivia followed Jane and strolled in front of the counters for the


    pre¨Cexhibition. At the same time, she picked up the auction roster and saw the blue diamond at a


    nce.


    If she could have such a diamond ring, she would definitely be envied by many people, wouldn¡¯t she?


    It would be best if she could have it.


    Olivia looked at the picture of the blue diamond in a daze. A trace of fondness could not help but


    appear in her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± Jane took over the auction roster and had a look at it. She noticed the expression on


    Olivia¡¯s face and said, ¡°Olivia, tell my brother if you like it. My brother will buy it for you.¡±


    Olivia smiled lightly and said, ¡°I think the person who can own the diamond must be the happiest in the


    world. It¡¯s exceedingly rare, after all.¡±


    ¡°Then my brother will buy it for you even more. You¡¯ll see if you don¡¯t believe


    me!¡± said Jane.


    Olivia smiled softly and said nothing.


    If Louis could auction the diamond for her, she would definitely receive a wave of poprity tomorrow.


    It could be considered that she made a small ssh.


    At eight o¡¯clock sharp.


    The auction officially began.


    Seth Marney, the famous auctioneer in the industry, stood on the stage. After a streamlined opening


    speech, he began tonight¡¯s auction.


    Rachel was not very interested in the other auction items, so she sat on the sofa eating fruit and


    asionally looked across at David.


    David crossed his legs and held the coffee spoon in his hand. Even if he did not say a word, people


    would still be intimidated by his innate momentum. Sensing Rachel¡¯s gaze, he looked at her and asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Are you waiting for someone?¡± Rachel opened her mouth and sucked on the cherry. The rose¨Ccolored


    juice stained her lips even more gorgeous. Without waiting for David to answer, she tly denied


    herself, ¡°No, you¡¯re arresting someone.¡±


    It was because he did not look like he was enjoying himself. Instead, he looked more like a hunter who


    had set up an inescapable trap and was waiting for his prey to barge in.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± said David.


    A trace of surprise appeared between Rachel¡¯s eyebrows.


    She did not expect David to be so frank.


    ¡°An enemy or a foe?¡± As Rachel spoke, she reached out her slender fingers. and wiped the juice from


    the corner of her mouth.


    Coincidentally, David leaned forward and took out a white handkerchief to wipe the stains on her hand.


    ¡°Is there a difference between the two?¡±


    Rachel stared at the man in front of her without blinking. ¡°The former is a life¨Cand¨Cdeath struggle, while


    thetter is one dies and the other lives.¡±


    The corners of David¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he looked at Rachel. meaningfully. ¡°Then I should


    belong to thetter.¡±


    Upon hearing him, Rachel¡¯s pupils constricted slightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± David stroked her face, leaned down, and gave her a gentle peck on the lips.


    In their conversation, the blue diamond, known as the rarest item in the history of auctions, went from


    the starting bid of 9,6 million dors to 16 million dors.


    ¡°Miss Gray, do you want to continue bidding?¡± Darcy¡¯s voice came from the


    walkie¨Ctalkie.


    Chapter 263 ying Hard To Get


    Rachel pursed her lips and picked up the walkie¨Ctalkie. ¡°Darcy, I don¡¯t have an upper limit,¡± she said


    calmly.


    In other words, she wanted the blue diamond for sure!


    A diamond is forever, not to mention it was an extremely rare blue diamond.


    Darcy could not help but sympathize with the other bidders in the room when he got the order.


    So far, Rachel had never failed to get anything that caught her eye.


    It was probably no exception for this time.


    Hence, Darcy raised his bidding paddle and shouted, ¡°20 million dors.¡±


    The others followed closely and bid, but the increase was all within 2 million dors.


    Clearly, everyone was conservative.


    Sitting below the stage, Olivia clenched her fists in anticipation and


    nervousness.


    She expected the diamond to be in her pocket and was nervous that Louis would give up the


    competition.


    Louis seemed to sense Olivia¡¯s nervousness. He reached out and held her hand. At the same time, he


    raised his bidding paddle with his other hand and said, ¡°30 million dors!¡±


    To Louis, the auction was not only an opportunity to make connections but also a means to prove the


    wealth and status of the Smith family.


    He entered thepetition not just to win Olivia¡¯s favor.


    Most importantly, he wanted to use the method to tell those restless directors that the Smith Group was


    rich and powerful. It would definitely not be affected by the scandal at the anniversary celebration.


    As expected, as Louis made his bid, there were whispers around him.


    ¡°He is Mr. Smith of the Smith Group, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°The Smith family¡¯s current status and strength can¡¯t be underestimated.¡±


    Most of the people at the site were from Seaxas. They were well aware that Louis was involved in a


    scandal and also knew that the share price of Smith


    Group had plummeted after the truth was exposed.


    People thought the Smith family would keep a low profile, but they did not expect Louis, the head of the


    Smith family, to be so wealthy.


    However, everyone present was determined to obtain the extremely rare blue diamond.


    After a few minutes of silence, they started bidding again. ¡°32 million


    dors!¡±


    ¡°34 million dors!¡±


    ¡°36 million dors!¡±


    ¡°40 million dors!¡±


    As the bids rose, Louis¡¯s calm attitude changed.


    In his opinion, although the blue diamond had collector¡¯s value, it was far more than that.


    Moreover, the Smith family¡¯s current liquidity for him to spend was limited after giving Rachel


    compensation.


    A conflicted look appeared on Louis¡¯s face, and a thinyer of sweat unknowingly appeared on his


    palms.


    He pursed his lips and said with difficulty, ¡°Olivia¡­¡±


    ¡°Louis, why don¡¯t we give up?¡± Olivia was the first to speak.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Louis looked at her in surprise.


    Olivia held Louis¡¯s hand with a gentle smile. ¡°Although a diamond is forever, I believe your love for me


    willst longer than a diamond, right? As long as I can be with you, I don¡¯t care about anything else.¡±


    Sitting beside Olivia, Jane could not help but say, ¡°Louis, if Olivia likes it, you buy it for her. Didn¡¯t you


    hear that person¡¯s introduction just now? It is thergest blue diamond in the history of auctions and


    extremely rare!¡±


    ¡°Jane, there are other auction itemster. We don¡¯t have to have the diamond,¡± Olivia said.


    Although she said so, it was not hard to see the disappointment in her eyes.


    Staring at it for a second, Louis had made up his mind and raised the sign in his hand. ¡°42 million


    dors!¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes revealed a hint of delight.


    She knew that as long as she acted aggrieved, Louis would definitely feel sorry for her!


    ying hard to get had always been her forte.

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263


    Chapter 263 Being Angry And Resentful


    Rachel, who was sitting in front of the screen, naturally noticed Louis and


    Olivia in their seats.


    She did not expect Louis to do so for Olivia.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It was a pity that she had never had the virtue of helping others, not to mention that she waspeting


    with someone who had once hurt her.


    She picked up the walkie¨Ctalkie and signaled to Darcy.


    Seth, the auctioneer, looked around and nced at Darcy. He slowly raised the hammer in his hand.


    ¡°42 million dors going once!¡±


    ¡°60 million dors!¡± Darcy slowly raised his bidding paddle and interrupted Seth.


    Seth couldn¡¯t breathe and almost choked on his saliva.


    In an instant, there was an uproar throughout the room.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes instantly fell on Darcy.


    They, including Louis, wanted to see who on earth was so rich!


    The 42 million dors was already Louis¡¯s bottom line. He did not expect the other party to be much


    stronger than he had thought.


    Jane also stretched her neck and looked at Darcy.


    She had thought he might be an outstanding and sessful man, but she did not expect the man to be


    in his 60s and was a in¨Clooking man of the sort who would soon be lost in the crowd.


    If he had not appeared here in a suit and tie and had not offered a sky¨Chigh price just now, the people


    present would not have cared about his existence.


    ¡°Olivia, who is that person?¡±


    At this point, Olivia¡¯s expression was slightly solemn. ¡°The Fujiby auction has three membership levels:


    top¨Ctier, intermediate, and beginner. Generally, the top¨Ctier members never show their faces and will


    be represented by their auction butler. He happens to be one of them.¡±


    In other words, Darcy had a top¨Ctier member behind him.


    Olivia had once heard that a top¨Ctier member of Fujiby had assets of more than 20 billion dors.


    However, it was only a rough estimate.


    Even if both the Cruise family and the Smith family poured out all their assets together, it was not worth


    mentioning in the other party¡¯s eyes.


    The only thing that couldpete with top¨Ctier members was the existence of the ck gold card.


    But so far, the ck gold card holders had never appeared.


    Louis clenched his fists and looked at Olivia apologetically. ¡°Olivia, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°Why would I me you?¡± Olivia looked at Louis with a gentle gaze. ¡°It¡¯s just that we¡¯re not fated with


    this diamond.¡±


    Although Olivia said so, she was angry and hateful.


    She hated Louis for not being a wealthy top¨Ctier member and was angry that the other party was so


    rich!


    Meanwhile, in the private room on the top floor.


    The man had light golden curly hair and amber eyes that shone with honey under the light. His delicate


    features were like those carefully carved by God. Unfortunately, a hint of evil between his eyebrows


    contrasted sharply with his delicate and wless face.


    ying with a bone ring at his fingertips, he stared at the screen with interest. The corner of his mouth


    arched a vague arc, and he said. indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s inhumane.¡±


    ¡°Boss, do you need me to check it out?¡± asked the man with a buzz cut.


    Upon hearing that, the manzily raised his eyes and looked at him. ¡°Remember, never neglect your


    main goal for unworthy people and things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    Fujiby imed to have the most secure firewall in the world and would never leak any information


    about its customers.


    But as the saying goes, no matter how strong one is, there is always


    someone stronger. They naturally had a way of knowing what they wanted to know.


    But there was no need.

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264


    Chapter 265 The Sexy And Charming Redhead


    The highly anticipated queen¡¯s crown finally appeared as the auction items were sold quickly and


    smoothly.


    The originally noisy hall instantly became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.


    Everyone looked at Seth, the auctioneer, and listened to him patiently and attentively as he exined a


    few details about the queen¡¯s crown.


    However, Seth only exined the appearance of the queen¡¯s crown without saying anything about its


    origins or historical background.


    It was not that he deliberately hid it, but the owner of the queen¡¯s crown had never mentioned it.


    Even so, it sessfully piqued everyone¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°Tonight¡¯sst auction item is the queen¡¯s crown in imitation of the Ming Dynasty. The starting price is


    12 million dors, and the bidding begins now!¡±


    As Seth finished speaking, the people present began to bid, not giving in to each other.


    The price of the queen¡¯s crown soared to 30 million dors.


    Sitting in the back row, Darcy looked at the people who raised their signs to bid before him. A hint of


    surprise shed across his eyes.


    He did not expect the queen¡¯s crown to be so hotly contested as this


    As Darcy pondered, the price of the queen¡¯s crown continued to soar.


    Seth, who was standing on the stage, was sweating profusely.


    The current bid for the queen¡¯s crown was 40 million dors, well above their


    initial estimate.


    He calmly looked at the crowd below the stage, and his gaze finallynded on Darcy.


    No matter how much the people presentpeted, they could not win against Darcy.


    After all, these were only intermediate members. They were not worth mentioning in front of a top¨Ctier


    member.


    After five minutes ofpetition, most people had no choice but to lose.


    Only three people were stillpeting with each other.


    Someone shouted, ¡°62 million dors!¡±


    ¡°64 million dors!¡±


    ¡°70 million dors!¡±


    His words caused an uproar in the surroundings.


    Louis and the others sitting below the stage could not help but be curious.


    ¡°The queen¡¯s crown doesn¡¯t look very valuable. Are these people stupid and


    rich?¡± Jane muttered in confusion.


    Olivia¡¯s expression was calm. There was a light smile on her face the entire


    time. She looked innocent and harmless.


    At the Fujiby auction, there was never a shortage of news, nor was there a shortage of rich and willful


    people.


    However, it was unheard of for the unidentified queen¡¯s crown to be called out at a sky¨Chigh price of 70


    million dors.


    Whether it was the extremely rare blue diamond from before or the pair of 19th¨Ccentury butterfly


    diamond nes that appearedter, there was a


    lot of room for value addition.


    Louis looked at Olivia. ¡°What exactly is the origin of the queen¡¯s crown?¡±


    Olivia shook her head gently. ¡°No matter what its origin is, the top¨Ctier members have not bid on it so


    far. From this, it can be seen that the queen¡¯s


    crown has no room for value.¡±


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her voice was neither loud nor soft, and the others around her heard her.


    The surrounding people immediately felt that it made sense and nodded in


    agreement.


    At the Fujiby auction, if a top¨Ctier member were to bid on it, it would be equivalent to admitting that the


    item was a rare treasure. If not, it meant it wasn¡¯t worth a single cent.


    Thinking of it, everyone could not help but show some gloating smiles, waiting to watch the show.


    Seth, standing on the stage, looked around at everyone. He raised his small hammer and repeated the


    bid just now. ¡°76 million dors going once¡­¡±


    ¡°100 million dors!¡± A charming voice sounded faint.


    Everyone could not help but gasp and turn to look at the woman.


    The woman had fiery red hair and looked sexy and charming in a tube top dress. She waspletely


    different from the other top¨Ctier members¡® auction butlers.


    Everyone could not help but be curious. Who the hell was the woman?

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265


    Chapter 265 A Ignorant Person


    The woman calmly epted everyone¡¯s probing gazes. Her red lips were curled into a smile, making it


    impossible to guess her thoughts.


    The small hammer in Seth¡¯s hand almost fell to the ground in shock. Fortunately, he had many years of


    professionalism.


    He cleared his throat to calm his shock and scanned the crowd. ¡°Is there a higher bid than 100 million


    dors?¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Darcy slowly raised his bidding paddle. ¡°120 million dors!¡±


    ¡°140 million dors!¡± The red¨Chaired woman did not back down.


    When Darcy heard her, he turned to look at the red¨Chaired woman sitting in the same row as him.


    The red¨Chaired woman waved at Darcy. Her smile revealed a hint of provocation.


    Darcy frowned imperceptibly. When he heard themand from his earpiece, he raised his bidding


    paddle again. ¡°160 million dors!¡±


    Seth¡¯s head was spinning from the shocking bidding method.


    Others would raise it by 2 million dors, but these two people bid by adding 20 million dors each


    time.


    They were indeed rich and willful!


    The corners of the red¨Chaired woman¡¯s lips curled up, and her charming voice sounded again. ¡°180


    million dors.¡±


    Far away in the private room, Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with coldness.


    ¡°It looks like you won¡¯t get your wish tonight,¡± David said.


    Rachel looked at him sideways and raised her eyebrows slightly, showing her arrogance. ¡°Then let¡¯s


    give it a try!¡± said she.


    As she spoke, Rachel picked up theputer on the coffee table and injected 200 million dors into


    the fund pool under her name.


    The man in the other private room clearly did not expect someone topete with him. His eyes were


    filled with interest.


    ¡°There are full of hidden talents in Seaxas.¡± His voice had an imperceptible


    smile but did not reach his eyes. ¡°But there are also many people who don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for


    them.¡±


    Beside him, the buzz¨Ccut man secretly broke out in a cold sweat for the other.


    party.


    His boss had always been determined to get what he wanted.


    The other party dared to snatch something from his boss¡¯s hands, which was more or less ignorant.


    At this moment, the red¨Chaired woman and Darcy were not giving in to each other. The atmosphere


    seemed to have be tense.


    ¡°200 million dors!¡± the red¨Chaired woman said again. She raised her chin slightly, looking


    determined.


    Darcy¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly with a vague chill.


    The price had far exceeded Miss Grey¡¯s budget!


    Although he did not know if the other party was bidding maliciously or determined to get the crown, the


    current price had far exceeded Miss Grey¡¯s budget.


    He looked at the red¨Chaired woman with a heavy gaze.


    The red¨Chaired woman raised her eyebrows. One could clearly feel her arrogance even from a


    distance.


    After being in a daze for a while, Seth, the auctioneer, came back to his senses and returned to his


    usual indifferent attitude. He raised his hammer and repeated clearly, ¡°Is there a higher price than 200


    million dors?¡±


    There was a dead silence. Seth said again, ¡°200 million dors going once! 200 million dors going


    twice! 200 million dors¡­¡±


    His voice came inyer byyer as if it was enchanted with magic that could pierce through one¡¯s


    heart, making one¡¯s scalp tingle.


    At this moment, the tightly shut door of the hall was pushed open from the outside.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Everyone¡¯s gazes instantly gathered on that person.


    The white¨Chaired man walked in with a solemn expression. He was holding a tray with a ck gold


    card lying on it.


    Not only did Seth, who was on stage, freeze, but so did the intermediate


    members who sat a few rows ahead.


    Someone in the crowd muttered softly, ¡°It¡­ it is a ck gold card!¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, the surroundings were in an uproar.

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266


    Chapter 266 To Win A Beauty¡¯s Smile


    The expressions of everyone present changed drastically.


    The ck gold card was decorated withplicated patterns, and a ring of diamonds of the same size


    and high purity were embedded around it.


    It showed extraordinary strength in every detail.


    The man carefully handed the tray to Seth.


    Seth swallowed nervously and took it over.


    After years in the auction business, he rarely saw a holder of the ck gold card reveal his identity.


    He raised his hand and discreetly wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.


    ¡°The ck gold card has bid, and anyone else wants to raise the price?¡±


    There was silence.


    If the top¨Ctier member was at the top of the Fujiby auction, the holder of the ck gold card was the top


    of the top¨Ctier members.


    No matter how much one bid, the other party would double the price, and so on. There was no upper


    limit.


    At this moment, the red¨Chaired woman¡¯s expression was a little stiff. She raised her hand and held the


    earpiece in her left hand as if she was


    negotiating with the person behind her.


    After a moment of shock, Darcy contacted Rachel as well. His voice


    trembled uncontrobly as he said, ¡°Miss Grey, the supreme member of the ck gold card has made


    his move.¡±


    Hearing Darcy¡¯s voice from her earpiece, Rachel calmed down slightly and


    turned to look at the man before her.


    Rachel had some spection in her heart when she first saw Leonard


    DeAngelo¡¯s painting in Old Mrs. Jones¡® Trinisia garden.


    However, she did not expect David to be a supreme member.


    When she saw David take out the ck gold card, she could not help but feel surprised.


    She took a sip from her cup and hid her surprise. ¡°A supreme member?¡± she whispered.


    .


    ¡°As the man of Miss Grey of the Johnson family, how can I embarrass you?¡± David¡¯s lips curled into a


    smile, and his eyes were filled with affection.


    Rachel could not help butugh.


    She did not know if she could say she was lucky to have met such a


    well¨Cmatched man.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly, and a smile shed across his eyes.


    ¡°Leave the rest to me.¡±


    Rachel raised her chin proudly and said, ¡°I can do it myself.¡±


    As long as a supreme member did not make a move, Rachel could stillpete with the other party.


    ording to the rules of the Fujiby auction, each level of the membership fund pool had a certain


    amount of money, and the top¨Ctier members had a fund pool of up to 10 billion dors.


    However, if the bidding exceeded the upper limit of one¡¯s fund pool, the auction would automatically


    disqualify one from bidding.


    Because they determined that one wouldn¡¯t be able to pay with one¡¯s


    abilities.


    As for the supreme members, there was no upper limit to their fund pool.


    In other words, the holders of ck gold cards could continuously inject new funds into their fund pools.


    David looked at Rachel with his eyes filling with tenderness. He said softly, ¡°I want to experience what


    it¡¯s like to spend tremendous money to win a beauty¡¯s smile. Miss Grey, may you give me a chance?¡±


    Rachel looked at him and finally smiled.


    Darcy did not get a response from Rachel for a long time, so he could not help but ask, ¡°Miss Grey?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Rachel came back to her senses and returned to her usual cold voice.


    She nced at David and said calmly, ¡°Since our supreme member has made a move, let¡¯s give up on


    the auction.¡±


    Darcy agreed with her, but there was a hint of disappointment in his words. ¡°We¡¯re not a match for the


    supreme member at all. It¡¯s reasonable for us to give up.¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    At the same time, the man with light blond hair in the private room had a sinister look.


    He didn¡¯t expect the supreme member would suddenly attack at this time!


    The buzz¨Ccut man felt the oppressive pressure around his boss and could not help but take a deep


    breath. He hesitated and asked carefully, ¡°Boss, Pam asked if we should continue.¡±

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267


    Chapter 267 To Win A Beauty¡¯s Smile


    The expressions of everyone present changed drastically.


    The ck gold card was decorated withplicated patterns, and a ring of diamonds of the same size


    and high purity were embedded around it.


    It showed extraordinary strength in every detail.


    The man carefully handed the tray to Seth.


    Seth swallowed nervously and took it over.


    After years in the auction business, he rarely saw a holder of the ck gold card reveal his identity.


    He raised his hand and discreetly wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.


    ¡°The ck gold card has bid, and anyone else wants to raise the price?¡±


    There was silence.


    If the top¨Ctier member was at the top of the Fujiby auction, the holder of the ck gold card was the top


    of the top¨Ctier members.


    No matter how much one bid, the other party would double the price, and so on. There was no upper


    limit.


    At this moment, the red¨Chaired woman¡¯s expression was a little stiff. She raised her hand and held the


    earpiece in her left hand as if she was


    negotiating with the person behind her.


    After a moment of shock, Darcy contacted Rachel as well. His voice


    trembled uncontrobly as he said, ¡°Miss Grey, the supreme member of the ck gold card has made


    his move.¡±


    Hearing Darcy¡¯s voice from her earpiece, Rachel calmed down slightly and


    turned to look at the man before her.


    Rachel had some spection in her heart when she first saw Leonard


    DeAngelo¡¯s painting in Old Mrs. Jones¡® Trinisia garden.


    However, she did not expect David to be a supreme member.


    When she saw David take out the ck gold card, she could not help but feel surprised.


    She took a sip from her cup and hid her surprise. ¡°A supreme member?¡± she whispered.


    .


    ¡°As the man of Miss Grey of the Johnson family, how can I embarrass you?¡± David¡¯s lips curled into a


    smile, and his eyes were filled with affection.


    Rachel could not help butugh.


    She did not know if she could say she was lucky to have met such a


    well¨Cmatched man.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly, and a smile shed across his eyes.


    ¡°Leave the rest to me.¡±


    Rachel raised her chin proudly and said, ¡°I can do it myself.¡±


    As long as a supreme member did not make a move, Rachel could stillpete with the other party.


    ording to the rules of the Fujiby auction, each level of the membership fund pool had a certain


    amount of money, and the top¨Ctier members had a fund pool of up to 10 billion dors.


    However, if the bidding exceeded the upper limit of one¡¯s fund pool, the auction would automatically


    disqualify one from bidding.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Because they determined that one wouldn¡¯t be able to pay with one¡¯s


    abilities.


    As for the supreme members, there was no upper limit to their fund pool.


    In other words, the holders of ck gold cards could continuously inject new funds into their fund pools.


    David looked at Rachel with his eyes filling with tenderness. He said softly, ¡°I want to experience what


    it¡¯s like to spend tremendous money to win a beauty¡¯s smile. Miss Grey, may you give me a chance?¡±


    Rachel looked at him and finally smiled.


    Darcy did not get a response from Rachel for a long time, so he could not help but ask, ¡°Miss Grey?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Rachel came back to her senses and returned to her usual cold voice.


    She nced at David and said calmly, ¡°Since our supreme member has made a move, let¡¯s give up on


    the auction.¡±


    Darcy agreed with her, but there was a hint of disappointment in his words. ¡°We¡¯re not a match for the


    supreme member at all. It¡¯s reasonable for us to give up.¡±


    At the same time, the man with light blond hair in the private room had a sinister look.


    He didn¡¯t expect the supreme member would suddenly attack at this time!


    The buzz¨Ccut man felt the oppressive pressure around his boss and could not help but take a deep


    breath. He hesitated and asked carefully, ¡°Boss, Pam asked if we should continue.¡±

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268


    Chapter 268 How Could The Fish Take The Bait?


    The man raised his cold eyes and nced at the screen with a chilly and


    ruthless aura.


    Suddenly, his thin lips curled up slightly with a hint of evil in his eyes. ¡°Continue!¡± said he.


    After Pam received the order, she raised her bidding paddle. ¡°10 billion dors!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    The price was the upper limit of the top¨Ctier member fund pool.


    ording to the auction¡¯s rules, the supreme member had to increase the price by double.


    In other words, if they bid 10 billion dors, the other party would follow up with 20 billion dors!


    Did an imitation queen¡¯s crown actually cost 20 billion dors?


    No matter how wealthy the supreme member was, he shouldn¡¯t be so stupid, should he?


    However, the auction butler said, ¡°The supreme member bids 20 billion dors.¡±


    The crowd was in an uproar.


    He was so damn rich!


    Even though everyone present was either rich or noble, they could not help but feel dizzy when they


    heard the astronomical figure of 20 billion dors.


    Apart from being shocked, they couldn¡¯t help but wonder who on earth the


    person was.


    The 20 billion dors was offered without any hesitation!


    In the private room, Rachel frowned slightly. Her eyes were filled with coldness. ¡°The other party is


    digging a hole for you!¡±


    The other party knew he could not win, so he deliberately shouted the upper limit of the fund pool to


    make David pay a high price!


    ¡°A supreme member?¡± The man sneered with disdain in his eyes.


    The buzz¨Ccut man¡¯s face was filled with a gloating smile. ¡°Boss, 20 billion dors for the queen¡¯s


    crown. I¡¯m afraid the other party can only sufferin


    silence!¡±


    Pam aside said faintly, ¡°Who asked him to show off with his money? Serves him right!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit curious about who the other party is?¡± asked the blond man.


    The buzz¨Ccut man and Pam looked at each other. ¡°Do you know?¡±


    When the man heard that, the corners of his lips curled into a flirtatious. smile, making his stunning


    face even more dazzling. ¡°David Jones,¡± he said softly, lifting his thin lips.


    Upon hearing him, a smile shed across Pam¡¯s lips. ¡°So it¡¯s him.¡±


    With David¡¯s wealth, a mere supreme member of the Fujiby auction was not worth mentioning.


    They had repeatedly suffered at David¡¯s hands, and they had finally caused him a dumbfounded blow


    this time.


    Rachel saw through the other party¡¯s thoughts at a nce. How could David not see through it?


    However, he must have made all the preparations since he had made a


    move.


    ¡°If the bait is not enough, why would the fish take the bait?¡± David¡¯s lips. curled into a faint smile as he


    looked at Rachel with an exceptionally gentle expression.


    A surprised look crossed Rachel¡¯s face. ¡°So you knew what they were up to, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said David.


    When Rachel heard him, she stared at him without blinking. Then, a smile appeared in her eyes. ¡°Do


    mature hunters often appear in the form of prey?¡±


    David stood up and adjusted the diamond cufflinks on his sleeves. ¡°Miss Grey, you tter me.¡±


    Unsurprisingly, the sale of the queen¡¯s crown to a supreme member for 20 billion dors at the auction


    was hotly debated.


    It sessfully piqued Jane¡¯s curiosity.


    Who the hell was the other party? He could actually bid 20 billion dors.


    She had never seen so much money in her life. If only she could marry such a


    man.


    A n formed in her mind as soon as she thought of it.


    ¡°Well, Olivia, I have a stomachache and want to go to the toilet. You and my brother go ahead.¡± Jane


    clutched her stomach and pretended to be in pain. Her poor acting skills certainly didn¡¯t escape Olivia¡¯s


    notice.


    Olivia pretended to be concerned and asked, ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks!¡± Jane quickly shook her head and refused. ¡°Tell my brother I¡¯m leaving when you see him


    later.¡±


    Then she hurriedly turned around and left.

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269


    Chapter 269 Blushing


    Jane headed down the hallway to the elevator door. However, the security. guards were at the door, so


    she could not approach it.


    She turned around and left, grumbling angrily, ¡°It¡¯s only a VIP! What¡¯s the big deal!¡±


    Then she walked into the washroom.


    She had no idea if it was because heaven had heard her wish, she actually met her Mr. Right in the


    corridor.


    The man was on the phone with his back to her. But his well¨Ctailored suit set off his tall and straight


    figure, and his every move exuded a natural noble


    aura.


    The man¡¯s face was reflected in the ss of the corridor.


    His exquisite facial features were well¨Cdefined and deep under the light. His eyes were indifferent, and


    his nose was high and straight. There was a faint. smile on his lips that was dangerous and charming.


    At the sight of such a face, Jane felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, but she could not remember where she had


    seen it before.


    She thought that perhaps she had seen him in her dream.


    When Rachel came out of the washroom, she saw Jane in a ckce gown staring at David with a


    love¨Cstruck expression.


    When David heard Rachel¡¯s footsteps, he slowly turned around, and his gaze naturallynded on


    Rachel.


    Jane thought that David had noticed her. Her heart could not help but beat faster. A shy blush


    appeared on her face as she called out sweetly, ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and her red lips curled into a mocking smile.


    She did not walk forward in a hurry. She crossed her arms and stood quietly


    on the spot to watch the show.


    Sensing David¡¯s gaze, she looked at David¡¯s bottomless ck eyes and raised her eyebrows slightly.


    Her gaze seemed to say, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance


    to show off.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much emotion on David¡¯s face, only a hint of indulgence and indulgence in his eyes as he


    looked at Rachel.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    Jane noticed that David¡¯s gaze was not on her but¡­ behind her!


    She followed his gaze. Her expression changed drastically the moment she saw Rachel. Her eyes


    were filled with hostility and defense. ¡°Rachel, why are you here?¡±


    In all fairness, Rachel¡¯s outfit was not as sexy as Jane¡¯s. It was just a simple white suit with a high¨C


    waisted design that lengthened her figure, entuating the coldness deep in her bones incisively and


    vividly.


    The bright lights shone on her cold wless face. Her red lips and ck hair could not hide her dazzling


    beauty.


    Facing such a face, Jane, who had been well¨Cgroomed, looked deliberate and vulgar.


    Jane secretly nced at David and realized that his gaze was actually fixed on Rachel.


    For a moment, a wave of anger welled up in her heart.


    It was as if the treasure she had carefully treasured was being coveted.


    She subconsciously wanted to hide David behind her.


    However, she suddenly heard the man behind her say, ¡°My eyesight has always been great.¡±


    Then he bypassed Jane and walked straight to Rachel.


    Jane looked at David in confusion.


    She was still thinking about what he had just said.


    The next second, she heard Rachel say, ¡°He means he¡¯s not blind and doesn¡¯t like you.¡±


    Jane couldn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°You!¡± Jane was so angry that her face turned red. She red at Rachel fiercely.


    At this moment, a staff member walked over. He was holding a transparent ss box in his hands.


    Inside the box was the queen¡¯s crown, which had been raised to 20 billion dors!This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270


    Chapter 270 The Man Always Caught Her Off Guard!


    Jane¡¯s mouth opened slightly in shock, and her pupils trembled violently.


    She stared at David in disbelief.


    ¡°Everything is ready, sir,¡± said Eddie with a look of disdain as he passed Jane.


    David nodded slightly. His arm was wrapped around Rachel¡¯s slender waist. ¡°Are you done ying?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    His calm tone contained a gentleness that no one had ever experienced


    before.


    Rachel blinked and turned to look at Jane. ¡°The gentleman has a tricky taste. He doesn¡¯t like the


    common philistine and flirtatious sluts. Miss Smith, I advise you to give up on your restless thought!¡±


    Jane flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°Who are you scolding?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s you.¡± Rachel¡¯s gentle gaze gradually turned cold. The corners. of her mouth curled into


    a mocking smile. ¡°Or is it that Miss Smith doesn¡¯t like to be persuaded nicely and prefers the feeling of


    being pped!¡±


    Sensing the woman¡¯s cold face, David bent down slightly and kissed her temple. ¡°Why waste time on


    her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because you¡¯re fooling around!¡± Rachel said in a sulky tone and turned away arrogantly.


    David was speechless.


    A woman¡¯s mind was really capricious.


    His lips curled into an indulgent smile as he quickly chased after Rachel and pulled her into his arms.


    Jane stood rooted to the ground as she watched them leave. Her nails dug into her palms.


    How could Rachel, the bitch, be so lucky?


    After leaving the Smith family, she was even more carefree instead of


    miserable.


    Now, she had even hooked up with a billionaire!


    No, she had to find a way to chase Rachel away from David.


    Rachel had no idea what Jane was thinking at this moment.


    She squinted and stared at David¡¯s face, her eyes brimming with anger.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± David stretched out his arms and carried her directly onto hisp.


    Rachel said bluntly, ¡°Your face is too eye¨Ccatching.¡±


    When David heard her, the corners of his mouth curled into a happy arc. He pinched her earlobe with


    his fingertips and said earnestly, ¡°Why don¡¯t Miss Grey give me a title? I don¡¯t feel at ease being


    coveted by others.¡±


    Perhaps because he didn¡¯t get the answer he wanted for a long time, he brushed his fingertips behind


    Rachel¡¯s ear and rubbed the corner of her lips suggestively. ¡°Rae¨CRae, don¡¯t you want to know more


    about me?¡±


    The words Rae¨CRae called by him were so sweet that Rachel¡¯s heart could not help but race.


    Her lips curled into a smile. Then she suddenly opened her mouth and bit his restless finger.


    ¡°Hiss-¡± David gasped.


    There was not much force. The moment her pearly white teeth touched his fingertips, it was as if a


    dense and weak electric current flowed through his entire body and had gathered at a certain point of


    his body.


    ¡°Let it go!¡± His voice was slightly hoarse, and his pitch¨Cck pupils shed with a luster. His cold voice


    contained a dangerous aura.


    Rachel looked up. Her gaze intertwined with his and met the man¡¯s dark and deep eyes.


    Like an agile cat, she sensitively caught the dangerous aura and hurriedly let it go.


    The next second, David gently grabbed the back of her neck.


    As the man¡¯s figure pressed down, he kissed her lips fiercely.


    Rachel¡¯s big eyes trembled slightly, and a trace of frustration and unwillingness shed past her eyes.


    The man always took advantage of her when she was unprepared!


    The man¡¯s breath wrapped around her like a big. The hot and intense kiss made it difficult for


    Rachel to breathe, and her body went limp uncontrobly.

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271


    Chapter 271 Terrifying Desire


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In the dimly lit carriage, two figures were tangled together.


    Rachel wanted to push him away, but the man grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her closer to the


    corner of the car.


    The man was so domineering that he did not give Rachel any chance to


    escape.


    Rachel looked up at the man in front of her.


    Their eyes met without warning.


    The man¡¯s dark eyes were undisguisedly exposed to Rachel¡¯s eyes, filled with a terrifying desire as if


    he wanted to eat Rachel alive.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered in panic.


    Rachel¡¯s heart seemed to have been gripped by something neither heavy nor light. Her heart beat


    uncontrobly like a drum beating.


    The feeling of suffocation made one dizzy. In the ambiguous atmosphere, rationality was gradually lost.


    Rachel followed the man¡¯s kiss like a stranded fish, trying to survive by all means.


    Just before Rachel¡¯s rationality was exhausted, David let go of her.


    Rachel panted heavily. Her fair cheeks blushed.


    David wrapped his arms tightly around Rachel¡¯s lean waist and looked down at the woman next to him.


    There was a faint smile on his lips. David¡¯s voice was low and slow, especially seductive. ¡°Rae, you¡¯re


    notpletely ready.¡±


    The man¡¯s warm breath swept past Rachel¡¯s hair and entered her ears, causing Rachel¡¯s fingertips to


    curl tightly.


    Rachel¡¯s body stiffened. Rachel pursed her lips, and she said in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Rachel admitted that she had feelings for David, but she could not trust himpletely and give herself


    to him.


    Rachel even felt a lingering fear when she saw how well David treated her.


    Rachel was afraid of losing David and even more afraid of being abandoned. Ever since she was


    young, Rachel had experienced too many losses. She had been abandoned by the people closest to


    her, so she kept her guard up


    against everyone.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be apologizing.¡± David gently stroked Rachel¡¯s soft hair with his palm and said


    unhurriedly, ¡°I was too impatient.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes shed slightly. ¡°Actually, you can criticize me. It¡¯s only fair¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± David interrupted her. ¡°I understand your concerns and your inner vulnerability and sensitivity.


    You can have reservations about me. After all, it¡¯s my thing to gain your trust.¡±


    David looked down at the woman in his arms and saw the faint blush on her face. A smile shed


    across David¡¯s eyes. ¡°I want you to feel loved, not by just saying it.


    ||


    Rachel¡¯s breathing slowed down slightly. Her excitement was like a warm current that poured into her


    heart. Gradually, she felt a bitter apology.


    Rachel hooked her arms around the man¡¯s neck and buried her head in his neck. She greedily


    breathed in the breath that made her feel at ease.


    ¡°Heavens, if only I had met him earlier¡­¡± Rachel thought.


    At this moment, Eddie took the box containing the queen¡¯s crown and habitually instructed his assistant


    to deliver it to Sandalwood Hills. However, Eddie heard David say, ¡°Deliver it to tinum Mansion.¡±


    Eddie was stunned for a moment before he reacted. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly when she heard that. A yful smile shed across her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re giving me 20 billion dors just like that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± David looked at Rachel.


    Rachel¡¯s heart was filled with sweetness. The corners of her lips curled up subconsciously. ¡°Don¡¯t you


    feel that you¡¯ve suffered a loss?¡±


    David¡¯s eyes were filled with smiles. ¡°As long as you like it, it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    In the past, David had never understood the feeling of spending money to win a beauty¡¯s smile. Now,


    he seemed to understand.


    He was even a little addicted to it.

 Chapter 272

    Chapter 272


    Chapter 272 Picked Up A Treasure


    ¡°Sir,¡± Eddie, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, suddenly said with


    an imperceptible coldness and seriousness in his voice.


    David raised his indifferent eyes and looked at the front row.


    There was a red Lamborghini in front of the car, and a man was leaning against the window.


    A strand of hair on the man¡¯s forehead was blown by the breeze, making his gorgeous face even more


    eye¨Ccatching.


    The man¡¯s amber eyes were slightly deep, adding a hint of mncholy.


    The man had a smile on his face. He raised his hand and made a gun pose. He pressed his hand


    against his temple and made a headshot move.


    It was arrogant and filled with provocation.


    David sat in his seat expressionlessly. He stared at the man with his deep eyes without blinking,


    making it difficult to guess his thoughts.


    Rachel looked at the man¡¯s face.


    It was a face that was as handsome as David¡¯s.


    Compared to David¡¯s tough and cold look, the blond man¡¯s face was softer with an elven prince¡¯s


    mncholy and nobility.


    Rachel stared at the man¡¯s face for a moment, and she suddenly asked,


    ¡°Fish?¡±


    The man in front of them should be the person David was looking for tonight. The man was the one


    who took the opportunity to set David up!


    David smiled. ¡°You¡¯re too smart.¡±


    Rachel looked back at David and raised the corners of her eyes. Rachel¡¯s red lips curled into a bright


    smile. ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    Rachel was able to pull Smith Group, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, onto the right track in just


    a year and gain a foothold in the industry. Perhaps part of the reason was luck and methods, but mostly


    Rachel¡¯s intelligence.


    ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡± David reached out and pulled Rachel into his arms. He grabbed Rachel¡¯s chin with his


    fingers and leaned over to kiss her gently. ¡°I¡¯ve really picked up a treasure.¡±


    #


    Fortunately, Louis had bad taste.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly. She wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s neck and buried her


    head in his neck. Smelling the cold wood fragrance on his body, Rachel said softly, ¡°Haven¡¯t I?¡±


    As the car drove slowly, it brushed past the red Lamborghini.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    The car window slowly rolled up. The man seemed to have sensed


    something and looked up.


    That vicious and cold gaze was like a sharp dagger that stabbed straight into Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    Rachel frowned slightly, and an unclear coldness gathered in the depths of her almond¨Cshaped eyes.


    She met the man¡¯s gaze fearlessly..


    It was unknown if the man had sensed it, but the corners of his mouth suddenly curled up into a faint


    smile with a hint of evilness.


    ¡°Boss?¡± The buzz¨Ccut followed his boss¡¯s line of sight. He saw David¡¯s car easily overtake theirs.


    Hearing this, the man retracted his gaze and yed with the bone ring in his hand. ¡°Check that


    woman¡¯s identity.¡±


    ¡°A woman?¡± Pam seemed to have discovered something new. Her beautiful eyes flickered with


    excitement.


    One had to know that David was famous for hisck of interest in women.


    There were countless rumors that David liked men.


    Back then, Pam wanted to get close to David and seduce him. It didn¡¯t y out in the end.


    The man did not say anything. He just found afortable position and leanedzily against the seat.


    There was an unconceble hostility in his


    eyes.


    The man¡¯s n for tonight was supposed to be smooth, but it was disrupted by David¡¯s interference.


    He had to get back at David for this!


    Pam and the buzz¨Ccut looked at each other and tacitly stopped talking.


    tinum Mansion.


    Rachel sat cross¨Clegged on the carpet and carefully examined the queen¡¯s


    crown on the coffee table.


    Other than high¨Cquality jade and various gems, there was nothing special about the things on it.


    After David hung up the phone, he turned around and saw Rachel wearing


    white gloves and holding the queen¡¯s crown. Rachel looked at it carefully, not missing a single detail.


    David¡¯s eyes were filled with unknowing love.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± David walked straight to Rachel and sat beside her.

 Chapter 273

    Chapter 273


    Chapter 273 Going On The Rampage


    Turning to look at David, Rachel took off her gloves expressionlessly. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been tricked.¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    There was a hint of disappointment in her tone.


    She had thought that this thing would be a rare treasure.


    However, no matter how she looked at it now, she felt that she had suffered from a loss.


    Although Rachel had been living a luxurious life in the Johnson family, she was also a businesswoman,


    who valued the benefits in her hands.


    If this queen¡¯s crown could not bring her the expected value and pleasant surprise, then it would be a


    loss.


    That was 20 billion dors!


    Though the money spent on the queen¡¯s crown wasn¡¯t her own money, she still felt inexplicably angry


    when she thought about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a loss.¡± David looked at the queen¡¯s crown on the table with his deep eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What have you found?¡±


    ¦§


    David looked at her gently. Then, he shook his head with a smile. ¡°There should be a secret hidden on


    this crown, but you need to dig it out slowly.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at David inquisitively.


    ¡°ording to my understanding of that person, he wouldn¡¯t have been interested in this queen¡¯s crown


    for no reason.¡± There was an unfathomable deep insight in David¡¯s eyes.


    That person had deliberately raised the price to take revenge. He had been shamed into anger, too.


    Rachel put on her gloves and studied the crown again. She still did not find anything. ¡°I¡¯m not looking


    for the secret anymore. It has made my head hurt.¡±


    She removed her gloves, took the water ss from the table, and casually took a sip of water.


    David smiled and reached out to touch her soft hair. His eyes were filled with reluctance. ¡°I might have


    to be away for a few days.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel looked up at him and suppressed the disappointment in her heart. She ced the


    water ss on the table and asked casually, ¡°For how many days?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± David said. ¡°But I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Then be careful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± David leaned over and kissed her lips.


    When he was about to get up and leave, Rachel grabbed his tie and pressed her soft lips against his


    thin lips again.


    After the kiss, the corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth were red and swollen. She


    leaned against David¡¯s chest and adjusted her breathing. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you toe back.¡±


    David held the back of her head with his palm, kissed her forehead, and stood up to leave. ¡°Go to bed


    early. Good night.¡±


    Eddie had been waiting downstairs for a long time.


    After bending down and getting into the car, David signaled the driver to start the car.


    Eddie studied the expression on David¡¯s face. After pondering for a moment, Eddie reported, ¡°Mr.


    Jones, we just received a piece of news that Hell has left Seaxas.¡±


    ¡°Have you found out the origin of the queen¡¯s crown?¡± David asked.


    When Eddie heard this, a trace of hesitation shed across his face.


    Feeling David¡¯s sharp gaze on him, Eddie had no choice but to say, ¡°Yes, I have. It was delivered by


    Darcy, Miss Grey¡¯s auction butler, who participated in the auction on her behalf.¡±


    David narrowed his eyes slightly. He looked straight at Eddie as if a sharp dagger hade out of the


    depths of David¡¯s ck eyes. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Eddie suddenly met David¡¯s ck eyes and shuddered.


    He nodded seriously. ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the car was filled with an oppressive silence.


    Eddie sat stiffly on his seat. Feeling that David was in a bad mood, Eddie could not help but take a


    deep breath. After hesitating for a while, he asked


    carefully, ¡°Mr. Jones, shall we tell Miss Grey about it?¡±

 Chapter 274

    Chapter 274


    Chapter 274 She Was ck-Hearted!


    The current signs showed that Darcy was lurking by Miss Grey¡¯s side by deliberately hiding his identity.


    They needed to take preventive measures in advance.


    Hardly had Eddie finished speaking when David denied, ¡°Don¡¯t leak it to other people for the time


    being.¡±


    What David had said surprised Eddie.


    After all, as far as he knew, Mr. Jones had always ced Miss Grey in the first ce.


    However, before Eddie could make up his mind, he heard David saying coldly, ¡°Send someone to


    protect her.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eddie said.


    Rachel had thought that she could have a good time together with David during her one¨Cweek


    vacation.


    But she hadn¡¯t expected that he would suddenly go on a business trip, and she was alone now.


    Shey listlessly on the bed, watching videos on her cell phone.


    There were sudden knocks on the door one after another, each more urgent


    than thest.


    ¡°I¡¯m Coming¡­¡± Rachel put on a set of clothes, walked out of the bedroom impatiently, and then opened


    the door.


    The moment the door opened and she saw Lucas, she could no longer hide the frustration on her face.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten, have you?¡± Lucas said as he took out the packed breakfast from behind his back. ¡°I


    know you like to eat the bread baked at Jinkin¡¯s Bakery, so I specially bought some for you. Eat it while


    it¡¯s still hot, please.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°You came here just to deliver breakfast, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve forgotten about my mom¡¯s birthday party tonight?¡± Lucas asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared the gifts,¡± Rachel said as she walked into the


    washroom to wash her face and rinse her mouth.


    When she came out, she saw Lucas holding the crown and sizing it up.


    She rushed forward. ¡°Put it down! Put it down now!¡±


    Lucas looked at her nervous expression and could not help butugh. ¡°Is that necessary? This is not


    an ancient item.¡±


    He watched Rachel carefully holding the crown and then putting it into the box. ¡°There was newsst


    night that a mysterious tycoon spent a huge sum of money to buy the imitated queen¡¯s crown that had


    failed to be auctioned. off several times. Who would have thought that you were the tycoon?¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Tell me the truth. Is there a treasure map hidden on it?¡± Lucas asked mysteriously.


    ording to his understanding of Rachel, he knew that she would never trade at a loss.


    Since she had spent a huge sum of money to buy this crown, there must be some treasures on it that


    ordinary people could not see.


    Rachel took a big bite of the bread and said expressionlessly, ¡°Noment!¡±


    Lucas did not make a fuss when he heard her words. Instead, he sighed leisurely. ¡°In that case, about


    what you asked me to investigate¡­¡±


    Rachel¡¯s curiosity was piqued. Her gazended on Lucas immediately. ¡°Have you found it?¡±


    Lucas raised his eyebrows and smiled in an annoying way. ¡°Noment!¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t say anything.


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s half¨Csmile, Lucas felt goosebumps all over his back.


    Rachel looked weak and powerless, but Lucas knew that she was a ck¨Chearted girl!


    Perhaps she had already nned where to bury him.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Lucas was finally defeated. He took the initiative to exin everything in detail. ¡°I rearranged the


    timeline and investigated everything that happened at that point. Atst, I really found a clue.¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember the shooting that attracted a lot of attention in


    Phareborough five years ago? That night, they sallied forth in full force as if they were looking for


    someone. They had nned to go after easy prey, but they hadn¡¯t expected to be wiped out. So I think


    the person who saved you that night should be the one they were looking for.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Rachel frowned.

 Chapter 275

    Chapter 275


    Chapter 275 What Was Her Purpose?


    Lucas blinked. ¡°It¡¯s already not bad to have been able to find this person. To get this result, my


    computer was hacked!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Lucas was speechless.


    At this moment, there was another knock on the apartment door.


    Rachel stood up and walked over. When she saw Darcy standing at the door, she hurriedly opened the


    door. ¡°Hello, Darcy.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey,¡± Darcy greeted Rachel respectfully.


    He noticed Lucas sitting on the sofa and nodded slightly. ¡°Mr. Johnson.¡±


    ¡°Darcy, long time no see.¡± Lucas smiled and waved at him.


    ¡°Miss Grey, I specially came to deliver something to you,¡± Darcy said as he took out a silver


    combination¨Clock briefcase.


    The briefcase was opened. Inside was a ck velvet box.


    Inside the box was the rare 15.10¨Ccarat rectangr step¨Ccut blue diamond.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rachel said.


    Darcy smiled. ¡°This is what I should do.¡±


    As he spoke, his gaze swept past the queen¡¯s crown on the table, and then his pupils constricted


    slightly. ¡°This¡­¡±


    He thought, ¡°Wasn¡¯t this bought by the supreme memberst night?


    ¡°Why is it here?


    ¡°Could it be that the man beside Miss Greyst night was the supreme member?¡±


    Darcy lowered his head to hide the emotions in his eyes.


    Rachel was afraid that Darcy would spill the beans, so she quickly exined, ¡°My friend asked me to


    keep it for the time being.¡±


    Darcy turned to look at Rachel and saw the expression on her face. A dim glint shed in his eyes


    secretly. ¡°In that case, Miss Grey, you have to take good care of it.¡±


    He paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now. Take care, Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After seeing Darcy off, Rachel packed up and set off for the Maple Forest


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Vi District.


    The Maple Forest Vi District was different from other vi districts.


    Because the people living here were all political figures, the security here. was even stricter than that in


    high¨Cend vi districts.


    The security guard at the gate let them in immediately after seeing the pass


    on Lucas¡¯s car.


    Louis had been rushing about for thepany¡¯s project that had been


    suspended. He only hoped that thepetent authorities could approve it. quickly.


    Just as he left Chief Kandor¡¯s vi and bent down to get into the car, he heard his assistant saying, ¡°Mr.


    Smith, is that Miss Grey?¡±


    While Louis was hearing this, his eyes suddenly widened.


    He sat up straight and looked straight ahead through the gap in the front


    seats.


    He happened to see a ck Mercedes passing their car.


    One of that car¡¯s windows was half¨Copened, revealing Rachel¡¯s mesmerizing


    face.


    Why was Rachel here?


    Louis¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze was cold. ¡°Let¡¯s follow them and


    take a look!¡±


    He wanted to see what Rachel was up to again!


    ¡°Follow them from afar. Don¡¯t let them discover us!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Tom¡¯s vi was in a better location than Chief Kandor¡¯s.


    The white vi was surrounded by a small garden full of flowers. There was a


    hint of warmth and liveliness amidst the coldness.


    Rachel knew that this was all thanks to her aunt, Eleanor.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, isn¡¯t that Mr. Johnson¡­¡±


    Seeing Louis¡¯s gloomy expression from the corner of his eye, the assistant


    swallowed his unfinished words.


    As they watched, the car door opened.


    Lucas got out of the car first. Then, he walked around to the passenger seat door and opened it to let


    Rachel get out.


    He naturally took the things from Rachel. The two of them chatted andughed as they walked side by


    side toward the white vi.


    Louis frowned and held the headrest of the passenger seat tightly.


    Rachel had hooked up with Lucas, the son of the Johnson family, hadn¡¯t she?


    Although it was Eleanor¡¯s birthday today, she had been busy the entire day ever since she knew that


    Rachel wasing.


    ¡°Remember to stew the chicken wings well. Rae¨CRae likes to eat them without bones. But don¡¯t stew


    them too long.


    ¡°Prepare mango pudding as dessert.


    ¡°By the way, go to the storeroom and bring that precious bottle of red wine of


    mine here.¡±


    The Page family¡¯s heir, Charles, who had always kept a low profile, could not help butugh when he


    saw his aunt Eleanor busying herself with various things. ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re the main character today.¡±


    ¡°Be good when you see Rae¨CRaeter.¡± Eleanor¡¯s beautiful eyes were filled with warning.

 Chapter 276

    Chapter 276


    Chapter 276 Not To Be Provoked


    Charles quickly put out the cigarette in his hand, and a panic that could not be covered appeared


    between his eyebrows. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you really want me to marry her!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Eleanor looked at Charles disapprovingly. ¡°You two grew up together, so you


    can be considered childhood sweethearts. In addition, with my rtionship with you and her, isn¡¯t it a


    good thing for you two to be closer to each other? Besides, if Rae¨CRae really marries into the Page


    family, you should thank Heaven!¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    As she spoke, there was a hint of longing in her eyes.


    Charles¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    He and Rachel were not childhood sweethearts.


    When he was in school, he had always looked down on Rachel, who was the eldest daughter of the


    Johnson family, but her surname wasn¡¯t Johnson.


    In addition, his aunt Eleanor was quite partial to Rachel at that time. As Katy¡¯s elder brother, to help


    Katy vent her spleen, he deliberately targeted Rachel in school.


    There was a spring outing organized by the school. Coincidentally, he was in the same group as


    Rachel. He deliberately left her in the wilderness. He wanted to take the opportunity to scare her and


    destroy her prestige. Unexpectedly, he lost his way halfway and even stepped on a trap that he had set


    up in advance. And then, he was hung from a tree for half the night. The whole process was too


    embarrassing for him, so it was not appropriate to mention it.


    However, after that incident, Charles knew that Rachel wasn¡¯t someone to be provoked.


    From then on, each time he saw Rachel, he would always keep a respectful distance from her.


    At this moment, when he heard that his aunt Eleanor was determined to act as a go¨Cbetween for him


    and Rachel, ayer of cold sweat involuntarily appeared on his back.


    Wasn¡¯t she driving him away in advance instead of cementing the ties


    between him and Rachel by marriage?


    Just as he was thinking about it, Rachel¡¯s voice sounded at the entrance of the vi. ¡°Eleanor, happy


    birthday.¡±


    Eleanor immediately went forward, took Rachel¡¯s hand, and led her to the sofa. After Rachel sat down,


    Eleanor said, ¡°You don¡¯t know how happy I was when hearing that you wereing.¡±


    Rachel smiled.


    ¡°Charles,e over quickly.¡± Eleanor hurriedly called Charles over to


    introduce him to Rachel. ¡°Rae¨CRae, this is Charles. You two were in the same senior high school. Do


    you still remember him?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel looked up at Charles with a meaningful smile. ¡°Ah, I have some impression


    of him.¡±


    She dragged thest syble, her words revealing a hint of indifference.


    For some reason, Charles felt a chill run down his spine when seeing her half¨Csmile.


    He pursed his lips stiffly. ¡°Miss Grey, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he could not help despising himself in his heart.


    What a cliche this opening statement was!


    It was as if he had been thinking about her all these years!


    Rachel looked at him, and her red lips curled into a bright smile. ¡°Mr. Page, long time no see.¡±


    When Charles saw her like this, he seemed to recall the night when he was hung upside down on the


    tree. His body trembled violently, and he hurriedly avoided her gaze.


    The few of them sat on the sofa and chatted warmly. Halfway through, Rachel received a call from


    David, so she excused herself and left.


    As soon as Rachel left, Eleanor red at Charles resentfully. ¡°Aren¡¯t your usually very talkative among


    youngdies? Why are you acting like a mouse seeing a cat when you see Rae¨CRae now? Can you


    win honor for me?¡±


    ¡°Aunt, please spare me!¡± Charles looked at Eleanor with a bitter expression. Lucas, who was sitting in


    an armchair with his legs crossed, could clearly see


    the expression on Charles¡¯s face. He suppressed hisughter and said,


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t make things difficult for him.¡±


    Lucas knew some inside information about that spring outing.


    He and Charles were cousins.


    However, Lucas thought that Charles was asking for trouble when he plotted


    against Rachel back then.


    ¡°Charles deserved it!¡±

 Chapter 277

    Chapter 277


    Chapter 277 Grievance And Embarrassment


    With the arrival of Uncle Tom, dinner had officially begun.


    Although it was Aunt Eleanor¡¯s birthday party, the people who attended were all biological rtives. It


    was also not as grand as a usual banquet.


    With Tom¡¯s current position and status, if he were too extravagant, he would be criticized and be the


    object of people¡¯s spection. There would probably even be unfavorable rumors about him.


    It was better to sit together as a family like this and have a simple meal. The atmosphere was


    harmonious.


    After dinner, Rachel handed over the gift that she had carefully chosen.


    Sure enough, Eleanor¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw it, a delighted smile spreading across her face.


    Charles held back the admiration in his eyes and asked, ¡°Is this the blue diamond that appeared in the


    Fujiby auctionst night?¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing this, Charles could not help sighing quietly. She indeed had deep. pockets!


    ¡°As expected of ady from the Johnson family. You¡¯re so generous.¡± A peculiar voice called out.


    The person who spoke was the youngest daughter of the Page family, Katy, who was two years


    younger than Rachel.


    However, Katy had been at odds with Rachel since they were young and had seen Rachel as her rival


    for many years.


    Charles¡® brows furrowed slightly, his eyes cold. ¡°Today is Aunt¡¯s birthday. Behave yourself!¡±


    ¡°Charles, why are you always on her side? Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m your biological sister!¡±


    Katy deliberately emphasized the word ¡°biological¡°.


    While reminding Charles, she also seemed to be reminding Eleanor of this


    fact.


    In terms of blood rtions, Katy was Eleanor¡¯s niece. However, her aunt had


    always doted on Rachel. In fact, the entire Page family favored Rachel, knowingly or unknowingly.


    Katy felt that Rachel had stolen the love and attention from the family that should have belonged to her.


    Hence, she had hated Rachel ever since they were young.


    As soon as Katy finished speaking, the atmosphere at the dining table suddenly became a little more


    solemn.


    Katy¡¯s words were directed at Rachel, which naturally made Tom unhappy. Without regard for how it


    would reflect on him if he snapped at his niece, he defended Rachel. ¡°Rae¨CRae is a Johnson!¡±


    In other words, Rachel was attending Eleanor¡¯s birthday party as a Johnson, which had nothing to do


    with the Page family.


    His tone was very calm, without the slightest fluctuation. However, his voice


    was cold.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Katy had always been afraid of her uncle.


    Seeing that Tom was slightly angry, Katy sat in her seat silently, her face


    ashen.


    At that moment, Lucas chuckled. ¡°Katy, no one would force you toe if you didn¡¯t want to. Since


    you¡¯re here, don¡¯t make things difficult for yourself.¡±


    How dare she embarrass Rae¨CRae in public? She was asking for trouble!


    Katy always knew that Lucas protected Rachel fiercely, almost like he was protecting something fragile.


    She dug her fingers into her palms, enduring her feelings of grievance and


    embarrassment.


    Noticing the atmosphere, Charles quickly stood up to apologize. ¡°Aunt Eleanor, Katy is young and


    doesn¡¯t know any better. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    After ¨¢ll, Katy was her niece. Eleanor couldn¡¯t embarrass her.


    After everything had been cleared off the table, Eleanor gestured for the servants to serve the desserts


    that had been prepared.


    Everyone sat along the sofa to chat. Eleanor mentioned the charity auction dinner that Mr. Zane¡¯s wife


    was organizing.


    ¡°I heard that Mr. Zane booked a cruise ship for this charity auction. When the timees, we¡¯ll


    probably have to spend the night aboard. Why don¡¯t youe with me, Rae¨CRae? We, mother and


    daughter, can take care of each


    other.¡±


    When Katy heard this, she could not help but frown.


    Mother and daughter?


    How are Rachel and Aunt considered mother and daughter?


    A hint of disappointment appeared in her eyes. ¡°Aunt, what about me? You can¡¯t y favorites.¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Charles deliberately lowered his voice to warn her.


    Katy raised her chin indignantly. ¡°Why should I¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, the butler quickly came in. ¡°Madam, Miss Grey has prepared another


    gift for you.¡±

 Chapter 278

    Chapter 278


    Chapter 278 Aggressive Aura


    This ¡®Miss Grey¡® was of course, Rachel.


    Another present?


    Rachel frowned slightly. She didn¡¯t know about this.


    After a short while, the butler walked in with a red box.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, what is this?¡± Eleanor studied the box that the butler had brought in. Based on its size, it


    looked like a jewelry box.


    Rachel pursed her lips. Just as she was at a loss for an answer, Eddie Brook, who waste, suddenly


    spoke. ¡°Mrs. Johnson, this is a sapphire ne from Miss Grey. It waspleted around 1960 and if


    paired with the


    sapphire she¡¯d gotten for you, it makes aplete set.¡±


    Every woman likes jewelry. Even Eleanor Johnson who was used to nice things couldn¡¯t help but be


    pleasantly surprised. ¡°Could this be the set of sapphires that appeared at the auction in Geneva?¡±


    Eddie respectfully answered, ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    Eleanor had been confused by the sudden gift earlier, but seeing Eddie¡¯s figure now, she understood.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, this must have cost you a fortune.¡± Eleanor looked at the jewelry in the box admiringly.


    Rachel lowered her eyes and stared at the tips of her feet.


    She had merely mentioned over the phone that she was attending Eleanor¡¯s birthday party. She hadn¡¯t


    expected David to send a gift in her name.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Eddie nodded slightly at Rachel and turned to leave.


    After Eleanor had personally put it back into her room, she rallied everyone to y poker with her.


    Rachel sat at the table, but her mind was already far away.


    When she had some idle time, she took out her phone and sent a message to David. [Thank you for


    the gift.]


    David replied, [Just a little something.]


    Rachel looked at his reply, her eyes flickering slightly. Her fair fingertips


    tapped the keyboard quickly as she replied, [What a costly ¡®little something¡®.]


    David Jones replied, [As your man, I cannot embarrass you.]


    Rachel Grey pursed her lips and tried her best to suppress her smile.


    Katy noticed Rachel¡¯s expression from where she was sitting across her and mistakenly thought that


    Rachel wascent after being in the limelight. Unable to help herself, Katy curled her lips, making


    an unpleasant remark. ¡°Just because you have more money, what¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Eleanor flipped her cards over.


    ¡°Katy, are you deliberately being difficult today?¡± Eleanor¡¯s tone was gentle, but her words were filled


    with an aggressive aura.


    ¡°Aunt, I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You and Charles should go home so that your family won¡¯t worry.¡± Eleanor interrupted


    her coldly with a straight face, not giving Katy a chance to exin.


    Katy bit her lip, looking aggrieved. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go!¡±


    As she finished speaking, she grunted, grabbed her things, and stormed out the door.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Charles grabbed his jacket and quickly chased after her.


    After the Page siblings had left, everyone sat along the sofa in the living. room, chatting while having a


    cup of coffee.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, have you thought about what I said?¡± Eleanor put down the cup in


    her hand and looked at Rachel with a smile.


    Rachel looked at her and thought for a moment before realizing that Eleanor was referring to staying


    the night for the charity banquet organized by Mr.


    Zane.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Rachel answered.


    Hearing her answer, Eleanor¡¯s lips curved upwards in a smile.


    At this moment, Tom suddenly asked, ¡°I heard from Lucas that you¡¯re seeing


    someone?¡±


    -Immediately, everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Rachel.

 Chapter 279

    Chapter 279


    Chapter 279 What Is Happening


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Eleanor¡¯s countenance darkened. The look on her face was as if she had a thousand knives stabbing


    at her.


    Rachel looked up at everyone. Aware that she could not hide this matter from them, she could only


    nod.


    Tom frowned slightly, giving her a frosty stare that could freeze the sun. ¡°When do you intend to bring


    him here to meet us?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s on a business trip. It¡¯s not convenient at the moment,¡± Rachel replied.


    Tom¡¯s eyes were fixed on Rachel. After a while, he said offhandedly, ¡°Rae¨CRae, you¡¯re still young. You


    have to learn to be wary of people. Otherwise, you may get cheated.¡±


    Rachel seemed to have the feeling that Tom seemed to know something.


    Since Tom had not exposed her, she decided to continue to act dumb.


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    Eleanor nced at the sky outside and started to look worried. ¡°Rae¨CRae, it¡¯s gettingte. Stay here for


    the night.¡±


    Rachel shook her head. She wanted to give David a call that night.


    ¡°I¡¯ve some matters to attend to. I¡¯ll stay over another time.¡±


    ¡°All right then. Be careful on your way home.¡± Eleanor watched as Rachel stood up. She, too, stood up.


    When they were at the door, Eleanor reminded Lucas, ¡°Send Rae¨CRae home ande back quickly.


    You¡¯re already an adult. You shouldn¡¯t be hanging around her all the time. What if someone gets the


    wrong idea?¡±


    Lucas was rendered speechless by Eleanor¡¯s remark.


    Lucas opened the car door and suddenly squinted. He looked at the forest path up in front, and a cold


    glint appeared in his eyes.


    Rachel saw Lucas standing in front of the car door and did not get in for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    As she spoke, she followed Lucas¡¯s line of sight and saw a car shielded by the darkness.


    Although she could not see the license te clearly, she vaguely recognized


    Louis was certain that he was missing some important information. However, the more he wanted to


    investigate, the more elusive the information was.


    He raised his hand to massage his throbbing temples and ordered his assistant coldly, ¡°Head back to


    the Smith residence.¡±

 Chapter 280

    Chapter 280


    Chapter 280 One Whole Day


    When Harrison returned from Old Mr. Smith¡¯s ce, he bumped into Louis, who had just returned from


    outside. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    Louis grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°Is Grandpa asleep?¡±


    Harrison said, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s asleep. He¡¯s already so old, and his health isn¡¯t as good as before. He is


    inevitably unable to withstand the stress at times.¡± Ever since Rachel left the Smith family, the Smith


    family seemed to have run into bad luck.


    Louis pursed his lips. ¡°Mr. Zane¡¯s wife is going to hold a charity banquet during this period. I¡¯ll think of a


    way to appease him so Grandpa will be less worried.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we all trust you to do the right thing.¡± Harrison patted Louis¡® shoulder. ¡°Louis, your


    grandfather has high expectations of you. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have handed the family business to


    you.¡±


    Louis grunted in acknowledgment offhandedly.


    Sensing Louis¡® indifference, Harrison thought it was because Louis had been too tired running around


    for the family recently. He merely said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should rest early.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Louis replied.


    Louis watched as Harrison turned around and left. After some hesitation, Louis asked his father, ¡°Dad,


    did Grandpa talk to you about Rachel recently?¡± Shocked, Harrison asked, ¡°Rachel? What¡¯s wrong with


    her now?¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Harrison probably felt ufortable after Rachel¡¯s unreasonable request earlier. When he heard Louis


    mention her name, he instinctively had an ominous feeling in his heart.


    Louis pursed his lips and said absent¨Cmindedly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m going back to my room to rest.¡±


    He then went upstairs.


    In the past, he had always thought he could control Rachel easily as he knew her very well.


    Now he was having second thoughts after seeing what happened that night.


    He stood in front of the window and smoked for a long time before calling a private detective. ¡°Help me


    investigate Rachel Grey. I want detailed


    information about her. The more details, the better!¡±


    After Rachel returned to her apartment, she quickly washed up before calling. David.


    However, the other party called before her.


    She could see his charming face on the screen of the phone.


    The man had striking, well¨Cdefined facial features. His dark eyes were like bottomless pits, drawing her


    in with their intensity.


    His smile was as radiant and luminous as a full moon on a clear night, lighting up his entire face with a


    warm and weing glow..


    When he did not smile, his expression took on a distant and aloof quality, with his eyes seeming to


    gaze off into the distance as if lost in thought.


    His face was so handsome that one would find it difficult not to fall in love with it at the very first instant.


    ¡°Are you still awake?¡± Both of them asked in unison.


    Momentarily stunned, the corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled up instinctively.


    After a few seconds of silence, the man¡¯s gentle and low voice slowly came through the phone. ¡°I miss


    you.¡±


    Rachel happily covered her face partially under the nket. She noticed the fatigue in the man¡¯s eyes


    and frowned. ¡°You should rest early.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me at all?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like an exaggeration to me.¡± Rachel refused to admit how she felt. ¡°We¡¯ve only been


    apart for less than 24 hours.¡±


    David said. ¡°I only thought about you once today. I was thinking about you through the entire day.¡±


    Despite his casual tone, his words still sent a flutter to Rachel¡¯s heart.


    ¡°What should I do? I am not used to your sweet talk.¡±


    David¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°Sweet talk? I¡¯m saying them from the bottom of my heart.¡±


    Startled by David¡¯s confession, Rachel did not know what to say for a long time.


    Amidst the silence, Rachel vaguely heard a cry for help from the other end of the phone.


    She frowned.

 Chapter 281

    Chapter 281


    Chapter 281 Unbelievable


    David had expected that the noise would attract Rachel¡¯s attention. He had even thought of what to say


    to pacify her.


    To his surprise, Rachel chose not to say anything. ¡°Remember to eat on time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be very busy for the next few days. I might not be able to read your phone messages. Don¡¯t worry.


    I¡¯ll get home as soon as I can.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Rachel covered her face partially with the nket. Only her eyes were visible.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachely on the bed and stared nkly at the ceiling.


    She was certain that she was not hearing things when she heard someone asking for his life to be


    spared.


    However, she selfishly thought the other party must havemitted an unpardonable sin to make


    David deal with him so viciously.


    That night, Rachel had a dream.


    She was back to where she was that night five years ago, where the streets. were raining with bullets.


    People were shouting in panic everywhere, and the


    air was filled with the thick smell of blood.


    However, she was resting peacefully in someone¡¯s embrace.


    The man whispered in her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid¡­¡±


    In the extremely dim environment, Rachel could vaguely see the outline of


    the man¡¯s face.


    She desperately wanted to see the man¡¯s face clearly, but she could not.


    Just then, her phone rang.


    Rachel was rudely awakened from her dream.


    Instinctively, she reached for the phone on the bedside table.


    As soon as she picked up the phone, she heard Mary¡¯s voice from the other end of the phone. ¡°Rae¨C


    Rae, I need your help urgently!¡±


    Rachel was woken up by Mary for a trivial matter. Soon, she found herself in a mall.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Mr. Zane¡¯s wife was hosting a charity ball on Friday night.


    However, Mary had not found anything she fancied to wear to the ball. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have one made in


    Paris?¡± Rachel gave a huge yawn.


    ¡°The shipment was dyed for some reason.¡± Mary looked at Rachel¡¯s listless appearance and


    suddenly became excited. Her eyes flickered with a knowing look. ¡°Did you have a very intense battle


    last night?¡±


    Rachel red at her angrily. ¡°Thanks to you, I stayed up all night to revise the draft design.¡±


    Hearing her answer, Mary rolled her eyes. ¡°You got me excited for nothing.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been quite well¨C


    behaved recently.¡± Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a


    mischievous smile. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you been bringing your little brothers out for some funtely?¡±


    Mary blinked innocently. ¡°Rachel, I¡¯m a dignified youngdy from a wealthy family. I¡¯m innocent, and my


    feelings are as pure as snow. Don¡¯t nder me.¡±


    Rachel forced a smile. ¡°What nonsense! Anyone who hears this will find it unbelievable.¡±


    As they spoke, the two of them walked into a clothing store.


    Rachel crossed her arms and looked at the gowns in front of her disapprovingly.


    Suddenly, she noticed a man¡¯s suit created by an haute couture designer in the shop.


    The ck suit fabric had intricate embroideries of the sun, moon, and stars which looked very lifelike.


    The design was subtle.


    David¡¯s face shed across her mind as soon as she caught sight of the suit.


    His calm and reserved temperament matched the suit very well.


    They had known each other for so long, but Rachel had never given anything to David.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, this is a limited edition set, and it¡¯s the world¡¯s first batch. There is only one piece in Seaxas.¡±


    The salesgirl smiled as she introduced the suit to


    Rachel.


    The design was unique, and Rachel felt that it would suit David.


    ¡°Can you¡­¡±


    ¡°I want this!¡± Rachel heard the voice dere loudly from behind.

 Chapter 282

    Chapter 282


    Chapter 282 How Can You Tolerate This?


    Just then, someone walked up to Rachel¡¯s side and pushed her aside without batting an eyelid. She


    stood in front of the suit, smiling demurely. She looked at the salesgirl and said again, ¡°Please wrap this


    suit up for me.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly, and her gaze turned cold.


    When Olivia saw that the person beside her was Rachel, she acted surprised.


    A hint of panic appeared on her face. ¡°Hello, Miss Grey.¡±


    Rachel looked at Olivia¡¯s pretense and could not help but smile mockingly. She was really a great


    actress.


    Next to Olivia stood Jane. Restraining her jealousy, Jane snorted angrily, ¡°What luck!¡±


    Rachel ignored her and said coldly to the salesgirl, ¡°Please help me wrap up the suit.¡±


    ¡°All right, please wait a moment,¡± the salesgirl said.


    This was the most expensive suit in the shop. If the salesgirl managed to sell it, she would definitely be


    able to get a big bonus for that month¡¯s sales.


    Thinking of this, a hint of joy appeared on her face.


    Olivia saw the salesgirl walk forward and hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Wait!¡±


    She turned to look at Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m sorry. I want to buy this suit for Louis. Can you please let


    me have it? I¡¯m willing to pay double the price¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Rachel said coldly.


    Jane frowned when she saw how overbearing Rachel was. ¡°Rachel, you¡¯d better know what¡¯s good for


    yourself.¡±


    Rachel did not want to waste too much time with them. She turned to look at the salesgirl again. ¡°Help


    me wrap this suit up, please.¡±


    The salesgirl responded with a smile.


    Unexpectedly, Jane suddenly walked up and stood in front of the salesgirl. ¡°Are you deaf or blind? We


    saw this first. Why are you selling it to her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, thisdy came a little earlier than you.¡± The salesgirl tried to exin.


    Jane sneered. ¡°Do you know who we are? If you offend us, I¡¯ll make you pay-


    for it.¡±


    Her words were filled with threats, causing the salesgirl¡¯s expression to change. Panic shed in her


    eyes.


    Anyone who was able to shop in the Times Square was either someone rich. or powerful. The salesgirl


    knew that if she offended someone she should not have, she would be in deep trouble.


    Just as she was at her wits¡® end, the store manager Vivian rushed over when she heard the


    commotion.


    When she saw Olivia and Jane, she immediately gave them an ingratiating smile. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Miss Cruise


    and Miss Smith.¡±


    As she spoke, she winked at the salesgirl to gesture for her to leave.


    After greeting Vivian, Jane immediately ordered arrogantly, ¡°You came at the right time. Help me pack


    this suit.¡±


    Vivian nodded repeatedly. ¡°All right, please take a rest in the VIP room. I¡¯ll send it to you after I¡¯ve


    wrapped it up.¡±


    When the store manager walked forward, Rachel grabbed her wrist and said in a cold voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t it


    always about firste, first served?¡±


    The store manager was stunned for a moment. She then eyed Rachel up and down.


    She was trying to ascertain if Rachel was worth her attention.


    Seeing that Rachel was not wearing anything valuable or luxurious, she could not help but look at


    Rachel with disdain. ¡°Ma¡¯am, this suit is a limited edition. There is only one piece in Seaxas. Of course,


    this is a cheap piece of clothing. I¡¯m afraid you may not be able to afford it.¡±


    Her words were filled with mockery toward Rachel.


    Rachel turned around and saw Mary standing not far away.


    Mary was looking at her with a teasing gaze as if she was saying, ¡°How can you tolerate such


    behavior?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

 Chapter 283

    Chapter 283


    Chapter 283 Look At The Mirror


    Rachel quietly retracted her gaze and turned to look at the store manager. ¡°If everyone judges a book


    by its cover like you, I think this mall in Times Square will close down in no time.¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Her words were filled with an overbearing aura.


    ¡°What do you mean by judging a book by its cover?¡± The store manager shook off Rachel¡¯s hand


    fiercely and looked at thetter with a mocking expression. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you don¡¯t have much


    money, yet you¡¯re trying to intimidate me. Why don¡¯t you take a good look at yourself in the mirror?¡±


    At the moment, the Smith family was a powerful family in Seaxas.


    News of the marriage arrangement between the Cruise family and the Smith. family had spread like


    wildfire. Everyone knew that Olivia was the future mistress of the Smith family.


    Whether it was the Smith family, Jane Smith, or Louis¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Olivia, they were not someone anyone


    could afford to offend.


    The store manager was used to seeing all kinds of rich people in her shop. She could tell at once if


    they were from the nobility.


    Looking at Rachel, who was not wearing anything valuable, the store manager was certain that she


    was just a poor church mouse pretending to be wealthy.


    She thought of Rachel as a gold digger who used her good looks to ensnare rich men.


    She did not seem like she was from a wealthy family.


    Rachel saw the contempt and disdain on the store manager¡¯s face.


    Her face was covered in ayer of frost. Her almond¨Cshaped eyes narrowed slightly, and a sharp cold


    light shed across them.


    Jane had been enraged ever since she saw Rachel behaving intimately with the billionaire at the


    auction. She was waiting for a chance to teach Rachel a lesson.


    Seeing that the store manager was mocking Rachel, she concurred, ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t think that you can


    do anything you wish because you¡¯re now the mistress of some rich man. If he can spend a lot of


    money for you today, he


    can do the same for other women in the future. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t want to squander all my hard¨C


    earned money just to keep up with appearances.¡±


    As Jane spoke, everyone looked at Rachel with disdain and disgust, as if she was a piece of trash.


    Sensing everyone¡¯s gaze on Rachel, Jane gloated gleefully.


    After waiting for Jane to finish saying what she wanted to say, Olivia stepped forward to stop her.


    ¡°Jane, don¡¯t say any further¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jane¡¯s arrogance now knew no limits. She refused to heed


    Olivia¡¯s advice.


    She turned to look at the store manager Vivian and said earnestly, ¡°Miss, on ount that we¡¯ve met a


    few times, I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice. It¡¯s best not to sell your clothes to her. You¡¯re lowering your


    shop¡¯s status by selling them to her.¡±


    Of course, Vivian knew who she should sell the suit to.


    No matter how stupid she was, she could not offend someone from the Smith family for a nobody.


    Moreover, once she managed to sell the suit, she would not have to worry about that month¡¯s sale. She


    would earn a big bonus.


    ¡°Miss Smith, you¡¯re being too polite. You know that our shop has always targeted high¨Cend customers.


    How can someone like her deserve to wear the clothes in our shop?¡± The store manager smiled


    obsequiously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make you wait so long. I¡¯ll wrap up the suit for you now.¡±


    The store manager walked forward, but Rachel stood in front of her.


    The store manager looked at Rachel angrily. ¡°Are you done? If you can¡¯t afford to buy anything, get out


    of the way! Don¡¯t stop us from doing business.¡±


    ¡°Who said I can¡¯t afford to buy it?¡± Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile, but her eyes remained cool.


    ¡°Are you going to disregard the principle of firste, first served and insist on selling it to her?¡±

 Chapter 284

    Chapter 284


    Chapter 284 Who¡¯s Trash!


    When Vivian heard this, anger appeared on her face. ¡°Are you here to find. fault with me? I¡¯m giving


    you a way out of my kindness, but you¡¯re clearly being shameless! Do you know how much this suit is?


    I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t even afford a sleeve with all your money! If you know what¡¯s good for you, move


    aside quickly, or I¡¯ll call for security!¡± she said.


    ¡°So you¡¯d rather disregard your principles to please them?¡± Rachel asked.


    The expression on Rachel¡¯s face instantly turned angry. It was as if a knife was hidden in the depths of


    her beautiful eyes that could stab into one¡¯s chest at any moment.


    Her tone was very calm, but her words were filled with a terrifying pressure that made people


    inexplicably tremble in fear.


    Vivian was speechless, and her earlier swagger vanished in an instant.


    Seeing that the store manager¡¯s aura had weakened, Jane straightened her neck and stood up. Her


    face flushed with anger as she said, ¡°Rachel, you are so lowly! Why do you always want to grab


    anything that Olivia likes? You always use this trick to attract others¡® attention. It¡¯s really disgusting!¡±


    Olivia bit her lip and revealed an embarrassed expression. She said gently, ¡°Miss Grey, our aesthetic


    judgments are always the same. If it was any other time, I could give it to you. However, Louis and I


    have an important banquet to attend in a few days, so can you give it to me this time?¡±


    Rachel chuckled lightly. ¡°I see, you¡¯re blind and like to search for treasures in the trash. But it doesn¡¯t


    mean I¡¯m also blind,¡± she said.


    When Olivia heard this, the smile on her face suddenly froze. She lowered her eyes to hide the anger


    in them.


    ¡°You bitch!


    ¡°How dare you openly mock me!¡± she thought angrily.


    Jane, who was beside her, was like a rabid dog that had been provoked. ¡°Who¡¯s trash!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°You can guess!¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and said.


    Although she did not name her, her expression seemed to be saying, ¡°I¡¯m calling you. So what?¡±


    ring at Rachel fiercely, Jane suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°Since you want this suit, why


    don¡¯t wepete fairly?¡±


    Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at Jane. There was a hint of mockery in her eyes as if


    she had already known Jane¡¯s thoughts.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start the bidding. The highest bidder wins. Is this fair enough?¡± Jane looked at Rachel smugly.


    Her eyes blinked vicious and cold light. ¡°But if your lose, you should kneel down and apologize to us.


    Go under our crotch and bark twice. Do you dare?¡± she asked.


    With that, she looked at Rachel confidently.


    Seeing that Rachel did not respond for a long time, Jane¡¯s face was filled with excitement. ¡°Why aren¡¯t


    you saying anything? Are you afraid?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Fine, It¡¯s okay,¡± Rachel said unhurriedly. ¡°If I lose, I¡¯ll kneel at the entrance of Times Square and


    apologize to you. But if you lose¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll apologize to you as well if we lose!¡± Jane blurted out.


    After all, in her opinion, Rachel could not defeat them at all.¡±


    She prided herself on knowing men who were rich and powerful. They had always liked to keep a low


    profile and liked obedient and sensible women.


    ¡°Once today¡¯s matter was published, it would definitely cause a huge uproar. ¡°At that time, Rachel¡¯s


    reputation would be ruined. That man would definitely abandon Rachel.¡± Jane thought.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough,¡± Rachel smiled slightly and said.


    Jane and Olivia looked at each other. Then, they looked at Rachel at the same time.

 Chapter 285

    Chapter 285


    Chapter 285 The Show Would Begin


    Rachel parted her red lips and said unhurriedly, ¡°If I win, not only will you have to kneel down and


    apologize to me, but you will also have to go through my crotch. If my bid is more than half of yours,


    you will perform pole dance in the Times Square!¡±


    Hearing this, Jane¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    If Jane¡¯s requirements were enough to make one embarrassed¡­


    In that case, Rachel¡¯s requirement was to ruin their reputations!


    Currently, the Smith family was in the limelight. Anyone who saw them had to be respectful.


    As the daughter of the Smith family, Jane¡¯s value naturally rose as well. No matter who saw her, they


    would praise her.


    As for Olivia¡¯s celebrity status, it was needless to say.


    She boasted that she came from a wealthy family and had been well¨Ceducated since she was young.


    She was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She was definitely a socialite.


    Just asking them to kneel down and apologize in public was enough to ruin their reputation, let alone


    pole dancing in revealing clothes!


    Moreover, the people who entered and left Times Square were either rich or noble.


    If they saw this, the Cruise family and the Smith family¡¯s reputations would be ruined in Seaxas!


    Rachel wanted to take the opportunity to insult the Smith family and the Cruise family!


    She wanted the Smith family and the Cruise family to be theughingstock of Seaxas!


    Rachel¡¯s thoughts were really vicious.


    The surroundings fell into a strange silence.


    But immediately after, there was a burst of noisy discussion. ¡°There¡¯s a good show to watch now!¡± they


    said.


    ¡°I bet the Smith family has a higher chance of winning. After all, she¡¯s the


    daughter of the Smith family. No matter what, that automatically makes her better than others. How can


    she lose to a woman with no background?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You can¡¯t judge someone by their looks. This woman¡¯s temperament is extraordinary,


    and she doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary nameless person.¡±


    Rachel looked at the two people in front of her with a smile.


    For some reason, Olivia had a bad feeling when she saw Rachel¡¯s attitude.


    She felt like she had fallen into Rachel¡¯s trap!


    Just as she was about to stop her, Jane blurted out, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s bet!¡±


    One had to know that from the beginning, Jane had proposed this bet to ruin Rachel¡¯s reputation.


    In her opinion, the reason why Rachel could enter those high¨Cend ces at will was none other than


    the mysterious rich man behind her.


    ¡°After all, I¡¯m the daughter of the Smith family. Coupled with Olivia, do I have to worry about not being


    able topare to Rachel, who is unapanied in Seaxas?


    ¡°As for the bet that Rachel had mentioned, it was just Rachel bringing ruin upon herself!¡± she thought.


    Thinking of this, a smile suddenly appeared on Jane¡¯s face. ¡°Since everyone is here, let them be


    witnesses! Otherwise, someone won¡¯t admit defeat!¡± she said.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Up to you,¡± Rachel said calmly.


    Her expression was calm, like a calmke. She looked calm, but no one could see the danger inside.


    When Mary, who was sitting on the sofa, heard this, her lips curled into a mocking smile.


    Her gaze fell on Olivia and Jane. She felt that the show would begin.


    It would be a pity if there were no audience for such a major event.


    Hence, Mary took out her phone and opened the live broadcast page. She aimed the camera


    urately at Rachel and the others.


    At the same time, Eddie saw the live broadcast on the Inte and turned to look at David excitedly.


    ¡°Sir,¡± he said.


    Davidzily raised his eyes. He looked at Eddie with impatience and ruthlessness.


    Eddie instantly held his breath and focused.


    He secretly gritted his teeth and suppressed his fear. He carefully handed


    the phone over. ¡°It¡¯s Miss Grey,¡± he said.


    The next second, the phone was taken away by David.

 Chapter 286

    Chapter 286


    Chapter 286 Ask For Trouble


    When David saw Rachel¡¯s tall and slender figure on the live broadcast screen, his gaze softened a bit,


    and there was a faint gentle light in the depths of his


    eyes.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± David interrupted coldly.


    Immediately after, they heard Rachel¡¯s cold and unhurried voice. ¡°If I win, not only will you have to


    kneel down and apologize to me, but you will also have to go through my crotch. If my bid is more than


    half of your price, you will have to perform pole dancing in the Times Square!¡±


    Eddie¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard that.


    ¡°After all, the Cruise family was an old family of Seaxas, while the Smith. family was a new noble who


    had been in the limelight for the past two years. Her requirements were extremely insulting. It was


    obvious that she wanted. to ruin the Cruise family and the Smith family¡¯s reputations.


    ¡°The worst part was that idiot from the Smith family actually agreed,¡± he thought.


    Eddie sighed softly and silently sympathized with the Smith family¡¯s stupid daughter.


    ¡°In the entire Seaxas, who couldpare to the Johnson family?


    ¡°Competing with Miss Grey in terms of money was really asking for trouble!¡± he thought.


    Seeing that David was engrossed, Eddie hesitated for a while before carefully asking again, ¡°Sir,


    should we rush over to help her?¡±


    Hearing this, David looked up at Eddie and said, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Compared to my suddenly interfering, Rachel preferred to deal with it personally.


    ¡°If I rashly go over, it will only make her apprehensive and affect her performance,¡± he thought.


    David returned the phone to Eddie. Then, he took out his phone and searched for the live broadcast


    page. He clicked on it to watch the live broadcast.


    Even from afar, it was still difficult to block Rachel¡¯s naturally cold and noble temperament. Even an


    unintentional nce could focus everyone¡¯s attention on her.


    However, at this moment, Rachel¡¯s exquisite skin hid a fierce and domineering aura. She had a faint


    smile on her face and a cold aura.


    He was not worried about Rachel at all. Instead, he pitied the two women who did not know what was


    good for them.


    David¡¯s ck eyes narrowed slightly, then he smiled coldly and said, ¡°Go to Times Square.¡±


    When Eddie heard this, he could not help but sneer in his heart.


    ¡°Admit it, man. Actually, you are still concerned about her!¡± he thought.


    The car was running rapidly all the way and the bidding between Rachel and Olivia was also ongoing in


    the live broadcast.


    ¡°400 thousand dors!¡± Olivia took the initiative and looked at Rachel innocently. ¡°Miss Grey, I didn¡¯t


    mean topete with you, nor did I want to prove that I¡¯m rich. It¡¯s just that I really need this suit,¡± she


    said.


    Rachel was tired of listening to Olivia¡¯s hypocritical words. Her red lips parted slightly as she said


    lightly, ¡°500 thousand dors.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, are you kidding us?¡± Jane frowned and said angrily, ¡°We offered 400 thousand, but you only


    raised it by 100 thousand. You¡¯re deliberately trying to cause us trouble!¡±


    Rachel blinked innocently and said, ¡°We only said that it¡¯s a fairpetition. The highest bidder wins.


    You didn¡¯t limit the bidding price, right?¡±


    When Jane heard this, she secretly gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Damn it!


    ¡°This slut, Rachel, actually took advantage of this!¡± she thought.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Olivia had always been calm. She looked at Rachel with a fake smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s really not giving up!¡± she thought.


    She lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in them and said again, ¡°600 thousand dors.¡±


    ¡®700 thousand dors,¡± Rachel said.


    No matter how much Olivia bid, Rachel gave only 100 thousand dors


    higher than them.


    The price of the limited edition suit was raised to 1 million 200 thousand dors, which was twice the


    selling price.


    Beads of sweat appeared on Olivia¡¯s forehead. She secretly gritted her teeth and looked at Rachel with


    anger.

 Chapter 287

    Chapter 287


    Chapter 287 Humiliation


    Rachel remained calm. She looked at her calmly and said, ¡°I heard that ever since the Cruise family


    was involved in the tax evasion case, their business has not been as good as before. The factories


    have even closed one after another. I didn¡¯t expect Miss Cruise to still be so generous.¡±


    ¡°Looks like the rumor that the Cruise family¡¯s capital chain is problematic is not true. The Cruise family


    should be able to avert danger very quickly and enjoy the same glory as before,¡± she added.


    Her words were filled with sarcasm.


    Olivia looked at Rachel with a cold gaze. Her hands, which were originally hanging by her sides, were


    clenched into fists. Her sharp nails dug deep into the flesh of her palms, but she did not feel any pain.


    Since his father, Richard Cruise, was taken away to be investigated, the Cruise family¡¯s business was


    not as good as before. In order to protect the Cruise family, his father had to abandon some of his


    businesses.


    In order to avoid malicious spection from others, his father imed that something had happened to


    his body and he had no choice but to give up on other businesses. However, Rachel¡¯s announcement


    in public would only cause others to suspect and specte about the Cruise family.


    She did not expect Rachel to be so vicious.


    ¡°No wonder she has been secretlypeting with me. It turns out that she wants to take this


    opportunity to maliciously nder the Cruise family.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°If I lose at this time, won¡¯t it confirm that there is a problem with the Cruise. family¡¯s capital chain?


    ¡°However, if I continue to bid¡­


    ¡°I only have about 4 million dors in all. Apart from my daily expenses, a portion of the money is used


    to prepare for the charity auction.


    ¡°I have nned to show off at the charity banquet and attract attention, but now, because of Rachel,


    my ns are all ruined!


    ¡°Moreover, the current price has already far exceeded the value of this suit. Continuing to bid is no


    different from wasting money,¡± she thought.


    Olivia hesitated. Her dim gaze repeatedly looked up and down at Rachel.


    From the beginning to the end, Rachel remained calm and unfathomable.


    Was Rachel really calm or was she pretending to be calm?


    Olivia¡¯s thoughts were unstable. She secretly gritted her teeth.


    ¡°But do I have a way out now?


    ¡°If I give up, I will have to kneel down and apologize to Rachel with Jane. I will also have to pole dance


    in Times Square¡¯s Central Square.


    ¡°This is no different from humiliation!¡± she thought.


    Olivia made up her mind and said, ¡°2 million dors!¡±


    In her opinion, Rachel had just found a rich man to feed her. How much money could that man give


    her?


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and suddenly looked up at Olivia.


    Her nonchnt gaze was filled with mockery.


    ¡°Rachel, to tell you the truth, Olivia is determined to get this suit. You won¡¯t be able topete with us!


    For the sake of our past rtionship, we can forgive you for overestimating yourself. As long as you


    kneel down and apologize obediently and bark like a dog, we can forgive you,¡± Jane looked at Rachel


    smugly.


    ¡°Her words were hypocritical. Since she had already said that she would forgive me, why did she make


    me kneel and apologize?


    ¡°She was just worried that if I continued to me them, she would end up with an aggressive and


    unreasonable reputation,¡± Rachel thought.


    Seeing that Rachel did not respond, Olivia spoke at the right time, ¡°Miss Grey, you have no rtives in


    Seaxas. Now, you rely on pleasing other men to earn a living. To be honest, I sympathize with your


    current situation. I have never thought of embarrassing you, so you should stop. Are you really


    nning to go bankrupt just for a suit?¡±


    It had to be said that Olivia¡¯s words were really brilliant.

 Chapter 288

    Chapter 288


    Chapter 288 It¡¯s Too Late


    At first hearing, it sounded like she was giving Rachel a way out and saving her reputation. In fact, she


    wanted Rachel to admit defeat.


    She even said that Rachel relied on pleasing men to earn a living, which would attract much disdain


    and disgust for Rachel.


    Without waiting for Rachel to speak, Vivian, who had been watching the show silently, mocked again,


    ¡°Do you really think you can live in peace just because you found a rich man to feed you? You¡¯re


    dreaming all day long that you¡¯ll be rich. What kind of good ending do you think you will have?¡±


    ¡°Does she deserve to be rich? She¡¯s just a slut with a good look!¡± others said. As soon as someone


    said this, it instantly caused the surrounding people tough.


    When Rachel heard this, her indifferent eyes looked at Vivian without any warmth. There was an


    unclear coldness in her eyes. ¡°With your arrogant face, I can guarantee that your position as the


    manager will change from today onwards!¡±


    That cold, sharp gaze was hair¨Craising.


    Vivian¡¯s expression changed slightly. After all, in their work, it has always been taboo to be arrogant.


    Her arrogance gradually dissipated.


    Then, she realized that the woman in front of her was at most a mistress who could not be made


    public. ¡°Can¡¯t I provoke her?¡± she thought.


    She immediately retorted angrily, ¡°What do you mean by I¡¯m arrogant? You¡¯re clearly the one who won¡¯t


    let go and makes us unable to do business! You clearly don¡¯t have much money, but you insist on


    suffering because of your pride. You insist on making a bet with Miss Smith! Now you know that you


    can¡¯t win against them. Tell you what, it¡¯s toote to regret it!¡±


    She sneered and said arrogantly, ¡°So don¡¯t use such words to threaten me and scare me! I¡¯m not


    scared!¡±


    ¡°So what?


    ¡°Am I going to offend the Smith family and the Cruise family just to please an unknown woman?


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Besides, as long as I can bring huge benefits to the brand, there is no reason


    for thepany to fire me!


    ¡°Not only can I continue to be the manager, but I might also get a lot of bonuses this month,¡± she


    thought.


    Jane, who was beside her, said confidently, ¡°Rachel, why don¡¯t you bid? If you can¡¯t afford it, admit


    defeat as soon as possible. If you¡¯re willing to bet, you must admit defeat. Be good and kneel down to


    us and bark like a dog!¡±


    The thought of Rachel kneeling on the ground and apologizing to them made. Jane very excited.


    She was waiting for the time to humiliate Rachel!


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were vicious, and her expression was cold as if it was covered in ayer of terrifying


    frost.


    ¡°2.4 million dors!¡± Rachel said. ¡°Do you want to continue?¡± she asked.


    Her tone was so cold that the temperature around her seemed to have dropped a lot.


    For a moment, everyone present was silent.


    After a long while, Jane sneered, ¡°Rachel, do you know what you¡¯re talking about? 2.4 million dors?


    I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve never seen so much money in your life, right?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the people around them gradually came


    back to their senses.


    Just now, Olivia had said that Rachel had no rtives in Seaxas and was only relying on men to live.


    Which sugar daddy would casually give her more than 2 million dors to squander?


    Rachel raised her eyebrows and did notment.


    Olivia suddenly became nervous as she clenched her fists tightly.


    However, she did not show it. She still maintained a gentle and pleasant attitude. ¡°Miss Grey, you have


    to think carefully. That is not a small sum of money. There¡¯s really no need to bet all your assets for a


    piece of clothing.¡±


    Her tone was sincere as if she was thinking for Rachel from the bottom of her heart.


    However, when thought about it carefully, she was persuading Rachel to give up.


    Vivian sneered in disdain. ¡°Alright, since you bought it, why don¡¯t you pay now?¡± she asked.

 Chapter 289

    Chapter 289


    Chapter 289 Three Big Shots


    Vivian really couldn¡¯t stand Rachel. Rachel clearly didn¡¯t have much money, but she pretended to be


    rich and looked very arrogant.


    ¡°Before paying the bill, I want to meet the manager on this floor first,¡± Rachel


    said.


    Rachel¡¯s tone was indifferent and slow, carrying a chilling deterrence.


    Vivian¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    Vivian thought that Rachel was just taking the opportunity to scare her at the


    moment.


    ¡°Our manager doesn¡¯t have time to serve people like you.¡± Vivian looked at Rachel indifferently.


    ¡°Besides, so what if you ask our manager over?¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t say anything but wore a cold smile. Rachel took out her phone


    and made a call.


    Jane watched as Rachel turned around and left. Thinking that Rachel was going to take the opportunity


    to escape, Jane rushed forward and blocked Rachel¡¯s way. ¡°Rachel, where are you going? Our bet isn¡¯t


    over yet!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the sixth floor. Bring your men down immediately!¡± Rachel said and


    hung up.


    Rachel looked up. Rachel¡¯s cold and indifferent gaze swept past Jane and finallynded on Vivian.


    Then, Rachel turned around and walked to the cashier counter. Rachel took out a card from her bag.


    ¡°Pay by card.¡°/


    ¡°At this juncture, you¡¯re still pretending!¡± Vivian sneered disapprovingly. ¡°Do you really think you can do


    whatever you want just because you made a rich man keep you? If you really have 2.4 million dors,


    I¡¯ll eat shit upside down!¡±


    Olivia, who had been silent all this while, suddenly had a bad premonition.


    Olivia clenched her fists tightly, her palms unknowingly covered in ayer of cold sweat.


    Vivian saw Olivia¡¯s nervous expression and quicklyforted Olivia with a ttering smile. ¡°Miss


    Cruise, don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s just stubborn. Didn¡¯t you say that she has no rtives in Seaxas? Then


    where did she get 2.4 million. dors? Besides, rich people aren¡¯t fools. Money doesn¡¯te from


    nowhere. How can someone casually give her 2.4 million dors to


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    squander? She even increased the chips recklessly. She¡¯s just asking for trouble!¡±


    When Olivia heard this, the expression on her face improved slightly.


    Vivian¡¯s words made sense.


    Even if Rachel was somewhat beautiful and liked by men, men would not be stupid enough to give her


    2.4 million dors to squander.


    Vivian nced at the cashier counter. No voice notification sounded. A trace of mockery appeared in


    her eyes.


    Vivian walked over quickly and mocked. ¡°How is it? Can¡¯t she gather 2.4 million dors even if she


    maxed out her card?¡±


    When the cashier saw the card that Rachel handed over, her eyes changed instantly, and her arms


    trembled uncontrobly.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and swipe the card!¡± Vivian frowned unhappily and pushed the


    cashier impatiently.


    The cashier loosened her grip and the bank card fell to the ground.


    Just as the cashier came back to her senses and was about to bend down to pick it up, noisy footsteps


    came from the crowd.


    Vivian looked over and saw a few people in charge of the mall appear at the door in a panic.


    Vivian was surprised at first, but then she immediately walked forward with a smile. ¡°Mr. Brant, Mr.


    Edgar, Mr. Frank, why are the three of you suddenly here? If there¡¯s anything, just give me a call. Why


    do you have toe personally?¡±


    The three people in front of Vivian could be said to be big shots who could do whatever they wanted in


    the mall. Usually, they would not personally patrol the mall, let alone appear at the same time.


    Vivian looked at the three managers in front of her and felt inexplicably uneasy.

 Chapter 290

    Chapter 290


    Chapter 290 A Surprising Scene


    Kevin Edgar and Paul Frank were the people in charge of this mall, while n Brant was the person in


    charge arranged by Johnson Corporation.


    Although the three of them were all managers, because n was arranged by Johnson Corporation,


    Kevin and Paul did not have as much power as


    n.


    It was not an exaggeration to say that n was Kevin and Paul¡¯s immediate


    superior.


    ¡°Mr. Brant, do you have any new instructions?¡± Vivian looked at n¡¯s gloomy face and felt more and


    more uneasy.


    However, n acted as if he did not see Vivian at all. n looked at Rachel


    in fear.


    Vivian followed n¡¯s gaze and looked at Rachel. Vivian could not help but frown.


    It was all Rachel¡¯s fault!


    n actually came over due to Rachel!


    Vivian red at Rachel furiously and quickly went up to n with a ttering. smile. ¡°This customer is


    deliberately looking for trouble. It was almost settled, but I didn¡¯t expect such a small matter to rm


    the three of you¡­¡±


    However, n was not in the mood to pay attention to Vivian. Instead, n walked straight to Rachel¡¯s


    side and said humbly and respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m really sorry for making you suffer.¡±


    Rachel only nced at n indifferently. ¡°As a salesperson, she has a bad attitude, is arrogant, treats


    customers differently, and disrespects poor customers. How should you deal with it?¡±


    ¡°I will fire her!¡± n blurted out. ¡°In our mall, such employees will never be tolerated. We will definitely


    pursue the matter to the end!¡±


    Behind n, Kevin and Paul nodded quickly in agreement.


    ¡°What?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, and her eyes were filled with panic.


    Kevin received n¡¯s gaze and cherished this rare opportunity to redeem himself. Kevin walked to


    Vivian with a gloomy face and a firm attitude. ¡°Asa


    salesperson, your service attitude is bad, and you are arrogant. As the store. manager, you tter the


    rich and disrespect the poor. You are too unprincipled. Now, I officially inform you that you are fired!¡±


    After saying that, Kevin walked to Rachel in fear and said respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m sorry that my


    negligence has caused you unnecessary trouble and made you suffer!¡±


    Rachel nced at Kevin and n indifferently, then found a quiet seat and sat down.


    Rachel¡¯s ungrateful attitude clearly showed that she did not take Kevin seriously.


    However, Kevin did not show any displeasure. Instead, Kevin nodded and bowed. ¡°Miss Grey, please


    have some tea.¡±


    This was Johnson Corporation¡¯s shopping mall in the country. It was also one of the few high¨Cend


    shopping malls in the country.


    What everyone didn¡¯t know was that the shopping paradise in front of them. was just a gift from Old Mr.


    Johnson to Rachel on her 18¨Cyear¨Cold birthday.


    In other words, this mall did not belong to the Johnson family but was Rachel¡¯s private property.


    In that case, Rachel was the ruler in charge of hiring and firing. No one dared to offend Rachel.


    Olivia, who was standing not far away, looked at the scene in front of her and


    felt even more uneasy.


    Olivia frowned tightly and stared deeply at Rachel.


    Why were the big shots of the mall under Seaxas¡¯s Johnson Corporation so respectful when they saw


    Rachel?


    Could it be that Rachel had really hooked up with one of the richest families


    in Seaxas, the Johnson family?


    Could it be that Rachel was the person Matthew had mentioned before that Olivia shouldn¡¯t provoke?


    When Olivia thought of this, her eyes flickered slightly, and panic shed across her eyes.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    At this moment, Jane, who was standing in front of the cashier counter, suddenly eximed, ¡°How is


    this possible? You must have made a mistake!¡±

 Chapter 291

    Chapter 291


    Chapter 291 Vivian¡¯s Panic


    ¡°Miss Smith, this is indeed the ck gold card of our mall,¡± the cashier exined. ¡°ording to the


    rules of our mall, the holder of the ck gold card can choose anything in the mall first.¡±


    When Vivian heard this, her face turned pale at once, and the emotions in her eyes trembled violently.


    Vivian looked at Rachel, who was drinking coffee on the sofa, in disbelief. Vivian muttered softly,


    ¡°How¡­ How is this possible¡­¡±


    There was only one person in thismercial building who had a ck gold


    card.


    Coincidentally, it was actually Rachel in front of Vivian?


    Oh God, who exactly had Vivian provoked?


    Vivian¡¯s pupils constricted, and her face took an afraid expression.


    Rachel looked up at the pale Vivian and wore a cold smile. ¡°Do you still think you can sit firmly in the


    position of the store manager?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s expression froze when she met Rachel¡¯s indifferent gaze.


    Vivian suddenly recalled what Rachel had said before. ¡°With your arrogant


    attitude, I can guarantee that your position as the store manager will change from today onwards!¡±


    Initially, Vivian thought that Rachel was just scaring her.


    Unexpectedly, it was true!


    Vivian¡¯s throat was dry and tense. Vivian opened her mouth and said with difficulty, ¡°Miss Grey, this is


    all a misunderstanding. I was blind and offended you. It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll forgive you just because of your apology?¡± Rachel


    interrupted Vivian coldly, and a cold smile appeared on her red lips. ¡°I¡¯m not a magnanimous person,


    and I¡¯m not that understanding. Compared to being lenient where it¡¯s possible, I like to return an eye for


    an eye!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Vivian crawled to Rachel and apologized with tears in her eyes. ¡°Miss Grey, I was blind to offend


    you. I¡¯ll ept any punishment you want, but can you not fire me? I have parents and children to


    support. My whole family is counting on my sry. If I lose my job, they will follow me to starve¡­¡±


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel looked coldly at Vivian¡¯s tears of remorse. There was no sympathy on Rachel¡¯s face. ¡°People


    have to pay the price for their actions. I gave you a chance before, but you didn¡¯t cherish it.¡±


    If Vivian hadn¡¯t been sucking up to Olivia and Jane, nothing would have happened.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Vivian had no principles and bottom line, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up like


    this.


    Vivian could only have herself to me for ending like this!


    The person in charge of the brand, Barry Van, arrivedte. When Barry saw Rachel sitting in the shop


    and saw everyone¡¯s gloomy faces, he immediately had an ominous feeling.


    After learning the ins and outs of the matter from Paul, Barry could not help but curse angrily.


    Vivian was scolded so badly but she did not dare to have any resentment. ¡°Mr. Van, you have to help


    me. I¡¯m doing this for the sake of our brand¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Barry snapped angrily.


    If this ipetent fool hadn¡¯t caused such a huge mess, Barry wouldn¡¯t havee to clean up this


    mess.


    Before Barry could think of a way to appease Rachel¡¯s anger, n said coldly, ¡°Your brand¡¯s


    salesperson has a bad service attitude and has no bottom line. It has severely affected ourmercial


    building¡¯s reputation and image! Clear all the goods immediately and evacuate ourmercial


    building!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Barry and all the employees present panicked.


    Barry panicked at first, then anger appeared on his face. ¡°You¡¯re tantly viting the contract! I want


    to see the boss of the mall!¡±

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292


    Chapter 292 Jane¡¯s Shamelessness


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. Suddenly, she wore a smile, cold¨Cblooded and arrogant. ¡°I¡¯m the


    rule here!¡±


    From the beginning to the end, no ferocious expression appeared on Rachel¡¯s face.


    Even if Rachel was angry, she only raised her eyebrows slightly. Even so, the pressure Rachel emitted


    made people fearful.


    Barry looked at Rachel in a daze.


    n walked forward and whispered something into Barry¡¯s ear. Barry instantly felt as if he had been


    struck by lightning. Barry stood rooted to the ground in a daze, the emotions in his eyes changing


    rapidly.


    This woman was actually the boss of Johnson Corporation!


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Oh right, remember to wrap that suit for me.¡± Rachel pointed at the man¡¯s suit hanging on the counter.


    Barry was stunned for a moment before he immediately forced a smile and said, ¡°Take this suit as our


    brand¡¯s apology to you, Miss Grey. It will be sent. to your houseter.¡±


    Barry looked ttered as if he had obtained a chance to atone for his sins.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    With the arrival of the security guards, all the crying employees in the shop were chased out to prevent


    these people from disturbing Rachel.


    Jane, who was standing on the spot, slowly came back to her senses. She lowered her eyes to hide


    the panic in them and quietly blended into the crowd.


    ¡°Miss Smith.¡± Rachel¡¯s cold voice sounded behind Jane slightly. ¡°Have you forgotten something


    important?¡±


    When Jane heard Rachel¡¯s voice, not only did she not stop walking, but she also even lowered her


    head and silently quickened her pace.


    Unexpectedly, when Jane reached the door, a security guard blocked her way and grabbed her arm,


    dragging her to Rachel.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Jane shouted angrily. ¡°Let go of your dirty hands! Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    Jane looked up and was caught off guard by Rachel¡¯s gaze. Jane¡¯s heart skipped a beat and her eyes


    flickered with unconceble panic. ¡°Rachel, what are you trying to do!¡±


    ¡°A bet is a bet. Miss Smith, don¡¯t tell me that you can¡¯t afford to bet?¡± Rachel wore a faint smile, like a


    blooming poppy, dangerous and charming.


    Jane¡¯s face blushed. She stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do.


    From the corner of her eye, Jane saw Olivia standing not far away. Instantly, Jane rushed over as if she


    had grabbed onto herst life¨Csaving straw. ¡°Olivia, what should we do now?¡±


    Olivia, who was pulled over as a shield, was so angry that she almost gritted her teeth.


    This idiot!


    Jane actually didn¡¯t forget to drag Olivia into this in front of trouble now!


    Olivia took a deep breath and the disgust in her eyes disappeared in an instant. Olivia revealed a


    gentle smile and said, ¡°Miss Grey, you still have to stay in Seaxas from now on. It¡¯s inevitable that we¡¯ll


    see each other every now and then. Why do you have to be so ruthless?¡±


    ¡°A bet is a bet. Kneel!¡± Rachel said coldly.


    Rachel¡¯s powerful voice echoed in the quiet shop.


    A cold and noble aura seemed to emanate from the depths of Rachel¡¯s bones, exuding an oppressive


    aura.


    Jane had always looked down on Rachel¡¯s innate temperament. Jane straightened her neck and said


    angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t say that a bet is a bet! It¡¯s obvious that you schemed against us! You clearly have the


    ck gold card, but you didn¡¯t take it out early!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Rachel was so angry that sheughed at Jane¡¯s usation. Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you guys disregarded the principle of firste, first served? You openly and covertly


    targeted me and schemed against me, trying all means to ruin my reputation? You guys were the ones


    who confidently set up the bet. Now that you lost, you¡¯re going back to your words?


    ¡°Could it be that the Smith family, who has always been honest, is going back


    on the word now? Is this the Smith family¡¯s upbringing?¡±


    Originally, it was just a conflict between the three of them. Now, because of Rachel¡¯s words, the Smith


    family was dragged into it.

 Chapter 293

    Chapter 293


    Chapter 293 The Apology


    For a moment, the surrounding people discussed Jane animatedly.


    Olivia narrowed her eyes slightly and stared at Rachel coldly as if she had seen through Rachel¡¯s


    thoughts at a nce.


    If Jane went back on her word, then the Smith family would be charged with breaking the word. If Jane


    admitted her punishment and knelt down to apologize, then the Smith family¡¯s status would be lowered


    because of this kneeling.


    No matter what choice Jane made, the Smith family would be involved in different levels of public


    opinion.


    This was a dead end!


    Olivia secretly gritted her teeth and spoke again in a gentle tone, ¡°Miss Grey, you know that Jane is


    impulsive. Why are you angry with her? Even if it¡¯s because the Smith family has taken care of you all


    these years, you should be lenient. Jane is still so young. If she really kneels down, how can she face


    others in the future? You should consider her future, right?¡±


    ¡°Did you consider me when you made the bet?¡± Rachel sneered sarcastically. A cold light shone from


    the depths of her eyes. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve lost, you¡¯re talking at length. You¡¯re full of fake benevolence


    and morality! Cut the crap. Both of you, kneel down!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s tone was very calm, and her words were filled with a chill that seeped into one¡¯s heart, making


    one tremble in fear.


    The expressions of Olivia and Jane suddenly changed.


    Kneeling down?


    And in front of so many people?


    One of them was the youngdy of the Smith family, and the other was the youngdy of the Cruise


    family. How could they kneel and apologize?


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Jane¡¯s anger reached the top. She red at Rachel angrily. ¡°Bitch! I will never kneel down to


    you!¡±


    Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly and strode toward Jane.


    Jane¡¯s pupils constricted. She retreated subconsciously.


    However, Rachel grabbed Jane¡¯s arm and pped her without another word


    The sound of the p was exceptionally loud.


    Jane was dizzy from the beating. She staggered and collided with the mirror.


    Jane came back to her senses and covered her burning face. She red at Rachel fiercely and


    pounced on Rachel like she had gone crazy. ¡°Bitch! I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡±


    Rachel seemed to have expected this. Rachel calmly grabbed Jane¡¯s arm


    and raised her hand to p Jane again.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Jane screamed in pain.


    Olivia was so frightened that she quickly retreated. She watched as Rachel grabbed Jane¡¯s hair with


    one hand and held Jane¡¯s shoulder with the other,


    pinning Jane to the ground.


    ¡°Bitch! Rachel, you¡¯ll die a horrible death!¡± Jane¡¯s face was blushed and swollen. Her expression was


    ferocious as she gritted her teeth and growled.


    However, Rachel turned a deaf ear to Jane¡¯s insults. Rachel turned to look at


    Olivia, who was standing beside her, and wore a cold smile. ¡°Miss Cruise, are you going to kneel


    yourself, or do you want me to help you?¡±


    Panic shed across Olivia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Miss Grey, is there no room for


    negotiation? For the sake of Louis, can you¡­¡±


    ¡°For someone who betrayed me, how do you think I should show mercy?¡± Rachel asked coldly.


    Olivia met Rachel¡¯s calm gaze and her heart skipped a beat. Olivia only felt a


    chill rise from the bottom of her feet and invade her limbs and bones. Olivia¡¯s body trembled


    uncontrobly.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Before Olivia could react, Rachel rushed forward and grabbed Olivia¡¯s shoulder. At the same time,


    Rachel raised her leg and kicked Olivia¡¯s leg mercilessly,


    With a dull thud, Olivia knelt on the ground hard.


    Olivia¡¯s knee hit the cold and hard ground, causing her to frown in pain at


    once.


    Even though the current Cruise family was not as prosperous as before, Olivia had never suffered such


    humiliation.

 Chapter 294

    Chapter 294


    Chapter 294 Barking


    Olivia subconsciously resisted, but Rachel pressed down on her shoulder firmly, making her like a fish


    on a chopping board and unable retaliate at all. The intense humiliation was like a tidal wave that was


    going to drown Olivia. Olivia lowered her head and bit her lips, trying her best to ignore the mocking


    gazes.


    Olivia clenched her fists tightly by her sides, and the hatred and anger in her heart grew stronger.


    Olivia was a youngdy of the Cruise family, Louis¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and the future hostess of the Smith family.


    As for Rachel, she was just a poor girl from the countryside. But now, Olivia was forced to kneel by


    Rachel.


    Olivia could not swallow this humiliation.


    The moment Jane was forced to kneel, she wished she could cut Rachel into pieces.


    Now that Rachel was focused on dealing with Olivia, Jane felt that her chance hade.


    Therefore, Jane got up from the ground on all fours and grabbed the ashtray on the coffee table. With a


    fierce expression, Jane pounced on Rachel.


    ¡°Bitch! Go to hell!¡±


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Mary shouted in panic.


    David who was watching the live streaming saw the situation and frowned imperceptibly. A wave of


    hostility instantly rose in his ck eyes.


    Rachel grabbed Jane¡¯s wrist with one hand and Jane¡¯s neck with the other hand.


    With a loud bang, Jane was ruthlessly thrown to the ground.


    The entire set of actions was steady, urate, and ruthless!


    A subtle light shed across David¡¯s eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his thin lips which carried a


    hint of pampering.


    Jane was thrown to the ground. Her chest hurt from the shock. She curled up on the ground with a pale


    face and muttered intermittently, ¡°Rachel¡­ You¡­ You will die a horrible death¡­¡±


    The corners of Olivia¡¯s eyes trembled slightly. She lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in them.


    Olivia¡¯s pretty face was pale, and she looked pitiful. ¡°Miss Grey, let us off when possible. Now that


    we¡¯ve knelt, can you let us off?¡±


    ¡°Miss Cruise, you are quite eloquent. You¡¯ve said all the good things!¡± The corners of Rachel¡¯s eyes


    were stained with faint mockery. Rachel looked down at Olivia, who was kneeling on the ground. ¡°If I


    were the one who lost now, would you let me off? Since you lost, shut up and ept your punishment.


    Don¡¯t you understand the principle of epting your loss?¡±


    Olivia secretly gritted her teeth. ¡°Then what else do you want?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Go under my crotch and bark like a dog.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s voice was heard unhurriedly, but every word Rachel said made Olivia feel as if she had fallen


    into an ice cave.


    Kneeling in front of so many people was already humiliating enough. How could Olivia crawl under


    Rachel¡¯s crotch and bark like a dog?


    Olivia was the noble youngdy of the Cruise family after all!


    At this moment, Jane hated Rachel to the core. Jane even wished she could bite off Rachel¡¯s neck and


    drink Rachel¡¯s blood. It was even more impossible for Jane to apologize.


    ¡°Rachel, you bitch! Let go of me!¡± Jane roared hysterically and said the dirtiest and most vicious words


    in the world.


    Even so, Jane still found it difficult to vent her hatred.


    ¡°Miss Smith, instead of scolding me, why don¡¯t you save some energy and learn how to bark like a


    dog?¡± Rachel mocked mercilessly.


    Olivia kept her head lowered all the time. She had already cursed Rachel countless times in her heart.


    After all, Olivia was the youngdy of the Cruise family. Now, Olivia had to be forced by Rachel to


    endure this humiliation in front of others.


    Olivia was even forced to bark like a dog by Rachel.


    At this moment, there was a loud and clear bark from the crowd. It turned out that the teddy dog in the


    arms of an onlooker had started barking.


    A teasing smile shed across Rachel¡¯s face, but the smile did not reach her eyes. ¡°Hurry up and bark!¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 295

    Chapter 295


    Chapter 295 Olivia¡¯s n


    Seeing that more and more onlookers were here, Olivia knew that she had to show enough


    disadvantage in order to gain everyone¡¯s sympathy.


    ¡°Miss Grey, you can ignore our rtionship, but don¡¯t you even care about the Smith family? If it


    weren¡¯t for the Smith family taking care of you all these years, how could you have established yourself


    in Seaxas? Then think about Grandpa Smith. He doesn¡¯t have any selfish motives toward you. Aren¡¯t


    your afraid that he will be disappointed by you treating Jane like this?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s tearfulints instantly aroused the sympathy of the onlookers.


    ¡°As the saying goes, be lenient wherever possible. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to leave a way out. It¡¯s hard to guarantee that you won¡¯t need help


    from them in the future.¡±


    ¡°The Smith family is an influential existence in Seaxas. What good can you do if you offend the Smith


    family? It¡¯s better to stop as soon as possible.¡±


    A trace of mockery shed past Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Miss Cruise¡¯s withdrawal is really a huge loss for the


    entertainment industry! Otherwise, with your superb acting skills, you would definitely have been able


    to gain a decisive position in the entertainment industry. Perhaps you would have been the Best


    Actress this year!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s words were filled with tant mockery.


    Olivia gritted her teeth and tried her best to suppress the anger swirling in


    her chest.


    Olivia was chased out of the entertainment industry all because of the bitch


    in front of her!


    Rachel had single¨Chandedly ruined Olivia¡¯s career. Now, Rachel was even going to ruin Olivia¡¯s


    reputation. This bitch was actually so vicious!


    If Olivia had known this would happen, she would have killed Rachel back


    then.


    ¡°Looks like Miss Cruise doesn¡¯t know how to bark. Why don¡¯t we get the dogs


    to teach her in person?¡± Rachel suggested.


    At this moment, Mary suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s all arranged. My two pit bulls are especially good at baring


    their teeth at people and barking. They definitely


    can teach them how to bark!¡±


    As Mary spoke, a bodyguard in ck walked in with two pit bulls.


    The two dogs had shiny fur and leather cors with rivets around their necks.


    Their eyes were dark, and they were breathing heavily through their noses. They exuded barbaric


    aggression.


    One of them stuck out its tongue and licked its mouth. Its mouth emitted a strange taste that made


    Olivia feel extremely disgusted.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to bark?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. Her gaze was so calm that it sent chills


    down one¡¯s spine.


    Jane was extremely afraid of dogs. When Jane saw the two burly and strong pit bulls in front of her,


    she trembled in fear.


    Especially when Rachel pressed Mary face¨Cto¨Cface with the dog, it almost destroyed Jane¡¯s


    psychological defense.


    Jane was so scared that her face was pale. She screamed without any care for her image, ¡°I¡¯ll bark!


    I¡¯ll!¡±


    ¡°A wise man submits to circumstances. Miss Smith, you are quite a smart person.¡± Rachel smiled


    coldly and looked down at Jane.


    Jane secretly gritted her teeth. She even wanted to tear Rachel apart.


    After pondering for a long time, Jane barked with difficulty, ¡°Woof, woof¡­¡±


    ¡°Did Miss Smith bark just now? Why didn¡¯t I hear anything?¡°, Rachel asked.


    Jane could not stand Rachel¡¯s high and mighty attitude all the time, so Jane wanted to take the


    opportunity to trample on Rachel and humiliate Rachel ruthlessly.


    If the matter blew up, it would be best if that billionaire saw it.


    This way, Rachel could experience the feeling of being abandoned again.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    However, Jane did not expect Rachel to have the ck gold card in her hands. Jane also did not


    expect that she would be the one to be humiliated


    in the end.


    Jane closed her eyes with a gloomy face. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. Suppressing


    the humiliation in her heart, Jane barked again,


    ¡°Woof! Woof! Woof!¡±

 Chapter 296

    Chapter 296


    Chapter 296 Olivia¡¯s Threatening


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    At this moment, Jane was no longer as arrogant as before.


    Rachel looked at Olivia coldly. ¡°Miss Cruise, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    At that, Olivia red at Rachel in hatred.


    Olivia¡¯s gaze was even more vicious than that of a resentful ghost. Olivial even wished she could drag


    Rachel into hell.


    ¡°I know you are thin¨Cskinned, Miss Cruise, so how about we directly move on to the next segment?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s tone was calm, but it inexplicably made Olivia feel a lingering fear.


    Olivia suddenly looked up and saw Rachel¡¯s cold gaze. Olivia¡¯s eyebrows twitched fiercely.


    Rachel¡¯s cold voice sounded unhurriedly. ¡°You said if you lost, you would go to pole dance in the


    square. Have you forgotten?¡±


    Olivia felt as if she had fallen into an icehouse. Her face turned pale in an instant.


    Olivia could no longer pretend to be weak. Her eyes were malicious, and she was like a venomous


    snake sticking out its tongue and revealing its poisonous teeth.


    Rachel¡¯s facial features were exquisite. Her beautiful face was as wless as cold jade. Her eyebrows


    were raised just right, very charming.


    At this moment, Rachel looked like she was wearing a faint smile. It seemed to be a coldness on her


    face, but it was intoxicating.


    Rachel¡¯s stunning beauty could never be concealed, and it was impossible to ignore her dazzling and


    noble aura.


    Back then, when Olivia found out that there was such a beautifuldy by


    side, Olivia felt a strong sense of hostility and uneasiness.


    Louis¡¯s


    Olivia knew very well that men had always been yful animals, let alone facing such a beautifuldy


    every day. Who could not be attracted by such a prettydy?


    When Olivia returned to Crucsia and saw Rachel, the noble aura that Rachel emitted from the depths


    of her bones made Olivia feel even more ashamed.


    Even though Olivia was wearing expensive clothes, Olivia could still feel the huge gap between Rachel


    and her.


    Rachel was like a natural focal point. She deserved to be the center of attention.


    Olivia thought that by snatching Louis away, she could trample Rachel under her feet, but she realized


    that things were not as she had imagined at all.


    To be precise, ever since Rachel left the Smith family, everything was out of Olivia¡¯s control.


    Olivia wanted to stand up and fight Rachel, but Olivia realized that Rachel¡¯s grip on her shoulder was


    exceptionally strong, making her unable to move at all.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to dance?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at Olivia with a faint smile.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we change a way?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s nonchnt tone made Olivia¡¯s eyebrows twitch hard.


    Olivia looked at Rachel. The hatred and anger in her heart could no longer be hidden in her eyes.


    ¡°There are countless bars in Seaxas. Why don¡¯t you choose any one of them. and perform in it for a


    night, Miss Cruise?¡± Rachel smiled, looking innocent. ¡°I heard that youe from a noble family and


    are proficient in many things, especially dancing. Back then, you even captured the hearts of


    thousands of men with a dance back then. I want to take this opportunity to see it.¡±


    As soon as Rachel finished speaking, the crowd erupted into excited cheers.


    To be able to get the youngdy of an extraordinary family to dance for them was simply a blessing in


    their lives!


    ¡°Rachel, the Cruise family won¡¯t let you off if you treat me like this. Louis won¡¯t let you off either!¡±


    Rachel sneered and said arrogantly, ¡°Do you really think that the Cruise family and the Smith family are


    worthy of my fear?¡±


    Before Rachel could finish speaking, a shout suddenly came from the crowd. ¡°Rachel, have you had


    enough?¡±

 Chapter 297

    Chapter 297


    Chapter 297 Olivia¡¯s Helper


    When Rachel heard Louis¡¯s voice, her eyes narrowed slightly. Then, Rachel wore a mocking smile.


    ¡°Your hero ising to help you again.¡±


    Rachel turned around and saw Louis looking at her with disgust.


    It was as if Rachel was a vicious witch who bullied Snow White in a fairy tale.


    ¡°Rachel, what are you trying to do?¡± Louis questioned coldly. ¡°How did Jane and Olivia offend you to


    make you humiliate them so much?¡±


    Louis received a distress message from Olivia and rushed over.


    Unexpectedly, Louis saw the live streaming sent by his assistant on the way.


    Rachel forced Jane and Olivia to kneel and bark like dogs.


    Only Rachel would do such a vicious thing.


    Rachel saw Louis hurry over and then looked at Olivia, who was kneeling on the ground and crying


    silently. A look of understanding shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes, and the smile on her lips suddenly


    became colder.


    No wonder Olivia was stalling for time. She was waiting for her helper.


    Rachel raised her hand to shake the non¨Cexistent dust off her clothes and said casually, ¡°They brought


    this upon themselves. You can¡¯t me me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± When Jane saw that Louis was here, her fighting spirit was instantly ignited. ¡°It¡¯s all your


    fault, you botch! You deliberately set us up! You schemed against us! You forced Olivia and me to kneel


    and even brought two dogs to scare me into barking like a dog!¡±


    When Rachel heard this, her eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°Miss Smith, not only did you learn the


    barking perfectly, but you also learned from dogs about how to rely on others¡® power.¡±


    Without waiting for Jane to speak, Rachel said again, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that the two of you were the first to


    cause trouble!¡±


    Almost everyone was ming Rachel for being cold¨Cblooded and heartless, but everyone seemed to


    have forgotten that she was not the one who


    started this storm.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    However, the instigators did not get what they wanted and were crushed by Rachel instead. Hence, all


    the mistakes became Rachel¡¯s alone.


    Louis frowned hard when he heard that.


    ¡°Louis¡­¡± Olivia leaned against Louis¡¯s chest with an aggrieved expression.


    Her tear¨Cstained face made Louis¡¯s heart ache.


    Louis carefully hugged Olivia as if he was holding a rare treasure. ¡°Don¡¯t be


    afraid. I¡¯m here.¡±


    When Rachel looked at the two of them exchanging nces and flirting, her eyes were filled with


    strong sarcasm. Rachel said coldly, ¡°Miss Cruise, you kept saying that you want me to give


    consideration to the rtionship from the past. Then, let¡¯s end thest bet just like this.¡±


    Rachel turned around and nced at n. ¡°Send the suit to my apartment.¡±


    With that, Rachel packed her things and left with Mary.


    Everyone saw the situation and simultaneously stepped aside to make way


    for Rachel.


    Rachel and Mary walked out side by side, but Rachel¡¯s auras had already covered Mary¡¯s.


    Today¡¯s episode really broadened their horizons.


    At the same time, everyone felt a strong sense of curiosity.


    Who exactly was this woman?


    Why were the three big shots in charge of the mall so respectful when they


    saw the woman?


    Curiosity was followed by a small wave of regret.


    They thought that they would be able to see the two youngdies from the Cruise family and the Smith


    family pole dancing for them today. Unfortunately, this bet was invalid in the end.


    Mary was a little disappointed. ¡°You were so close to publicly making those


    two bitches humiliated.¡±


    Rachel smiled and said, ¡°Even if the three bets areplete, the Cruise family and the Smith family


    won¡¯t bepletely humiliated. After all, the current Smith family is no longer the weak Smith family


    from before. Moreover, by letting her off now, I can have a good reputation in the eyes of outsiders.¡±

 Chapter 298

    Chapter 298


    Chapter 298 Old Mr. Smith¡¯s Subtlety


    Although Rachel was aggressive, as the boss of Johnson Corporation, she could not do as she


    pleased too much.


    ¡°But those few ps of yours just now were really too satisfying! I felt.fortable watching from the


    side.¡± As Mary spoke, she suddenly thought of something, and a trace of hesitation shed across her


    eyes. ¡°However, I¡¯m worried that the Smith family and the Cruise family will find trouble with. you,


    especially the Smith family¡­¡±


    Actually, Mary hated people like Old Mr. Smith the most.


    Old Mr. Smith was full of fake benevolence and morality. He pretended to be benevolent, but he was


    actually full of shrewd schemes.


    Rachel looked calm and indifferent. ¡°The Smith family is dispensable to me.¡± In the past, Rachel had


    been very sincere to the Smith family only because she mistook Louis for someone she had been


    searching for.


    For the sake of Louis, Rachel tried her best to tolerate everyone in the Smith. family.


    But Rachel would not that stupid anymore.


    Rachel would not show mercy to Louis, much less tolerate the Smith family.


    When Mary heard this, she felt a little relieved. ¡°Although we didn¡¯t buy clothes, you taught those two


    bitches a hard lesson. This trip wasn¡¯t a loss.¡±


    As they were talking, Eddie in a suit and leather shoes walked over.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Eddie walked up to them and called out respectfully, ¡°Hello, Miss Grey, Miss


    Green.¡®


    Mary was puzzled and looked at Eddie. ¡°Do we know each other?¡±


    However, Mary had no impression of the man in front of her.


    Eddie said, ¡°You¡¯re Miss Grey¡¯s best friend.¡±


    In other words, thanks to Rachel, the man knew something about Eddie.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows calmly. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jones asked me to pick you up,¡± said Eddie.


    As Eddie spoke, he moved aside slightly, and Rachel saw the familiar ck Rolls¨CRoyce Phantom.


    As the car door opened, the man stepped out of the car.


    A tall and slender figure stood in front of the car. His face was deep and three¨Cdimensional, like a work


    of art. His entire body exuded a dazzling and


    noble aura.


    Even if he just stood there without saying a word, he gave off a feeling that others needed to look up to


    him.


    Mary could not help but sigh in her heart. Such a top¨Cnotch man could crush


    that little trash Louis in minutes.


    At this moment, Rachel walked up to David with a smile. Her charming eyes flickered with light.


    Before Rachel spoke, David reached out and hugged Rachel¡¯s slender waist. ¡°Does your hand hurt?¡±


    A cold and gentle voice sounded from above. Rachel shook her head. ¡°No, how could I be injured?¡±


    ¡°The effect of strength is mutual. How can it not hurt? You¡¯re just used to being strong alone.¡± David


    held Rachel¡¯s hand and kneaded it gently. ¡°Now that you have me, you don¡¯t have to be so strong.¡±


    When Rachel heard it, her heart could not help but ripple.


    This man could always easily poke the softest spot in Rachel¡¯s heart.


    Rachel pursed her lips and calmed herself down. She tried her best to maintain a steady tone. ¡°Why


    are you here? Didn¡¯t you say you would only be


    back after a week?¡±


    Rachel had thought that she would have to wait a few more days before she


    could see David.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me?¡± David raised his eyebrows and a faint smile appeared on his lips. His


    bottomless eyes were filled with a faint gentleness.


    ¡°I wish you could always stay by my side.¡±


    When David heard this, his eyes instantly darkened. Like the sea that could not be seen in the middle


    of the night, the surging waves were hidden in the depths.


    Rachel looked at the man in front of her. David¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and there was a faint


    ruthlessness under his eyes. Clearly, he had lost his usual vigor.


    Rachel¡¯s heart ached as she touched David¡¯s face. ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    David held Rachel¡¯s hand and pressed it tightly against his face. When David felt the warmth of


    Rachel¡¯s palm, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°A little.¡±


    ¡°Come. Let¡¯s go home,¡± Rachel said and held David¡¯s hand as they got into


    the car.


    Mary, who had been left behind, was speechless.


    Was Mary really that insignificant?


    Rachel actually abandoned her best friend when she saw her boyfriend?

 Chapter 299

    Chapter 299


    Chapter 299 Olivia¡¯s Jealousy


    Perhaps sensing Mary¡¯s embarrassment, Eddie hesitated for a moment and asked politely and


    distantly, ¡°Miss Green, do you need me to get someone to send you back?¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± Mary snorted angrily. She put on her sunsses and carried her bag. Then, she turned


    around and left arrogantly.


    After being refused, Eddie couldn¡¯t help but frown. It was really difficult to guess a woman¡¯s thoughts.


    Seeing that David and Rachel were about to get into the car, Eddie did not dare to hesitate and ran


    over quickly.


    When Louis helped Olivia out of Times Square, he happened to see Rachel obediently snuggle in


    David¡¯s arms.


    In Louis¡¯s impression, Rachel had always been cold and distant, but now, Rachel had refreshed his


    impression of her again and again.


    It was not that Rachel was not gentle or obedient. It was just that Rachel always showed a lukewarm


    attitude in front of Louis.


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    Thinking back to the past, Rachel had pestered Louis to marry him, but after they broke up, Rachel


    quickly started a new rtionship.


    Rachel had even hugged other men in front of Louis more than once.


    Rachel did not show any heartache or reluctance when facing Louis, nor did Rachel feel any guilt. How


    deep were such feelings?


    Even if Louis didn¡¯t love Rachel, he still couldn¡¯t ept that after breaking up with him, Rachel had


    fallen back into another man¡¯s arms in such a short period of time and was so gentle and obedient.


    This gentleness and obedience should belong to Louis!


    Louis¡¯s frown deepened, and his arms around Olivia¡¯s waist involuntarily tightened.


    Sensing the pain in her waist, Olivia gasped in pain. Olivia looked up and happened to see Louis


    looking thoughtfully in the direction Rachel left.


    Olivia lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in them.


    Olivia had really underestimated this bitch.


    Now that Rachel had hooked up with another man, she still wanted to continue seducing Louis.


    At this moment, Jane, whose face was red and swollen, pounced over and blocked Louis¡¯s line of sight.


    ¡°Louis, you have to stand up for us this time.¡± Louis came back to his senses and nced at Jane


    indifferently. A trace of imperceptible disgust shed in the depths of Louis¡¯s eyes.


    The makeup on Jane¡¯s face was already messed up. Her ck eyeliner mixed with her tears rolled


    down the corners of her eyes, leaving a meandering trail.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already warned you not to provoke her. Why didn¡¯t you listen to me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s clearly Rachel¡¯s fault. This bitch schemed against Olivia and me! She forced us to kneel and bark


    like a dog.¡± The more Jane spoke, the more resentment and anger in her heart burned. ¡°I don¡¯t care.


    You have to avenge me!¡±


    Louis¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°Shut up! Come home with me now!¡±


    The previous storm had just subsided. Louis only hoped to get Mr. Zane¡¯s forgiveness, and Mr. Zane


    could invest in the new project. How could Louis have the time to help Jane vent her anger?


    Moreover, when Louis saw Rachel and Tom at Maple Forest Vi District that day, he could tell that


    they were quite on good terms. In that case, Louis would not act rashly even more.


    Olivia could tell that Louis did not intend to hold Rachel ountable.


    Although Olivia did not know why, n¡¯s respectful attitude toward Rachel in Times Square today was


    indeed thought¨Cprovoking.


    ¡°Louis, what happened today was my fault. I didn¡¯t take good care of Jane. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Olivia looked at


    Louis guiltily.


    This tactic of gaining sympathy had worked on Louis time and time again. Louis looked at Olivia¡¯s guilty


    and aggrieved expression and felt as if something had ruthlessly tugged at his heart. ¡°It¡¯s not your


    fault.¡±


    Olivia knew that the most important thing now was to get Louis¡¯s understanding and sympathy.


    Olivia forced a smile. ¡°Jane is injured. Let¡¯s send her to the hospital first.¡±

 Chapter 300

    Chapter 300


    Chapter 300 David¡¯s Attitude


    Louis¡¯s car started and brushed past David¡¯s.


    ¡°Are you going to let them go just like that?¡± David suddenly asked.


    Rachel looked at David. ¡°Although I have regrets in my heart, I won¡¯t end up with an aggressive


    reputation.¡±


    ¡°You care about that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care?¡± Rachel asked subconsciously.


    Rachel didn¡¯t think any man would like an aggressive, cold¨Cblooded woman, right?


    Didn¡¯t men always like obedient, sensible, and gentle women?


    David frowned slightly. ¡°I only care if you¡¯re happy, so you just need to do whatever you want.¡±


    David¡¯s palm gently caressed Rachel¡¯s cheek. ¡°Do whatever you want. If the sky falls, I¡¯ll help you carry


    it.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart trembled. She turned to look at the man in front of her.


    Rachel looked calm, but there was a smile hidden in the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll


    be scared away by my cold¨Cbloodedness.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± David stared at Rachel without blinking. His dark eyes were filled with gentleness. ¡°You don¡¯t


    have to be gentle. I¡¯ll shelter you from the wind and


    rain.¡±


    Although Rachel was moved by David¡¯s words more than once, this time, she clearly felt the ripples in


    her heart that were difficult to calm down.


    How could a woman not be tempted by someone who had amodated her time and time again?


    Rachel looked at David. With a thought, her fingertips suddenly hooked onto his tie. As Rachel pulled


    David down, she raised her head and kissed him gently on the lips.


    When David felt the soft touch on his lips, his heart raced. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as


    David grabbed Rachel¡¯s waist and carried her onto his body, gaining the initiative.


    This kiss was simr to the previous one.


    At times, it was intense, and at other times, it was gentle. It was as if David was probing step by step,


    silently disintegrating Rachel¡¯s psychological defense that refused to loosen all the time.


    David¡¯s cold aura invaded Rachel¡¯s territory bit by bit, inch by inch. It was like an imprable that


    wrapped around Rachelyer byyer, wanting to devour her.


    When Rachel¡¯s breathing gradually decreased and she was gradually dizzy, David reluctantly let go of


    her.


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    When David saw Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks that were dyed with an alluring blush, his dark eyes gradually


    filled with an intoxicating smile.


    David¡¯s fingertips caressed Rachel¡¯s slightly swollen lips. A perfect appeared on David¡¯s thin lips,


    handsome and charming. ¡°You have to practice more in the future.¡±


    Louis gave up Rachel and chose Olivia.


    Louis was really blind.


    When Rachel heard the smile in David¡¯s words, she frowned in


    embarrassment and looked up at him.


    From Rachel¡¯s angle, she could see David¡¯s perfect jawline and sexy Adam¡¯s apple. Rachel pursed her


    lips and bit David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple.


    David¡¯s entire body stiffened. His hand that was wrapped around Rachel¡¯s waist clearly tightened.


    Rachel subconsciously struggled, but she heard David say, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    David¡¯s dark and deep eyes made Rachel vaguely sense a hint of danger. Rachel didn¡¯t want to get


    herself in trouble, and she sat motionless in David¡¯s


    arms.


    The two of them faced each other and their eyes met. Their breaths intertwined sweetly.


    Perhaps feeling the sudden silence in the car, Eddie, who was sitting in the front passenger seat,


    looked curiously at the rearview mirror.


    David, who did not get close to any women, was now leaning leisurely against the seat. The cor of


    his shirt was a little messy, and his sexy thin lips were stained with lipstick, adding to his lust.


    In the past, David had seemed to have no interest in love and sex, but


    Rachel¡¯s presence seemed to bring a ray of sunshine into his heart, making


    him change.


    At this moment, Eddie could not help but sigh. Love was so great!


    Even David was changed when meeting his loved one.

 Chapter 301

    Chapter 301


    Chapter 301 Searching Her Vertebrae


    Half an hourter, the car arrived at the tinum Mansion.


    After David entered the mansion, he stood at the entrance of the hall and looked at Rachel in silence


    as she took out a pair of men¡¯s slippers from the shoe cab. His eyelids remained still, yet his


    eyebrows raised slightly, it was subtle and hardly noticeable.


    He spoke no words, but his eyes became as flirtatious as they came.


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    Rachel looked into his eyes and immediately read his thoughts. In no hurry to exin herself, she said


    calmly, ¡°These are from Lucas. He said it¡¯s dangerous for a girl to live alone, and putting a pair of men¡¯s


    slippers outside the door is a great way to keep me safe, keeps those with vile intentions. away.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing at killing the mood.¡± David sighed helplessly.


    Just a moment ago, he was fantasizing about what living under the same roof with Rachel would be


    like.


    Rachel shrugged, her innocence¨Cfilled eyes blinking as she said, ¡°Oops.¡±


    David was speechless.


    ¡°You can go take a nap in the guest room first,¡± Rachel said as she tied up her hair with a ck rubber


    band.


    David reached out his hand, tucked a strand of her loose hair behind her ear, and asked softly, ¡°What


    about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare the ingredients and cook something for youter,¡±


    Rachel said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we nap together?¡± David¡¯s fingers gently stroked her earlobe, his fingertips circled around


    her ear andnded at the sensitive spot behind it. ¡°Rae¨CRae, I promise I won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    His low and maic voice slowly sounded in her ears.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes shivered slightly. Just as she was about to reject him, she heard him say, ¡°Are you


    going to reject me again?¡±


    As she pondered the answer to this question, David¡¯s arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her


    into his arms.


    This man¡¯s cold aura shrouded Rachel and wrapped her tightly, even her


    breathing stagnated for a moment.


    After pondering for a moment, Rachel sighed softly and said, ¡°I just feel that if I agreed, I¡¯d seem like an


    easy and unreserved woman.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you reserved enough?¡± David looked down at the woman in his arms. His well¨Cdefined slender


    fingers caressed her exquisite and round chin. Then, he bent down and gently kissed her lips. ¡°I¡¯d say


    you¡¯re so reserved it¡¯s torturous.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°So, am I to take that as aint?¡± David buried his head in


    her neck, and his warm breath swept across her skin. His voice was maic, casual, andzy, yet it


    tickled and lured Rachel¡¯s heart like a tiny hook. ¡°How could I? I must make you mine, and for that, no


    matter how difficult your tests are and how many you¡¯re going to give me, I¡¯ll ovee them.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled upwards slightly. It was faint, but she smiled.


    However, the next second, David suddenly carried her up and quickly walked into the guest room.


    Angry and frustrated, Rachel yelled, ¡°David, what are you, a barbarian?¡±


    ¡°Barbarian?¡± David¡¯s footsteps slowed down slightly. He raised his eyebrows as if he was thoroughly


    analyzing the meaning of this word.


    Suddenly, his lips curled into a smile and he said, ¡°It looks like I must do something barbaric then, or


    else I¡¯d be besmirching the nickname you¡¯ve given me.¡±


    Rachel did not know what to say.


    What kind of nonsense logic was that?


    David locked Rachel in his arms and forced her into bed.


    A man and a woman alone in the room, it was inevitable that one¡¯s imagination would run wild.


    Rachel¡¯s face was pressed against David¡¯s chest. Although David was wearing a shirt, Rachel could


    still vividly feel his body temperature on her skin. She was engulfed by his cold aura, it was as if they


    materialized and rushed into her nose, making her heartbeat uncontrobly elerate.


    To add fuel to the fire, his handnded on her back and gently circled around her spine, it made her


    body stiffen slightly.


    Likely because he sensed her stiffness, David¡¯s lips uncontrobly curled upwards. Could not help but


    smile, he said, ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡±

 Chapter 302

    Chapter 302


    Chapter 302 The Exception And The Only One


    Rachel did not say a word, she only tried to broaden the distance between them and make things not


    so steamy by gently pushing his chest.


    David lowered his eyes and looked at Rachel¡¯s trembling eyshes. There was a faint smile at the


    corner of his eyes. He leaned over and nted a gentle kiss on her forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I will


    never cross the line. against your will, not until you agree and allow me to.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel was secretly relieved.


    Then, David spoke again, ¡°But also, don¡¯t make me wait too long.¡±


    He had never spent so much energy and effort on anyone, not even on a


    woman.


    Only Rachel.


    She was the exception and the only one.


    There were tons of women out there, and he knew that more than anyone. If he wanted to, he could


    have these women swarming at him to let him pick and choose however he liked, yet all that paled in


    comparison to Rachel¡¯s sudden appearance in his life.


    He knew how much Rachel meant to him.


    Rachel was one¨Cof¨Ca¨Ckind, a chance encounter among billions of people, she was unreplicable,


    irreceable, and inimitable.


    Therefore, towards Rachel, he had patience and perseverance that he had


    never had before.


    ¡°I¡¯m sleepy,¡± David said softly.


    Rachel did not reply, she closed her eyes and quietly snuggled in his arms.


    A quiet environment is the best sedative. Breathing in the soothing smell around her, Rachel gradually


    fell asleep unknowingly too.


    It was only when her phone rang that she suddenly awoke.


    As she looked up, she was secretly relieved to see David was still sound asleep. She pursed her lips


    and quietly retreated from his arms, then tiptoed out of the guest room.


    The call was from Lucas Johnson.


    ¡°The share price of the Smith family has dropped. Do you want to take advantage of this time to do


    something?¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking about acquiring the Smith family?¡± Rachel asked.


    Lucas said, ¡°The Smith family and I are notpatible.¡±


    In other words, he was not interested in the Smith family.


    Rachel poured a ss of water and said unhurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested


    either.¡±


    Her goal was to destroy the Smith family bit by bit, not waste money and


    save them.


    However, before she could finish speaking, Eleanor¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Rae¨CRae, the


    Smith family is absolutely awful! They¡¯re a nest of ingrates! Especially that Jane Smith! Don¡¯t they see


    it? If you hadn¡¯t worked so hard for the Smith family all these years, would the Smith family be where


    they are today?


    And to make you kneel and apologize? How dare she?¡±


    Ever since Old Mr. Johnson brought Rachel back, he had been treasuring her so much, not letting her


    get bullied or hurt even in the slightest, let alone let her kneel down and apologize.


    For Jane to force Rachel to kneel down and apologize, she was seeking a shortcut on the highway to


    death!


    ¡°Eleanor, don¡¯t be upset. It didn¡¯t cause me any substantial harm, did it?¡±


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    Rachel smiled.


    Eleanor sighed faintly. ¡°Rae¨CRae, back then, you wanted to pursue what you thought was true love,


    and I supported you fully. Never could I have expected the Smith family to be such a pile of trash. I


    can¡¯t even describe just how regretful I am right now. If I had known that they were such people, I


    would have stopped you no matter what.¡±


    Back then, Rachel resolutely disobeyed Old Mr. Johnson for Louis Smith and never even hesitated to


    cut ties with the Johnson family, and Eleanor was the only one who stood by her side and supported


    her choice.


    Later, when Eleanor found out that the Smith family was in a difficult situation, she even secretly helped


    Rachel financially.


    Rachel only felt gratitude towards Eleanor. There was never even the


    slightest trace of resentment.


    ¡°Eleanor, it¡¯s not your fault,¡± Rachel said. ¡°As for the hard work I¡¯ve put in for the Smith family over the


    past three years, I¡¯ll make them pay for it, and with.


    interest!¡±


    When Eleanor heard this, she was instantly full of energy. ¡°Okay! I support


    you!¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Eleanor bit her lips with her pearly white teeth. like she was pondering on


    something.

 Chapter 303

    Chapter 303


    Chapter 303 Lustful Thoughts


    When Rachel returned to the guest room, she ced a ss of water on the bedside table.


    Her gaze fell on David, who was still sound asleep.


    Perhaps it was because he was in a deep sleep, but David did not seem as intimidating and cold as


    before. Instead, he seemed a lot more gentle.


    David had a well¨Cdefined face. Under the dim light, his features seemed more profound and more


    three¨Cdimensional. His eyebrows and eyes seemed like they were exquisitely carved.


    Rachel could not help but sigh. She wondered, ¡°How can there be such a perfect man on earth?¡±


    Not only did David have clear and healthy skin, but he also had no bad side or bad angle.


    Most importantly, this man was hers.


    At that thought, Rachel could not help but curl her lips into a smile.


    She stayed by David¡¯s bedside and focused on admiring his looks.


    Suddenly, Rachel had an idea. She slowly leaned forward and gently pecked his lips.


    Just as she got up to leave, David, who had been sound asleep, suddenly reached up a hand and


    grabbed the back of Rachel¡¯s head, pulling her further down and deepening the kiss.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°You want to flee after secretly kissing me?¡± David rested his forehead


    against Rachel¡¯s, his dark eyes revealing a captivating glow in them.


    Feeling flustered, Rachel quickly lowered her eyes. ¡°When did you wake up?¡±


    she asked.


    ¡°When you got up to leave,¡± David replied.


    Rachel slightly knitted her brows. Seething anger shed in her eyes. ¡°Then you were pretending to be


    asleep just now?¡±


    David raised his eyebrows and looked at her lips. ¡°I was nning to rest for a while, but someone


    sneaked in and kissed me secretly.¡±


    Rachel was at a loss for words.


    ¡°So he was waiting for me all along?¡± she thought.


    She looked at David usingly and got up to leave.


    Unexpectedly, David grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. At the same time, he turned


    around and changed their positions so that Rachel was pressed under him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with wariness.


    Seeing that Rachel had her arms crossed protectively over her chest, David¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°You


    kissed me earlier,¡± he said.


    ¡°So?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°I have to kiss you back. I can¡¯t lose out,¡± remarked David.


    Rachel was startled.


    Immediately after, David¡¯s tall figure blocked the light in front of her. He had a cool aura and attacked


    her lips with his.


    When David saw the shock and frustration on her face, the smile in his eyes deepened.


    Not giving Rachel any time to react, David plundered her mouth in a hard, devouring kiss.


    One of his arms was at the side of her head, while the other hand held onto her chin. Rachel was


    trapped in his embrace and unable to hold him off.


    The temperature in the room rose steadily. The hot and sensual atmosphere gradually spread to every


    corner of the room.


    Their rationality was depleted bit by bit.


    David¡¯s kiss was domineering yet gentle. He was kissing Rachel so


    powerfully that it was as if he wanted to devour her whole.


    David¡¯s hand unknowinglynded on Rachel¡¯s waist and wandered around the edge of her clothes.


    Rachel initially thought that David was going to overstep his boundary, and the haze that had filled her


    mind dissipated.


    However, David only brushed his hand over Rachel¡¯s hip and continued to hold her tightly.


    Despite that, Rachel¡¯s body was tense and stiff.


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    After a long time, David reluctantly released her lips. Lust filled his dark eyes.


    He buried his head in Rachel¡¯s neck and took a deep breath.


    The faint fragrance on Rachel¡¯s body tempted David, easily filling his head with lustful thoughts.

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304


    Chapter 304 ying With Fire


    The veins on David¡¯s forehead bulged slightly. After a long time, he sighed. faintly. ¡°You are driving me


    insane.¡±


    Rachel narrowed her attractive eyes at David. There was a touch of a teasing. look in her eyes when


    she said, ¡°You¡¯re ying the me game?¡±


    David was the one who made a move on her, yet he was now ming her.


    ¡°Well, I yed with fire and got burnt.¡± David wiped the corner of her lips with his well¨Cdefined fingers.


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Rachel replied, ¡°Home¨Ccooked food.¡±


    What she meant was them cooking for themselves, but David misinterpreted her words.


    Sitting in the dining room, Rachel looked at the exquisite dishes ced in front of her. The edges of the


    tes were engraved with the ¡°Best Fry¡± logo. She wanted to cook but realized that David had already


    made all the arrangements earlier on. For some reason, she felt like she owed him a favor.


    The warm orange lights shone down on the diners, creating a cozy atmosphere in the restaurant.


    Rachel slowly ate the food on her te. She looked up and was taken by surprise when she met


    David¡¯s dark and deep eyes.


    David ate very little. It was not that he had no appetite, but he was picky and demanding.


    Rachel swallowed the food in her mouth and took a sip of water. ¡°When did you get back?¡± she asked.


    ¡°At ten o¡¯clock in the morning,¡± David said calmly.


    Rachel nodded. There was a faint smile in the depths of her attractive eyes.


    From David¡¯s answer, Rachel deduced that he should have received the news on the way back from


    the airport and gone straight to Times Square to look for her.


    Women loved it when their partners feel closely attached to them and cared for them. Rachel was no


    exception.


    At this moment, a message popped up on David¡¯s phone. He frowned


    imperceptibly.


    Rachel noticed the hostile look in David¡¯s eyes, and the twinkle in her eyes. disappeared instantly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the cargo at the docks,¡± David replied.


    ¡°Is your business in Seaxas operated very widely?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°I¡¯m involved in real estate, entertainment, and transportation industries of all sizes. However, all these


    are merely a small part of my grandma¡¯s businesses,¡± answered David.


    ¡°His grandma¡¯s business?¡± thought Rachel.


    That meant that it was not rted to the Jones family at all.


    Rachel looked at David in surprise. His words had piqued her interest. ¡°What about your business?¡±


    David looked at her deeply and said indifferently, ¡°My business is mainly in


    Aureliana.¡±


    He did not hide anything from Rachel.


    Moreover, if Rachel married him in the future, she would have to return to


    Aureliana with him sooner orter.


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about Aureliana?¡± asked Rachel.


    What Rachel originally wanted to ask was, ¡°What kind of ce is Aureliana?¡±


    She had once tried to investigate Aureliana, but just like the outside world¡¯s evaluation of it, it had the


    highest level of confidentiality in the world. It was as if that state was isted from the world. Outsiders


    could not find any


    information on Aureliana at all.


    However, the more mysterious something was, the easier it was to arouse one¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing special about it,¡± David said. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll bring you there.¡±


    His tone was calm as if he was discussing something very ordinary.


    However, a wave of emotion washed over Rachel when she heard his words.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you full?¡± Unknowingly, David regarded her with a gentle look.


    Rachel nodded and wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. Her probing gazended on David.


    ¡°Do you want to go to the docks?¡± David asked.


    Rachel hesitated for a moment. ¡°Will it cause any inconvenience for you?¡±


    David did not give any reason. Instead, he stood up and walked over to


    Rachel. He held onto her hand and walked out.

 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305


    Chapter 305 Looks Like I Underestimated You


    At the dock.


    The ck Rolls¨CRoyce Phantom drove into the office area. The door opened, and Rachel put her hand


    on David¡¯s hand and leaned slightly to get out of the


    car.


    She stood in front of the car and looked around calmly.


    There was a variety of cars lined up in the parking lot by the entrance of the five¨Cstory gray office


    building, which did not have a fancy d¨¦cor.


    However, Rachel discovered that the engines of these cars had been modified, which greatly increased


    the instantaneous speed of the cars.


    She squinted slightly when she saw the sign above the office building.


    That was the logo of ck Rock Corporation.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    This corporation appeared in Seaxas ten years ago. At that time, no one took thispany seriously.


    However, many transportationpanies had to pay a painful price as a result of their


    underestimation.


    The rapid development of ck Rock Corporation exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations. Even a powerful


    and esteemed businessman like Old Mr. Johnson was a little surprised.


    Over the years,petitors had been secretly investigating the profile of the founder of the ck Rock


    Corporation but to no avail.


    The only information they got was his gender as a male.


    However, Rachel did not expect the ck Rock Corporation to be David¡¯s


    business.


    David held her soft hand and walked towards the office building.


    Initially, he thought that Rachel would be nervous. To his surprise, she seemed to be especially calm,


    with a touch of indifference.


    He could not help but chuckle.


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Rachel instinctively asked.


    David nced at her and replied, ¡°I thought you¡¯d be nervous. Looks like I underestimated you.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and her moist lips curled into a charming


    smile. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of with you around?¡±


    It was a simple sentence, but it made David¡¯s expression change slightly. He could not help but tighten


    his grip on her hand.


    After entering the office building, Rachel¡¯s presence quickly attracted the


    attention of others.


    Well, they had never seen anyone of the opposite sex around David all these years. Some people even


    secretly spected that their boss David probably had a special preference.


    However, the news of David bringing a woman to the dock spread like wildfire. Finally, Jimmy heard


    about it.


    ¡°A woman?!¡± When Jimmy heard his subordinate¡¯s words, a disdainful smile appeared on his face. ¡°I


    know very well what kind of person David is. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not fated to be with a woman in this life.¡±


    As he spoke, he pulled up the real¨Ctime surveince camera footage on theputer.


    In the footage disyed on the screen, David walked into the elevator holding Rachel¡¯s hand.


    Jimmy instantly tensed up and widened his eyes in disbelief.


    After watching the footage over and over again, he finally came to a shocking conclusion.


    David was in love with a woman!


    He was in a daze for a while before taking out his phone and calling Landon. ¡°Landon, David is seeing


    a woman now!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Landon replied indifferently.


    His calm reaction made Jimmy feel incredibly unfulfilled. He frowned. ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you surprised to


    hear this news? Aren¡¯t you curious at all?¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Landon said calmly, ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so surprised!¡±


    Jimmy was speechless.


    He cursed and mmed down the phone.


    The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became. He stood up


    and walked back and forth in the office.


    The subordinate standing at the side could not help but say, ¡°Mr. Shain, I¡¯m


    about to pass out even if you don¡¯t.¡±


    Jimmy stopped and looked at him with disdain. ¡°Go away. Don¡¯t be an eyesore here.¡±

 Chapter 306

    Chapter 306


    Chapter 306 Excellence


    On the other side, Rachel followed David into the office.


    He took the iPad and made another cup of coffee for her. ¡°You can y here for a while. I¡¯ll take care of


    it quickly.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Rachel.


    David touched her hair before walking to the desk to do some work.


    Rachel picked up the cup in front of her and took a sip. Then, she took out her phone to check the


    unread messages.


    She clicked on Whatsapp and tapped on the new message received


    The person who sent her a message had a profile picture of a sunflower, which attracted her attention.


    She texted, [Rae¨CRae, I¡¯m Old Mrs. Jones.] Rachel was stunned.


    She hesitated for half a second before opening the chat window.


    Soon, Old Mrs. Jones sent another message, [Rae¨CRae, this is Mrs. Jones.] Rachel replied, [Hello, Old


    Mrs. Jones]


    Old Mrs. Jones quickly replied, [Now that I have your contact on Whatsapp, it will be easier for me to


    get in touch with you in the future.]


    While Rachel and Old Mrs. Jones were chatting, a few people in gray uniforms walked in and looked at


    Rachel unanimously.


    Now, the news about David bringing his girlfriend to ck Rock Corporation was spreading like wildfire


    throughout the entire corporation and office building


    However, they had to admit that Rachel was indeed beautiful.


    Her beauty wasn¡¯t mediocre and tacky.


    Her beauty was the kind that was mboyant and aloof, so much so that every word she said seemed


    cold and standoffish. She exuded an inherent ferocity from the inside out, making it impossible for


    anyone to appreciate her beauty with impunity.


    The few men only dared to hold their gaze for a few seconds before gathering theirposure and


    walking to David¡¯s desk to report on their work as usual.


    ¡°Mr. David, here¡¯s the breakdown of this quarter¡¯s ounts, and the goods. inventory.¡±


    David nodded slightly and flipped through the folder in front of him, but his gaze was always on Rachel.


    She was holding her phone and typing quickly on the keyboard with her fair. fingers. He thought that


    she was probably replying to an important person.


    After Rachel ended her conversation with Old Mrs. Jones, a call suddenly


    came in.


    When she saw the caller ID, her beautiful eyes turned cold. Without any hesitation, she hung up the


    phone and blocked Old Mrs. Jones¡® number.


    She looked up at David. Seeing that he was busy, she stood up and paced back and forth in front of the


    disy wall in the office.


    Noticing the crossbow gun in the disy cab, a hint of interest surfaced in her eyes.


    She opened the ss cab, picked up the crossbow, and quickly assembled the disassembled parts.


    The entire process was smooth and precise as if she had practiced it thousands of times and be


    incredibly familiar with it.


    The men who were discussing inadvertently caught a glimpse of this scene, and a hint of surprise


    appeared in their eyes.


    As expected of the woman David had taken a fancy to, she was really outstanding!


    David looked at Rachel and his eyes darkened. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly with a faint


    smile that carried a hint of surprise.


    He thought, ¡®She does know quite a bit.¡®


    Jimmy walked in with a folder and coincidentally faced the muzzle of the gun


    in Rachel¡¯s hand.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Geez!¡± He could not help but curse. He subconsciously touched his lower back, but he could not find


    anything. In the end, he had no choice but to raise


    his hands in fear.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and moved the gun away. She apologized calmly, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    She just wanted to try out the multiplier. She didn¡¯t expect someone to


    suddenly barge in

 Chapter 307

    Chapter 307


    Chapter 307 Satisfy All Your Needs


    Coincidentally, the others had just finished reporting their work. ¡°Mr. David, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll


    go out first.¡±


    David nodded slightly.


    Before they left, they could not help but turn around and size up Rachel


    again.


    The woman was holding the crossbow and staying focused on studying it. Her calm expression made


    her look like she was ying with a doll.


    Ordinary women would be scared out of their wits by the sight of a gun. Yet, she seemed to have taken


    a fancy to it!


    As expected, the girlfriend of a big shot was definitely not simple!


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± David asked as he looked at Jimmy.


    Jimmy hurriedly bent down and picked up the folder that had fallen to the ground. As he quickly walked


    towards David, he turned his head and looked deeply at Rachel, who was sitting on the sofa.


    The woman was wearing a white suit. Her ck hair was tied into a simple bun, with a strand of hair


    hanging down from her forehead.


    She exuded an innate elegance and nobility.


    She crossed her legs and fiddled with the crossbow in her hand as if she was fiddling with an ordinary


    object.


    Jimmy could not help but click his tongue and sigh. It turned out that elegant temperament could also


    be matched with valiance.


    However, for some reason, he felt that she looked a little familiar¡­


    ¡°Landon is already on his way here. Shall we go out for some fun tonight?¡± Jimmy asked while staring


    at David.


    To his surprise, David looked directly at Rachel and asked, ¡°Do you want to go out for some fun?¡±


    Rachel looked up and her gazended on David. ¡°Sure. I¡¯m on a breaktely anyway.¡±


    Lucky Entertainment Center was Seaxas¡¯s bona fide money¨Csquandering establishment.


    Due to theprehensive facilities of the entertainment joint, there were. betting halls, opera houses,


    movie theaters, shopping malls, a hotel, and so on. Lucky Entertainment Center had everything one


    could think of.


    As the slogans of most entertainment joints went, Lucky Entertainment. Center truly satisfied all of


    one¡¯s needs.


    Hence, Lucky Entertainment Center had always been popr, despite the emergence of various


    shopping malls and bars.


    In particr, when numerous luxury cars gathered there at night, the extravagance and mor of the


    ce would be showcased in all their glory. When Rachel arrived at the private room, there were


    unexpectedly other people present, including Lucas.


    The moment she saw Lucas, Rachel wished she could find a hole to hide in.


    She thought, ¡°Fate must be ying tricks on me!¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Of all ces, why did they have to run into each other here?


    Lucas, who was sitting in the corner, also saw Rachel.


    In particr, he noticed that Rachel and David were holding hands. He put down the wine ss in his


    hand.


    The sound of the cup hitting the table was neither loud nor soft, but it inexplicably caused the


    surroundings to fall into a strange silence.


    Jimmy¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between Lucas and Rachel beforending on Lucas. ¡°Do you two


    know each other?¡± he asked.


    Before waiting for Rachel to speak, Lucas smiled mirthlessly and said, ¡°She¡¯s my sister. I can recognize


    her even if she¡¯s burned to ashes.¡±


    Jimmy said without thinking, ¡°Since when did you have a sister?¡±


    Lucas had always been known as the Johnson family¡¯s only scion. He had


    never heard of him having a sister!


    David met Lucas¡¯s hostile gaze and his thin lips curled into a faint smile as he said, ¡°This is Rachel


    Grey, my girlfriend.¡±


    It sounded like an introduction.


    However, as he thought about it carefully, he felt that David seemed to be emphasizing something.


    As expected, when he heard David addressing Rachel as his girlfriend,


    Lucas¡¯s gaze suddenly turned gloomy. He secretly gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw. He snorted


    angrily, picked up the ss of wine beside him, and downed it in one gulp.


    At this moment, Landon, who was holding a ss of wine, walked forward and secretly pulled him. He


    introduced himself in a refined manner, ¡°Hello, Rachel. My name is Landon Walker. Would you like to


    have a drink? How about I get them to rece the wine with juice?¡±


    Seeing how polite he was, those who didn¡¯t know them would think that this was his first time meeting


    Rachel.

 Chapter 308

    Chapter 308


    Chapter 308 Truth Or Dare


    Seeing that someone had stepped forward to ease the tension, Rachel took the opportunity to y


    along. However, Rachel was not used to being treated as David¡¯s girlfriend. Thus, she replied politely


    and awkwardly, ¡°Thank you, there¡¯s no need to trouble yourself.¡±


    Everyone present had long heard of David. Now that they had finally seen. him in person, they could


    not help but gasp.


    This man was born to be a ruler. Even if he just stood there quietly, the terrifying oppression that


    overflowed from the depths of his soul would make others around him tremble in fear. They had no


    choice but to look up to him with awe and respect.


    David took Rachel¡¯s hand and walked towards the sofa.


    Even though they had yet to arrive just now, the main seat was still empty. It was as if they had long


    been prepared for David¡¯s arrival.


    Just as Rachel was about to sit down, she heard Lucas cough heavily and signal with his eyes for her


    to take the seat beside him.


    Rachel was speechless.


    David seemed to have sensed her hesitation. He wrapped his arm around


    her waist and sat down.


    Therefore, Lucas simply sat beside Rachel with a ss of wine in his hand.


    Rachel frowned. Her gaze seemed to be saying, ¡°Lucas, what are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Lucas sneered. He crossed his legs and leanedzily on the sofa.


    From the corner of his eye, he saw David¡¯s hand on Rachel¡¯s shoulder and could not help but frown.


    What an eyesore!


    David seemed to have sensed Lucas¡¯s gaze and looked over.


    Lucas did not show any signs of weakness as he raised his eyebrows, revealing an arrogant and evil


    aura.


    Coincidentally, Jimmy poured Rachel a ss of wine. Without waiting for Lucas to speak, David put his


    hand in front of the ss in front of Rachel and


    instructed, ¡°Rece this with juice.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± asked a stunned Jimmy.


    He thought that Rachel would seem left out if she were to drink juice while everyone was drinking


    alcohol.


    David looked up and nced at him casually. A terrifying sense of oppression overwhelmed him.


    Jimmy lowered his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get the juice.¡±


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Even so, Lucas still red at David with a hostile gaze.


    Rachel secretly tugged at the corner of Lucas¡¯s shirt. ¡°Why are you pulling a long face?¡± she snapped.


    ¡°My sister is in a rtionship, and yet, I¡¯m being kept in the dark like a fool. What kind of expression do


    you think I should have?¡± Lucas retorted furiously.


    Rachel was speechless.


    She was indeed at fault.


    At this moment, a man in a white shirt in the crowd suggested, ¡°Well, we have a lot of people here


    today. How about we y a game together? How


    about Truth or Dare?¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, the air was filled with countless sighs.


    ¡°Truth or Dare again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s such a corny game. Can youe up with something new?¡±


    ¡°How about we y a game of dice?¡± Lucas suddenly said in a slightly


    hoarse voice.


    He suddenly sat up straight and looked at David with a faint smile. ¡°Are you up for it?¡±


    There was a hint of provocation in his gaze.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly and slowly took off the diamond cuff links on his shirt. He rolled up a


    portion of the cuffs and said calmly, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Rachel, who was sandwiched between the two, sighed slightly with a helpless expression.


    The so¨Ccalled game of dice required three dice, which they had to shake in a cup before guessing the


    numbers on the dice. The loser would then have to drink as punishment.


    Perhaps because everyone was in high spirits tonight or they had sensed the strange aura between


    Lucas and David, they had all deliberately reced the wine with the strongest liquor they had.

 Chapter 309

    Chapter 309


    Chapter 309 idental Victory


    Jimmy said, ¡°It¡¯s boring to just drink for a forfeit. Why don¡¯t we change the rules of the game?¡±


    The tip of his tongue swept across the trough, and his eyes flickered with. excitement as his gaze


    darted back and forth between David and Rachel in a gossipy manner. ¡°The winner can make the loser


    choose to tell a truth or do a dare. The loser can choose to ept it. If not, the loser will have to drink!¡±


    In fact, Jimmy preferred to use force. However, facing David, he would never dare to forcefully execute


    Truth or Dare.


    ¡°Do you want to join us?¡± David asked Rachel as he raised an eyebrow at her. Rachel looked at him


    and their eyes met. She nodded gently and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Upon hearing her answer, Jimmy¡¯s eyes


    flickered with excitement as he exined the rules of the game in detail. Then, heforted her very


    thoughtfully, ¡°Rachel, it¡¯s just a game for fun. Don¡¯t feel burdened.¡±


    ¡°If you lose, it¡¯s on me,¡± David said calmly.


    Jimmy and Landon looked at each other, and a teasing look shed across their eyes.


    They had known David for many years and knew that he was not someone who cared about women.


    He did not even bother to look at the women who threw themselves at him.


    Now that he was so proactive, it was hard not to suspect that he was not lusting after Rachel back


    then.


    Rachel looked up at David and smiled. ¡°My luck seems to be alright.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lucas could not help but look up at Rachel. An ambiguous gaze appeared in the


    depths of his eyes along with a smile.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you win or lose. You have David to drink for you!¡± Jimmy eximed as he


    shot David an ambiguous look.


    A few minutester, the wine bottles on the ck¨Cand¨Cgold¨Cpatterned marble coffee table were


    cleaned up. There were a few dice cups and dice on the table.


    A group of people surrounded the table and casually fiddled with the dice


    cup.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jimmy¡¯s face was graced with a smug smile. ¡°Let¡¯s begin now.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the crisp sound of dice being loaded could be heard in the box.


    A few secondster, Jimmy ced the dice cup on the table and looked around confidently. ¡°Shall we


    start with me?¡±


    Seeing that no one had any objections, he opened the dice cup generously.


    There were three dice in his dice cup, two sixes and one five.


    The person beside him took a look and clicked his tongue. ¡°Mr. Shain is showing mercy.¡±


    As he spoke, he opened his dice cup. ¡°Eleven.¡±


    The rest opened their dice one after another. Among them, Lucas¡¯s total of 18 points caused everyone


    to cry out in surprise.


    Lastly, there were David and Rachel.


    Rachel and David looked at each other. The two of them tacitly picked up the dice cups in their hands.


    Jimmy almost jumped on the spot. He looked at the two people in front of him with disappointment.


    ¡°Damn it! Did the two of you discuss this beforehand?¡±


    The dice in their dice cups added up to the same number of points. They both had 17 points each.


    The most infuriating thing was that the two of them had perfectly avoided punishment.


    Lucas stared at Rachel without blinking. The smile on his face grew wider. As such, the person with the


    smallest number of points epted the punishment.


    In the next few rounds, almost everyone present received the corresponding punishment. Only three of


    them were on a winning streak.


    They were Lucas, David, and Rachel.


    Jimmy looked at the three of them inquisitively. ¡°Did the three of you discuss this in advance?¡±


    If this continued, he would suspect that the three of them had cheated!


    Otherwise, how could they manage to avoid punishment every single time?!


    Davidzily nced up at him without saying anything.


    Meanwhile, Lucas said nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡±


    Hence, everyone shifted their gazes onto Rachel, waiting for her to give a reasonable exnation.

 Chapter 310

    Chapter 310


    Chapter 310 I Hope You Don¡¯t Regret


    Rachel smiled. ¡°My luck is not bad.¡±


    This reason made Lucasugh.


    Landon clearly sensed something, but he chose to pay attention silently.


    In the next few rounds, David and Rachel continued to stay out of punishment.


    On the other hand, Lucas lost due to a moment of carelessness.


    Without waiting for everyone to ask any gossipy questions, Lucas picked up the wine beside him and


    gulped it down.


    Rachel nced at Lucas. Then, she looked at David beside her and leaned over to whisper in his ear,


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡± David was about to get up.


    Rachel quickly pressed his hand down. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can go myself.¡±


    She stood up and walked out. She red at Lucas deeply before quietly looking away.


    Rachel walked to the sink and turned on the tap.


    ¡°Rachel Grey?¡± A familiar voice sounded.


    Rachel turned around and saw Katy standing at the entrance of the


    washroom.


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Rachel said.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Katy sneered and said disdainfully, ¡°You make it sound like we¡¯re really close


    to each other.¡±


    Faced with her cold attitude, Rachel did not take it to heart. She pulled out a piece of tissue and wiped


    her fingers before walking out of the washroom without looking back.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished speaking!¡± Katy eximed as she blocked Rachel in a sh.


    Rachel looked up at her with a faint smile. ¡°Miss Page, do you have any other


    instructions for me?¡±


    Katy said coldly, ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, stay away from my aunt! At the end of the day,


    you¡¯re just an outsider. Do you really think that you¡¯re a


    princess who¡¯s loved by all?¡±


    Her words were filled with mockery and disdain.


    The Johnson family hid Rachel¡¯s background so well that no one could find out anything.


    However, Rachel¡¯sst name was undoubtedly telling everyone that even though she was doted on by


    thousands of people, she was still a


    granddaughter with a differentst name!


    Rachel¡¯s gentle gaze turned cold inch by inch, and her eyes were filled with a vague hostility. ¡°Despite


    being an outsider, I received everyone¡¯s care and concern. Aunt Eleanor even took the initiative to ask


    to stay with me at the charity auction banquet on the cruise ship and refused to stay with you. Shouldn¡¯t


    you be reflecting and trying to find the reason yourself, Miss Page?¡±


    In other words, Rachel was saying that it was Katy¡¯s fault that everyone preferred her to thetter.


    Ever since Rachel came to the Johnson family, her aunt, Eleanor, no longer cared about her existence.


    All she cared about was Rachel.


    All these years, she had tried her best to please her aunt, hoping to take back


    her love.


    However, no matter what she did, not only did she not get any affection, but she was instead, hated by


    her aunt.


    An example would be the result of her aunt¡¯s birthday celebration in the Johnson family¡¯s residence the


    other day.


    Rachel¡¯s words were like a dagger that pierced Katy¡¯s heart. She felt hot¨Cheaded and raised her hand


    to p Rachel¡¯s face ruthlessly.


    Her palm cut through the air and attacked Rachel¡¯s face with menace.


    At the critical moment, Rachel grabbed her wrist.


    Katy was stunned. She stared at Rachel in disbelief.


    She subconsciously tried to pull her wrist out, only to realize that Rachel was holding her wrist tightly.


    Hence, she could not break free at all.


    ¡°Rachel, what are you trying to do? Do you want to hit me? Let go of me! Do


    you hear me?¡± Katy hollered as she red at Rachel angrily.


    Rachel smiled and said, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t regret it.¡±

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 311


    Chapter 311 One Must Have Self-Awareness


    Katy frowned. Before she could react, Rachel suddenly let go of her.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Apanied by a cry of surprise, Katy fell to the ground in a sorry state.


    Rachel looked down at her and eximed pretentiously, ¡°Oh dear! Why are you so careless, Miss


    Page?¡±


    Her expression and tone were as hypocritical as they could be.


    Katy¡¯s eyes were red as she red at Rachel. ¡°Rachel, just you wait. I¡¯ll tell my aunt about what


    happened today when I get back. I¡¯ll see how she deals. with you then!¡±


    She was the heiress of the Page family who was born with a golden spoon in her mouth. She had


    always been the center of attention and pampered since she was little. She had enjoyed the envious


    gazes and love from the


    surroundings since childhood, and she had gradually developed an inherent sense of pride and


    aloofness.


    Everyone had always been obedient in front of her. She had never suffered before!


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. There was a tinge of ruthlessness beneath her nonchnt


    posture. ¡°Do you think you would still be able to talk to me in one piece if it weren¡¯t for Aunt Eleanor?¡±


    Katy¡¯s eyes flickered and she took a step back in panic.


    Rachel, who had been protected by Lucas since she was a child, was not


    someone to be trifled with.


    Not to mention Lucas, Rachel herself was either fiddling with guns or wrestling in closebat in her


    free time.


    She did not behave like a typicaldy from a wealthy family at all. She was


    more like a ruffian.


    Back in high school, she had even severely injured someone. In the end, it


    was Tom who intervened to resolve the matter.


    In order to avoid a head¨Con confrontation with Rachel, she distanced herself from Rachel and


    pretended to be calm as she said sternly, ¡°Rachel, even if you have the Johnson family¡¯s protection,


    you¡¯re still an outsider while I¡¯m the


    legitimate heiress of the Page family! If you dare toy a finger on me, I can guarantee that the Page


    family won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    At the mention of the Page family, Katy suddenly felt more confident. She raised her eyebrows slightly


    with a hint of smugness.


    Rachel walked forward unhurriedly until she pushed Katy against the


    sink. She said calmly, ¡°Do you really think that the Page family would offend the Johnson family for


    your sake? Don¡¯t you think you ought to know your limits? Why embarrass yourself like this?¡±


    She raised her hand and helped Katy tidy up the loose strands of hair on her face. ¡°Learn to be smart.


    Keep in mind the expectations everyone has had of you since you were a child, and don¡¯t let them


    down. Remember, you¡¯re the smart role model of all socialites, Miss Katy Page.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Her tone was light and calm, but Katy felt an unprecedented sense of


    sarcasm.


    In an instant, all her grievances, anger, and unwillingness surged within her. She watched as Rachel


    turned around and left. She hadpletely forgotten the oue of the p just now. She grabbed


    the bag in her hand and threw it at the back of Rachel¡¯s head.


    ¡°Rachel, I¡¯ll fight it out with you!¡±


    Rachel sighed helplessly and thought, ¡®Could it be that intelligent people would also behave stupidly?¡®


    She dodged the bag that Katy threw at her. Next, she grabbed Katy¡¯s arm with one hand and pinned


    her behind her back. Katy¡¯s entire body was pressed against the cold wall at the entrance of the


    washroom.


    Katy¡¯s face turned red. Even with her exquisite makeup, her face looked slightly ferocious. ¡°Rachel, let


    go of me! I¡¯m not done with you!¡±


    No matter how she struggled, she could not break free from Rachel¡¯s


    shackles.


    On the other hand, Rachel remained calm and said, ¡°Katy, I¡¯ve never taken the initiative to please


    anyone. I¡¯m just putting myself in the shoes of others. If you don¡¯t want Aunt Eleanor to spend time with


    me, you can discuss it with her, but don¡¯t embarrass yourself here!¡±


    ¡°Other people may be afraid of you because of the Page family, but I¡¯m not!


    You can ignore your own life, but you ought to spare a thought for the Page


    family. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

 Chapter 312

    Chapter 312


    Chapter 312 Not Interested In The Dead


    At this moment, Katy¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    She knew how much the Johnson family indulged Rachel.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    She also knew how much Tom, the secretary¨Cgeneral, and Adrian, the top.wyer, doted on their


    niece, Rachel.


    If she really offended Rachel, the Johnson family would definitely hold her ountable. At that time,


    the Page family would not be able to stay out of it.


    Rachel looked at the ever¨Cchanging expression on Katy¡¯s face and smirked.


    coldly before saying, ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time.¡±


    With that, she turned around and left without looking back.


    When she walked out of the washroom, a text message notification came from Rachel¡¯s phone.


    She thought that it was from David, so she clicked on it.


    [Rachel, this is Louis.]


    [Rachel, I¡¯m at South Garden Residences now. You haven¡¯t been back for a long time, have you?]


    [Rachel, I¡¯ve already figured out the ins and outs of the matter. I apologize for my attitude today and for


    what Jane Smith did today.]


    [Rachel, I¡¯m very sorry for hurting you again and again because of my mistakes. No matter how much I


    apologize, it won¡¯t make up for the damage. I¡¯ve done to you. However, I hope you can give me a


    chance to do my best to make up for it.]


    Rachel suddenly felt that Louis was an extremely ridiculous person.


    Back then, he had resolutely chosen to abandon her at the wedding. Now, he was pestering her and


    saying that he wanted to make it up to her. He was really doing it again!


    She had initially been suppressing the anger in her heart because of Katy. Now that she saw the


    messages from Louis, she felt that the evil burst of fury in her chest was jumping up and down in her


    body. She urgently needed a breakthrough to vent it.


    Vexed and frustrated, she went to the window, opened it, and took a deep


    breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re very unhappy.¡± David¡¯s voice came from behind.


    Rachel turned around and saw David standing behind her, d in a ck


    shirt.


    Two buttons on his shirt were undone, and his Adam¡¯s apple could be seen clearly. Compared to his


    usual abstinence, he looked more frivolous andzy.


    Rachel restrained the coldness in her eyes and adjusted her emotions slightly. She smiled. ¡°Why did


    youe out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried that my little girl might get lost.¡± David walked forward and stretched out his arm to


    naturally hold her slender waist. He raised his other hand and his fingertips brushed past the corner of


    her eye andnded on her cheek. ¡°Tell me, what made you upset?¡±


    His deep and cold tone carried a hint offort, inexplicably calming Rachel


    down.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because I went overboard today. Louis wants to have a word


    with me alone.¡±


    ¡°You agreed?¡±


    David¡¯s voice suddenly became deeper, and an unknown coldness flickered in the depths of his pitch¨C


    ck eyes.


    Rachel could not help butugh when she saw how uptight he was. ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡±


    ¡°Tell me,


    did you agree to his request?¡± David seemed to be really concerned about this question. He held


    Rachel¡¯s shoulders with both hands and stared at her without blinking.


    Rachel shook her head and said, ¡°A qualified ex should act like he¡¯s dead. I¡¯m not interested in dead


    people.¡±


    This answer made David ted.


    Rachel looked at the man¡¯s face that was so close to hers. She stood on her tiptoes and nted a


    gentle kiss on his lips.


    David subconsciously tightened his grip and held her tightly in his arms, deepening the kiss.


    When his phone rang at an inappropriate time, David saw the caller ID and hung up. Then, he held


    Rachel¡¯s hand and walked towards the private room.

 Chapter 313

    Chapter 313


    Chapter 313 Just Biased


    The two of them returned to the private room again. Looking at the lipstick mark on David¡¯s lips, they


    immediately imagined an indescribable erotic scene in their minds.


    At this moment, Jimmy suddenly said, ¡°That¡¯s fast, David!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell into a strange silence.


    David nced at Jimmy coldly with an indifferent gaze in his eyes.


    Jimmy¡¯s entire body jolted, and his mind instantly became clear. He hurriedly exined, ¡°David, that¡¯s


    not what I meant. I just¡­¡±


    He sighed in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s useless to say anything else. Everything I want to say is in the wine!¡±


    As he spoke, he picked up the wine bottle on the table and poured it into his mouth.


    As he downed a bottle of wine, a new round of the game began.


    Perhaps due to carelessness or bad luck, Lucas became the person with the least points in this round.


    ¡°Truth or dare?¡± The eyes of the surrounding people were glistening with


    excitement.


    Lucas picked up a cigarette and held it at the corner of his mouth. His fingertips caressed the lighter,


    but he did not light it up for a long time.


    ¡°Truth.¡±


    As soon as he answered, the people around him immediately asked impatiently, ¡°Do you think Miss


    Grey and Mr. Jones arepatible?¡±


    Although they did not have a close rtionship with David, they had heard a little about David¡¯s identity.


    Therefore, they thought that David was just toying with Rachel.


    In particr, when they heard Lucas say that Rachel was his sister, they had an indescribable thought


    in their hearts.


    In their circle, it wasmon to start by being friends with a girl before going on to act like they were


    siblings and eventually bing lovers.


    Upon hearing this question, Jimmy and Landon looked at each other quietly


    with a hint of mockery in their eyes.


    They were really courting death!


    Lucas looked up at the person who asked the question and answered, ¡°To be honest, no!¡±


    As soon as this answer was given, the crowd was in an uproar.


    Everyone knew that David¡¯s identity was feared even by the Elders in Aureliana.


    How could someone with such a prestigious background not be worthy of Rachel?!


    However, Rachel knew that Lucas¡¯s answer had nothing to do with anything else. It was purely


    because of biases.


    He thought that no man in this world was worthy of Rachel.


    ¡°Could it be that this Miss Grey has some extraordinary identity?¡± The woman in the crowd asked.


    The woman who spoke was the daughter of the Keller family. She was famous in the upper¨Css circle


    for being yful.


    She had never seen Rachel in this circle before and after hearing Lucas¡¯s answer, she secretly sized


    Rachel up.


    Lucas¡¯s expression was calm. He sat up and poured himself a ss of wine. ¡°I already answered just


    now.¡±


    In other words, if he wanted to know the answer, he had to wait for the next


    round.


    In the next few rounds, Lucas did not make any mistakes.


    Rachel could not help but yawn.


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    ¡°Are you tired?¡± David asked.


    The man¡¯s cold and alluring voice entered her ears and swept the hair by her temples, making her feel


    tingly.


    Rachel could not help but cringe and reply indifferently.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave then.¡±


    Their conversation was neither loud nor soft, but everyone present could


    hear it clearly.


    LEADTOT 11.5


    SOTPE 119 IUS. DI ISPU


    Jimmy frowned slightly. ¡°No way. The beautiful nightlife has just begun, and you¡¯re leaving?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte,¡± David said.


    Before he could finish speaking, he heard Lucas say, ¡°It¡¯s indeed gettingte. I still have to wake up


    early for work tomorrow. I¡¯ll get going first.¡±


    After walking out of Lucky Entertainment Center, Lucas looked at Rachel who was standing alone at


    the door. Without hesitation, he pulled her arm and walked to a quiet corner.

 Chapter 314

    Chapter 314


    Chapter 314 Hiding Something


    Rachel subconsciously grabbed Lucas¡¯s arm and bent her knees at the same.


    time.


    The person behind her seemed to have expected this and grabbed her leg.


    Rachel was slightly surprised. She looked up and saw Lucas. Frowning slightly, she snapped ¡°Lucas,


    are you crazy?!¡±


    Lucas¡¯s face turned sullen. His eyes were as dark as ink, and his cheeks were tense. He gritted his


    teeth and barked, ¡°I should be the one asking you that!¡±


    Based on Rachel¡¯s understanding of him, she knew that if Lucas did not get an answer today, he would


    definitely not give up.


    Seeing that Rachel was silent, Lucas asked again, ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you to stay away from David Jones?¡±


    His tone was filled with a seriousness that Rachel had not heard in a long


    time.


    Rachel pursed her lips and was about to answer when she heard Lucas say again, ¡°Listen to me. I


    don¡¯t care when you started, and I don¡¯t care how far you¡¯ve progressed. I want you to cut ties with


    David Jones immediately!¡±


    Previously, Rachel had tried to find out how much Lucas knew about David. At that time, Lucas had


    been very vague, but he had clearly told her not to be curious about David and to stay away from him.


    At that time, she really thought that Lucas knew very little. However, when she saw Lucas¡¯s serious and


    cold expression, she felt that Lucas might not


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    have told the truth.


    He was hiding something about David from her.


    Rachel looked at him calmly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t know much about


    him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t know much.¡± Lucas met Rachel¡¯s clear and beautiful eyes and quickly looked


    down. He continued, ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s not from the same world as us. Rae¨CRae, you¡¯ll be at a


    disadvantage sooner orter if you stay by his side. Stay away from him, okay?¡±


    He was warning Rachel that David was not a good person.


    When Rachel heard that, her expression did not change much. In fact, her


    tone was so calm that there was no emotion in it. ¡°Did he do something heinous?¡±


    Lucas opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but hesitated.


    After a long while, he took a deep breath and his face was unprecedentedly serious. ¡°Rae¨CRae, there


    are many things that I can¡¯t tell you, but take my advice and stay away from him!¡±


    Rachel looked at him quietly and did not answer for a long time.


    At this moment, David¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Rae¨CRae.¡±


    At that moment, Rachel felt as if something was pulling her heart tightly.


    It was just a simple word, but the moment it came out of David¡¯s mouth, there was a hint of ambiguity.


    Her mind wavered slightly as she tightened her grip on the strap of her bag.


    Rachel took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°Lucas, although I don¡¯t have good taste, I can¡¯t be so unlucky


    that I always meet scumbags, right?¡±


    Hearing her answer, Lucas frowned, but he could only watch as Rachel left.


    He understood Rachel well.


    She may seem like an easygoing girl but she was actually very stubborn.


    As long as she set her mind on something, nothing could stop her!


    Lucas could not help but curse. He spun around in a circle in exasperation and finally watched as


    Rachel got into David¡¯s car.


    In the car, David and Rachel tacitly did not mention Lucas.


    David handed a bottle of water with its cap unscrewed to Rachel.


    Rachel looked at the considerate David and could not help butugh. ¡°David, don¡¯t treat me like a


    good¨Cfor¨Cnothing. I¡¯m not as delicate as you think.¡±

 Chapter 315

    Chapter 315


    Chapter 315 Exchange Of nces


    David suddenly leaned over with a cold aura.


    The distance between the two of them suddenly shortened. Their eyes met and their breaths


    intertwined.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes trembled slightly. She subconsciously held her breath and tightened her grip on the


    stic water bottle in her hand.


    However, he did not do anything. He simply pulled the seatbelt beside him and fastened it across


    Rachel¡¯s body.


    When he got up, he reached out his thumb to wipe the water droplet from the corner of Rachel¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°I hope that you can be like a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing and rely on me for everything so that I can satisfy my


    vanity,¡± David said.


    The confidants around him in the past, such as Jimmy, were all soft and weak. They would call him


    multiple times throughout the day.


    Now that he was finally in love with someone, he didn¡¯t feel needed by her at


    all.


    Rachel could not help butugh. ¡°You men are really hard to please. When women are clingy, you


    me them for not giving you your own space. When women aren¡¯t clingy, you me them for being


    too independent and being unable to satisfy your vanity.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    David pondered for a moment. ¡°A master once said that Ick a sense of security. Compared to those


    free¨Crange men, I need to be kept in captivity.¡±


    Rachel raised his eyebrows and smiled mischievously. ¡°I wonder which


    master said that.¡±


    ¡°It was me,¡± said David.


    After returning to the apartment, David stood at the door and held onto Rachel¡¯s hand tightly, reluctant


    to let her go. ¡°Are you free this week to have a meal with my grandma?¡± he asked.


    ¡°How about tomorrow?¡± Rachel asked.


    She looked up and met David¡¯s surprised gaze. She asked again, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I thought you¡¯d put it off for a few more days.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t visited her in a while.¡±


    ¡°Okay then¡­ Goodnight,¡± David said.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Good¡­ Mmm¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, David grabbed her waist with one hand and pinched the back of her neck with


    the other. He leaned over and sealed her lips with a kiss.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered as she wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s


    neck. She recalled the scene of David kissing her in the past and imitated it clumsily.


    Not long after, she sensed that David¡¯s breathing had be chaotic. She looked at the dazed look in


    the man¡¯s eyes, only to see that he seemed to have lost his soul. A triumphant smile graced her face,


    She pushed David away and hid behind the door, closing it behind herself.


    The atmosphere was tense for a long time until David chuckled softly. He reached out his fingertips to


    wipe the corner of his lips as if he was


    reminiscing about the taste of the beauty in his arms. ¡°This little girl has gone astray.¡±


    Rachel walked in and saw the gift bag at the entrance. She suddenly thought. of something and


    hurriedly opened the door to chase after him.


    However, she realized that David was no longer at the door, and there was no sign of anyone taking


    the elevator.


    Rachel frowned imperceptibly and turned to look at the new neighbor next door.


    Suddenly, an ambiguous smile appeared on her red lips.


    At the Smith family¡¯s residence.


    Jane¡¯s face was so red and swollen that it hurt to drink water, let alone eat.


    Mrs. Smith handed her an ice pack wrapped in a towel. ¡°You can¡¯t me your brother for criticizing


    you. Why do you always provoke her for no reason?! Haven¡¯t you suffered enough because of Rachel


    Grey?!¡±


    Although she chided Jane for failing to learn her lesson, she hated Rachel deep down.


    Rachel clearly knew that Jane was afraid of dogs, but she still brought two dogs over to threaten


    Rachel andpel Jane to bark like a dog. She was deliberately humiliating Jane.

 Chapter 316

    Chapter 316


    Chapter 316 A Little Too Much


    With today¡¯s live broadcast, Jane and Olivia quickly became the focus of public opinion.


    The image of Jane using her power to bully others was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.


    Coupled with the fact that she was barking like a dog, not only did she embarrass herself, but even the


    Smith family was criticized. It was all because of Rachel!


    ¡°But I just can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± Jane growled agitatedly. However, she identally strained the


    muscles in her swollen cheek. She immediately frowned in pain and inhaled sharply.


    She covered her face with her hands. Her eyes were red as she looked at Mrs. Smith aggrievedly. ¡°I¡¯ve


    never been mistreated so badly since I was a kid! However, Rachel Grey doesn¡¯t take me seriously at


    all and even hit me time and time again. How can I take this lying down?¡±


    In the eyes of Jane and the entire Smith family, Rachel was just a poor girl from the countryside. She


    was just a little pretty and smart.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She often put on an arrogant attitude, as if she came from a noble family.


    If Louis had not kindly taken her in back then, she would have had to return to her hometown.


    All these years, she had been living off their resources and using their money. Not only was she not


    grateful, but she was also targeting Jane.


    They thought that Rachel was simply an ungrateful ingrate!


    The Smith family had suffered a lot from Rachel. When she heard that Jane was indignant, Mrs. Smith


    could not help but empathize with her a little.


    However, they had been defeated by Rachel time and time again. They could not help but think too


    much.


    Which powerful big shot did Racheltch onto, exactly?


    Was it the Johnson family? Or the Shain family?


    Or was it someone else?


    Before they figured it out, they did not dare to act rashly for fear of attracting even more trouble to the


    Smith family.


    ¡°Ever since Rachel left the Smith family, she has indeed be more and more arrogant. Look at how


    lawless she is now. Those who don¡¯t know better would think that she¡¯s invincible in Seaxas!¡± Mrs.


    Smith barked angrily. She looked at Jane, whose face was swollen like a pig¡¯s head, and her eyes.


    were filled with heartache. ¡°Rachel is so arrogant now because she¡¯s sucking up to a powerful man.


    But as the saying goes, the heavens can¡¯t always let things go smoothly for one. The day she suffers a


    setback will be the day the Smith family gets back everything with interest!¡±


    She stretched out her arm and hugged Jane in her arms. Sheforted her gently, ¡°So, before that,


    you have to learn to be patient, understand? A little impatience will ruin your ns.¡±


    ¡°Every dog has its day. I want to see how long Rachel can be arrogant!¡± Jane¡¯s eyes flickered with a


    vicious cold light.


    She wanted to see what else Rachel had to be arrogant about once that manpletely abandoned


    Rachel!


    She wanted to make Rachel pay for the humiliation she had suffered today! However, Rachel did not


    know what the Smith family was thinking. Without being disturbed by work, he slept naturally.


    Because they were going to see Old Mrs. Jones, Rachel chose a champagne¨Ccolored dress. There


    was a tinge of nobility in her elegance. Her ck hair was curled into elegant locks that naturally fell to


    her shoulders, imperceptibly exuding the unique charm of a woman.


    There was no contradiction with the coldness of her posture. Instead, itplemented her.


    David¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at the woman in front of him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rachel noticed the man¡¯s gaze and looked down at her attire. ¡°Is there something


    wrong?¡±


    David nodded seriously. ¡°It¡¯s a little too much¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a little too beautiful.¡±


    However, David¡¯spliment did not make Rachel happy. Instead, her cold gaze was filled with


    disdain as she said, ¡°Such corny words don¡¯t match your aloof and abstinent persona.¡±


    David smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t be aloof in front of you.¡±

 Chapter 317

    Chapter 317


    Chapter 317 Time To Get Pregnant


    Trinisia garden.


    Since it was the end of summer, the nts outside Trinisia garden grew with great vigor and vitality.


    In the back garden, hundreds of flowers bloomed, making it look like a sea of flowers.


    Old Mrs. Jones stood at the door and saw David and Rachel walking side by side from afar. The smile


    on her face became brighter as she remarked, ¡°My judgment has never been wrong. Look at how


    compatible these two are.¡± Rosie smiled and agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Given Rachel¡¯s height, she was not considered petite among women, but standing beside David, she


    looked really small and meek.


    Meanwhile, Rachel¡¯s cold and arrogant aura did not weaken because of David¡¯s terrifying sense of


    oppression. Instead, it surprisingly matched his aura well.


    Rachel saw Old Mrs. Jones from afar.


    Old Mrs. Jones was wearing a simple and elegant turquoise suit. Her white hair was exquisitely styled.


    Even if she didn¡¯t say anything, one could feel the graceful and noble aura she exuded as she stood


    still quietly.


    She noticed that Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s gaze was on her hand that was holding David¡¯s. After thinking about


    it, she felt that she had gone overboard and subconsciously struggled.


    David sensed her movements. His well¨Cdefined fingers intertwined with hers in a domineering manner.


    He leaned forward slightly and whispered in her ear, ¡°The closer we are, the happier Grandma will be.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, I missed you so much.¡± Old Mrs. Jones couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    ¡°Grandma,¡± David greeted.


    Old Mrs. Jones did not seem to hear him at all.


    Rachel pursed her lips and called out obediently, ¡°Hello, Old Mrs. Jones.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Old Mrs. Jones returned the greeting, and the smile on her face. became even brighter. She


    naturally held Rachel¡¯s hand and looked her up and down.


    Looking at Rachel¡¯s slightly thin face, she frowned slightly. ¡°Rae¨CRae, why do you look so thin? Did this


    brat bully you?¡± she asked worriedly.


    ¡°No.¡± Rachel couldn¡¯t help but blush.


    The next second, Old Mrs. Jones said seriously, ¡°Then it¡¯s time you try for a baby.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    David sensed Rachel¡¯s embarrassment. He took a step forward and hugged Rachel. ¡°We¡¯ll take it step


    by step. This kind of thing can¡¯t be rushed.¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel was dumbfounded,


    As the person involved, she thought it would be inappropriate for the two of them to be discussing this


    in front of her.


    Rosie spoke up at the right time, ¡°Mr. David, Miss Grey, let¡¯s talk inside.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rachel nodded and helped Old Mrs. Jones into the room.


    ¡°Girl, sit beside me.¡± Old Mrs. Jones patted the seat beside her and looked at


    Rachel with a smile.


    Rachel responded and got up to sit beside Old Mrs. Jones.


    Unexpectedly, David suddenly reached out and pulled her back. He held her hand and sat on the sofa


    at the side.


    Old Mrs. Jones saw how petty David was and red at him angrily.


    However, when she saw the two of them sitting together, there was a faint joy in her eyes.


    The few of them chatted over some tea. Suddenly, Old Mrs. Jones said to Rosie, ¡°I bought a few


    batches of new fabric some time ago. Take Rae¨CRae to pick some out.¡±


    Rosie responded and looked at Rachel with a smile. She leaned forward slightly and said, ¡°Miss Grey,


    pleasee with me.¡±


    It was obvious that Old Mrs. Jones and David had something to talk about in private.


    Rachel did not refuse. She smiled at Old Mrs. Jones, stood up, and left with Rosie.

 Chapter 318

    Chapter 318


    Chapter 318 The Peace Before The Storm


    After Rachel left, Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s smile faded a little. ¡°Now that she¡¯s gone, just say what you want to.¡±


    Hearing this, David smiled and looked at Old Mrs. Jones with an


    unfathomable gaze. ¡°As expected, nothing can escape your eyes.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones did not buy David¡¯s ttery. She snorted softly. ¡°Stop it. After all, you have a wife.


    You¡¯ve got such a glib tongue.¡±


    David touched the bridge of his nose awkwardly. After a moment of silence, he said calmly, ¡°She will be


    your future granddaughter¨Cinw and the next mistress of the Jones family.¡±


    His tone was neither fast nor slow, and there was even a hint of indifference andziness in it.


    However, his words were filled with a resolute and decisive aura, causing one to be shocked.


    When Old Mrs. Jones heard this, her expression did not change much. She said calmly, ¡°Isn¡¯t this


    already set in stone?¡±


    In other words, saying this was equivalent to saying nonsense.


    She picked up the cup in front of her and looked at the coffee in it. She said. meaningfully, ¡°You should


    know that this is not what I¡¯m worried about.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    David said, ¡°I know. I¡¯m here this time mainly because I hope that you can. give me the engagement


    token from back then.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones frowned slightly. She looked up at David. ¡°Have you really made up your mind?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± David answered smoothly, but he still looked at Old Mrs. Jones with aplicated gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve never told me how the engagement between the Johnson family and me came


    about.¡±


    Since he reached adulthood, David was aware that he was bound to a marriage contract, but the Jones


    family had been pretty vague about the origin of the marriage contract.


    As a result, over the years, David did not understand how the Johnson family in Seaxas was rted to


    the Jones family.


    It had to be known that the major families of Aureliana had always had an


    unwritten rule.


    They would not marry anyone outside the ind.


    This made him even more curious about the origin of this engagement.


    When Old Mrs. Jones heard his words, she was silent for a long time. It was so long that the


    surrounding servants thought that this was the calm before the storm. They could not help but tense up


    and wait quietly.


    After an unknown period of time, Old Mrs. Jones said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve decided to annul the engagement,


    why are you so obsessed with these things?¡±


    ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t know her identity,¡± David said.


    When Old Mrs. Jones heard this, her gaze on David suddenly became sharper, as if she wanted to see


    through his skin and see the depths of his soul.


    Suddenly, she chuckled. ¡°Do you take me for one of those pedantic old fogeys?¡±


    There was a hint of mockery in her words.


    ¡°Rumor has it that Seaxas¡¯s richest family, the Johnson family, has a granddaughter with a differentst


    name. However, despite that, Old Mr. Johnson treats her as the apple of his eye.¡± David stood up and


    made another cup of coffee for Old Mrs. Jones. His deep eyes were filled with a bottomless gloom.


    He quietly observed Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s expression. The corners of his mouth. curled up into a faint smile


    that carried a hint of mystery. ¡°What a coincidence. This person turns out to be Rae¨CRae.¡±


    This simple sentence was like a thunderp that exploded in Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s heart.


    Her mind went nk for a moment, and her heart raced uncontrobly.


    She had been through a lot in life. Even though she was shocked, she did not show it on her face. She


    still looked calm and there was a hint of coldness in her eyes. ¡°You secretly investigated her


    background?¡°

 Chapter 319

    Chapter 319


    Chapter 319 Sincerity Can End All Evil


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± said David.


    Old Mrs. Jones stared at him with a burning gaze as if she was judging the truth of this sentence.


    David chuckled helplessly. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me?¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones snorted imperceptibly. ¡°The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. You were taught by that


    old fogey after all,¡± she remarked.


    When David heard how his grandmother addressed his grandfather, he sighed slightly and said, ¡°I


    remember that Grandpa taught me to learn how to abstain from romantic rtionships since I was a


    kid, but I also remember your teaching that sincerity can ovee all evil.¡±


    Upon hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s face. ¡°In that case, you don¡¯t object to


    this marriage?¡±


    One of the reasons why David returned to Crucsia with her this time was to cancel the engagement.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Since Rachel was the Johnson family¡¯s granddaughter with a different surname, everything could


    proceed as nned.


    ¡°Does that mean I can have a great¨Cgrandchild next year?¡± Old Mrs. Jones suddenly asked.


    David picked up the cup and took a sip of coffee calmly. He sighed softly and


    said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones couldn¡¯t help but frown. She sized up David from head to toe, and the expression on


    her face became more and more solemn. ¡°You¡¯re afraid not? David, you can¡¯t really be impotent, right?¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones had heard a little about David¡¯s condition, but she did not take it to heart at that time.


    Moreover, she had once asked David¡¯s private doctor. The doctor told her confidently that there was


    nothing wrong with David.


    However, David and Rachel had been together for so long, but there was no progress at all. She could


    not help but wonder if David had some hidden illness.


    Upon hearing her words, David, who was drinking tea, immediately choked


    until his face and neck turned red. After coughing violently, he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Grandma,


    you can¡¯t rush this kind of thing. Besides, as a man, I have to be responsible. Since she¡¯s with me,


    shouldn¡¯t I give her a


    status first?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Old Mrs. Jones put down the cup in her hand. Her cloudy eyes flickered with


    excitement and she said, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to help me schedule a good date for next month.¡±


    David¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He quickly held Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Grandma, shouldn¡¯t we


    ask for Rae¨CRae¡¯s opinion first? She hasn¡¯t agreed to marry me yet. Aren¡¯t you rushing things?¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones snorted. ¡°This won¡¯t do, that won¡¯t do. I think you just don¡¯t want to be responsible for


    her!¡±


    ¡°Although we met a littlete, what other youngdies have, Rae¨CRae has to have too. I will not let her


    miss out on the stages of dating, proposing, getting married, and having children,¡± David said.


    When Old Mrs. Jones heard this, she suddenly felt that her grandson was much more pleasing to the


    eye, but she still said bluntly, ¡°I thought that you had been led astray by that old fogey all these years!¡±


    David was speechless.


    At this moment, Rachel, who was walking in the garden, was unaware of this. She looked at the


    blooming flowers in the garden and understood.


    These had just been transnted.


    Due to the short flowering period of these nts, transntation, and recement are often required at


    intervals.


    Rosie knew that Rachel more or less knew about flowers and nts, so she would take the initiative to


    mention it to her.


    Rachel replied absent¨Cmindedly.


    Rosie looked at her expression andforted her. ¡°Miss Grey, don¡¯t take Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s words to


    heart.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Rachel said.


    Old people always hoped to have children and grandchildren. Besides, David was indeed not getting


    any younger.

 Chapter 320

    Chapter 320


    Chapter 320 Harboring Lustful Thoughts


    Although looking at the fabric was just Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s excuse, she really wanted to give Rachel


    some.


    After selecting some fabric, Rachel returned with Rosie.


    However, to Rachel¡¯s surprise, she did not see David around.


    Old Mrs. Jones saw her subconscious looking around and a smile appeared on her lips.


    ¡°That brat went to answer a call.¡± Old Mrs. Jones patted the seat beside her and said, ¡°Girl,e sit


    beside me.¡±


    Rachel responded and walked over to sit down.


    Old Mrs. Jones took her hand and gently patted the back of it. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you to be dating this


    brat, David,¡± she said.


    Rachelughed. ¡°He¡¯s very good.¡±


    She never felt mistreated being with David.


    On the contrary, she felt aggrieved for David.


    If only she had met him earlier.


    Old Mrs. Jones said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to put in a good word for him. I know his temper the best. If he


    dares to bully you in the future, tell me and I¡¯ll definitely stand on your side!¡±


    It was just a simple sentence, but it made Rachel¡¯s heart feel warm.


    It turned out that love beyond blood ties existed too.


    ¡°But he¡¯s really good to me,¡± Rachel said from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re so gentle, sensible, and lovable. No wonder someone would lust after you!¡± Old Mrs. Jones


    said as she looked meaningfully at David¡¯s back.


    Rachel was speechless.


    She thought it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for such things to be said out loud.


    Just as she was thinking about it, Old Mrs. Jones say slowly, ¡°The Jones family is arge family. There


    are too many things to deal with every day. As the eldest son of his father¡¯swful wife, David has been


    nurtured as the heir since he was a child. He has never disappointed us. He has never been willing to


    tell us the hardships he has suffered, but since he was born into the


    Jones family, he has to shoulder extraordinary responsibilities.¡±


    At this point, Old Mrs. Jones paused for a moment. The smile on her face faded a little, and his eyes


    were filled with seriousness. ¡°Those people only thought about how to make him a qualified heir, but


    they forgot that David was also a living person!¡±


    ¡°Abstain from love? Hmph! How dare those people say that? They just needed an obedient puppet!¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel frowned imperceptibly.


    Abstain from love?


    It turned out that David had been indoctrinated with such thoughts since he


    was a child.


    But shouldn¡¯t humans have emotions and desires?


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, don¡¯t me me for being nosy.¡±


    ¡°How could I? Thank you for telling me all this. It allowed me to understand


    him a little better.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones held her hand tightly and said, ¡°I should be the one thanking you. All these years, David


    has been alone. Although I feel sorry for him, I know that feelings can¡¯t be forced. Now that you¡¯re by


    his side, I¡¯m relieved. He¡¯s bad with words but he¡¯s not a bad person. From the time he went to the


    neighboring overnight to bring you the ointment for your rashes, I could tell that he treats you like a


    precious gem. Therefore, I hope that no matter what happens to you in the future, you can forgive him.¡±


    Bad with words?


    Rachel thought otherwise.


    Just as she was thinking about it, Old Mrs. Jones suddenly asked a question that caught her off guard,


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, have you been to Aureliana before?¡±


    Rachel shook her head and answered, ¡°Never been there.¡±


    If she hadn¡¯t met David, she probably wouldn¡¯t have heard of Aureliana for


    the rest of her life.


    However, ever since David said that he would bring her to take a look when he was free, she suddenly


    yearned to visit this mysterious ce.


    Old Mrs. Jones stared at her face and slowly looked down. She picked up the cup and sighed. ¡°So you


    haven¡¯t been there before¡­¡±

 Chapter 321

    Chapter 321


    Chapter 321 Unfathomable Intent


    Before Rachel could speak, Old Mrs. Jones sighed meaningfully. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, you can go back


    and take a look.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel frowned imperceptibly.


    Go back and take a look¡­


    These words sounded like a kind invitation at first, but after thinking about it carefully, Rachel realized


    that it was more like she was asking her to return to her homnd!


    With this thought in mind, Rachel instinctively continued to find out exactly what Old Mrs. Jones had


    just said.


    If she was simply inviting her to Aureliana, why would Old Mrs. Jones use the phrase ¡®go back¡®?


    Even though Old Mrs. Jones was old, she was not so muddle¨Cheaded that she could not understand


    the meaning of the phrase ¡®go back¡®.


    As far as she could remember, she had never taken half a step into Aureliana.


    Moreover, Aureliana¡¯s rules were strict, and outsiders weren¡¯t allowed to enter as they pleased.


    Just when she was being puzzled, David sat beside her.


    The man wrapped her in his cold aura, making Rachel¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± David noticed that Rachel¡¯s body stiffened for a moment. He held her hand and asked,


    ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Rachel shook her head and instinctively shook off David¡¯s hand.


    In the dining


    room, Old Mrs. Jones gestured for Rosie to scoop a bowl of soup for Rachel. ¡°Girl, try this pumpkin


    soup,¡± she said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Rachel took the soup bowl with both hands and took a sip.


    Her every move exuded an innate elegance.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Old Mrs. Jones stared at her intently and asked, ¡°How is it? How does it


    taste?¡±


    Not bad,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°This soup almost always appears on every family¡¯s dining table in Aureliana.


    Ordinary people find it hard to ept, but if you think it¡¯s not bad, it means that there are inseparable


    ties between you and Aureliana.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel¡¯s gaze became more inquisitive.


    After the meal, Old Mrs. Jones got up and left to rest.


    Rachel stood up and watched Old Mrs. Jones leave with a thoughtful expression.


    ¡°Is the food not to your liking?¡± David asked.


    Rachel shook her head. She looked at her hand that was held by David and pursed her lips. After


    hesitating for a while, she could not help but ask, ¡°Do you feel that everything Old Mrs. Jones has said


    to me today seems to have a deep and unfathomable meaning?¡±


    It was as if she was deliberately telling her something.


    David¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He held her hand and walked towards his vi. ¡°Perhaps she hopes


    that you can marry me sooner.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Rachel muttered.


    At this moment, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She took it out and saw that it was a call from the


    Smith family. An unclear coldness appeared in her eyes.


    Since yesterday, the Smith family had not stopped calling.


    The reason that she did not block the Smith family¡¯s contact number was not that she wanted to forgive


    them, but because she felt that she was not at fault. If she blocked them, it would seem like she was in


    the wrong.


    The coldness in her eyes faded and she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have to take this.¡±


    David stood on the spot and watched Rachel leave. Then, he looked back at Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s


    courtyard.


    He was surprised to find Old Mrs. Jones standing in front of the window, quietly looking at Rachel.


    Old Mrs. Jones fiddled with the watch on her wrist as she looked at Rachel¡¯s back and muttered to


    herself, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I recognize her? How could I not recognize her?¡±


    ¡°Old Mrs. Jones, it¡¯s time to take your medicine,¡± Rosie said.


    Old Mrs. Jones turned around and returned to the bed. She took the medicine andy on the bed.


    However, she ced the watch in her hand on her chest and prayed in her heart, ¡°Bless me for being


    able to protect your only bloodline in this world. I¡¯m returning the favor you gave me back then.¡±

 Chapter 322

    Chapter 322


    Chapter 322 Treating Her As A Fool


    Rachel walked to a quiet corner. Just as she picked up the phone, Old Mr. Smith¡¯s voice came from the


    phone. ¡°Rae¨CRae, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Rachel¡¯s cold voice was calm without a trace of warmth as if she was facing a


    stranger.


    Old Mr. Smith had already expected her attitude, but when he really faced it, he could not help but feel


    a little disappointed.


    It turned out that Rachel could really be so heartless. She could really turn her back on the three¨Cyear


    rtionship between her and the Smith family. Old Mr. Smith took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Rae¨C


    Rae, Jane is at fault this time. I apologize to you on her behalf. I hope you can forgive her.¡±


    ¡°She just has to pay the price for losing,¡± Rachel said.


    Although Jane and Olivia did not fulfill their promise to pole dance, she did not lose anything in this bet,


    so there was no need to forgive them.


    On the other hand, the Smith family¡­


    Based on her understanding of the Smith family, the more Jane hated her,


    the more Mrs. Smith would hate her!


    ¡°Speaking of which, she¡¯s in the wrong this time. She actually caused such a hugemotion over a


    piece of clothing.¡± Old Mr. Smith paused for a moment. ¡°But Rae¨CRae, as the saying goes, it takes two


    hands to p. Although Jane is in the wrong, you shouldn¡¯t have forced her to kneel down and bark like


    a dog, right? No matter what, she¡¯s from the Smith family, and if she can¡¯t live with her head held high,


    the Smith family will naturally be affected. You know the principle of prosperity and loss.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s words were like the iron hand in a velvet glove.


    This phone call sounded like an apology to Rachel on behalf of Jane, but in fact, he was really ming


    Rachel.


    He was trying to say that it was Rachel¡¯s fault for getting upset with Jane over a piece of clothing. It


    was Rachel¡¯s fault for not understanding the big picture and being unforgiving. It was Rachel¡¯s fault for


    not caring about the Smith family¡¯s pride and acting recklessly!


    ¡°Of course, I understand that you¡¯re bound together for good or ill, but¡­¡±


    Rachel could not help butugh softly. The corners of her eyes were filled with ridicule as she


    continued, ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡±


    She had nothing to do with the Smith family, right?


    Did the Smith family really think that she was a pushover who would not dare to retaliate even if she


    was bullied by Jane?


    On the other end of the phone, Old Mr. Smith¡¯s tone suddenly turned deeper when he heard this. There


    was a hint of anger in his mellow voice. ¡°Rae¨CRae, why are you doing this? You¡¯ve always been


    sensible and you¡¯ve always known your limits. How did you be like this?¡±


    Rachel squinted slightly, and there was a mysterious glint in the depths of her beautiful eyes. ¡°I wonder


    what identity you are using to use me, Old Mr. Smith?¡±


    Old Mr. Smith choked.


    Then, Rachel continued, ¡°For the past three years, I¡¯ve been strategizing for the Smith family and


    treating thepany as my home. I¡¯ve done my best for the Smith family! Always been sensible?


    Always known my limits? That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why you had the audacity to hurt me and betray me!¡±


    Her voice was loud and clear. Her indifferent and cold voice was filled with awe that was rather


    astonishing.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Old Mr. Smith stammered for a long time.


    Rachel snapped impatiently, ¡°Enough! My time is precious. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first!¡±


    With that, she hung up.


    Her eyes were filled with impatience and frustration as she gripped the phone in her hand tightly.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    The the Smith family people must be crazy!


    For the past three years, she had worked hard for the Smith family. Did he really treat her as a fool?


    Making them get down on their knees to apologize and bark like a dog was considered a light


    punishment. If they really forced her into a corner one day, none of them would have a good time!

 Chapter 323

    Chapter 323


    Chapter 323 Is There Really A Need To Keep The Smith Family? David walked to her side and held


    her slightly cold fingertips. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Rachel shook her head. She looked up at the man in front of her, pursed her lips, and said


    calmly, ¡°It was a call from the Smith family.¡±


    David frowned slightly. ¡°Is there really a need to keep the Smith family alive?¡± It was just a casual


    sentence, but it was enough to send chills down one¡¯s spine.


    With David¡¯s ability and strength, it would not take much effort to destroy the Smith family.


    ¡°It¡¯d be a waste of your resources.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to serve you.¡±


    Rachel smiled. Her cold voice was filled with gentleness. ¡°But a person like


    you should stand at the top of the pyramid and enjoy the attention of everyone. You shouldn¡¯t waste


    your energy and time on such an unworthy person.¡±


    Hearing this, David raised his eyebrows slightly and raised his hand to pinch Rachel¡¯s cheek. ¡°You


    make it sound so dignified. I think you clearly want to draw a line between us.¡±


    She said, ¡°You¡¯re my surefire skill. Only the big boss is worthy of my ultimate trump card. As for those


    small fries, I can deal with them myself.¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem unreasonable to say these words of ttery. She sounded.


    rather sincere.


    David didn¡¯t know what to do with her.


    He felt that he needed to learn from Jimmy how to make a woman rely on


    him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back to my room and rest?¡±


    Although it was just a simple question, it could easily cause one¡¯s imagination to run wild.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    An unnatural blush appeared on Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks.


    She raised her hand and twirled her hair in an attempt to resolve the


    18 Rep The Smith Family?


    awkwardness.


    However, before she could answer, David suddenly bent down and picked her up horizontally.


    ¡°David!¡± Rachel could not help but exim. She subconsciously reached out her hands and hooked


    them around his neck.


    In the quiet garden, her exmation was especially obvious.


    Rachel buried her head in his neck shyly. Her beautiful eyes were filled with frustration. ¡°Put me down


    quickly! What if someone sees uster?¡±


    David said. ¡°So be it. You¡¯re my woman, my future wife. You¡¯re not some shady lover.¡±


    His voice was no different from usual, but it made Rachel¡¯s heart race uncontrobly.


    Rachel was carried back to the room by David.


    The two of themy on the bed intimately, making Rachel feel ufortable all over. The rosiness on


    her cheeks spread all the way to her ears.


    ¡°David, this is your room. I think I¡¯d better go to the guest room¡­¡±


    ¡°Stay here. You¡¯re not allowed to go.¡± David wrapped his arms around her waist domineeringly. He


    looked down at the rosiness on her face. His eyes could not help but darken.


    The man¡¯s warm breathnded on the skin of Rachel¡¯s neck, like a feather tickling her heart, making


    her subconsciously tense up a certain tendon in her body.


    Rachel pursed her lips and carefully retracted her hand. She quietly ced it against her chest.


    David saw her actions clearly, and there was a faint smile at the corner of his lips.


    Looking at the obedient Rachel, an idea to tease her arose in his head.


    He wanted to see her cry in his arms with reddened eyes.


    However, at this moment, he heard a click from the door.


    Rachel and David raised their heads at the same time. They were caught off guard as theyy back on


    the bed together after their heads collided.


    A few secondster, David chuckled and remarked, ¡°It must have been¨Chard- on her.¡±

 Chapter 324

    Chapter 324


    Chapter 324


    Rachel pursed her lips and frowned in frustration.


    A man and a woman being in the same room alone was already enough to cause a misunderstanding.


    Now that Old Mrs. Jones had locked them up, everyone would think that they had done the deed even


    if they did not do anything.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Rachel asked as she looked at David awkwardly.


    David looked down at her. His thin lips curled up slightly and said, ¡°Since, Grandma has the intention to


    help us, how can I let her down?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel struggled free from David¡¯s embrace.


    This man was not standing on ceremony at all!


    It wasn¡¯t that she refused to get intimate with David, but she felt that their development was too fast.


    She wasn¡¯tpletely ready to give herself to him.


    David could tell that Rachel wanted to escape. He stretched out his slender legs and pressed them on


    her body. He used his hands and feet topletely restrain her in his arms. There was no way to


    retreat.


    Rachel¡¯s body was stiff. ¡°David, let go of me¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear to let go of a beauty like you.¡±


    Rachel was at a loss for words.


    The man¡¯s cold aura enveloped her. Even her breathing was engulfed by his


    unique scent.


    With the hand that was resting on his chest, she could feel the temperature of David through the fabric


    of his clothes.


    David sensed the nervousness of the woman in his arms, and a smile appeared on his thin lips.


    He bent down slightly and his thin lips identally rubbed against the skin. on her forehead. His deep


    and alluring voice sounded unhurried. ¡°It¡¯s easiest for a man and a woman to go off the rails when


    they¡¯re alone in the same room.¡±


    Rachel swallowed nervously and looked at him warily. ¡°So?¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, the world suddenly spun for her.


    A tall figure enveloped Rachel and pinned her under him.


    He was on top and she was on the bottom.


    Rachel looked up and was caught off guard by that pair of bottomless ck eyes.


    At that moment, her heartbeat and breathing seemed to be grabbed by something,pletely out of


    her control.


    Her eyes flickered slightly, and her fingertips on the man¡¯s chest curled up slightly.


    David reached out and gently brushed away the hair on her face. Then, he slowly moved them along


    her face andnded on her lips. When his warm fingersnded on her slightly cold lips, he gently


    rubbed them and hinted, ¡°So, shouldn¡¯t we do something?¡±


    His question made Rachel feel a little shy and she did not know how to


    answer.


    David looked at the panic flickering in the depths of her beautiful eyes. The joy in his eyes grew


    stronger and he said, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Go to sleep.¡±


    He rolled over andy beside Rachel, but he still hugged her domineeringly.


    Rachel snuggled in his arms and listened to his strong heartbeat. She did not. feel sleepy at all.


    Looking at the man in front of her, she subconsciously thought of what Old Mrs. Jones had said to her


    today.


    Old Mrs. Jones had only used a few sentences to describe what David had experienced since he was a


    child, but only he knew the pain he had gone through.


    Her heart ached for this man.


    Her heart ached so much that she wanted to abandon all her reservations. She only wanted tofort


    him and dote on him.


    ¡°David, are you asleep?¡± she asked softly.


    David said, ¡°No.¡±


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    His deep and cold voice was mixed with anguid, low, and hoarse voice. It


    was like bubbling wine, carrying an intoxicating charm.


    Rachel suppressed the nervousness and panic in her heart. She cleared her throat and pretended to


    be calm as she asked, ¡°You¡­ Do you still mean what you said just now?¡±


    She did not receive an immediate answer from David.


    After some time, David leaned over and whispered into her ear, ¡°Rae, are you inviting me to get it on?¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    She secretly bit her tongue, thinking that she had created trouble for herself for nothing!

 Chapter 325

    Chapter 325


    Chapter 325 Serving The Delicate Miss


    ¡°I¡­ suddenly changed my mind¡­¡± Rachel stuttered.


    She struggled to break free from David¡¯s restraints.


    However, David flipped over and was pressing against her on top of her again. He ced one arm


    above her head and grabbed her chin with the other hand, trapping her firmly in his arms. ¡°Rae, a word


    spoken is past recalling. How can you go back on your word?¡±


    His deep and cool voice was bewitching and exceptionally alluring.


    Rachel felt her heart sk*p a beat, and her fingertips pressing against his chest curled up slightly.


    Their eyes met without warning.


    Rachel looked into his deep and dark pupils and immediately lost herself in his gaze.


    Her heart tightened suddenly, and she forgot to breathe for a second.


    The next second, he pressed down on her. Rachel instinctively closed her


    eyes.


    She felt his cold breath as David kissed her lips aggressively.


    His fierce and forceful kiss swept through her like a hurricane, leaving Rachel¡¯s struggles feeble.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t bite¡­¡± Rachel was forced to share his kiss helplessly. Her beautiful eyes glistened with


    innocence.


    David grabbed her wrists with one hand and lifted them above her head, as he pressed himself against


    her more.


    His kiss was urgent and deep, as though wanting to overbear the woman. lying underneath him totally.


    Rachel¡¯s body stiffened, as she became more suffocated by his kiss.


    At one point, she thought that she would pass out from suffocation. Her mind went nk, and the


    dizziness stripped her of her ability to think.


    Her body went limp without her knowing and responded to David¡¯s approaches under his lead.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    David looked at the girl in his arms, who was gasping for air with misty eyes.


    His gaze became deeper as he ran his well¨Cdefined fingers along the side of her face and gently traced


    her eyebrows.


    ¡°Rx. I¡¯m all yours.¡± His husky voice rang in her ear.


    She felt his scorching breath on her skin, sweeping over the hair near her ear. His ambiguous tone


    traveled from her ears to her cochleas, sending a subtle electric current that swept through her entire


    body.


    Rachel looked at the lipstick smeared onto his lips. Her face was flushed red.


    It was hard to imagine that she was actually¡­ asking for more just now!


    Rachel was so embarrassed that she buried her head in his arms.


    Her ears were filled with his strong and even heartbeat, which was as deafening as a drumbeat.


    Her own heart involuntarily matched his.


    ¡°Ladies should leave something like this to the men.¡± David¡¯s deep and husky voice was soft and gentle


    like a feather, tickling her heart and making her ache for more. ¡°Let me serve the delicate Miss.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes shed slightly as she gazed at the man in front of her in a daze.


    He narrowed his eyes, and his dark eyes were as deep as the abyss. His burning gaze made Rachel¡¯s


    heart tremble and she swallowed nervously.


    He caressed her cheek with his hot palm and leaned in to kiss her swollen lips.


    He kissed his way slowly down her lips.


    Just as Rachel was lost and delirious, David suddenly got out of bed.


    Rachel struggled to sit up as she looked at David in a daze. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Her defined eyes looked misty and delirious as if she was a seductive demoness that looked pure and


    innocent.


    David¡¯s burning gaze was fixed on her. The veins on his forehead seemed to be bulging as if he was


    trying his best to hold himself back.


    He secretly took a deep breath and said in a h**rse voice, ¡°I have to take a


    shower.¡±


    Shower?


    It wasn¡¯t until she heard the sound of running water in the bathroom that Rachel finally understood.


    Her face flushed red and she buried her head under the nket shyly.

 Chapter 326

    Chapter 326


    Chapter 326 Could David Be Impotent?!


    After an hour of standing in the cold shower, David finally understood what it meant to be asking for


    trouble.


    When he walked out of the bathroom and saw Rachel sleeping soundly on the bed, he could not help


    but smile. ¡°What a heartless little thing.¡±


    As he said that, he looked at Rachel with a doting and indulgent gaze.


    After changing his clothes, heid back on the bed and carefully held Rachel in his arms. He bent his


    head down slightly and nted a gentle kiss between her eyebrows.


    He looked pious as if he wanted to pour all his gentleness into the light kiss. Despite making no


    substantial progress, being able to hug her to sleep was already a big step forward for David.


    Meanwhile, the servant stood in front of Old Mrs. Jones and described every detail to her.


    ¡°So the two of them didn¡¯t get into a fight over it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± The servant said, ¡°I followed your instructions and stood by the door for a while. I only left when I


    realized that the two of them were not arguing.¡± Old Mrs. Jones couldn¡¯t help but smile happily at the


    news. ¡°Those two are in love, but they¡¯re too shy to make a move. They needed my help. Now that the


    two of them are official, I can rx and wait for them to give birth to my great¨Cgrandson.¡±


    Rosie didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°Old Mrs. Jones, isn¡¯t this a little too risky?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s risky about that?¡± Old Mrs. Jones said seriously, ¡°I know David best. He said that he has to be


    responsible for the girl and respect her wishes. That¡¯s just an excuse for his own cowardice! Besides,


    isn¡¯t it popr for young people to try having sex before getting married? I¡¯m doing this for Rae¨CRae!¡±


    Rosie could not help but sigh silently. It was clear to her that Old Mrs. Jones was only doing this to


    have a grandson.


    Old Mrs. Jones looked at the clock and stood up. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go and take a look!¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Rosie looked at her in a daze. She clearly was not able to catch up with Old


    Mrs. Jones¡¯s train of thought.


    Old Mrs. Jones red at her angrily. ¡°Where do you think it is?¡±


    Then, she grabbed Rosie¡¯s arm and strode out of the house, heading straight for David¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Jones, aren¡¯t you afraid that Mr. David will be angry?¡± Rosie asked worriedly.


    Old Mrs. Jones said confidently, ¡°What are you afraid of? He will only thank me after today!¡±


    Rosie was speechless.


    ¡±


    The two of them stood at David¡¯s door and pressed their ears so hard to the door, wishing that they


    could press themselves into the door.


    Even so, they still didn¡¯t hear anything.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case,¡± Confused, Old Mrs. Jones muttered to herself. ¡°The doctor said that my


    hearing is very good. Why can¡¯t I hear anything now?¡±


    Rosie, who was standing at the side, looked at Old Mrs. Jones and saw that she was sweating


    profusely in frustration. She fought to suppress the smile on her face and said calmly, ¡°Old Mrs. Jones,


    could it be that Mr. David and Miss Grey are already asleep?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even more unlikely.¡± Old Mrs. Jones nced at the wristwatch on her wrist and tapped her right


    index finger on the dial. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping the time for them. It hasn¡¯t even been an hour!¡±


    Rosie was speechless.


    ¡°How hard must it be for this olddy to care about such things?¡±


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    However, no matter how hard they listened, they did not hear anything from inside the room.


    Could it be that David really was impotent?!

 Chapter 327

    Chapter 327


    Chapter 327 Stop Tormenting Him


    At this moment, even Rosie looked doubtful. She secretly wondered if David was really impotent.


    Suddenly, Old Mrs. Jones turned and left with a serious expression. ¡°Go out and buy some medicine!¡±


    ¡°Medicine?!¡± Puzzled, Rosie stared at Old Mrs. Jones in confusion.


    Noticing her look, Old Mrs. Jones looked quickly pulled her closer by her hand, and whispered in a low


    voice, ¡°I¡¯m talking about that kind of medicine.¡±


    Rosie still looked confused. ¡°What kind of medicine?¡±


    When she met Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s gaze, she immediately understood.


    What was rare was that even though they were both over 50 years old, the two still flushed red in the


    face at such a discussion.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Jones, isn¡¯t this too much?¡± Rosie asked tactfully.


    Thinking about the tragic ending of those who had drugged Mr. David in the past, Rosie didn¡¯t dare to


    imagine what would happen if Mr. David found out that Old Mrs. Jones had secretly drugged him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know what Mr. David is like. If Mr. David really finds. out, who knows what will


    happen?¡± Rosie said, ¡°But I know a herbal medicine. practitioner who can provide efficient recipes to


    improve health. Why don¡¯t we try that out first?¡±


    Seeing that Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s expression had softened, Rosie continued, ¡°A man¡¯s self¨Cesteem is very


    important to him. If we rush to drug him like this, I¡¯m afraid it will crush Mr. David¡¯s self¨Cesteem.


    Besides, in consideration of Mr. David¡¯s status, it will also destroy his image. So why don¡¯t we try to


    improve his health first and try druggingter?¡±


    After listening to Rosie, Old Mrs. Jones couldn¡¯t help to nod. ¡°What you said


    makes sense.¡±


    She held Rosie¡¯s hand and patted it earnestly. ¡°You¡¯ve been by my side for so many years. Although


    we¡¯re not rted by blood, we¡¯re closer than any family. I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. Do it yourself and


    don¡¯t let him find out. Then, you must make sure that he will eat the nourishing recipes you find him.


    Whether David can bear offeringspletely depends on you!¡±


    After returning to her room, Old Mrs. Jonesy on her bed in disappointment. She fiddled with her


    watch absent¨Cmindedly. ¡°It¡¯s really the family¡¯s


    misfortune. How can I let you down?¡±


    She sighed again and again. Her battered appearance was no longer as hale and hearty as earlier.


    ¡°By the way, open the door on the other side.¡± Old Mrs. Jones was vexed


    silently. ¡°What good it is for him to be able to see but not get in with the action. Stop tormenting him.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Meanwhile, David was trying his best to endure it. Even he could not help but. admire his self¨Ccontrol.


    If he hadn¡¯t promised Rachel, he would have thrown away his disguise as a gentleman long ago.


    He bent down and kissed Rachel¡¯s forehead, nose, and finally her lips again.


    Sensing the slight tremble of Rachel¡¯s eyshes, he couldn¡¯t help but look at her with a faint smile in


    his eyes. ¡°How long do you n to continue pretending to be asleep?¡±


    Rachel opened her eyes and smiled brightly. ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    ¡°When I kissed you.¡±


    David¡¯s warm breathnded on her sensitive cochlear, making Rachel recoil involuntarily. ¡°You can¡¯t


    me me then. You were clearly taking advantage of me in my sleep¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, David opened his mouth and sucked on her earlobe.


    Rachel¡¯s body shivered and her grip on David¡¯s shirt suddenly tightened. The ironed shirt creased in


    her tight hold.


    David licked and sucked hard. The corners of his lips could not help but curl up. His deep eyes looked


    misty with lust, and his deep and cool voice rang in passion. ¡°Rae, why are you so sensitive¡­¡°N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

 Chapter 328

    Chapter 328


    Chapter 328 Have We Met Before?


    Rachel¡¯s eyes glistened as she bit her lips.


    David looked at her flushed face and his eyes shed teasingly. ¡°You don¡¯t even know how seductive


    you look now. You¡¯re like a demoness who walked out of an ancient book.¡±


    Rachel raised an eyebrow slightly. She reached out and yed with David¡¯s


    cor with her fingertip, gently brushing along his corbone and up to his protruding Adam¡¯s apple.


    Her touch was like ying with fire.


    David frowned and grabbed her hand. He growled softly, making his Adam¡¯s apple bob. ¡°Stop ying


    around.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s delicate eye squinted into a bright smile, making her impudent and mboyant face even


    more breathtaking.


    With her hand wrapped in David¡¯s palm, Rachel scratched his palm with her fingers and raised her


    head to breathe softly against his throat. ¡°But


    demoness feed on the love of men¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, David suddenly flipped over and was pressing against her on top of her.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Rachel could not help but gasp. She looked up and met David¡¯s deep gaze.


    It was almost evening. With the curtains drawn in the room, the room was dimly lit.


    There seemed to be a spark in his eyes, igniting his desires.


    Rachel blurted out, ¡°Have we met somewhere before?¡±


    From the first time she met David, she felt like she had seen his eyes before.


    However, she couldn¡¯t remember anything. It was as if everything was just her imagination.


    But at this moment, her intuition told her that they should have met


    somewhere before.


    At her words, David¡¯s eyes shone with a hint of thought¨Cprovoking deepness. The corners of his lips


    curled up slightly. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    This was clearly an ambiguous answer, but Rachel instinctively believed that


    she must have met David somewhere before.


    David bent down and kissed her lips.


    Watching her confused expression, he opened his mouth and bit her lips with


    a hint of punishment.


    Rachel groaned in pain and red at him angrily.


    ¡°Focus.¡±


    After some time, David reluctantly let go of her lips.


    He held the back of her head with his broad palm and panted with his forehead against hers. ¡°Is the


    demoness happy now?¡±


    Rachel felt the heat in her palm and instantly widened her eyes, her eyes swimming in shock.


    She pulled her hand back as if scorched.


    She could still remember clearly what had happenedst time. Every time she thought about it, she


    couldn¡¯t help but feel a lingering fear.


    She could see herself reflected in his dark eyes.


    David stared at her without blinking. His fingertips caressed her face and rubbed her lips suggestively,


    and spoke in a deep and cool voice filled with lust. ¡°Rae¨CRae, what are you looking at?¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    Rachel nced down subconsciously, then quickly looked away and gripped the bedsheets under her


    tightly.


    ¡°You like it there?¡± David looked at the blush on her cheeks with a smile. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡±


    Rachel tried to slow down her beating heart and cleared her throat. She pretended to be calm and said,


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°You touched and looked at it just now. Are you still not satisfied?¡± David said. as he yed with her


    hand and rubbed her palm. ¡°But I was very satisfied with youst time.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel couldn¡¯t help but recall what he had done with her hand in the carst time.

 Chapter 329

    Chapter 329


    Chapter 329 I Can Never Be A Gentleman In Front Of You


    Rachel instantly flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°David Jones, are you done¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, David grabbed her chin and kissed her lips again. This time, the kiss was


    deeper and more passionate than before.


    He continued to make her breathless, ravaging every inch of her body.


    In the quiet room, the couple was entangled with each other. The hot and ambiguous atmosphere


    gradually spread throughout the entire room.


    After g*d knows how long, Rachel felt like her hand was about to break. ¡°Have you had enough?!¡±


    David buried his face in her neck. His rapid and chaotic breathing sounded in her ear. He rubbed


    against the softness of her waist with his palm. ¡°Just a little more.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips. Her beautiful eyes were misty and dazed. ¡°Can I use another hand?¡±


    Otherwise, she was afraid that she would not even be able to hold a pen when she go to work


    tomorrow.


    Just as Rachel was feeling hopeless, everything finally quietened down.


    David kissed her face and gently pecked her lips. ¡°Baby, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    The lust in his eyes had yet to dissipate. Coupled with the smile on his lips, he looked like a refined


    rascal.


    ¡°Sh*t up!¡± Rachel grabbed the pillow beside him and threw it at his face.


    David grabbed the pillow. ¡°Did you just say that you¡¯ll help me again with the other hand?¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Rachel eximed and thought that she had never seen such a shameless


    person!


    David looked at her pout and nted a gentle kiss on her lips. ¡°Rae, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll make it up to


    you next time?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    David, please be a gentleman!¡±


    ¡°I can never be a gentleman in front of you.¡±


    David picked Rachel up in his arms and carried her into the bathroom. When he saw Rachel¡¯s guarded


    expression, he raised his hand and patted her head. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some clothes to change into.¡±


    After her shower, Rachel changed into clean and tidy clothes.


    Compared to the dress she was wearing, this suit suited her capable and cool temperament better.


    The tube top was paired with a cropped suit jacket. It looked smart but yet kept her feminine charm.


    David looked at her with unknowing infatuation in his eyes.


    He slowly took off his diamond cuffs and rolled up his sleeves. He then walked up from behind Rachel


    and took the hairdryer from her. ¡°Are you leaving after dinner with Grandma tonight?¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    Half an hourter, the couple arrived at the courtyard of Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s yard.


    Old Mrs. Jones was overjoyed when she saw the two of them walking in hand in hand.


    However, when her gazended on David, the smile on her lips faded slightly. ¡°Rae-Rae, how was your


    sleep?¡±


    Her question inexplicably made Rachel blush.


    ¡°I slept well. Thank you for your concern, Grandma,¡± Rachel said.


    Old Mrs. Jones held her hand and sighed softly. ¡°Good girl, it¡¯s been hard on


    you.¡±


    Just as Rachel was about to speak, Old Mrs. Jones spoke again, ¡°There¡¯s no need to say anything


    else. I understand, but I promise to help you with all I have. It is our goal to make David potent again.¡±


    Rachel could not understand her words.


    Confused, David looked at Old Mrs. Jones in a daze.


    Unexpectedly, Old Mrs. Jones sighed deeply as she looked at him. ¡°I know already. You don¡¯t have to


    hide it from me. Even if it¡¯s for Rae-Rae, you can¡¯t give up on yourself, do you understand?¡±


    David Jones was speechless.


    What kind of nonsense was this? Why did he not understand a single word she was saying?

 Chapter 330

    Chapter 330


    Chapter 330


    Compared to Rachel, who was so rxed and content.


    The Cruise family was suffering from a terribly heavy atmosphere.


    Ever since Richard Cruise found out that Olivia Cruise had been forced to kneel down and apologize in


    public, he had been sitting on the sofa smoking one cigarette after another.


    Olivia and her mother exchanged looks with one another. She wanted to speak several times, but her


    mother stopped her. She held Olivia¡¯s hand and gestured for her to remain silent.


    ording to what she knew about Richard over the years, speaking up at this time would only make


    Richard angrier.


    Ever since the Cruise family¡¯spany started to go downhill, Richard¡¯s temper was no longer as


    gentle and refined as before. Instead, it was difficult for others to guess his thoughts, and it was normal


    for him to be suspicious and overthinking.


    Olivia gritted her teeth and clenched her fists on her knees. Her face flushed different shades of red


    and white.


    The current state of the Cruise family was not as good as before. It was because of this that they could


    not wait to befriend the Smith family, hoping to get a share of the profits.


    However, now that things have made such a turn, not only would the Cruise family¡¯s reputation be


    damaged, but the Smith family would probably also be dissatisfied with them.


    After all, she was the one apanying Jane Smith when it happened.


    If they were no longer weed by the Smith family for this, everything she had done previously would


    be in vain.


    At that moment, there was the sound of a car stopping outside the door.


    Olivia got up from the sofa and rushed to the door without a word.


    She happened to see Louis Smith open the door and get out of the car from the driver¡¯s seat.


    The moment she saw Louis, Olivia¡¯s heart finally rxed slightly.


    Fortunately, Louis did not me her¡­.


    Otherwise, she would be worried sick to beg for Louis¡¯s forgiveness.


    Olivia couldn¡¯t help but feel tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at Louis dressed in a suit and


    leather shoes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Louis could not help but quicken his pace when he saw Olivia¡¯s tearful expression.


    He raised his arm and Olivia pounced into his arms immediately. She snuggled against his chest. ¡°I


    didn¡¯t expect to see you again¡­¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡± Louis bent down and kissed her forehead. ¡°We¡¯re all fine. How can


    we not see each other?¡±


    Olivia sniffled, but tears continued to roll down the corners of her eyes.


    The scene of his beautiful girl crying really made Louis¡¯s heart ache.


    He carefully wiped away the tears on her face with his fingertips and held her waist as they walked into


    the house.


    When Richard found out that Louis had arrived, he put out the cigarette in his hand. His serious


    expression softened a little. ¡°Louis is here.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cruise.¡± Louis nodded slightly to greet the two of them.


    Bertha looked at her prospective son¨Cinw with a smile on her face. ¡°Louis, you haven¡¯t eaten yet,


    right? I¡¯ll ask our cook to prepare dinner and you can have a drink with Richard tonight.¡±


    Louis pursed his lips and said calmly, ¡°Sure.¡±


    After Bertha left, Louis and Olivia sat down on the sofa on Richard¡¯s side.


    ¡°Louis, I¡¯m ashamed to say this, but Olivia did not handle this matter properly, causing Jane to suffer.¡±


    Richard sighed softly. ¡°I was just nning to visit your family and apologize in person. I wonder if your


    parents are avable recently?¡±


    ¡°Richard, you¡¯re too kind,¡± Louis declined politely.


    Actually, he also knew that this was not Olivia¡¯s fault alone.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    If it weren¡¯t for Rachel¡¯s aggressiveness, things wouldn¡¯t have taken such a turn. She pushed the


    Cruise family and the Smith family to the center of public opinion.

 Chapter 331

    Chapter 331


    Chapter 331


    Hearing his words, Richard looked up and gave Louis a deep look.


    Olivia and Louis were childhood sweethearts, and the couple often went out together.


    It was true that he had watched Louis grow up.


    However, the man in front of him was no longer the refined young man he used to be. After years of


    working in the business world, the current Louis Smith was calm and unfathomable. Sometimes, it was


    even difficult for others to see through him.


    While the two of them chatted, Olivia served Louis coffee and a gift basket with chocte.


    A smile finally appeared in Richard¡¯s eyes. He picked up a cup and teased, ¡°The efforts I¡¯ve made to


    raise my daughter painstakingly for more than 20 years are in vain. She only knows to side with


    outsiders. Look at my empty cup. She doesn¡¯t even notice that to refill it for me.¡±


    Olivia looked embarrassed at his words. ¡°Dad, what are you talking about?¡±


    Louis¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at her shy and delicate posture.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sit there and drink tea. Come and eat.¡± Bertha brought a pot of pumpkin soup and ced it on


    the dining table. She waved to invite everyone to eat.


    Even though everyone seemed to be enjoying this meal, in fact, they all had different thoughts.


    Richard asionally talked about thepany¡¯s operations, hinting at his desire to get a share of the


    profits.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    However, now that the Smith Group had finally resumed normal operations, in order to make up for the


    previous losses, he had already transferred several other projects he was responsible for, before finally


    being able to fill in gaps in the capital chain of Smith Group.


    If the Cruise family interfered at this time, his previous efforts would probably be disrupted.


    When adults talked to each other, if they didn¡¯t answer the question directly, that was already their


    answer. If they remained silent, it would mean rejection. If they didn¡¯t reply, that was also already their


    answer.


    Richard lowered his gaze to hide the coldness in them and changed the topic without batting an eyelid.


    ¡°As the saying goes, a parent¡¯s love for their children is far¨Creaching. Olivia is my only daughter.


    Naturally, I have to make better ns for her. Of course, I watched you grow up, so I hope you can take


    good care of Olivia in the future.¡±


    Louis was about to speak, but he was interrupted by Richard¡¯s raise of a hand. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for the


    Smith family to get to where it is today. This is also proof of your ability and skills. I don¡¯t mean anything


    else. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m old and have to retire one day. Therefore, everything in the Cruise family will


    eventually be handed over to the two of you sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Olivia¡¯s birthday next month. I n to officially hand thepany over to her on that day, but she¡¯s


    been in the entertainment industry all these years and doesn¡¯t know much about business. Uncle


    hopes that you can help her more.¡± ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Hubby!¡±


    Olivia and her mother stared at Richard in surprise.


    They had never heard Richard mention this decision before.


    It was difficult for Olivia to remain calm in the face of this shocking news.


    However, Louis was not thinking about this. Instead, he was carefully pondering over Richard¡¯s true


    motive.


    Richard had always been a person who would not take action without a clear target. At this moment,


    was he taking the initiative to quit thepany and hand it over to Olivia?


    What exactly was he nning?


    Just then, Richard continued, ¡°You and Olivia will get married sooner orter. the Smith family and the


    Cruise family will eventually be one family. Therefore, now that I¡¯ve handed thepany to you, I


    can let you familiarize yourselves with each other¡¯s businesses, right?¡±


    When Louis heard his words, the doubts in his heart immediately dissipated.


    It turned out that Richard had taken the initiative to give up thepany in order to advance.


    He hoped to use the Cruise family and thepany to tie him down, so as to save the Cruise family!


    Louis put down his cutlery and was just about to speak when his phone rang suddenly.


    When he saw the caller ID, a dark glint shed across his eyes. ¡°Sorry, I have to take this call.¡±

 Chapter 332

    Chapter 332


    Chapter 332


    Louis walked to the balcony and picked up the call.


    As soon as the call connected, the person on the other end said, ¡°Mr. Smith, I¡¯ve found out what you


    asked me to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Louis¡¯s face showed a hint of joy.


    However, in the next second, he heard the person on the other end says, ¡°In order to investigate Miss


    Grey, I¡¯ve suffered heavy losses, so you have to pay more!¡±


    A hint of mockery appeared on Louis¡¯s handsome face.


    Whether the loss was real or not, in his eyes, it was just an excuse for the investigator to raise the


    price.


    ¡°Tell me, how much do you want?¡± Louis said calmly.


    The speaker on the phone seemed to be waiting for Louis to say this. Without any hesitation, he blurted


    out, ¡°400 thousand dors!¡±


    ¡°This is daylight robbery!¡± Louis¡¯s face suddenly darkened. ¡°Besides, why should I pay you extra before


    getting the information I need!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Smith, in our line of work, trust is important. Of course, if you don¡¯t believe me, I can¡¯t do anything


    about it. I can only hand over the information I¡¯ve collected to others,¡± the speaker said calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve


    been following Miss Grey for more than half a month. I guess Mr. Smith will regret it for the rest of your


    life if you miss this chance¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Louis was afraid that the investigator would hang up the phone, so he scolded coldly, ¡°See you


    tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. at Midnight Cafe. I¡¯ll pay you cash on delivery!¡±


    ¡°Since Mr. Smith is so straightforward, I¡¯m surely happy to cooperate.¡± The investigator smiled and


    said, ¡°We¡¯ll meet at ten tomorrow morning.¡±


    After hanging up, Louis returned to the dining room.


    However, after eating, he made up an excuse to get up and leave.


    Richard had expected Louis to react like this, so he wasn¡¯t in a hurry.


    However, when Olivia saw Louis leaving so decisively, she felt a faint sense of unease in her heart.


    She quickly chased after him after grabbing a thin jacket. ¡°Louis.¡±


    Louis stopped in his tracks. The coldness in his eyes receded slightly as he said indifferently, ¡°What are


    you doing outside of the house?¡±


    Olivia was wearing a moon¨Cwhite dress with a champagne¨Ccolored shawl over her


    shoulders. She stood in front of him in her slippers and leaned against his chest.


    Her eyes glinted as she put on a gentle but yful smile. ¡°You drank just now. I was worried about


    you.¡±


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold at night. Come on, head back inside quickly,¡± Louis said.


    Olivia allowed herself to be pushed backward and took a step back, but identally stepped on a


    stone and felt her body falling backward without warning.


    She was so frightened that her face turned pale. In her panic, she grabbed the cor of Louis¡¯s suit


    without thinking.


    Louis quickly grabbed her waist. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    His deep and gentle voice made Olivia¡¯s heart flutter. She bit her lip and looked up at the man in front


    of her. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    However, Olivia did not let go of Louis immediately. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Louis¡¯s


    neck and leaned against his chest weakly, pressing her chest tightly against his body.


    Louis felt her soft body against his and stiffened immediately. His grip on her waist tightened slightly as


    he swallowed to calm himself. His eyes gradually darkened. ¡°Are youing with me tonight?¡±


    Olivia was secretly delighted at his words.


    This was exactly what she was looking forward to the most.


    However, she didn¡¯t let her overjoy show and put on a shy expression. She buried her face in his chest


    and gave him a soft ¡°yes¡°.

 Chapter 333

    Chapter 333


    Chapter 333


    Rachel and David left tinum Mansion hand in hand after dinner.


    The night was perfect, and the temperature was just right. David unbuckled Rachel¡¯s seatbelt and


    looked at her. ¡°Do you want to go for a walk?¡±


    Rachel looked at the crescent moon hanging in the night sky. Slightly tempted, she looked at David.


    ¡°Can I say no?¡±


    David smiled and pulled her into his arms.


    She fell into his arms without any warning. There was a click of the seatbelt, and David¡¯s deep and cool


    voice rang in her ear. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    Under the cover of the moonlight, their shadows seemed elongated on the limestone floor as the two of


    them walked hand in hand together. They actually looked like a couple relying on each other for


    survival.


    ¡°Shall we watch a movie together tonight?¡± David asked suddenly.


    Rachel looked at him in confusion. ¡°Why so sudden?¡±


    ¡°Pursuing, confirming a rtionship, dating, proposing, getting engaged, getting married.¡± David said,


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the right process of love?¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    Were they in a rtionship or going through a process?


    It wasn¡¯t easy for her to feel the sweetness of being in a rtionship. She hadn¡¯t enjoyed it enough yet!


    ¡°People say that marriage is the death of love. Are you so eager to see our rtionship die?¡± Rachel


    looked at him helplessly. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to flirt!¡±


    David raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°But I don¡¯t think marriage will be the end of our rtionship, but the


    beginning of it!¡±


    As he spoke, he wrapped his arm around her slender waist and pulled her into his arms. He leaned


    over and whispered into her ear, ¡°People often say that the wedding night is so precious that it¡¯s


    worthless.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched fiercely. She pushed him away with a look of disdain. and quickly walked


    away.


    Rachel didn¡¯t see a ball flying straight at her face without any warning.


    Before Rachel could react, David was already shielding her in his arms and kicking the ball away.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± David patted her head.


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°Actually, I could have handled it myself just now.¡±


    And you say I don¡¯t know how to flirt!¡± David said, ¡°After what happened just now, shouldn¡¯t you be


    crawling into my arms and telling me how scared you were?¡±


    Rachel raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ll try better next time?¡±


    At this moment, a young boy ran over, panting. ¡°Uncle, where did you kick my ball?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± David snapped.


    Seeing that the little boy was about to cry, Rachel quickly squatted down and said with a faint smile,


    ¡°Over by the bushes.¡±


    The little boy stared at Rachel with big round eyes. The blush on his face became more and more


    obvious. He stammered, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so kind.¡±


    Just as he was about to run away, David grabbed the back of his cor.


    Looking grim, he said coldly, ¡°Apologize!¡±


    Seeing the little boy¡¯s confused look, David¡¯s frown deepen. ¡°Your ball almost hit my girlfriend¡¯s face


    just now. Apologize to her, now!¡±


    The little boy snorted inaudibly and broke free from David¡¯s hold. He turned and walked up to Rachel,


    and said in a sweet voice, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Rachel smiled.


    She looked at the little boy¡¯s chubby face and her heart softened for some reason. She squatted down


    and touched his face. ¡°Young boy, you have to pay attention to the pedestrians next time you y


    ser, understand?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± The little boy looked at Rachel up close. Suddenly, he leaned in to whisper into Rachel¡¯s ear,


    ¡°Miss, this man is so mean. Don¡¯t marry him!¡±


    As if he was afraid of being caught by David again, he ran away without looking back.


    ¡°So you got to y the good guy,¡± David said with a hint of jealousy.


    Upon hearing his words, Rachel stood up and pinched his face. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for pulling a long face.


    Children don¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°You like children?¡± David held her hand and walked towards the apartment.

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    Chapter 334


    Chapter 334


    Rachel pondered for a moment. She raised a hand to tuck loose strands of hair behind her ear and


    said calmly, ¡°Look at him. Don¡¯t you like him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± said David.


    Rachel pursed her lips and stared at him deeply.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    David continued, ¡°If he¡¯s our child, I might like him a little.¡±


    He pulled Rachel in closer and wrapped his arms tightly around her slender waist.


    His breath tickled her cochlea through her ears, like a spring breeze blowing against a willow tree,


    setting offyers of ripples in her heart.


    David looked at the faint blush on her cheeks and the smile in his involuntarily deepened.


    eyes


    After entering the elevator, he hugged her from behind. ¡°When can you rely on me a little more?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s body stiffened suddenly.


    She originally thought that this topic would be over, but she did not expect David to bring it up again.


    After a moment of silence, she said carefully, ¡°I¡¯m just used to it¡­¡±


    She was used to being alone, facing everything, and bearing all the burdens alone.


    Even though the Johnson family treated her very well, and her maternal grandfather and Uncle Tom


    treated her like the apple of their eye, she knew that she was never the legitimate Miss of the Johnson


    family.


    Therefore, she worked hard to do everything well and learned to deal with all the troubles and problems


    herself, just so that she would not cause trouble for the Johnson family, her maternal grandfather, and


    Uncle Tom.


    This was a subconscious feeling of living under someone else¡¯s roof.


    Only by doing all this would she not be despised. Only by doing all this would she not be abandoned.


    ¡°I know.¡± David buried his face in her neck and took a deep breath, greedily inhaling the faint fragrance.


    ¡°I won¡¯t mention it again.¡±


    Although he said that, Rachel could hear the trial of helplessness and a bottomless.promise in his


    tone.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard, as her nose started to itch and her eyes moist from almost


    crying.


    Actually, she was trying very hard to let go of the trace of rationality she had


    reserved for David.


    However, every time they hit a critical moment, her rationality would tell her to stop him.


    She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she knew that nothing she said would help.


    Coincidentally, the elevator door opened and Rachel returned to her apartment.


    When the door closed, she turned and looked at David without thinking.


    The man had one hand in his pocket, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly. ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± Rachel said.


    After that, Rachel closed the door.


    David looked at the closed door and frowned imperceptibly. Then, he turned and left.


    At this moment, his phone rang. David nced at the caller ID and picked up.


    ¡°David, in a while, the Four Families of Seaxas will be hosting a Chamber of Commerce. Do you want


    to go check it out with me?¡± Jimmy Shain¡¯s background was a little noisy. It was obvious that he was


    having funte at night.


    The Four Families of Seaxas included the Johnson family, which was the richest amongst them all,


    followed by the Shain family, the Page family, and the Green family.


    All these years, the Four Families had maintained a four¨Clegged situation.


    If David went to the Chamber of Commerce, he would definitely see Old Mr. Johnson.


    ¡°Not interested,¡± said David.


    On the other end of the phone, Jimmy noticed his listless tone. ¡°What happened? Did you quarrel with


    Rachel again?¡±


    Hearing this, David frowned. ¡°Why do you think a woman would rather rely on herself than on her


    man?¡±


    ¡°That she doesn¡¯t trust him,¡± Jimmy blurted out. ¡°Women, especially women who have been hurt by


    love before, are the most sensitive. They wouldn¡¯t let a man in her heart so easily¡­¡±

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    Halfway through his sentence, Jimmy suddenly smelled gossip. He smiled slyly and said, ¡°Hey, David,


    could it be that Rachel refused to ept you? It¡¯s your wishful thinking, right?¡±


    There was silence on the other end of the phone, which confirmed Jimmy¡¯s guess. ¡°David, there are so


    many women out there. Why only focus on her? Besides, as long as you are willing to date, those


    women in the Aureliana will¡­¡±


    However, before he could finish speaking, David hung up mercilessly.


    When Jimmy heard the beeping sound on the phone, he could not help butin, ¡°Fuck! He hung


    up on me for a woman! Is he a good friend or not?¡±


    ¡°Serves you right!¡± Landon nced at him. ¡°You should be d that he didn¡¯te over to beat you


    now,¡±


    Jimmy looked at him. After a long while, he said in a thought¨Cprovoking tone, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that


    David is serious about her?¡±


    Landon did not say anything. He only smiled mysteriously at Jimmy.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    The two of them looked at each other for a moment.


    They had been fooling around with women and indulging themselves all these years. Only David was


    always alone.


    They all felt that David was too cold¨Cblooded at that time, so much so that he was not interested in love


    at all.


    Now it seemed that it was not that he was not interested, but that those people were not enough to


    pique his interest, let alone move his heart.


    Suddenly, Jimmy chuckled. ¡°This is interesting.¡±


    With David¡¯s status, the Elders of Aureliana would never allow David to marry Rachel.


    And the Jones family would never agree with their rtionship!


    All these years, they had been fighting against the Elders. If theypletely broke the superficial


    harmony because of a woman, there was nothing more interesting than this.


    On the other side, David walked into the bathroom and took a shower.


    When he came out again, he was wearing a ck silk bathrobe. The belt around his waist was loosely


    tied as if it would fall off at any moment.


    The cor on his chest was opened, revealing his impressive chest muscles and the lines of muscles


    on his chest and abdomen.


    His ck hair was slightly messy, and sparkling water droplets dripped down from the ends of his hair


    and slowly slid down his chest, tracing the lines of his muscles before finally sinking into the deepest


    depths.


    There was a fierce and unruly wildness in his casual andzy posture.


    He was apletely different person from his usual noble and abstinent attitude.


    However, he looked more real and alive than when he wore a suit and leather shoes.


    At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door.


    David thought that Eddie had sent something over. He did not think too much about it and walked


    straight over to open the door.


    However, when the door opened, he realized that the person standing at the door was Rachel.


    David grasped the edge of the door even tighter. Panic and nervousness shed across his eyes.


    He pursed his lips, and his voice strained with nervousness. ¡°You knew I lived here all along?¡±


    After spending so much time with David, this was the first time David had seen such a wild and unruly


    side.


    Especially when she saw his impressive body, she had the urge to touch him.


    However, the reservedness in her made her immediately kill this evil thought.


    She lowered her eyes and cleared her throat, but she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    David looked at her slightly blushed cheeks and could not help but smile. He reached out and pulled


    her into the room.


    As the door closed, Rachel leaned against the door and was imprisoned in David¡¯s


    arms.


    ¡°This is for you.¡± Rachel handed him the shopping bag in her hand.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly. He reached out to take the item and ced it on the cab at the


    entrance.


    He lowered his eyes and stared at Rachel without blinking. ¡°When did you know I lived here?¡±

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    The man¡¯s body emitted the scent of a bath, spreading the cold wooden fragrance from his body.


    Rachel lowered her eyes, but the close contact made the blush on her cheeks spread to her ears.


    ¡°Answer me, huh?¡± David¡¯s fingers gently caressed her cheek, tracing the contours. of her face before


    settling on her exquisitely rounded chin.


    Rachel pursed her lips and exined unhurriedly, ¡°Yesterday, I realized that the elevator was not


    running after chasing you out, so I kind of guessed it out.¡±


    When she saw the house next door move in with a new neighbor, she already had a bold idea in her


    mindset. However, at that time, she did not think that David would be so arrogant and move in just like


    that.


    It was not untilst night that she chased after him with a shopping bag. She realized that not only was


    the elevator not running, but David was no longer in the corridor.


    The only reasonable exnation was that David was this new neighbor.


    She was right about it.


    David chuckled. ¡°I was careless.¡±


    However, he did not expect Rachel to chase after himst night.


    He dropped his gaze to the shopping bag sitting in the entryway. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a piece of clothing for you,¡± Rachel said. ¡°I took a fancy to it by ident and felt that it should suit


    you, so I bought it. However, I don¡¯t know if the size is suitable. You might need to try it on. If it¡¯s not


    suitable, I can help you modify it.¡± After all, she was no stranger to fashion design.


    David opened the box. Inside was a ck suit embroidered with the sun, moon, and stars.


    He was pretty familiar with it after watching the entire live broadcast a few days.


    ago.


    ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll try it on.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    When David walked into the cloakroom to change, Rachel sat on the sofa and looked around at the


    decoration and design of the house.


    The entire house was themed ck, white, and gray. It was low and reserved, but it did not lose its


    nobility and luxury.


    It matched the cold and noble aura David usually exuded.


    There was a faint aromatherapy smell in the room, simr to the cold wooden fragrance on David.


    At this moment, footsteps sounded behind her.


    She turned around and saw David standing behind her with a tie in his hand.


    ¡°Can you help me?¡±


    Rachel hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it.


    The tie was ck and made of excellent material. It was silky smooth and felt a little cold to the touch.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    She took a deep breath and held her breath. She slowly walked forward and carefully slid the tie


    through the back of David¡¯s neck. However, she still could not avoid touching his body. An


    indescribable strange feeling arose in her heart.


    It was like holding a small me and carefully touching dry firewood. No matter how careful she was,


    she still lit a spark.


    The man¡¯s warm breath sprayed on her face, making Rachel¡¯s face blush. She just wanted it to end


    quickly.


    However, her fingers trembled uncontrobly, causing a thinyer of sweat to appear on the tip of her


    nose.


    David looked down at her and carefully sized up her face.


    Her beautiful almond¨Cshaped eyes narrowed slightly. The angle of the corners of her eyes was just


    right. Any more, and it would be flirting. Even so, her eyes were still bright when she didn¡¯t speak.


    Her curly and thick eyshes trembled slightly. Her facial features were exquisite and emitted a bright,


    moving light that attracted people¡¯s attention.

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    He could vaguely feel it was a little strenuous for the woman to stand on her tiptoes. He bent down


    slightly and reached out his palm naturally tond on her slender waist. ¡°Take your time. There¡¯s no


    hurry.¡±


    The moment the palmnded, Rachel¡¯s body instantly stiffened.


    Coincidentally, at this moment, the tie was done.


    She straightened the tie and let out a small sigh of relief. ¡°Done.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she bent down and tried to crawl out of David¡¯s


    arms.


    David seemed to have expected this. Just as she was about to escape, he wrapped his arms around


    her waist from behind and pressed his chest tightly against her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I made you unhappy.¡± The man¡¯s deep voice sounded beside her


    ear.


    Rachel¡¯s stiff voice gradually rxed. She slowly turned around and looked at him directly. ¡°David,


    you¡¯re not the one who should apologize.¡±


    Her expression was calm. However, her almond¨Cshaped eyes were filled with unconceble guilt.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already done enough for me. I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t give you the corresponding response.¡±


    When she said thest few words, her cold voice choked up.


    David sensed her sensitivity and vulnerability. He carefully held her in his arms and caressed her back


    like he wasforting an injured animal. ¡°I was too anxious and greedy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Rachel bit her lips and suppressed the tears in her


    eyes.


    ¡°I can ept your apology, but can you change your method?¡± David suddenly asked.


    Rachel straightened up slightly, blinked, and looked at him in confusion. ¡°How?¡±


    David looked at her ignorant expression, and the urge to bully her intensified.


    His well¨Cdefined fingers held her chin as the pad of his thumb caressed her soft lips. His gaze on her


    gradually heated up. ¡°You know I only ept substantive apologies.¡±


    Beforeing, Rachel was mentally prepared.


    However, she did not expect things toe to this. The reservedness in her bones


    restricted her again.


    She bit her lips as if she was stuck in a predicament.


    David sighed helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m probably the only one who will amodate you like this.¡±


    With that, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips.


    Rachel was stunned for a moment. Then, her stiff body slowly rxed.


    In a moment of confusion, her body was suddenly raised, and then she fell heavily onto the sofa.


    Before she could react, David pressed down on her again.


    When she looked up, she was caught off guard and met the man¡¯s deep eyes.


    His eyes were filled with a lust that made one¡¯s heart skip a beat. It was like an imprable that


    wrapped around her tightly.


    Rachel¡¯s breathing slowed down, and her fingertips curled up slightly.


    She had already thought of countless scenarios that might have happened when she knocked on his


    door.


    From the moment she was pulled into the room, she never thought about getting out unscathed.


    However, when she saw David¡¯s desire so bluntly expressed, she suddenly had the thought of


    retreating.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Logically, she felt that this was the worst decision she¡¯d ever made tonight. However, her heart told her


    she might as well indulge herself for once.


    Rachel¡¯s remaining rationality was defeated by David¡¯s kiss in the end.


    David finally let go of her reluctantly when the two of them were out of breath.


    ¡°Stay here with me tonight?¡±


    His voice was low and hoarse. It was clear, but it was bewitching.

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    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered, but she did not say anything.


    David¡¯s dark eyes stared at her without blinking. There was an imperceptible sharpness in his smiling


    gaze. ¡°From the moment you stepped into this door, you¡¯ve already imagined all the possibilities in your


    heart, haven¡¯t you?¡±


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    Seeing that Rachel did not speak, David bent down and carried her horizontally. He strode towards the


    bedroom.


    The lights in the bedroom were not switched on, and the curtains were not drawn.


    The night sky could be seen through the full¨Clength windows in the room.


    The dim light entuated his well¨Cdefined face.


    Rachely on the bed and pulled the nket to her chest. She could vaguely hear the sound of David


    taking off his clothes. Then, the spot behind her sank for a moment before a strong arm hooked around


    her waist.


    They were so close together that Rachel could feel his leg muscles.


    David noticed that the woman in his arms was too stiff, and he could not help but chuckle, ¡°Don¡¯t worry,


    I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡±


    He knew Rachel wasn¡¯t quite ready.


    The reason she took the initiative toe today was probably because of the guilt in her heart.


    Although he wanted to possess her, he knew that this was not the time to take advantage of her.


    Moreover, he felt that he had taken advantage of her enough today.


    David pulled her into his arms and ced his hand on her abdomen. He rubbed his thin lips against her


    temples. ¡°Go to sleep. Don¡¯t you have to go to work tomorrow morning?¡±


    Rachel felt the warmth of his palm, but she could not fall asleep no matter what.


    In the darkness, David suddenly asked, ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡±


    Rachel hesitated for half a second before replying faintly, ¡°It¡¯s probably because I sleep on a different


    bed.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to watch a movie?¡±


    ¡°Is it a real movie?¡±


    A lowugh escaped David¡¯s throat. He pressed his lips to her temple and whispered, ¡°Make a guess?¡±


    He was probably sleepy. His deep voice was slightly hoarse. When he spoke, his lips seemed to be


    caressing her earlobe.


    Rachel could not help but tighten her grip on the nket. She suppressed the thought in her heart and


    pretended to be calm. ¡°Don¡¯t all men have that kind of fetish?¡±


    ¡°Wait for me.¡± David lifted the nket and got out of bed.


    After a while, he found a romance movie, The Shape of Water.


    Set in 1963 during the Cold War in the United States, the film followed the bizarre love story between a


    mute girl, Eliza, who worked in ab on the ground floor, and a mermaid for experiments.


    The final two characters sessfully escaped theb at the end of the movie, and the female lead


    even developed gills behind her ears.


    However, Rachel did not feel much.


    She couldn¡¯t help but ridicule herself in her heart. As expected of a mature woman, she wasn¡¯t touched


    at all. It was also possible that she was as cold¨Cblooded as others said, so she wasn¡¯t touched.


    ¡°I will go against my nature and my instincts. I will love you forever,¡± David said.


    Rachel frowned slightly. She lowered her eyes and did not dare to meet the man¡¯s gaze. ¡°Why are you


    talking about this out of the blue?¡±


    David continued, ¡°This phrase is from the British evolutionary theorist Richard Dawkins¡¯s ¡®The Selfish


    Gene¡®, which means that people are born selfish but can go against their selfish nature to love


    someone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe love. I only know that the moment I see you, my heart is set in stone.¡± As


    he spoke, he buried his head deep in her neck, his arms tightening around her waist. ¡°Rae¨CRae, I love


    you,¡±

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    Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She realized that David could sense her sensitivity.


    He chose to tell her his feelings in the most straightforward way.


    It was a reassurance and a straightforward confession.


    Rachel looked at him and reached out to caress his face.


    The two of them were so close that they could see each other¡¯s reflection in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s heart raced uncontrobly. Suddenly, her lips curved into a bright smile. ¡°David, I love you


    too.¡±


    It was just a simple sentence, but it made David¡¯s blood boil.


    He tightened his arms around Rachel. ¡°If you keep talking, you won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight.¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    Midnight Cafe.


    Louis specially chose a spot near the window.


    This ce had a wide field of vision. It was convenient for him to observe every move of the passersby.


    At the same time, he could let the private investigator see him.


    Not long after, a man in a cap walked in from outside.


    He looked around vigntly and walked up to Louis. ¡°Mr. Smith.¡±


    Louis was stunned for a moment. He looked at the other party with a sharp gaze and asked directly,


    ¡°Where¡¯s the thing I want?¡±


    The man chuckled, and his eyes flickered with a scheming glint. ¡°Give me the cash, and I¡¯ll give you the


    thing! We have agreed with that.¡±


    ¡°But you have to show me something first, right?¡± Louis looked at the man in front of him with a faint


    smile. ¡°You can¡¯t take advantage of me for nothing.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he put down the coffee cup in his hand and made neither loud nor


    soft sound, causing the man opposite him to tremble inexplicably.


    The man looked at Louis and hesitated for a moment before cautiously taking out the video recorder


    hidden in his arms. ¡°I followed Miss Grey day and night to take this video. I can swear to God that the


    video inside is unexpectedly surprising!¡±


    Louis narrowed his eyes and stared at the man in front of him.


    Just as he reached out to take the camera, the man quickly snatched it back. ¡°Mr. Smith. If you want it,


    pay first.¡±


    Hearing this, Louis secretly gritted his teeth.


    In the end, he took out the cheque he had prepared from the pocket of his suit.


    The man did not say anything else. He immediately stood up and left after receiving the money.


    However, in his haste, there was a sense of running away.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Louis, I feel that something is not right.¡± Olivia, who had been sitting in the corner, unknowingly walked


    to Louis¡¯s side and sat down. She looked at the camera in Louis¡¯s hand, and her eyes flickered with a


    cold light. ¡°Why don¡¯t we turn it on and take a look?¡±


    Louis frowned and turned on the camera.


    The content he filmed every day was nothing more than Rachel¡¯s daily routine. Suddenly, the scene


    darkened.


    He could vaguely see a man¡¯s figure in the darkness.


    The man sat on the chair with his legs crossed and a cigarette between his fingers. The tip of the


    cigarette was burning red. ¡°Smith, don¡¯t provoke Rachel for no reason. She¡¯s someone you can¡¯t afford


    to provoke!¡±


    His nonchnt voice was cold and indifferent, making one¡¯s heart turn cold for


    no reason.


    At this moment, Louis also realized that he had been fooled.


    Louis¡® expression suddenly darkened, and a terrifying low pressure surrounded him.


    His hands were tightly clenched into fists, and the veins on his forehead were bulging. He was on the


    verge of going berserk.


    Who exactly was protecting Rachel behind her back?


    Rachel was just a poor girl from the countryside. How did she be so unfathomable now?

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    Olivia did not expect such an oue.


    Her eyes flickered with a cold light.


    What kind of luck did Rachel have to hook up with such a big shot?


    Sensing his irritation, she hesitated for a while, then said cautiously, ¡°Louis, since


    we can¡¯t find any clues from Rachel, why don¡¯t we start elsewhere?¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she say she was born in the countryside? We¡¯ll investigate from her birthce,¡± Olivia said. ¡°As


    long as there are traces of her life, we¡¯ll be able to find valuable clues.¡±


    When Louis heard this, the gloominess on his face dissipated. He held Olivia¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Thank


    you for reminding me.¡±


    When the two of them left the cafe, Louis received a call. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Then, he turned the


    car around and drove quickly towards tinum Mansion. tinum Mansion was a real estate


    developed by the Page family.


    Not only was the district equipped with a strict security system, but it also had the most advanced


    surveince facilities. The security and privacy of every resident here were strictly protected.


    Because of this, tinum Mansion was loved by Seaxas dignitaries.


    Back then, Louis had spent a lot of money to buy a unit here. In addition to wanting to show off the


    Smith family¡¯s current status, he was also doing it to get closer to the upper echelons.


    However, he never expected to meet Rachel here!


    At this moment, Rachel was waiting downstairs for David to pick up the car from the garage. She


    lowered her head and checked her unread Whatsapp messages on her phone.


    Old Mrs. Jones sent her an emoji.


    It was a sunflower that would bloom repeatedly, with a sentence from within, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Rachel smiled and replied, ¡°Good morning, Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, why are you here?¡± Louis parked the car on the road, opened the door, and walked straight up


    to Rachel.


    When Rachel heard his voice, she slowly raised her head. Her indifferent gaze revealed a bone¨C


    chilling coldness. ¡°Does my whereabouts have anything to do


    with you?¡±


    Meeting her sharp gaze, Louis¡¯s expression stiffened slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I just called you so


    many times but couldn¡¯t contact you. That got me a little worried¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Smith, are you trying to say that you were worried about me?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with


    impatience as she interrupted him coldly. A mocking smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, but we¡¯re sworn enemies. It¡¯s weird enough if you aren¡¯t scheming against


    me behind my back. So, I don¡¯t think I am worth your worry, Mr. Smith.¡±


    Sworn enemies¡­


    The two words seemed to remind Louis that things would never go back to how they were in the past.


    Louis never imagined winning Rachel¡¯s forgiveness, nor did he intend to change his mind. He only


    hoped that Rachel¡¯s resentment would be lessened, so that the Smith family would not be implicated


    and face unnecessary trouble.


    However, Rachel¡¯s current attitude was clearly not the case.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Men cared much about their dignity. Coupled with Louis¡¯s sensitive self¨Cesteem, his expression


    changed when he heard Rachel¡¯s sarcastic words.


    Seeing that the tension between the two had peaked, Olivia spoke out at the right time, ¡°Miss Grey,


    Louis was worried about you. How can you misunderstand him like this?¡±


    ¡°Miss Cruise is so gentle and considerate.¡± Rachel sneered. ¡°Your fianc¨¦ was worried about another


    woman in front of you. Not only is Miss Cruise not jealous, but you also speak up for your fianc¨¦. Your


    magnanimity is truly above most people.¡±

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    Olivia could hear the sarcasm in her words. Her hands clenched into fists on her sides.


    She lowered her eyes to hide the disgust and hatred in them and put on a look of grievance and


    innocence.


    Louis looked at Olivia¡¯s look of grievance and frowned. ¡°Rachel,e at me if you have any


    resentment. Don¡¯t hurt Olivia!¡±


    This man¡¯s words were really ridiculous and funny!


    Besides, when did she bully Olivia?


    ¡°Get an expert to take a good look at your eyes!¡±


    With that, Rachel picked up her bag and left.


    Seeing her leave, Louis hurriedly chased after her. ¡°Rachel!¡±


    In a moment of desperation, Louis grabbed Rachel¡¯s wrist, but Rachel shook it off instinctively. ¡°Don¡¯t


    touch me with your dirty hands!¡±


    When she turned around, the loose hair on her shoulder fluttered behind her back, revealing the skin


    on her bare neck.


    Louis saw an extremely eye¨Ccatching hickey.


    Anger surged in his eyes. He grabbed Rachel¡¯s wrist and questioned coldly, ¡°Who were you withst


    night? What¡¯s with the mark on your neck?¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    This self¨Crighteous tone made him sound like a husband who had caught his wife cheating in the act.


    Rachel raised an eyebrow slightly. Her eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°We¡¯re all adults. Mr. Smith, why


    are you pretending to be an innocent young man here?¡±


    Louis looked at Rachel¡¯s expression and felt an unexinable anger burning in his heart.


    In his eyes, even though he had abandoned Rachel, she had always been his


    woman.


    Even if he didn¡¯t want what used to belong to him, no other man should be able to touch her!


    ¡°Rachel, I know that you hate me for abandoning you, but I¡¯ve told you before that I can offer any kind


    ofpensation other than my love. I¡¯ll do my best to make it up to you. But I never expected you to


    degrade yourself!¡±


    Louis stared at Rachel. His handsome face was still dyed with anger. ¡°Do think that you can make me


    guilty by taking such extreme actions? Let me tell you this,


    you


    Rachel, I don¡¯t care what kind of rtionship you had with this man. Break up with him immediately!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my freedom to choose who to be with. It¡¯s not up to you to tell me what to do!¡± Rachel looked at


    Louis coldly. Her cold voice was like ice as it smashed toward Louis.


    ¡°In the past, I thought I loved you. Later, I realized that I just wanted to rely on you during that period.


    So what makes you think that I would degrade and ruin myself because I hate you?¡±


    Reliance¡­


    Her previous feelings for him were just to find someone to rely on?!


    However, she was the one who pestered him back then and forced him to marry her!


    What was even more uneptable to him was that he had never slept with Rachel in the past three


    years. What right did she have to sleep with another man?


    Louis¡¯s face was ashen as he growled agitatedly, ¡°Rachel, I was blind to have misjudged you back


    then! I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a heartless woman! When you were with me back then, you said


    that you didn¡¯t approve of premarital sex, but you couldn¡¯t wait to be together with another man as soon


    as you broke up with me. What makes you different from a slut¡­¡±


    Smack!


    A loud p, apanied by a sharp wind,nded on Louis¡¯s face.


    Olivia cried out in shock. Seeing that Louis was stunned, she hurriedly rushed forward to check on him.


    ¡°Louis, are you alright?¡±


    Louis came back to his senses and red at Rachel with a sinister gaze.


    She looked cold, and her beautiful eyes flickered with a sharp, cold light. ¡°Why would I rather let other


    men touch me but not you? This just shows that I didn¡¯t love you at all, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I can be cold and domineering, or I can also be reserved. This is just a sign that I didn¡¯t love you. As


    for helping the Smith family, it¡¯s probably because I wanted to try to convince myself that I loved you.


    But no matter how hard I tried, my heart couldn¡¯t lie.¡±


    ¡°After all, principles are just for people you don¡¯t love, right?¡± Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a cold and


    sarcastic smile. She took a look at Louis and Olivia before turning around and leaving.

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    Rachel watched as David drove over. Without any hesitation, she opened the door and slipped inside.


    When the car window slowly rolled up, Louis could make out the face of the man in the car.


    Although it was just a nce from afar, Louis could clearly feel the man¡¯s extraordinary temperament..


    It was the man he had seen at Best Fry, the man who had taken Rachel away at the Smith Group¡¯s


    anniversary celebration.


    Could it be that Rachel had been with him since she left the Smith family?


    Was she able to gain a foothold in Seaxas also because of this man?!


    Louis frowned and stared at the car that passed in front of him.


    Suddenly, he clenched his hands on his sides into fists.


    Now that Rachel was determined to fall out with him, she would never agree to attend Mr. Zane¡¯s


    auction with him.


    ¡°Louis, let¡¯s go too.¡± Olivia gently tugged at the corner of his shirt.


    Louis retracted his gaze and nced at her. ¡°I have something to deal with. You can go to the new


    house first.¡±


    With that, he opened the car door and drove off.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    David drove very fast and soon stopped at Johnson Corporation.


    As the car stopped steadily, Rachel raised a hand and unbuckled her seatbelt. ¡°I¡¯ll go up first.¡±


    Before she could touch the handle of the car door, David suddenly leaned forward and grabbed her


    hand.


    Rachel stared at him in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    David gazed into her eyes without blinking. His pitch¨Cck eyes seemed to be rubbing against a small


    me, illuminating the inexhaustible gentleness hidden in the depths of his eyes.


    With just a nce, Rachel was imprisoned in his eyes and could not escape.


    Her heart beat faster.


    David pressed his lips against her temple and kissed her. His low and cool voice rang in her ear. ¡°I¡¯m


    also willing to give up all my principles for you.¡±


    His voice slowly echoed in Rachel¡¯s ears. There was a hint of a casual smile in his


    low voice, hooking her heartstrings and causing ripples in her heart.


    Rachel suddenly understood where his words came from. Her face burned red all the way to her ears,


    and her heart was hammering loudly.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I have a regr meetingter.¡± Rachel broke free from his arms and hurried to open


    the car door to get out.


    However, David quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.


    David held the back of her head and nted a gentle kiss on her lips. ¡°You may leave now.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips. ¡°Be careful on your way.¡±


    ¡°See you tonight,¡± said David.


    Rachel fled in a panic and did not speak.


    The elevator slowly ascended and finally stopped on the top floor.


    The door opened, and Rachel walked out. Linda Galler, who was dressed in business attire, walked


    forward with a folder in her hand and reported today¡¯s work and itinerary to her.


    Walking into the office, Linda handed an invitation to Rachel. ¡°Ms. Grey, this is an invitation sent by Mr.


    Zane from Mahue Group.¡±


    Mr. Zane from Mahue Group was the investor she sought for Smith Group.


    Rachel lowered her eyes and casually nced at the golden invitation. ¡°Leave it here.¡±


    In other words, she would attend on time.


    Linda nodded. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get back to work.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Rachel replied. Suddenly, she remembered something and looked up at Linda. ¡°Is Auntie


    coming back?¡±

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    Hearing this, Linda¡¯s body stiffened slightly.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    She turned to Rachel, pondered for a moment, and said, ¡°The fifteenth of the uing month.


    We¡¯ll go pick Auntie up, the four of us together.¡±


    There was nothing unusual about what Linda said, yet it stirred a storm in Linda¡¯s heart.


    She took a deep breath to calm herself down, then nodded heavily and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Since Rachel had taken over thepany, there were too many matters she had to attend to


    personally.


    There were several major in¨Cprogress projects and many other projects that were to be carried out in


    the future.


    The managers of the various departments entered and left Rachel¡¯s office frequently throughout the


    entire morning, all with decks of documents in their hands.


    Of all the matters Rachel had to deal with, the one with the most problems was the resort Jessica


    Tower was endorsing.


    ¡°Ms. Grey, I¡¯m thinking, should we consider letting someone else endorse the resort?¡±


    The negative rumors surrounding Jessica on the inte had never stopped ever since thest time


    she made such a stunning appearance.


    Thepany¡¯s Twitter page was filled with offensivements about Jessica. Unsightly terms such as


    ¡°school bully¡°, ¡°go¨Cgo dancer¡°, and ¡°escort¡°, frequently appeared.


    Some even imed Jessica only had gotten this endorsement because she slept her way to it.


    Of course, the more controversial and the more people talked about this matter, the more attention it


    would attract. However, no one could bear so many negative and insultingments on the inte for


    a long time.


    If this carried on, the resort¡¯s reputation and business would most likely be damaged as well. It was just


    a matter of time.


    Rachel ced her signature pen on the table and asked, ¡°Who do you think I should choose then?¡±


    Her tone was calm, but there was a subtle hint of coldness to it.


    The person in charge was stunned for a moment. He had heard rumors that Jessica had a very close


    personal rtionship with Ms. Grey but she was never sure, now she had confirmed it. What other


    reasons could there be for Ms. Grey to be so biased towards a hardly known model?


    He carefully sized up Rachel¡¯s expression. After hesitating for a short while, he said, stuttering. ¡°Ms.


    Grey, I¡¯m not questioning your decision. All I¡¯m saying is it would be wise for us to look at the long term.


    We shouldn¡¯t ignore Jessica¡¯s future influence on the resort¡¯s reputation just for the attention she¡¯s


    getting on the inte right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a businesswoman. When I make an investment, I always look at the returns it yields.¡± Rachel


    picked up the coffee beside her, took a sip, and said, ¡°For every offensivement the haters make,


    the term ¡°Johnson Corporation¡± and the name of the resort appear one more time on the inte. As


    statistics show, the resort has already received one million reservations as of midnight. That¡¯s the result


    I want!¡±


    Hearing this, the person in charge dared not to make further attempts at his opinion of changing the


    resort endorser.


    The statistics were indisputable. It was true that Jessica had attracted massive attention to the resort,


    which might not be easily achievable if the endorser was someone else.


    After the person in charge left dejectedly, Rachel turned on herputer and searched for news


    rted to Jessica.


    As she had expected, almost all trending topics regarding Jessica were merciless curses, it was


    horrible.


    She frowned slightly. A hint of coldness appeared in her eyes.


    At almost noon, Mary and Jessica arrived together at Rachel¡¯s office.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do something about the trending topics on Twitter?¡± Rachel looked at Jessica and


    asked.


    With a lollipop in her mouth, Jessica said casually, ¡°What other people say me will only ever be a mere


    reference, they¡¯ll never affect me.¡±


    about


    In other words, she could not care less about what the people said about her.


    Rachelughed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you optimistic.¡±


    ¡°Can we talk about something else?¡± Mary suddenly said.


    Rachel and Jessica¡¯s gazesnded on her at the same time. ¡°Auntie Linda ising back next


    month. We must let her spend her days peacefully,¡± Mary said.


    When she said that, the atmosphere of the entire office became colder.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to look for a house,¡± Rachel said, ¡°She can¡¯t stay in


    Pollister anymore.¡±


    Back then, that incident had caused an uproar. Even though the matter was dealt with by the Johnson


    family in the end, a person¡¯s memory could not possibly be erased.


    If Linda Galler and her daughter carried on living in Pollister, they would forever be trapped in the


    gloomy and dreadful haze of that incident back then and would never be able to move on.

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    When they had finished eating, they each went back to their houses.


    Rachel had just returned to the apartment when there was a knock on the door.


    She opened the door and saw Eddie standing at the door.


    ¡°Miss Grey,¡± Eddie called out respectfully.


    Rachel nodded slightly. Her gaze swept past Eddie andnded on the two men in ck standing


    behind him.


    They were carrying a huge box in their hands, but Rachel couldn¡¯t tell what it was.


    Eddie noticed Rachel¡¯s scrutinizing gaze and hurriedly exined, ¡°Here are the movies that Mr. Jones


    found for you, including those that were released and those that were not.¡±


    Surprise shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    She just said she didn¡¯t know what good movies were out there right nowst night when they were


    watching a movie. She didn¡¯t expect that David would remember it.


    What was even more unexpected was that he would personally arrange for someone to find movies for


    her.


    ¡°Put it next door,¡± Rachel said.


    When she led them to the door, she looked at the password lock in front of her and awkwardly realized


    that she did not know the password to unlock it.


    At this moment, Eddie, standing beside her, reminded her, ¡°Miss Grey, why don¡¯t you try your


    birthday?¡±


    Rachel turned to look at him.


    Unexpectedly, she entered her birthday, and the door was really unlocked.


    When the door was unlocked, Rachel¡¯s heart could not help but ripple.


    She pursed her lips and tried hard to suppress the smile on her lips.


    Eddie led his men to put the box in the right ce and adjusted the equipment. He said respectfully,


    ¡°Miss Grey, there¡¯s no problem with the equipment. It can be used at any time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rachel said.


    Eddie said, ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re wee. It¡¯s our pleasure to work for you.¡±


    The men in ck were dumbstruck when they saw Eddie¡¯s obsequious look.


    One had to know that Mr. Brook was a capable Special Assistant of Mr. Jones¡¯s. Anyone who saw him


    would show some respect for him.


    They had never seen the Special Assistant so fawning over anyone.


    Eddie did not know what the men in ck were thinking. He only knew that Rachel was not an ordinary


    person.


    This was his wealth code!


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll be leaving first,¡± said Eddie.


    After they left, Rachel called David. ¡°Still busy with your work?¡±


    ¡°No. Go ahead, I¡¯m listening,¡± said David.


    Rachel sat on the ground and looked at therge box of hard drives in front of her. Each hard drive had


    a name written on it, as well as the director and actor, so it was easy to find. Every detail showed


    David¡¯s efforts.


    ¡°I just said it casuallyst night. You actually went to look for the movies.¡±


    There were many movies that had yet to be scheduled.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Tsk,


    was indeed the ¡°power of money¡±.


    David said, ¡°I just heard you say that.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    Yeah. He just heard it, then he instructed someone to find more than a hundred movies.


    She sighed softly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of spoiling me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    David¡¯s voice was faint and slightly deep when he said thest syble. It was as deep and mellow as a


    cello. It was sexy and pleasant to the ear, tugging at Rachel¡¯s heartstrings.


    A hint of gentleness appeared in her eyes. ¡°When will you be back?¡±


    ¡°I have a lot on my tetely, and I may not be able to spend more time with you, but I will¡­¡±


    Rachel knew what he was about to say, so she interrupted him. ¡°David, you don¡¯t have to


    amodate me for everything.¡±


    She did not want to be a burden to David.


    When he was sessful and famous, she could be the icing on the cake, and if he failed on the verge


    of sess, she could have the capital to take charge alone and be with him to make aeback.


    She wanted an evenly matched love.

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    ¡°I will give you the stars in the sky, but I still feel that the stars in the sky are inferior to you.¡±


    David¡¯s tone was very t as if he was saying something very ordinary.


    A hint of a smile appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is this really your first time chasing a


    woman?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± David replied firmly.


    However, with his skillful approach, it was difficult for Rachel not to be suspicious.


    David, who was on the other end of the line, seemed to read her mind. There was a hint of a smile in


    his low and mellow voice. ¡°It seems that I did a good job.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so good that I can¡¯t help but wonder,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll only be satisfied when you pledge to marry me, Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to work harder.¡±


    ¡°Definitely!¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel was called back to thepany.


    Herpany was currently rolling out an idea thatbined eco¨Cparks and resorts, a theme that fitted


    in with Smith Group¡¯s project.


    In terms of thepany¡¯s strength and influence, Johnson Corporation was always ready.


    But in terms of the idea of the resort and the eco¨Cpark, the Smith Group was much more mature than


    Johnson Corporation.


    After all, Smith Group was able to break through and get back on track because of the ¡°Horale¡± resort


    concept.


    ¡°Mahue Group is in charge of the nning of the eco¨Cpark. It would be great if we could pull Mhue


    over.¡±


    ¡°This is impossible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Mahue Group and Smith Group have been working together for a long time. They won¡¯t


    agree to us.¡±


    Amidst the discussion, Rachel suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    As soon as she said that, everyone¡¯s eyesnded on Rachel.


    Mr. Zane of Mahue Group was the investment she had pulled over for the Smith family.


    As far as she knew, one scandal after another in Smith Group caused a lot of resentment for Mr. Zane.


    Therefore, she was confident that she could persuade Mr. Zane.


    And the charity auction happened to be an opportunity!


    In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the charity banquet.


    Rumor had it that Mr. Zane and his wife Sophie fell in love with each other at first sight when they were


    on the same cruise ship when they were young.


    Later on, in order to get the beauty back, Mr. Zane left Pollister and settled down in Seaxas.


    Therefore, the auction this time was not only on the cruise ship, but the route was also the same one


    as Mr. Zane was on when he met his wife back then.


    The two of them could be considered to have taken this opportunity to revisit the old ce. The guests


    could also take this opportunity to witness their love.


    Although the Zane family in Pollister was not famous, Mr. Zane¡¯s wife, Sophie, came from a prestigious


    family.


    Her ancestors had been politicians, but they had drifted into business, but there were still members of


    her family who were active in the military.


    In addition, Mrs. Zane and Eleanor, the eldest daughter of the Page family in Seaxas, one of the Four


    Families, were official friends. The two families had been interacting all these years.


    A steady stream of guests came to attend, hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to get in touch


    with Mr. Zane¡¯s wife.


    The cruise ship stopped in front of the dock, and expensive luxury cars stopped one after another.


    Gorgeously dresseddies stepped out of the car, bringing the splendor of jewels.


    The security guards stopped the reporters, but they still couldn¡¯t stop them from taking pictures with


    cameras enthusiastically.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, how about sharing the same room with me tonight?¡± Eleanor held her hand.


    Rachel thought of Davids¡¯s previous threat. His eyes flickered slightly, and he said without changing his


    expression, ¡°Eleanor, I¡¯m not a good sleeper. I¡¯d better stay in the room next to yours.¡±


    Knowing that girls had their own privacy when they grew up, Eleanor, as their aunt, did not continue to


    force them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you over to say hello.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rachel silently followed Eleanor with a ss of wine in her hand.

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    Wherever the two of them went, they attracted a lot of attention.


    Rachel was wearing a ck square¨Ccored dress. The one¨Cpiece design was simple and elegant.


    The waterfall¨Clike curly hair was casually tied up, and the pearl hairpin was the only decoration.


    The bright light of the crystalmp shone on her wless face, making her gorgeous face even more


    eye¨Ccatching.


    Her beauty belonged to the kind that was bold and unrestrained. Even with this cold and indifferent


    drunk state, the cold feeling that assaulted one¡¯s face still made one¡¯s heart itch.


    Wasn¡¯t it a bad hobby of men to pull down the wless and pure women and be tainted by the secr


    world and desires?


    The only reason they were holding back was that they hadn¡¯t figured out the rtionship between


    Eleanor and Rachel yet.


    One had to know that Eleanor was also a famous figure in Seaxas in the past. She was arrogant, but


    now, she was chatting andughing with an unknown woman. This made them think deeply.


    If they offended the Page family because of a moment of romance, wouldn¡¯t the gains not make up for


    the losses?


    Sophie had long noticed Eleanor. After dealing with the other guests, she anxiously walked toward


    Eleanor. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting.¡±


    ¡°How could I note?¡± Eleanor looked at her with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for to show your face. Of


    course, I have to support you.¡±


    you


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Although Sophie was no longer as beautiful as before, her current posture was still charming.


    When she was chatting with Eleanor, she noticed Rachel, who was standing at the side. ¡°She is¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Zane.¡± Rachel stepped forward and greeted her with a smile.


    Sophie smiled and nodded. She sized up Rachel from head to toe. Unknowingly, a trace of fondness


    appeared in her eyes.


    Eleanor, who had been her good friend for many years, saw through her thoughts. at a nce. She


    coughed softly and whispered in her ear, ¡°She is from the Johnson family.¡±


    A hint of disbelief shed across Sophie¡¯s eyes.


    She looked at Eleanor in surprise. Her eyes seemed to be saying, ¡°Is what you said true?¡±


    Eleanor nodded meaningfully.


    Sophie looked at Rachel respectfully.


    Everyone knew that the Johnson family had a granddaughter. Although she had an external surname,


    she had been the apple of the Johnson family¡¯s eye since she was young. Even if she wanted the


    moon, she could get it. She wasparable to the youngdy of the Johnson family.


    It was also said that the Johnson family made a will early on, giving their everything to the


    granddaughter.


    However, the Johnson family kept this youngdy a secret. Therefore, outsiders did not know her name


    and appearance.


    Now that Sophie knew that Rachel was from the Johnson family, she suddenly understood why the


    Johnson family treasured her so much.


    If it weren¡¯t for the secrecy, with Rachel¡¯s appearance, the slutty young men in Seaxas swingers would


    have been in over their heads.


    What a pity¡­


    She had originally nned to introduce her to his son, but now it seemed that her son was not so lucky.


    Thinking of this, she could not help but sigh in disappointment.


    At this moment, Mr. Zane walked over. When he saw Rachel, he could not help but frown slightly.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zane,¡± Rachel said.


    Mr. Zane snorted angrily. ¡°You¡¯re so carefree now. But you¡¯ve really screwed me over!¡±


    If not for Rachel¡¯s ability and the development potential of the Smith Group, he would not have agreed


    to invest in the Smith family.


    He did not expect that in less than a year, there would be such a huge personnel change in the


    company.

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    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have caused you unnecessary trouble for personal reasons.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all family. Miss Grey, there¡¯s no need to be so formal.¡± Sophie hurriedly came out to smooth


    things over.


    However, Mr. Zane was still unaware of the situation. He spoke, ¡°Who said we¡¯re all family? This little


    girl is quite capable. Honey, don¡¯t be fooled by her.¡±


    Back then, Mr. Zane had believed Rachel¡¯s words and was optimistic about Smith Group¡¯s prospects


    and development. However, Smith Group was repeatedly involved in scandals. In just a month, it had


    contributed countless jokes to the public!


    Mr. Zane did not care about the emotional entanglement between Louis and Rachel. He only cared


    about obtaining more benefits.


    Eleanor frowned imperceptibly. There was anger in her eyes. ¡°Rac¨CRae, did you resign or were you


    fired?¡±


    ¡°I resigned, of course,¡± Rachel said.


    As they spoke, there was amotion at the door.


    They all turned around and saw two people walking hand in hand from afar.


    The man was wearing a ck suit. He was tall and slender, handsome, and elegant.


    The woman standing beside him was wearing a white V¨Cneck dress. The satin material shone brightly


    under the light.


    The dress perfectly wrapped around her graceful figure. The skirt had a bold slit design at the hem,


    revealing her long and slender legs with each step she took.


    The visual impact of her curvaceous figure quickly attracted the attention of countless men present.


    The men were entranced by her beauty, while the women looked on with envy, causing Olivia to feel a


    sense of superiority.


    Olivia held Louis¡¯s arm, and her red lips curved into a perfect arc. Every move she made was


    charming.


    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t make a silk purse out of a sow¡¯s ear!¡± Eleanor said coldly.


    Rachel shook her head helplessly and sighed. ¡°Why ruin your mood for someone unworthy?¡±


    Hearing this, Eleanor¡¯s eyes revealed a trace of pity. ¡°Idiot, I¡¯m feeling indignant for you!¡±


    Actually, Eleanor did not have much of a good impression of Louis. She had to force herself to look


    favorably upon Louis probably because of Rachel.


    Unexpectedly, Louis abandoned Rachel!


    All for Olivia!


    He was really blind!


    Originally, Eleanor was dissatisfied with Olivia¡¯s sudden appearance and ruining Rachel¡¯s rtionship.


    Now that she saw Olivia¡¯s pretentious and coquettish behavior, she felt even more disdainful.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you got a sapphire?¡± Sophic changed the topic without batting an eyelid. ¡°Is it the


    one around your neck?¡±


    Eleanor¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it beautiful? This is thergest sapphire in the


    history of the Fujiby auction.¡±


    Her words were sincere and did not show off at all. She simply shared her favorite things with her good


    friend.


    Sophie smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing that the two of them were chatting happily, Rachel greeted her aunt Eleanor and ran to a corner


    to hide.


    She leanedzily against the window and looked at the night scenery outside. Unknowingly, she


    thought of David.


    ¡°Rachel.¡± A familiar voice sounded from behind.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes turned cold as she slowly turned around.


    She saw Louis standing behind her and staring at her with a dark gaze. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    From the moment Louis saw Rachel was here, he felt a faint sense of uneasiness.


    There was a trace of mockery in Rachel¡¯s eyes. Her tone was indifferent and cold. ¡°Mr. Smith, when did


    you move to the beach?¡±

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    Chapter 348


    The moment Rachel spoke, her words were filled with mockery.


    Louis¡¯s expression darkened. He clenched his fists by his sides. ¡°Rachel, can¡¯t we just sit down and talk


    calmly? Do we have to hurt each other with these sharp


    words?


    ¡°I know you hate me, me me, and refuse to forgive me, but you have to give me a chance to make it


    up to you, right? People always make mistakes, but you have to at least give me a chance to fight for


    forgiveness, right? It¡¯s not fair to judge mepletely based on one thing!¡±


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Louis said so much because he hoped to obtain Rachel¡¯s forgiveness.


    He hoped that Rachel would help him persuade Mr. Zane to continue investing in Smith Group.


    Rachel chuckled, but her eyes were cold. ¡°I¡¯m the one who was hurt, and I¡¯m also the one who was


    betrayed. You can¡¯t empathize with everything I¡¯ve suffered, so why should I give you a chance to make


    up for me? And why should I choose to forgive you, who betrayed and hurt me mercilessly?


    ¡°Louis, you¡¯ve never been an irreceable existence to me. I won¡¯t be in so much pain without you.


    Please put away your ridiculous narcissism!¡±


    With that, Rachel walked away.


    Just as they brushed past each other, Louis grabbed her wrist. ¡°Since you refuse to forgive me, help


    me do one more thing.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel looked at him.


    Her clear eyes were as bright as ss, and her gaze was sharp as if she could see through the


    scheme in Louis¡¯s heart.


    Suddenly, the corners of her lips curled up into a charming smile. ¡°You want to attract more


    investments?¡±


    Louis pursed his lips and remained silent.


    ¡°But I won¡¯t help you. Instead, I¡¯ll persuade Mr. Zane to withdraw his investment in Smith Group.¡±


    ¡°Rachel!¡± Louis¡¯s expression was stern. There was a hint of fury in his furrowed brows as he gritted his


    teeth and growled, ¡°Are you out of your mind? You know how crucial Mr. Zane¡¯s investment is to the


    Smith Group! You¡¯re ruining Smith Group by doing this!¡±


    Rachel pried open Louis¡¯s fingers one by one. ¡°I can tell you clearly that I can ept your apology, but


    you have to be in as much pain as me before you can apologize!¡±


    With that, she turned around and left.


    Louis looked in the direction where Rachel left. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze suddenly


    turned sinister and vicious.


    Olivia, who was standing not far away, slowly walked forward. ¡°Louis, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Louis asked impatiently.


    Olivia saw Louis¡¯s expression and smoothly changed the topic. ¡°When I was chatting with Mrs. Zane


    and the others just now, I identally heard her mention that the Johnson family members are here


    tonight.¡±


    When Louis heard this, the gloominess on his face faded a little, and his eyes flickered faintly. ¡°Are you


    serious?¡±


    Olivia nodded solemnly.


    The Johnson family was one of the top families in Seaxas.


    It did not matter at all if he lost Mr. Zane as long as he could get the investment from the Johnson


    family!


    At this moment, Rachel, who was being discussed, could not help but sneeze.


    Her phone suddenly rang. When she saw the message from Mary, she tidied her skirt and walked


    towards the door.


    Coincidentally, a ck Rolls¨CRoyce stopped at the end of the red carpet.


    Seeing the familiar car model, Rachel¡¯s heart beat uncontrobly.


    Before she could think further, the car door opened and a man leaned out of the


    car.


    He was dressed in a ck suit, and his diamond cuffs shone brightly as he adjusted his cor.


    The suit jacket was embroidered with the pattern of the sun, moon, and stars with threads of the same


    color. It was calm and reserved, but it exuded a noble aura.


    The man exuded a noble and cold aura, making the surroundings feel more oppressive.


    He was like a sacred and invible god on the altar. He was noble and indifferent, but he was


    insufferably arrogant.

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    Chapter 349


    It was a suit that Rachel had personally chosen!


    This realization clearly appeared in Rachel¡¯s mind, making the blood in her body boil.


    The surrounding people did not know much about David¡¯s identity, but when they saw Jimmy and


    Landon standing behind him, they could not help but have some guesses.


    ¡°Who is this man?¡±


    ¡°Could it be the new tycoon of Scaxas?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s someone we can¡¯t afford to offend. Didn¡¯t you see the Shain family¡¯s people following behind


    him?¡±


    Wherever David went, everyone involuntarily moved aside to make way for him. David did not care


    about the fawning of the people around him, nor did he care about the discussions.


    He walked towards Rachel with firm and powerful strides.


    The moment Jane saw David, she was deeply attracted by his noble and cold aura.


    Especially when she saw him with a strong aura walking towards her step by step,. her heart raced


    uncontrobly, and her cheeks were flushed with excitement.


    Ever since that Fujiby auction meeting, David¡¯s figure had been deeply imprinted in her mind.


    It was no exaggeration to say that at that moment, Jane couldn¡¯t control thinking about David¡¯s face


    even in her dreams.


    Such a perfect man was simply a prince charming for her.


    To be able to be David¡¯s woman, one had to be someone with a noble status like her.


    In the entire Seaxas, only her status was worthy of David!


    Jane watched as David got closer and closer to her. Just as she walked forward impatiently and was


    about to hold his arm, David walked past her indifferently.


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    The smile on her face instantly froze. Jane turned around and stared at David in disbelief.


    However, she realized that David had actually walked to Rachel.


    Her mind went nk.


    David hadn¡¯t abandoned Rachel yet?


    What was so good about that bitch Rachel anyway?


    Other than her face, she was useless from head to toe. What was so special about Rachel that David


    fell for her?


    Jane bit her lips with her pearly white teeth. Deep in her eyes, there was a strong sense of disgust and


    unwillingness.


    Just as she was about to rush forward and tear off Rachel¡¯s disguise, Louis appeared out of nowhere


    and grabbed her wrist. He warned her with a cold expression, ¡°Behave yourself! Otherwise, get lost!¡±


    That sinister voice was like a cold wind, making Jane¡¯s entire body shiver.


    Her eyes were filled with grievance and resentment.


    At this moment, Olivia walked over and held Jane¡¯s hand with a gentle smile. ¡°Jane, the banquet is


    about to begin. Let¡¯s hurry in.¡±


    However, Jane snorted angrily and shook off Olivia¡¯s hand before walking straight in.


    Olivia¡¯s hand missed and she retracted her hand awkwardly.


    She looked up at Louis with a hint of grievance in her eyes. However, she still forced a smile and said


    with heartache, ¡°Louis, let¡¯s go in too.¡±


    Looking at Olivia¡¯s aggrieved expression, Louis felt pity for her as he held her in his arms. In his heart,


    he med Jane for being childish and not understanding.


    After Jane caught up to Rachel and David, she nced at the champagne tower beside them and a


    cold glint shed in the depths of her eyes.


    She suddenly tripped on purpose and threw herself at Rachel.


    All of this was unexpected. After Rachel was knocked down, she lost her bnce and fell


    uncontrobly towards the champagne tower.

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    Chapter 350


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Jimmy saw that Rachel was about to fall towards the champagne tower and


    subconsciously opened his arms.


    Landon quickly pulled him back. ¡°What are you worrying about!¡±


    As the two of them spoke, they watched as Rachel threw herself at the champagne


    tower.


    From this situation, it was not difficult to guess how painful and miserable the fall


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    was.


    Rachel was caught off guard. By the time she reacted, she could not stop herself from falling anymore.


    She subconsciously closed her eyes and waited for the pain toe.


    At this moment, a strong arm grabbed her waist.


    Immediately after, the arm around her waist tightened and she bumped into a firm chest.


    David¡¯s unique scent enveloped her tightly, and his breath was filled with a scent that made Rachel feel


    at ease.


    Everything happened in an instant.


    The lingering fear in Rachel¡¯s heart gradually dissipated and was reced by excitement.


    The two of them were so close that their breaths blended.


    Their eyes met unexpectedly, and Rachel¡¯s heart instinctively skipped a beat.


    ¡°Have you realized how important I am now?¡± David bent down slightly. His deep and maic voice


    slowly echoed in her ears.


    Rachel¡¯s long eyshes fluttered slightly. ¡°You¡¯ve always been important.¡±


    Upon hearing Rachel, David was slightly stunned. He let out a lowugh. ¡°You¡¯ve finally learned your


    lesson.¡±


    The two of them spoke one after another, and they were reluctant to shift their gazes from each other.


    However, Jane was not so lucky. There was a muffled sound of impact.


    The exquisite champagne tower on the table instantly copsed.


    The loud sound instantly attracted the attention of the other people. ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡±


    ¡°How did it end up like this?¡±


    ¡°I think this woman looks like the daughter of the Smith family!¡±


    The people around them spoke one after another. Their disdainful gazes were like knives cutting at


    Jane¡¯s face, causing burning pain.


    Jane was a mess, her eyshes trembling and in disarray, her nails digging into her palms as she tried


    to hold back the pain in her heart.


    ¡°Jane, are you alright?¡± Olivia and Louis hurriedly squeezed through the crowd to Jane¡¯s side.


    Jane thought she could embarrass Rachel and make her look like a mess. She did not expect Rachel


    to not only be unscathed but also flirt with David in front of her.


    She was simply a shameless bitch!


    Rachel naturally noticed the unwillingness and anger in Jane¡¯s eyes. The smile on her lips became


    more mocking.


    This was Jane¡¯s retribution!


    Rachel chuckled, took David¡¯s arm, and turned to leave.


    Unexpectedly, Jane grabbed her skirt. ¡°Rachel, it¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    ¡°My fault?¡± Rachel seemed to have heard a joke. The smile on her face became more and more


    intense. Upon closer inspection, the depths of her eyes flickered with coldness. ¡°Miss Smith, you really


    know how to malign people. If it weren¡¯t for you stumbling and falling t on your face, how could you


    end up like this now? You messed up, and now you¡¯re trying to me me?


    ¡°Miss Smith, you¡¯re usually careless and reckless, but today is Mr. Zane and Mrs. Zane¡¯s wedding


    anniversary. You have to be careful.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s casual words made Louis¡¯s expression change.


    The reason they came this time was to win over Mr. Zane¡¯s investment. If Jane ruined his subsequent


    n, wouldn¡¯t it be a loss?


    Moreover, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Jane had done it on purpose.


    The surrounding people were whispering to each other, making Jane feel even more ashamed and


    resentful.

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    Jane was indignant and subconsciously wanted to defend herself. ¡°Rachel, you¡­ ¡°Miss Grey, the


    ident was too sudden. My sister can¡¯t understand the situation.¡± Louis interrupted Jane with a cold


    tone. His cold gaze was filled with warning. ¡°I apologize to you on her behalf.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, she looked meaningfully at the mess around Jane. ¡°Mr. Smith, you should


    apologize to Mr. Zane.¡±


    With that, she held David¡¯s hand and turned to leave.


    Louis, who was standing on the spot, stared at Rachel and David¡¯s hands sped together and


    frowned imperceptibly.


    Jimmy and Landon hurriedly caught up to them.


    ¡°Mrs. Jon¡­ Miss Grey, are you alright?¡± Jimmy reacted and quickly changed his words.


    There were too many people here. The fewer people who knew about the rtionship between Rachel


    and David, the better. This was to avoid unnecessary trouble for Rachel.


    Before Jimmy could finish his sentence, David raised his eyes and looked at him. slowly. The corners


    of his eyes were as sharp as knives. ¡°Call her Mrs. Jones!¡±


    Jimmy was stunned for a moment before he quickly changed his words with at smile. ¡°Yes, yes, yes,


    Mrs. Jones.¡±


    His attitude changed so quickly that the expressions of the people around him. changed.


    One had to know that Jimmy represented the Shain family.


    Jimmy¡¯s identity and background had always been a mystery, but the Shain family had stood tall in


    Seaxas all these years because of the Shain family of Aureliana.


    Coupled with Old Mr. Shain¡¯s respectful attitude towards Jimmy, it was not difficult for everyone to


    guess.


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    However, what puzzled them the most was that this proud son of the Shain family was actually


    respectful to Rachel.


    ¡°What is the background of the man in the lead?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary person. Can¡¯t you see that even the prestigious people in Seaxas


    would show respect to him?¡±


    ¡°This group of people is unfathomable. They¡¯re not people we can provoke and specte about.¡±


    While the surrounding people were discussing, Mr. Zane walked forward in fear and greeted the people


    in front of him respectfully.


    Louis¡¯s frown deepened as he stared at the group of people in front of him.


    Where did these peoplee from?


    Why had he never heard of them before?


    How did Rachel get to know this group


    of people?


    Why had he never heard Rachel mention it before?


    In the blink of an eye, tonight¡¯s charity auction officially began.


    Most of the items at this auction were donated by the guests present.


    Everyone was not very interested in the items in the booklet, but most of them decided to bid for one or


    two.


    Jane looked at the auction booklet impatiently. ¡°You¡¯re really willing to donate all kinds of junk!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Louis scolded coldly.


    If it weren¡¯t for Mrs. Smith making a scene and begging him to bring Jane to social events, he wouldn¡¯t


    have brought Jane out no matter what.


    ¡°Jane, you better behave yourself or I¡¯ll freeze all your cards!¡±


    When Jane heard this, she indeed became obedient.


    She snorted softly and turned to look elsewhere.


    Jane happened to see Rachel sitting in the first row. Beside Rachel were Mary, Jimmy, and Landon.


    Jane could not help but frown. She did not know what kind of luck this slut Rachel had. She thought


    Rachel was nothing without the Smith family, but she did not expect Rachel to be even more


    sessful. It was like the heavens had turned a blind eye to justice!


    At this moment, Eleanor and Sophie were sitting on Rachel¡¯s left.


    When Jimmy saw David¡¯s arrival, he hurriedly pulled Mary¡¯s hand and moved to the side,


    Hence, David naturally sat on Rachel¡¯s right.


    Currently, Rachel was like the moon surrounded by stars. She was surrounded by important figures of


    Seaxas.


    Jane clenched her fists tighter and tighter. Her sharp nails dug into the flesh of her palm, but she did


    not feel any pain.


    The more she looked at Rachel, the angrier she became. Finally, she couldn¡¯t take


    it anymore and stood up to leave.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Louis asked.

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    Jane rolled her eyes and snapped, ¡°Bathroom!¡±


    Her departure did not interrupt the auction on the stage.


    David sized up Rachel¡¯s pretty face and leaned over to whisper in her ear, ¡°Do you


    like to hear people call you that?¡±


    Rachel was stunned for a moment. She looked at David and seemed to understand the meaning


    behind the man¡¯s smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a form of address.¡± Rachel did not feel much about being called Mrs.


    Jones.


    ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you ask Jimmy to call me that? What does this have to do with whether I like it or not?¡±


    Rachel fiddled with the number te in her hand and said casually, ¡°Who knows if this is a trick that


    you men have discussed? What if many other women are also called Mrs. Jones?¡±


    David chuckled and lifted her chin with his well¨Cdefined fingers. ¡°You¡¯re the only one.¡±


    His attitude was pious and sincere as if he was stating the truth or making a promise.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly as she lowered her eyes and averted David¡¯s gaze.


    Her words just now were very childish, and there was an inexplicable sense of jealousy.


    However, Rachel didn¡¯t mean anything else. She was just wondering why she hadn¡¯t met David earlier.


    If only they had met earlier.


    Sitting on the left¨Chand side, Eleanor had been silently observing every move between Rachel and


    David.


    Her intuition told her that the rtionship between the two of them was not simple, and it was not a


    matter of a day or two.


    Logically speaking, it was good that Rachel was willing to move on and ept a new rtionship after


    experiencing Louis¡¯s betrayal.


    However, if the other party was David, it might not be a good thing.


    There was a hint of worry in Eleanor¡¯s eyes. She felt that she needed to have a heart¨Cto¨Cheart talk with


    Rachel tonight.


    After the auction ended, it was time for the rxing cocktail party.


    The symphony orchestra yed a beautiful and melodious tune. The


    guests


    drank and chatted happily. The harmonious atmosphere highlighted the extravagance of upper¨Css


    society.


    After Rachel drank a few sses of wine, she hid in a corner to sober up.


    At this moment, a man suddenly walked forward. ¡°Miss Grey, right? I wonder if I¡¯m lucky enough to


    invite you to dance with me?¡±


    Rachel looked at the man in front of her and frowned slightly. Disgust surfaced in the depths of her


    eyes.


    ¡°Let me introduce myself.¡± The man raised his hand and straightened his bow tie. His every move


    carried a greasy feeling. ¡°My name is Bryan Zane. I¡¯m the younger brother of Stuart Zane.¡±


    Hearing this, an imperceptible sneer shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    She had long heard of Bryan. All these years, he had caused a lot of trouble outside by relying on


    Stuart¡¯s reputation.


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    Rachel narrowed her eyes. A cold glint appeared in the depths of her eyes. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Sensing Rachel¡¯s disdainful attitude, Bryan was a little angry. ¡°There are many people who want to


    curry favor with me. I invited you as a gesture of goodwill. Don¡¯t be ungrateful.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Rachel¡¯s delicate features seemed to be covered with a thinyer of ice, and there was a


    faint fierceness in the depths of her eyes.


    Little did she know that her coldness moved Bryan¡¯s heart.


    Seeing that Rachel was still indifferent, Bryan wanted to use the alcohol to force Rachel.


    He took a step forward and grabbed Rachel¡¯s arm. ¡°Miss Grey, as long as you follow me, you won¡¯t


    lack wealth and glory!¡±


    However, before his fingers could touch Rachel, a well¨Cdefined hand grabbed his wrist. The grip was


    so strong that it could break Bryan¡¯s hand.


    Bryan immediately felt pain. Even his brain, which had been numbed by alcohol, became much clearer.


    He looked at David in front of him and cursed angrily, ¡°Who the fuck are you? How dare you touch me?


    Are you tired of living?¡±


    When Rachel saw David, the coldness in her eyes disappeared in an instant. She revealed a gentle


    smile. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

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    ¡°If I don¡¯te, my girlfriend will be bullied,¡± David said as he shook off Bryan. Rachel smiled. ¡°That¡¯s


    why my boyfriend came just in time.¡±


    Bryan, who was thrown on the ground, waspletely enraged. He rolled up his sleeves and rushed


    towards David aggressively. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll show you lowly people how to be humble and obedient!¡±


    Before Bryan could finish his sentence, David kicked him away mercilessly.


    David¡¯s entire body was wrapped in terrifying and intimidating pressure as he looked down at Bryan,


    who had been kicked to the ground. His exquisite eyes were filled with cold hostility.


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    ¡°Are you teaching me how to do things?¡±


    There was a chill in David¡¯s voice that seeped into one¡¯s heart. The cold temperature suddenly lowered


    the atmosphere in the banquet hall.


    In an instant, the atmosphere in the banquet hall became suffocating.


    Mr. Zane rushed over after hearing what happened. When he saw Bryan lying on the ground, his face


    instantly turned pale.


    When Bryan saw Mr. Zane, he instantly found his confidence. He frowned and coughed softly. ¡°Stuart,


    you came at the right time. Help me teach this arrogant brat a lesson¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Jones¡­¡± Mr. Zane called out with difficulty.


    David slowly raised his eyes and nced at Mr. Zane indifferently. ¡°Mr. Zane, what do you think we


    should do about this guy?¡±


    David¡¯s tone was low and slow, but it was like an ice de rubbing against one¡¯s heart, making one


    shudder.


    Seeing that David was going to stand up for Rachel, Mr. Zane felt both terrified. and uneasy.


    How did this Rachel get to know Mr. Jones?


    Judging from Mr. Jones¡¯s attitude, he did not seem to be ying around.


    At this moment, Bryan hadpletely sobered up. Realizing that he had most likely caused trouble, he


    hurriedly apologized to Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey, I was ignorant to have offended you just now. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you kneel down and apologize?¡± David asked coldly.


    Bryan¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    No matter what, Bryan was the manager of thepany. Most of the guests


    present were his business partners.


    Now, he had to kneel down and apologize to a woman. After tonight, he would be theughingstock of


    the entire Seaxas and even Pollister!


    At this moment, Mr. Zane was in a dilemma.


    With David¡¯s power, he could even let Bryan kill himself to apologize, let alone make him kneel and


    apologize.


    However, once Bryan knelt, how could the Zane family raise their heads in front of others in the future?


    But if he did not kneel, it was obvious that he could not appease David¡¯s anger.


    Rachel tugged at David¡¯s sleeve. Then, David looked at Mr. Zane and said in neither a servile nor


    overbearing manner, ¡°I ept Mr. Bryan Zane¡¯s apology. Mr. Zane, I hope you don¡¯t me me for


    disturbing everyone.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Mr. Zane¡¯s serious expression instantly softened when he heard that. He looked at Rachel


    with gratitude. ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re too kind. I apologize to you on behalf of my younger brother.¡±


    Rachel smiled faintly. ¡°Mr. Zane, you and I are friends. Wouldn¡¯t it be distant if you apologized again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes,¡± Mr. Zane replied.


    After chatting with Mr. Zane for a while, David hugged Rachel¡¯s waist and turned to leave.


    Mr. Zane watched the two of them leave and secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He took out a


    handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead.


    Fortunately, Rachel stood up at the critical moment to help them out. Otherwise, if Bryan knelt today,


    their family would not have to raise their heads in the future.


    ¡°You¡¯re a heartless girl. I helped you vent your anger, but you¡¯re protecting an outsider at a critical


    moment?¡± David wrapped his arm around Rachel¡¯s waist and pinched the soft flesh on her waist as if


    he was punishing her.


    Rachel¡¯s body went limp. She grabbed David¡¯s hand as if begging for mercy. ¡°But that¡¯s not your


    ultimate goal, right?¡±

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    David raised his eyebrows slightly and listened to Rachel patiently.


    ¡°You¡¯re just taking the opportunity to make things difficult for Bryan, so I can step in and mediate.


    You¡¯re helping me to sell a favor to Mr. Zane.¡±


    David Jones wouldn¡¯t make enemies over a trivial matter in front of everyone¡¯s eyes.


    After all, having another enemy in the business world was not beneficial to him.


    Therefore, from the beginning to the end, David had no intention of embarrassing the Zane family.


    After knowing the situation, he took this opportunity to make things difficult for Stuart and help Rachel.


    David looked down at Rachel with a meaningful smile. ¡°You seem to be too


    smart.¡±


    Although David praised Rachel for being smart, Rachel could see a hint of reluctance in the


    compliment from his smile.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°I¡¯m the most suitable person to make things difficult for you.¡± David¡¯s well¨Cdefined fingers gently


    caressed Rachel¡¯s exquisite eyebrows. His deep and cold voice sounded slow. ¡°If it were anyone else,


    Stuart would only think it¡¯s a y that you directed and acted in. He might even me you to protect


    the Zane family¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°But after today, Stuart will not treat you coldly. On the contrary, he will treat you respectfully.¡±


    It was because of David¡¯s attitude towards Rachel. On the other hand, it was because of Rachel¡¯s


    gratitude for stepping forward to help Mr. Zane at the critical


    moment.


    Rachel smiled happily and said, ¡°Maybe I can use the fame of the Johnson family.¡± ¡°That will only make


    Stuart feel disgusted,¡± David said. ¡°Even if the Johnson family is famous enough to bully others, it can¡¯t


    compare to being willing.¡°.


    Even if power could threaten and tempt everything, it could notpare to the other party¡¯s willingness


    and loyalty.


    From the beginning, David understood everything and knew what to do.


    Rachel leaned against David¡¯s chest and looked at him with a smile. She did not say anything.


    David raised his hand and gently stroked her hair. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Rachel sighed softly and wrapped her arms around his waist. She leaned against his chest obediently.


    ¡°What right do you think I have to meet you?¡±


    Stuart had never been an easy person to get along with.


    In order to secure the investment for the Smith Group, she had exhausted all her tactics. It was


    because of this that when Mrs. Zane fell illter on, even though Rachel was the first to send her to the


    hospital, she had been used of scheming and plotting this incident for a long time.


    Not only was Rachel scolded badly, but she was also kicked out of the house.


    If Mrs. Zane had not woken up to prove Rachel¡¯s innocence, Rachel would not have been able to clear


    her name no matter how much she argued.


    However, at that time, Louis would never stand by her side and think for her, nor would hefort her


    and help her with the ns.


    But David was different.


    He would calmly analyze the pros and cons for Rachel. He would stand by her side and consider her.


    He was willing to shield her from the wind and rain.


    Therefore, loving or not loving someone, it was the details that determined everything.


    ¡°It¡¯s my honor to meet you.¡± David held the back of her head with his palm, leaned down, and nted a


    gentle kiss on her lips.


    Their passionate kiss was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of the phone.


    Eleanor couldn¡¯t find Rachel. She was worried that something would happen to her, so she kept calling.


    Katy, who was watching from the side, felt upset. After struggling a few times, she stillined


    unhappily, ¡°Aunt Eleanor, Rachel is not a three¨Cyear¨Cold child. Do you have to be so nervous?¡°

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    Chapter 355


    ¡°What do you know!¡± Eleanor only heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Rachel at the door.


    However, when she saw David following behind Rachel, she frowned imperceptibly.


    It seemed like she had to have a chat with Rachel.


    This was to prevent Rachel from suffering a loss!


    ¡°Eleanor, do you know that man?¡± Katy was also attracted by the noble aura emanating from David.


    However, her innate pride did not allow her to act recklessly like Jane,


    Eleanor vaguely sensed something from Katy¡¯s words.


    She turned her head and looked at Katy. Her gentle eyes were filled with an aggressive sharpness.


    ¡°Katy, put away your thoughts! You don¡¯t want to have anything to do with him!¡±


    Katy looked at Eleanor¡¯s intimidating gaze and couldn¡¯t help but flinch. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Although Eleanor knew that Katy was unhappy, she was not in the mood to exin anything. She just


    wanted to find an opportunity to have a good chat with Rachel.


    When Rachel returned to the banquet hall, Jimmy and Landon naturally came to her.


    They sat in a resting area, and the people around them kept looking at them.


    Although they were all in the same banquet hall and on the same cruise ship, the other people would


    never be able to integrate into Rachel and herpanions.


    The surrounding people looked at Rachel with envy, unwillingness, and jealousy. Including Olivia.


    She could not figure out how Rachel had seduced David.


    Olivia thought that after Rachel was kicked out of the house by the Smith family, she would be able to


    step on Rachel and crush her coldness and nobility bit by bit. Unexpectedly, not only did Rachel


    survive, but she was also doing well.


    Rachel was just a poor girl from the countryside. What right did she have to live a life above others?


    What right did Rachel have to steal the brilliant limelight that was supposed to be hers?


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Olivia tightened her grip on the wine ss and lowered her head to hide the fierceness in her eyes.


    ¡°Louis is really blind!¡± Mary suddenly said with a ss of wine in her hand.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. She followed Mary¡¯s gaze and saw the gloomy Olivia.


    Sensing Rachel¡¯s gaze, Olivia was stunned for a moment. Then, she smiled faintly and raised her ss


    at Rachel.


    Rachel acted as if she did not see Olivia at all. She turned around and continued talking to the others.


    This action was like a humiliation to Olivia.


    She secretly gritted her teeth and cursed Rachel in her heart.


    At this moment, Jane walked in from outside.


    A dark glint shed across Olivia¡¯s eyes. She walked forward with a smile. ¡°Jane, where have you


    been? I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time.¡±


    As Jane watched Olivia hold her hand, a glimmer shed in her eyes. She calmly shook off Olivia¡¯s


    hand and made up an excuse, ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit unwell tonight.¡±


    Based on Olivia¡¯s understanding of Jane, she knew that Jane was definitely hiding something.


    However, she had no intention of knowing, nor was she interested.


    ¡°Are you still angry about what your brother said?¡±


    At the mention of this, Jane snorted imperceptibly. ¡°My brother¡¯s mind is filled with thepany¡¯s


    matters now. He doesn¡¯t care about me at all!¡±


    ¡°You know how important Mr. Zane¡¯s investment is to the Smith family. He was just a little anxious,¡±


    Olivia said. ¡°Tonight is Mr. Zane and Mrs. Zane¡¯s wedding anniversary. Why don¡¯t we y a song


    together? If we get the investment, your brother will naturally not me you anymore.¡±

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    Chapter 356


    When Jane heard that, she felt that it made sense.


    As Jane was thinking, Olivia had already walked onto the stage.


    ¡°Hello, everyone. Today is Mr. Zane and his wife¡¯s wedding anniversary. Miss Smith and I will dedicate


    a piece of ¡°Piano Song at Night¡°. We wish them a long and blissful marriage.¡±


    As soon as Olivia finished speaking, a round of apuse sounded from below the stage.


    Jane had no choice but to put down her bag and walk onto the stage.


    As the two were preparing to y, Olivia nced at Rachel sitting in the rest area with a subtle hint of


    resentment flickering in her eyes.


    A melodious tune slowly flowed in the huge banquet hall.


    All the guests had expressions of enjoyment on their faces.


    However, Mary looked at Olivia and Jane on the stage with a faint smile. ¡°What do you think they¡¯re up


    to?¡±


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see,¡± Rachel said.


    Since the other party wasing after her, she knew she could not stay out of it.


    David, who was sitting on Rachel¡¯s left, leaned over and whispered in her ear, ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll be lucky


    enough to hear you y a song tonight?¡±


    David¡¯s deep and maic voice sounded slow. His warm breath sprayed on Rachel¡¯s cochlea, making


    her heart itch for some reason.


    Rachel nced sideways at David and raised the corners of her eyes slightly. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    As they discussed, the performance on stage ended.


    There was a roar of apuse from below the stage.


    ¡°The tune is melodious and full of emotions. We can be considered to have eaten our fill.¡±


    ¡°The saying goes that one minute on stage takes ten years of practice off stage. Both of you are clearly


    aplished pianists, and I¡¯m sure there has been much hard work put in behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°The two of you are skilled in music and have abundant emotions. You must have put in a lot of effort


    over the years, right?¡±


    Olivia and Jane looked at each other. Jane smiled faintly and said, ¡°No more, no less. It¡¯s exactly ten


    years.¡±


    Hearing this, the audience was in an uproar.


    They were surprised that Jane and Olivia had been practicing over the years.


    The guests were full of praise for the two on the stage, which greatly satisfied Jane¡¯s vanity.


    Tonight, she could finally hold her head high.


    Jane looked at David shyly, but she realized that David had been looking at Rachel the entire time. It


    was as if no one was worthy of his attention except Rachel.


    The smile on Jane¡¯s face immediately fell. She was angry and hateful, so she had no choice but to look


    away.


    At this moment, someone in the crowd said, ¡°Hey, Miss Grey happened to be present today. I wonder if


    we¡¯re lucky enough to invite her on stage to y a song so that we can enjoy her performance?¡±


    Many of the people present had business dealings with the Smith family.


    Naturally, he had heard of the love¨Chate rtionship between Louis, Olivia, and -Rachel.


    Everyone knew that Olivia was the daughter of a rich family. Even though the Cruise family¡¯s influence


    might not be what it once was, there was still a certain level of respect and caution that people had


    toward them.


    However, Rachel was different.


    Without a noble background, no one would take her seriously.


    ¡°You mean the woman who was pestering Mr. Smith?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s her!¡±


    ¡°Back then, when I saw how devoted she was to Mr. Smith, I thought that their rtionship was very


    deep. I didn¡¯t expect her to fall into the arms of another


    man.¡±


    Louis clearly heard their conversation.


    However, he did not intend to exin anything. Instead, he hoped that everyone would maliciously


    specte about him and Rachel to prove that he had once owned Rachel.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and she smiled faintly. It was dangerous and charming.


    ¡°We¡¯re all adults. We have to take responsibility for what we say!¡± Mary mmed the wine ss in her


    hand on the table. ¡°Words have consequences, and it¡¯s not worth causing trouble just for the sake of


    entertainment. Let¡¯s be responsible for our actions and words!¡±

 Chapter 357

    Chapter 357


    Chapter 357


    In an instant, everyone stopped their discussion and fell into silence.


    The hall fell into a depressed and strange atmosphere.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on David as if they were saying, ¡°How can we forget that Rachel has David to get


    her back?¡±


    Standing on the stage, Olivia roughly sensed that things were out of her control. She secretly clenched


    her fists and seized the right time to speak, ¡°Miss Green, aren¡¯t you being too serious? It¡¯s rare for


    everyone to gather together. I only want to take this opportunity to congratte Mr. Zane and Mrs.


    Zane.¡±


    Olivia maintained her decency and looked at Rachel. Olivia smiled and said, ¡°Miss Grey, how about


    ying a song since everyone has expectations of you? You can satisfy everyone and bless Mr. Zane


    and Mrs. Zane.¡±


    Olivia had verbal dexterity and did not give Rachel a chance to reject.


    People would take Rachel¡¯s rejection as disrespect to Stuart Zane and Sophie Zane. However, Rachel


    would give Olivia what she wanted if Rachel agreed to perform. In the current situation, Olivia nned


    to force Rachel to perform on stage and also intensify the conflict between Rachel and Jane without


    anyone knowing.


    People gave the thunderous apuse merely to tter Jane, but it was enough to satisfy Jane¡¯s vanity.


    At this time, it would be the deration of war to Jane if Rachel went on stage to perform.


    Jane was sopetitive that she must take revenge on Rachel if Rachel agreed to perform.


    Rachel had to admit that she was impressed by Olivia¡¯s scheming,


    Seeing that Rachel continued to ignore her, Olivia felt awkward, as if she was invisible standing on


    stage. Olivia took a deep breath and maintained a faint smile, asking, ¡°Miss Grey, I noticed you kept


    silent. May I take that as a no?¡±


    The unfriendly smile on Oliva¡¯s lips was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. Oliva¡¯s eyes were


    iparably disgusting.


    Rachel and David sat together, which caused many socialites and youngdies. present to be envious.


    Now that they realized this was an opportunity to embarrass Rachel, they would not let it go. Everyone


    looked at Rachel as if Rachel was a joke.


    ¡°Look at Rachel. She¡¯s too scared to say a word.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Rachel is afraid of performing on the stage. Instead, she¡¯s worried that her sugar daddy


    will abandon her since she tried so hard to get one!¡±


    ¡°She just can¡¯t stop seducing men with her impermanent beauty, right?¡±


    ¡°Most men are bewitched by women¡¯s appearances. When hees to his senses, he will be shocked


    by his choosing such a woman, who is empty although she is a beauty!¡±


    Hearing these words, Jane felt the resentment umted in her chest finally released.


    Jane looked at Rachel, who was sitting in the resting area. A gloating smile appeared on Jane¡¯s face.


    She said, ¡°Rachel Grey, haven¡¯t you always been smart? ying the piano should be very easy for


    you, shouldn¡¯t it? What about justing up and ying a song?¡±


    Olivia continued, ¡°Miss Grey, could it be that you have a problem with Mr. Zane and Mrs. Zane? Or do


    you think you can look down on anyone since you have a backer now?¡±


    Olivia softly said those words and ruthlessly passed the me on Rachel.


    Things would not change unless Rachel agreed to perform on stage.


    Rachel raised her eyes and looked at Olivia with a faint smile, saying, ¡°It¡¯s brilliant that Miss Cruise and


    Miss Smith performed a song first to warm up. But why drag. me down? Anyway, today is Mr. Zane¡¯s


    and Mrs. Zane¡¯s anniversary. They should be in the limelight, not us, the guests, right? As for the


    performance, I¡¯m not biased, but performers on the stage do look like entertainers.¡±


    Pift!N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

 Chapter 358

    Chapter 358


    Chapter 358


    The crowd burst into lowughter. Even the gloomy Eleanor was slightly rxed after hearing Rachel¡¯s


    words.


    Eleanor said inside, ¡°I thought that girl was determined to be a pushover and let others do anything to


    her!¡±


    Olivia¡¯s expression changed when she heard Rachel¡¯s words.


    Olivia shouted inside, ¡°Rachel is eloquent. I really want to tear her mouth apart!¡±


    Just as Olivia was about to say something, Jane, who was beside Olivia, lost control and shouted


    fiercely, ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying I¡¯m an entertainer?¡±


    Olivia worried that Jane would cause trouble and implicate her. Thus, Olivia quickly held Jane¡¯s hand


    and signaled Jane not to speak.


    ¡°Sorry for our inconsideration,¡± Olivia exined gently. ¡°We are impressed by Mr. Zane and Mrs. Zane¡¯s


    love for each other. We wanted everything to be perfect for these loving birds and did something


    wrong. Mr. Zane and Mrs. Zane, I beg your pardon.¡±


    Olivia was humble and gentle, so Mr. Zane and Mrs. Zane could not say anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Olivia tactfully drew people¡¯s attention to Rachel again. Olivia continued to speak,


    ¡°Today is a special day for Mr. Zane and Mrs. Zane. I hope Miss Grey can y a song to improve


    everyone¡¯s mood.¡±


    Rachel could not turn the invitation down again since Olivia insisted.


    Rachel took a deep breath and handed the wine ss to David, replying to Olivia, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll ept this


    invitation since Miss Cruise insists.¡±


    Rachel slowly stood up and walked toward the piano on the stage. Rachel said, ¡°It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t


    practiced for so many years. I¡¯m unfamiliar with ying the piano now, so please forgive me if the


    music isn¡¯t that good.¡±


    ¡°Ohh, Miss Grey, you are just being humble,¡± said Olivia.


    It was obvious that Olivia did not give Rachel excuses to fail.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Rachel curled her lips, and a meaningful glint shed across her beautiful eyes.


    Rachel expected Olivia not to stop the game easily. Rachel thought, ¡°I hope this is what you want,


    Olivia.¡±


    ¡°This song is dedicated to Mr. Zane and Mrs. Zane. I wish you a happy life.¡± After Rachel finished her


    speech, she sat on the piano stool.


    Rachel¡¯s fair fingersnded on the ck and white keys like lively fairies.


    The pleasing piano music slowly flowed and rippled in the banquet hall. The guests present could not


    help revealing satisfied expressions.


    It was enough to prove that Rachel was more skillful in piano and had better empathy than Olivia and


    Jane.


    Hearing it for a while, Olivia clenched her hands into fists.


    Rachel was ying the same tune that Olive and Jane had yed!


    Olivia shouted inside, ¡°Does Rachel really have a photographic memory?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes were full of anger, and she red at Rachel.


    The woman on stage was wearing a ck gown. The white light shone on Rachel, making her wless


    face even more eye¨Ccatching.


    Rachel curled up her lips, and her smile had an unstoppable charm. Every move she made exuded an


    aura of nobility that could not be ignored.


    Sitting in the resting area, David appreciated Rachel¡¯s performance on the stage. His eyes contained


    complicated emotions.


    David thought, ¡°What kind of treasure did I find?¡±


    Rachel could always surprise David at the most unexpected moments. Even though a long time ago


    David had heard that Rachel could y the piano, he could not hide his joy and amazement when he


    finally heard Rachel¡¯s music.


    David thought, ¡°Rachel is like a box with manyyers. After opening oneyer, there is anotheryer


    waiting for me. It seems endless, but I will never get bored of that and always have anticipation.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, this woman with countless surprises is mine now!¡±


    David sneered. That smile entuated his gorgeous face.

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    Chapter 359


    Chapter 359


    There was dead silence below the stage when the piano music ended.


    Rachel stood up with a generous smile and said courteously, ¡°Please forgive me if my performance is


    not perfect.¡±


    Hearing Rachel¡¯s speaking, everyone gradually recovered from the shock.


    Some people started apuding. Then deafening apuse arose.


    Below the stage, Olivia felt her face burning as if she had been pped hard. Olivia shouted inside,


    ¡°Rachel knows how to y the piano!


    ¡°Moreover, Rachel seems so skillful that she must learn piano for years!¡±


    ¡°I wonder if Miss Cruise is satisfied with my performance?¡± asked Rachel.


    Olivia came back to her senses and gazed at Rachel. Olivia took a deep breath and tried her best to


    squeeze out a smile, replying, ¡°I have to say Miss Grey is talented. I¡¯m ashamed of my inferiority.¡±


    Although Olivia said so, deep down, she wanted to rush up and tear Rachel¡¯s face apart.


    Olivia shouted inside, ¡°That bitch must do this deliberately to embarrass me!¡±


    Rachel realized the jealousy and anger in Olivia¡¯s eyes. Thus, Rachel smiled and said, ¡°Miss Cruise is


    being humble. I haven¡¯t practiced for a long time. How can Ipare to Miss Cruise and Miss Smith?


    You are the youngdies from noble. families.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s light tone could not hide the aggressiveness.


    The smile on Olivia¡¯s face froze.


    Mary was the first to reply, ¡°Things rted to art don¡¯t count on diligence, but talent.¡±


    When people present heard this, they echoed, ¡°Diligence and hard work seem so weak ifpared


    with talent.¡±


    ¡°Miss Cruise has always been called a talenteddy. Now, it seems that this title belongs to someone


    else.¡±


    ¡°Although Rachel is not from a prestigious family, she has an outstanding appearance, intelligence, and


    talent. What is Mr. Smith thinking? Why did he choose Olivia Cruise over Miss Grey?¡±


    ¡°How can the Cruise family be considered a wealthy family now? Olivia is not a fairdy. Those people


    call her like that because of business needs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about which family¡¯s daughter would seduce a married man!¡±


    ¡°As the saying goes, the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. Don¡¯t forget that the current Mrs. Cruise


    gets what she wants by her remarkable seducing skills!¡±


    In just a minute, Olivia had turned from a highly sought¨Cafter target to the biggestughing stock in the


    hall.


    Standing beside Olivia, Jane felt extremely embarrassed. She red at Olivia angrily and left.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and asked, ¡°Are you satisfied with the result, Miss Cruise?¡± Rachel


    was sneering, and her lips looked like dangerous poppy flowers.


    Olivia lost control when hearing those words. She red fiercely at Rachel and said, ¡°You did it


    deliberately!¡±


    Rachel chuckled and replied, ¡°But you¡¯re the one who forced me to go on stage.¡± Then she slowly


    reached out her hand toward Olivia¡¯s face.


    Olivia¡¯s pupils constricted. Olivia subconsciously dodged and stared warily at Rachel¡¯s demonic w,


    asking, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Rachel reached out to grab Olivia¡¯s chin and gently patted Olivia¡¯s face, saying, ¡°Think about it. You


    asked for it. However, I have to thank you anyway. Without you, I won¡¯t be able to stand out.¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Rachel¡¯s every word was filled with intense mockery.


    The sense of mockery was strong especially when Rachel pped Olivia¡¯s face. It was obvious that


    Rachel did not use much strength, but Olivia felt her face burning.


    Olivia felt ashamed of being stepped on and humiliated by Rachel.


    Olivia¡¯s breathing became faster, and her eyes gradually turned red due to extreme anger and


    unwillingness.


    When Olivia was about to go crazy, Rachel reminded her, ¡°Miss Cruise, watch your manners. You¡¯re a


    lady from a wealthy family.¡±


    After speaking, Rachel smiled and left, passing Olivia.

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    Chapter 360


    Sophie stared at Rachel. The more Sophie looked at Rachel, the more she liked Rachel.


    Sophie thought, ¡°Unfortunately, considering Rachel¡¯s status, she is far beyond our reach.¡±


    Thinking of this, Sophie could not help but sigh faintly.


    However, Sophie¡¯s sign attracted Stuart¡¯s attention. He quickly took a tiny bottle from his pocket and


    said, ¡°Everything okay? How about taking a sip of my secret beverage first?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the time to drink your secret beverage.¡± Sophie¡¯s eyes were filled with mncholy. Then she


    sighed again and said, ¡°I feel something inside.¡±


    When Stuart heard this, his expression changed as if he had heard something serious. Stuart asked,


    ¡°Your heart isn¡¯t feeling well?!¡±


    Sophie was speechless.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Stuart said, ¡°Honey, don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± Stuart was terrified when he saw Sophie¡¯s


    expressionless face.


    Knowing that Stuart was worried, Sophie sighed helplessly and exined, ¡°Your son is about to turn 24


    this year. You are his father. Why don¡¯t you care at all?¡±


    Stuart said, ¡°Ohh, you are worrying about that. Haven¡¯t you been looking for a girl with a suitable family


    background recently? No luck?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sophie replied as she looked at Rachel.


    Stuart immediately understood what Sophie was thinking. He coughed softly and said, ¡°Honey, maybe


    we should lower our expectations.¡±


    Ever since Stuart learned from Sophie that Rachel was the daughter of the richest family in Seaxas, the


    Johnson family, Stuart regretted what he had done to Rachel.


    Stuart said, ¡°How could I ask Miss Grey from the Johnson family to do things for me like a servant?


    That family is the richest in Seaxas.


    ¡°However, what puzzles me the most is why Louis Smith made such a decision. Is he out of his mind?


    ¡°Louis abandoned thedy from the richest family in Seaxas and chose Olivia Cruise. A woman from a


    declining family.¡±


    However, Sophie¡¯s eyes were fixed on Rachel the entire time. Thus, Sophie did not listen to Stuart at


    all. She asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Joseph?¡±


    ¡°Honey, Miss Grey already has a boyfriend, so stay out of their business.¡± Stuart handed the bottle to


    Sophie again and said, ¡°Come on. Have some.¡±


    Sophie held Stuart¡¯s wrist and took a sip perfunctorily. She said, ¡°We still have a chance since Rachel


    is unmarried.¡±


    Hearing this, Stuart could not say a word.


    ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s always a divorce after a marriage! That¡¯s what you said when you pursued me!¡±


    Stuart did not know how to process that.


    At this moment, Louis walked to Stuart and greeted respectfully, ¡°Mr. Zane, I wonder if this is the right


    time. May we have a moment alone to talk about something?¡±


    When Stuart heard this, the gentleness on his face faded a little. Stuart returned to his usual serious


    appearance.


    Stuart looked Louis up and down and shook Louis¡¯s shoulder hard. Stuart said earnestly, ¡°Mr. Smith, it¡¯s


    rare for you toe out and rx. Why don¡¯t you enjoy the moment? What do you think?¡±


    Louis was stunned for a moment. Then he smiled and replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Stuart. Then he held Sophie¡¯s hand and left.


    Louis stood still and watched Stuart and Sophie leave. Then Louis raised his ss and drank all the


    wine in it.


    ¡°Louis, how is it?¡± Olivia asked gently. ¡°How¡¯s Mr. Zane¡¯s attitude?¡±


    Louis looked back at Olivia with a serious expression and shook his head slightly.


    Louis¡¯s intuition told him that this trip would not go well.


    After Rachel¡¯s performance, the guests entered the dance floor in groups.


    After a while, many men gave Rachel signals.


    However, Rachel rejected all of them without exception.


    Mary said, ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Rae¨CRae¡¯s charm doesn¡¯t decrease at all.¡± Mary held her wine ss with one


    hand crossed in front of her chest, smiling brightly.


    Rachel looked at Mary¡¯s slightly red cheeks and frowned, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much.¡±


    Mary raised her ss and said, ¡°I¡¯m so happy tonight. Come and have a drink with me.¡±

 Chapter 361

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    Chapter 361


    However, Mary noticed that Rachel¡¯s hands were empty.


    Mary was about to get up and get a ss of wine for Rachel. She said, ¡°Just a second.¡±


    ¡°Miss, would you like a ss of champagne?¡± At this moment, a uniformed waiter carrying a tray


    appeared before Rachel. He respectfully handed the tray to Rachel. Mary did not doubt him. Thus,


    Mary put down the empty ss and picked up another one.


    When Mary was about to pass the ss to Rachel, the waiter took the lead and handed a ss to


    Rachel.


    Rachel looked at the ss before her and did not rush to take it. Instead, she meaningfully looked at


    the waiter.


    Rachel¡¯s sharp gaze was like a knife as if nothing could escape her


    eyes.


    The waiter¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He swallowed nervously and asked, ¡°Miss, is anything wrong?¡±


    After considering for a moment, Rachel reached out to take the ss and said calmly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Standing in the corner, Jane was finally rxed when she saw Rachel take the ss from the waiter.


    Jane stared at Rachel, expecting Rachel to drink that ss of wine with drugs.


    Jane shouted inside, ¡°It will be best if she drinks it all!¡±


    Ever since Jane lost thepetition with Rachel, Jane made up her mind to make Rachel pay for what


    she had done.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Jane thought, ¡°Without David to back her up, Rachel will never be in the limelight.


    ¡°If David abandons her, then Rachel will have nothing left!


    ¡°However, I want more than David to abandon Rachel. I want to make Rachel suffer so much that she


    wants to die. I want to ruin her reputation and make her be a joke in Seaxas!¡±


    Rachel held the ss and shook her wrist slightly. She was not in a hurry to drink


    1. it.


    Rachel was sensitive and noticed that a sinister and cold gaze in the corner was fixed on her.


    Rachel raised her eyes and casually looked around. Then she saw Jane Smith


    hiding behind the tall green nt.


    Jane narrowed her eyes. Rachel realized an indistinct coldness in Jane¡¯s eyes.


    Jane sensed Rachel¡¯s gaze. Thus, out of guilt, she subconsciously shrank into a dark corner.


    Seeing this, Rachel sneered.


    Rachel thought, ¡°It seems that someone will be so nervous if I don¡¯t drink this ss of wine.¡±


    Mary watched Rachel y with the ss and vaguely sensed something. Mary frowned slightly and


    became serious, asking, ¡°Is there a problem with this ss?¡±


    People from wealthy families had seen all kinds of methods. Drugging people secretly was one of the


    most despicable methods.


    It was also the method that Mary hated the most!


    Rachel looked at Mary with a faint smile.


    With that look, Mary instantly understood. When Mary was about to re up, Rachel grabbed her hand


    and said, ¡°Don¡¯t alert the enemy.¡±


    Mary asked, ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± Mary¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement.


    Rachel smirked and replied, ¡°We¡¯ll beat her at her own game.¡±


    As she spoke, Rachel gently clinked her ss with Mary¡¯s. Then, Rachel tilted her body slightly and


    finished the wine.


    Rachel put down the ss and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. I¡¯ll go back to my room and rest first.¡±¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± replied Mary.


    Then Rachel left the banquet hall and walked toward the guest room.


    Rachel was walking slowly. It was like she did not feel well and could not walk at the usual speed.


    Jane was stalking Rachel all the way. Seeing this, Jane thought her n worked. Therefore, Jane


    chased up to Rachel and said, ¡°Rachel Grey, do you feel hot all over now?¡±

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    Chapter 362


    Chapter 362


    Seeing that Rachel did not speak with her back facing Jane, Jane continued, ¡°That ss of wine is


    filled with a high concentration of condiments. A drop is worth more than gold. As long as you touch it,


    you will have to submit obediently and be a lustful woman no matter how chaste you are!¡±


    ¡°Did¡­did you drug me¡­¡± Rachel said weakly with one hand on the wall. Rachel was panting heavily


    as if she could copse at any moment.


    When Jane saw Rachel like this, Jane had a vicious and excited smile on her face. ¡°Yes, what can you


    do to me? There¡¯s something you don¡¯t know. I added a total of 5 drops just in case, and you happened


    to drink the whole ss of wine. You¡¯re truly such a fool!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you morous tonight? Tomorrow morning, everyone will see you fooling around with random


    men. Let¡¯s see how morous you will be then! Let¡¯s see if David will still be interested in a whore who


    sleeps with thousands of people!¡±


    Rachel kept her head lowered. The hair hanging down from one side of her shoulder blocked Rachel¡¯s


    face.


    As Jane chattered on, she did not notice the coldness in Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    Jane didn¡¯t even notice that the corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth were curled up slightly, forming a faint arc


    that vaguely revealed a hint of strangeness.


    Jane sized up Rachel¡¯s slightly trembling body and revealed a triumphant smile on her face. ¡°Rachel,


    you won¡¯t be able to escape tonight! On ount that we¡¯re old acquaintances, I¡¯ve found experts with


    strong bodies for you tonight. I guarantee that you¡¯ll be ecstatic!¡±


    As she spoke, Jane walked forward and pulled Rachel¡¯s arm towards the guest room that was already


    prepared.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Rachel cooperated and struggled. Rachel was weak as if she could not break free


    from Jane.


    Jane sneered. Jane grabbed Rachel¡¯s arm and dug her nails into Rachel¡¯s skin. ¡°How can I let go of


    you? Do you know how long I¡¯ve been waiting? The male leads have been waiting impatiently in front


    of the camera. All they need now is you, the female lead!¡±


    Hearing this, a chill ran down Rachel¡¯s spine.


    In the past, Rachel thought that Jane was just spoiled by the Smith family people, and was arrogant


    and unruly. Now, it seemed that Rachel had underestimated Jane¡¯s viciousness.


    ¡°Jane, do you know that your words and actions have already constituted a crime?¡± Rachel said.


    Jane sneered disdainfully. ¡°To tell you the truth, the surveince equipment is being maintained tonight,


    so no one else knows what happened tonight except you and me! Even if you call the police after this,


    who will believe you with just your words?¡±


    As they spoke, the two of them arrived at a guest room.


    Jane took out her room card and opened the door with a beep. ¡°Handsomes, please let the show


    begin!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Jane pushed Rachel towards the door.


    However, the moment Jane let go, Rachel grabbed her wrist.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    The sudden change shocked Jane.


    Jane looked up at Rachel in disbelief, and she realized that Rachel¡¯s eyes were cold.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Jane¡¯s pupils trembled. She was shocked.


    What the hell was going on?


    Jane had personally seen Rachel drink that ss of wine. Why was Rachel acting like she was fine


    now?


    Rachel chuckled. Rachel¡¯sughter was short, like a sh in the pan, but it was cold and ruthless.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t drink that ss of wine at all. It was all for you to see!¡±

 Chapter 363

    Chapter 363


    Chapter 363


    Rachel spoke word by word. Rachel¡¯s light tone did not have much emotion, but it made the blood in


    Jane¡¯s body freeze bit by bit.


    A chill rose from the soles of Jane¡¯s feet and spread to her limbs and bones, making her tremble


    uncontrobly.


    ¡°Rachel, you¡­¡±


    Before Jane could finish speaking, Rachel suddenly pushed the door shut.


    The entire process was done in one go.


    The sudden change caught Jane off guard.


    ¡°Rachel, open the door quickly!¡± Jane mmed the door hard and turned the lock in a panic. ¡°I¡¯m


    warning you, you¡¯d better open the door quickly, or I won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    Rachel, who was standing outside the door, raised her eyebrows slightly. Rachel took out her phone


    and turned off the recording. ¡°In that case, I can¡¯t open the door.¡±


    When Jane heard this, her expression changed drastically. ¡°Rachel, open the door. I¡¯m begging you,


    okay? As long as you open the door, I can pretend that nothing happened today¡­¡±


    In the dark room, the men¡¯s heavy breathing became clearer and clearer, making Jane even more


    terrified. Jane pounded on the door with all her might. ¡°Rachel, let me out quickly! My brother will


    definitely not let you off for treating me like this. The Smith family will never let you off either!¡±


    ¡°The security cameras along the entire corridor are being maintained. No one will know what happened


    tonight except you and me. You arranged it yourself. How could you forget that?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s words made Jane feel as if she had fallen into an icehouse.


    That¡¯s right. In order to ensure that nothing went wrong, Jane had already bribed someone to turn off


    the surveince camera. Jane had originally nned to put Rachel in a desperate position, but Jane


    did not expect to shoot herself in the foot!


    Jane¡¯s entire body was corroded by a chill, and she trembled uncontrobly. ¡°Rachel, I was wrong. I


    apologize to you. Open the door quickly!¡±


    ¡°The people inside are all delirious. They, they¡­ get away from me!¡±


    Rachel looked at the closed door in front of her expressionlessly and said indifferently, ¡°One has to take


    the backfire of his own sins! Jane, you¡¯re on your own!¡±


    With that, Rachel turned around and left.


    When Jane heard Rachel¡¯s footsteps, Jane panicked. ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t go! Come back! Let me out!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Get lost! All of you, get lost!¡±


    In the quiet corridor, Jane¡¯s miserable screams and men¡¯s lewdughter resounded.


    Rachel just smiled coldly.


    Rachel really could not sympathize with Jane, considering Jane¡¯s actions,


    If Jane did not have the intention to harm others, Jane would not have ended up like this.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    All of this was Jane¡¯s fault!


    Rachel returned to her room and felt her mouth go dry.


    Even after drinking a ss of ice water, there was no improvement.


    Rachel looked up and noticed the abnormal blush on her cheeks. Her pupils suddenly darkened.


    Although Rachel had never experienced sexual things, she was not an innocent little girl.


    Naturally, Rachel could guess the reason for her current situation.


    However, Rachel did not expect Jane to apply the drug to the mouth of the ss.


    Jane really outdid herself!


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were cold. She walked into the bathroom, quickly took off her clothes, and soaked


    herself in the bathtub.


    The cold water temperature enveloped Rachel, and her body trembled fiercely. However, the heat in


    Rachel¡¯s body did not weaken at all.


    Instead, Rachel felt that the fire was burning brighter and brighter as if it would melt her.


    Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks were unusually blushed. She was shivering in the bathtub soaked in cold water.

 Chapter 364

    Chapter 364


    Chapter 364


    In the banquet hall, people were dressed in fragrant clothes and drinking.


    Olivia had just seen Jane tail Rachel all the way.


    However, after such a long time, Jane still hadn¡¯t returned. Olivia felt a little uneasy.


    Olivia knew that Jane had a long¨Cstanding grudge against Rachel. Olivia also knew that Jane had been


    nning to take revenge on Rachel for a long time.


    The reason why Olivia did not interfere was that she hoped to use Jane to take down Rachel.


    After all, given all that had happened, Olivia hated Rachel to the bones.


    Olivia couldn¡¯t wait for Jane to torture Rachel to death.


    Especially when Olivia knew that Jane¡¯s methods were so dirty and filthy, Olivia looked forward to it


    even more.


    However, for some reason, Olivia¡¯s eyelids kept twitching. Olivia had a feeling that something bad was


    going to happen.


    Olivia was in a daze with a ss of wine in her hand, so she did not hear Louis¡¯s words.


    ¡°Olivia? Olivia?¡±


    After shouting a few times, Olivia suddenly came back to her senses. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Louis smiled and looked at Olivia spectively. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes flickered, and she pursed her lips. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just a little tired.¡±


    As she spoke, Olivia put down the wine ss in her hand and leaned on Louis¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go


    back to the room to rest.¡±


    ¡°You go back first. I¡¯ll wait for Jane.¡± Louis patted Olivia¡¯s shoulder gently and looked around.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Who knew how Jane¡¯s n was going? In order to avoid being involved, Olivia felt that she needed to


    create an alibi.


    At the very least, Olivia could prove her innocence when the truth was exposed.


    With this in mind, Olivia slowly slid her hand from Louis¡® waist to his chest. Olivia lifted the corner of her


    eyes slightly, and she rubbed against Louis¡® chest coquettishly. ¡°But I want you to send me back¡­¡±


    Louis sensed Olivia¡¯s palm on his waist and abdomen. Louis¡® body instantly stiffened, and the arm


    around Olivia tightened slightly. Louis¡® Adam¡¯s apple


    bobbed, and his eyes were as dark as a deep pool.


    This little vixen actually teased Louis in public!


    Louis took a small, deep breath. ¡°Do you want me to hold you?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Olivia¡¯s face was filled with joy.


    When the two of them left, they happened to meet the gloomy David.


    The man was surrounded by a terrifying low pressure and was immersed in a destructive aura that


    made one shudder.


    David raised his eyes and nced at the two people in front of him. A trace of coldness and


    ruthlessness shed across David¡¯s eyes.


    At this moment, Jimmy called. ¡°David, I¡¯ve found it. Rachel is in the guest room!¡±


    Before Jimmy could finish his sentence, David hung up the phone, turned around, and strode towards


    the guest room department.


    No matter how hard David knocked on the door, there was no response.


    Without any hesitation, David kicked open the door.


    The room was dark, and only a trace of light leaked out from the bathroom.


    David pushed the bathroom door open. A glimpse of a beautiful scene was revealed to David.


    Rachel¡¯s ck hair floated in the water like algae, and her graceful figure was faintly discernible


    underwater.


    Rachel¡¯s fair skin was sickly pale under the cold water, and the blood vessels under her skin were


    clearly defined. Rachel¡¯s fragile and sickly beauty made her look like a mermaid on the verge of death.


    David frowned imperceptibly and slowly walked forward. He carefully reached out and gently patted


    Rachel¡¯s cheek. ¡°Rae¨CRae, Rae¨CRae¡­¡±


    The moment the man¡¯s irritable and warm palmnded on her cheek, Rachel was like a traveler in the


    desert who had finally found an oasis when he was sick. Only by constantly approaching could Rachel


    ease the heat in her heart.


    Rachel closed her eyes slightly and instinctively rubbed her cheek against the man¡¯s palm like a


    coquettish cat.

 Chapter 365

    Chapter 365


    Chapter 365


    David looked at Rachel, and ayer of coldness appeared on David¡¯s angr face.


    With his understanding of Rachel, David was naturally not stupid enough to think that Rachel was


    luring him.


    David pulled Rachel out of the water. When his palm touched Rachel¡¯s skin, David could clearly feel the


    scorching temperature.


    David frowned and vaguely guessed why Rachel had be like this.


    David then pulled the towel from the shelf and wrapped it around Rachel.


    At this moment, Rachel, who was in a daze, sensed the intrusion of outsiders. Rachel suddenly raised


    her eyes, and a cold light appeared in her eyes.


    However, when Rachel saw David¡¯s face clearly, a cold glint shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°David, you,


    why are you here¡­¡±


    Rachel¡¯s cold voice was mixed with a hint of uncontroble panting, making one¡¯s imagination run wild.


    Perhaps it was because she was drugged, Rachel¡¯s senses were magnified infinitely. Rachel greedily


    sniffed the man¡¯s cold aura and wished she could press herself against him.


    Rachel secretly gritted her teeth and tried her best to control herself. ¡°Get out. I can do it myself.¡±


    David ced Rachel on the bed. David saw ayer of tears in the corners of Rachel¡¯s eyes. Rachel bit


    her lower lip with her teeth, clearly trying her best to stay awake and rational.


    ¡°Stop biting.¡± David pressed Rachel¡¯s chin with his fingertip. Rachel loosened her bite on her lips, and a


    trace of blood could be seen on her lips.


    David¡¯s eyes darkened and his voice suddenly sank. ¡°Don¡¯t bite!¡±


    At this moment, the man¡¯s touch was filled with temptation for Rachel, whose rationality was on the


    verge of copse.


    Rachel turned her head away and avoided David¡¯s touch. Rachel wrapped herself in the nket and


    turned her back to David. Rachel said in a slightly angry tone, ¡°Get out!¡±


    David looked at Rachel who was curled up on the bed like an injured little beast. Rachel would rather


    grit her teeth and endure it than show weakness to others.


    ¡°Normally, there is no antidote for this kind of drug,¡± David¡¯s cold and deep voice suddenly sounded.


    Rachel¡¯s body trembled, and her grip on the nket tightened. Rachel swallowed her saliva and said in


    a soft voice, ¡°So, so¡­¡±


    ¡°You need my help.,¡±


    A simple sentence exploded in Rachel¡¯s ears like thunder.


    In an instant, Rachel¡¯s mind went nk.


    Before Rachel could react, David was already pressed against her back.


    The man¡¯s body temperature made Rachel let out a seductive sound from her lips.


    Rachel¡¯s rationality, which she had been trying her best to hold on to, instantly disintegrated.


    Instinctively, Rachel pressed herself against David¡¯s chest. She wanted nothing more than to rub


    herself into David.


    The moment Rachel¡¯s soft body touched him, David had a darker and deeper look in his dark eyes.


    Rachel was like an extremely thirsty person in the desert. How could one easily let go of an oasis that


    allowed her to be reborn?


    Rachel kissed David haphazardly.


    David¡¯s body was tense as he looked down at the unconscious Rachel in his arms.


    Rachel¡¯s cheeks were so red that they looked like they were about to bleed. Rachel¡¯s pure ck and


    white eyes were covered with ayer of wet mist. Her eyes were clean and pure, but the corners of her


    eyes were dyed with an unknowing charm, like those of a little fox who was ignorant of the world.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    It turned out that Rachel also had such a tempting side¡­


    ¡°David, I feel terrible¡­¡± Facing the unresponsive David, Rachel buried her head in David¡¯s shoulder


    and neck. Rachel¡¯s tone sounded like she was crying. Rachel was extremely aggrieved.


    What should she do? Rachel really couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    Rachel never expected that her lips contacting with the ss would cause such a huge disaster!


    It was really a mistake!

 Chapter 366

    Chapter 366


    David had never seen her cry. He reached out his hand and gently wiped the tears from the corners of


    her eyes. His low and maic voice slowly sounded. ¡°Do you want it?¡±


    Rachel looked up at him.


    Her clear almond¨Cshaped eyes were no longer as persistent as before, only leaving behind a pitiful


    watery glow, like a white rose under a storm.


    ¡°David, I feel terrible. Can you help me¡­¡±


    The desire in her body was about to roast her from the inside out.


    David let out a lowugh and kissed her forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re not sober enough.¡±


    He was afraid that Rachel would regret it for the rest of her life.


    Rachel seemed to read his concerns. She wrapped herself around him like a soft snake and kissed his


    chin and lips. ¡°I won¡¯t regret it¡­¡±


    David looked at her with a deep and burning gaze.


    Finally, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He flipped over and pinned her under him.


    David kissed her lips passionately and urgently.


    Rachel instinctively opened her mouth and breathed heavily. She was like a fish stranded in the


    shallows after the tide receded. Her body became limp like a puddle of water.


    The man¡¯s palmnded on her body, causing her body to stiffen unconsciously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid¡­¡± David¡¯s deep and cold voice sounded beside her ear. He gently kissed her temple.


    The room was filled with charm.


    The soft touch made Rachel¡¯s toes curl up. She seemed to hear the sound of the string in her head


    snapping. Her almond¨Cshaped eyes suddenly widened, and her pupils trembled slightly.


    After some time, the room finally returned to normal. The air was filled with an ambiguous smell.


    David carried Rachel out of the bathroom and gently ced her on the bed.


    Rachel wrapped herself tightly in the nket.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to admit it after using me?¡± David looked at the woman with her back facing him and


    smiled faintly.


    Rachel pursed her lips and said gloomily, ¡°No.¡±


    She only thought of the scene of David helping her and felt that the atmosphere was a little awkward.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    For a moment, she did not know how to face David.


    As David sat by the bed, the space behind Rachel copsed. A man¡¯s voice sounded above her head


    again. ¡°Is that because you¡¯re not satisfied with my service?¡±


    His deep, cold, and maic voice was mixed with a hint of desire that had yet to fade, revealing the


    texture of gravel.


    ¡°No.¡± Rachel buried her head in the nket like a quail and shook her head slightly.


    After calming herself down, she turned around to face David. Her gaze happened tond on David¡¯s


    thin lips.


    Her cheeks instantly heated up. She cleared her throat and said calmly, ¡°Actually, you¡­ you didn¡¯t


    have to use that method just now¡­¡±


    Since the two of them were lovers, they would have sex sooner orter.


    It was just a matter of time.


    David¡¯s dark eyes stared at her without blinking. After a moment, his thin lips curved into a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretending to be obedient after taking advantage of me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Rachel looked at the scratch on his chest and gently stroked it with her fingers. ¡°I just feel that this


    kind of thing will happen sooner orter¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, David¡¯s fingers that were caressing her cheek paused. imperceptibly.


    ¡°I let you go tonight just to wait for the day you truly belong to me.¡± The pad of his finger gently


    caressed her eyebrows. ¡°I want you to make a sober choice, unaffected and undisturbed by the outside


    world.¡±

 Chapter 367

    Chapter 367


    Chapter 867


    When Rachel heard this, her heart could not help but race.


    She understood what David meant.


    What he wanted was a choice with no regrets. It was irreceable, and once she made her choice,


    there was no going back.


    Rachel looked at him with a gentle gaze.


    After several interactions, this man in front of her seemed to know her like the back of his hand.


    Every word he said poked at her soft spot. He easily pried open the cold and hard shell that enveloped


    her and injected warmth into her little by little.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave me.¡± She stared at him for a moment. Finally, unable to maintain herposure, she


    threw herself into his arms.


    David instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist. ¡°No, David will always belong to Rachel!¡±


    She was the rose that seduced him, the antidote to his lonely life.


    He would be her eternal believer!


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s heart was filled with softness.


    However, in this touching atmosphere, David suddenly asked, ¡°If I don¡¯t appear tonight, what do you


    n to do?¡±


    Rachel was stunned for a moment before turning to look at him.


    The man was wrapped in a towel, and there were scratches and hickeys on his chest, but his entire


    body was filled with a cold aura.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    After a long while, Rachel said calmly, ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect the effect of this thing to be so


    strong¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you n to do next?¡± asked David.


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°Since she nned everything, there must be another n behind it. We just


    have to beat her at her own game.¡±


    Since the other party wanted to destroy her and ruin her reputation, she naturally needed the help of


    the entertainment media.


    She thought that when the cruise ship arrived in Pollister tomorrow¨Cmorning, someone would definitely


    want to catch them in the act.


    ¡°Probably because of what happened previously, Jane learned to be smart and knew how to be


    cautious. She actually smeared that kind of thing on the mouth of the cup.¡±


    She thought that if she saw through Jane¡¯s vicious n, it would be foolproof. Unexpectedly, she was


    overconfident and made a mistake.


    ¡°Do you know how scared I was when I couldn¡¯t find you tonight? You should have told me something


    so big happened.¡± David took a step forward and pulled her into his arms. ¡°You¡¯re not alone. I¡¯m behind


    you. I can shelter you from the wind and rain. I can even be the sharpest de in your hand.¡±


    Warmth flowed through Rachel¡¯s¨Cheart, and the corners of her eyes uncontrobly moistened.


    She wrapped her arms around David¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault for neglecting your feelings¡­¡±


    In the past, she was used to shouldering everything and facing everything alone. As a result, she


    subconsciously ignored the existence of David and his feelings.


    It had to be said that habit was a very scary thing.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the one who should be apologizing.¡± David¡¯s palm held the back of her head and his thin


    lipsnded at the corner of her eyes. ¡°I wasn¡¯t doing well enough.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, her eyes could not help but turn sour. The tears in her eyes became even


    more obvious.


    Looking at her red eyes, David¡¯s eyes were filled with indulgence and pampering. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to


    fight tomorrow morning? Go to bed early.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Rachel. Then she thought of something. ¡°Give me your phone.¡±


    David handed the phone to her without any hesitation. ¡°The PIN is your birthday.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat for some reason. Her face was still calm as she asked casually, ¡°Why


    must you use my birthday?¡±


    David stretched out his arm and wrapped it around her slender waist. He suddenly pulled her into his


    embrace. His deep voice was a little hoarse as it entered her ears. ¡°Because I hope that the things


    rted to me are also rted to you.¡±


    Rachel looked up at him in a daze.


    The dim light made the man¡¯s facial features even more handsome. A small me seemed to have lit


    up in the depths of his dark eyes, revealing a soul¨Cstirring light.


    ¡°Go to sleep. Good night.¡± David leaned over and kissed her eyebrows.

 Chapter 368

    Chapter 368


    Chapter 368


    The next morning, Rachel was woken up by an urgent knock on the door.


    The reason was that Olivia discovered that the diamond ne she worest night was missing.


    After thinking for a moment, she suggested to search everyone¡¯s rooms.


    After everyone¡¯s rooms were searched one by one, only Rachel¡¯s was left.


    Upon hearing the reason, Rachel nced at David. Her eyes were filled with


    sarcasm.


    ¡°Miss Grey, I hope you can cooperate and open the door,¡± the room manager said respectfully.


    In the crowd, Olivia¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement when she saw that Rachel did not respond for a


    long time.


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    It seemed that Jane¡¯s nst night had gone smoothly. Otherwise, why would Rachel be so guilty that


    she did not dare to open the door?


    Thinking of this, Olivia chimed in, ¡°Miss Grey, everyone adheres to the principle that we can¡¯t wrong a


    good person, but we can¡¯t let a bad person off either. We don¡¯t mean to target you. I hope you can


    cooperate with us to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.


    ¡°To be honest, this ne is very important to me. Louis bought it for me at the Fujiby auction. I had


    no choice¡­¡±


    As soon as she said this, everyone vaguely sensed the hidden truth.


    Everyone knew about the emotional entanglements between Rachel, Louis, and Olivia.


    Perhaps Rachel was jealous of Olivia so she stole the ne?


    For a moment, an intriguing expression appeared on everyone¡¯s faces.


    When Rachel heard this, the smile on her lips became more mocking.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go out and take a look. Stay here and don¡¯t move,¡± said Rachel as she picked up the bathrobe at


    the end of the bed and walked towards the door.


    At that moment, Olivia had already called the room manager over and was about to open the door.


    Unexpectedly, the door was suddenly opened the next second.


    Olivia looked at Rachel who was wearing a bathrobe. The cor was slightly loose, and the ambiguous


    hickeys on the skin on her chest could be vaguely seen.


    ¡°This bitch had indeed fallen into my trap!¡±


    A sinister look shed across Olivia¡¯s eyes, but she still maintained a gentle


    expression. ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve already disturbed me, don¡¯t you think your apology is a little unnecessary, Miss Cruise?¡±


    Rachel raised the corners of her eyes slightly, and the corners of her mouth curved into a mocking


    smile.


    The smile on Olivia¡¯s face froze. ¡°Everyone is only following us out of concern. There¡¯s no malice.¡±


    ¡°Based on what you said, I¡¯m the one who doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate favors?¡±


    Her words rendered Olivia speechless.


    Rachel was now like a hedgehog covered in thorns. She would stab anyone who touched her.


    She was really difficult to control!


    Olivia bit her lip and looked at Louis with an aggrieved expression.


    Louis¡¯s heart ached as he held her in his arms. He looked at Rachel with a dark expression. ¡°Open the


    door and get someone to search the room. If there¡¯s nothing, we¡¯ll naturally leave!¡±


    As he spoke, he gave the person beside him a look, indicating for the staff to go in and take a look.


    However, Rachel¡¯s body moved and blocked the door. ¡°Why do you have to search. just because you


    want to? Breaking into my room without my permission is infringing on my privacy. You have to bear


    legal responsibility!¡±


    Her words changed in Olivia¡¯s ears.


    No matter how she heard it, it sounded like Rachel had a guilty conscience and was finding an excuse


    to cover up the truth!


    ¡°Miss Grey, I know this is a little inappropriate, but if we can resolve this privately, why should we call


    the police and let everyone know?¡± said Olivia. ¡°Moreover, this matter happened at the charity auction


    held by Mr. Zane and Mrs. Zane. If word gets out, I¡¯m afraid it will damage everyone¡¯s reputation.¡±

 Chapter 369

    Chapter 369


    Chapter 369


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Rachel sneered. She looked at Olivia with disdain as if she was looking at a self-directed


    clown. ¡°I don¡¯t have what you¡¯re looking for in my room. Please take these people away!¡±


    As she spoke, she turned around and was about to push open the door.


    Unexpectedly, a mocking voice came from the crowd. ¡°You expect us to believe you just like that? If


    you¡¯re not guilty then let us go in and take a look! I¡¯m afraid you have a guilty conscience!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel narrowed her eyes and nced sharply at the woman who spoke.


    Not only was this woman Olivia¡¯s good friend, but the two of them were also high school ssmates.


    ¡°I was wondering who was speaking. It turned out to be Miss Smash.¡±


    When Lisa heard Rachel call out her name, she was slightly stunned. She looked Rachel up and down.


    ¡°You know me?¡±


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    Why did she have no impression of this woman in front of her?


    ¡°Miss Smash and Miss Cruise are famous figures in Pollister High School. Naturally, I¡¯ve heard of you,¡±


    said Rachel.


    When they heard Rachel mention Pollister High School, Olivia and Lisa¡¯s expressions changed at the


    same time.


    Panic shed across Lisa¡¯s eyes as she subconsciously looked at Olivia.


    Seeing Olivia give her a look, she cleared her throat and changed the topic. ¡°You said you¡¯re innocent.


    Open the door and let us take a look! Everyone is willing to cooperate after knowing the situation. Why


    are you so unwilling? You¡¯re clearly guilty!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyone is happy to cooperate. Why are you dawdling?¡±


    ¡°She keeps saying that she¡¯s innocent, but she refuses to let everyone search the room. I think there¡¯s


    an 80% chance that she stole the ne!¡±


    ¡°Look at how nervous she is. There must be some kind of shameful secret hidden in the room!¡±


    ¡°I think she won¡¯t shed a tear until thest minute. Let¡¯s just barge in!¡±


    Rachel sneered. Her gaze swept across the people in front of her and finallynded on Olivia. ¡°Miss


    Cruise, you keep saying that you want to search my room. Do you have any evidence? If you don¡¯t,


    how is it any different from framing me?¡±


    Her imposing manner rendered Olivia speechless.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Olivia lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in her eyes. She pretended to be pitiful. ¡°I just want to


    take back my ne. How did it be framing? You keep saying that you¡¯re innocent, but don¡¯t


    you have no evidence to prove that either?¡±


    At that moment, Stuart rushed over after hearing the news. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Seeing that Stuart had arrived, Olivia took the initiative to tell him the whole story. ¡°Mr. Zane, I really


    didn¡¯t mean to cause trouble. It¡¯s just that the ne means a lot to me. I was worried that calling the


    police would bring you unnecessary trouble, so I came up with this n.¡±


    After Stuart found out what had happened, his gaze naturallynded on Rachel.


    After learning about Rachel¡¯s identity through his wife, Sophie, Stuart could not help but treat Rachel


    with more respect.


    However, losing a ne worth nearly a million at the banquet was definitely not a small matter. If


    words really got out, it would probably be an embarrassment to him as well.


    However, Rachel was backed by the Johnson family, and with David¡¯s support, it was naturally not a


    good idea to offend her.


    Stuart thought for a while and said with a faint smile, ¡°Miss Grey, is there a misunderstanding?¡±


    His attitude made Louis frown.

 Chapter 370

    Chapter 370


    Chapter 370


    Rachel raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her back and said casually, ¡°When I woke up, Miss


    Cruise brought a group of people and threatened to search my room. Without any evidence, she


    suspected that I took her ne. I think there¡¯s more to this than a misunderstanding.¡±


    In other words, Olivia was clearly targeting her intentionally or unintentionally when she questioned the


    search of her room.


    For a moment there, Stuart did not know what to say.


    However, his gaze involuntarilynded on Olivia, and there was a hint of dissatisfaction in the depths of


    his eyes.


    Actually, when he thought about it carefully, Olivia¡¯s matter seemed to have been done well, but the


    way it was handled was actually a little inappropriate.


    They said that they didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it and wanted to save each other any


    embarrassment, but now, they brought a group of people with the intention of barging into Rachel¡¯s


    room to do a search. No matter how one looked at it, they seemed to be deliberately embarrassing


    Rachel.


    Moreover, since Rachel said that she didn¡¯t take the ne, she definitely didn¡¯t take it.


    Rachel¡¯s identity was backed by the Johnson family, the richest family in Seaxas. She had seen all


    kinds of things. Why would she take a fancy to a ne from Olivia? Why would she do such a


    thing?


    Olivia had been taught by her mother since she was young and was very sensitive to the words and


    actions of men.


    Sensing Stuart¡¯s sharp and dissatisfied gaze, her eyes flickered.


    In her n, she did not expect Stuart to stand on Rachel¡¯s side.


    However, Stuart¡¯s change in attitude towards Rachel was indeed thought¨Cprovoking.


    However, the most important thing now was to break into the room behind Rachel and catch her in the


    act.


    Originally, Jane had nned everything. She just needed to sit back and watch the show.


    However, no one knew what Jane was up tost night. There was still no news. She knew that this was


    a once¨Cin¨Ca¨Clifetime opportunity and could not bear to give it up. She could only brace herself and put


    on such a show.


    Olivia lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in them. ¡°Miss Grey, you keep saying that you¡¯re innocent,


    but you have to show evidence, right? Everyone is willing to


    cooperate with the search, but when ites to you, you¡¯re determined and refuse to cooperate with


    us. Isn¡¯t this really suspicious? Therefore, in order to not cause unnecessary misunderstandings and to


    avoid being talked about, Miss Grey, you¡¯d better cooperate well to prevent any false rumors from


    spreading and affecting your reputation, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Lisa noticed Olivia¡¯s gaze and chimed in, ¡°You say you¡¯re innocent, but you insist on not letting us do a


    search. Isn¡¯t this obvious guilt?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Rachel chuckled, but her eyes were cold. ¡°I said that it¡¯s fine for you to perform a search, but please


    show me a search warrant. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be invading my privacy! As for the false rumors you


    said¡­¡±


    She looked at everyone with a faint smile and finally looked at Olivia. ¡°Since it¡¯s a rumor, I can sue you


    for nder! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can give it a try!¡±


    When everyone heard this, they lowered their heads.


    They were afraid that they would be targeted by Rachel if they identally looked at each other!


    At most, they were just fanning the mes and joining in the fun. They did not intend to get involved in


    awsuit.


    When Olivia saw that the righteous guests were as quiet as a mouse, she felt angry and hateful.


    She clenched her fists tightly by her sides, still looking aggrieved. ¡°Louis, what should I do¡­


    Louis looked at the pitiful tears on her face and frowned slightly. He gently held her shoulder.


    Then, he looked up at Rachel with a dark gaze. ¡°Open the door!¡±

 Chapter 371

    Chapter 371


    Chapter 371


    ¡°Why should I?¡± Rachel raised her chin slightly, and ayer of coldness appeared in her eyes.


    When Louis saw Rachel¡¯s firm attitude, his frown deepened. He took a big stride forward and prepared


    to force his way in.


    Unexpectedly, Rachel suddenly stretched out her arm in front of him.


    ¡°Rachel, what are you trying to do?¡± Louis looked at her with a malicious gaze. ¡°This could have been


    resolved in private. Why did you have to make it known to everyone? Don¡¯t tell me you really want this


    matter to be reported to the police!¡±


    Rachel looked at him with impatience and annoyance. ¡°I told you, there¡¯s nothing in my room that


    you¡¯re looking for!¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why won¡¯t you let us do a search?¡± asked Louis.


    When Rachel heard this, she raised her eyebrows slightly and said casually, ¡°Naturally, there¡¯s


    something I don¡¯t want you to see.


    Olivia, who was beside him, immediately revealed a hint of joy in her eyes.


    Sure enough, things were as she had expected!


    As long as she barged into this door, she could ruin Rachel¡¯s reputation!


    Thinking of this, her eyes flickered with excitement.


    ¡°Since Miss Grey has said so much, why don¡¯t you let Louis and me go in and do a search?¡± said


    Olivia. ¡°The thing that¡¯s missing is my ne. Let me go in and search for it. It¡¯s the most impartial


    and authoritative.¡±


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    As she spoke, she walked towards Rachel¡¯s room.


    Rachel saw through Olivia¡¯s intentions and grabbed Olivia¡¯s arm.


    She narrowed her eyes, which flickered with an indistinct coldness. ¡°Miss Cruise, I advise you to think


    twice before you act!¡±


    While the two of them were talking, Olivia and Louis exchanged nces.


    Louis understood and barged into the room first.


    ¡°Louis!¡± Rachel tried to shake off Olivia¡¯s hand, but Olivia hugged her tightly.


    Olivia looked at her with a provocative look in her eyes. ¡°Miss Grey. I had no choice. If I really saw


    something I shouldn¡¯t have, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Rachel looked down at her.


    Suddenly, her moist red lips curved into a meaningful smile.


    Olivia looked at her face and her heart skipped a beat.


    She suddenly let go of Rachel and instinctively took a step back.


    Rachel grabbed her wrist and whispered into her ear, ¡°Miss Cruise, the show has just begun.¡±


    When everyone saw Louis barge in, they curiously craned their necks to look into the room.


    In the room, Louis saw David half¨Clying on the bed.


    The man crossed his legszily. His loose cor was slightly open, revealing a sense of wildness and


    casualness.


    As he wiped his hair, the scratches on his chest could be vaguely seen.


    Louis narrowed his eyes and his expression darkened. He questioned coldly, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    David¡¯s indifferent eyes did not move as he asked casually, ¡°Mr. Smith, why do you think a man and a


    woman are alone in the same room?¡±


    The man¡¯s tone was slow, but it carried a chilling deterrence.


    Louis¡¯s brows furrowed imperceptibly. His hands, which were originally hanging by his sides, silently


    clenched into fists.


    Even if he did not love Rachel and abandoned her, he could not ept that the man in front of him had


    gotten Rachel!


    He had been with Rachel for three years, and during those three years, he had never taken even half a


    step forward in the rtionship with Rachel, but now¡­


    However, the man in front of him had gotten Rachel before him!


    This fact made Louis inexplicably angry.


    David¡¯s expression was indifferent. His deep voice carried his usual coldness. ¡°Mr. Smith, you don¡¯t


    seem to take my previous warning to heart.¡±

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    Chapter 372


    Hearing this, Louis frowned slightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with people you shouldn¡¯t mess with!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Louis¡¯s face changed. His eyes changed rapidly, and his mind was in a mess.


    Of course Louis remembered this warning.


    In fact, in order to find out the secret behind this, he used many connections, but everyone left him a


    warning¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with people you shouldn¡¯t mess with!¡±


    Now, David¡¯s words confirmed his guess.


    The Smith family had been targeted all because of Rachel!


    This realization hit Louis¡¯s psychological endurance hard, and he was even more shocked.


    He stared unblinkingly at the man in front of him.


    Who exactly was this man?


    Why could hemand the Johnson family and the Shain family people at will?


    ¡°Who the hell are you!¡±


    ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Jones?¡±


    Stuart¡¯s exmation drowned out Louis¡¯s doubts.


    Louis frowned and looked at Stuart.


    Stuart walked forward in fear and looked at David apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb


    you and Miss Grey¡¯s rest.¡±


    He was not in the mood to care about why David was here, nor did he care about what Rachel and


    David had donest night.


    It was a great honor for the Zane family for this man to attend his wife¡¯s charity banquet.


    He didn¡¯t want to anger David at all.


    ¡°Mr. Zane, how do you think this matter should be resolved?¡± David raised his eyes and looked at


    Stuart sharply.


    A strong sense of oppression assaulted him, causing Stuart to involuntarily gasp. ¡°Misunderstanding!


    This is all a misunderstanding!¡±


    He swallowed nervously and continued, ¡°With Miss Grey¡¯s status, how could she


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    do such an unpresentable thing! Someone must have deliberately framed her!¡± From the beginning,


    Stuart believed that Rachel was innocent.


    She was backed by the richest family in Seaxas, the Johnson family. She had seen all kinds of things.


    Why would she covet a ne?


    ¡°I wonder how Mr. Zane intends to resolve this misunderstanding?¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was low and maic, indifferent and distant. His aura was strong and fierce,


    pressing down on one¡¯s heart for no reason, making one not dare to breathe.


    Stuart gritted his teeth and cold sweat unknowingly appeared on his forehead.


    He lowered his head, but in he was cursing Louis inwardly.


    ¡°Louis was really blind. He was in a hurry to court death, but he shouldn¡¯t take me down with him!¡±


    Now, Louis had dragged Stuart into this!


    After racking his brains for a long time, he smiled apologetically and said, ¡°First of all, it¡¯s my fault that


    something was lost at the banquet I organized. Of course, I have to take the main responsibility.


    Secondly, it¡¯s inevitable that it¡¯s not. appropriate to deal with it in private. The urgent matter should be


    handed over to the police. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already called the police. I believe the police will arrive


    soon.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zane has indeed thought it through thoroughly,¡± said David.


    Stuart took out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s not praise me. It¡¯s my


    duty.¡±


    However, when Olivia, who was standing at the door, heard their conversation, her eyes were filled with


    chaos.


    She was the one who directed and acted in this matter. Her goal was to catch Rachel in the act. If she


    handed it over to the police, wouldn¡¯t everything she did. be exposed?


    In the crowd, a visible panic shed across Lisa¡¯s face.


    She gulped nervously and wanted to discuss with Olivia, but Rachel refused to let go of Olivia.


    She didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Originally, she had only listened to Olivia and temporarily helped her keep the ne.


    If the police came and found the ne on her, she would be a thief!

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    Chapter 373


    Chapter 373


    Olivia was so nervous that her palms were covered in sweat.


    Lisa was like an ant on a hot pan, unable to sit still.


    Through the crowd, she winked at Olivia and was nning on leaving quietly.


    ¡°Miss Smash, before the police arrive, I advise you not to act rashly!¡± Rachel¡¯s cold voice sounded


    behind her. ¡°Just in case that you attract unnecessary suspicion and won¡¯t be able to clear your name.¡±


    When Lisa heard this, she instantly froze on the.spot.


    She bit her lip, her eyes filled with panic.


    Rachel saw her expression and smiled sarcastically. ¡°Miss Smash, why are you sweating so much?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­¡± Lisa was so nervous that her mind went nk. She stammered for a long time, ¡°It¡¯s a little too


    stuffy here. I just wanted to go out and take a breather.¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, she heard footstepsing from the other end of the corridor.


    Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw two uniformed police officers walking over from


    afar.


    When she saw the two police officers, Lisa¡¯s knees inexplicably went weak and she almost fell to the


    ground.


    ¡°Who called the police?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Stuart walked out of the room.


    He stepped forward and told the officers everything that had happened.


    ¡°Did you check the surveince cameras around here?¡± a police officer asked.


    ¡°There was a malfunction in the surveince camerast night, so we couldn¡¯t see anything,¡± replied


    Stuart.


    When the police officer who was taking the statement heard this, he looked up and exchanged a


    meaningful nce with the police officer in charge of questioning. A smile shed across his eyes as


    he said calmly, ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they immediately sensed something.


    ¡°ording to you, all the rooms at the scene have been searched. Is this the only room left?¡± the police


    officer in charge of questioning asked.


    Stuart frowned and seemed to be deep in thought.


    At that moment, Rachel suddenly said, ¡°There¡¯s also a room at the end of the corridor.¡±


    When everyone heard this, their gazesnded on Rachel.


    However, the policeman walked down the corridor and stopped in front of a certain door. ¡°Is this the


    one?¡±


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    ¡°Yes,¡± said Rachel.


    For some reason, Olivia had a bad feeling when she saw this scene.


    She subconsciously twisted her wrist in an attempt to break free from Rachel¡¯s restraints.


    However, her meager strength was no match for Rachel.


    Olivia looked at Rachel with an abnormally cold gaze. ¡°What the hell do you


    want?¡±


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curved into a faint smile as she said casually, ¡°Of course I¡¯m ying along


    with your act.¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia¡¯s entire body was covered in coldness, and she could not help but tremble.


    She was now certain that she had fallen into Rachel¡¯s trap again!


    She thought, ¡°This bitch had nned everything from the beginning!


    ¡°Perhaps Jane had also been tricked by this bitch in front of us!¡±


    The police officers knocked on the door for a long time, but there was no response. They looked at


    each other. Their high professionalism made them sensitive to the possibility that there might be an


    unspeakable secret in this room.


    At that moment, the room manager ran over, panting, and took out his room card. ¡°Officers, this is the


    key card for the room.¡±


    After handing the room card to the police, he silently retreated to the side, as if there was a ferocious


    beast inside.


    Everyone curiously went forward to take a look. ¡°Whose room is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I think it belongs to Mr. Smith¡¯s¡­ younger sister?¡±


    In the room, Louis frowned when he heard this.


    Olivia grabbed his hand and looked at him nervously. ¡°Louis, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going take a look at Jane,¡± said Louis.


    No matter what, she was still his biological sister.


    He noticed that Olivia¡¯s face was deathly pale. There was ayer of cold sweat on her forehead. She


    was like a little white flower ravaged by a storm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

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    Chapter 374


    Panic shed across Olivia¡¯s eyes, and her face turned even paler. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Is Miss Cruise seasick?¡± Rachel suddenly asked.


    When Olivia heard this, a dark glint shed across her eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If I pretended to be unwell and fainted at this moment, wouldn¡¯t the current predicament


    be easily resolved?¡±


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    Just as she was about to faint, Rachel spoke again, ¡°I have seasickness medicine in my room. If Miss


    Cruise needs it, I can give you some.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s words were stuck in her throat.


    Her body froze on the spot, momentarily at a loss.


    She gritted her teeth so hard that they almost shattered. Her hands gradually tightened, and her sharp


    nails dug into her palms.


    However, she could only suffer in silence.


    The police were here, and her every move might arouse suspicion, so she could only grit her teeth and


    hold on.


    Rachel looked at Olivia and sneered. ¡°The show has just begun. Miss Cruise, you have to hang in


    there!¡±


    Olivia looked at Rachel.


    In an instant, her gaze was as malicious as a venomous snake.


    ¡°This bitch had been ying with me from the beginning!¡±


    Step by step, Rachel lured Olivia into the trap that she had nned in advance!


    Now, she was actually making sarcastic remarks in public!


    At the same time, the door opened with a beep.


    Gasps came from the dark room one after another.


    The surrounding people looked at each other and leaned forward to watch.


    A nauseating smell rushed out of the room, causing people to stagger back.


    Everyone covered their mouths and noses with their hands in disgust.


    ¡°Oh my god! This is really ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°That girl looks familiar. She looks like Miss Smith?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it her! Tsk tsk tsk, isn¡¯t she afraid of getting sick from sleeping with so many people?¡±


    To be able to raise such a promiscuous daughter, the Smith family¡¯s upbringing is really not ttering!¡±


    When Louis heard this, his face darkened. He immediately shook off Olivia¡¯s hand and rushed over in


    large strides.


    Olivia could not stop him. She could only watch as Louis left.


    However, now that everyone¡¯s attention had been diverted, it gave her a chance.


    She quickly gave Lisa a look.


    Lisa instantly understood.


    Meanwhile, Jane, who was in the room, had long been tortured beyond recognition by the men.


    If not for the hatred in her heart for Rachel, she would have fainted long ago.


    At that moment, the door opened and she used all her strength to kick the man on top of her away.


    ¡°Rachel! I¡¯m going to kill you! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    In the quiet corridor, Jane¡¯s roar echoed clearly.


    In an instant, everyone¡¯s gazes converged on Rachel.


    ¡°Rachel, what the hell is going on?¡± Louis¡¯s face was ashen as he stared at Rachel with a sinister gaze.


    Without waiting for Rachel to speak, Jane crawled to Louis¡¯s side and hugged his leg. She cried


    aggrievedly, ¡°Louis! It¡¯s all Rachel¡¯s fault! She tricked me intoing herest night and then locked


    me in the room without any exnation! She actually colluded with these people to ruin my innocence!


    ¡°She¡¯s taking revenge on me on purpose and wants to take the opportunity to smear the Smith family¡¯s


    reputation, Louis! You have to help me! Otherwise¡­ Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the point of staying


    alive!¡±


    As she spoke, Jane threw herself at the wall beside her, intending to prove her innocence with her


    death.

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    Chapter 375


    Fortunately, the people around her reacted in time and stopped her.


    Jane¡¯s heart¨Cwrenching cries echoed in the corridor. It was inexplicably heart¨Cwrenching.


    Everyone¡¯s cold gazesnded on Rachel like knives.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Rachel said calmly, ¡°Since you said that I set you up. Where¡¯s the evidence?¡±


    Hearing her words, Jane¡¯s crying stopped for a moment.


    She stared nkly at Rachel, who was not far away.


    She suddenly remembered that she had turned off the surveince cameras previously. There was


    indeed no evidence to identify Rachel.


    At that moment, Olivia criticized, ¡°Miss Grey, it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re always targeting Jane, but this time,


    you¡¯ve really gone too far!¡±


    Actually, her idea was very simple. She just wanted to take the opportunity to drag -Rachel into down


    with. It would be best if she could do time behind bars!


    ¡°If you have a grudge against me, you cane at me, but how can you target Jane? She¡¯s still so


    young, but you used such a vicious method to ruin her innocence. Aren¡¯t you deliberately trying to kill


    her?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s words instantly stirred up an uproar in the crowd.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say that a woman¡¯s heart is the most vicious?¡±


    ¡°As expected, the more beautiful a woman is, the more vicious she is.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Smith is really unlucky to have met such a difficult person to deal with.¡± ¡°The Smith family¡¯s


    daughter is really pitiful. Her innocence is gone and she¡¯s been ruined like this. How can she find a


    good husband in the future?¡±


    Everyone spoke one after another, their words were sharp. They wished they could drown Rachel with


    their saliva.


    Rachel looked at Olivia¡¯s righteous attitude. Her moist red lips curved into a mocking smile. ¡°From what


    you said, it sounds reasonable. Could it be that you saw it with your own eyes?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Olivia was at a loss for words.


    Louis looked at Rachel¡¯s unrepentant expression and was instantly enraged. His expression was as


    cold as ice. ¡°Rachel, you¡¯ve gone too far! Are you going topletely destroy Jane? Even if she did


    something wrong, why can¡¯t you be more tolerant of her? What¡¯s the point of destroying her?!¡±


    ¡°Destroying her won¡¯t do me any good!¡± said Rachel. ¡°On the contrary, Jane


    deserves it!¡±


    Louis gritted his teeth and shouted coldly, ¡°Rachel, you still don¡¯t know how to repent! The police are


    here and the truth is in front of you. Don¡¯t tell me you still¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, a sharp sound came from the audio yer in the corridor.


    The sharp sound made people frown and subconsciously cover their ears.


    Immediately after, an audio recording was yed. ¡°Rachel, do you feel hot all over now?¡±


    Everyone immediately realized that it was Jane¡¯s voice!


    When Jane heard this recording, her eyes widened and her entire body stiffened as she sat on the


    ground.


    ¡°There¡¯s a high concentration of condiments in that ss of wine. A drop is worth a thousand gold


    coins. As long as you touch it, any chaste woman will have to submit obediently and be a true


    lustful woman!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you actually drugged me¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, what can you do to me? You don¡¯t know, but just in case, I added a total of five drops, and


    you happened to drink that ss of winepletely. You¡¯re really not an ordinary fool!


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you very morous tonight? Tomorrow morning, everyone will see you fooling around with other


    wild men. Let¡¯s see what else you have to be glorious about! Let¡¯s see if David will still be interested in


    a whore who has slept with countless men!


    ¡°Rachel, you won¡¯t be able to escape tonight! On ount that we¡¯re all old acquaintances, I¡¯ve


    arranged for the men to be physical experts tonight. I guarantee that you¡¯ll be unable to stop!


    ¡°Jane, do you know that your words and actions have already constituted a crime?¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, the surveince equipment tonight is under maintenance, so no one else but you


    and I will know what happened tonight! Even if you call the police after this, who will believe you with


    just your words of mouth?


    ¡°Guys, please start your performance!¡±


    The recording ended and the scene fell into a dead silence.

 Chapter 376

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    Chapter 376


    In the next second, there was an intense discussion.


    ¡°After all that, it turned out to be a case of the pot calling the kettle ck!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the truth to be like this.¡±


    ¡°No wonder Miss Grey said she deserved it!¡±


    Jane¡¯s face instantly turned pale. She stared at Rachel in fear and hatred.


    Jane did not expect that Rachel was so despicable and had secretly audio¨Crecorded it.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, is there anything else you don¡¯t understand?¡± Rachel looked at Louis with a half¨Csmile as


    he looked surprised.


    Louis¡¯s face turned ck. ¡°Didn¡¯t you anticipate this all along? Did you n everything?¡±


    In other words, the current oue is all part of Rachel¡¯s n.


    Rachel snorted without hiding. ¡°Even if I¡¯m good at predicting things, am I right to say I can¡¯t change


    Miss Smith¡¯s mind? Isn¡¯t the current oue a result of your actions and what you all deserve?¡±


    If it were not for Jane¡¯s malicious intentions toward her, things would not have turned out like that.


    Even if the Smith family wanted to hold Rachel responsible, Rachel would at most be considered acting


    in self¨Cdefense. On the contrary, she could sue Jane with the recording in her hand.


    At that time, Jane would be doomed!


    ¡°Did Mr. Smith just try to turn the tables and treat everyone present as fools?!¡±


    Louis felt as if something was stuck in his throat, and then Rachel sneered, ¡°I can choose not to sue


    the Smith family for today¡¯s matter, but I will keep it in mind!¡± With that, she turned around and left


    without looking back.


    The people were intimidated by her awe¨Cinspiring presence.


    The people could not help but step aside in session wherever she went.


    Who would have thought that Olivia¡¯s ne loss would lead to such a big scandal?


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Miss Grey, please stay,¡± the police officer in charge of interrogation suddenly spoke up.


    Rachel stopped in her tracks and turned around. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Facing Rachel¡¯s mesmerizing face, the police officer was hesitant to look her in the eye. ¡°As a suspect


    in the theft case, we must conduct a body search. I hope that you will cooperate.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. She had forgotten about that.


    She opened her arms and remained very calm.


    As expected, Rachel did not have the ne that Olivia had lost.


    However, when she turned around to leave, she coincidentally knocked over the trash can in the


    corridor.


    With a loud bang, it instantly attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Oh! Miss Grey, how much resentment do you have?¡± Lisa remarked in a sarcastic tone. ¡°This poor


    trash can is so unlucky. It sits perfectly fine initially, yet it bes your punching bag now.¡±


    As she spoke, she raised her hand to stroke her hair, Suddenly, she shouted, ¡°Oh


    no!¡±


    Her expression and voice were very pretentious, incredibly pretentious.


    It was as if she feared that everyone¡¯s attention would not be drawn to her.


    A sharp¨Ceyed person immediately saw the ne in the bunch of trash in the trash can.


    ¡°Was that the ne Miss Cruise was wearingst night?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it!¡±


    ¡°Why is it in the trash can?¡±


    ¡°This trash can¡­ Could it be that Rachel stole it?¡±


    When Katy heard thatment, she could not help but sneer. ¡°A bunch of idiots!¡±


    Although Katy did not like Rachel, she believed that with Rachel¡¯s identity and status, she would not


    steal Olivia¡¯s ne.


    The fate of Jane served as a warning to others, yet Lisa not only failed to learn. from it but also dared


    to plot against Rachel openly. If this is not stupidity, then what is?


    She had been secretlypeting with Rachel for decades but never gained the upper hand!


    Olivia was courting death!


    Eleanor nced at her from the corner of her eyes. There was a hint of sharpness in her gentle gaze.


    ¡°Please watch the show without saying anything.¡±


    Katy discreetly pursed her lips and refrained from speaking up, silently observing how that fool eagerly


    tried to put herself in harm¡¯s way.

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    Chapter 377


    At that moment, Lisa walked forward and picked up the fallen ne.


    A smug look appeared on her face. ¡°Miss Grey, do you have anything else to say


    now?¡±


    Before Rachel could speak, Lisa continued, ¡°This trash can is outside your room. truth!¡± It¡¯s too far¨C


    fetched to use coincidence to exin it, so I suggest you tell me the


    do it, I will admit to it.¡± Rachel lifted her gaze, and a faintly cool, elusive smile appeared. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If


    I


    admit that you steal Olivia¡¯s ne?¡± Lisa raised her eyebrows, and her eyes flickered with a gloating


    smile. ¡°So you


    Rachel did not answer. Instead, she stared at her with a gaze.


    ¡°Lisa, forget it.¡± Olivia, who was standing not far away, walked over with a gentle and graceful smile on


    her face. ¡°As long as the ne is found, nothing else


    matters.¡±


    In other words, she did not intend to pursue the matter with Rachel.


    When Rachel heard that, a trace of sarcasm appeared on her face.


    It had to be said that Olivia knew how to conduct herself.


    At times like that, holding someone ountable would only make the situation worse and more


    uncontroble. However, if one could forgive and forget, not only would one earn a reputation for


    benevolence, but one could also establish an image of being generous and understanding in front of


    others.


    However, since Olivia had set the stage, Rachel would not let that matter go easily.


    ¡°As you said,


    She turned to look at Olivia with a bright smile as her lips curled up. ¡°As this ne means a lot to


    you. How can we let this matter go?¡± Olivia looked at the smile on her face and felt an inexplicable


    sense of danger.


    She looked down to hide the guilt in her.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    She wondered, ¡°Did Rachel discover something?¡±


    However, throwing the ne into the trash can was an idea that she and Lisa hade up with not


    long ago, and Rachel would never know about it!


    ¡°Rachel, are you out of your mind?¡± Lisa said bluntly, ¡°You stole Olivia¡¯s ne. It¡¯s already good


    enough that she didn¡¯t pursue the matter. Why are you still holding on to it?¡±


    Rachel acted as if she did not hear her. She quietly admired the ever¨Cchanging


    expression on Olivia¡¯s face. Her gaze turned cold. ¡°It¡¯s very simple to find out if I am the one who took


    the ne. Just hand the ne to the police and let the professionals extract the fingerprints.


    Then the truth will be revealed.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Lisa¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion.


    Her hand trembled uncontrobly as if the ne was unusually scalding.


    ¡°Miss Grey, why waste so much time?¡± Olivia secretly gritted her teeth to calm down the panic in her


    heart. She looked at Rachel and demanded, ¡°As long as you apologize to me, we¡¯ll pretend this never


    happened. After all, we¡¯ll still see each other frequently in Seaxas in the future. Moreover, I sincerely


    hope to be friends with you.


    In her words, there was great generosity.


    Standing not far away, Rachel could clearly understand Olivia¡¯s thoughts and ns.


    Rachel thought, ¡°Apologize? If it wasn¡¯t me who stole it, why should I apologize? This is trying to make


    me look like the real thief! Using my reputation to exchange for Olivia¡¯s good reputation of being kind¨C


    hearted and generous, did she think I was just an idiot like Lisa?¡±


    Rachel nced at Olivia indifferently. ¡°You questioned me and asked me to apologize, but you didn¡¯t


    dare to hand the thing over to the police for investigation. Was it because you were feeling guilty?¡±

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    Chapter 378


    Rachel nced at Olivia indifferently. ¡°You questioned me and asked me to apologize, but you didn¡¯t


    dare to hand the thing over to the police for investigation. Could it be that you have a guilty


    conscience?¡±


    straight at her. Her clear round eyes had a prating power that made Olivia unable to look


    She secretly gritted her teeth and stood rooted, not knowing what to do.


    At that moment, Louismented, ¡°Sorry to trouble you, police officer.¡±


    Fingerprint Identification Unit. The police officer in charge of the interrogation contacted his colleagues


    in the


    Soon, the police officer from the Fingerprint Identification Unit made aparison based on the


    fingerprints on the ne. ¡°Miss Grey¡¯s fingerprints were not found on it after the examination.¡±


    P


    As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar.


    Everyone was puzzled and surprised.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that Miss Grey stole the ne? How can there be no Miss Grey¡¯s fingerprints?¡±


    ¡°Miss Cruise kept saying that the ne was missing. She even suspected that Miss Grey had stolen


    it. However, reality proved this had nothing to do with Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just some despicable means!¡± Katy suddenly sneered in the crowd.


    She looked at everyone calmly and spoke bluntly about her inner thoughts, ¡°Today¡¯s matter was


    deliberately arranged by someone to frame and implicate Rachel on purpose!¡±


    ¡°Miss Cruise imed that she lost her ne, which was only a pretense of searching Rachel¡¯s room


    legitimately. Just now, Miss Smith imed that Rachel harmed her, but the recording proved Miss


    Smith was the culprit. That¡¯s the pot calling the kettle ck!¡±


    ¡°Just imagine, if Miss Smith¡¯s n had seeded and Miss Cruise had used the pretext of her lost


    ne to search Rachel¡¯s room, a scandalous drama would have naturally unfolded before us. Then,


    the person whose reputation would be ruined now would be Rachel!¡±


    ¡°Although this n was wless and everything fell into ce, the means used were despicable and


    vile.¡±


    As Katy spoke, she looked up, nced at Eleanor, and observed her facial


    expression. Eleanor did not stop her, so she continued, ¡°Rather than thinking the mastermind behind all


    of this!¡± about the cause and consequence here, why don¡¯t all of you think about who


    When Katy finished speaking thest sentence, everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Olivia.


    Everything started with the excuse that Olivia had lost the ne. Naturally, everyone thought that


    she was the instigator of this conspiracy.


    The gazes of the surrounding people were as sharp as knives as theynded on Olivia. Her heart


    skipped a beat.


    her. ¡°Olivia, what the hell is going on?¡± Louis¡¯s cool tone suddenly sounded behind


    Olivia¡¯s body stiffened, and she took her time to turn around slowly.


    Caught off guard, she met Louis¡¯s dark ck eyes. The invisible pressure seemed like a hand grabbing


    her neck, and she held her breath. ¡°No, it¡¯s not me¡­¡±


    She had no way to express her grievances.


    She imed that the loss of the ne was just a spontaneous n she came up with on the spot


    and that she only wanted to take this opportunity to ruin Rachel¡¯s reputation.


    How could she have known that Jane was not Rachel¡¯s match and had been schemed against instead?


    If she admitted to it, then the usation of Jane would also fall on her.


    With how much Mrs. Smith doted on Jane, she would not let her marry into the Smith family.


    Therefore, no matter what, she could not admit it!


    ¡°Louis, it¡¯s not me.¡± Olivia looked at Louis pitifully and quickly grabbed his arm to exin, ¡°You must


    believe me. I don¡¯t know anything¡­


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    Louis suddenly tightened her grip on Olivia¡¯s arm. He wished that his fingertips could dig into her flesh.


    There was a hint of hostility in his eyes. ¡°I believe you, but the truth is right before me. Tell me, how can


    I believe you?¡±

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    ¡°I, I¡­¡± Olivia was in so much pain that her face turned pale. She looked at him with teary eyes. ¡°The


    two of us were togetherst night. You know I didn¡¯t have time to contact anyone else. Moreover, you


    also know that the ne was lost this morning¡­ Moreover, I treated Jane like my own sister. How


    could I scheme against her!¡±


    Louis frowned. His gaze was as sharp as a knife. He wished he could pierce Olivia¡¯s entire body.


    ¡°Louis, I love you more than myself. I know how important the Smith family is to you. Why would I


    sacrifice the entire Smith family to scheme against Rachel?¡±


    When Louis heard that, the expression on his face improved slightly.


    Seeing the situation, Rachel could not help but chuckle.


    ¡°Not only does Mr. Smith have poor eyesight, but his brain is also not flexible enough.¡± She sighed


    faintly. ¡°The future of Smith Group is worrying.¡±


    Her tone was light, but her words were filled with mockery.


    Louis stood on the spot and watched Rachel leave with a frown.


    ¡°Louis¡­¡± Olivia looked at his expression and spoke carefully, ¡°The cruise ship should dock soon. Let¡¯s


    go back and pack up first.¡±


    Louis looked at her indifferently. ¡°You can go back first.¡±


    With that, he pulled his arm away from Olivia and walked away.


    Olivia subconsciously reached out to grab him, but she still missed.


    At that moment, Lisa walked to Olivia¡¯s side. ¡°Olivia, where did Rachele from?¡±


    Lisa seemed to know everything. The n they thought was wless was not worth mentioning in front


    of her.


    ¡°Have you found out everything I asked you to find?¡± Olivia asked.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Lisa nodded. ¡°Mrs. Zane is going to visit the local orphanage this afternoon. You cane along then.¡±


    Olivia nodded.


    She only hoped to get close to Mrs. Zane and help the Smith Group to get the investment from Mr.


    Zane.


    That would at least ease her tense rtionship with Louis.


    Rachel returned to her room and saw David waiting with his arms open. coldness in her eyes


    disappeared instantly, and she smiled gently.


    The


    She obediently walked forward and threw herself into his arms.


    Lying on his chest, she breathed heavily, feeling at ease.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± David lowered his head and kissed her forehead.


    Rachel, who was nestled in his arms, nodded. ¡°A little.¡±


    ¡°Then close your eyes and rest for a while?¡± David raised his hand and gently stroked her hair.


    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s time to disembarkter,¡± Rachel said. ¡°I¡¯ll go pack up first.¡±


    David stated, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a call. See youter.¡±


    After David left, Rachel walked into the bathroom.


    Unexpectedly, there was a sudden knock on the door.


    When Rachel opened the door, she saw Eleanor first and Katy, who stood behind Eleanor.


    ¡°Aunt Eleanor,¡± Rachel called out.


    Eleanor walked into her room and casually looked around the surroundings, not even missing the


    bathroom.


    However, Rachel saw her actions and could not help butugh. ¡°He left. Don¡¯t look for him anymore.¡±


    She did not even try to hide that she was with Davidst night.


    Hearing that, Eleanor became more serious as she raised her eyebrows. ¡°Rae¨CRae, I don¡¯t object to


    you dating, but listen to my advice. He¡¯s not suitable for you.¡±


    Rachel was not surprised by her advice at all. She asked, ¡°Aunt Eleanor, do you know about him?¡±

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    ¡°He¡¯s David Jones, no one from the Four Families in Seaxas is a stranger to him,¡± Eleanor exined.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, this person is too dangerous. You can¡¯t be with him.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes blinked. ¡°However, we¡¯re already engaged.¡±


    Eleanor choked.


    She stared at Rachel momentarily before suddenly putting on a solemn expression. ¡°Rae¨CRae, do you


    know that marriage with outsiders is forbidden in Aureliana?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise.


    She was not surprised by thew in Aureliana that forbids outsiders to marry people in Aureliana.


    Rather, she was surprised by how much Eleanor knew about Aureliana.


    Seeing that Rachel did not speak, Eleanor was relieved. ¡°Not only that, if the people on the ind


    vite thew, they will be expelled and never be able to return to the ind for eternity. With David¡¯s


    status, do you think he will give up everything for a woman?¡±


    A man like David would not have any feelings.


    He would probably stay for a while for a woman, but he would not stay forever for a woman.


    He could not give up everything for a woman.


    She knew that this information might be difficult for Rachel to ept, but seeing that Rachel had fallen


    into David¡¯s trap, she could not wait any longer.


    She was afraid that Rachel would end up covered in wounds.


    ¡°Aunt Eleanor, thank you for telling me this.¡± Rachel took a step forward and reached out to hug


    Eleanor gently. She looked at her gently. ¡°However, he will be my husband.¡±


    Eleanor was speechless.


    It turned out that Rachel did not listen to a single word Eleanor said.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, you¡­¡±


    Eleanor wanted to continue persuading Rachel when she suddenly heard loud footsteps behind her.


    She turned around and saw David, who was in a suit.


    David¡¯s beautiful eyes looked a little cold. His nose bridge was high, and he revealed a polite smile, but


    he had an aura that made no one dare to approach him easily.


    A noble and cold aura surrounded him, exuding a terrifying pressure that made one shudder.


    Despite the passage of time, when Eleanor faced David, an unprecedented sense of awe and fear


    arose in her heart.


    She tightened her grip on the strap of her bag and held her breath.


    The coldness in his eyes faded a little when David saw Eleanor. He nodded slightly and greeted calmly,


    ¡°Aunt Eleanor.¡±


    It was supposed to be an ordinary move, but it shocked Eleanor.


    The person in front of them was the current head of the Jones family in Aureliana, David Jones.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    He is an existence that even the Elders in Aureliana fear to some degree!


    Moreover, he was rumored to be a disdainful existence!


    However, he had bowed to express his goodwill towards her.


    Eleanor could not help but take a deep breath. A trace of shock was found in her eyes.


    She knew that David was not lowering his posture because of the Page family or Tom, but it was


    because of Rachel!


    ¡°Are you done packing?¡± David looked at Rachel.


    Rachel nodded. She nced sideways at Eleanor. ¡°Aunt Eleanor, we¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    Eleanor suddenly came back to her senses and nodded. ¡°Alright, be careful on the way.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    As Rachel spoke, she held David¡¯s hand and left. When they passed by Katy, she paused momentarily


    and said sincerely, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She thanked Katy for stepping forward to help her expose the despicable schemes of Olivia and Jane.


    The sudden expression of gratitude made Katy¡¯s face look unnatural momentarily. She snorted proudly


    and replied arrogantly, ¡°Who needs your thanks? I¡¯m not doing it for you.¡±

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    Chapter 381


    Katy knew that Eleanor would not sit back and do nothing when she saw Rachel in trouble.


    Since that was the case, Katy might as well stand up and behave well in front of


    her aunt.


    Rachel knew Katy¡¯s intention. However, since Katy had helped her, it was only fair to thank her.


    It was up to Katy whether she epted Rachel¡¯s token of appreciation.


    When Rachel and David left, they bumped into Louis and Stuart.


    Louis had always wanted to find an opportunity to discuss future investment with Stuart but Stuart¡¯s


    attitude had always been perfunctory.


    That attitude was not a good indication for Louis.


    Louis knew that if he continued to talk, his chance would only be backfired.


    Just as Louis was about to leave, he bumped into David and Rachel.


    Louis¡® gaze suddenlynded on their interlocked fingers, and he could not help but frown.


    When Stuart saw the two of them, he changed his perfunctory attitude and walked toward them with a


    smile. ¡°Mr. Jones, Miss Grey


    ¡°Mr. Zane,¡± Rachel greeted Stuart with a smile. She nced at Louis, who was standing not far away,


    and an idea shed across her mind. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s convenient to visit Mrs. Zane today.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Stuart replied.


    After exchanging a few words, Stuart stood there and watched the two of them. leave. He heaved a


    long sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank god, they¡¯re finally gone,¡± thought Stuart.


    ¡°Mr. Zane, is Mr. Jones from Seaxas?¡± Louis asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Stuart nced at Louis and said insightfully, ¡°Seaxas has Four Families, but he¡¯s a cut above


    these Four Families.¡±


    If David was a cut above the Four Families, it meant he was from¡­


    Aureliana!


    Louis was very shocked. His eyes widened, his pupils dted slightly, and his lips. trembled.


    His heart was filled with shock as if the blood in his whole body had frozen in an


    instant.


    That man was from Aureliana?


    But, how did Rachel know David from Aureliana? It was impossible.


    Louis recalled the people who appeared beside Davidst night, as well as their attitudes towards


    David. Louis also recalled how everyone addressed David respectfully as ¡°Mr. Jones¡°. The brain fog


    that had been troubling him gradually dissipated, and he finally connected the dots.


    That man was rted to the Jones family of Aureliana!


    It was rumored that people in Aureliana were not allowed to marry outsiders. Why did David choose to


    marry Rachel?


    It was a fact that even the Four Families might not gain the interests of the Jones family from Aureliana.


    How did Rachel, who had no background, seed to attract their attention?


    Stuart watched the ever¨Cchanging expression of Louis for a while. He patted Louis¡® shoulder hard and


    said earnestly, ¡°Mr. Smith, you never know what you¡¯ve -missed!¡±


    Louis abandoned Rachel for a mere Olivia. He was hopelessly stupid!


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    However, with Rachel¡¯s boldness and means, it was for the best oue that Loius and Rachel


    separated.


    After all, Louis was not worthy of Rachel.


    Louis stood there and watched Stuart leave in a daze.


    ¡°Louis, everything is packed. Are you ready to leave? Shall we go?¡± Olivia carried her bag with one


    hand and walked toward Louis.


    Louis slowly came back to his senses. He heard Olivia say, ¡°We need to hurry up. I had an


    appointment with Mrs. Zane to visit the orphanage this afternoon.¡±


    Olivia did not mention any of the unpleasant incidents.


    If things worked ording to her n, she should have sessfully turned the tables against Rachel.


    However, she did not expect to be tricked by Rachel and get herself into trouble instead.


    Not only did she attract Louis¡® suspicion for no reason, she even took the me. for Jane.


    She had be aplete joke!


    Olivia knew very well that there was no point in saying anything at a time like this. It was better to prove


    her worth to Louis through real actions.


    After all, the main purpose of their visit was to fight for investment from Stuart.

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    Chapter 382


    After hearing Olivia¡¯s n, Louis¡® expression softened a little. ¡°Do you need me to go with you?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Olivia took his arm and said gently, ¡°It¡¯s a gathering with thedies. It¡¯s unsuitable for a guy


    like you to show up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    After Rachel and David settled down in a nearby hotel, they asked their aunt, Eleanor, to go to Sophie¡¯s


    house together.


    Unexpectedly, when two of them arrived, Sophie and the others were about to depart for the


    orphanage.


    Rachel immediately noticed Olivia.


    She was wearing a Chanel dress and holding a Herm¨¨s alligator bag.


    Her curly chestnut hair was naturally let down on both sides of her shoulders. She put on a diamond


    hair clip as an essory. She was elegant yet cute.


    It did not seem like she was visiting the orphanage. Instead, it looked like she was unting her wealth.


    Except¡­


    Rachel¡¯s gazended on the 10¨Ccm high heels worn by Olivia. An insightful smile shed across her


    gaze.


    When Olivia noticed Rachel¡¯s presence, she could not help but lose her smile a little. Her eyes were


    filled with strong disgust and viciousness as she looked at Rachel.


    Sophie, the leader of the group, quickly greeted them. ¡°I thought you¡¯re noting.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯reing,¡± Eleanor said, ¡°I didn¡¯t prepare anything. Fortunately, Rae¨CRae immediately


    went out to buy some stationery and supplies. I hope the children will like them.¡±


    Sophie looked up at Rachel after hearing that. There was a hint of affection and admiration in her


    smile. ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re very considerate.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Zane, thanks.¡± Rachel¡¯s attitude was neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to


    show me around the local orphanage today. I hope you


    don¡¯t find me troublesome.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so formal to call me Mrs. Zane.¡± Sophie stepped forward with a smile and held her hand. ¡°Miss


    Grey, if you don¡¯t mind, just call me Sophie.¡±


    Sophie had long wanted to get closer to Rachel.


    It was just that David had been keeping Rachel so close to himst night that she did not have a


    chance to interact with Rachel.


    Rachel was not used to being touched by strangers. She felt slight awkwardness from Sophie¡¯s warm


    gesture. Then, she smiled and addressed Sophie obediently, ¡°Yes, Sophie.¡±


    Sophie epted the greeting with open arms. She looked at Rachel from head to toe. The more she


    looked at her, the more she liked her. She could not wait to matchmake her son with Rachel.


    As Olivia watched Rachel and Sophie chatting so happily, her eyes were filled with jealousy and


    unwillingness.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Ever since Olivia found out that Stuart doted on his wife very much, she had been working hard to


    please Sophie.


    She had been hoping to help the Smith Group secure the investment from Stuart through Sophie.


    When she knew Sophie liked to do phnthropic work, she attended fundraising events frequently to


    get close to Sophie. It was through these events that she was finally in touch with Sophie.


    However, her careful fawning and ttery were nothing ifpared to a few words from Rachel.


    Rachel had sessfully won over Sophie with just a pile of broken stationery supplies. Sophie was


    greeting Rachel so cordially!


    She could not figure out why!


    As the journey to the orphanage took quite some time, the Zane family arranged for a small bus.


    Stuart also arranged for some assistants and helpers.


    After everything was loaded into the bus, the group was ready to set off.


    Olivia sat next to Rachel and asked coldly, ¡°Rachel, what are you trying to do?¡±


    She did not believe that Rachel¡¯s sudden appearance was a coincidence!

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    Chapter 383


    ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and nced at her with a faint smile.


    Olivia choked and gritted her teeth secretly. She looked at Mrs. Zane, who was sitting in the front row,


    with some concern. Olivia deliberately lowered her voice. and gnashed her teeth. ¡°No matter what you


    want to do, I would advise you to behave yourself!¡±


    Rachel lowered her head and looked at the phone. When she heard this, she slowly raised. ¡°Did Louis


    ask you to get close to Mrs. Zane and in order to Zane¡¯s invest?¡±


    get


    Mr.


    When Olivia heard this, she instantly became very cautious. Her eyes were filled with vignce as she


    reminded Rachel, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Rachel sneered without hiding after seeing Olivia¡¯s expression. ¡°I feel much more at ease with you


    around.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s face suddenly fell and looked as cold as there was ice on it once she sensed Rachel¡¯s disdain


    in her words. ¡°Rachel, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Just mean it literally.¡± Rachel nced at her with a faint smile. ¡°But I won¡¯t let get your own way.¡±


    you


    Olivia¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°Rachel, I suggest you do not act rashly! Otherwise, you¡¯re


    digging your own grave!¡±


    This investment is very important to the Smith Group.


    It was precisely Rachel who seized it without holding back because they knew the importance of this


    investment.


    She wanted the Smith family to see how they would slowly lose what they had


    now!


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    After a two¨Chour ride, the car finally stopped in front of an inconspicuous empty space.


    The orphanage which located in the wastnd with nothing around was especially eye¨Ccatching.


    The director knew early that they wereing and had already stood at the door to wee them.


    The staff got the things out of the car in good order.


    ¡°Is this ce going to be demolished?¡± Rachel looked around and asked softly.


    When the director heard what Rachel said, he could not help but reveal a trace of worry in his eyes. He


    sighed faintly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Originally, we still had the right to use this piece ofnd for decades, but the


    developer insisted that we were


    suspected of illegal construction and had to demolish it. However, what would happen to these children


    if it was demolished?¡±


    Rachel followed the director¡¯s gaze, and she saw the children leaning against the window, watching


    them.


    Their big, rounded eyes were filled with curiosity and vignce, like those cats facing a stranger who


    had barged into their territory.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult,¡± Olivia suddenly said. ¡°Since we can¡¯t keep this ce, we can just move to


    another ce.¡±


    Everyone was in silence after she spoke. A few people stared at her.


    Olivia was suddenly nervous. Did she say something wrong?


    Rachel looked at her with a mocking smile.


    Olivia was really stupid.


    If things were as simple as she said, the orphanage director would not be that worried.


    First, they had to handle the resettlement work of the children after the orphanage was demolished.


    Second, it would be a challenge for the government to approve the use of thend. Lastly, there were a


    series of expenses for the subsequent construction of the orphanage.


    There were also some other subsequent issues.


    If any step went wrong, the orphanage director would definitely be overwhelmed. It was definitely not


    as simple as Olivia said.


    ¡°Mrs. Zane, did I say something wrong?¡± Olivia asked carefully.


    Sophie smiled. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Olivia relieved secretly after hearing this. She did not notice the imperceptible indifference in Sophie¡¯s


    eyes.


    Following the lead of the director, Rachel toured the orphanage with others.


    When she passed by a photo wall, Rachel could not help but stop her trace.

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    Chapter 384


    Jessica appeared in one of these old photos.


    Jessica¡¯s stunning appearance was still outstanding, and it didn¡¯t need any extra attention to find her.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but take out her phone to take a photo and send it to their four¨Cperson group chat.


    She then quickly caught up to Sophie and Eleanor.


    Olivia followed unhurriedly. She deliberately stopped at the spot where Rachel had stood just now and


    immediately noticed Jessica in the photo.


    Olivia¡¯s pupils constricted, and she suddenly felt nervous.


    Why was Jessica¡¯s photo here?


    Olivia suddenly remembered the time when she met Jessica and Rachel at the steakhouse not long


    ago and how Rachel had recognized Lisa at a nce at the cruise ship.


    Rachel even clearly mentioned the Pollister High School that Lisa and her had graduated from.


    Was it possible that Rachel already knew the secret of her past?


    Olivia was in shock when she thought this. Her hands and feet could not help but chill, and she kept


    feeling worried.


    ¡°Miss Cruise?¡± Eleanor looked at Olivia, who was standing there in a daze. There was a hint of


    impatience in her eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel well, you can go to the lounge to rest first.¡±


    Olivia suddenly recovered from her surprise and pursed her lips stiffly. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She took a deep breath and quickly followed.


    Sophie held Rachel¡¯s hand the entire time. They were as close as mother and daughter.


    Olivia, who followed behind, could only watch all this happen, feeling envious and jealous in her heart.


    ¡°I heard there¡¯s an orchard at the back of the mountain. Do you all want toe with me to take a


    look?¡± Sophie asked.


    Rachel and Eleanor nodded without any hesitation. Olivia did not want to be outdone, and so she


    immediately agreed.


    However, Olivia felt miserable walking in her ten¨Ccentimeter¨Chigh heels.


    There were many different¨Csized stones on the back of the mountain. People needed to be very


    cautious to avoid spraining their ankles here. In addition, the heel of high heels was too pointed, and it


    caused holes when stepped on the soft ground. That¡¯s embarrassing.


    However, no matter how careful Olivia was, she still couldn¡¯t avoid falling to the ground.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Sophie looked at Olivia, who had fallen to the ground, and frowned slightly. ¡°Since Miss Cruise is


    unable to move freely, why don¡¯t you wait for us down the mountain?¡±


    Olivia was seething and looked at Rachel, who was standing beside Sophie. She secretly gritted her


    teeth and forced a smile. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just take your advice and wait for you down the mountain.¡±


    Sophie replied perfunctorily and turned to leave.


    Half an hourter, the group returned to the park after picking some fresh vegetables and fruits.


    However, as soon as they entered, they heard Olivia¡¯s voice. ¡°You little brat, you still deny that you


    stealing things.¡± No wonder your parents abandon you. You really deserve it!¡±


    Mrs. Zane and the director heard what she said.


    The smiles on their two faces instantly disappeared.


    Rachel and Eleanor looked at each other. They could not help but reveal mocking smiles.


    She was hopelessly stupid!


    One of the reasons why Mrs. Zane donated to the orphanage was that she likes to do charity. The


    other reason was because when she was little and once got lost with her family, the orphanage director


    took care of her at that time.


    Therefore, this orphanage meant a lot to Sophie.


    Sure enough, when Sophie heard Olivia¡¯s words, she did not care about her dignity or upbringing at all.


    She questioned coldly, ¡°Miss Cruise, aren¡¯t you being


    too autocratic?¡±


    Olivia stiffened after hearing this. She turned around stiffly.

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    Chapter 385


    When she saw Sophie who was standing behind her, Olivia panicked and forced a smile. ¡°Mrs. Zane¡­¡±


    ¡°Alex, what happened?¡± Sophiepletely ignored Olivia and walked up to the child, stroking his


    cheek.


    Mrs. Zane¡¯s tone was gentle, nothing like before when she was so domineering.


    Alex didn¡¯t look sad at all. Instead, he looked at Olivia with resentment and answered, ¡°Thisdy lost


    her hair clip and happened to see me passing by, so she said that I was the one who stole it.¡±


    Nowadays, young children were all surprisingly mature.


    Especially children from orphanages were the most sensitive.


    He knew how serious the situation would get if he was used of stealing, and he also knew that


    Olivia was quite hostile to him.


    Therefore, he did not hide his disgust for Olivia.


    Then the director said to Olivia with a fake smile, ¡°Miss Cruise, these children might not have a fancy


    background, but we shouldn¡¯t question their character!¡±


    ¡°We can decide where wee from, can¡¯t we, Miss Cruise?¡± Sophie said in a t tone. She looked


    quite calm but her eyes were cold.


    Olivia¡¯s body stiffened as she answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to discriminate against their background¡­¡±


    Sophie obviously didn¡¯t want to hear her out her exnation and said aggressively, ¡°Have you found


    it?¡±


    ¡°Not yet¡­¡±


    ¡°It would be best if we can find it. If we can¡¯t, I¡¯llpensate Miss Cruise at the original price of that


    thing. I won¡¯t let Miss Cruise suffer any losses!¡±


    ¡°No, Mrs. Zane, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­


    Sophie didn¡¯t want to listen to Olivia anymore. She held the child whose name was Alex and got up to


    leave.


    Olivia gritted her teeth and stood still, not knowing what to do.


    Meanwhile, Eleanor found an excuse to hide with Rachel.


    As soon as they went out, Eleanor couldn¡¯t wait toin, ¡°Is Louis blind or something? He left you


    to be with such a trashy woman! He actually wants an idiot to help him get investments. Has he lost his


    mind?!¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Back when Old Mr. Smith was still in charge, the Smith family had been at its


    peak. At that time, it was about to get as powerful as the Green family.


    Unfortunately, Old Mr. Smith fell ill at this critical moment, so the family¡¯s status and strength


    plummeted considerably.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Old Mr. Smith used to be so powerful and now his descendants are gonna ruin his life¡¯s


    work bit by bit,¡± Eleanor said with a hint of mockery in her


    eyes.


    ¡°There are a whole lot of people who are both blind and dumb,¡± Rachel sneered, ¡°I thought that it would


    take a lot of effort to get Mr. Zane¡¯s investment. I didn¡¯t expect it to be so easy.¡±


    The two of them locked eyes and smiled. Eleanor said, ¡°Oliviapletely offended Sophie. Now


    Sophie will never take her side again!¡±


    They washed the fruits and vegetables again and brought them back for everyone to try.


    There was a deafening silence in the room.


    ¡°Sophie, quickly try these fruits and vegetables. They are really fresher than the ones we bought. The


    taste is also a little different,¡± Eleanor said at the right time, ¡°Director, I wonder if you can sell us some


    when we leave. We¡¯ll pay you at the market price.¡±


    The director smiled when she heard this. ¡°How could I take your money? I¡¯ll get someone to pick some


    for you now.¡±


    After that, they sat in the room and chatted while drinking coffee. And then they went to the canteen of


    the orphanage to eat.


    The director talked about the demolition of the orphanage when Sophie brought it up.


    ¡°They ordered us to move out within three months and promised topensate the orphanage 200


    thousand dors for the subsequent construction,¡± the director said, ¡°however, this isn¡¯t about money.


    The children are already used to this ce. They can¡¯t bear the thought of having to leave this ce.


    Moreover, once we move out, we won¡¯t have any legitimate reason or procedures to continue taking in


    these children.¡±


    This meant that these children were about to be homeless.


    ¡°Which real estatepany is the other party from?¡± Rachel asked at the right time.

 Chapter 386

    Chapter 386


    Chapter 386


    ¡°The Grey family,¡± the director looked at her and answered, ¡°I heard that they moved to Pollister several


    years ago.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Rachel looked down after she heard that and smiled coldly.


    So it was the Grey family.


    Sometimes, she couldn¡¯t help but realize how small the world was.


    Eleanor noticed the subtle change in Rachel¡¯s mood and reached out to hold her hand.


    Rachel turned to look at Eleanor with a smile, indicating her not to be worried.


    But how could Eleanor not get worried?


    Even as a bystander couldn¡¯t let go of what had happened back then!


    After the meal, Sophie wanted to leave.


    The children watched them leave reluctantly and delivered them the fresh vegetables and fruits they


    had just picked.


    ¡°Miss Cruise, look, is this your hair clip?¡± The director¡¯s assistant walked up to Olivia and handed her


    the diamond hair clip to Olivia in a handkerchief.


    When Olivia saw the soil on it, she remembered how she fell on the back mountain. Her face


    immediately turned red and she smiled awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve found it, shouldn¡¯t you


    apologize to the child?¡± Sophie looked at Olivia with a smile.


    Her tone sounded gentle, but the words she said were quite intimidating.


    When Olivia heard this, the smile on her face froze.


    She looked at Sophie in disbelief.


    Did she hear Sophie wrong?!


    Mrs. Zane actually wanted her to apologize to a little child?!


    Even if she had wronged the child, there was no need for her to apologize to a child in front of so many


    people!


    Sophie just looked at her with a faint smile, but her eyes were all cold. ¡°Miss Cruise, you don¡¯t wanna


    do that?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m willing to do that¡­¡± Olivia looked down to hide the resentment in her


    eyes. She gritted her teeth and squatted down to look at Alex and said, ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry that I wronged you just now. How about I give you this as an apology gift?¡± As she spoke, she


    handed the diamond hair clip to Alex.


    But Alex didn¡¯t appreciate it at all and snorted. He pushed Olivia¡¯s hand away and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care for


    it!¡±


    Olivia¡¯s beautiful eyes glistened frigidly. She dugged her nails into her palms as she resisted the


    impulse to teach this brat a lesson.


    ¡°These children might be young, but they know how to distinguish between good and evil,¡± Sophie


    patted Alex on the head and said slowly, ¡°they can tell if other people are sincere or not.¡±


    Of course, Olivia could understand what Sophie meant. However, in the current situation, she had no


    choice but to admit she was wrong, ¡°You¡¯re right, Mrs. Zane.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte now. We¡¯d better get going.¡± Before Sophie left, she turned around and nced


    at the director who was following behind her. Sophie said to her, ¡°Director, there¡¯s no need to send me


    off. If you have any problems, feel free to call me.¡±


    They all went to the car and Rachel chose a seat by the window.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    When the car started, they happened to pass by a Mercedes.


    The half¨Copened car window revealed half of the man¡¯s face.


    The man still looked quite energetic and handsome for his age. He got the eyes of an eagle and he


    must be quite gorgeous when he was young.


    As if sensing Rachel¡¯s gaze, the man suddenly turned around and looked in Rachel¡¯s direction.


    Her sharp and cold eyes carried an intimidating aura. It was as if an invisible hand was grabbing


    Rachel¡¯s neck. She felt a bit breathless and her whole body froze.


    ¡°Mr. Grey, we¡¯re here,¡± the driver said.


    The man in the backseat responded absent¨Cmindedly, but his cold gaze was still fixed in the direction


    where the bus had left.


    Hans¡® eyes darkened as he said coldly, ¡°Go and find out the information about that


    car.¡±


    Although that car was only passing by, the woman¡¯s face somehow felt familiar to him.

 Chapter 387

    Chapter 387


    Chapter 387


    The whole ride was quite bumpy along the way. Olivia had asked Mrs. Zane about her well¨Cbeing for


    several times in the car.


    Unfortunately, Mrs. Zane had long known what kind of person Olivia really was. She did not show any


    gratitude or affection for Olivia, but she also didn¡¯t show her boredom.


    She was cold and distant the whole time.


    Rachel watched as Olivia kept buttering up Mrs. Zane like a ridiculous clown. Her almond eyes were


    filled with sarcasm when she smiled.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Finally, they arrived at the Pollisterth district in the evening.


    When they got off the car, Olivia grabbed Rachel¡¯s arm when no one was watching and said, ¡°Rachel,


    what exactly did you say to Mrs. Zane?!¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at Olivia mockingly. ¡°To be honest, at first, I wanted to


    do something to prevent Smith Group from getting this investment, but now I realize that my previous


    worries were all unnecessary.¡±


    Because Olivia had ruined everything for herself and she only had herself to me!


    Even if she did anything, it would all be unnecessary.


    ¡°You do wanna go against me!¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as they glistened coldly.


    She squeezed Rachel¡¯s arm harder with her nails digging into Rachel¡¯s skin. Rachel frowned slightly


    and grabbed Olivia¡¯s arm, dragging it out forcefully. Olivia¡¯s face turned pale from the pain.


    She hurriedly reached out with her other hand to grab Rachel. Before her left hand could even touch


    Rachel, Rachel took it and pulled it outward.


    Rachel seized both of Olivia¡¯s arms in a very ufortable position.


    Olivia gasped in pain. Her face was distorted as she red fiercely at Rachel. ¡°Rachel, although I don¡¯t


    know what despicable methods you used on Mrs. Zane to make her hate me, I¡¯m warning you, the


    Smith family will definitely get this investment. If you dare to interfere, Louis will make you pay for this!¡±


    ¡°You are what you see! I¡¯m not you. Of course, I won¡¯t use those shady methods to get my way like


    you.¡± Rachel snorted coldly at Olivia. ¡°As for the investment that Smith Group needs, don¡¯t even think


    about getting it!¡±


    ¡°You do wanna go against Smith Group!¡±


    ¡°Since I could help the Smith family rise again back then, I could easily destroy it bit by bit. There¡¯s


    nothing more painful in this world than watching yourself losing it gradually, right?¡±


    Rachel slowly bent down and whispered into Olivia¡¯s ear as her red lips went closer, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just like


    how you wanted to get back at me by stealing Louis from


    me?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s tone was stone cold and sent shivers down Olivia¡¯s spine.


    Rachel pushed her away and walked out of the car with his head held high.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Eleanor looked at Rachel and asked.


    Rachel raised her hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She said calmly, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    However, Eleanor noticed the bruises on Rachel¡¯s wrist at a nce. She pulled Rchael¡¯s hand and her


    gaze suddenly darkened, ¡°That little bitch did this?!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s skin¡® was quite delicate, so even a little pressure could leave a very obvious red mark on her


    skin.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little scratch. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Eleanor sighed, ¡°When you get back to the hotel,e to my room so I can apply some medicine to


    your bruises.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±

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    Chapter 388


    Just as the two of them were about to get into the car, a silver BMW pulled over in front of them.


    The car window slowly rolled down, revealing David¡¯s handsome and indifferent face. His exquisite


    beauty was like a work of art.


    Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the man¡¯s side profile was covered in ayer of pale golden light


    like a god.


    Olivia, who had just gotten out of the car, got a little enchanted when she saw David¡¯s face.


    She couldn¡¯t believe there was such a beautiful man in this world.


    But David didn¡¯t notice Olivia at all. As he nced at the group of people in front of him, he finally fixed


    his eyes on Rachel. His eyes glistened coldly and then he smiled. ¡°Is everything done?¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    Then David opened the door and got off the car. He reached out his arms and grabbed Rachel¡¯s tiny


    waist naturally, asking, ¡°What do you wanna have tonight? French? Chinese food? Kaiseki Ryori?¡±


    Before Rachel could say anything, Mrs. Zane and Sophie took the initiative to speak, ¡°Mr. Jones, Miss


    Grey. If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t you guys stay here for dinner tonight?¡±


    Mr. Zane chimed in, ¡°Yeah, I happen to have something to discuss with Miss Grey.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Hearing that, Rachel¡¯s eyes sparkled and she said, ¡°Will I disturb you two?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Sophie said hurriedly, ¡°I love learning how to cook all kinds of dishes. I¡¯ve always hoped


    that someone can give me some opinions. I¡¯ll be thrilled if guys cane.¡±


    Rachel turned to look at David as if she was asking for his opinion.


    David raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    Rachel smiled, ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Zane¡­¡± Olivia chased after Mrs. Zane hurriedly.


    you


    But Sophie knew what Olivia was up to at a nce. She gave Olivia a cold and distant smile and said,


    ¡°Miss Cruise, you must have been quite exhausted after running around with us today. I think you¡¯d


    better go back to the hotel and have a good rest.¡±


    With that, she turned around and left without looking back.


    With such an attitude, Mrs. Zane was obviously drawing a line with Olivia.


    Olivia bit her lip, her eyes filled with unwillingness.


    The Summers family from Pollister wasparable to the Johnson family from Seaxas.


    The reason why the Summers family had prospered for more than a hundred years was not only


    because of the illustrious battle achievements of their ancestors but also because Mr. Johnson knew


    how to stay low¨Ckey.


    When they walked into the house of the Summers family, they immediately felt the politeness and


    strictness of the Summers family.


    They could tell that the Summers family had a strict family tradition.


    ¡°Please make yourselves feel at home.¡± Sophie gestured for the servant to serve them coffee


    Not long after they sat down, Mr. Johnson arrivedte with his walking stick. Although he was already


    80 years old, he still gave an intimidating aura.


    His hair had already turned grey but his eyes were still quite sharp, from which they could tell that he


    must be a tough guy when he was still young.


    When he saw David, Mr. Johnson suddenly became quite serious and said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Jones.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Johnson,¡± David nodded slightly.


    Rachel nced at David with a faint smile in her eyes.


    She suddenly realized that there were many benefits to having a boyfriend with high status.


    They could get into any ce they wanted with his name.


    In the living room, the men were chatting about their own topics.


    Rachel decided to sit and chat with Eleanor and Sophie.


    First, they talked about their hobbies and interests and then they switched to their boyfriends until Katy,


    Logan, who was Sophie¡¯s son, and Zion, the current heir of the Summers family, walked in.


    Logan had met Rachel several times so they weren¡¯t strangers.


    However, Zion, the heir of the Summers family, kind of surprised Rachel.


    The man was wearing a ck suit with a buzz cut, giving Rachel a very domineering aura.


    When Rachel first saw Zion, it was not difficult to tell that Zion and Lucas had the same vibe.


    The second Zion walked in, he nced at everyone in the living room before fixing his eyes on Rachel.

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    Chapter 389


    Chapter 389


    ¡°Zion is the heir of the Summers family. He used to be Lucus¡®rade in the army. After he retired


    from the army, he took over his family¡¯spany. Now, he has a business partnership with your


    Lucas.¡±


    Eleanor, who was sitting next to Rachel, exined, ¡°Katy is a grown woman now. The Page family


    wants the two of them to hang out more.¡±


    And they all knew the intention behind that.


    Rachel looked down with a knowing smile.


    This was why she didn¡¯t see Katy in the morning. It turned out that she was busy hanging out with Zion.


    Rachel had long heard of the Summers family from Pollister.


    The Summers family had a wide range of industries and was one of the best in the real estate world.


    They bought Starling Tech a year ago and were currently focused on AI technology.


    When it came to family background and status, Zion was indeed the best choice for the Page family.


    But Rachel just wanted to stay out of all this and didn¡¯t care at all.


    However, her attitude did not affect the opinions of others.


    When Sophie suggested showing Rachel around, Zion volunteered.


    Not only was Rachel surprised, but even Sophie and Eleanor were also stunned.


    And Katy looked quite upset as if she was a resentful woman whose husband had been snatched


    away.


    ¡°Miss Grey, are you not willing to do that?¡± Zion could see that Rachel was worrying about something.


    Rachel was quite embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to do when a strange me was suddenly so extra


    friendly to her.


    But then, someone said in a cold and deep voice from behind, ¡°Of course, she is


    not!¡±


    Everyone looked back and saw David striding towards Rachel. He sat on the armrest of the sofa and


    wrapped his arm around her shoulder as if he was dering to everyone that Rachel was his girlfriend.


    ¡°How did you¡­¡± Rachel looked at David, shocked.


    She thought David was still talking in the living room and did not notice what was happening on her


    side at all.


    Little did she know that David had been keeping an eye on her from the corner of his eye.


    Especially when he noticed Zion was looking at Rachel, David immediately felt that something was


    wrong.


    David looked down as his eyes darkened dangerously, ¡°If I don¡¯te any sooner, my wife might be


    stolen.¡±


    Rachel immediately flushed. She poked his waist with her elbow and reminded him quietly, ¡°Mind your


    words.¡±


    But David was too jealous to listen to Rachel¡¯s words right now.


    He tightened his grip on Rachel¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Mr. Summers, instead of thinking about stealing


    my girl, why don¡¯t you look behind you?¡±


    Hearing this, Katy stopped looking so pissed and finally smiled.


    ¡°Your girl?¡± Zion raised his eyebrows as his burning gaze fixed on Rachel. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned,


    Miss Grey is still unmarried.¡±


    After he said that, the tension instantly started mounting up.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Zion.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Eleanor¡¯s heart almost skipped a beat when she heard that, but her eyes were flickering excitedly.


    Were they gonna fight for her openly?!


    She hadn¡¯t seen two men fighting over a girl in a very long time. Today, she finally had a chance to


    feast her eyes!


    As Eleanor¡¯s best friend, Sophie was exactly like Eleanor, looking at them. curiously. She even nudged


    her son a little, hoping that he would join in.


    However, Logan took after his mother¡¯s personality. He just sat back and rxed, enjoying this show


    like a bystander.


    Rachel stopped being nice and looked at Zion seriously, saying, ¡°Mr. Summers, this is my boyfriend. I


    don¡¯t want your joke to do any harm to our rtionship.¡±


    ¡°If your rtionship can be affected by a harmless little joke, that means his feelings for you aren¡¯t


    sincere enough,¡± Zion looked at Rachel and continued, ¡°Miss Grey, why do you wanna choose him


    when you have so many choices?¡±

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390


    Chapter 390


    Hearing that, David had a frigid look on his face, giving an intimidating aura.


    Rachel held his hand tofort him as if she was stroking the fur of a lion that was on the edge of


    going nuts.


    She looked at Zion and said indifferently with her cold voice, ¡°Mr. Summers, we¡¯re practically strangers.


    I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re making jokes like this. Forgive me for being outspoken, but you¡¯re going too


    far.¡±


    Hearing that, Zion chuckled, ¡°Miss Grey, how do you know that we¡¯re strangers?¡± Rachel looked at


    Zion, confused.


    She started thinking and was sure that she didn¡¯t know Zion before.


    She was 100% sure that this was the first time she had ever seen him.


    Zion said, ¡°John once showed me your picture.¡±


    Rachel was speechless. It turned out that there was another person behind this.


    Before she could say anything, Zion continued, ¡°He owed me a favor before and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too


    much for him to use you to pay me back.¡±


    Not too much?!


    These two people practically traded her without her knowing, and they even had the guts to say that it


    was not too much!


    Rachel snorted in anger and said with her eyes filled with coldness, ¡°Mr. Summers, I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m not


    interested in you at all now and I will never be interested in you in the future!¡±


    With that, she stood up and left.


    Hearing Rachel¡¯s blunt words, the cold expression on David¡¯s face softened a little. He got up and


    followed Rachel out.


    The two of them walked into the pavilion in the Summers family¡¯s garden. without knowing it.


    As soon as she stopped, Rachel turned around and hugged David¡¯s waist. She looked at him with a


    sequent smile, ¡°Are you still mad?¡±


    ¡°My girlfriend is fooling around behind my back? You think I shouldn¡¯t be angry?!¡± David looked down at


    her quietly, admiring her beautiful face.


    ¡°Fooling around is a term used to describe a person who is flirty,¡± Rachel exined with an innocent


    look on her face, ¡°first of all, I didn¡¯t mess with him, and secondly, I didn¡¯t flirt with him. Either way, it¡¯s


    not my fault, right?¡±


    David reached out his hand and pinched her face, saying, ¡°Then it¡¯s


    my


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    fault


    now?¡±


    Rachel winked and sneered with her almond eyes sparkling wittily, ¡°You said it,


    not me.¡±


    Before she could even finish her sentence, David grabbed her waist with one hand and held her tightly


    in his arms.


    He squinted his eyes with a hint of danger as they darkened. ¡°Say it again?¡±


    They were extremely close to each other, their breaths mingling together. She could feel the man¡¯s


    warm breath on her face and it was a bit intimidating. Rachel raised her eyebrows and gave him a


    beautiful bright smile.


    She stood on her tiptoes and leaned forward to sniff at the man¡¯s cor. ¡°I smelled jealousy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and if that jealousy doesn¡¯t fade away, I¡¯m afraid Rae¨CRae will have to suffer a little tonight.¡± The


    man lowered his head and breathed into her ear, causing Rachel¡¯s body to tremble.


    She struggled out of instinct but then she realized that he was so much stronger than her.


    Rachel looked up into his dark eyes.


    His gaze was red up with obsession as if there were mes in his eyes, exposing his restless desire


    in front of Rachel.


    Rachel became a bit breathless. Then she blinked at him calmly and stood on her tiptoes to steal a kiss


    from him.


    After getting a kiss, David finally let go of her.


    Rachel instantly struggled out of his embrace and said, ¡°With my background and looks, it¡¯s not


    surprising that I can attract a lot of men.¡±


    ¡°You reminded me of something.¡± David grabbed her wrist and walked out without saying anything else.


    Rachel, who was following behind, was totally confused.

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391


    Chapter 391


    ¡°David, what exactly do you wanna do?¡±


    ¡°Go to the city hall and get married!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    She found it hard to keep up with David.


    Everything was alright a second ago, but now he wanted to get married right away?!


    When they walked past a stone pir of the pavilion, Rachel quickly grabbed it and hung onto it like a


    sloth.


    David had to stop walking and turned to look at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Since when did I agree to marry you?¡± Rachel looked at him, not knowing


    whether tough or cry.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    David frowned and asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you just giving me a hint that I should give you myst name to


    prevent other men from coveting you?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Rachel shook off his hand speechlessly. ¡°I was only telling you


    that as my boyfriend, shouldn¡¯t you be more tolerant? Besides, shouldn¡¯t there be a process before


    registering your marriage, right?


    ¡°A process?¡±


    David¡¯s frown deepened.


    Rachel chuckled, ¡°We have to have a ceremony and everything, right? Otherwise, what will I be?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t being considerate enough,¡± David said.


    Rachel looked at the serious look on his face andughed even harder.


    She poked David¡¯s chest and said with a straight face, ¡°Mr. Jones, I¡¯m not that easy to get. You have to


    work harder.¡±


    With that, she left giggling with her hands behind her back.


    David stood still as he watched her leave with love and tenderness in his


    eyes.


    He took out his phone and called Jimmy.


    ¡°David.¡± Jimmy picked up the phone on the other side of the line.


    David answered and cut to the chase, ¡°Have you found the thing I asked you to search for?¡±


    At the mention of this, Jimmy scratched his head and answered, ¡°David, if you want me to find a


    diamond of good quality, I can get it for you in a minute, but why do you have to make me get a 21¨C


    carat diamond?¡±


    ¡°Keep searching if you can¡¯t find it!¡± David¡¯s husky voice was cold as usual.


    He hung up the phone and walked towards the living room with one hand in his pocket.


    Right now, everyone was taking their seats one after another. Rachel naturally sat with David while


    Katy sat next to Zion under the


    arrangement of the Summers family.


    Everyone could tell that they were deliberately trying to matchmake Katy and Zion.


    Zion looked indifferent and was clearly not interested in Katy.


    At the dining table, Rachel ate quietly but she could feel Zion staring at her;


    That scorching gaze was really hard to ignore.


    Under his gaze, David became even gloomier and the tension was mounting up around him.


    For some reason, everyone felt like it was theirst dinner.


    Sophie and Stuart locked eyes and gave each other a look.


    Stuart cleared his throat and started talking about business matters. ¡°Actually, I know why Miss Grey


    visited this time. You¡¯re just hoping that I will withdraw my investment in Smith Group. But there¡¯s one


    thing I don¡¯t understand. Even if I withdraw my investment in Smith Group, what good will it do you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll do no good for me, but it¡¯s very good for Mr. Zane.¡± Rachel put down the fork in her hand and


    picked up the handkerchief on the table. She slowly wiped her mouth elegantly.

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392


    Chapter 392


    ¡°After going through all those scandals, Smith Group¡¯s reputation is not as good as before, but things


    for Johnson Corporation are totally


    different. I didn¡¯te here only to persuade Mr. Zane to give up on the investment in Smith Group, but


    also to help Johnson Corporation win your investment.¡±


    Hearing that, Stuart waspletely shocked.


    At this very moment, he felt like even the blood in his veins waspletely frozen. His pupils


    contracted as he stared at Rachel.


    For people in the business world, Johnson Corporation was at the top of the game, beyond everyone¡¯s


    reach.


    Now, Rachel had given him such an opportunity so straightforwardly.


    But Stuart had been in the business world for decades and he would never give up on his principles


    after simply hearing a few words from Rachel.


    After dinner, he asked Rachel to have a talk with him in his study.


    ¡°Miss Grey, at that time, you helped Smith Group get those investments and swore to me that Smith


    Group would be my most sessful investment. Now, you want me to withdraw my investment. Aren¡¯t


    you fooling me? Why should I believe you?!¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m Rachel Grey!¡± Rachel¡¯s red lips curled into a bright smile as her eyes glistened. ¡°With the


    current scale of Smith Group, they won¡¯t be half of Johnson Corporation even if they work hard for


    dozens or even a hundred years. More importantly, without me, how long do you think they canst,


    Mr. Zane?¡±


    She was being very straightforward and she was right.


    Back then, the Smith Group was able to rise again and gradually return to the right track only because


    of Rachel¡¯s contribution.


    You could say she was being arrogant or that she was just very confident, but you had to buy her


    words and she was quite convincing.


    With the current size and situation of Smith Group, they were just a nobodypared to Johnson


    Corporation.


    Anyone with a brain would know which one to choose, not to mention


    that Stuart actually was a well¨Cexperienced businessman.


    Stuart stared at her for a moment and finally stood up, saying, ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m looking forward to our


    cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Hope we can work well together in the future,¡± Rachel said, shaking hands with Mr. Zane.


    After leaving the study, Rachel walked up to David and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go


    now.¡±


    Without any hesitation, David wrapped his arm around Rachel¡¯s shoulder and strode toward the door


    with her.


    Rachel didn¡¯t even get the chance to say goodbye to Eleanor.


    David acted like there was a blood¨Cthirty, scary monster living in the house of the Summers family.


    Rachelughed when she got stuffed into the car by David as she looked at him,ining ¡°You¡¯re


    gonna make me look rude.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t get to teach my girl what to do!¡± David said.


    Rachel chuckled as she muttered, ¡°You¡¯re being childish.¡±


    ¡°If you know that I¡¯m childish, why did you still dare to provoke other people like that?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°I suddenly feel that what Mr Summers just said was actually


    right. I really shouldn¡¯t give up all the other options so easily when I have so many.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    David squinted his eyes and sneered wickedly, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure there are no other options left for you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so domineering and bossy!¡±


    ¡°If I really was domineering and bossy, I would¡¯ve confined you by my side. David lifted her chin. He


    chuckled with his deep and cold voice scratching her heart like a feather.

 Chapter 393

    Chapter 393


    Chapter 393


    Rachel looked at the beautiful face in front of her.


    His dark and thick eyebrows were perfectly shaped and his dark eyes were looking right into hers,


    smiling. It was charming and enchanting, nothing like the coldness in his eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s heart finally skipped a beat.


    Did she have the potential to develop Stockholm Syndrome or something?


    ¡±


    Otherwise, why would she not panic when she heard David¡¯s rming statement and even got a little


    excited?


    The phone suddenly rang and broke this unusual atmosphere.


    Rachel was stunned for a moment and hurriedly took her phone out of her purse. ¡°Hello?¡±


    She picked up the phone hastily and didn¡¯t check the caller ID.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Louis¡¯s voice pierced through the phone.


    Rachel became gloomier. Just as she was about to hang up the phone, she heard Louis speak again,


    ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t hang up on me! I really have something important to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I know you hate my guts. You can take revenge on me however you like, but¡­ could you show some


    sympathy? At least don¡¯t do any harm to Smith Group.¡± Louis¡¯s low and hoarse voice was tainted withAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    helplessness.


    Rachel sneered, not even trying to hide how she felt, ¡°Why are you being so certain that I was the one


    who wants to destroy Smith Group?!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Louis said, ¡°when Olivia came back, she told me everything. She told me that you¡¯re not


    only targeting her and me, but you¡¯re also targeting Smith Group.¡±


    Rachelughed frigidly without even hiding it.


    She leaned idly against the car window with sarcasm in her eyes as she tapped her forehead gently


    with her fingers. Then she said slowly, ¡°Louis, do you really have a brain?¡±


    Hearing her sarcastic tone, Louis frowned and his handsome face grew grimmer.


    ¡°You asked Olivia to help you get the investment through Mrs. Zane, but do you have any idea what


    this orphanage means to Mrs. Zane?¡± Hearing the silence on the other side of the line, Rachel


    somehow became patient and simply answered the questions in Louis¡¯s heart.


    ¡°This orphanage once helped Mrs. Zane a lot, so Mrs. Zane valued this orphanage very much. She


    even treats the children in the orphanage as her own. But Olivia scorned the children without any


    exnation and she actually said things to them like ¡®You stole something but you don¡¯t even admit it.


    That is why your parents abandoned you. You really had iting. What makes you think that Mrs.


    Zane has a good impression of her? What makes you think that Mrs. Zane will help Smith Group get an


    investment?¡±


    ¡°If you still think that I¡¯m the one who caused Smith Group to lose this investment, then you¡¯re wrong.


    Olivia is the one who is so stupid that she doesn¡¯t even know she is dumb. She has made a bad


    impression on Mrs. Zane. You two only have yourselves to me!¡±


    Louis frowned and clenched his fists. ¡°Even so, what good will it do you if Smith Group loses this


    investment?¡±


    ¡°There are many benefits! Giving you trouble is one of them!¡±


    After saying that, she didn¡¯t want to waste her time on him anymore and just hung up the phone on


    Louis.


    When David heard thest thing she just said, he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    He thought that Rachel would always stay rational and clear¨Cheaded. He did not expect her to have


    such a childish side.


    On the other end of the line, Louis¡¯s face gradually turned cold when he heard the beeping sound.


    He irritatedly took a cigarette out of the pack, lit it, and took a sniff.


    The white smoke rose up and covered his gloomy face.


    At this moment, Olivia wrapped her arms around Louis¡¯s waist from behind and sobbed quietly, ¡°Louis,


    I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±

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    In the past, when he saw Olivia crying like this, Louis wouldfort her


    right away.


    But now, Louis was really upset. He was not in the mood tofort Olivia.


    With his back facing Olivia, he smoked silently with a cold expression on his face.


    He just sat there and let Olivia cry while she hugged him.


    ¡°Louis, I¡¯m such a loser. Rachel is much better than in every aspect, but I just wanted to help you¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect Rachel to hate me so much. She didn¡¯t even hesitate to vent this hatred on


    you and the entire Smith Group. It¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯te her way, she wouldn¡¯t have be


    like this. If it weren¡¯t for me, your rtionship wouldn¡¯t have be so bad¡­¡±


    Olivia threw herself in Louis¡¯s arms, secretly calcting the time and waiting for Louis¡¯sfort.


    However, no matter how long she waited, Louis¡¯s lovingfort never


    came.


    And the endless wait really made her feel miserable and she had never felt so restless before.


    So much had gone out of her control for this trip to Pollister.


    First, it was all the idents on the cruise ship. Now, she had been schemed against by that bitch


    Rachel. She had lost Mrs. Zane¡¯s connections for nothing. Now, Louis¡¯s attitude towards her was so


    cold and indifferent.


    Her intuition told her that she needed to speed things up and get engaged to Louis as soon as


    possible!


    Olivia looked down to hide the scheming look in her eyes.


    She slowly let go of Louis¡¯s waist and said, ¡°Louis, I¡¯m terribly sorry. I¡¯ve disappointed you so many


    times. I¡¯ve failed your trust and your love for


    me¡­¡±


    Finally, Louis, who had his back on her, reacted a little.


    He stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and threw it into the ashtray. ¡°Stop overthinking it. Have a


    good rest. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow morning.¡± As he spoke, he picked up his suit jacket from the sofa and


    walked out. Olivia grabbed his wrist hastily and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Louis looked up at her and his calm gaze was cold and sharp like a knife.


    Olivia¡¯s pupils instantly constricted anxiously as she said, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going out for a while. I¡¯ll be back soon. You don¡¯t have to wait up for me.¡± Louis shook Olivia¡¯s


    hands away and left without even looking back.


    Olivia looked at him as he left and her heart sank.


    Ever since she came back to Crucsia, Louis¡¯s attitude towards her had never run cold. He was never


    impatient with her either.


    But now, she could vaguely sense that something about Louis had changed.


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    Now, she could not understand Louis¡¯s thoughts at all.


    This only made Olivia more afraid.


    She bit her lips with her pearly white teeth, and her beautiful eyes flickered.


    She had to think of a way to get back at Rachel. Otherwise, it would be toote by the time Louis came


    to his senses!


    Rachel and David returned to the hotel.


    She took some clean clothes and walked into the bathroom.


    The warm water poured down on her like soft silk and chased all the weariness away.


    She yed with the water and leaned against the headrest of the bathtub, slowly closing her eyes.


    For some reason, she thought of what Eleanor had said.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, he¡¯s not suitable for you. You can¡¯t be together!¡±


    ¡°Did you know that Aureliana has an unwritten rule that Aureliana


    prohibits marriage to people outside the ind?¡±


    Actually, she trusted David with all her heart, but when she heard this rule, she couldn¡¯t help but


    be more curious about Aureliana.


    As she was thinking, there was a sudden knock on the bathroom door.


    Rachel woke up with a start.

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    Chapter 395


    She immediately sat up but did not expect to cause a huge ssh, causing her to choke and cough


    incessantly.


    David, outside the door, was worried that something would happen to her and instinctively wanted to


    barge in.


    But Rachel immediately stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯te in!¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± David¡¯s tense voice was filled with unconceble


    nervousness.


    ¡°Ahem, I¨CI¡¯m fine¡­¡± Rachel crossed her arms in front of her chest and tensely curled up in the bathtub.


    She stared nervously at the closed bathroom door. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Outside, David said, ¡°Your phone is ringing.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and said awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me


    now¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I can answer it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After saying that, Rachel secretly heaved a sigh of relief when she heard David¡¯s footsteps leaving.


    David swiped the screen with his fingertips and picked up the call. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    There was a long silence on the other end of the line.


    Even if the other party did not speak, David could vaguely perceive who the other party was.


    David was not in a hurry either, patiently waiting.


    Then the person on the other end couldn¡¯t stand it and spoke first, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Rachel.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the corner of David¡¯s lips curled up slightly. There was a hint ofughter in his deep


    and cold voice, full of provocation. ¡°She¡¯s taking a shower. It¡¯s not very convenient.¡±


    Louis choked and tightened his grip on the phone. His knuckles were pale, and blue veins could be


    seen on the back of his hand.


    He did not expect the progress between Rachel and David to be so fast.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Think about it. He had been with Rachel for three years, and their most intimate action was only to hug


    and hold hands.


    However, after she broke up with him and met David for a few months, they had already slept together.


    The more Louis thought about it, the angrier he became. He felt a lump in his throat, making his


    breathing unpleasant. The purpose of the call was forgotten for a while.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first. I don¡¯t have time to waste with you in the middle of the night,¡±


    David said meaningfully.


    Every word stabbed fiercely into Louis¡¯s heart like a knife.


    His face abruptly changed, and aplex look appeared in his eyes. ¡°Give her the phone. I have


    something to say to her.¡±


    ¡°She has nothing to say to you.¡± With that, David hung up directly.


    Rachel walked out of the bathroom and slowly wiped her hair. ¡°Where¡¯s the hairdryer?¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡± David waved at her.


    Only then did Rachel realize that the hairdryer was ready.


    As soon as she walked over, David wrapped his arms around her slender waist and held her on hisp.


    The man¡¯s well¨Cdefined fingers intertwined with her soft hair, patiently teasing her hair.


    Rachel listened to the sound of the hairdryer and casually asked, ¡°Can you tell me about Aureliana?¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°I heard that Aureliana has many unwritten rules, including not marrying outsiders?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± David did not hide anything. He did not stop what he was doing. and said calmly, ¡°There are


    many unwritten rules there, but rules are


    dead, and people are alive.¡±


    His tone was casual, but when the words fell, it gave off a soul¨Cstirring deterrence.


    No matter how ordinary a sentence was, the moment it came out of his mouth, there was an


    inexplicable sense of trust.


    At this moment, David turned off the hairdryer in his hand.

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    Chapter 396


    Rachel sat astride him, and the two of them faced each other.


    David¡¯s well¨Cdefined fingers gently brushed past her eyebrows and slowlynded on her lips.


    He leaned down and kissed her lightly. ¡°Do you want to take a look at Aureliana?¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°When are we going?¡±


    ¡°It depends on your time.¡± David stared at her without blinking. His dark eyes shed with a luster, and


    his thin lips curled into a smile. ¡°Remember to arrange the things on hand before you go.¡°,


    The matter at hand¡­


    Rachel suddenly remembered that she had to bring Naomi home the following week. She sighed


    slightly and leaned on David¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There are indeed some things to deal with.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡± David gently rubbed the top of her head.


    Rachel looked at him and pondered for a moment. Suddenly, she asked, ¡°Why did you abruptlye


    up with bringing me to Aureliana?¡±


    Could it be because of her problem just now?


    ¡°Rather than getting to know Aureliana through me, it¡¯s better to bring you to understand it yourself.¡±


    David lifted her chin with his fingertips and kissed her lips again.


    Their lips were attached, passionately and deeply.


    The only trace of coldness left in the room could not withstand the heat that spread from them.


    Rachel, who was pressed under, felt dizzy from the kiss. She instinctively and clumsily responded to


    David.


    Rachel opened her eyes and was caught off guard by the man¡¯s deep eyes.


    The deep passion in his dark eyes was reflected in front of her eyes at this moment. It was immersed in


    shocking desire, like arge and deep vortex. He wished he could drag her in and trap her firmly.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes trembled violently.


    ¡°Rest early.¡± David¡¯s passionate voice exuded a texture of gravel.


    The next second, he suddenly turned around and left.


    Rachel was stunned. She supported her limp body and watched David leave. ¡°Da..¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, she heard the bathroom door m shut.


    Rachel blinked andy back on the bed. She buried her head in the quilt and could not help butugh.


    When David was out of the bathroom, Rachel was already curled up in bed and asleep.


    He walked in slowly and watched her curl up in a ball. He couldn¡¯t help but reach out and gently touch


    her cheek.


    The moment his fingertips touched Rachel, her eyes flew open suddenly.


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    She looked at the person in front of her with cold and vignt eyes.


    After seeing the person, the coldness in her eyes fleeted, and a hint of gentleness appeared.


    ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Davidy beside her.


    Rachel¡¯s stiff body gradually rxed. Like an insecure cat, she burrowed into his arms.


    Even a small gesture made David¡¯s heart soften.


    He tightened his grip on her waist and slowly closed his eyes.


    That night, Rachel slept peacefully.


    When she opened her eyes again, David was nowhere to be seen.


    She frowned slightly and subconsciously got up, but she felt the unusual touch on the middle finger of


    her right hand.


    Rachel lowered her eyes and immediately noticed the ring on her middle finger.


    There was a row of small diamonds embedded in the in circle of tinum. It was simple, luxurious,


    and reserved.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±

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    Chapter 397


    Rachel looked at the ring on her finger in shock.


    ¡°Getting a marriage certificate is indeed too hasty,¡± David¡¯s deep and cold voice suddenly rang out.


    Rachel looked up at him.


    With one hand in his pocket, David walked over step by step. ¡°But to prevent others from coveting you,


    I still have tobel you as mine.¡±


    ¡°Then what is this? A proposal?¡±


    As she spoke, she raised her hand and waved it.


    ¡°Do you agree?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter if I agree or not?¡± Rachel looked at him helplessly. ¡°You didn¡¯t even give me a chance to


    refuse and directly put the ring on my finger.¡±


    David reached out and pulled her into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for being too beautiful.¡±


    He knew that Rachel had always wanted a sense of ritual, and he was willing to satisfy it.


    However, Zion Summers¡¯s appearance yesterday made him feel a sense of crisis.


    He had no choice but to resort to this.


    Rachel leaned into his arms obediently. She rubbed the slightly cold ring with her fingers and sighed


    softly. ¡°I thought I would have a romantic and grand proposal ceremony¡­


    David kissed her temple. His deep and cold voice slowly entered her ears. ¡°What others have, my


    Rae¨CRae has too.¡±


    Rachel tilted her eyes to look at him. Her lips curled into a smile that reached her eyes. ¡°Then I¡¯ll look


    forward to it first?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Are


    you free this afternoon?¡± Rachel asked.


    David said, ¡°Do you want to take a look around?¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for a long time. I n to walk around.¡±


    After the two went out, David learned from Rachel that she had spent her high school days in Pollister.


    She also met Linda Galler and Jessica Tower here.


    After walking around Pollister High School, they went to a restaurant for dinner.


    ¡°Rachel?!¡± A sweet female voice suddenly sounded from behind.


    Rachel¡¯s body froze on the spot.


    The things umted in the depths of her heart were like Pandora¡¯s box that had been opened,


    pouring out all at once.


    Her mind was dazed as if someone had poured a pail of ice water over her from head to toe in the cold


    winter. The bone¨Cchilling cold swept. through her limbs and bones wantonly, and her hands trembled


    uncontrobly.


    David noticed Rachel¡¯s abnormality and tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Rachel slowly regained consciousness and stared at him for a moment. She shook her head gently and


    continued walking forward without looking back.


    14


    Lily Grey looked at Rachel¡¯s determined back and subconsciously wanted to chase after her, but her


    mother, Rose Grey, grabbed her. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡± Rose exposed her thoughts with one sentence. She held Lily¡¯s hand


    and walked towards the private room. She did not forget to mutter, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for so


    many years. Perhaps she has already died outside. Why don¡¯t you think about the scandal she caused


    in high school¡­¡±


    When David walked into the private room, he coincidentally heard Rose¡¯s words.


    He narrowed his eyes, and an imperceptible coldness shed across the depths of his ck eyes.


    The meal was tasteless to Rachel. It tasted like chewing wax.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to apany you?¡±


    Rachel shook her head and refused. She then stood up and left.


    However, when she walked into the restroom, she immediately regretted it.


    But it was toote to leave now.


    ¡°Rachel, I knew it was you.¡± Lily put the lipstick into her bag and looked at Rachel with a kind smile.


    Lily¡¯s appearance was verypatible with her voice. She was equally sweet and moving.


    However, who would have thought that a pure and harmless appearance would hide such a vicious


    heart?N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

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    Chapter 398


    Rachel did not have any good feelings for this half¨Csister, nor did she intend to put on a show of


    reuniting after a long separation.


    After all, the Grey family had nothing to do with her.


    Lily seemed to have not noticed Rachel¡¯s indifferent expression at all. She walked forward with a smile


    and reached out to hold Rachel¡¯s hand.


    However, Rachel avoided it without a trace.


    Lily looked at her empty hand and was not angry. She pursed her lips slightly, and her sweet tone


    revealed a trace of gentleness. It was like a spring that made one feelfortable. ¡°Rachel, how have


    you been outside these years?¡±


    Noticing that Rachel did not answer, she continued, ¡°Actually, Dad has been very worried about you all


    these years. If you¡¯re willing, you cane home with us. No matter how long we¡¯ve been apart, we¡¯ll


    still be a family, right?¡±


    Rachel shook off the water stains on her hands and looked up at Lily with a sneer between her eyes.


    ¡°Lily, there¡¯s no one else here except you and me. Why do you have to pretend?¡±


    Her seemingly smiling appearance was filled with mockery and disdain.


    People always had strong feelings that when they saw something or someone, they would feel like they


    were enemies.


    Lily was such an existence to Rachel.


    Even if what had happened in the past had not happened, they could not reconcile, let alone live under


    the same roof in harmony.


    Lily smiled and sized up Rachel from head to toe. ¡°You are getting more and more beautiful now.¡±


    She paused for a moment, and the smile on her lips couldn¡¯t help but deepen. ¡°No wonder you can get


    such an outstanding boyfriend.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched when she heard that.


    She could no longer remember exactly how old she was. Or rather, too many such things had


    happened, so she was already numb to them.


    She and Lily were not biological sisters from the same mother, so their preferences were naturally


    different.


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    At that time, Hans Grey had returned from overseas and brought her a limited edition set of assembled


    toys. Of course, there were also Barbie dolls that Lliy liked.


    As a younger sister, Lily was given priority every time.


    Hence, she watched helplessly as Lily chose her favorite assembled toy and hypocritically invited her


    to y with it.


    In a fit of anger, Rachel flung her hand away and left. Hans even reprimanded her severely for this.


    However, Lily¡¯s actions of snatching her love were not limited to this.


    The toys she liked, the clothes she liked, the new friends she had just made, and everything she cared


    about were all snatched away by Lily with a naive attitude.


    As a result, Rachel had no choice but to learn to be bright.


    She could even pretend that she didn¡¯t care about what she liked.


    However, when she heard Lily¡¯s words, her eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold light shed in the


    depths of her almond¨Cshaped eyes.


    She took a tissue and slowly wiped the water off her hands. The corners of her lips curled up into a


    faint smile. ¡°Lily, you seem to have always been eager to snatch other people¡¯s things. Do you think


    that only in this way can you demonstrate your skills, or¡­ hereditary?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower ones will go ant. How can we expect such a


    mother to raise a decent person when she is not straight?¡±


    Her harsh words were mixed with faint mockery and ridicule.


    However, Lily remained indifferent, as if all this had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not passionate about snatching other people¡¯s things. I¡¯m just targeting you.¡± Lily looked at her with


    clear eyes. The corners of her mouth curled up in a smile that matched her sweet voice. ¡°I thought you


    would have a lukewarm attitude towards anything. I didn¡¯t expect¡­


    Before she could finish, Rachel suddenly reached out and grabbed her slender neck

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    Chapter 399


    Rachel¡¯s palm was cold. When itnded on Lliy¡¯s neck, she could not help but flinch.


    She could feel Rachel¡¯s grip on her neck tightening.


    The intense suffocation made Lily¡¯s fair face turn red.


    She pressed Rachel¡¯s hand and instinctively opened her mouth to breathe. She frowned and said with


    difficulty, ¡°Rachel, does this make you angry from embarrassment?¡±


    Lily raised her eyes and looked at Rachel calmly. There was no fear or panic in her eyes. Instead, she


    appeared abnormally calm..


    Rachel lowered her eyes and looked at Lily, pressed against the cold wall. She slowly bent down and


    her cold voice like granr frost hit her ear, ¡°Lily, I¡¯m warning you. Stay away from him!¡±


    ¡°You seem to care.¡± Lily looked at her with curved eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes darkened. She tightened her grip on Lily¡¯s neck. ¡°Believe it or not, if you say one more


    word, I¡¯ll keep you silent forever.¡±


    Veins popped out on the back of her fair hand. She stared at Lily¡¯s face sinisterly. ¡°Don¡¯t let me listen to


    you call me sister again. The Grey family has nothing to do with me!¡±


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to hear it, I won¡¯t shout anymore.¡± Llily blinked as she looked at Rachel. Her


    ck and white pure eyes were covered with ayer of wet vapor, like ss beads without impurities.


    Rachel snorted and shook her off.


    Lily propped herself up against the wall and slowly stood up. She raised her hand and rubbed her neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s Daddy¡¯s birthday next week. Do you want to go back and take a look? He¡¯s been thinking about


    you all these years.¡±


    Rachel nced at her and sneered without hiding anything. ¡°Heh! Wondering why I¡¯m not dead yet?¡±


    With that, she walked away without looking back.


    Coincidentally, when Rachel went out, she bumped into the stunned


    Olivia Cruise.


    However, she did not stop and continued to walk toward her private


    room.


    Olivia Cruise recovered from her shock and quickly walked into the


    restroom.


    She looked at Lily, who was standing in front of the sink, tidying up her things. Her eyes flickered


    slightly. ¡°Miss Grey, do you know each other?¡± Lily nced at her. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re sisters.¡±


    At the mention of this, she could not help but sigh faintly. ¡°It¡¯s just that my sister did something wrong


    and was chased out of the house. There was no news of her for more than ten years. I didn¡¯t expect to


    see her again in my lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Did something wrong?¡± When Olivia heard this, a cold glint shed in her eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. My sister has been withdrawn since she was young. I heard that after she left home, she


    studied at Pollister High School for a period of time. However, she seemed to have caused quite a


    scandal and was expelled from the school. My sister is quite pitiful.¡± After saying that, Lily could not


    help but sigh again.


    Olivia frowned slightly and followed behind Lily absent¨Cmindedly.


    Had she studied at Pollister High School?


    Wasn¡¯t that where Jessica Tower transferred to?


    As for being expelled from school because of a significant scandal¡­


    Why hadn¡¯t she heard of this before?


    Her intuition told her that as long as she dug up this scandal, she would definitely be able to make a


    comeback!


    At that time, would she still be afraid that Louis would not change his mind?!


    Rachel walked towards the private room and met David at the door.


    She was slightly stunned. ¡°Why did youe out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you.¡± David walked forward and took her hand.


    Rachel smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just going to the restroom. What¡¯s there to worry about? I¡¯m not a three¨Cyear¨Cold


    child.¡±


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    After they entered the private room, David suddenly pressed her against the door.


    He lowered his eyes and looked at her deeply with his dark eyes. His palm gently caressed her cheek.


    There was a helpless sigh in his deep and cold voice. ¡°But you¡¯re very upset.¡±

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    Chapter 400


    Rachel stared at him without blinking for a moment. Suddenly, her red lips curled into a smile, and the


    depths of her almond¨Cshaped eyes flickered. ¡°David, you¡¯re really strange¡­¡±


    He would never ask what had happened, but he could always see through her thoughts and easily


    reveal her true emotions at this moment.


    She thought that she had hidden it well, but every time she faced him, she was like a person with no


    secrets.


    Swallowing her sadness and the pain of her slightly twisting heart, she leaned forward against his


    chest. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really.¡±


    However, Lily¡¯s appearance caught her off guard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you lean on my shoulder for a while.¡± David reached out and stroked her slender back as if he


    wasforting an injured child.


    In fact, from the moment Lily appeared, he had already sensed Rachel¡¯s abnormality. However, as a


    bystander, he could not empathize with her. All he could do was silently apany her.


    Rachel looked up at him. Her expression was calm, but there was a smile hidden in the corners of her


    eyes. ¡°Just for a while?¡±


    ¡°If you want, you can do it for a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°No regrets?¡±


    ¡°No regrets!¡± David pulled her into his arms again and hugged her tightly. His deep and cold voice was


    tinged with sexyziness as it rang in her ears. ¡°I¡¯ll be Rae¨CRae¡¯s man in this life, and I still love Rae¨C


    Rae after I die.¡±


    Rachel leaned against his neck obediently and could not help but smile.


    Her palm on his chest could clearly feel his vigorous and powerful heartbeat.


    She had always thought that the appearance of David was a rose blooming in the destion in her


    heart.


    However, now it seemed that he was not only the rose that lured her into love but also the antidote to


    her salvation.


    Ten minutester, the two of them left the restaurant.


    When they left, Hans and the others walked out of the private room opposite.


    As he turned around, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of Rachel¡¯s exceptionally eye¨Ccatching face


    from the corner of his eye. He frowned imperceptibly.


    Was that Rachel?


    Why was she here?


    His gaze turned andnded on David.


    Who was this man?


    As he was thinking, he heard Louis say, ¡°Mr. Grey, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll take our leave first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Hans quickly came back to his senses and revealed a fake smile.


    After sending off Louis, Hans looked at his daughter, Lily. ¡°Lily, what do you think of Mr. Smith?¡±


    The meaning behind his words was self¨Cevident.


    To be fair, Louis¡¯s family background and appearance were indeed many times better than those


    yboys who only enjoyed eating, drinking, and having fun.


    Unfortunately, she was not interested in Louis.


    ¡°Dad, Miss Cruise and Mr. Smith are about to get engaged,¡± Lily said. ¡°And¡­¡±


    She quickly nced at Hans. ¡°And I heard from Miss Cruise that Rachel had been in a rtionship with


    Mr. Smith for a period of time.¡±


    Her words were ambiguous. Coupled with her obscure andplicated expression, it was easy for


    Hans to think in the wrong direction.


    Hans frowned and his expression darkened. ¡°What a disgraceful b*stard! She¡¯s really going to


    embarrass our Grey family!¡±


    If he had known that Rachel would be like this after leaving the Grey family, he would have frozen


    her to death in that snowfield!


    Lily and her mother, Rose, looked at each other silently.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go back early,¡± Rose spoke first.


    Hans snorted and left.


    After they got into the car, Lily hesitated again and again. She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Dad, Miss Cruise


    said that next month will be her birthday party. At that time, she will announce the engagement of theN?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Cruise family and the Smith family in public. She hopes that I can attend on time.¡±


    ¡°This is a good thing.¡± The expression on Hans¡¯s face softened a little. He smiled and stroked her head


    lovingly. He said unhurriedly, ¡°When the timees, Daddy and Mommy will with you.¡±


    Facing this obedient, docile, and outstanding daughter, he doted on her from the bottom of his heart.


    Lily happily threw herself into his arms. ¡°Daddy, I knew you dote on me the most.¡±

 Chapter 401

    Chapter 401


    After returning to Seaxas, Rachel devoted herself to her work.


    Although the scandal on the cruise ship was not exposed, Jane was sent to the hospital overnight to


    recuperate until now. It had already attracted various opinions outside.


    ¡°Jane is really stupid.¡± Mary sneered in disdain. ¡°She has suffered so many losses from you, but she


    never learned her lesson.¡±


    Jane actually thought of such a despicable method to drug Rachel.


    However, now the Smith family regarded themselves as a wealthy family. How ridiculous!


    Mary suddenly thought of something. After hesitating for a while, she could not help but ask, ¡°Did the


    Smith family make things difficult for you?¡±


    ¡°How would they make things difficult for me? Jane only has herself to me.¡± Rachel picked up her


    coffee and took a sip. She looked up at Mary with a meaningful smile in her eyes. ¡°The surveince


    camera was shut down by Jane. No one knows what happened between us. Even if she told what


    happened, the recording I have is not for show.¡±


    Hearing this, a rxed smile appeared on Mary¡¯s face. ¡°Fortunately, you had the foresight. However, I


    always feel uneasy. I feel that the Smith family is going to cause trouble.¡±


    Mary had a great understanding of the Smith family,


    Jane had first suffered a loss from Rachel, and now Johnson Corporation had directly intercepted


    Smith Group¡¯s investment. The Smith family would not let it go no matter what.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take it one step at a time,¡± Rachel said calmly.


    In the past, she was lenient with the Smith family, which was equivalent to putting a shackle on herself.


    Now that she had removed the shackle, what else did she have to fear?


    Moreover, Rachel was not a kind person. Compared to being lenient, she preferred to seek revenge for


    the smallest grievance.


    The Smith family had disgusted her time and time again. She had no reason to let them off.


    As Rachel was thinking, her phone suddenly rang.


    She looked down and saw the call from Old Mr. Smith. She frowned slightly.


    Rachel pondered for a moment before picking up the phone. ¡°Rae¨CRae, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s like this. If it¡¯s convenient for you, can the two of us meet at Joyce¡¯s for a chat? I have


    something to tell you alone.¡±


    Just as Rachel was about to reject him, she heard Old Mr. Smith continue, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you here until


    you¡¯re willing toe and see me.¡±


    With that, he hung up without giving Rachel a chance to answer.


    Rachel listened to the beeping sound on the phone and helplessly raised her hand to rub her temples.


    Mary put on a fake smile and said, ¡°I told you the Smith family wouldn¡¯t let this go, right?¡±


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing this, Rachel red at her angrily. ¡°It¡¯s all because of your jinxed mouth!¡±


    With that, she got up and packed her things.


    Mary happened to go out with her. As Mary walked, she quickly typed on Whatsapp.


    The other party replied very quickly. Mary instantly smiled brightly.


    ¡°Are you in love again?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and smiled mischievously.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a rtionship this time.¡± Mary ced her hands on Rachel¡¯s shoulders and looked at her


    solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m going to marry him.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly and held her hand earnestly. ¡°Marriage is not child¡¯s y, Mary. I think you


    need to calm down.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I understand. But when lovees, there¡¯s no stopping it.¡± Mary said, ¡°Just like when you


    met David, can you really remain calm and unmoved?¡±


    Rachel looked at her and suddenly smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So, when lovees, don¡¯t think too much about it.¡±


    After the two of them separated from thepany, Rachel rushed straight to Joyce¡¯s where she and


    Old Mr. Smith had agreed to meet.


    After she entered, the manager weed her warmly and respectfully. ¡°Miss Grey, nice to see you.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly and looked around.


    The manager rolled his eyes. ¡°Old Mr. Johnson is in the VIP room. Shall I bring you there now?¡±


    When Rachel heard this, she was slightly stunned.


    She did not expect her maternal grandfather to be here today.


    She smiled. ¡°No need. I have an appointment with someone else.¡±


    As she spoke, she took a step forward. As if she had thought of something, she did not forget to remind


    the manager beside her, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone that I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry.¡±

 Chapter 402

    Chapter 402


    Chapter 402


    Rachel thought that no one had noticed what she had done. Little did she know that Old Mr. Smith¡¯s


    trusted aide had already reported everything he saw to Old Mr. Smith.


    ¡°Do you mean that the manager of Joyce¡¯s personally went out to


    wee her?¡± Old Mr. Smith put down the cup in his hand and suddenly looked up at the butler beside


    him.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± The butler sized up the expression on Old Mr. Smith¡¯s face. After pondering for a moment,


    he said again, ¡°Miss Grey and the


    manager seem to be old acquaintances. Unfortunately, I was standing too far away to hear their


    conversation.¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Smith narrowed his eyes and stared at the cup in his hand gloomily.


    Joyce¡¯s was a ce in Seaxas where many high¨Cranking officials and rich men liked to rx. They


    came here to show off their extraordinary temperament.


    Over the years, countless cafes had been opened in Seaxas. Only Joyce¡¯s remained standing.


    It was enough to prove that the boss of Joyce¡¯s was powerful.


    Joyce¡¯s had an important status in Seaxas, so the manager here naturally became proud and would


    note out to wee anyone easily.


    But now, he was being so respectful to Rachel. It was truly unbelievable.


    At this moment, footsteps gradually became clearer at the door.


    ¡°You can leave first.¡± Old Mr. Smith came back to his senses and nced at the butler. ¡°No one is


    allowed to enter without my permission.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After the butler walked out of the door, he was not surprised to meet Rachel who was about to enter.


    He nodded slightly and called out respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°Is Old Mr. Smith inside?¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Smith has been waiting for you for a long time.¡±


    As he spoke, the butler turned his body slightly and made way for her at the door.


    Rachel adjusted her breathing slightly and walked into the private room.


    Old Mr. Smith sat in front of the coffee table. When he saw Rachel¡¯s figure, a loving smile appeared on


    his face. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you call me here?¡± Compared to Old Mr. Smith¡¯s loving smile, Rachel was much colder.


    She put down her bag and sat on the seat at the side. She looked down at the time on her watch. ¡°If


    you have something to say, just say it.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith could not help but shake his head and sigh when he saw how distant and indifferent her


    words and actions were.


    Finally, he handed the folder to Rachel. ¡°Keep this well.¡±


    Rachel looked down at the document bag in front of her and hesitated for half a second before


    reaching out to take it.


    Seeing the transfer letter in her hands, a cold and obscure smile appeared on her lips.


    She casually ced the transfer letter on the table and leaned back slightly. She crossed her legs and


    slowly adjusted her cuffs. ¡°Are you trying to make peace for them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my child¡¯s debt. I have to pay for it, right?¡± Old Mr. Smith said, ¡°All these years, you¡¯ve been


    extremely benevolent to the Smith family, but they¡¯ve repeatedly made things difficult for you. Jane


    deserves to end up like this.¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, but she was not in a hurry to speak. Instead, she


    waited patiently for Old Mr. Smith to finish the rest of his sentence.


    Based on her understanding of Old Mr. Smith, he definitely didn¡¯te out to meet her alone just to


    give her the transfer letter.


    In the past, she was blinded by Old Mr. Smith¡¯s fake love, so she did not see through his hypocrisy and


    exploitation. Now, after experiencing everything, she had long understood that the future of the Smith


    family was crucial to Old Mr. Smith.


    For this, he could sacrifice everything.


    As expected, in the next second, Old Mr. Smith said unhurriedly, ¡°I heard


    from Louis that you have a recording in your hand

 Chapter 403

    Chapter 403


    Chapter 403


    Rachel looked up at him and smiled more brightly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Without waiting for Old Mr. Smith to speak, she continued, ¡°Do you want me to destroy the recording?¡±


    Her words exposed Old Mr. Smith¡¯s thoughts. For a moment, Old Mr. Smith did not know how to


    answer.


    After pondering for a long time, he spoke again, ¡°Jane deserves to end up like this after doing


    something evil. I can¡¯t say anything, but she¡¯s still lying in the hospital and crying all day. I think she has


    really realized her mistake, so can you give her a chance to turn over a new leaf?¡±


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I hope you can delete that recording. After all, she still has to get married in the future. I can¡¯t feel at


    ease with such a recording in your hands.¡±


    ¡°I think you should know Jane¡¯s personality better than I do. If I delete the recording, do you really think


    Jane will behave herself?¡± Rachel looked at Old Mr. Smith with a burning gaze.


    Her gaze was sharp as if it had the power to pierce through Old Mr. Smith¡¯s heart, making Old Mr.


    Smith feel at a loss.


    ¡°I can assure you that if she doesn¡¯t provoke me, this recording will never be exposed to outsiders,¡±


    Rachel said. ¡°On the contrary, she can only pray for herself.¡±


    With that, she stood up and prepared to leave.


    Old Mr. Smith hurriedly asked, ¡°Then about the shares of Smith Group¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± Rachel¡¯s footsteps paused slightly. She looked at Old Mr. Smith. ¡°I want to target the


    Smith family. Even if you give me all your shares, I won¡¯t stop!¡±


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°Rae-Rae, are you really going topletely fall out with the Smith


    family? Is it just because of your rtionship with Louis?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I take revenge on the Smith family because of Louis?¡± A mocking smile shed across


    Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Smith Group can get everything because of me. I think no one in this world is more


    qualified than me to destroy the Smith family bit by bit.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡± Old Mr. Smith¡¯s pupils trembled as he looked at Rachel in


    disbelief.


    He wanted peace, but he didn¡¯t expect Rachel to be so stubborn.


    If he could not make Rachel give up on targeting the Smith family, what was the point of meeting


    Rachel alone today?


    ¡°Rac-Rae, do you have to be so ruthless? Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡±


    Rachel seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. She could not help butugh. ¡°I helped the


    Smith family earn the current status bit by bit. You¡¯re enjoying the fruits of mybor, but you¡¯re not


    afraid of retribution. What¡¯s there for me to be afraid of?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she left without


    any


    hesitation.


    The butler stood outside the door. After seeing Rachel leave, he walked into the private room.


    Old Mr. Smith staggered to his feet, his body like a burning candle.


    The butler immediately went up to him. ¡°Mr. Smith, are you alright?¡± Old Mr. Smith just waved his hand


    without saying anything.


    His dark eyes stared at Rachel¡¯s back as she left. A trace of maliciousness gradually appeared in his


    murky eyes.


    The butler noticed the documents on the table and had some guesses in his heart.


    He supported Old Mr. Smith and helped Old Mr. Smith slowly sit back in his chair. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get


    Mr. Louis to help us?¡±


    Old Mr. Smith looked up at him and snorted. ¡°From the moment this girl entered the Smith family, I


    could tell that she was not an ordinary person. In the past three years, I had been protecting her


    everywhere because I hoped that one day, she could show me mercy for the sake of our rtionship.


    Now, it seems like I¡¯ve wasted all my years of hard work.


    ¡°No matter how much you train a wolf, not only will it not get close to you, it will even bite you at the


    most critical moment. This is a beast!¡±

 Chapter 404

    Chapter 404


    Chapter 404


    After Rachel left the private room, she met Mr. Chadwick halfway.


    ¡°Miss Grey, Mr. Johnson invites you up for a seat.¡±


    Rachel subconsciously nced at the manager of Joyce¡¯s.


    The manager broke out in cold sweat and subconsciously looked at Mr. Chadwick.


    Mr. Chadwick exined with a smile, ¡°Miss Grey, you should know that there¡¯s nothing that can be


    hidden from Mr. Johnson here.¡±


    Rachel thought so too.


    This was a property under her maternal grandfather¡¯s name. It was not an exaggeration to say that


    everyone here spied for him.


    She followed Mr. Chadwick into the private room.


    However, she never expected that the person sitting here chatting with her maternal grandfather was


    actually David.


    She restrained the shock in her eyes and looked deeply at David.


    Her gaze seemed to be asking why he was here.


    David lowered his eyes to hide the dark andplicated expression in them.


    He slowly picked up the cup and took a sip.


    At this moment, Old Mr. Johnson said, ¡°Rae¨CRae, since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you sit down and listen


    to it? After all, it concerns your marriage.¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    When David heard this, his fingers holding the cup tightened.


    ¡°Marriage?¡± Rachel looked at Old Mr. Johnson in confusion.


    Old Mr. Johnson smiled and nodded. He rubbed his watch and looked at David with a meaningful gaze


    in his gloomy eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Jones specially asked me out this time to fulfill the engagement


    we made back then.¡±


    He picked up the cup and took a sip. ¡°Speaking of which, you¡¯ve met Mr. Jones a few times before. I


    think he¡¯s mentioned the engagement to you before. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Engagement?¡± Rachel looked at David in confusion.


    When Old Mr. Johnson saw Rachel¡¯s puzzled expression, his eyes shed with gloominess. ¡°Could it


    be that Mr. Jones has never mentioned it to you before?¡±


    David looked up and gave Old Mr. Johnson a dark look.


    In order to avoid Rachel, he specially chose to meet Old Mr. Johnson at Joyce¡¯s.


    He did not expect to be tricked by this old fox in front of him.


    Old Mr. Johnson was trying to sow discord!


    ¡°Mr. Johnson, I¡¯ll leave the things behind. I¡¯ll personally visit you another¡® day.¡± David¡¯s intuition told him


    that he could not stay here for long. He stood up and was about to leave.


    Old Mr. Johnson suddenly said, ¡°Logically speaking, with the token here, the Johnson family can¡¯t deny


    this marriage. However, marriage matters have to follow Rae¨CRae¡¯s wishes. Please bring this thing


    back, Mr. Jones.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Rachel noticed a box on the table.


    She vaguely remembered that Rosie specially gave this box to David when they left Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s


    Trinisia gardenst time.


    But what did this box have to do with the Johnson family?


    As she was thinking, she heard David say, ¡°Since I took it out, there¡¯s no reason for me to bring it


    back.¡±


    With that, he slowly stood up. ¡°I still have something to do. I¡¯ll take my leave first. Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jones, goodbye.¡± Old Mr. Johnson stood up and watched David leave before sitting back in his


    chair.


    Rachel nced at her maternal grandfather and casually nced at the box on the table. She picked


    up the coffee pot and refilled coffee for Old Mr. Johnson. ¡°Is the thing inside this box very important?¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson did not say anything. Instead, he stared at Rachel for a long time.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rachel subconsciously turned around.


    Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s cloudy eyes were clearer than ever. He put away his usual benevolence and peace


    and looked at her seriously. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since you visited your mother, right? Take the time to


    visit her. You¡¯re probably the person she can¡¯t let go of the most in this world.¡±

 Chapter 405

    Chapter 405


    Chapter 405


    Rachel lowered her eyes and pursed her lips. Her hands on her knees suddenly clenched into fists.


    After a moment of silence, she took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°Got it, Grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to open the box and see what¡¯s inside?¡± Old Mr. Johnson took a sip of coffee and looked


    at Rachel.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a diamond¡­¡± Rachel blurted out without any hesitation.


    After saying that, she secretly bit her tongue.


    It was over. She couldn¡¯t hide her rtionship with David anymore!


    However, Old Mr. Johnson did not pursue the matter. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about the origin of the


    engagement at all?¡±


    Rachel looked at Old Mr. Johnson. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of it before?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact origin of this marriage,¡± Old Mr. Johnson said. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve never thought


    that the Jones family woulde to me with the token one day.¡±


    The Jones family didn¡¯t contact him all those years. He even thought that the Jones family had long


    forgotten about this marriage.


    ¡°Rae¨CRae, as long as you are unwilling, even if you have to sacrifice the entire Johnson family, I will


    help you destroy this marriage,¡± Old Mr. Johnson said calmly.


    His words were filled with unquestionable determination.


    Rachel sensed the determination in Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s eyes. Her almond¨Cshaped eyes were puzzled.


    ¡°Do you want me to propose breaking off the engagement?¡±


    ¡°What era is it now? It¡¯s no longer the era of prenatal marriage.¡± Old Mr. Johnson held her hand and


    patted it earnestly. ¡°Rae¨CRae, this marriage is not suitable for you.¡±


    After saying that, Rachel did not respond for a long time.


    She asked herself honestly. She actually liked this marriage.


    So she didn¡¯t want to break off the engagement.


    Old Mr. Johnson seemed to have seen through her thoughts and did not say anything else.


    The two of them sat at Joyce¡¯s for a moment before getting up to leave.


    When they left, Old Mr. Johnson talked about the Chamber of Commerce that would being soon. ¡°I


    know you don¡¯t like to go through the motions, but the Chamber of Commerce this time involves a lot of


    benefits. We have to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll get ready then.¡± Rachel held Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s arm and carefully walked down the


    steps.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to prepare. It¡¯s just a formality. You¡¯ve seen the people from the remaining


    families,¡± Old Mr. Johnson said. ¡°Even if it¡¯s for my sake, they won¡¯t make things difficult for you. Don¡¯t


    think that I¡¯m long¨Cwinded. I let you participate in this Chamber of Commerce to let you appear openly.


    Besides, I can help you expand your connections.


    ¡°In the past, you hid your identity. The outside world didn¡¯t know your identity. Now that you¡¯ve grown


    up and have the ability to take charge, it¡¯s time for them to see our Rae¨CRae¡¯s glory. The other families


    have a pivotal position in Seaxas. If you can really form a deep friendship with them, it will be a


    bargaining chip for you to turn the tide in the future. Do you understand?¡±


    Whether it was in business or in private, having more connections was another way out.


    Rachel had to be prepared.


    Rachel smiled. ¡°I understand your intentions.¡±


    However, she did not understand why her maternal grandfather suddenly wanted to pave the way for


    her.


    Could it be because of David¡¯s sudden engagement?


    However, Rachel felt that she needed to have a good chat with David about the origin of the


    engagement.


    David was really mean. He had actually hidden it from her for so long!


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    As Rachel and Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s figures gradually disappeared, Old Mr. Smith slowly walked out from


    behind the rockery and nts.


    After the two of them left, the butler observed the expression on Old Mr.


    Smith¡¯s face.


    Old Mr. Smith stood rooted to the ground in shock, his hands trembling uncontrobly.


    ¡°Mr. Smith¡­¡± The butler¡¯s eyes revealed a hint of worry.


    Old Mr. Smith suddenly came back to his senses and looked at him deeply. ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡±


    Old Mr. Smith returned to the Smith family.


    Louis had been waiting in the living room for a long time. When he saw Old Mr. Smith return, he quickly


    stood up. ¡°Grandpa, do you suddenly call me back because the matter has been resolved?¡±


    He was referring to Old Mr. Smith personally asking Rachel to delete the recording.


    Old Mr. Smith pursed his lips. He walked to the armchair and sat down. After instructing the others to


    leave, he said, ¡°Let me ask you. What¡¯s the rtionship between Rachel and the Johnson family?¡±


    ¡°The Johnson family?¡± Louis frowned slightly. His handsome face gradually turned solemn. ¡°Do you still


    suspect that Rachel is from the Johnson family?¡±


    In the entire Seaxas, the only family who could make people tremble in fear was the richest Johnson


    family.


    However, Louis had investigated Rachel and the Johnson family in private and did not find any


    connection between them.


    Although Rachel¡¯s identity and background were bing more and more confusing, he did not think


    that the Johnson family had anything. to do with Rachel.


    Old Mr. Smith stared at him for a moment and told Louis what he had seen and heard.


    ¡°I have a feeling that things are not as simple as we think. Perhaps she has been hiding her true


    intentions since she came to the Smith family at the beginning,¡± Old Mr. Smith said. ¡°Investigate Rachel


    again. We can¡¯t let our guard down.¡±


    Louis nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    He paused for a moment. ¡°About the recording¡­¡±


    ¡°She refused to agree.¡± Old Mr. Smith sighed faintly. ¡°At the end of the day, it¡¯s all Jane¡¯s fault for


    overestimating herself. Rachel had something on Jane all of a sudden.¡±

 Chapter 406

    Chapter 406


    Chapter 406


    Right now, Old Mr. Smith¡¯s mind was filled with the news that Old Mr. Johnson had allowed Rachel to


    join the Chamber of Commerce.


    From the way the two of them were talking, it did not seem like they had known each other for a short


    time.


    The Johnson family was the richest in S*s, and Old Mr. Johnson had a granddaughter who had a


    different surname¡­ Could it be Rachel?


    Old Mr. Smith always felt that Rachel had something to do with the Johnson family.


    He hoped that he was just overthinking¡­


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing that Louis had yet to get up and leave, he frowned slightly. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still worried that Rachel would do something evil with the recording.¡± Louis said.


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°You¡¯re really getting worse! There are many ways to destroy


    something in this world! Do you want me to teach you one by one?¡±


    Hearing this, Louis instantly understood. ¡°I understand, but¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong now?¡± Old Mr. Smith¡¯s eyes were filled with impatience.


    Louis hesitated for half a second. ¡°It¡¯s about the Cruise family.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith pondered. ¡°The future of the Smith family is unpredictable now. Although it¡¯s a little risky


    to work with the Cruise family, it¡¯s still an additional help. However, as for the marriage¡­ we have to


    consider it at length. Once the engagement is set, the Smith family and the Cruise family will be closely


    linked.¡±


    Louis did not say anything, but he knew what Old Mr. Smith was worried about.


    ¡°We can¡¯t rely on Rachel anymore. Why don¡¯t you calm down and think about what else the Cruise


    family is worth using?¡± Old Mr. Smith stood up and slowly walked into the house. ¡°Only by making the


    best use of it can you show your true ability.¡±


    Louis was stunned as he stared nkly at Old Mr. Smith¡¯s departing


    figure.


    After Rachel sent Old Mr. Johnson to the car, she went to Ster Corporation alone.


    The journey was smooth and unobstructed, which surprised Rachel.


    She went to David¡¯s office and sat on the sofa. ¡°You knew I wasing?¡± There was a hint of


    condemnation in her tone.


    Eddie, who was reporting his work, put down the document in his hand sensibly and silently left the


    office.


    David stood up and walked toward Rachel.


    He stretched out his arm and hooked it around Rachel¡¯s waist. He lifted her up and held her in his


    arms.


    He looked at Rachel, his deep eyes filled with warmth. ¡°What do you want to ask?¡±


    Rachel looked at him from the corner of her eyes. She looked at his dark and deep eyes and cleared


    her throat. ¡°How did our engagemente about?¡±


    Why had she never heard anyone mention it before?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Old Mr. Johnson tell you?¡± David¡¯s well-defined fingers yed with her soft hand carefully.


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°Grandpa said that he didn¡¯t know the details either.¡±


    To Rachel, this engagement came out of nowhere and confused her.


    Although her maternal grandfather did not say it, she could sense that her maternal grandfather


    seemed to have expected this day.


    David¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. His deep and maic voice was. neither warm nor hot. ¡°You¡¯ll be


    mine sooner orter. Why should you care about these things?¡±


    ¡°Of course I care.¡± Rachel looked at David with a serious expression. ¡°As the person involved, I actually


    don¡¯t know about my engagement. If I hadn¡¯t identally bumped into you today, I¡¯m afraid I would


    have been kept in the dark for a long time.¡±


    At this point, she suddenly thought of something. ¡°You didn¡¯t n this from the beginning, did you?¡±


    He knew her identity and deliberately approached her.


    ¡°Meeting you was an ident.¡±

 Chapter 407

    Chapter 407


    Chapter 407


    He came to S*xas this time to give up the engagement, but he did not expect everything to be out


    of control after meeting Rachel.


    She was someone he couldn¡¯t control and a pleasant surprise to him. ¡°David, tell me honestly. Are you


    hiding something from me? This marriage came out of nowhere. I keep feeling that something is


    wrong.¡± She thought about it. She had lived for more than 20 years, but she actually knew nothing


    about the betrothal arranged by their families.


    Moreover, she had a feeling that her maternal grandfather did not like this marriage. It was just that he


    could not reject it because of something. Could it be that there was some unknown story behind this


    engagement?


    What was the connection between the Jones family and the Johnson family?


    Just as she was engrossed in her thoughts, Eddie walked in with a bowl of soup. ¡°Sir, Old Mrs. Jones


    has delivered the soup here again.¡±


    Rachel came back to her senses and looked at the soup on the coffee table. She could not help but


    raise her eyebrows slightly. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It was sent by Old Mrs. Jones,¡± Eddie said.


    Rachel took a look. It was filled with nourishing ingredients.


    Suddenly, she asked shockingly, ¡°Are you¡­ weak?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the office fell into a strange silence.


    Eddie could not help but widen his eyes as he looked at Rachel in disbelief.


    Miss Grey really shocked him a lot when she spoke!


    His intuition told him that he should not listen or look, so he decisively turned around and left.


    The moment the office door closed, the world suddenly spun.


    Rachel cried out in shock as she was pinned down by David.


    His unique aura enveloped her from all directions like a huge, leaving her nowhere to escape.


    Rachel looked up and saw that his dark eyes were getting gloomier and gloomier. Her heart skipped a


    beat.


    ¡°Do you need me to prove it to you?¡± David buried his head in her neck. His warm breath swept past


    her temples and the skin on her neck, making her tremble.


    Rachel poked his chest with her finger. Her curly and thick eyshes. trembled gently like a frightened


    butterfly. ¡°Can you get up first before talking?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± David said as he leaned over and kissed her on the lips.


    His kiss was intense and deep, making it impossible for Rachel to resist.


    In the quiet office, the sound of their kiss was exceptionally clear. After an unknown period of time,


    David finally let go of Rachel.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    He narrowed his eyes slightly. His dark and deep eyes were filled with unconceble desire as if he


    wanted to have sex with her immediately.


    ¡°Do you still think that your man is weak?¡± His deep and cold voice was tinged with a low and hoarse


    lust, like gravel rubbing against her heart.


    Rachel¡¯s lips were slightly red and swollen, and there was a hint of unknowing softness and charm at


    the corner of her eyes.


    With a smile in her eyes, she shook her head gently. Her fingertips gently brushed his protruding


    Adam¡¯s apple as she said softly, ¡°My man is the best.¡±


    It was just a simple sentence, but it made David¡¯s eyes darken.


    He tightened his grip on Rachel¡¯s waist. ¡°You must have been sent by God.


    to torture me.¡±


    ¡°But you are my salvation.¡± Rachel held his face, her almond¨Cshaped eyes. filled with rare sincerity and


    affection. ¡°Before I met you, I felt that life. was just so¨Cso. But with you by my side, I will look forward to


    tomorrow and fantasize about the future. I want to be with you forever¡­¡±


    David looked at her and leaned over to nt a gentle kiss on her lips. ¡°We will always be together. I will


    apany you for the rest of my life.¡±


    He thought that no other woman in the world could make him lose control like Rachel.


    It would even make him have the absurd thought of giving his life to her.

 Chapter 408

    Chapter 408


    Chapter 408


    After leaving Ster Corporation, Rachel drove to thew firm of Adrian.


    ¡°Hey, what brings you here today?¡± Adrian put down the document in his hand and raised his hand to


    pinch the bridge of his nose. ¡°What do you want to drink?¡±


    ¡°Were the Johnson family and the Jones family involved in the past. twenty years?¡± Rachel suddenly


    asked.


    Adrian frowned slightly. ¡°The Jones family?¡±


    ¡°The Jones family in Aureliana.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± Adrian looked at Rachel calmly. ¡°But, why do you suddenly think of asking this?¡±


    Rachel did not say anything. She only held her chin with one hand and stared nkly.


    Seeing how distracted she was, Adrian got up and sat down beside her. ¡°Rae¨CRae, tell me. Did


    anything happen?¡±


    Rachel stared at him for a moment. Her intuition told her that perhaps her uncle was also unaware of


    her engagement.


    After hesitating for a long time, she finally told him what had happened.


    ¡°I see.¡± Adrian didn¡¯t seem too surprised.


    His reaction aroused Rachel¡¯s interest.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Perhaps she could find some valuable clues from her uncle.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Mr, Johnson mention this engagement before, but we didn¡¯t take it to heart at that time.¡±


    Adrian said, ¡°I heard from your mother that the other party owed her a favor back then. I didn¡¯t tell you


    all these years. because I hoped that it wouldn¡¯t cause you any psychological burden.¡±


    At this point, Adrian paused for a moment. ¡°However, the Jones family in Aureliana is not a nice family.


    I think it¡¯s better for you to cancel this marriage.¡±


    Adrian¡¯s words seemed to exin the doubts in Rachel¡¯s heart, but they did not hit the nail on the head.


    The Johnson family was in Seaxas, while the Jones family was in


    Aureliana. She still could not figure out how the Johnson family was rted to the Jones family.


    How did the engagemente about?


    Since the other party owed her mother a favor back then, could it be that her mother had interacted


    with someone from Aureliana before?


    Questions popped up in her head like a ball of thread that she couldn¡¯t figure out. She was distraught.


    ¡°Deal with your work first.¡± Rachel stood up and bid farewell to Adrian.


    Adrian watched as she left. His lips moved as if he had something to say, but he did not say anything in


    the end.


    Peace Cemetery in Seaxas.


    This cemetery was situated at the foot of a hill and beside a stream. The location was very nice.


    Rachel slowly stopped the car and got out with a bouquet of white tulips. Rachel¡¯s impression of her


    mother Sophia gradually faded.


    As time passed, even the hatred in her heart gradually faded.


    On her fifth birthday, Sophia chose tomit suicide by taking medicine.


    There was no farewell, nor were there any words left behind.


    Sophia died without hesitation, leaving Rachel alone in this world. Rachel took heavy steps toward her


    mother¡¯s tombstone.


    To her surprise, she found a bouquet of white tulips in front of her mother¡¯s tombstone.


    Everyone thought that Sophia loved flowers, no matter what kind of flowers they were. However, very


    few people knew that she loved white tulips the most.


    She quickly walked forward and frowned slightly as she looked at the white tulips in front of the


    tombstone.


    She noticed the new footsteps in front of the tombstone. It meant that the other party had just left.


    Who woulde to see her mother?


    Rachel subconsciously looked around. From the corner of her eye, she saw a suspicious figure. ¡°Who


    is it?¡±

 Chapter 409

    Chapter 409


    Chapter 409


    Rachel quickly chased after him.


    When the other party heard her footsteps, he could not help but quicken


    his pace.


    When Rachel caught up, she only saw the silver¨Cgray Koenigsegg speeding past her like a bolt of


    lightning.


    The car window slowly rolled up, and Rachel could vaguely see a face, most of which was hidden in


    the shadows.


    The man had long, light golden hair, and his amber eyes were filled with mncholy.


    He had an angelic appearance but demonic viciousness.


    The man in the car stared at Rachel¡¯s eye¨Ccatching face through the rearview mirror. His lips curled


    into a meaningful smile.


    When the carpletely disappeared from her sight, Rachel gradually came back to her senses.


    She returned to her mother¡¯s tombstone and stood quietly until her legs were numb.


    Before she left, she went to retrieve the surveince videos around the tombstone.


    The man had a super strong anti¨Creconnaissance ability and avoided all the surveince areas.


    In other words, if she had not happened to appear today, she would not have known that such a person


    would visit her mother.


    On the way, Rachel received a call from David. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    His tense voice was filled with unconceble nervousness.


    ¡°I¡¯m at¡­¡±


    ¦§


    Before Rachel could finish speaking, an ear¨Cpiercing whistle suddenly sounded.


    Immediately after, there was a deafening sound.


    Rachel felt the world spin before her eyes. Then, she cked out.


    When Rachel woke up, the sky had already darkened.


    The room was dimly lit, and she could smell the faint smell of disinfectant in the air.


    She stared nkly at the ceiling and finally realized why she was at the hospital.


    As she was thinking, a strange sound came from the door of the ward.


    She looked up and saw David striding in.


    Against the light, his tall shadow was reflected on the floor with a sense of oppression.


    ¡°Are you dizzy?¡± David sat on the edge of the bed and gently pushed the hair away from her face.


    Rachel looked at him and shook her head gently.


    The next second, she was pulled into David¡¯s arms, and he hugged her tightly.


    He was so strong as if he wanted to rub her into his body.


    His head was buried in the crook of her neck. His breath skimmed over her neck.


    Rachel sensed David¡¯s nervousness. She slowly raised her hand and caressed his back. She said


    gently, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    The two of them did not interact much, nor did they do anything intimate. They just hugged quietly like


    this, but it made Rachel feel like her heart was warm.


    After a long time, David took out a new phone and handed it to her. ¡°The previous phone is broken.


    Use this in the future.¡±


    Rachel looked at the phone in front of her and pondered. ¡°Have you found the driver?¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°After your ident, the other party took the initiative to call the police. Currently, the relevant


    departments are dealing with this matter.¡± As David spoke, he scooped out a bowl of chicken soup and


    carefully fed it to Rachel.


    Rachel nodded and pursed her lips. ¡°I met someone today.¡±


    ¡°Hell,¡± said David.


    He was in a meeting at the office when he received a tip that Hell had suddenly appeared.


    Coincidentally, he appeared at the same ce as Rachel.


    Therefore, he could not care less. He left the people in the meeting room and rushed over.


    Unexpectedly, she was still injured.


    At this moment, David¡¯s phone rang. He leaned over and kissed Rachel between the eyes. ¡°Sleep for a


    while.¡±


    As he spoke, he stood up and walked out. At the same time, he picked up the phone.


    ¡°Mr. Jones.¡± David heard Eddie¡¯s voice through the phone. ¡°Although the driver insisted that he was


    tired, ording to our investigation, he received a transfer of 100 thousand dors six hours ago.¡°

 Chapter 410

    Chapter 410


    Chapter 410


    ¡°Have you checked the money transfer ount?¡± David asked.


    Eddie did not hesitate at all. ¡°It¡¯s the Smith family.¡±


    When David heard this, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a chill appeared in his dark eyes. ¡°Are you


    sure?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Eddie said, ¡°The Smith family probably wanted the recording in Miss Grey¡¯s hands. They


    probably wanted to create an ident and destroy the phone, but they didn¡¯t expect things to turn out


    like this.¡±


    If things got out of hand, it wouldn¡¯t do the Smith family any good.


    After pondering for a long time, Eddie asked carefully, ¡°Mr. Jones, should we send someone to warn


    the Smith family?¡±


    ¡°Someone who hurt my woman can never escape unscathed.¡± David¡¯s eyes were cold as if they were


    tempered with ice. His deep and cold voice couldn¡¯t be more indifferent. ¡°Since they like to cause


    idents, let them experience the fear of death too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Jones.¡±


    After hanging up, David returned to the ward.


    On the hospital bed, Rachel was curled up. She was holding her phone and checking the messages in


    the Whatsapp group chat.


    Mary sent in the discussion group, [The day after tomorrow, we¡¯ll leave at nine o¡¯clock sharp. Everyone,


    don¡¯t bete.]


    Jessica replied, [Got it!]


    Linda replied, [I see.]


    Rachel was thest one to reply, [Okay.]


    At this moment, a shadow enveloped her from above.


    Rachel looked up and met David¡¯s bottomless gloomy eyes.


    ¡°Are you going to Pollister?¡±


    Rachel nodded. She snuggled deeper into the bed and leaned against his chest in relief. ¡°I¡¯m going to


    pick someone up. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Davidy on the bed and reached out to pull Rachel into his arms. He leaned over and kissed her


    forehead. ¡°Do you need me to send someone to follow you?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Rachel pursed her lips and gently poked his chin with her fingertips. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere in the


    Smith family¡¯s matters.¡±


    David held her hand and stared at her without blinking. ¡°Reason.¡±


    His eyes were too dark and deep, like a bottomless ck hole.


    Rachel looked down helplessly and said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get you involved.¡±


    Actually, this matter was not difficult to guess at all.


    Coincidentally, there was a car ident, and her phone was broken.


    Anyone would know that this matter had something to do with the Smith family.


    David looked at her helplessly. ¡°I can¡¯t just stand by and do nothing when ites to you.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart softened, and a faint smile appeared in her eyes. In the end, shepromised.


    ¡°Sorry to trouble you, my boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    As David spoke, he leaned over and kissed her lips.


    After Smith Group lost Mr. Zane¡¯s investment, the other directors of thepany were dissatisfied with


    Louis.


    Louis was annoyed, but he had no choice but to apologize with a smile. After finally ending the day¡¯s


    meeting, he went back to his office tiredly. The assistant told him everything about Rachel¡¯s car


    ident.


    ¡°Has it caused such an uproar?¡±


    He just wanted to send someone to snatch the phone away. He didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it.


    The assistant quickly exined, ¡°Miss Grey was just shocked and unconscious.¡±


    When Louis heard that, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He raised his hand and pinched his


    forehead. He said casually, ¡°Tell the people at the police station to release the driver when it¡¯s time to


    prevent other things from happening¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The assistant looked hesitant as he carefully sized up Louis¡¯s cold expression. ¡°After the driver


    was taken away for investigation, there¡¯s still no news about him.¡±


    At this moment, Louis vaguely sensed that things were out of his control.


    Louis¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a sharp cold light shone in them. ¡°Then warn him personally. Tell


    him what he should say and keep what he shouldn¡¯t say to himself forever!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±

 Chapter 411

    Chapter 411


    Chapter 411


    The office door closed, and only Louis was left in the huge office. He got up and walked to the French


    windows. He lit a cigarette.


    He looked down indifferently at the busy street below him.


    For some reason, he thought of Rachel.


    ¡°There are so many things going on in the business world. People are just using each other. The


    investors sent the money to you not to let you prove anything, but to hope that the money will receive


    more returns from you. In the end, it can¡¯t do without interest.¡±


    At that time, with Rachel by his side, he did not need to face the troubles caused by the directors.


    No matter what happened to thepany, she could always turn the tide at a critical moment.


    She was like a powerful existence. As long as she was around, Smith Group would never fall into a


    predicament.


    However, since he lost Rachel, Smith Group had suffered sessive setbacks.


    First, he lost thend in South Valley, and now, he lost Mr. Zane¡¯s investment¡­


    If this continued, as a person newly appointed to a high post, he would be aughing stock in


    Seaxas!


    As he was thinking, his phone suddenly rang. It was Mrs. Smith.


    A hint of impatience appeared in his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t pick it up immediately. Instead, he muted the phone and threw it on the sofa.


    Half an hourter, Louis got up and left.


    When the car reached the intersection, it suddenly lost control and hit the streetmp crazily.


    The next morning, the news of the car ident of the president of Smith Group caused an uproar on


    the Inte.


    In order to avoid malicious spection from the outside world, Smith Group quickly blocked the news.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and her lips curled into a cold smile.


    At this moment, the door of the ward opened and David walked in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Rachel responded and walked toward David.


    ¡°What time do you get off work tonight?¡± David looked at Rachel.


    Rachel thought for a moment. ¡°About six o¡¯clock.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Eddie, who was sitting in the front row, listened to their conversation and felt an indescribable sadness


    in his heart.


    The two of them were in a rtionship, but those who didn¡¯t know would think that it was a routine


    matter.


    At this rate, when would David be able to marry Rachel?


    Thinking of this, he could not help but sigh faintly.


    At this moment, the car stopped below Johnson Corporation.


    After Rachel got out of the car, Eddie looked at David¡¯s expression through the rearview mirror.


    He looked like he had something on his mind but hesitated to say it.


    ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡± David¡¯s deep voice carried his usual coldness.


    Eddie did not hold it in. ¡°Mr. Jones, don¡¯t you think that your progress with Miss Grey is too slow?¡±


    David raised his eyes and looked at Eddie coldly.


    Eddie quickly exined, ¡°See, after Miss Grey got together with you, the two of you haven¡¯t officially


    dated yet.¡±


    Date¡­


    This word was abnormally unfamiliar to David.


    In his understanding, the oue was far more important than the


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    process.


    ¡°Do all women care about this?¡± David asked.


    Eddie nodded vigorously. ¡°No woman wouldn¡¯t like a date.¡±


    Upon hearing this, David¡¯s eyes were filled with thoughts. He silently turned on his phone and searched


    on google.


    On the other side, Rachel had just entered the office when she received a message from David.


    ¡°Shall we watch a movie tonight?¡±


    ¡°Why do you suddenly want to watch a movie?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to have a date.¡±


    Rachel was stunned.


    Upon seeing this word, Rachel finally realized that ever since the two of them got together, there was


    indeed no date strictly speaking.


    She simply nodded in agreement.


    When she got off work at night, she specially returned to her apartment.


    She nned to change into a beautiful set of clothes and go on a date.


    She had just walked through the door when she became acutely aware of a stranger¡¯s intrusion.

 Chapter 412

    Chapter 412


    Chapter 412


    Rachel thought she was hallucinating.


    At this moment, she heard a voiceing from the bedroom.


    A chill rose from the bottom of her feet and quickly spread to her limbs and bones. The blood in her


    body instantly froze.


    Rachel tried her best to control the panic in her heart. She casually grabbed the baseball bat hidden in


    the shoe cab and slowly approached the bedroom.


    At this moment, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang. It was a call from David.


    ¡°You¡¯re not at the office?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rachel replied.


    Her almond¨Cshaped eyes were cold as she stared fixedly at the bedroom. Her steps forward slowly


    changed to retreat.


    If Rachel was still nning to capture the other party alive, she was much sober the moment she


    received David¡¯s call.


    Finally, she had the reaction that a normal person should have.


    When faced with danger, the first thing she should think about was not how to face it, but how to


    cleverly dodge and ensure that she would not be harmed at all.


    ¡°Wait for me for a moment. I¡¯ll be right down. Yes, very soon.¡°.


    As she spoke, she picked up her things and left.


    The moment she went out, she quickly ran to the elevator. ¡°David, someone broke into my apartment!¡±


    She did not realize that her voice was trembling uncontrobly.


    David was picking roses from the florist.


    When he heard Rachel¡¯s words, his handsome face seemed to be covered in ayer of frost. ¡°Go to a


    crowded ce immediately and wait for me to find you!¡±


    After hanging up, he got into the car.


    The half¨Chour drive only took ten minutes.


    Even so, it did not dispel the uneasiness in the depths of his heart.


    He gripped the steering wheel tightly and sped up.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    When David arrived, Rachel had already contacted the nearby police to investigate.


    After some investigation, nothing was missing from the room, so there was no way to make a record of


    it.


    After sending the police off, David walked to Rachel¡¯s side and held her cold hand. ¡°Do you want some


    water?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Rachel nodded.


    David handed her a cup of warm water. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly said, ¡°Rae¨CRae,


    can you go with me?¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Rachel subconsciously blurted out.


    She looked up and met David¡¯s dark eyes. She suddenly understood the meaning behind his words.


    The point of going with him was not to go anywhere, but to be with him.


    Seeing that Rachel did not reply for a long time, David had a faint smile. ¡°This ce is not safe enough.


    How about temporarily staying at Sandalwood Hills?¡±


    This was David¡¯s biggest concession.


    He could not put Rachel in danger.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The nned date was disrupted by the intrusion of a stranger.


    However, Rachel had a reason to live in Sandalwood Hills.


    After settling her down, David called Jimmy.


    ¡°Did you find out anything?¡±


    ¡°The surveince videos have all been erased, and we can¡¯t find any clues from the surrounding


    surveince videos.¡± Jimmy paused for a moment. ¡°David, actually, I have a bold guess in my heart. Do


    you think the n is looking for us?¡±


    With David¡¯s identity, if the n knew that he had feelings for Rachel, they would definitely not let it go.


    The Elders were a bunch of sanctimonious despicable people. They talked about benevolence and


    morality, but they were actually the most vicious. They might do something.


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. His deep and cold voice seemed to be covered in frost, revealing


    horrible indifference. ¡°No!¡±

 Chapter 413

    Chapter 413


    Chapter 413


    Rachel was not idle in the room either.


    She asked Lucas to check the surrounding surveince cameras, and as expected, they did not find


    anything.


    ¡°Rachel, where are you now?¡± Lucas asked in a serious tone.


    Rachel tapped her phone with her fingertips. ¡°Sandalwood Hills.¡±


    Lucas immediately lost his cool. ¡°Are you with David? Are you living together?¡±


    ¡°Lower your voice.¡± Rachel reached out and dug her ear. ¡°You can think we are living together. The


    apartment is not safe. I¡¯ll stay here for the time being.¡±


    Lucas could not help but curse, ¡°Bullshit. I think he¡¯s more dangerous than anyone else.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, logically speaking, there are some things that I shouldn¡¯t say as your brother, but I still have to


    remind you.¡± Lucas paused for a moment and stammered, ¡°You have the right to have sex. I won¡¯t stop


    you, nor can I stop you. However, you have to take precautions to protect yourself!¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    So how should she respond to this?


    Lucas probably sensed the awkwardness of this topic. He hurriedly said goodnight to her and hung up.


    Rachel put down her phone and btedly considered the topic Lucas had just mentioned.


    Actually, there was nothing shameful about having sex.


    It was even the mostmon process when couples were intimate.


    However, she had never imagined when this would happen.


    Previously, on the cruise ship, she had been careless and drugged by Jane. At that time, her rationality


    was on the verge of copse, but David did not take advantage of the situation.


    To be honest, she was touched by his restraint, but there was also a hint of guilt.


    Thinking about it carefully, she felt that he had suffered a lot from her and had been amodating to


    her.


    Should she take the initiative this time?


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± David¡¯s voice suddenly sounded.


    Rachel suddenly came back to her senses and sat up from the bed. ¡°Why did youe in?¡±


    She moved too quickly and inadvertently lifted the hem of her nightgown.


    David¡¯s


    gaze fell on her folded skirt, and his eyes darkened.


    Rachel was wearing a satin slip dress. The satin was light and soft. The thin strap hung on her


    shoulder, revealing her beautiful corbone.


    Her smooth skin glowed faintly under the light. It was like suet jade with an excellent texture, making


    David unable to bear to part with it.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    David swallowed. The desire in the depths of his eyes was stirring.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered in panic, and her grip on the bed sheets tightened.


    ¡°Is this a test for me?¡± David asked.


    Rachel shook her head and bit her lip.


    She got up and leaned a little closer to his chest, her soft lips pressed against his chin. ¡°It¡¯s seduction.¡±


    Sensing her movements, David¡¯s pitch¨Cck pupils shed with a luster. The corners of his lips could


    not help but reveal a trace of a smile. He bent down and pressed her under him.


    His unique aura enveloped her wantonly. He smelled her pleasant smell greedily and didn¡¯t want to


    miss any of it.


    Rachel trembled slightly as she endured his love. Her hands gripped his shirt uneasily.


    The hot and ambiguous atmosphere gradually spread from the two of them to the entire room.


    ¡°David¡­¡± Rachel said in a weak and trembling voice, ¡°My, my belly hurts¡­¡±


    David suddenly stopped kissing and looked at Rachel nervously.

 Chapter 414

    Chapter 414


    Chapter 414


    Rachel blinked and looked at him awkwardly. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito¡¯s. ¡°I¡­ I think I


    have¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± David frowned.


    His pitch¨Cck eyes were filled with turbulent emotions, and his breathing was slightly rapid. Blue


    veins could be vaguely seen on his forehead, revealing his restraint and forbearance.


    Rachel bit her lip in embarrassment. ¡°Well, I mean¡­¡±


    Seeing David¡¯s dumbfounded expression, she leaned toward his ear helplessly and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s my


    period¡­¡±


    Rachel was so embarrassed that she wished she could find a hole to hide in.


    She did not know how to face David. She lowered her eyes and squeezed out a few words with


    difficulty. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any tampons here. Can I trouble you to buy them for me?¡±


    At this moment, no matter how dull and stunned David was, he reacted.


    He took a deep breath and stared at her with his deep and gloomy eyes. His deep and cold voice was


    filled with passion and hoarseness. ¡°Sooner orter, I¡¯ll be driven crazy by you!¡±


    As he spoke, he stood up and left without looking back.


    Rachel looked at David¡¯s departing figure and suddenly felt an


    inexplicable grievance in her heart.


    She did not know that things would turn out like this. Why did she have her period at this time?


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    She felt utterly humiliated.


    It was not easy for her to take the initiative once. Who would have thought that such a small interlude


    would happen?


    She scratched her head in frustration, got up, and hurried into the


    restroom.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the restroom door. ¡°Miss Grey, here¡¯s something for you.¡±


    Perhaps David had specially instructed the servant, so the servant did note in to embarrass


    Rachel. Instead, she reached in and handed the things to Rachel.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Rachel took the things and quickly arranged herself. Then she stood up and walked out of


    the restroom.


    Mrs. Brown walked in from outside and handed her a cup. ¡°Miss Grey, this is hot water with lemon.


    Drink it while it¡¯s hot. You¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    Rachel smiled faintly and reached out to take the cup. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jones has gone out. He specifically told you not to wait for him and to rest early,¡± Mrs. Brown said.


    Rachel nodded.


    After drinking the hot water with lemon, she changed her clothes, curled up in bed, and fell asleep in a


    daze.


    However, the soreness at her waist and the swelling pain in her lower abdomen made her unable to


    sleep well.


    In a daze, one side of the bed sank, and then a firm chest pressed against her.


    A warm feeling spread from her lower abdomen to her limbs and bones. ¡°David¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡±


    elvevve Na


    ¡°Where did you go just now?¡± Rachel rolled over in his arms, her arms wrapped tightly around his


    waist. She rubbed her head against his chest like a cat looking forfort. ¡°I thought you would never


    talk to me again¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± David kissed her forehead. ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    Rachel replied in a daze and actually fell asleep.


    David looked at Rachel who was sleeping soundly in his arms and smiled.


    The next morning.


    The ringing of the phone pulled Rachel out of her sleep.


    She reached out and fumbled around the bed for a while before finally


    picking up the phone.


    ¡°Rachel, where the hell are you? Why are you only picking up the phone now? Do you know that the


    three of us have been waiting for you for a long time?¡±


    Mary¡¯s roar instantly woke Rachel up.


    She nced at the time and immediately jumped out of bed. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡±


    How could she have forgotten that she was going to Pollister today?

 Chapter 415

    Chapter 415


    Chapter 415


    Rachel quickly changed her clothes and rushed out of the door.


    ¡°Miss Grey, Mr. Jones is waiting for you in the dining room,¡± Mrs. Brown greeted Rachel with a smile.


    Before she could finish, Rachel walked around her and said, ¡°Tell him that I have something urgent to


    attend to and I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    She had just walked down the spiral staircase when she saw David waiting for her in the dining room.


    ¡°Come and eat first.¡±


    ¡°But I¡­¡± Rachel subconsciously refused, but she saw that the food on the dining table had not been


    eaten. It was obvious that David had been waiting for her.


    David must have seen through her inner conflict. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you there after you finish eating.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    One could imagine how curious Mary and others were when David and Rachel appeared in front of


    them.


    ¡°Tsk, no wonder we lost contact so early in the morning.¡± Mary¡¯s gaze fell on the mark on Rachel¡¯s


    neck, and a meaningful smile appeared in her


    eyes.


    Rachel felt ufortable under Mary¡¯s gaze. Rachel raised her hand and brushed her hair. ¡°It¡¯s getting


    late. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Remember to call me if you need anything,¡± David said.


    Rachel responded, opened the door, and got into the car.


    The car started, and Rachel found afortable position to nestle in. She took out the brown paper


    bag that she had prepared in advance and handed it to Linda.


    ¡°Take this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Linda opened the brown paper bag in front of her with doubts in her heart.


    Inside was a property ownership certificate and a set of keys.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stay at Pollister any longer. I¡¯ve helped your mother get a


    breakfast shop nearby so that you can continue living in Seaxas in the future,¡± Rachel said.


    Hearing this, Linda tightened her grip on the property ownership certificate. She suppressed the tears


    in her eyes. ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but I can¡¯t ept this.¡±


    Rachel had helped her enough over the years.


    Rachel had expected Linda to reject her, so she simply said, ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. These things are not


    for free. I have additional conditions.¡±


    Linda did not say anything. Instead, she waited quietly for Rachel to finish speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deduct the money for the property and the rent for the breakfast shop from your sry every month.


    I also need you to sign a fifteen¨Cyear contract with Johnson Corporation. Do you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Linda said without hesitation.


    She knew that Rachel only hoped that she could ept all of these with


    ease.


    However, even without this condition, she would still work at Johnson Corporation and apany


    Rachel.


    Mary, who was sitting beside them, finally could not hold back the curiosity in her heart. ¡°You and David


    last night¡­¡±


    She knew that Rachel was shy, so she did not say it too bluntly.


    Rachel sighed softly. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why do you sound so disappointed?¡± Jessica asked.


    Rachel briefly exined the situation and covered her face with her hands. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve never been


    so embarrassed in my life.¡±


    David listened to Eddie¡¯s report absent¨Cmindedly.


    ¡°Arrange for a group of people to secretly follow her,¡± David said.


    Eddie was stunned for a moment before he suddenly understood. ¡°The people from the Wood Team


    are at Pollister. I¡¯ll give the order now.¡±


    ¡°Tell them to follow her in the dark and not go out to disturb her, let alone hinder her.¡±


    Eddie was a little confused. ¡°Then how are our people going to protect Miss Grey?¡±


    ¡°Protect?¡± David muttered in a low voice and suddenly chuckled. ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t need much


    protection.¡±


    Eddie said, ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 416

    Chapter 416


    Chapter 416


    After an hour¡¯s journey, Rachel and the others sessfully arrived at Pollister Prison.


    Not long after, the prison door opened and a thin figure slowly walked


    out.


    The woman was about forty years old, but her face did not have the charm that people her age should


    have. She looked so lonely and depressed, like a burning candle.


    Her body was slightly hunched. Facing the scenery outside, she was at a loss.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Linda quickly rushed forward and hugged her tightly.


    Naomi was stunned. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a lump in her throat. She reached out and gently


    stroked Linda¡¯s back. ¡°Mommy is here.¡±


    Rachel and the others did not rush forward. Instead, they stood in front of the car and quietly watched


    the mother and daughter reunite.


    Mary raised her hand and pushed her sunsses up the bridge of her nose. She suppressed the


    bitterness in her eyes and looked elsewhere. ¡°What kind of perfect ending is worthy of the suffering of


    the first half of their lives?¡±


    Jessica said slowly, ¡°If we look forward, we will always be able to see the day when we stand out.¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, a group of reporters carrying cameras swarmed over and surrounded


    Linda and Naomi without saying a word.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes i


    narrowed slightly, and a wave of viciousness suddenly rose in the depths of her almond¨Cshaped eyes.


    ¡°Naomi, back then, you were convicted of murdering your husband. Do you have any ns for the


    future now that you¡¯re out of prison?¡±


    ¡°As the saying goes, a day as husband and wife creates a hundred days of gratitude. What kind of


    deep hatred made you kill your husband and even dismember him?¡±


    ¡°During your time in prison, did you suffer in your heart, and did you sincerely repent?¡±


    The reporters¡® words were like a sharp knife that mercilessly cut open the scar in Naomi¡¯s heart.


    Naomi¡¯s body trembled uncontrobly, and her face turned pale.


    She subconsciously lowered her head to avoid the camera.


    However, the reporter in front of her refused to give up. He wished he could point the camera directly at


    her face. ¡°Naomi, back then, you confessed to the crime but didn¡¯t mention anything about the process.


    Is there any inside story?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. She can¡¯t answer your questions.¡± Rachel suddenly appeared. She squeezed through the


    crowd and took Linda and Naomi away.


    The reporters behind Rachel were like mosquitoes that had seen blood. They followed closely behind.


    Their car was surrounded and could not move at all.


    Mary cursed in a low voice, ¡°What should we do now? We can¡¯t stay here and waste time with them,


    right?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyes and stared at the group of reporters who had suddenly appeared.


    There was no emotion on her delicate face. Her clear almond¨Cshaped eyes stared intently at the


    reporters surrounding the car.


    Her pure and clear eyes were like a bottomless coldke, filled with destructive hostility.


    Just as they were in a dilemma, a group of people suddenly arrived.


    The man in the lead was wearing a ck leather jacket and exuded a murderous aura.


    He walked to the front of the car and called respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Rachel looked at the man in front of her.


    ¡°My name is Tony,¡± Tony said. ¡°Mr. Jones was worried that you would be in trouble, so he specially


    instructed me to protect you in the dark.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart warmed, and the coldness in her eyes faded a little. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After shaking off the reporters, they temporarily stopped at a hotel in


    Pollister.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Lily, who was sitting in the car, nced at the smug look on Olivia¡¯s face. Lily lowered her eyes to hide


    the expression in her eyes.


    The case of a woman killing and dismembering her husband five years ago caused an uproar in the


    entire country.


    On the day of the trial, everyone was cursing the murderer. They were cursing the murderer for being


    vicious and ruthless. She had actually killed her husband, who had stayed with her for many years,


    without even blinking.


    Murderers were an unforgivable existence, and they made everyone scoff.


    Once this matter was exposed, Rachel would be in cahoots with them and would definitely be looked


    down upon by everyone.


    This time, she wanted to see how Rachel was going to make aeback!

 Chapter 417

    Chapter 417


    a Chapter 417


    ¡°Miss Grey, I really didn¡¯t expect the difference between the two of you to be so huge.¡± An


    imperceptible cold light shed in the depths of Olivia¡¯s eyes. She sighed softly and said, ¡°If you didn¡¯t


    personally admit that the two of you were sisters, I wouldn¡¯t even dare to dream that the two of you


    would be rted.¡±


    Lily was a noble youngdy who behaved decently, and Rachel was a problematic student who was full


    of evil deeds. No one would associate the two of them.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    If Lily hadn¡¯t told her, she wouldn¡¯t have thought that she and Rachel had a conflict in high school.


    ¡°Rachel was expelled from the family because she did something wrong back then. She has been living


    alone all these years. I think she must have suffered a lot. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been so close


    to these people.¡± There was a faint sadness in Lily¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just that this matter has blown up. What


    happened back then can¡¯t be hidden anymore.¡±


    When Olivia heard this, she did not show much emotion on her face, but she mocked Lily in her heart.


    They were all cunning foxes. Why did Lily have to y dumb in front of her?


    Olivia brushed her curly hair casually and said calmly, ¡°Last time, I came to Pollister too suddenly. Miss


    Grey, why don¡¯t you be my host this time and take me around?¡±


    Lily said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    At Olivia¡¯s signal, the driver started the car and left.


    However, the reporters blocking the entrance of the hotel did not leave.


    As the reporters had a live broadcast and exposed more things, not only was Linda¡¯s identity exposed,


    but also the incident of campus bullying involving Jessica and Rachel was uncovered.


    Johnson Corporation was also forced into the storm of public opinion.


    It caused an uproar on Twitter.


    ¡°I¡¯m familiar with Jessica! Back then, the campus bullying forced the girl tomit suicide. It¡¯s a


    miracle that such a person is still alive.¡±


    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this the famous bullying group in Pollister High School back then? The leader is called Rachel


    ¡°Rachel used to be the daughter of the Grey family. At such a young age. she had a vicious heart and


    caused her stepmother to miscarry She was chased out of the family by her biological father. The four


    of them are all evil people!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the bullying group led by Rachel participated in the murder case back then!¡±


    Linda looked at the heated discussion on Twitter and her face turned pale. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    She did not expect things to turn out like this.


    Five years ago, because of her, they were all affected. Unexpectedly, five yearster, they were in


    trouble because of her again.


    ¡°Now is not the time to apologize, Rachel said coldly.


    She only wanted to know who leaked the news and attracted the reporters.


    Back then, the Johnson family had spent a lot of effort to block the truth of the murder case. She could


    not let all the previous efforts go to waste at this juncture!


    At this moment, her phone suddenly rang.


    It was David.


    I¡¯ve already paralyzed all theworks for an hour. During this period, no updates are allowed. Also, all


    information about the murder case five years ago is blocked. No one is allowed to report it!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart was suddenly filled with a warm current that instantly filled her entire chest.


    The coldness in her eyes faded a little, and faint gentleness appeared in her eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll support you no matter what happens,¡± David said. ¡°Don¡¯t show up for the time being.


    I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel and the others sat on the sofa in the hotel and


    waited quietly.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep wasting time like this,¡± Mary said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we split up and see if we can sneak out


    through the back door?¡±


    Tony said at the right time, ¡°Miss Green, the front and back doors are blocked by reporters.¡±


    Mary secretly cursed.

 Chapter 418

    Chapter 418


    Chapter 418


    At this moment, Jessica, who was sitting on the sofa and smoking, suddenly said, ¡°These reporters


    obviously came prepared. Someone must have leaked the news of Naomi¡¯s release in advance. They


    mobilized so many people and did not hesitate to expose the case back then. It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re


    here for the four of us.¡±


    Now that technology was advanced, it was easy for bad news to spread.


    The enemy revealed what happened in high school so that the four of them would have a bad


    reputation and be despised by everyone.


    They had taken a lot of effort to ensure that the murder case back then would not be leaked, so it


    attracted many spections.


    But now, because of this group of unscrupulous reporters outside, all their previous efforts were going


    to be wasted. It was really hateful.


    Rachel sat on the sofa, her almond-shaped eyes filled with coldness. ¡°If they want to wait, then let them


    wait.¡±


    At most, they would just waste time like this and see who would give up


    first.


    However, she could not help but feel aggrieved!


    An oppressive and depressing atmosphere filled the whole room. Everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with faint


    worry.


    With sorrowful eyes, Naomi looked at the four people in front of her one by one. Suddenly, tears welled


    up in her eyes.


    She secretly gritted her teeth and stood up abruptly. ¡°No matter what, this matter started because of


    me. I¡¯ll go out and exin it to them.¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Linda hurriedly stood up and grabbed Naomi¡¯s hand. ¡°If you go out and exin now, they won¡¯t


    believe a word you say.¡±


    ¡°This matter started because of me. They can scold me however they want. At most¡­ At most, I¡¯ll live


    in shame in the future. At worst, I won¡¯t go out anymore.¡± Naomi¡¯s face was covered in tears, but she


    tried her best to force a smile andfort them. ¡°All these years, I¡¯m indebted to you for taking care of


    Linda for me. If I cause you trouble, won¡¯t I be repaying. kindness with revenge? You guys are all good


    children. I can¡¯t burden you


    anymore.¡±


    ¡°What about Linda?¡± Rachel stared at Naomi with a burning gaze. Her hands by her sides were


    clenched into fists. ¡°What do you want her to do in the future?¡±


    This murder case was rted to Linda¡¯s life.


    When Naomi heard this, she was stunned on the spot.


    She looked at Linda. The tears that she had been holding back finally rolled down the corners of her


    eyes uncontrobly. She stretched out her arm and hugged Linda tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Linda. It¡¯s all my


    fault. I¡¯ve let you down¡­¡±


    Naomi¡¯s heart ached as she reached out to touch Linda¡¯s face.


    Linda patted Naomi¡¯s thin back gently and suddenly said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Linda¡­¡± Naomi¡¯s entire body trembled as she looked at Linda in disbelief.


    Linda smiled and looked at the other three. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful to you for being by my side all these


    years. You didn¡¯t despise me and took care of me in all aspects. I¡¯m really grateful to you, but just as


    my mother said, we can¡¯t continue to cause you trouble.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who did something wrong. Running away isn¡¯t a solution either. You guys are my


    benefactors, and I¡¯m also indebted to the Johnson family. If telling the truth can help you guys, I¡¯m


    undoubtedly willing.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Linda, you should what will happen to you if you say the truth!¡± Rachel¡¯s face was cold as she stared


    at Linda.


    Linda looked deeply at Rachel, then at Jessica. Then, without any hesitation, she held Naomi¡¯s hand


    and turned to leave.


    Just as the reporters downstairs were waiting for an opportunity to barge into the hotel, they saw Linda


    walking out of the elevator with Naomi.


    ¡°Naomi, are you willing to tell us the truth behind the murder case back then?¡±


    ¡°Back then, there was a witness who imed to have seen four people, but in the end, you were the


    only one who confessed. Were you coerced?¡±


    ¡°After the incident that year, Johnson Corporation in Seaxas put pressure and blocked the news. Do we


    have a direct reason to suspect that these are rted to the Johnson family?¡±

 Chapter 419

    Chapter 419


    Chapter 419


    ¡°Johnson Corporation has always been engaged in phnthropy, Old Mr. Johnson has been benevolent


    in his life and was once given an honorary title by the government because of this. I don¡¯t know why


    these false rumors started, but I want to tell everyone here that people have to be responsible for their


    words and actions.


    ¡°If I hear you nder Johnson Corporation again, I will contact Johnson Corporation¡¯s public rtions


    department to sue you!¡±


    Linda¡¯s every word was powerful and resonating. It could not help but make people¡¯s hearts tremble.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    At this moment, a reporter in the crowd said again, ¡°Back then, the case was confusing. There were


    clearly witnesses who proved that Rachel and the others were also present at the scene, but the


    relevant departments convicted your mother rashly and are still unwilling to publicize the proceedings.


    We have reason to suspect that there¡¯s something else going


    on.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s indeed something else,¡± Linda said. ¡°I believe everyone here hasmon knowledge of the


    law, so everyone should know that if the relevant departments use special hearing methods for a


    certain case, it means that it¡¯s not easy for outsiders to know about it.¡±


    The reporter¡¯s tone was aggressive. ¡°ording to our investigation, Rachel and the others also


    appeared at the crime scene. After your mother was convicted, Rachel and the others transferred


    schools one after another. Wasn¡¯t that because they had a guilty conscience?¡±


    Linda narrowed her eyes and looked coldly at the reporter hiding in the crowd.


    ¡°I forced them to transfer schools with my death, forcing them to transfer schools and leave Pollister.¡±


    Naomi took a deep breath and tightened her grip on Linda. ¡°Rae¨CRae, Mary, and Jessica are good


    girls. They shouldn¡¯t be criticized by you and attract your baseless spections!


    ¡°If you call me a murderer, I¡¯ll admit it! But if I had another chance, I would cut him even thirty or three


    hundred times, let alone three times! I want to chop Xavier into pieces and feed him to the dogs or


    throw him. into the river to feed the fish!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the surroundings were in an uproar.


    The way everyone looked at Naomi changed slightly.


    ¡°You keep saying that I have a vicious heart, but who do you think Xavier is?¡± Naomi secretly gritted


    her teeth and tried her best to suppress the hatred in her heart. ¡°He¡¯s a beast! A beast!¡±


    Sensing her hatred, the reporter keenly sensed something.


    ¡°Ever since Xavier and I got married, he started to drink and gamble. When he was drunk, he would


    beat and scold me. When he was tired, he would fall asleep. I could tolerate all these, but he should


    never have hurt my daughter! He could eveny his hands on his own daughter. Tell me what I can do


    as a mother. What should I do?¡±


    David, who had arrivedte, happened to hear Naomi¡¯s words and frowned imperceptibly.


    Without stopping, he quickly entered the hotel through the side door.


    In the room, Rachel was standing in front of the television and watching the reporter¡¯s live broadcast.


    Her brows were tightly knitted, and the look on her face was cold. Her entire body emitted a terrifying


    aura.


    ording to statistics, 32,500 people have been prosecuted for sexual assault of minors in recent


    years, and the smallest victim was only one year old. More than 90% of the victims were girls, and


    most of them were hurt when they were in primary and secondary schools.


    It was just that most people thought that domestic shame should not be made public and chose to


    settle the matter peacefully.


    Back then, considering that Linda still had to live in the future, Adrian contacted the relevant


    departments to hide the case.


    But now, because of this group of reporters, it was all for naught

 Chapter 420

    Chapter 420


    Chapter 420


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. The fact is just as you think.¡± Linda noticed. everyone¡¯s sympathetic


    gazes. She did not avoid them. Instead, she looked at everyone present frankly.


    ¡°I was once a victim of domestic sexual assault. This is a secret that I can never bring myself to say,


    but I can¡¯t wrap fire in paper. I fainted during a PE ss. because of an ectopic pregnancy. From then


    on, my ssmates began to bully me. I endured campus bullying for a year.


    ¡°During that period, I didn¡¯t dare to tell my mother. I was even more afraid that the school would contact


    my parents, so I chose to transfer schools. It was also at Pollister High School that I met Rachel.


    ¡°After Rachel and the others found out what happened to me, they tried their best to help me, so we


    discussed our escape n. However, my beast father found out about this and took the opportunity to


    lock us up. Later, my mother picked up a knife during an argument with him and identally killed him.


    The four of us sessfully escaped.


    ¡°After that, Adrian, awyer from Seaxas, found out what happened to me and had been helping my


    mother fight for a lighter punishment. I studied abroad with the Johnson family¡¯s help.¡± Linda had


    thought that these words would be difficult to say, but she found that after saying them in one breath,


    she felt unprecedentedly rxed and carefree.


    ¡°I want to tell everyone that Rachel didn¡¯t kill anyone, nor did she participate in the killing. They have


    been protecting and taking care of me in their own way! The real murderers are unscrupulous reporters


    like you who talk about benevolence and morality and think that you can use your pens to seek justice!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.


    However, the public opinion online changed a lot.


    ¡°Reporters nowadays are really getting more and more immoral!¡±


    ¡°They maliciously ndered others to create stunts. This kind of person is not worthy of being a


    reporter!¡±


    ¡°A bunch of reporters from unknown newspaper offices are really embarrassing the media industry!¡±


    Rachel ignored thements on the bullet screen and asked coldly, ¡°Have you investigated the


    background of these reporters?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re from all the local newspaper offices in Pollister.¡± David held Rachel¡¯s hand and said


    unhurriedly, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to investigate. I believe there will be a result soon.¡±


    Rachel nodded. Her almond¨Cshaped eyes were filled with unclear coldness. ¡°Tell


    me when you get a result. I want to deal with it personally.¡±


    Her tone was indifferent and slow, carrying a chilling deterrence.


    Outside the door, Mary and Jessica were discussing in low voices.


    ¡°There¡¯s something strange about what happened today.¡±


    Jessica responded and said leisurely, ¡°This matter seems to be directed at the three of us, but the


    reporters are all targeting Rachel.¡±


    ¡°This is Pollister.¡± Mary looked at Jessica with a meaningful smile.


    There were many people who did not want to see Rachel live a good life in Pollister, but thest person


    who wanted to see Rachel live a good life was none other than Lily.


    As the two of them spoke, Linda and Naomi returned from outside.


    ¡°Mary, Jessica.¡± Linda saw them and quickly walked up. ¡°Where¡¯s Rae¨CRae?¡±


    ¡°She is in her room.¡±


    The three of them walked into the room and happened to see Rachel on the phone. ¡°Erase all


    information rted to the case from five years ago and strictly control the public opinion of this online


    live broadcast. Block the Inte forums and don¡¯t let anyone mention it again.¡±


    After she hung up, David got a piece of news. ¡°Maybe you can take a look at this.¡±


    As he spoke, he handed the phone to Rachel.


    There was a photo on the phone.


    The woman in the photo was dressed loosely and was wearing a cap, trying her best to hide her true


    identity.


    Rachel¡¯s gazended on the bracelet on the woman¡¯s wrist. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold glint


    appeared in her eyes.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 421

    Chapter 421


    Chapter 421


    No one knew the origin of the bracelet better than Rachel.


    That was the first item that Lily had sn*tched from Rachel. Therefore, Lily had always regarded it as her


    spoils of war and wore it on her all year round.


    Now, it had be the criminal evidence that her identity had been exposed.


    Rachel pursed her lips indifferently. Her slightly lowered eyes covered the expression in her eyes, and


    the aura around her vaguely revealed bloodthirsty ruthlessness.


    She returned the phone to David. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Times Square,¡± David said.


    When Rachel heard this, she smiled brightly, but the depths of her almond-shaped eyes were cold.


    After causing such huge trouble, Lily was actually in the mood to go shopping!


    ¡°You guys stay here and eat something. I¡¯m going out for a while,¡± Rachel said and rushed out the door.


    Mary, who fanned the mes while watching the sense of bustle, immediately chased after her. ¡°Wait


    for me.¡±


    How could she miss such an exciting scene like dealing the bit*h a lesson?


    Lily had been shopping with Olivia, but she had an ominous feeling.


    However, there was no news from the reporters at all. She was worried that the matter would be


    exposed, so she did not dare to contact them rashly.


    Just like that, she shopped absent-mindedly.


    Olivia quietly observed the expression on her face. A fleeting coldness shed across Olivia¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Miss Grey, you don¡¯t look too well. Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°I¡¯m probably a little tired.¡± Lily raised her


    hand and touched her face. The corners of her mouth curled into a faint smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the


    nearby cafe and sit down to rest?¡± Olivia said, ¡°Sure.¡± She didn¡¯t mean to go shopping. She was just


    worried that her identity would be exposed and wanted to find a sufficient reason for her not to be


    there.


    However, just as the two of them walked out of Times Square, they saw Rachel. walking over


    aggressively from afar.


    The moment Lily saw Rachel, Lily¡¯s heart ski pp*d a beat.


    Rachel was wearing a white suit. Her temperament was cold, and she could not hide her


    aggressiveness.


    Lily hadn¡¯t seen Rachel for many years. It had to be said that Rachel had changed a lot.


    Rachel¡¯s dazzling beauty made Rachel look more charming, but the most


    eye-catching thing was the noble aura on Rachel¡¯s body. It was as if everything in the world could be


    crushed by her.


    Lily had imagined many scenes of her meeting Rachel again. Without a doubt, no matter which one it


    was, Rachel would be insulted by her. Rachel would be in a sorry state and humble.


    However, the truth was the opposite.


    She could not ept Rachel¡¯s overbearing attitude, nor could she tolerate Rachel¡¯s superiority.


    She took a deep breath. ¡°Rachel¡­¡±


    Smack!


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Rachel pped Lily¡¯s face fiercely, and the unfinished words were stuck in Lily¡¯s throat.


    Lily was caught off guard and her face was pped to the side. The smile in her eyes dissipated. She


    covered her face and looked at Rachel aggrievedly. ¡°Rachel, I don¡¯t know what I did wrong.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that you did it wlessly and I can¡¯t do anything to you?¡± Rachel chuckled and


    nced at the bracelet on Lily¡¯s hand. A faint mocking expression appeared on Rachel¡¯s face. ¡°Do you


    know that the bracelet betrays you?¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes flickered and she subconsciously reached out to cover the bracelet. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what


    you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Rachel walked forward and patted her face. ¡°Lily, let me give you a piece of advice. All these years, we


    mind our own business, and it¡¯s quite good. There¡¯s no need to rush to court death.¡±


    Her movement was light, but it was very humiliating.

 Chapter 422

    Chapter 422


    Chapter 422


    Lily gritted her teeth tightly. Her eyes flickered with intense hatred and unwillingness. She said with a


    faint smile, ¡°Rachel, are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a warning,¡± Rachel said. ¡°It¡¯s been many years since west met. You don¡¯t know anything about


    me now, but I can tell you clearly that you can¡¯t afford to anger me!¡±


    Lily did not show any fear. Instead, she looked at David, who was standing not far away. ¡°Is it because


    of that man?¡±


    When she chatted with Olivia, she repeatedly probed the man¡¯s identity.


    Although Olivia didn¡¯t know the details, Lily¡¯s intuition told her that this man was all Rachel had.


    Without this man¡¯s support, Rachel was nothing!


    In the past, she was able to(sna tch ) away what belonged to Rachel, and it was no exception now.


    Rachel noticed Lily¡¯s gaze on David. She frowned imperceptibly, and a hint of coldness shed in the


    depths of her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°Do you want to (sna tch ) something from me again?¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia raised her eyebrows slightly.


    It had to be said that the word ¡®again¡¯ was extremely ingenious.


    She looked at Lily with a meaningful and intense gaze.


    ¡°Rachel, what are you talking about?¡± Lily¡¯s lips curled up into a pure and


    harmless smile. ¡°I obtained those things with my own abilities. How can you call it (sna tching )?


    Besides, no one can (sna tch ) what really belongs to you, right?¡±


    Since she could (sna tch ) them from Rachel, it meant that they never belonged to Rachel.


    Rachel took a deep look at Lily and suddenly chuckled. ¡°Go ahead and try. See if you can (sna tch )


    him from me this time!¡±


    With that, she turned around and left without looking back.


    As she turned around, she nced at Olivia from the corner of her eye. She paused for a moment. ¡°By


    the way, the two charges of invasion of another¡¯s privacy and malicious nder are neither serious nor


    insignificant. Then the two of you can discuss and see who¡¯s more suitable to confess.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Lily widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°Do you actually sue me for an outsider?¡±


    Olivia clenched her fists tightly and stared at Rachel with a burning gaze. ¡°Rachel,


    no matter what, she¡¯s your younger sister. Are you sure you want to do this?¡±


    Rachel looked up at her and said expressionlessly, ¡°Olivia, you know my methods. If you fall into my


    hands, you have to follow my rules.¡±


    The current Grey family was not worth mentioning to her.


    Rachel, who had regarded the Grey family as a harbor, had long frozen to death on that cold winter


    night.


    The current Rachel was the eldest daughter of the Johnson family in Seaxas.


    In the Grey family.


    Hans¡¯s face turned ashen when he found out what had happened. ¡°Did that unfilial daughter really say


    that?¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°Dad, what should we do now? Will Rachel really send me to the police station? I can¡¯t go


    to jail. Why don¡¯t we apologize to Rachel?¡±


    ¡°Apologize to her?¡± Hans snorted angrily. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard that a father has to apologize


    to his daughter! Besides, the Cruise family in Seaxas is also involved in this matter. If something really


    happens, they can forget about staying, out of it.¡±


    In fact, Hans knew and acquiesced to what Lily had done.¡±


    Especially when he found out from Lily that there was a conflict between Rachel and Olivia, he started


    to have smug calctions.


    He had raised Rachel for many years, so sacrificing Rachel to cooperate with the Cruise family was a


    good deal.

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    ¡°But Miss Cruise didn¡¯t show up from the beginning to the end. Everything was done by Lily. No matter


    how you think about it, this matter is not good for Lily¡± Mary said worriedly.


    Hans¡¯s brows were tightly knitted together. It was obvious that he had also realized this.


    At first, they only thought about how to please the Cruise family, but they ignored the consequences of


    being exposed.


    Perhaps in his opinion, he did not think that Rachel could make aeback.


    ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t I apologize to Rachel?¡± Lily said, ¡°I¡¯m worried that Rachel will really do something


    harmful to the Grey family.¡±


    Hans¡¯s eyes were filled with contemtion. After pondering for a moment, he said, ¡°Contact Miss


    Cruise now and see if she can help you. No matter what, we got into thiswsuit because of her.¡±


    Lily pursed her lips and lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in them.


    She hated Olivia so much now.


    Rachel said that Olivia knew Rachel¡¯s methods. Olivia knew Rachel¡¯s methods, but Olivia deliberately


    reminded Lily to deal with Rachel several times. Olivia was clearly using Lily as a tool.


    Lily had realized this, but so what?


    In this era of pursuing power, the Grey family had a favor to ask of others. They knew the


    consequences of being used as cannon fodder, but they had no choice but to obey obediently.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll call Miss Cruise now,¡± Lily said as she took out her phone and dialed Olivia¡¯s number.


    At this moment, Olivia was in a spa. When she saw Lily calling her, she frowned imperceptibly.


    Lisa saw that she did not pick up the phone for a long time and asked curiously, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°The Grey family.¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery as she said indifferently, ¡°I thought I could use


    her to teach Rachel a lesson, but in the end, she¡¯s just an embarrassing and useless idiot. She actually


    wants to get me involved.¡±


    Lisa had heard of Lily. She said earnestly, ¡°I advise you to be careful of that evil woman in the Grey


    family. Be careful not to bring disaster upon yourself.¡±


    ¡°Of course I know that.¡±


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have hidden it from Louis when she came to Pollister.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why are you always targeting Rachel? Is it because she almost. married Louis?¡± Lisa


    asked.


    When Olivia heard this, she slowly sat up. ¡°Men are best at being double-faced. Louis says that he


    doesn¡¯t care, but it doesn¡¯t mean that he doesn¡¯t love Rachel anymore. Only by destroying Rachel can


    wepletely stop him from being with Rachel.¡±


    Lisa seemed to have heard some shocking news. She sat up and looked at Olivia in disbelief. ¡°Do you


    mean that Louis has feelings for Rachel?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°It¡¯s just my guess.¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Lily called again.


    Olivia hesitated for half a second beforezily picking up the phone.


    ¡°Miss Cruise, it¡¯s me.¡± She heard Lily¡¯s sweet voice through the phone. ¡°You have to help me this time. I


    offended Rachel because of you¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m afraid your words are inappropriate.¡± Olivia¡¯s tone was indifferent. and distant. ¡°You


    were the one who spread those rumors, and you were also the one who contacted the reporters. I have


    no idea about this. I wonder why you think you offended Rachel because of me.¡±


    When Lily heard this, a sinister and cold glint shed across her eyes.


    With just a few words, Olivia hadpletely disassociated herself from the evil deeds!


    Lily gripped her phone tightly and suppressed the anger in her chest. ¡°Miss Cruise, you and Rachel are


    acquaintances. Can you pleasee forward and make peace? As long as she¡¯s willing to give up on


    pursuing the matter, the Grey family will be used by you from now on!¡±


    The Grey family was not very useful to Olivia.


    If she did not know that the hostile rtionship between Lily and Rachel, she would not have lowered


    her status to be on good terms with Lily.


    ¡°Miss Grey, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but I can¡¯t help you even if I want to,¡± Olivia said. ¡°You


    heard her warning to me today. Now, it¡¯s obvious that she wants to ruin you. Why don¡¯t you¡­ ask your


    father to help you? No matter what, they¡¯re father and daughter. For the sake of their blood rtionship,


    she has to make a concession.¡±

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    Rachel and the others did not stay too long in Pollister.


    After all, now that the matter had blown up, the longer they stayed here, the more attention they would


    receive.


    Too much attention was not good for Linda and Naomi.


    David lowered his eyes and looked at Rachel, who was leaning on his shoulder. His broad palm gently


    massaged her waist. ¡°When are you going to tell me about your high school days?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°I was a good student back then. I didn¡¯t fight or fall in love at a


    young age.¡±


    David did not say anything. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly. It was obvious that he was


    suspicious of her words.


    At this moment, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    It was a series of unknown numbers without a caller ID.


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips slid across the screen to answer the call. Hans¡¯s voice came from the phone.


    ¡°Rachel, what exactly do you want?¡±


    His deep voice was mixed with lingering anger, making Rachel¡¯s ears buzz.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Mr. Grey.¡± Rachel chuckled with a hint of mockery.


    Her attitude made Hans¡¯s expression darken. ¡°Rachel, what kind of attitude is that? I¡¯m your father!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to be my father because you didn¡¯t raise me. Moreover, 15 years ago, you said that


    you would sever your father-daughter rtionship with me.¡± Rachel¡¯s tone was very calm as if she was


    borating on something that had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°Rachel, even if I don¡¯t admit you as my daughter, we¡¯re rted by blood! This is a fact that you can¡¯t


    change! If you want to sever your father-daughter rtionship with me, you have to drain all the blood


    from your body!¡± Hans took a deep breath.


    Rachel sneered. ¡°Do you call me just to say this?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I naturally don¡¯t have time to talk nonsense with you. Revoke thewsuit against Lily immediately!¡±


    Hans said, ¡°As long as you revoke thewsuit against her, you will still have a ce in the Grey family


    in the future. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being merciless.¡±


    Rachel lowered her eyes. There was hostility in the depths of her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°Then don¡¯t


    show me any mercy.¡±


    Hans immediately roared angrily, ¡°Lily is your sister. How can you treat her like this?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m an ingrate,¡± Rachel said in a cold voice with a smile, which made Hans¡¯s hair stand on


    end. ¡°Either Lily surrenders herself to the police station and epts the punishment, or the Grey family


    will receive the court summons. Choose one. There¡¯s no room for discussion!¡±


    With that, she hung up without giving Hans a chance to speak.


    Listening to the beeping sound on the phone, Hans roared angrily, ¡°This (ba stard)! I should have


    beaten her to death back then!¡±


    Rachel should have died!


    ¡°Dad, what should we do now?¡± Lily looked at Hans¡¯s expression and said cautiously, ¡°Do I have to turn


    myself in at the police station? It¡¯s fine if I embarrass myself, but what about the Grey family?¡±


    Hans took a deep breath. ¡°This matter might be negotiable.¡±


    He lit a cigarette and took a deep puff. His deep voice sounded. ¡°As long as we find Linda and Naomi


    and try to settle the case with them in private, the police will naturally not interfere. Don¡¯t worry about


    this matter for the time being.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes flickered and she replied obediently, ¡°Got it, Dad.¡±


    Hans soon took action. He contacted Linda and Naomi that night with a clear goal. ¡°As long as you


    withdraw thewsuit and are willing to settle it privately, the conditions are up to you.¡±

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    After Rachel and the others arrived at Seaxas, they had a meal together that night and returned home.


    Before separating, Naomi held Rachel¡¯s hand and said in a choked voice, ¡°Rae-Rae, thank you for


    what you have done all these years.¡±


    She knew that all these years, the favor that she and Linda owed Rachel could not be repaid with just a


    word of thanks.


    However, no matter how many words she had, the best way to express the gratitude in her heart was to


    thank Rachel.


    ¡°Mrs. Naomi, why are you saying this?¡± Rachel held Naomi¡¯s wrinkled hand. Years of hard work had


    made Naomi¡¯s joints thicker, and her fingers were calloused. Unknowingly, time had left an indelible


    mark on Naomi¡¯s body..


    Rachel sighed softly. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t appeared in time back then, I might not have survived.¡±


    Back then, when they found out about Linda¡¯s encounter, they wanted to help Linda escape from that


    disgusting home.


    However, Xavier, who had lost the bet, suddenly returned. When he saw the few of them, a vicious and


    evil thought arose in his heart.


    In order to protect them, Linda surrendered to Xavier.


    Finally, Rachel couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She picked up the metal rod beside her and smashed it hard


    on Xavier¡¯s head.


    After that strike, Xavier lost consciousness and blood flowed out from the back of his head.


    At that time, although Rachel was ruthless in fighting, she had never seen such a


    scene.


    She was not the only one who was panicking. Even Mary and Jessica were panicking.


    Coincidentally, Naomi appeared at that moment.


    Without any hesitation, she chased all of them out.


    In the next twelve hours, Naomi took the initiative to walk into the police station and confess all the


    crimes.


    ording to the police investigation, there were no traces at the scene other than Naomi¡¯s fingerprints.


    At that time, Rachel understood that Naomi was already prepared to die.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Whether it was out of guilt or sympathy, she asked Adrian for help and finally helped Naomi fight for the


    lightest punishment.


    Back then, she had spent a lot of effort to cover up this case. Not a single word was leaked. Other than


    the necessary people involved in the case, no one else knew about it.


    Now, because of Lily, Linda and Naomi had no choice but to face their sore spot.


    Memory was the scariest thing in the world.


    They could erase the traces of this case, but they could not erase everyone¡¯s memories.


    Originally, Rachel had brought Linda and Naomi to Seaxas to make it easier for them to live a good life


    in the future. Now, their peaceful life was destined to be criticized.


    ¡°Leave the rest to me. From now on, you and Linda can stay in Seaxas and live well.¡±


    When Naomi heard this, a hint of gentleness appeared in her eyes. She looked at the residential


    buildings that were brightly lit in the distance and said ndly, ¡°We have to live well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You guys should rest early.¡±


    ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±


    Sandalwood Hills.


    Rachel took a hot shower and walked out of the bathroom.


    She slowly dried her hair and looked up at David, who was leaning against the headboard.


    David was wearing loose home clothes. The cor was slightly open, revealing his Adam¡¯s apple and


    exquisite corbone. He no longer had the coldness and abstinence from the day, and he looked so


    dashing and raffish.


    After drying her hair, she walked to the bed and said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    In other words, she was going to sleep. It was time for him to leave.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly and reached out to pull her into his arms. He wrapped his arms


    around her waist and turned over. Both of them sank into the soft bed. The moment the soft and fluffy


    nketnded on her body, Rachel heard his low and maic voice. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep together.¡±

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    David wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.


    The cold fragrance of wood enveloped her. Rachel greedily took a deep breath. but it messed up the


    rhythm of her heartbeat.


    They were intimately pressed against each other. Rachel could clearly feel the texture of his muscles,


    and her body could not help but stiffen.


    David chuckled softly. His seductive voice entered Rachel¡¯s ears. ¡°You weren¡¯t afraid when you teased


    mest night, yet you¡¯re afraid now?¡±


    Anyone withmon sense knew not to have s*x when the woman was on her period.


    It was precisely because of this that Rachel raised her chin slightly. Her exquisite eyebrows were


    slightly raised, and there was a natural charm to them. Her soft lips brushed faintly against his chin,


    and her tone was affectionate. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll be so aroused that you won¡¯t be able to sleep


    tonight.¡±


    She put her soft palm on his chest and nimbly unbuttoned his shirt with her fingertips. ¡°You¡¯re so hot¡­¡±


    David looked down at the woman in his arms. His gaze darkened as he held her hand. ¡°Are you taking


    advantage of your period to behave so brazenly?¡±


    His voice was low and tinged with passion. His breathing was uneven.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to help cool you down¡­¡± She leaned in front of David and raised her chin slightly. She


    looked like a vixen.


    David stared at her with deep and dark eyes. ¡°I think you need to be taught a lesson.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he passed his palm through her soft hair and grabbed the back of her


    head, then started to kiss her fiercely.


    He locked Rachel tightly in his arms. He was domineering and forceful, not giving Rachel any way to


    retreat. It was as if an imprable was tightly wrapped around her.


    Rachel raised her gaze and looked into the man¡¯s eyes. David¡¯s eyes were filled with strong desire. Her


    eyebrows twitched fiercely.


    She was starting to regret it.


    She regretted shooting herself in the foot.


    David sensed her panic and gently stroked her back as if tofort her.


    After some time, he buried his face in her neck and took a deep breath. He deliberately lowered his


    voice with a hint of restraint. ¡°You¡¯re just teasing me


    because you have nothing to fear now. I won¡¯t let you off next time!¡±


    He turned over andid beside Rachel. He wrapped his arms around her waist and ced his warm


    palm on her stomach through the material of her pajamas. His movements were gentle and slow.


    Rachel felt the warmth of his palm and the corner of her almond-shaped eyes gradually formed a smile.


    This man could always magnify the guilt in her heart over trivial matters.


    His modesty, hispromise, his indulgence of her actions¡­


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    It easily made her heart ache.


    She took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and nted a soft kiss on his lips. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    The two of them fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms, cherishing this warm moment.


    The next morning.


    Rachel had just arrived at thepany when she noticed the reporters. surrounding the door.


    She frowned slightly and looked at the security personnel. ¡°What do these people want?¡±


    ¡°This group of people came carly in the morning and said that they wanted to interview Ms. Galler,¡± the


    security guard reported.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly when she heard this. There was a cold glint in her almond-shaped


    eyes. ¡°Get rid of them all.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Ms. Grey.¡±


    She arrived at the president¡¯s office on the top floor. She vaguely heard whispers from the pantry when


    she passed by the room.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect Ms. Galler to encounter such a thing. Being raped by her own father. Just thinking


    about it makes me feel disgusted.¡±


    ¡°(Go d) is always fair. He gave her an intelligent mind, but at the same time, he gave her a fate of


    misfortune.¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± A curt and coldugh suddenly rang out. Everyone was shocked and instinctively turned to look.

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    They saw Rachel standing at the door of the pantry. There was no warmth on her pretty face. Instead,


    there was ayer of frost between her brows. It was as if even the air had turned into fine ice.


    Everyone felt as though something was stuck in their throats. They could not get it out or swallow it.


    The feeling of suffocation tortured them.


    The gossipmongers looked at each other, their expressions ashen.


    They thought, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Ms. Grey make any sound when she walks?


    ¡°Did she hear everything we said just now?¡±


    Just as the few of them were waiting for their death sentence, they were surprised to find that Rachel


    did not seem to care at all. She retracted her gaze and walked away.


    It was as if the quietughter just now had been an illusion.


    ¡°What do you think of what Ms. Grey just did?¡± a woman with a high ponytail asked.


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    Just as they thought that this matter would end there, the department manager criticized them on the


    grounds that they had neglected their duties during work and maliciously spread rumors about others.


    That would directly affect the oue of their probation period.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    That was undoubtedly telling everyone in thepany that Linda was not someone they should


    casually provoke.


    Linda had just finished reading thepany¡¯s internal news and silently turned off herputer.


    At this moment, her phone suddenly rang.


    A cold glint shed across her eyes when she saw who the caller was. She swiped her finger across


    the screen and picked up the call. ¡°Mr. Grey, have you thought it through?¡±


    Hans had called Lindast night.


    His attitude on the phone had been very clear. He had hoped that Linda would revoke the allegations


    against Lily and had said that the Grey family, would satisfy all the conditions she had set.


    Back then, Rachel had spent a great deal of effort to hide the true situation of the domestic S* assault


    case, as had the Johnson family. Linda knew very well in her heart.


    Linda originally thought that she could treat everything as if nothing had happened after her mother


    came out of prison and they left Pollister.


    However, Lily and Olivia destroyed everything.


    How could Linda not hate him? How could she settle things peacefully with him?


    However, even if she insisted on pursuing Lily for responsibility, all she would get was additional


    compensation. That did not mean much to her.


    Thus, she came up with a n.


    It was a n to make Lily and Olivia fight each other.


    Jessica¡¯s haters had always been obsessed with the campus bullying incident in her high school time.


    They believed that Jessica and Rachel had forced a girl to jump off the building. However, very few


    people knew that the real culprit was Olivia.


    This time, with the reporters making things difficult for them, they dug this matter up again. Incidentally,


    this gave Linda a reasonable opportunity to expose the truth.


    Hearing no response from the other side, Linda said without hurry, ¡°I think that you¡¯ve seen the Cruise


    family¡¯s attitude clearly enough through this storm. Why would she remove herself from this storm if


    she really wanted to join forces with the Grey family?


    ¡°Since she doesn¡¯t care about what happens to the Grey family, why should you continue to treat her


    so benevolently? Moreover, the girl who was bullied to the point of death back then hasn¡¯t been given a


    fair and just exnation. It will be considered justice if you revealed the truth of what happened back


    then. That is not a bad thing for the Grey family.¡±


    On the other end of the line, Hans had been immersed in the business world for many years. How


    could he be beguiled by Linda¡¯s words?


    He chuckled ambiguously. ¡°But if I do that, the Grey family and the Cruise family will be like fire


    and water, eternal enemies.¡±

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    It had not been easy for him to build a connection with the Cruise family in Seaxas using the


    orphanage¡¯snd. Why would he offend them without anything in return?


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve chosen to protect the Cruise family, we can only sacrifice Miss Grey,¡± Linda said. She


    then hung up without giving the other party a chance to speak.


    As she turned around, she suddenly realized that Rachel was standing behind her¡­


    Her pupils dted and her heart (skip ped a beat. ¡°When did you-¡±


    ¡°What did he tell you?¡± Rachel asked.


    Although she did not specify who ¡°he¡± referred to, Linda knew who it was in her heart.


    ¡°The Grey family promised that as long as I withdraw thewsuit and not pursue Lily for responsibility,


    he would give me a sum of money aspensation and an apartment.¡±


    Rachel frowned imperceptibly when she heard this. A cold glint shed in the depths of her almond-


    shaped eyes. ¡°And you agreed?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Linda smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m the right arm of the Johnson Corporation¡¯s Ms. Grey after all. How can


    such littlepensation catch my eye?¡±


    Rachel revealed a smile when she heard this.


    Linda continued, ¡°It¡¯s just a pity to watch Lily and Olivia fight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a pity.¡± Rachel slowly walked toward the French window with one hand in her pocket. ¡°With


    Lily¡¯s personality, she won¡¯t suffer this indignance for nothing. But before that, we need to help them


    start things off.¡±


    An hourter, a topic suddenly trended on Twitter.


    A middle-aged couple¡¯s silent protest against Pollister High School, which had been going on for five


    years, was causing a heated discussion online.


    Soon, this post attracted the attention of the general public.


    Someone in the know stepped forward and revealed the cause of the matter.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Five years ago, a third-year student from Pollister High Schoolmitted suicide. by jumping off a


    building. However, because it was a suicide, all the teachers and students in the school thought that


    the student was under too much pressure from studying and had a men tal illness. They assumed that


    that was why the student chose to jump off a building.


    However, the student¡¯s parents insisted that their child was not the kind to cr*ck.


    under pressure. They had also found a suicide note left behind by their daughter when they were


    packing up her belongings.


    After some investigation, the police found that the student had been subjected to campus bullying for a


    year.


    The girl had asked the teacher for help, but the teacher thought that it was just a small fight between


    her ssmates that was not worth mentioning.


    It was because of this indifference that the girl suffered inhuman treatment and finally chose tomit


    suicide by jumping off a building.


    However, the school still did not take things seriously even after knowing the truth. Instead, they found


    a problematic student to take the me and expelled him.


    The group of real ¡°murderers¡± were still atrge all these years, while the life of a seventeen-year-old


    was so abruptly cut short.


    Olivia¡¯s expression changed when she saw the post.


    At this moment, Lisa called. A flustered voice entered Olivia¡¯s ears through the phone. ¡°Olivia, look at


    Twitter!¡±


    ¡°I saw it.¡± Olivia had a gloomy expression, and her eyes flickered with a sinister cold light.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t this matter left unsettled back then? Why is it suddenly being dug up again?¡±


    Lisa was panicking on the other end of the phone.


    Back then, this matter was suppressed by the school and had no further development. The school had


    decided to pull out a problematic student, Jessica, as a scapegoat to give that family an exnation.


    Then, to avoid another storm, Olivia¡¯s family finalized the procedures for her to go overseas.


    Lisa thought that this matter would be over just like that. She did not expect it to be dug up again.

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    Chapter 429


    Olivia looked down at her manicure and said indifferently, ¡°What are you panicking for? It¡¯s been so


    many years. They don¡¯t have any evidence. Even if they know, what can they do to us? Moreover, back


    then, the teachers all thought that it was Jessica who forced her to jump off a building. What has it got


    to do with us?¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not the same as before.¡± Lisa had a bad feeling in her heart. ¡°The public is paying special


    attention to campus bullying now. Coupled with the uproar on the Inte, it will definitely be


    disadvantageous to us if this continues to unfold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to remove the post. The most important thing now is to find out who dug up this


    matter,¡± Olivia said.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Olivia contacted someone to take the post down. However, no matter how


    much money she spent, the post remained extremely popr.


    It was obvious that the person behind this wanted to blow things up and make everyone know.


    Although she had withdrawn from the entertainment industry, she still had some connections with the


    media. After jumping through a few hoops, she finally had some information.


    ¡°Miss Cruise, I advise you to stay out of this.¡±


    Seeing the other party¡¯s fearful expression, Olivia lowered her gaze to hide the coldness in her eyes.


    ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s really someone backing that couple in Pollister?¡±


    The other party said, ¡°Currently, we know of two organizations. One is Pollister¡¯s Grey family. We


    haven¡¯t investigated the other, but we mustn¡¯t underestimate how powerful the other party is.¡±


    ¡°Did you say Pollister¡¯s Grey family?¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and an inexplicable cold light


    flickered within them.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s expression darkened when she heard the other party¡¯s affirmative answer.


    She did not expect Hans to go against her.


    Since the Grey family wanted to drag her down, she was not going to show them any mercy either.


    After hanging up, she contacted the paid Inte trolls under her and posted a post about Pollister¡¯s


    Grey family demolishing a welfare institute.


    The Grey family and Olivia were in a heated argument on the Inte. Mary was


    overjoyed.


    ¡°What a dogfight!¡±


    Rachel put down the cup of coffee in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not all my credit. I still have to thank Linda for her


    reminder.¡±


    ¡°People are easily influenced by their surroundings. Linda, you¡¯ve be naughtier.¡± Mary looked at


    Linda with a smirk.


    Linda smiled and did not say anything.


    At this moment, Jessica asked, ¡°What about the Grey family?¡±


    Mary said, ¡°We have sufficient evidence in our hands. We will definitely win if we insist on prosecuting


    them.¡±


    Lilypletely panicked on the day she received the court summons.


    She clenched her fists tightly, her beautiful eyes filled with hatred. ¡°Rachel, how dare you!¡±


    Initially, she thought that Rachel was just scaring her. She did not expect her to really sue.


    For the past two days, the Grey family had been the hottest topic on Twitter. Han¡¯s eyes were filled with


    unconceble fatigue and frustration.


    He instantly became furious when he saw the court summons. A terrifying cold light shot out of his


    turbid eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°That evil creature! I should have strangled her to death back


    then!¡±


    Rose and Lily looked at each other.¡±


    ¡°Hans, what should we do now? Are we really going to let Lily go to jail?¡± Rose looked worriedly at


    Hans.


    Hans did not say anything and lit a cigarette, his expression dark.


    After a long while, he took out his phone and called Linda again. ¡°Miss Galler, I agree to your


    conditions.¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Linda smiled after she heard this. ¡°You really are a smart person, Mr.


    Grey.¡±

 Chapter 430

    Chapter 430


    Chapter 430


    That evening.


    The middle-aged couple in Pollister was being interviewed by TV stations and the interview was


    broadcasted in real-time.


    In the image, the couple looked even older than ordinary people their age. Their hair was dyed white,


    and their gazes were empty and sad.


    A reporter asked, ¡°This is your fifth year doing the silent protest. Will you continue if you don¡¯t get what


    you want?¡±


    The woman was in a daze for a moment before she said resolutely, ¡°Yes! I want an exnation for my


    daughter! I believe that thew catches up to everyone. I believe that Go d is watching what we do, and


    I believe in karma!¡±


    The reporter asked again, ¡°The school had clearly punished the perpetrator. back then. Why are you


    still doing this?¡±


    use


    The reporter looked at the yellowed paper and asked, ¡°Since we know that the culprits were her


    roommates, why didn¡¯t the school deal with it seriously and chose to push someone else out to take the


    me?¡±


    The victim¡¯s father, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke up. His face was filled with mockery.


    ¡°Because the real culprit is extremely rich and influential and donated a library to Pollister High School.


    Meanwhile, Jessica is just a child from an orphanage who has no one to rely on,


    ¡°After the incident, Jessica became the scapegoat. Not only could the evildoer get a guaranteed ce


    in a university, but she could also study abroad. Indeed, money can make all paths open for you.¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    The reporter continued, ¡°After all, so many years have passed. Why are you still so determined? Or


    rather, what¡¯s your end goal?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want money, we just want justice!¡± As the woman spoke, her dazed eyes gradually focused,


    revealing an unprecedented determination. ¡°I believe in karma and retribution. I want them to receive


    the punishment they deserve! I want the school that protected that group of people to be punished by


    thew!


    ¡°We believe in the country and thew. We will never let any bad person off! I believe that while justice


    mightete, it will never be absent!¡±


    Her words were sonorous and exceptionally persuasive.


    This matter quickly attracted the attention of the local government and was handed over to the relevant


    departments.


    The scene of so many people mobilizing around this incident all at once had many people thinking


    deeply.


    No one had cared about this couple for five years. How did they get such attention all of a sudden?


    At the same time, Jessica¡¯s name was made known to everyone once again. Her haters were no longer


    rampant, while her fans, be it true or those tuning in for the drama, expressed their heartache for her.


    At night, the police knocked on the door of the Cruise family,


    After the uniformed police officer showed the relevant documents and procedures, he said


    expressionlessly, ¡°We suspect that Miss. Olivia Cruise¡¯s involved in a campus bullying case five years


    ago. We want to take her away for investigation.¡±


    Olivia came down from upstairs. ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll change my clothes.¡±


    ¡°Olivia¡­ Bertha held her hand reluctantly.


    Olivia patted her hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    After all, it had been so many years and there was no substantial evidence. That was why she was so


    fearless.


    As she expected, the police could only let Olivia leave after their interrogation as they had no direct


    evidence.


    However, after this incident, her reputation was ruined while Jessica attained a good reputation from


    out of nowhere. Just thinking about that made her angry.

 Chapter 431

    Chapter 431


    Chapter 431


    At the same time Olivia left the police station, she saw Jessica walking out of the interrogation room


    next door.


    She was slightly stunned at first, but still walked up to Jessica, poised. ¡°I did not expect to see you


    again after so many years.¡±


    Jessica sneered sarcastically. She then walked around Olivia and headed toward the exit.


    Olivia, however, was not bothered by her cold attitude. She chased after Jessica. ¡°Are you alone? Why


    don¡¯t I drive you back?¡±


    Before Olivia could finish her sentence, she saw a Mercedes-Benz S approaching them.


    The car window slowly rolled down, revealing Adrian¡¯s face.


    Jessica raised her eyebrows when she saw him. She then turned to a surprised Olivia, who was


    standing beside her. ¡°No need.¡±


    With that, Jessica walked down the steps, opened the door, and got into Adrian¡¯s


    car.


    Olivia only recovered from her shock when the two of them had left.


    Everything that had been troubling her seemed to clear up at this moment.


    That exined why the couple in Pollister suddenly became famous overnight when they had been low


    profile for the past 5 years.


    It was because Jessica had got herself a sugar daddy!


    And that sugar daddy was none other than Adrian Johnson.


    Not only did he lead the list of the top 10 famouswyers in the country. He was also the second son of


    the Johnson family, the richest family in Seaxas.


    How did Jessica get such luck?


    In the car, Jessica received a call from Rachel.


    Rachel¡¯s crisp voice sounded over the phone, ¡°You¡¯re out?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jessica repliedzily.


    ¡°When is the trial?¡± Rachel asked.


    Jessica replied, ¡°There will be a public trial in 2 weeks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there with you that day,¡± Rachel said, then paused. ¡°We will be filming the promotional video


    tomorrow. I¡¯ll get someone to pick you up at 9 o¡¯clock.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Jessica noticed they were not heading to her apartment.


    She raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled yfully. ¡°Where are you taking me sote at night?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Adrian nced sideways at her purposefully.


    Jessica smiled coyly. ¡°Is Second Uncle going to bring me to some deserted ce and leave me there?¡±


    Adrian chuckled cryptically. ¡°Make a guess?¡±


    ¡°I guess you can¡¯t bear to do that to me,¡± Jessica said lovingly.


    The car sped along the road and soon arrived at Adrian¡¯s apartment.


    The lights along the corridor cast a shadow of their entangled figures on the ground.


    The steamy and sensual mood emanated to all corners of the apartment. Their passion burnt away all


    sense of rationality.


    Until a phone call broke that atmosphere.


    Still breathing heavily, Adrian picked up the phone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The old man has suddenly fainted. I can¡¯t leave for the time being. Please go to the hospital


    immediately,¡± Tom said.


    Upon hearing that, Adrian¡¯s expression changed drastically in an instant. He immediately jumped off


    the bed and hurriedly put on his clothes. ¡°Why did he faint?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t exin it clearly over the phone. Go to the hospital now!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up, Adrian rushed to the door. Then, as if suddenly recalling something, he stopped. He


    turned to look at Jessica, who was lying on the bed. ¡°Wait for me toe back!¡±


    Rachel was sitting on a bench in the corridor when Adrian arrived at the hospital.


    Rachel¡¯s head hung low. Her hair draped over her face and obscured her face. Nheless, she was


    gripping the sides of her chair so tightly that her knuckles had turned blue and white.


    Upon closer inspection, she was trembling uncontrobly.


    ¡°Rae-Rae.¡± Adrian quickly walked over.


    Upon hearing his voice, Rachel looked up with a jolt. Her crisp voice carried a hint


    of (h o* rseness). ¡°Adrian.¡±


    Adrian walked over and hugged her. He gently stroked her head with his palm. ¡°How is he?¡±


    ¡°They are still resuscitating him inside,¡± Rachel choked. ¡°The doctor said that grandfather had a


    cerebral infarction. Fortunately, they discovered it in time.¡±

 Chapter 432

    Chapter 432


    Chapter 432


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Adrian secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Do you know what happened?¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson had always been in good health. There was no way he would suddenly have high


    blood pressure.


    Rachel frowned, and her expression became stern at Adrian¡¯s question. ¡°I heard from Mr. Chadwick


    that grandfather had received a call from the cemetery night watchman, who told him that someone


    had taken Mom¡¯s ashes.¡±


    Adrian¡¯s eyes narrowed behind his lens. Hostility rose in his eyes. ¡°Who did that?¡±


    That was a resting ce for souls, but someone had pried open her mother¡¯s tombstone and robbed


    her ashes. What resentment could the robber possibly bear?


    ¡°It¡¯s still under investigation,¡± Rachel said.


    At this moment, the door of the operating theater swung open, and the attending doctor walked out.


    Rachel and Adrian immediately went up to him and asked in unison, ¡°How¡¯s my father?¡±


    ¡°How is my grandfather?¡±


    The attending doctor took off his mask. As soon as Adrian saw his face, his pupils constricted, and


    shock filled his eyes.


    He was Wharton, the famous brain specialist of the international medical organization!


    With 5 years of experience, Wharton was well-known for his wless techniques and no mortality. He


    was considered a miracle healer who could bring back anyone on the brink of death.


    He was truly a National Healer!


    Wharton nodded at Rachel and said slowly, ¡°Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s blood pressure was too high, and we


    have administered the appropriate treatment. ording to the examination report, his blood vessels


    are too narrow. To avoid any serious cerebral infarction in the future, we suggest imnting a stent


    after his condition stabilizes.¡±


    Adrian tried to contain the astonishment in his eyes and said calmly, ¡°Alright, sorry to trouble you.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing, Mr. Johnson.¡± Wharton said, ¡°Miss Grey, goodbye.¡±


    As he left, Wharton took a long hard look at Rachel, his eyes filled with curiosity and surprise.


    He had been acquaintances with David for many years and had known him to be an emotionless and


    ruthless man.


    To think that he would go to such great lengths for this woman. That was really out of the ordinary!


    Some momentster, Old Mr. Johnson started to regain consciousness


    His cloudy vision gradually cleared up. His gaze swept across his family, including his grandson Lucas,


    who had gathered by his bed.


    ¡°Grandfather.¡± Rachel immediately went up to him. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s gaze finallynded on Rachel, and he smiled. ¡°Grandfather is fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Rachel nodded, but tears uncontrobly welled up in her eyes.


    Old Mr. Johnson touched her face and said adoringly, ¡°Why is our precious Rae-Rae crying again?¡±


    Rachel raised her hand to wipe away her tears, but she could not stop crying. ¡°I was terrified.¡±


    She was terrified at the thought of losing someone she loved again. She was terrified of saying


    goodbye. But more than anything, she was terrified of being abandoned.


    ¡°Silly child, grandfather is old. That day will eventuallye.¡± Old Mr. Johnson gently wiped away the


    tears on her face.


    Rachel held Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s hand and said firmly, ¡°You will live to a ripe old age!¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson smiled and said, ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t I be an old monster?¡±


    He paused for a moment. ¡°Rae-Rae, get grandfather a ss of water.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rachel took the kettle and went out of the room.


    Under Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s knowing gaze, Lucas got up and chased after Rachel. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    After they left, Old Mr. Johnson looked at his eldest son, Tom. ¡°Have you investigated?¡±


    ¡°That person did not leave any clues, and all the surveince cameras were erased,¡± Tom said.


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Johnson sighed deeply and stared at the ceiling with a solemn expression.


    Since both her uncles had already decided, and Rachel was helpless.


    Immediately outside the hospital, Rachel noticed the ck Rolls-Royce parked in the parking lot.


    Her heart suddenly tightened.


    He was still there?


    The man was wearing a ck suit and was standing in front of the car with one. hand in his pocket. He


    exuded an indifferent and noble aura. Every movement he made was alluring and hard to ignore.


    The dim light from the streetmp shone on him, as if encasing him in ayer of protective light.


    His head hung low, he was replying to messages on his phone. Then, as if sensing something, he


    looked up.


    As soon as he saw Rachel, the cold glint disappeared from his eyes, revealing a gentle smile.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Perhaps his presence had softened her heart, or maybe it was instinct. Rachel left Adrian behind and


    drifted toward David, unconsciously.


    She looked at David. And without a word, she fell into his embrace.


    David held out his arms naturally and wrapped them around her shoulders. His deep and cold tone was


    filled with gentleness. ¡°Tired?¡±


    Rachel snuggled into his embrace and replied in a mu ffled voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t leave?¡±


    you


    She thought that David would leave after sending her to the hospital. She did not expect him to wait


    there.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    His tone was calm, and there was a hint of gentleness at the end of his sentence. It was deep and


    warm, making Rachel feel at ease for no reason.


    Rachel looked up at him, and their gazes met without any warning.


    She stood on her tiptoes and kissed David on the lips.


    Her kiss was unruly and untrained. It came crashing head-on on David¡¯s lips, but it aroused him.


    His arms slid down slowly from Rachel¡¯s shoulders to her slender waist. His arms. tightened around her


    waist. How he wished he could swallow her into his body.


    In the car, Eddie could not even bear looking at them.


    What a sin!

 Chapter 433

    Chapter 433


    Chapter 433


    Rachel stood in front of the drinking machine. ¡°Have you checked the surveince cameras near the


    cemetery?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Lucas said. ¡°I could not find anything.¡±


    The culprit dared pry open the tombstone and take Aunt Sophia¡¯s ashes away. That could only mean


    that he had nned for this.


    If not for the staff patrolling the cemetery at night, the culprit would have done the deed without anyone


    noticing.


    Rachel had some calcted guesses who the culprit might be.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Her intuition told her this had something to do with that person she met at the cemetery that day.


    It was just her suspicion.


    But once there were suspicions, it was as good as passing a verdict.


    Rachel was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not notice the boiling water overflowing from the


    kettle.


    The water sshed onto Rachel¡¯s legs. She immediately came to her senses and instinctively stepped


    back from the kettle.


    Lucas hurried forward and turned off the power. He looked at the red mark on her leg and frowned.


    ¡°You need to run cold water over it now. Hurry.¡±


    After washing her leg in the restroom, Rachel returned to the ward.


    Old Mr. Johnson had fallen asleep when she went back.


    In the ward, Tom and Adrian were discussing who should stay to watch over Old Mr. Johnson.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay,¡± Rachel said softly.


    Tom and Adrian looked at each other. Tom then said, ¡°Rae-Rae, I¡¯ll stay here tonight. You guys go back


    first.¡±


    Rachel shook her head gently and looked up at Old Mr. Johnson lying on the bed. She spoke in a soft


    but firm tone, ¡°I want to stay here.¡±


    Tom frowned slightly. He got up and walked to Rachel¡¯s side. He reached out his hands and held her


    shoulder. ¡°The doctor has already said that your grandfather is fine. Go back and rest tonight. Come


    back tomorrow.¡±


    Before Rachel could protest, Adrian said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you


    back.¡±


    Since both her uncles had already decided, and Rachel was helpless.


    Immediately outside the hospital, Rachel noticed the ck Rolls-Royce parked in the parking lot.


    Her heart suddenly tightened.


    He was still there?


    The man was wearing a ck suit and was standing in front of the car with one hand in his pocket. He


    exuded an indifferent and noble aura. Every movement he made was alluring and hard to ignore.


    The dim light from the streetmp shone on him, as if encasing him in ayer of protective light.


    His head hung low, he was replying to messages on his phone. Then, as if sensing something, he


    looked up.


    As soon as he saw Rachel, the cold glint disappeared from his eyes, revealing a gentle smile.


    Perhaps his presence had softened her heart, or maybe it was instinct. Rachel left Adrian behind and


    drifted toward David, unconsciously.


    She looked at David. And without a word, she fell into his embrace.


    David held out his arms naturally and wrapped them around her shoulders. His deep and cold tone was


    filled with gentleness. ¡°Tired?¡±


    Rachel snuggled into his embrace and replied in a m*ffled voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave?¡±


    She thought that David would leave after sending her to the hospital. She did not expect him to wait


    there.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    His tone was calm, and there was a hint of gentleness at the end of his sentence. It was deep and


    warm, making Rachel feel at ease for no reason.


    Rachel looked up at him, and their gazes met without any warning.


    She stood on her tiptoes and kissed David on the lips.


    Her kiss was unruly and untrained. It came crashing head-on on David¡¯s lips, but it aroused him.


    His arms slid down slowly from Rachel¡¯s shoulders to her slender waist. His arms tightened around her


    waist. How he wished he could swallow her into his body.


    In the car, Eddie could not even bear looking at them.


    What a sin!

 Chapter 434

    Chapter 434


    Chapter 434


    Rachel¡¯s lips were slightly red and swollen from the kiss. She was breathing very fast as she leaned


    into his arms. All she could see was her wrinkled blouse.


    David kissed her forehead. Then, he bent down and swept Rachel off her feet before getting into his


    car.


    In the car, Rachel leaned on David¡¯s shoulder.


    She allowed David to take her hand, stretched her palm open, and interlocked his fingers with hers.


    David wrapped his other arm around Rachel¡¯s waist and pulled her into his arms.


    Sitting in his embrace, Rachel looked up at the man in front of her.


    His dark eyes were deep, like a ck abyss. Tenderness was brimming from the depths of his eyes.


    One could not help but be lost in his irresistible


    gaze.


    ¡°No matter what happens, I will be here for you.¡± David¡¯s deep and attractive voice was music to


    Rachel¡¯s ears.


    He brushed his slightly cold fingers across her eyebrows. It was as though he could reach into her


    heart and send it electrifying throbs.


    Rachel stared at David for a while and suddenly smiled. ¡°When I want you, I will not hold back.¡±


    With that, she leaned forward and kissed his lips.


    The car finally arrived at Sandalwood Hills.


    David carried Rachel in his arms and quickly got out of the car.


    Rachel walked out of the bathroom. She wiped her hair and walked to theputer.


    She opened her email with the surveince camera footage sent by Lucas. She watched it over and


    over again.


    She needed to find any clues she could from the video. She could not afford to leave out any details.


    With the Johnson family¡¯s influence in Seaxas, it would be easy for them to find


    anyone.


    However, the Johnson family still had nothing on the person who took Sophia¡¯s ashes. This meant that


    the person had far more power than the Johnson family.


    At this moment, the bedroom door was pushed open, and David walked in.


    ¡°You¡¯re still awake?¡± Rachel looked at him in surprise.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    The lights in the bedroom were off. The faint light from theputer screen made Rachel¡¯s fair face


    look especially pale and haggard.


    David frowned slightly and said calmly, ¡°You should sleep.¡±


    His tone was calm, but the words sounded like an order the moment they left his lips. It was seductive


    and hard to resist.


    Rachel was about to protest when David carried her up like a princess.


    Suddenly lifted off the chair, Rachel subconsciously reached out her arm and h**ked it around David¡¯s


    neck. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You burned yourself?¡± David asked in his deep and cold voice.


    Rachel followed his gaze to the red mark on her leg. ¡°I was careless with the kettle and identally


    scalded myself while pouring water¡±


    David pursed his lips and stared at Rachel broodingly.


    Although he did not say anything, Rachel could sense his displeasure.


    David put her on the bed and got up to fetch the first aid kit.


    He knelt on one knee and cupped her slender ankles with his broad hands. He then applied the


    ointment to the burn wound on her calf carefully. His movements were gentle and cautious.


    Her fair skin made the burns look hideous and appalling.


    As though a piece of white silk was dyed identally with an unsightly patch of red.


    But Rachel did not think much of it. She just stared quietly at the person in front. of her.


    With his eyes lowered, David¡¯s eyebrows looked as exquisite as a painting.


    His expressions were serious and pious, as if he was holding a rare and fragile


    treasure.


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled up involuntarily. Her eyes were sparkling.


    She did not realize what a blissful feeling it was to be pampered and loved by


    someone.


    ¡°This ointment can smooth out scars. Remember to apply the ointment on time every day. David took


    out a white round bottle from the medicine box and handed it to her.


    Before Rachel could take the bottle from him, David suddenly retracted his hand. ¡°Forget it, leave this


    to me.¡±

 Chapter 435

    Chapter 435


    Chapter 435


    After treating the burn on Rachel¡¯s leg, David looked at Rachel purposefully. ¡°What are you trying to


    do?¡± Rachel became nervous when she met his deep gaze.


    David looked down at her with yful and longing eyes. He ced Rachel on the bed and wrapped his


    arms around her waist, enveloping her in his arms. He pecked gently at Rachel¡¯s ear with his lips and


    whispered in his low and attractive. voice, ¡°I want to sleep with my girlfriend.¡±


    Rachel did not know what to say.


    ¡°What else do you think I want to do?¡± David said yfully. His tone was affectionate, like a gentle


    feather tickling Rachel¡¯s heart, and her body went weak. She could sense the tranquility in David¡¯s aura


    and felt inexplicably at ease. She took a deep breath to calm her emotions and said calmly, ¡°How would


    I know?¡± David wrapped her in his arms and caressed her back with his warm palm. He lowered his


    voice and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep.¡±


    He caressed her back gently and slowly, coaxing her to sleep like a child.


    A smile appeared at the corner of Rachel¡¯s eyes. Suddenly, she felt like teasing him. She stretched out


    his finger and gently poked David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple.


    ¡°Not sleepy?¡± David looked down at her with a hint of yfulness in his eyes. Rachel did not say


    anything. Instead, she slowly closed her eyes.


    As David listened to Rachel¡¯s rhythmic and light breathing, he rose slowly and lifted the nket. He


    then got up from the bed.


    After he walked out of the bedroom, he took out his phone and called Jimmy.


    Jimmy was probably busy investigating the matter. The phone rang for a long while before it was finally


    picked up.


    The night air outside the window was as thick as ink. A gust of wind blew a fallen leaf off the ground.


    The leaf swayed in the wind andnded in the pond.


    ¡°Did you find out anything?¡±


    ¡°The surrounding surveince cameras have been wiped clean. There are no useful clues.¡± Jimmy said


    and paused. ¡°But I found something interesting.¡±


    David retracted his gaze. His dark eyes were as icy as a coldke. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Hell was not hopping from ce to ce as we had thought. He has been in


    Seaxas all this while.¡±


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. The expression in his eyes turned icy, and maliciousness formed in the


    depths of his eyes. ¡°Are there any valuable clues?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°You know him best. He¡¯s cun ning like a fox and sly as a wolf. No one knows his true intentions.¡±


    Jimmy lit a cigarette and drew a deep puff. ¡°But I found out that he met someone.¡±


    Although Jimmy did not want to tell David everything, he did not have the guts to do so.


    He paused and revealed to David everything that he had found out. ¡°It¡¯s Darcy. Rachel¡¯s acquaintance.¡±


    David knew who Darcy was.


    He remembered it was Darcy who delivered the crown that Rachel auctioned for.


    However, as Darcy¡¯s true motives were unknown and David did not want to alert him, he decided not to


    act against him yet.


    From the looks of it now, it seemed like danger had been lurking around Rachel.


    David tapped his finger lightly against the phone. ¡°Did you arrest him?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Jimmy replied, ¡°After all, he is an acquaintance of Rachel¡¯s. Rachel even entrusted him with


    handling the proceeds from the auction. That goes to show how important he is to Rachel.¡±


    How would he dare to arrest such a person hastily?


    David¡¯s expressions were hard to read. ¡°Continue to send people to follow him and see what he wants!¡±

 Chapter 436

    Chapter 436


    Chapter 436


    David went back to the bedroom after hanging up.


    As soon as he entered the bedroom, he heard soft sobbing.


    Though deep in sleep, Rachel was sobbing non-stop, and her tears had already soaked her pillow wet.


    She was curled up tightly like a wounded little beast and was whimpering softly.


    ¡°Rae-Rae. Rae-Rae.¡± Someone was calling her softly, and the voice gradually became clearer.


    Rachel opened her eyes in a daze. She looked at David in front of her. As she recalled what happened,


    Rachel suddenly stretched out her arm and wrapped it around David¡¯s neck.


    David could feel Rachel trembling when they hugged.


    Rachel buried her head in David¡¯s chest and said in a m*ffled voice, ¡°David, can you hug me tightly?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    David looked at that little head buried in his arms. He scooped her up from the bed and embraced her


    tightly. When Rachel¡¯s body gradually rxed, David stretched out his fingers and lifted her chin,


    forcing Rachel to look at him.


    Their eyes met.


    Rachel¡¯s long eyshes were wet from the crying. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears and looked


    misty. It was heartbreaking to look at her. David stretched out his finger and tucked her hair behind her


    ear. He brushed his fingers across the corner of her eyes and gently wiped away the tears. ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong?¡±


    ¡°I had a nightmare,¡± Rachel spoke softly. She sounded depressed. David pulled her back into his arms


    and kissed her temple. ¡°What did you dream about?¡± Rachel leaned against his chest and hesitated for


    a moment. ¡°I dreamed that, you abandon me.¡± She was alone in the darkness.


    ¡°I will never do that.¡± David caressed her cheek. His dark eyes brimming with ineffable tenderness. His


    calm tone was firm. ¡°Ever.¡±


    The two of themy on the bed hugging each other. David wrapped his arms around her shoulders and


    gently patted her with his warm palms.


    Rachel, who was nestled in his arms, fidgeted restlessly. ¡°Let¡¯s chat, David.¡± ¡°What do you want to talk


    about?¡± David¡¯s eyes were heavy, but he still indulged her. Rachel pondered for half a second.


    ¡°Anything is fine.¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, David said, ¡°Have you arranged a time to visit Aureliana?¡± His deep


    voice was a little h**rse, making one¡¯s ears tingle. ¡°I want to go after that trial in two weeks,¡± Rachel


    said.


    After all, that matter concerned Jessica. She was worried.


    Jessica was a good person, but she never seemed to care about her reputation.


    She could not be bothered to exin herself, even if she was misunderstood.


    David looked down at the woman in his arms and replied, ¡°Tell me in advance when you¡¯ve arranged


    the time.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rachel exhaled softly. Her attractive eyes were filled with wonderment. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be


    treated as an anomaly if I go to Aureliana?¡±


    There were rumors of Aureliana prohibiting outsiders from entering the country.


    Aureliana was a mysterious country, and the outside world knew little about it. Aureliana had its own


    culture and legal system. It was a unique existence.


    All these years, no one had reported being able to enter and leave the country at will.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± David raised his eyebrows slightly. There was a hint of yfulness in his eyes.


    Rachel pondered for a moment. Her eyes flickered with excitement. ¡°Rumor has it that people from


    Aureliana can¡¯t marry outsiders. If they do that, they¡¯ll be expelled from Aureliana. If they know that


    we¡¯re together, will they break us up?¡±

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    Chapter 437


    Upon hearing this, a cold glint shed across David¡¯s eyes. The corners of his mouth curled into a faint


    smile that carried a hint of sinister. ¡°Who said that we can¡¯t marry outsiders?¡±


    Rachel looked at him in surprise.


    David exined, ¡°Today, Aureliana has the Four Families. Its purpose is to disperse the power held by


    the Elders. Previously, however, there was an existence that surpassed even the Elders.¡±


    ¡°An existence above the Elders?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Aries family.¡± David held Rachel¡¯s hand in his and said faintly, ¡°The Aries family is the oldest


    family in Aureliana. They controlled Aureliana¡¯s economy. The Elders were nothingpared to the


    Aries family. In the past, the head of the Aries family once went against all odds to marry an outsider,


    despite major objections from the masses. From then on, that rule was broken.¡±


    Went against all odds?


    Only the strongest of emotions could ovee massive objections from everyone.


    Rachel noted that David mentioned it had happened previously. ¡°And? They don¡¯t exist anymore?¡±


    Moreover, he said that the Aries family once controlled the economy of


    Aureliana.


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    Such power would definitely bring about uninvited troubles from those envious of their authority. ¡°25


    years ago, a revolt broke out in Aureliana. The Aries family disappeared without a trace overnight. No


    one knew what exactly happened. In the following month, as the chaos subsided, the Four Families


    appeared. They kept the Elders¡¯ powers in bnce. The Jones family was supported by the Elders and


    became the number one position.¡± ¡°All gone overnight?¡±


    ¡°No one knew if they were dead or alive.¡± Rachel nodded thoughtfully. She was not too surprised by the


    oue.


    The Aries family was the oldest family to have existed. It did not matter if it was their status or the


    wealth they had. When someone possessed that much power and authority, people would grow to be


    wary and cautious of them. However, this had nothing to do with her. Sleep overtook her. Rachel


    yawned, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep again.


    It was the next day and the sun was shining brightly.


    Sunlight poured into the room through a gap in the curtains andnded on the expensive wool carpet.


    The beam of light extended till it reached the bed.


    The room was dimly lit. Rachel was still in a daze when she felt a warm breath breathing down on her


    face. She opened her eyes drowsily. All she could see was David¡¯s mesmerizing face. She blinked, her


    consciousness slowly returning. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Do you want to go to the hospital?¡± David asked. Rachel


    nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat something first.¡± Rachel nodded and got out of bed.


    An hourter, Rachel and David left the house hand in hand.


    In the car, Rachel noticed the dark circles under David¡¯s eyes.


    Did he not sleepst night?


    Her beautiful eyes were filled withplicated emotions.


    David must have been worried about her men tal state yesterday, so he stayed up all night and did not


    dare to sleep.


    As she thought of this, Rachel¡¯s gaze softened.


    How can this man always be so gentle and considerate?


    She remembered the first time she saw David. He was wearing a ck suit and holding a ck


    umbre when he suddenly showed up in front of her. Later, he even forced his way into her life.


    Nheless, he was also the most caring and considerate person she had met.


    He was domineering and gentle, as if there were two contradictory existences within him. However, it


    was difficult for her not to be moved by him.


    The car soon arrived at the private hospital.


    Rachel opened the car door and got out. Unexpectedly, she met an unlikely person in the parking lot.


    ¡°Darcy?¡±

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    Chapter 438


    When Darcy saw Rachel, a smile appeared on his deadpan expression. ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing Darcy. Hostility rose from within the depths of his eyes.


    His sharp gaze was like a knife stabbing at Darcy.


    Darcy raised his head and face David fearlessly. The smile on him suddenly appeared more


    provocative.


    He knew that David¡¯s men had been following him.


    He also knew that he was being watched.


    But so what if David knew?


    He had known Rachel since shoo


    was just a little girl, whereas David was someone


    whom Rachel met recently. There was no way their brief encounter could undermine the years of


    friendship he had with Rachel.


    Darcy lowered his eyes and noticed the ring on Rachel¡¯s finger. He kept up the smile on his face, but


    the expression in his eyes turned ominous.


    ¡°Darcy, are you unwell?¡± Rachel looked at him.


    Darcy smiled faintly and said, ¡°I am here to visit Mr. Johnson. I heard he was hospitalized.¡±


    ¡°I am here to see grandfather too. Let¡¯s go in together.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±


    David followed behind Rachel but was stopped by her. ¡°Go back and rest now.¡±


    She blocked him from moving forward while she held the elevator door open with one hand.


    David arched his eyebrows slightly. He lowered his voice, and in a deep tone, asked, ¡°So heartless?¡±


    ¡°Pick me up after you have rested,¡± Rachel said. ¡°We can have dinner together tonight.¡±


    Finally, she imitated how David usually caressed her cheeks and did the same to him. ¡°Be good.¡±


    David chuckled and remained in his spot. He watched as Rachel turned and head into the elevator.


    In the elevator, Darcy kept looking at Rachel¡¯s ring. After some hesitation, he could no longer help but


    ask, ¡°Miss Grey, is it time for congrattions?¡±


    Rachel was stunned for a moment at his question. But she smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡±


    That meant it was bound to happen, sooner orter.


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    Darcy understood what she meant. He lowered his eyes to hide his dark intentions.


    Suddenly, Rachel thought of something. ¡°Darcy, have you ever heard grandfather mention anything


    about my engagement?¡±


    Since her grandfather brought Rachel back to the Johnson family, Darcy had been by her side to take


    care of her and teach her. Though he was always around her like a bodyguard, he was more of a family


    to her.


    When she was 18 years old, Darcy left the Johnson family.


    After he left, his rtionship with the Johnson family did not fade but became stronger.


    Therefore, she thought that perhaps Darcy would know something about her engagement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Mr. Johnson mention it before.¡± Darcy said, ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± Rachel¡¯s became wide-eyed with curiosity.


    Darcy raised his eyes to look at her. His gaze took on a serene yet meaningful look. He spoke in a low


    and solemn tone, ¡°Miss Grey, are you really going to fulfill that wrongful engagement? How well do you


    know Mr. Jones? Have you heard any rumors about him?¡±


    A wrongful engagement?


    Was there some secret behind this engagement?


    Rachel looked surprised at first, but quickly regained herposure. ¡°Darcy doesn¡¯t seem to approve


    of him.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Darcy stared at Rachel with aplicated expression. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything else. I just


    want you to be healthy and safe.¡±


    Darcy¡¯s forthright answer left Rachel bewildered.


    At this moment, the elevator door opened, and Darcy said, ¡°After you, Miss Grey!¡±


    There was no change in his expression. His attitude was as respectful as ever, as if the conversation


    just now never took ce.

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    Chapter 439


    Rachel came back to her senses and walked out of the elevator.


    She walked toward the ward unhurriedly. ¡°Darcy, do you know where my engagement came from?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s important is not where the engagement came from,¡± Darcy said, ¡°but whether you want to


    break off the engagement.¡±


    ¡°Break off the engagement¡­¡± Rachel muttered thoughtfully.


    Her grandfather had also suggested this to her.


    However, she did not oppose this marriage in her heart. She even felt that the appearance of this


    marriage had be one of the reasons why she had to marry David.


    As they spoke, the two of them arrived at the ward.


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    In the ward, Wharton Carl, a cardiology expert, was doing a checkup for Old Mr. Johnson. Then, he


    discussed the follow-up treatment n with Tom.


    ¡°Currently, Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s blood pressure has been well controlled. If there are no problems, we will


    arrange for operationter.¡±


    Even though Tom was in a high position, he could not help but be a little more respectful to Wharton.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Wharton smiled, ¡°Mr. Johnson, you are wee.¡±


    As he spoke, he turned around and left. When he saw Rachel walk in, he was slightly stunned and


    called out respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly at Wharton and walked to him slowly. ¡°Mr. Carl, is my grandfather alright?¡±


    Wharton said, ¡°ording to our examination, Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s blood pressure is basically under good


    control. However, ording to the examination, Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s blood vessels are narrow. In order


    to prevent more serious cerebral infarction in the future, we suggest that we perform a stent


    imntation operation. I¡¯ve already told Mr. Johnson about this. He said that he has not objections, so


    what do you¡­¡±


    He was waiting for Rachel to make a decision.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work,¡± Rachel said.


    Seeing Rachel thanking him, Wharton looked ttered. ¡°Oh, no, no. This is what I should do. Miss


    Grey, don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me.¡±


    The woman in front of him was not an ordinary person.


    She was David¡¯s woman!


    Even if he had the guts of a bear, he would not have the guts to ept Rachel¡¯s gratitude.


    Wharton gave a few more instructions about the preparations for the operation and then left.


    Darcy looked at Wharton¡¯s departing figure with aplicated expression.


    Talented people had their own pride, and Wharton was no exception.


    Moreover, he was a cardiovascr specialist in a medical organization.


    Such a simple stent imnt operation did not require Wharton to do it himself. How did the Johnson


    family manage to activate the legendary National Healer? At this moment, Rachel walked to Old Mr.


    Johnson¡¯s bed and casually picked up the apple and the knife on the table.


    After all, Old Mr. Johnson was aged. After going through so much this time, he was inevitably a little


    weak. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I¡¯m fine? Why are you here again?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted toe to see you,¡± said Rachel.


    Even if she did nothing but guard her grandfather like this, she would still feel at


    case.


    Old Mr. Johnson looked at Rachel as she lowered her head to peel the apple. He sighed helplessly.


    ¡°You¡¯re just like your mother.¡±


    She looked obedient and sensible, but she was actually very stubborn.


    She wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone¡¯s advice when she had made a decision.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about your mother. Your two uncles have already mobilized everyone to


    investigate. I believe there will be something soon,¡± Old Mr. Johnson couldn¡¯t help but cough as he


    said.


    Rachel quickly put down the things in her hand and picked up the ss of water on the table. She


    helped Old Mr. Johnson up to drink some water.


    Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s gazended on the ring on her finger. He frowned imperceptibly and looked up at


    her with a dark expression ¡°Rae-Rae¡­¡± His voice was not as gentle as before, but with a hint of


    seriousness.

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    Chapter 440


    ¡°Yes?¡± Rachel looked up at Old Mr. Johnson.


    Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s clouded eyes were clearer than ever. He put away his usual kindness and peace


    and looked at her seriously. ¡°Every step of life is important. When you are young and passionate, you


    may think that you have everything under control, but there are some things that you can¡¯t afford.


    ¡°Do you know that if you take a step wrong, you will be consigned to eternal da mn* tion?¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and silently put down the ss of water in her hand.


    At this moment, Tom said in good time, ¡°Rae-Rae, call off the marriage!¡±


    This was the third person who said that.


    However, Rachel could not understand why everyone was advising her to call off the marriage.


    Suspicions that had been suppressed in the bottom of her heart for a long time swept through her


    heart.


    She looked up at her uncle, Tom, with aplicated gaze.


    Sensing her gaze, Tom slowly raised his eyes and looked Rachel in the eye. ¡°Rae-Rae, I might as well


    tell you that the Johnson family is firmly against this marriage.¡±


    They were firmly against it¡­.


    It had to be said that this word was very ingenious.


    It seemed that all these years, the Johnson family knew about her marriage very well. Only she, the


    person involved, was kept in the dark.


    If David hadn¡¯t appeared in front of Old Mr. Johnson with a token, the Johnson family originally didn¡¯t


    intend to acknowledge this marriage.


    But why?


    This marriage came out of nowhere. The Johnson family was so determined. against this marriage. All


    signs indicated that there was an unspeakable secret behind this marriage.


    Could it be that she would have to pay a painful price for marrying David?


    Or rather, would her life be in danger if she married David?


    Seeing that Rachel did not speak for a long time, Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s expression became even more


    solemn.


    ¡°Can you tell me the reason?¡± Rachel looked up at Old Mr. Johnson with a


    probing gaze. Then, she looked at Tom. ¡°At first, you were silent before me about this marriage. Now,


    you¡¯re determined to oppose this marriage. What¡¯s the reason?¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson rubbed his index finger with his right thumb and said insincerely, ¡°You¡¯re still young.


    You don¡¯t need to get married so early. Besides, with the Johnson family¡¯s current status, we don¡¯t need


    to cling to any power.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Rachel muttered in a low voice. There was a faint smile on her lips and a vague meaning


    in her eyes.


    Obviously, she did not believe the reason Old Mr. Johnson said at all.


    With the Johnson family¡¯s status as the richest in Seaxas, they really didn¡¯t need to cling to power. But


    the reason of she was still young and did not need to get married so early was perfunctory.


    ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m not a three-year-old child anymore. Do you think I¡¯ll believe such a reason?¡± Rachel


    raised her eyes and looked at Old Mr. Johnson casually. Her eyes were filled with curiosity. ¡°What are


    you hiding from us? Why do you want me to call off the marriage? Where did this marriagee


    from?¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson looked at Rachel¡¯s probing gaze and knew that he had revealed too many emotions


    today.


    He took a deep breath to calm himself down and said calmly, ¡°This marriage was arranged by your


    mother back then. I don¡¯t know the details.¡±


    Darcy, who had been silent all the time, suddenly said, ¡°Miss Grey, Mr. Johnson is your own


    grandfather, and he will never hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Rae-Rae, marriage is not child¡¯s y. I advise you to think twice before you act.¡±


    All of them were persuading Rachel to call off the marriage.


    There was no reason.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    However, it made Rachel even more curious about the origin of this marriage.


    Her intuition told her that there must be something hidden behind this marriage!

 Chapter 441

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    Chapter 441


    Rachel never doubted the love that her grandfather and the Johnson family had


    for her.


    But this time, her grandfather and her uncle¡¯s attitude made her suspicious.


    Why were they so against her marriage?


    ¡°Grandfather, if you don¡¯t want to tell me, you don¡¯t have to find a random reason to brush me off. I can


    wait.¡± Rachel put the peeled apple on the table and casually took a tissue to slowly wipe her fingertips.


    ¡°When you are ready to tell me, I¡¯ll think about if I should call off the marriage.¡±


    With that, she threw the tissue into the trash can and left.


    Tom couldn¡¯t help but frown as he watched Rachel leave.


    This niece of his had had her own ideas since she was young. Although she was usually obedient and


    sensible, once she decided on something, she would stick to it no matter what.


    Since she said that she would only consider calling off the marriage when she knew the reason, she


    would definitely not propose to call it off so easily.


    After leaving the ward, Rachel received a call from Lucas.


    He asked a few questions about Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s health. Then, Rachel took the initiative to talk about


    the engagement.


    ¡°When you put it that way, Grandpa and my father¡¯s attitudes are indeed a little strange,¡± Lucas said,


    ¡°But then again, your engagement came out of nowhere. It¡¯s reasonable for them to persuade you to


    break off the engagement.¡±


    Rachel pressed the elevator button calmly. ¡°But the problem is that they¡¯re obviously hiding something


    from me.¡±


    They insisted that she break off the marriage, but would not tell her the origin of the engagement.


    Why, exactly?


    ¡°You mean there¡¯s a story behind this marriage?¡± Lucas asked in confusion.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Rachel said.


    Lucas chuckled. ¡°Who cares about the reason? In short, can¡¯t you listen to them and break off the


    engagement? Although there is something wrong with Grandfather and my father¡¯s attitude, they are


    definitely for your own good.¡±


    Hearing his words, Rachel could not help but frown. There was a hint of impatience in her eyes. ¡°Why


    are you persuading me to break off the engagement now?¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s David Jones!¡± Luc*s¡¯s tone was lesszy and careless than usual, but more serious. ¡°I


    told you not to mess with him and warned you to stay away from him¡­¡±


    ¡°He messed with me first,¡± Rachel interrupted him and spoke again before Lucas repeated his long-


    winded story, ¡°Okay, I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I¡¯m not going to change my mind. He¡¯s going


    to be my future husband!¡±


    Lucas was speechless.


    So his previous words were all useless?


    ¡°Rachel, you¡­¡± Lucas wanted to continue persuading, but Rachel hung up.


    Listening to the disconnected call, Lucas resisted the urge to throw the phone away and cursed softly,


    ¡°F**k!¡±


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    He scratched his head in frustration and grabbed the cigarette box on the table. He shook out a


    cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.


    The smell of nicotine swept through his mouth and calmed the rage swirling in his chest for a moment.


    Especially when he thought that David would be his rtive in the future, he felt not bad.


    However, when he thought about how David had seduced Rachel behind the Johnson family¡¯s back, he


    could not help but want to curse.


    This f**king David!


    He had clearly used this drastic measure perfectly!


    At the same time, Rachel drove in the direction of Johnson Corporation.


    However, she received a call from Mary midway.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, check your Twitter now!¡± Mary said,

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    Chapter 442


    ¡°What happened?¡± As she spoke, Rachel exited the call page and opened Twitter.


    Mary said, ¡°Half an hour ago, Olivia suddenly updated her Twitter, saying that she used to be Jessica¡¯s


    friend and they were very close. There¡¯s a message in everything she says. Jessica¡¯s expulsion from


    school wasn¡¯t innocent!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, a lot of scandals about Jessica suddenly appeared on the Inte. They said that she used


    to hang out in all kinds of bars when she was in high school and had a sugar daddy. All kinds of dirt


    were thrown at Jessica, such as she had stic surgery and an abortion and so on.¡±


    These scandals appeared at the same time. They wanted to prove to everyone that Jessica was not


    just a scapegoat when he was expelled from the school, but that she had a problem with her morals.


    Seeing that the day of the trial was getting closer and closer, these inexplicable scandals were


    unfavorable to Jessica.


    Once there was a problem, the police would have to reopen the investigation and the trial would be


    postponed.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. There was an unclear coldness in the depths of her beautiful eyes.


    ¡°Did Jessica¡¯s studio refute the rumors?¡±


    At the mention of this, Mary was filled with anger. ¡°What¡¯s the use of refuting rumors? Besides, it¡¯s not


    like you don¡¯t know Jessica¡¯s personality.¡±


    She was as anxious as a cat on hot bricks, while Jessica was eating and drinking as if nothing had


    happened.


    It was like the onlooker was more worried than the yer.


    ¡°This Olivia had no choice but to leave the entertainment industry because of what


    you did to her after she spread the rumors back then. Now, she still has such. dirty intentions. I think


    she was born evil. She deserves to be taught a lesson!¡±


    Hearing this, the coldness in Rachel¡¯s eyes faded a little, and a faint smile


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    appeared. ¡°Write down all the user names so that we can sendwyer letters to them in the future.¡±


    Mary was confused.


    After hanging up, Rachel called her uncle Adrian.


    ¡°Oh, howe our Miss Grey suddenly calling me today?¡± Adrian¡¯s voice sounded


    in her ear.


    Rachel said, ¡°Are you confident about the trial in two days?¡±


    ¡°Are you questioning my professionalism?¡±


    He, Adrian, was one of the top ten famouswyers in the country!


    He was not as smart as Rachel when it came to business matters, but when it came to legal matters,


    he was confident!


    Moreover, this matter concerned Jessica.


    ¡°Uncle, you can be said to have killed everyone in thew world. Your


    achievements are outstanding. Everyone can see that.¡±


    Hearing Rachel¡¯spliment, a meaningful smile appeared in Adrian¡¯s eyes. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So, I want to make the Cruise family suffer!¡±


    Adrian said, ¡°What about the Grey family?¡±


    He had thought that if he brought Rachel back to the Johnson family, they would have nothing to do


    with the Grey family again.


    Unexpectedly, the Grey family¡¯s people were rushing to court death!


    Rachel lowered her eyes, which were filled with hostility. ¡°Let them die on their own.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m losing out by letting them go just like that.¡± Adrian¡¯s diffuse voice was like ice-breaking


    spring water, cold and cool thin, making one¡¯s heart turn cold for no reason.


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth curled into a smile, like a blooming poppy, which was dangerous and


    charming. ¡°You should know that I didn¡¯t spare the Grey family because I was nostalgic.¡±


    It was for the sake of her mother that she would not pursue the matter for the time being.


    However, if she really wanted to do something to the Grey family, even if Hans stood up to stop her,


    she would step on him and attack the Grey family.


    Adrian believed Rachel¡¯s words without a doubt.


    Before hanging up, Rachel briefly exined her grandfather¡¯s physical condition and the operation


    time.


    Soon, it was the day of the operation.


    4


    Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s operation was scheduled for ten in the morning.

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    Chapter 443


    The Johnson family people and Rachel arrived at the hospital early to wait. Everyone was called to the


    side of the bed by Old Mr. Johnson. He said as if he was making the arrangements before dying, ¡°Tom,


    Adrian, I don¡¯t have any requirements for you but to swear that no matter what danger you encounter in


    the future, you have to protect Rae-Rae even if you have to risk your lives! Your sister passed away


    early. Rae-Rae is her only child. You have to protect her at all times!¡±


    Tom and Adrian looked helpless, but under Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s insistence, they had no choice but to


    swear.


    Seeing the two of them swear, Old Mr. Johnson waved at Rachel. ¡°Rae-Rae, do know what I want to


    say?¡±


    you


    Rachel lowered her eyes to hide her expression. ¡°Grandfather, what do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Do you really not know?¡± Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s eyes shed with a meaningful smile. ¡°I¡¯m about to enter


    the operating theater. Whether I can get off the operating table or not is up to fate. I hope you can


    promise me that you won¡¯t have anything to do with David Jones from now on. He¡¯s not a good match


    for you!¡±


    Rachel did not know how to answer for a moment.


    Old Mr. Johnson saw the situation and sighed faintly. ¡°Why are you so stubborn? You¡¯re exactly the


    same as your mother! See, I¡¯m about to enter the operating theater. What if I can¡¯t survive? Can¡¯t you


    follow my words and make me happy?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no what ifs,¡± Rachel said, ¡°The operation will definitely


    go smoothly.¡±


    In the face of death, even Old Mr. Johnson, who had once dominated the business world, could not


    help but feel terrified.


    He was worried that there would be an ident during the operation and was even more worried that


    he would never wake up again.


    ¡°Grandfather, we¡¯ll wait for you toe out.¡± Rachel held Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s hand hard.


    Old Mr. Johnson pursed his lips and took a deep breath. He looked at Rachel with a solemn


    expression. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have a good chat after the operation.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The operationsted for three hours. Fortunately, the operation was sessful.


    When Old Mr. Johnson was pushed out of the operating theater, he was in a half-asleep state because


    the effects of the anesthetic had yet to dissipate.


    Wharton walked to Rachel and said respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey, Old Mr. Johnson, given his age, will be in


    intensive care for the next 24 hours, and when we make sure his vitals are stable, we¡¯ll transfer him to


    a regr ward.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rachel said.


    Wharton smiled and waved his hand, ¡°This is what I should do. If you have any problems, you can


    contact me anytime.¡±


    Rachel nodded and walked to the window of the intensive care unit. Through the ss, she looked at


    Old Mr. Johnson who was lying inside.


    Then, her gaze involuntarilynded on the heart detector.


    At this moment, only the numbers on it and the undting curves made her feel


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    at ease.


    Lucas, who was closest to her, sensed her nervousness. He stretched out his broad palm and wrapped


    it around her cold fingertips. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Didn¡¯t the doctor say that the operation was very


    sessful? Let¡¯s go back first ande again tomorrow.¡±


    Rachel nced at him and hesitated for a moment before nodding.


    In the parking lot, Lucas started the car. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°You can make the arrangements.¡±


    She was not in the mood now, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to calm down when she went to the office. She


    might as well go out and get some fresh air.


    The car shot out like an arrow. Rachel held her cheek with one hand and looked at the rapidly


    retreating scenery outside the car window.


    When she looked up, she noticed an inconspicuous ck business car in the rearview mirror.


    She narrowed her eyes and a cold glint appeared in her eyes

 Chapter 444

    Chapter 444


    Chapter 444


    ¡°Sit tight,¡± Luc*s¡¯s voice suddenly sounded,


    Clearly, he had also noticed the car that had been tailing after them.


    Rachel did not say anything. Instead, she found afortable position and nestled in the seat.


    Their speed increased abruptly, but themercial vehicle following them sensed it and then sped up,


    following them like a mad dog.


    Through the rearview mirror, Rachel looked at themercial vehicle following behind. She chuckled


    and said yfully, ¡°Your driving skills have deteriorated recently.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have apetition when we have time!¡± Lucas held the steering wheel with one hand and


    observed every move of the car behind through the rearview mirror from time to time.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and said proudly, ¡°You¡¯re not qualified topete with me with


    your skills.¡±


    Lucas frowned slightly. ¡°D*mn you, girl. Don¡¯t forget that it was me who taught you how to race!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m better than you.¡± Rachel turned to look at Lucas with a sly smile in her eyes.


    Suddenly, a chuckle sounded in the quiet car.


    This d*mn girl was actually in the mood to argue with him, which meant she was in a better mood than


    she was when she got out of the hospital.


    ¡°Sit tight. Today, I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m capable of!¡± Lucas said as he sped up. again.


    The car moved back and forth in the traffic like a swimming dragon.


    Unknowingly, sporadic raindrops began to fall from the sky. The speed of the car caused the rain to fall


    fast and beat on the windows.


    On the slippery road, coupled with his adept understanding of the road. conditions, themercial


    vehicle¡¯s speed quickly decreased.


    Upon seeing this scene, Rachel immediately lost interest.


    Coincidentally, her phone rang.


    Seeing that it was a call from David, she leaned against the window and picked up the phone.


    Before she could say anything, Davids¡¯s voice came from the other end of the


    phone. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    The man¡¯s deep and cold voice was as if it had been soaked in the snow of the early spring, revealing


    a bone-chilling coldness.


    Her intuition told her that perhaps David had known something.


    She pursed her lips and said gently, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m preparing to get some air with Lucas. What about


    you?¡±


    She didn¡¯t want David to worry, so she changed the topic.


    ¡°I just finished eating. I still have a meetingter.¡± David lowered his eyes to look at the image on the


    tablet. His dark eyes flickered with bloodthirsty ruthlessness.


    Rachel sighed softly. ¡°No matter how busy you are, you have to eat on time.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± David replied. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to my girlfriend.¡±


    After a brief conversation, David hung up.


    He put down the tablet in his hand and looked up. His sharp gaze was like a knife that stabbed straight


    at Eddie. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was so indifferent that no emotion could be heard.


    However, it was as if it had been dyed with winter frost. It was bone-chilling and made one shudder.


    Eddie was half bent over, and cold sweat had unknowingly seeped out of his forehead.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Oh, cr*p. He was dead meat this time!


    Eddie lowered his head in resignation. ¡°I was negligent and didn¡¯t discover the problem immediately.


    I¡¯m willing to ept all the punishment!¡±


    During this period of time, it was not at peace in Seaxas. David secretly sent hist men to protect


    Rachel.


    However, there had been no news from Rachel recently, so Eddie was toozy to report to him.


    Unexpectedly, something just happened this time when he wasn¡¯t paying attention!


    David removed his diamond cuffs and slowly rolled up a part of his sleeves. His expression was


    arrogant and domineering as he said, ¡°Find out who sent these people and make sure they never leave


    Seaxas.¡±


    Sensing the hostility emanating from David¡¯s body, Eddie held his breath.


    Mr. Jones was really angry this time!

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    Chapter 445


    Chapter 445


    Eddie gathered his thoughts for a moment and quickly said, ¡°Got it!¡±


    As he turned to leave, David¡¯s voice sounded behind him. ¡°Go to the Dark Hall to get your punishment!¡±


    Eddie was stunned for a moment before answering again, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    At the same time, Rachel put down the rifle in her hand and listened to the announcer¡¯s count.


    ¡°Target one, tenth ring.¡±


    ¡°Target two, ninth ring.¡±


    When Lucas heard this, he raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Not bad. Your skills haven¡¯t decreased after


    so many years.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Rachel raised her chin proudly and put down the rifle in her hand. ¡°Considering who I am!¡±


    ¡°Narcissistic!¡± Lucas looked at her with disdain, but there was a hint of pampering and indulgence in his


    eyes.


    Rachel turned around and walked to the rest area. She twisted the lid of the water bottle and took a sip.


    ¡°Have you found out the background of those people just now?¡±


    ¡°We have some clues. We can confirm that this group of people is not from Seaxas. Moreover¡­¡±


    Lucas raised his eyes. His eyes flickered with a meaningful dark light. ¡°They once appeared near the


    cemetery.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, she narrowed her eyes slightly, and a cold light shed through her beautiful


    eyes. ¡°In that case, these people are here for me.¡±


    For some reason, that angelic face appeared in her mind again.


    The man¡¯s light golden hair and well-defined face were really impressive.


    She remembered David saying that the person¡¯s name was Hell.


    Hell, hell¡­


    An angelic face, in the name of hell¡­


    How interesting!


    The two of them left in the dark. Rachel was not in a hurry to return to Sandalwood Hills. Instead, she


    returned to her apartment to pack a few things.


    When she walked out of the bedroom, she vaguely noticed a figure passing by the balcony.


    Rachel¡¯s


    ¡®s eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold glint appeared in them.


    This was the top floor, which was the 30th story.


    It was impossible for the other party to enter from the balcony. The only possibility was that the other


    party entered through the door.


    To be able to enter silently meant that the other party had entered more than


    once!


    Could it be the person who invaded the roomst time?


    However, Rachel did not know the other party¡¯s intentions at the moment, so she decided to bide her


    time and pretend that she did not know.


    She took her things, walked toward the door, and the moment her hand touched the lock, that person


    rushed out and grabbed her by the shoulder.


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    Rachel¡¯s reaction was almost instinctive. She put down the thing in her hand and grabbed the other


    party¡¯s wrist. At the same time, she took a step forward and aimed her elbow at the other party¡¯s throat.


    The other party thought that Rachel was just a weak woman. Who would have thought that she was


    actually good at fighting?


    He turned sideways and barely dodged Rachel¡¯s attack.


    The man thought that since he had been exposed, he could not leave Rachel alive.


    A cold light shed in the darkness. The man held the dagger and stabbed it fiercely at Rachel.


    Rachel¡¯s expression changed. She lowered her waist and watched helplessly as the dagger pierced


    through an inch in front of her.


    With a twist of the man¡¯s wrist, the dagger changed direction and stabbed over again.


    The cold de brushed past her neck.


    Rachel raised her hand and touched her neck. Her fingertips were slightly sticky, and there was a


    bloodthirsty ruthlessness in her eyes.


    At this moment, a message came from the man¡¯s earpiece. ¡°David is here with his men. Retreat


    immediately!¡±


    Hearing this, his expression suddenly changed. He looked up at Rachel deeply, raised his hand, and


    turned off the earpiece.


    Rachel saw through the man¡¯s intention to retreat and prepared to wait for an opportunity to make a


    move. However, the man raised his dagger again and stabbed Rachel in a more vicious and ruthless


    way than before.


    She was not a fool. Seeing that the man had the intention to kill her, she


    immediately retreated.


    Taking advantage of her retreat, the man rushed out of the door without hesitation.

 Chapter 446

    Chapter 446


    Chapter 446


    Unwilling to give up. Rachel chased after him. Just as she rushed to the stairwell, someone grabbed


    her wrist forcefully. ¡°Let him go.¡±


    David frowned as he sized her up. His eyes were filled with worry and nervousness. ¡°How are you? Are


    you injured?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes shed slightly. She raised her hand and quietly brushed her hair.


    However, David had already noticed her small actions.


    He grabbed Rachel¡¯s chin and put away the hair on her neck with his fingertips.


    Rachel subconsciously dodged. She heard David say, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Those two short words sounded like amand, but also like a loving one, making it impossible to


    resist him.


    As the hair parted, the wound was revealed without reservation.


    Blood oozed from the wound, snaking down the curve of her neck.


    Her fair skin and bright red blood exuded a shocking beauty.


    David frowned. He grabbed Rachel¡¯s arm and walked into the apartment opposite Rachel.


    In the apartment, David¡¯s thin lips were pursed tightly. He did not say a word as he treated Rachel¡¯s


    wound.


    The moment the disinfectant touched the wound, Rachel could not help but gasp. ¡°Hiss¡­¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Now you know how painful it is?¡± David sneered.


    However, the movements in his hands involuntarily became gentler.


    Rachel blinked and tugged at David¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    David said, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± Rachel imitated the way he grabbed her chin just now, forcing him to look her in the eye.


    ¡°Look me in the eye and answer if you dare.¡±


    There was a glint of subtle crafty in her eyes, and with the defiant meaning in her slightly raised


    eyebrows, her gaze seemed to be saying, ¡°I want to see if you dare to lie.¡±


    Her clear beautiful eyes were dark and bright, pure and innocent, making David¡¯s eyes darken.


    He narrowed his eyes slightly and knelt on one knee on the sofa. He suddenly


    bent down and approached her. His posture was domineering as he trapped Rachel between his chest


    and the sofa.


    The man¡¯s cold aura assaulted her face, making Rachel¡¯s breathing stop for a second.


    Her eyshes fluttered slightly, but she was so stubborn that she refused to give up, so she raised her


    neck to look straight at the man in front of her. ¡°Can you not be angry?¡±


    Finally, David¡¯s heart softened. He held her slender waist and closed the distance between them. He


    lifted her chin with his fingertips and leaned over to kiss her lips.


    A plundering kissnded heavily.


    The kiss deepened, mixed with anger as he bit her soft lips punishingly.


    Rachel groaned in pain. She frowned slightly and, not to be outdone, bit back. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a low cough sounded.


    Rachel suddenly came back to her senses and instinctively pushed David away.


    However, David was so engrossed in the kiss that Rachel could not push him away for a moment.


    In a moment of desperation, she opened her mouth and bit his lips.


    It was not until the taste of blood spread in their mouths that David reluctantly let go of her.


    His forehead was pressed against Rachel¡¯s forehead. They were so close that their breaths blended.


    He looked at the woman¡¯s red and swollen lips and rubbed them gently with the tips of his fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll


    deal with you when Ie backter!¡±


    With that, he got up and left.


    When David walked past Eddie, he looked sideways and nced at him.


    His sharp gaze swept across his face like a knife. Eddie¡¯s heart sk*pped a beat as he secretly broke


    out in a cold sweat for himself.


    The two of them walked into the study one by one. David sat in the chair and ordered him in a cold


    voice, ¡°I¡¯ll give you two days to get Hell out of Seaxas!¡±

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    Chapter 447


    Eddie was stunned for a moment. ¡°Then are we just going to let this matter go?¡±


    Hell and David were fighting openly and covertly. It was hard to say who was better. The two of them


    were more like kings that never met each other.


    This time, Hell had discovered Miss Grey¡¯s existence. He would definitely use this as a weakness to


    deal with David!


    Moreover, Hell¡¯s men had injured Miss Grey this time. Wouldn¡¯t it be a loss to let him off just like that?


    This was not in line with David¡¯s personality.


    David supported his forehead with his right hand and tapped gently on his brow bone with his index


    finger. His pitch-ck eyes were as cold as ice, murderous and dangerous. His calm tone revealed his


    unique arrogance. ¡°Why do you think I arranged for Billy to leave?¡±


    Whoever hurt him naturally wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with it.


    When Eddie heard this, his eyebrows twitched fiercely. He could not help but silently feel pity for Hell in


    his heart.


    Hell received a call from buzz-cut.


    As soon as the call was connected, a deafening explosion sounded. Buzz-cut roared hysterically,


    ¡°Boss, our base was ambushed and we suffered heavy losses!¡±


    The base was ambushed?


    Hell¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and his grip on the phone tightened.


    Deafening explosions and all kinds of painful wails kepting from the phone receiver.


    Hell¡¯s expression became more and more solemn. The maliciousness in his eyes. was like thousand-


    year-old ice, and his entire body was filled with bloodthirsty hostility.


    Suddenly, his lips curled up into a brash smile, carrying bone-chilling coldness. ¡°David, good for you!¡±


    He actually sent people to exterminate hisir!


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    Everything on the ind had been his painstaking efforts for many years, and now it was destroyed just


    like that!


    At this moment, Hell¡¯s eyes widened like a wolf on the verge of going berserk.


    He finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and threw the phone away, then a dagger flew out of his sleeve and


    pierced through the phone quickly and ruthlessly.


    At this moment, a figure walked in and looked down at the phone nailed to the ground. He said in fear,


    ¡°Boss, Scorpion is back.¡±


    ¡°Ask him toe here.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Scorpion quickly walked forward and bowed respectfully. ¡°Sir, sorry


    for keeping you waiting.¡±


    Hell pulled out a silver mirror and adjusted his hair in front of it. ¡°You got what I asked for?¡±


    His cold voice seemed to be immersed in bone-piercing snow, carrying a coldness.


    Scorpion ced the strand of Rachel¡¯s hair that he cut off in his palm and handed it to Hell with both


    hands. ¡°Boss, this is what you wanted.¡±


    Hearing this, Hellzily raised his eyes and raised his hand to take the strand of hair. His gaze swept


    across the scars on the man¡¯s face, and the corners of his mouth curled up into a faint smile, revealing


    a hint of evilness. ¡°Scorpion, you actually got beaten up by a woman. You¡¯re really getting worse and


    worse.¡±


    There was a hint of indifference andziness in his tone, exuding an innate deterrence that inexplicably


    made one feel fear.


    Scorpion was someone he had personally trained. No one knew better than him how capable he was.


    Now, he was injured by a woman. How interesting!


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Scorpion¡¯s heart suddenly sk*pped a beat. His knees went weak and he knelt on one


    knee. His eyes were filled with panic. ¡°Boss, please give me another chance. I will definitely kill that


    woman myself!¡±


    Hell¡¯s lips curled into a smile. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the strand of hair pinched to


    his fingertips. His amber eyes flickered with a sinister coldness. ¡°This woman can¡¯t die.¡±


    Rumor had it that David was decisive, cold-blooded, and merciless, that he had no weaknesses.


    But now it didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    That Rachel was David¡¯s biggest weakness now!


    Moreover, this woman had a secret he wanted to know. Before he got the answer, he would not allow


    her to die!

 Chapter 448

    Chapter 448


    Chapter 448


    Late at night, Rachel snuggled in David¡¯s arms.


    She looked up at the silent man in front of her, then she reached out her fingertips to touch his bulging


    Adam¡¯s apple. ¡°Are you still angry?¡±


    Hearing this, David lowered his head slightly and looked at her. His cold aura entered her breathing.


    ¡°I was just wondering when you¡¯d trust me more.¡±


    She would rather face the danger alone than contact him immediately.


    ¡°I do trust you.¡± Rachel broke free from his embrace. She propped herself up with her hands and


    looked down at him with a burning gaze. She frowned slightly as if she was thinking about something.


    To be honest, there were only a few people in this world that Rachel really cared about, but David was


    an exception.


    She did not expect that the person who had forcefully barged into her life would not only catch her off


    guard but also give her one of the few warmth she had.


    Suddenly, she said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m just used to relying on myself all these years.¡±


    When she was brought back to the Johnson family as a child, it took her a long time to adjust. She was


    cautious and scared every day, for fear of being abandoned again if she behaved insufficiently.


    Even though everyone in the Johnson family respected her as Miss Grey, it still could not make up for


    the sense of security in her heart.


    Being abandoned by the Grey family made her understand a principle from a young age.


    Instead of begging others, it was better for her to rely on herself.


    Therefore, no matter how well the Johnson family people treated her, she was still not used to relying


    on anyone.


    In her eyes, there was no one more reliable than herself in this world.


    Rachel¡¯s beautiful eyes were filled with contemtion. After a moment, she spoke again, ¡°I¡¯m d you


    popped in today.¡±


    Actually, she had thought about it for a long time, but she really did not know how to express the


    gratitude she had in her heart.


    David stretched out his arm and pulled her back into his embrace. He gently stroked her cheek with his


    fingers, and there was a hint of a smile in his deep and cold voice. ¡°As your boyfriend, it¡¯s only right for


    me to rush over as soon as possible whenever you¡¯re in danger.¡±


    ¡°How can we take the ¡®right¡¯ things for granted?¡± Rachel looked at David and her gaze softened inch by


    inch. ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything, so you don¡¯t necessarily need to do it.¡±


    David looked at her beautiful and clear eyes. His eyes became darker and deeper, and his Adam¡¯s


    apple bobbed. ¡°I did it willingly.¡±


    As he spoke, he stroked her cheek with his palm and kissed her lips.


    His aura was gentle and domineering as it invaded Rachel¡¯s domain bit by bit like an imprable


    that enveloped her from top to bottom.


    The hem of her pajamas was lifted, and her skin trembled under his warm palm. His kiss was still going


    down.


    After an unknown period of time, David¡¯s forehead was pressed against hers. His dark eyes were filled


    with lust. His deep and cold voice seemed to be given a unique maism, extremely bewitching and


    seductive. ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    Rachel leaned against his chest, unable to calm down for a long time.


    Even though the two of them had slept together for many days, they had never had any physical


    intercourse.


    David had always respected her and was very amodating. It gave her a sense of security and


    made her feel touched.


    The sound of their breathing could be heard clearly in the quiet room.


    ¡°David, what if I say I¡¯m ready?¡±


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    The moment she blurted it out, Rachel secretly bit her lips in frustration. How could she say such a


    thing?


    When she finished speaking, there was no response for a long time. She thought that David should be


    asleep.


    Just as she secretly heaved a sigh of relief, David suddenly said, ¡°You can¡¯t wait for this to happen, can


    you?¡±

 Chapter 449

    Chapter 449


    Chapter 449


    It was a very simple sentence, but it made Rachel feel a sense of shame.


    ¡°I¡¯m saving a chance for you to escape unscathed,¡± David¡¯s cold and deep voice sounded in her ears.


    Actually, he wasn¡¯t as gentle as Rachel thought he was.


    He had once wanted to forcedly and domineeringly possess her. Even if she had the idea of leaving, he


    would shackle her and bind her around forever.


    However, these thoughts still only lingered in his heart and dissipated. Because he couldn¡¯t bear to.


    He had never had a crush on a woman, and he didn¡¯t know much about tenderness, but he was willing


    to do whatever he could for Rachel.


    He wanted to give her all his gentleness.


    Rachel tried to figure out the coldness in his words. Her beautiful eyes were sparkling like water.


    ¡°ording to what you¡¯re saying¡­ Are you giving me a chance to leave you?¡±


    David lifted his hand to brush away the hair on her face. He gently rubbed the corner of her lips with his


    thumb, and there was an undisguised dominance and dominance in his dark eyes. ¡°I¡¯d advise you to


    just think about it.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you.¡± David interrupted Rachel. He pressed his thin lips against her temple and kissed


    her gently. His warm breath sprayed on her temple, causing her hair to flutter. His cold and not gentle


    voice slowly entered her ears. ¡°When you see the side of me that people don¡¯t know, will you still be


    willing to stay by my side?¡±


    This was undoubtedly a huge gamble for David.


    His tone was calm, but every word he said was unprecedentedly shocking when Rachel heard them.


    Her eyebrows moved, and there was ayer of surprise in the depths of her beautiful eyes.


    ¡°Go to sleep.¡± David pulled her into his arms.


    However, Rachel, who was nestled in his arms, did not feel sleepy for a long time.


    The side of him that people didn¡¯t know¡­


    What kind of David would that be?


    Rachel thought for a long time. In the end, under the engulfment of sleepiness,


    she could not help but close her eyes and fall asleep.


    Early in the morning, the bright sunlight seeped into the room through the gap in the curtains.


    It sttered on the soft carpet and spread all the way until itnded beside the bed.


    Rachel opened her eyes in a daze. Her consciousness had yet to return as she stared nkly at the


    ceiling above her head.


    Her phone suddenly rang.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    She fumbled for her phone and picked it up. There was a hint of softness in her cold voice as she woke


    up. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± came the voice of Louis.


    When Rachel heard this, theziness in her eyes instantly disappeared, reced by a hint of mockery.


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Smith¡­¡±


    She dragged out thest syble, and her tone was filled with mockery.


    On the other end of the phone, Louis fell into a short silence. Then, he said, ¡°What will it take for you to


    give up thewsuit?¡±


    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s for your sweetheart.¡± Rachel leanedzily against the headboard. A mocking smile


    appeared on her face without makeup.


    Louis chattered, ¡°Do you know that during this period of time, Olivia has been tortured to the point that


    she doesn¡¯t even want to eat or drink? This matter doesn¡¯t have much to do with you, to begin with.


    Moreover, it was five years ago. Why do you have to dig it out and be aggressive?¡±


    ¡°She should have known that this day woulde when shemitted evil, right?¡± Rachel sneered.


    ¡°Or did she think she could rest easy if she found someone to take the me?¡±


    ¡°Rachel!¡± When Louis heard Rachel¡¯s unreasonable words, he immediately roared angrily, ¡°Everyone


    makes mistakes. Moreover, Olivia was only ying a joke at that time. Do you have to hold on to it? If


    you withdraw thewsuit, the Cruise family will give the couple in Pollister whatever they want!¡±

 Chapter 450

    Chapter 450


    Chapter 450


    ¡°I can agree to any condition¡­¡± Rachel dragged out the end of her sentence. There was a hint of


    contemtion in her eyes. ¡°Then let Olivia confess.¡±


    Louis¡¯s face darkened. He secretly gritted his teeth. ¡°Rachel, can you be reasonable? Are you going to


    ruin Olivia¡¯s life just because of such trifle?¡±


    When Olivia heard this, her face turned pale and she shouted in a panic, ¡°Louis¡­¡±


    Louis nced at her, signaling her to be at ease. Then, he said to Rachel on the phone in a charitable


    tone, ¡°Rachel, why don¡¯t we both take a step back? As long as you and the couple in Pollister withdraw


    thewsuit, the Cruise family promises to give them generouspensation and will always support


    them.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachelughed softly.


    Theughter entered Louis¡¯s ears, making him frown and feel frustrated.


    ¡°Why should we both take a step back? Shouldn¡¯t a person pay the price for doing something wrong?


    Louis, didn¡¯t you say that you know me the best? Then you should know that I¡¯m cold-hearted and


    unreasonable.¡± Rachel said unhurriedly with a terrifyingly cold tone, ¡°Olivia provoked me repeatedly.


    She should have thought of the consequences! She deserved it! I¡¯ll give you onest piece of advice..


    Instead of wasting time here, you might as well go find a betterwyer!¡±


    Louis¡¯s well-defined face was as cold as ice. His ck eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re openly


    going against the Cruise family! The Cruise family won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s face was expressionless. She raised her hand and casually brushed her hair. ¡°The current


    Cruise family is struggling at death¡¯s door. If they insist on dying, I don¡¯t mind making the Cruise family


    disappear in Seaxas!¡±


    ¡°Rachel¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, the call was hung up.


    Louis¡¯s expression was extremely gloomy. His knuckles were pale as he gripped his phone tightly.


    Olivia, sitting on the sofa, looked at him with tears in her eyes. She pursed her lips, sniffed, and said


    pitifully, ¡°Louis, Rachel still won¡¯t let me go?¡±


    Louis didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked at her deeply.


    Olivia lowered her eyes and tears fell in big drops. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that things would turn out like this. Lily


    said that Rachel was her sister and kept hinting to me that Rachel had made a mistake and was


    expelled from the family. Out of curiosity, I asked a few more questions. Who knew that Lily would get


    the wrong idea? I¡¯m also responsible for the way things have turned out.¡±


    ¡°I thought now that I had Rachel¡¯s weakness and could help you manipte her


    in the future. But in the end, I made things worse¡­¡±


    The huge office was filled with Olivia¡¯s sobbing. Louis¡¯s frown deepened. He suppressed the


    impatience and frustration in his heart and slowly walked forward. ¡°The most important thing now is to


    find a reliablewyer to minimize your losses.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll contact mywyer now.¡± Olivia wiped her tears and took out her phone to make a call.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the trial for the campus bullying case at Pollister High School.


    On the same day, Rachel, Jessica, Mary, and Linda all came to the scene.


    Jessica was a model, so her face was not unfamiliar to everyone.


    When they saw her, the reporters rushed forward with their cameras.


    ¡°Jessica, what do you have to say about the continuous dirt on you on Twitter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been so many


    days since the incident happened, but as the person involved, you didn¡¯t deny it. Does that mean


    you¡¯ve acquiesced to everything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my client is not epting any interviews.¡± Adrian stepped forward at the right time and left


    with Jessica.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At ten o¡¯clock, the court officially began its session.

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    Chapter 451


    Chapter 451


    Jessica and the couple in Pollister sat in the intiff¡¯s seats, while Olivia sat in the defendant¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Miss Cruise, you didn¡¯t tell me that the other party¡¯s defensewyer is Adrian Johnson!¡± As soon as


    Olivia¡¯swyer saw Adrian appear, he had a panicked look in his eyes.


    There was no one in the entire circle ofwyers who did not know Adrian.


    He had never lost to anyone!


    Over the years, he had overturned countless injustices and saved countless lives. His face was like an


    exemption from death in the industry!


    The moment Olivia saw Adrian appear, her eyes narrowed and shed with an unknown coldness. ¡°Mr.


    Sharp, you promised me previously that you would definitely help me win thewsuit.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t tell me that the other party¡¯swyer is Adrian Johnson!¡± Mr. Sharp couldn¡¯t sit still. He


    resisted the urge to pack his things and leave immediately. ¡°Miss Cruise, now that things havee to


    this, tell me the truth. Were you really wronged in the Pollister High School case?¡±


    Olivia looked at him expressionlessly. An


    the depths of her eyes. ¡°Mr. Sharp, is there ¡°Perceptible coldness shed across


    any point in saying this now?¡±


    She took a deep breath. ¡°You have to know that we¡¯re in the same boat now. You must think that I


    never did it even if I did!¡±


    Hearing her words, Mr. Sharp¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but sink.


    In fact, he should have thought of this long ago. However, now that he heard Olivia admit it herself, he


    had already prepared for the worst.


    ¡°Miss Cruise, let me make it clear at first,¡± Mr. Sharp said, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best in thiswsuit, but I can¡¯t


    guarantee that you won¡¯t lose anything, so I advise you to be ment*lly prepared.¡±


    Olivia said, ¡°Mr. Sharp, anything that can be solved with money is not a problem.¡±


    Soon, Adrian took out the evidence and information that he had prepared in advance. His words were


    sharp and his aura was oppressive, making Olivia¡¯swyer speechless and at a loss for words.


    In the end, the court ordered Olivia to pay Jessica 40 thousand dors in damages, to pay the couple in


    Pollister 99.2 thousand dors in economic losses and 40 thousand dors in emotional damages, as


    well as the legal costs of Jessica and the couple in Pollister.


    The video of the trial was exposed online at the same time. Theizens were


    delighted.


    Rachel sat in the courtroom with her legs crossed and her hands sped on herp. The corners of


    her mouth curled up slightly.


    Olivia sensed that she was looking at her as if he was a clown. She felt a huge humiliation in her heart.


    Her hands were tightly clenched into fists, and her nails were dug into her palms.


    She could not let this matter go just like that!


    One day, she would make Rachel pay the price!


    Olivia snorted coldly and stood up to leave.


    After the trial, the couple in Pollister walked out with Jessica.


    The couple in Pollister looked at Jessica apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you suffer all these


    years.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about,¡± Jessica said, ¡°Wendy is a very good girl. Now that she has finally


    obtained a fair answer, I believe that she can rest in peace in heaven.¡±


    Hearing her words, the couple in Pollister could not help but cry. ¡°It¡¯s just that this justice came too


    late.¡±


    After bidding farewell to the couple in Pollister, Jessica and Rachel left in Adrian¡¯s


    car.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    After sending Jessica to the apartment, Rachel and Adrian came to the hospital to visit Old Mr.


    Johnson.


    On the second day after the operation, Old Mr. Johnson was in good condition and had been


    transferred from the intensive care unit to a regr ward to recuperate.


    After so many days, Old Mr. Johnson could have been discharged from the hospital and returned home


    to recuperate. But at Rachel¡¯s request, Old Mr. Johnson had to continue staying in the hospital to


    recuperate.


    Because of this, Old Mr. Johnson was full ofints, but he did not dare toin in front of


    Rachel.

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    Chapter 452


    Just as she approached the door of the ward, she heard Old Mr. Johnsonin. ¡°The doctor said


    that I was recovering well and could be discharged. Why do you have to lock me up here!¡±


    Lucas said, ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s useless for you to tell me that. Why don¡¯t you talk to Rae-Rae when she


    comes hereter?¡±


    If he had dared toin in front of Rachel, he would not have nagged in front of Lucas.


    Old Mr. Johnson was half-lying on the bed with his hands sped on his abdomen. He sighed faintly.


    ¡°Their tempers are really the same when they get angry.¡±


    Although he said that, his eyes were gentle.


    ¡°No wonder I¡¯ve been sneezing recently. It turns out that someone is talking about me behind my back.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s voice came from outside the ward.


    When Old Mr. Johnson heard that, he immediately perked up. ¡°Rae-Rae is here. Come and sit down.


    Lucas just prepared some fruits. Hurry up and try them.¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Adrian and Lucas were already used to seeing how solicitous Old Mr. Johnson was to Rachel.


    After all, the entire Johnson family was not as noble as Rachel.


    Of course, Rachell¡¯s nobility was not only reflected in how much Old Mr. Johnson valued her but also in


    the details that ordinary people could not notice.


    Anything that Rachel ate and used was the best.


    As long as Old Mr. Johnson got something good, not only would Rachel get one, but she would also


    have the right to choose first.


    Only after she chose could Tom and Adrian choose from what was left, and finally, Lucas.


    It was precisely the importance Old Mr. Johnson attached to Rachel that made all the serv*nts of the


    Johnson family have 100% respect for thisdy whose surname was different.


    Old Mr. Johnson was biased, but he was also biased in preparation for the Johnson family¡¯s future


    takeover.


    ¡°Grandfather, how are you feeling today?¡± Rachel walked toward the bed. Her gaze flitted across his


    face, assessing his expression.


    Lucas immediately stood up and made way for her.


    ¡°That¡¯s just a small problem.¡± A look of contemtion shed in Old Mr.


    Johnson¡¯s eyes as he continued, ¡°I¡¯m curious about what method did you use to make Wharton Carl,


    National Healer, personally show up for such a small operation.¡±


    Although the Johnson family¡¯s position in Seaxas was irreceable, the Johnson family¡¯s strength was


    indeed insufficient to drive Wharton, the cardiovascr expert of the international medical organization.


    The reason why Wharton was so respectful to Rachel and he personally came to do the operation for


    Old Mr. Johnson was because of David.


    Rachel hesitated for a moment before telling the truth. ¡°Grandfather, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m biased, but this


    time, it¡¯s indeed because of David, so¡­¡±


    Actually, Rachel had her own selfish motives and ns.


    She hoped that it could change Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s impression of David. It would be best if he stopped


    trying to persuade her to call off the marriage.


    After all, Rachel was brought up by Old Mr. Johnson. He knew what she was thinking.


    He raised his hand and interrupted Rachel. ¡°Adrian, invite this Mr. Jones¡¯ home for a meal when you


    have time. I¡¯ll meet him personally. After all, it¡¯s because I owe him a favor. I should be the one to repay


    him.¡±


    Adrian said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rachel knew that her grandfather wouldn¡¯t ept David so fast and easily, so she stopped insisting on


    it.


    She changed the topic quietly. ¡°Grandfather, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted us to have a good chat


    before the operation that day?¡±

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    Chapter 453


    Chapter 453


    When Old Mr. Johnson heard this, his expression froze for a moment. He picked up


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    the ss of water beside him, took a sip, raised his eyes, and looked at Rachel. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I


    just want to talk to you about the engagement. I wonder if you¡¯ve thought about it?¡±


    Actually, Old Mr. Johnson had an impulse for a moment. He was worried that he would survive the


    operation and wanted to tell Rachel about the engagement.


    But now that he was safe, he selfishly wanted to keep this secret to himself forever. Sometimes, there


    were things that were not necessarily good to be known.


    Perhaps the current life was the best for Rachel.


    ¡°Grandfather, can you tell me why you insist on me calling off the marriage with David? Back then, you


    strongly objected to me being with Louis. Was it because of the difference in family background or


    because of this engagement?¡± Rachel stared at Old Mr. Johnson with a burning gaze, and her eyes


    were filled with persistence.


    Old Mr. Johnson frowned slightly and said firmly, ¡°So what if I know? This marriage will be canceled


    sooner orter!¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, are you hiding something from us? Rae-Rae¡¯s marriage came so suddenly. You¡¯ve never


    mentioned it before. Now, you¡¯re insisting that she call off the marriage. Is there some¡­ secret behind


    this marriage?¡± Lucas looked at Old Mr. Johnson in confusion.


    Old Mr. Johnson looked up and red at him angrily. ¡°What secret could there be? It¡¯s just that your


    aunt once owed a favor and used Rae-Rae¡¯s marriage to return it. I¡¯m just feeling sorry for her. If the


    youngdy marries into such a faraway ce and is unfamiliar with the ce, won¡¯t she be bullied to


    deathter?! Besides, what kind of ce is the Jones family? There are so many people. They¡¯ll eat


    her upter!¡±


    ¡°Look at you guys. I¡¯m always thinking for you, but you guys are suspecting my intentions. You¡¯re really


    mistaking a good man for a bad one!¡±


    Lucas was scolded badly. He rubbed his nose awkwardly and muttered softly, ¡°There¡¯s clearly a


    problem with your attitude¡­¡±


    ¡°You brat, I think you need to be taught a lesson!¡± Old Mr. Johnson said as he grabbed a pillow and


    threw it at Lucas.


    Lucas dodged nimbly and grabbed the cigarette box on the coffee table. ¡°I can go out and smoke,


    right?¡±


    ¡°Go, go, go. You, too.¡± Old Mr. Johnson was anxious and chased Rachel out together. ¡°I¡¯ve raised you


    for nothing all these years. You actually suspect my intentions!¡±


    Rachel did not know whether tough or cry. Seeing Adrian¡¯s suggestive eyes, she had no choice but


    to leave early.


    Lucas and Rachel walked into the elevator one after another.


    ¡°Why did Grandpa get angry as you mentioned your marriage?¡± Lucas thought of Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s


    angry face and revealed a helpless expression.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled intriguingly. ¡°He was not angry. He clearly didn¡¯t want to


    continue this topic.¡±


    However, the more Old Mr. Johnson was like this, the more curious Rachel was about the origin of this


    marriage.


    Her intuition told her that her grandfather knew the origin of this marriage. However, for some reason¡­


    Perhaps there was something involved behind the marriage, so her grandfather did not want to say and


    insisted that she break off the engagement.


    Rachel sighed deeply and walked into the elevator.


    The two of them had just entered the elevator when Darcy slowly walked out of the stairwell.


    He stared at the elevator Rachel was in with aplicated and dark gaze.

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    Chapter 454


    Chapter 454


    Darcy stared at the elevator for a moment before turning around and walking straight to Arthur¡¯s ward.


    The moment Darcy appeared, Arthur¡¯s expression became solemn.


    Arthur nced at Adrian. ¡°Go outside and wait.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Adrian looked up at Arthur and then at Darcy before getting up to leave.


    After the door closed, Darcy came straight to the point and asked, ¡°Miss Grey is still unwilling to break


    off the engagement, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    At the mention of this, Arthur could not help sighing, ¡°You¡¯ve watched her up. You should know her


    temper.¡±


    grow


    As long as Rachel decided on something, it would not be easy for her to change it. Back in those years,


    Rachel did not hesitate to cut ties with the Johnson family because she was engrossed in entering the


    Smith family, which turned out to be a living hell of a ce. If she had not woken up to her error, she


    would have been bled white by the Smith family in the end.


    Darcy¡¯s expression darkened when he heard what Arthur had said. Darcy said in a serious tone, ¡°You


    should know what it means once she and David get married.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know!¡± Arthur looked at Darcy sharply, ¡°I¡¯m more anxious than you. She¡¯s the only child


    that Sophia left behind. I want to protect her more than anyone else!¡±


    Though Rachel kept her surname Grey, her basic necessities of life had always been better than


    anyone else in the Johnson family.


    It was not only because Arthur doted on her, but also because he had treated her like a daughter for all


    these years.


    Darcy stared at Arthur for a moment and said calmly, ¡°I hope you can keep your word.¡±


    Arthur frowned slightly and calmed himself down. ¡°Why did youe here suddenly?¡±


    ¡°Miss Sophia¡¯s ashes have been found,¡± said Darcy.


    Arthur suddenly sat up and looked at Darcy seriously. ¡°Have you found out who did it?¡±


    Darcy¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. Without changing his expression, he said, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡±


    Hearing this, Arthur frowned imperceptibly. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have to


    trouble you to temporarily deliver Sophia¡¯s ashes back to the Johnson family. When the timees, I¡¯ll


    relocate and bury her ashes.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Darcy said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave now¡±


    Arthur nodded slightly and then stared quietly at Darcy¡¯s back as Darcy left. Arthur suddenly said, ¡°Do


    you still remember why the Johnson family took you in back then?¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When hearing this, Darcy stopped and then turned to look at Arthur. ¡°I can¡¯t repay the Johnson family


    for its kindness in this life.¡±


    ¡°I want you to remember not only the Johnson family¡¯s kindness but also the promise you made back


    then. I hope you can keep your word. Otherwise, if something bad happens, Rae-Rae will not forgive


    you!¡±


    His words were no different from a warning to Darcy.


    Darcy¡¯s expression changed a little, but it quickly returned to normal. ¡°Even if there is a mountain of


    swords and a sea of mes, I will protect Miss Grey!¡±


    With that, he turned around and left.


    Arthur looked at his back and smiled coldly. His hawk-like sharp eyes were filled with a deep meaning.


    Darcy was lying just now!


    Darcy had probably been involved in the theft of Sophia¡¯s ashes. Otherwise, how could he bring them


    back intact while the Johnson family had investigated for so long without finding any clues?


    Moreover, Darcy imed to know nothing about the mastermind.


    Arthur thought, ¡°The mastermind is probably rted to Darcy!


    ¡°Darcy deliberately approached Rachel back then, but he had told me the truth. I worried that Darcy


    would y tricks behind my back, so I thought that it would be safer to keep him under my watch.


    Therefore, I took advantage of the situation and kept him in the Johnson family.


    ¡°But now, it seems that Darcy might not have told all of the truth back then..


    Arthur slowly leaned against the headboard of the bed and stared at the ceiling above his head, deep


    in thought.

 Chapter 455

    Chapter 455


    Chapter 455


    In the car, Lucas looked at Rachel. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Drive me to Times Square. Mary is waiting for me there.¡± Rachel fastened her seatbelt and took out


    her cell phone to check the messages.


    Lucas started the car and drove toward Times Square.


    On the way, he talked about Olivia. ¡°You¡¯re letting her off just like that?¡±


    Lucas dared not to say that he knew all the dirty things that Olivia had done, but he knew most of them.


    Besides the fact that she had used many unseemly methods to develop abroad over these years, after


    returning to Crucsia, she first kidnapped Rachel with Jane and then caused a car ident to save


    Louis. All these things were enough to prove that Olivia¡¯s thoughts on the Smith family were not


    innocent.


    However, those idiots from the Smith family, especially Louis, were sincere to Olivia.


    Of course, Rachel knew the above things, too.


    ¡°Who said I¡¯m going to let her go unpunished?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows. Her red lips curled up


    slightly to form a cold smile.


    When Lucas heard this, a glint shed across his eyes. He patiently waited for Rachel to say what she


    wanted to say next.


    Rachel put her cell phone in front of Lucas.


    After reading the information on it, Lucas was so angry that he cursed, ¡°F****k! Is this Olivia Cruise


    crazy? Have you been invited to the birthday party?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, at the birthday party, not only will the Cruise family publicly announce Olivia Cruise


    as the new chairwoman, but it will also publicly announce the engagement of Olivia Cruise and Louis


    Smith.¡±


    ¡°Will there be a marriage between the Smith family and the Cruise family?¡± Lucas sneered without


    hiding anything. ¡°Without your help, the Smith family has already slowly walked into a quagmire and is


    unable to protect itself. Now, they still want to take over such an awful mess as the Cruise family. Has


    Louis Smith¡¯s brain been kicked by a donkey?¡±


    The smile on Rachel¡¯s face deepened, but her eyes were cold. ¡°Perhaps this is the power of love.¡±


    However, she hoped that Louis would not regret every decision he made.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    After all, she would give Olivia a big gift at the birthday partyl.


    After the car arrived at Times Square, Rachel went to the cafe where Mary was


    waiting.


    After Rachel sat down, Mary immediately took out the draft design she had prepared. ¡°Take a look at


    this first.¡±


    This was the draft design that Mary had received from Rachel. ¡°It¡¯s not suitable?¡±


    ¡°The customer said that your design is too conservative. You also know that Yulia Wand was a winner


    of the best actress award, so she wants to be unique.¡± Mary looked at Rachel awkwardly. ¡°So, I can


    only trouble you to modify it as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it earlier?¡± Rachel frowned slightly. She raised her hands and tied her


    loose hair into a neat ponytail. ¡°Does she have any other requests?¡±


    Mary suddenly thought of something and quickly took out an MP3 recorder from her bag. ¡°This is for


    you. I¡¯ve recorded everything she said.¡±


    To prevent a customer from suddenly changing his/her order, Mary, while taking an order, would usually


    record the conversation between herself and the customer after obtaining his/her permission. Not only


    was this convenient for memory, but it could also preserve evidence to prevent the customer from


    denying what he/she had said and making things difficult for Mary and her people.


    After hearing the customer¡¯s requests, Rachel held a pen in her hand and began to modify the


    sketches.


    Holding her coffee, Mary stared at Rachel, who was drawing skillfully.


    After a long time, Rachel handed the new sketches to Mary. ¡°Show her these sketches. ording to


    her figure ratio and temperament, I still think the first dress suits her better.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll talk to herter.¡± Mary happily packed her things. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Apany me for a stroll in


    the streets.¡±


    Rachel was pulled up by Mary. ¡°The things on the table¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Someone will clean them up,¡± Mary said.

 Chapter 456

    Chapter 456


    Chapter 456


    After the two of them left, a waitress quickly came to clear the table. After she tidied up the abandoned


    draft designs left behind by Rachel on the table, she looked around in confusion.


    Seeing no onee back, she turned around and left. She did not forget to mutter, ¡°They left in such a


    hurry that I wonder if they still want these things.¡±


    The waitress looked down at the sketches in her hand. Although she did not know much about design,


    it was not difficult for her to feel that the dress was breathtakingly beautiful just by looking at the draft


    design.


    Just as she was in a trance, she heard a gentle voice beside her. ¡°Where did you get this design


    drawing?¡±


    The waitress looked up and saw an elegant woman standing in front of her.


    The woman was about 30 years old. Her hair was tied into a low bun, and a strand of curly hair hung


    down from her forehead.


    Her moves and the expressions on her face made her charm and temperament unique.


    Even the simple white shirt and ck trousers she was wearing looked surprisingly beautiful on her.


    The waitress¡¯s pupils constricted a little as she said respectfully, ¡°Miss Yule.¡±


    Winnie Yule nodded gently and reached out to take the draft design from the waitress.


    Notwithstanding the rough and messy lines, it was not difficult to feel the agility and enchantment of this


    dress.


    It was a perfectbination of ssicism and magnificence, whichplemented each other.


    The dress was charming but not ordinary and gorgeous but not demonic, showing a faint fairy air.


    It was very strange. This noble and cold style seemed familiar to Winnie.


    She vaguely remembered that there was a store for high-end custom-made wedding dresses that


    made wedding dresses with this style in Seaxas, but she was sure that the sketches in her hand had


    not been released yet.


    Her eyes flickered with excitement that could not be covered as she asked casually, ¡°Did you draw


    these sketches?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± the waitress said. ¡°I picked them up when I was clearing the table.¡±


    ¡°Have you shown them to other people?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± The waitress looked at Winnie strangely.


    She didn¡¯t know why Winnie asked this question.


    At this moment, the manager of the cafe walked over. When he saw the waitress talking to Winnie, he


    subconsciously thought that the waitress had offended the famous designer, Winnie Yule. He


    immediately scolded the waitress. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You can¡¯t even do a small thing well!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Wann, what do you mean?¡± Winnie suddenly asked.


    The manager was stunned for a moment. ¡°Hasn¡¯t her¡­¡±


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t offended me. On the contrary, I felt that she and I hit it off very well, so I couldn¡¯t help but


    chat with her alone,¡± Winnie said. She turned to look at the waitress. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for affecting your work.¡±


    This apology made the waitress feel ttered. She quickly shook her hand in disapproval. ¡°No, no.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still an intern, aren¡¯t you?¡± Winnie noticed the sign hanging on the waitress¡¯s chest.


    The waitress scratched her head in embarrassment. ¡°Yes, the manager said that he would make me a


    full-time employee after this month¡¯s assessment, but this month I¡­¡±


    She often made mistakes this month, which led to a bad impression on the manager.


    Perhaps it was impossible for her to keep her current job, let alone full-time employment!


    ¡°I¡¯m quite familiar with the boss of this cafe. Leave this matter to me,¡± Winnie said, and then she turned


    to leave with the manager.


    The waitress was dizzy from this sudden free lunch and had long forgotten about the draft design.


    Winnie followed the manager to a private room. She held the draft design tightly in her hand and


    restrained the excitement in her heart.


    She had not seen such a perfect draft design for a long, long time.


    Her intuition told her that as long as this dress was made, she would definitely be able to return to her


    career peak!Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

 Chapter 457

    Chapter 457


    Chapter 457


    Olivia, seeing Winnie walking in, quickly stood up. ¡°Miss Yule, long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see.¡± Winnie¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°I heard that something good is about to


    happen to you. I wonder why you asked me out this time.¡±


    ¡°I want you to make me a full dress.¡± Olivia paused for a moment and added, ¡°A full dress that can


    make me the center of attention.¡±


    Soon, it would be her birthday.


    At that time, not only would¡¯the news be announced that she was about to be the president of the


    Cruise Group, but the news would also be announced that she was engaged to Louis.


    Olivia had specially invited Rachel.


    Olivia wanted to see with her own eyes what Rachel with heartache would look like.


    When hearing her words, Winnie slowly lowered her eyelids to hide the excitement in her eyes.


    She felt that Heaven was helping her.


    She agreed without any hesitation.


    Olivia curled her lips. The depression that had been umting in her heart for many days finally


    seemed to begin to dissipate.


    She was now looking forward to the arrival of her birthday party.


    Rachel and Mary were roaming the streets together.


    The two of them first walked into an underwear shop and bought a few underclothes. Then, they went


    to a men¡¯s clothing shop.


    ¡°If your father wears this shirt, don¡¯t you think that this color is a little too s*xy?¡± Rachel looked at the


    burgundy polka-dot shirt in Mary¡¯s hand. It was hard to imagine how s****y Kyle Green would look while


    wearing it.


    Mary rolled her eyes helplessly. ¡°Who wants to buy clothes for him? He doesn¡¯t deserve it!¡±


    Rachel had always known that there was a strained rtionship between Mary and her father Kyle, but


    she did not know why.


    All these years, Mary had refused to say anything about it, and Rachel had never asked her.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and a mischievous smile shed across her. eyes. ¡°If not for your


    father, then for whom?¡±


    ¡°For my boyfriend, of course.¡± A shy smile appeared on Mary¡¯s face at the mention of the word


    ¡°boyfriend.¡±


    Seeing her like this, Rachel could not help but smile.


    After picking out the clothes, Mary asked, ¡°Do you want to buy a piece of clothes for your Mr. Jones?¡±


    Rachel was in a daze for a moment after hearing this.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    It seemed as if she had never bought anything for David since she dated him a long time ago.


    After thinking it over again and again, she chose a ck shirt as well as a pair of diamond cuffs


    matching it.


    Rachel called David after the two of them separated.


    The phone rang for a long time, but no one picked it up.


    Rachel could not help frowning. Was he still angry?


    But didn¡¯t shefort himst night?


    With this in mind, Rachel decided to go to thepany to take a look personally.


    The car soon arrived at Ster Corporation.


    Rachel got out of the car with the shirt and walked straight into the building in front of her.


    People wereing and going inside the building. When seeing Rachel appear, the receptionist


    immediately called Eddie.


    A momentter, Eddie ran up to Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°David isn¡¯t here, is he?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at Eddie.


    Eddie¡¯s eyes shed slightly. ¡°Yes, he is. Mr. Jones is in a meeting now. Why don¡¯t you follow me to the


    lounge and wait there for a while?¡±


    Although Rachel rarely took the initiative toe to David¡¯spany, each time she came, Eddie


    would bring her to David¡¯s office.


    However, this time, he stammered and wanted to take her to the lounge so that she would wait there


    for a while.


    There was obviously something wrong!


    Not only was there a problem with Eddie¡¯s attitude, but there was also a problem with David!


    First, he hadn¡¯t picked up her phone call, and now he didn¡¯t even want to see her. Rachel looked up at


    the closed door of David¡¯s office.


    She narrowed her eyes, which were filled with a thought-provoking coldness.

 Chapter 458

    Chapter 458


    Chapter 458


    Coincidentally, Billy walked over from the coffee room at this moment. He handed the tray in his hand


    to Eddie with a sullen expression. ¡°This is the Maldonian coffee that the woman asked for. You take it


    into the office, please!¡± Billy felt that the woman inside was dirty!


    Rachel inadvertently raised her eyebrows and muttered meaningfully, ¡°The


    woman¡­


    Eddie¡¯s eyebrows twitched fiercely, and a visible panic appeared on his face. ¡°Um, no, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    He was so anxious that cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He red fiercely at the instigator, Billy.


    Billy scratched his head helplessly and muttered innocently, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Miss Grey was here.¡±


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    He was so focused on sulking that he did not notice Rachel¡¯s existence.


    ¡°Tell me,


    what the hell is he doing?¡± Rachel threw the things in her hand into Eddie¡¯s arms. Then she casually


    pulled a chair over and sat down. She crossed her arms around her chest and looked at the two men in


    front of her quietly. It was as if she was making a punitive expedition.


    Eddie and Billy looked at each other. Rachel saw their indescribable expressions.


    She narrowed her eyes and became even more curious about the woman David was meeting at


    present.


    1


    In any case, Eddie was unwilling to reveal who the woman was. It was obvious that he had been


    instructed by David. She did not continue to make things difficult for Eddie. She simply stood up and


    walked straight into the lounge.


    While busy preparing coffee for Rachel, Eddie hurt the wound in his back. inadvertently and could not


    help but frown. He raised his hand to touch his right. shoulder.


    ¡°You sprained your right shoulder, didn¡¯t you?¡± Rachel asked.


    Eddie was in a trance for a moment. Without changing his expression, he said, ¡°I identally sprain it


    when moving things a few days ago.¡±


    As he spoke, he silently put down the things in his hands and turned to leave.


    Rachel stared at Eddie¡¯s departing figure with deep eyes. The corners of her mouth curled into a faint


    and cold smile.


    Eddie was lying!


    Such a strong medicinal smell showed that his injury was not as simple as a


    sprain.


    As time passed, a hint of impatience gradually appeared on Rachel¡¯s face.


    She had also thought of barging in, but when she saw Eddie and Billy standing at the door like two


    bodyguards, she had no choice but to give up this idea.


    She took a deep breath and picked up the coffee cup beside her, only to find out that the cup was


    empty again.


    ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯ll pour coffee for you,¡± Eddie said.


    Rachel looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°If I drink more coffee, I¡¯ll suffer edema.¡±


    Eddie smiled awkwardly and did not say anything.


    Rachel took out her phone to check the messages. Mary had sent a message. [Yulia Wand is quite


    satisfied with the design this time. I¡¯ve already arranged for someone to start making the dress.]


    Rachel replied, [When making it, pay attention to the material. Don¡¯t lose the feeling of agility. Contact


    me if you have any problems.]


    Mary replied, [Got it.]


    After exiting the chat box with Mary, Rachel tapped her phone lightly with her fingertips to exit


    Whatsapp, and then she dialed David¡¯s phone number again. The phone rang for a long time before it


    was automatically hung up.


    Rachel frowned. She opened Whatsapp again and sent a message: [Your little sweetheart is waiting for


    you. She only has 1% patience left.]


    At the same time, she also sent a smiling emoji, which had a queer meaning.


    Less than three seconds after the message was sent, the chat box first showed that the other party


    was typing¡­ But in the next second, a call came.


    Rachel took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in her chest. She swiped the screen with her


    fingertips and picked up the phone. ¡°Oh, Mr. Jones, you have time to talk with me on the phone now?¡±


    David¡¯s lowughter came from the other end of the line. ¡°Are you anxious from waiting?¡±

 Chapter 459

    Chapter 459


    Chapter 459


    Rachel showed the whites of her eyes. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    She vaguely heard the sound of sonorous footsteps outside the door.


    As the footsteps became clearer, the door of the lounge was pushed open. David walked in with his cell


    phone in hand. ¡°Are you unhappy?¡±


    ¡°If it were you, would you be happy after being ignored for more than half an hour for no reason?¡±


    Rachel retorted with a sour face.


    She had worried that David would still be angry about what happened yesterday. She hade over


    with good intentions tofort him, but in the end, she got furious now!


    ¡®Since you¡¯re busy and don¡¯t have time, I¡¯ll leave now. I won¡¯t disturb anymore.¡± Rachel stood up and


    walked straight to the door.


    you


    However, hardly had she just taken two steps when her waist was suddenly held by David. Then, she


    was pulled back by him.


    Rachel was caught off guard and fell into David¡¯s arms. She could clearly smell the perfume on his


    body. She immediately frowned and struggled with her hands on


    his chest.


    ¡°Behave yourself!¡± David tightened his grip on her waist. He held her in his arms, half gently and half


    forcefully. His deep and cold voice was filled with warning.


    Rachel frowned slightly. Her beautiful eyes flickered with stubbornness and unwillingness.


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    In fact, she had always been curious about which of them, she or David, would win if she fought with


    David.


    At this moment, her guess was verified.


    In front of David, she didn¡¯t have the strength to strike back.


    David sensed her frustration, so the smile on his face faded a little. His well-defined fingers grabbed


    her chin, forcing her to look up at him. ¡°You don¡¯t even want to give me a chance to exin, do you?¡±


    His deep and cold tone suddenly softened. There was a hint of carelessziness in hisst syble, but


    it was exceptionally bewitching and seductive.


    Rachel put on a stern expression and tilted her head to avoid his fingers. She nced at him angrily.


    ¡°Then tell me your reason.¡±


    Her arrogant tone and posture made her look like a condescending little princess.


    At this moment, footsteps sounded in the corridor. David frowned imperceptibly.


    He held Rachel¡¯s head with his palm and buried it in his chest.


    At the same time, he closed the door behind him by kicking it with his foot.


    Rachel looked at David in confusion.


    Although David didn¡¯t say anything, she felt that David was nervous.


    Who could make David so vignt and nervous?


    ¡°David, are you hiding something from me?¡± Rachel frowned slightly and looked at him with clear eyes.


    Hearing this, David constricted his pupils a little. He pinched her earlobe with his fingertips and sighed


    softly as if he was helpless, ¡°Why did you have toe here. today?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°You¡¯re ming me?¡±


    David chuckled and looked at Rachel in his arms. He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her


    mouth.


    ¡°Why did you kiss me? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m still angry?¡± Rachel dodged in disdain and pushed his


    chin away.


    Eddie and Billy could not help but gasp after they heard what Rachel had said.


    ¡°Miss Grey is definitely a heroine!¡±


    Only Rachel in the world dared to treat David like this.


    David was not angry. He reached out his fingers and gently rubbed the corners of- her eyes. ¡°Do you


    want to meet someone from the Jones family?¡±


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help widening her eyes in surprise.


    She had thought that David was hiding a confidante in his office. She hadn¡¯t expected it to be someone


    from the Jones family.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Rachel clenched her fists nervously. ¡°I might not be ready yet¡­¡±


    David reached out and pried open her fingers. Then their fingers intertwined. ¡°I¡¯m here with you.¡±

 Chapter 460

    Chapter 460


    Chapter 460


    A few minutester, Rachel sat in David¡¯s spa***us and bright office.


    A woman in her forties was sitting on the ck leather sofa. Her thick, curly hair fell naturally on her left


    shoulder, and a white dress wrapped around her enchanting and graceful figure.


    She leanedzily against one armrest of the sofa. Every move she made could show her innate noble


    aura.


    She was like a beautiful p*ssy cat, which was elegant, noble,zy, and charming.


    On the way to David¡¯s office just now, he told Rachel that the woman in his office. was his aunt, Marina


    Jones.


    The moment Marina saw Rachel, she couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows slightly, and her red lips


    curled into a faint smile.


    She knew her nephew David the best. He was born to be a female instor.


    It was really rare for a woman to appear by his side!


    No wonder that Wharton seemed to have discovered some big news and nagged in Marina¡¯s ear every


    day.


    Marina scanned Rachel from head to toe with an extremely obscure gaze. When Marina¡¯s gazended


    on the ring on Rachel¡¯s finger, Marina narrowed her eyes, across which a fleeting coldness shed.


    She slowly asked with a smile, ¡°David, who is this?¡±


    Rachel looked down at the cup in her hand and felt inexplicably nervous.


    She was very curious about how David would introduce her.


    ¡°My fianc¨¦e.¡± David¡¯s deep and cold voice slowly echoed in the huge office.


    The moment these two words were blurted out, it was as if a bolt of lightning had exploded in Rachel¡¯s


    heart. In an instant, her mind went nk, and her ears buzzed for a moment. Then, her heart beat


    uncontrobly faster.


    Rachel tried her best to control her slightly trembling hands. She picked up the coffee cup in her hand


    and took a sip, quietly looking at David who was sitting. beside her.


    When Marina heard this, the smile on her face involuntarily deepened.


    She adjusted her sitting posture and raised her hand to casually brush the curly hair on the side of her


    shoulder. She re-examined Rachel before turning to look at David. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± David replied firmly.


    He seemed to feel that this answer was not enough to show his determination, so he took Rachel¡¯s


    hand and held it tightly.


    When Marina heard what David had said, her smile deepened a little as she stared at David with her


    deep eyes.


    David sipped the coffee in his cup calmly, not minding her gaze at all.


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    After a long while, Marina turned to look at Rachel again. ¡°Sorry. I forgot to introduce myself after


    talking to David for so long.¡±


    She paused for a moment. ¡°My name is Marina Jones. I¡¯m David¡¯s aunt.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± Rachel¡¯s posture was neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°I¡¯m Rachel Grey.¡±


    Marina took out a box of cigarettes from her bag and skillfully pulled out ady¡¯s cigarette. She lit it


    between her fingers and brought it to her lips to take a puff.


    As white smoke slowly rose from her red lips, she asked in a low and gentle voice, ¡°I wonder where


    Miss Grey lives. What do your parents do?¡±


    ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s gettingte.¡± David raised his eyelids and looked at Marina. His dark eyes flickered with an


    unknown coldness. ¡°It¡¯s high time you left.¡±


    His tone was indifferent and slow, carrying a coldness that made people shudder. The smile on


    Marina¡¯s lips froze.


    She hadn¡¯t expected that David would disregard her feelings and chase her away!


    She leaned forward and shook the ashes into the ashtray. She nced sideways at David. ¡°I was just


    asking casually. Why are you so nervous? Besides, if I want to take action against her, do you think you


    can protect her?¡±


    David¡¯s expression darkened and his thin lips moved slightly.


    Before he could speak, Rachel said, ¡°Thene on!¡±

 Chapter 461

    Chapter 461


    Chapter 461


    As soon as Rachel finished speaking, the huge office fell into such silence that even a falling needle


    could be heard.


    Smoke swirled in front of Marina, and her red lips could be vaguely seen. They were cold and


    enchanting, like a red rose with thorns.


    After a while, Marina said in a low and gentle voice. ¡°Miss Grey, you surprised mepletely. I¡¯m


    starting to admire you a little.¡±


    What she had said sounded like praise at first, but on second thought, one would find that it was more


    like a provocation.


    Rachel ced the cup in her hand on the table and met Marina¡¯s gaze fearlessly. ¡°I hope I won¡¯t


    disappoint you.¡±


    Marina smiled, put out the cigarette in her hand, and threw it into the ashtray. Then, she picked up her


    bag, stood up, and nced down at Rachel. Her nce contained too many emotions, which were


    contempt, probing, and a trace sizing Rachel up.


    of


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should leave now. Otherwise, Mom will be waiting anxiously,¡± Marina said as she


    walked out.


    No sooner had she just taken a few steps than she heard David saying in a cold. and unreasonable


    voice behind her, ¡°Eddie, see the guest out!¡±


    Marina stopped and then turned sideways to look at David. The smile on her face suddenly turned cold.


    She snorted softly and turned to leave.


    After getting into the car, Marina threw her bag on the seat and sneered, ¡°Idiot!¡± David was about to


    face a cmity, but he actually dared to be so impolite to her!


    Currently, the news that David had a woman was spreading like wildfire on the ind. The Elders had


    already begun to send people to investigate.


    However, David was too unmerciful. There had been no news about those people sent out for


    investigation.


    Coincidentally, Marina heard of Rachel from Wharton, and she wanted to meet Rachel in person.


    However, during their conversation, David did not mention the woman called Rachel Grey at all.


    It was obvious that David wanted to protect Rachel.


    For all these years, there had never been a woman by David¡¯s side. It was really rare for him to protect


    such a woman.


    ¡°Where are we going now, Miss Jones?¡± the driver in the front row asked


    cautiously.


    Marina came back to her senses and looked up at the driver. There was a hint ofziness in her low


    and gentle voice. ¡°I¡¯m going to see my mother.¡±


    After Marina left, the coldness in David¡¯s eyes did not dissipate. He held Rachel¡¯s hand tightly,


    seemingly very nervous.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Rachel noticed a ck box on the table.


    David followed her gaze. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from her.¡±


    ¡°A gift?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. Her pretty eyes revealed a hint of interest.


    David stared at her for a moment and said slowly, ¡°The 10th day of this month is my birthday.¡±


    Rachel was shocked. She stood up excitedly and looked down at David. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me


    earlier? I wasn¡¯t prepared at all.¡±


    Fortunately, there was still half a month before David¡¯s birthday. If she started preparing now, there


    might be enough time.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a birthday. There¡¯s nothing to prepare.¡± David reached out and wrapped his arm around her


    slender waist. He pulled her into his arms again and looked up at her. A hint of gloominess shed


    across his unfathomable ck eyes. ¡°Besides, you know what I want the most for my birthday.¡±


    Rachel blinked at him. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s clear, beautiful, and ck eyes revealed a hint of innocence, which made David want to press


    her down and bully her until she cried.


    David hugged her waist with one hand and held the back of her neck with the other. He raised his head


    and kissed her lips fiercely.


    It was not until Rachel¡¯s lips were numb that David slowly let go. of her.


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    He reached out and rubbed her slightly swollen lips. His dark eyes were deep and unfathomable.


    David¡¯s hands that were roaming around her waist gradually wrapped around her slender waist. Then,


    he tightened his grip and held her tightly in his arms. ¡°I want you.¡±


    His voice was low and slow, and there was a faint smile on his face, but it was exceptionally seductive.

 Chapter 462

    Chapter 462


    Chapter 462


    Rachel panted slightly and calmed her breathing.


    When she heard his words, the thin blush on her face suddenly spread to her ears.


    Looking at her bright red face, David chuckled.


    He gently rubbed her face with his fingertips. ¡°Would you like to open the box for me?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. ¡°It isn¡¯t appropriate, is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing not appropriate,¡± David said. He leaned forward and handed the box to Rachel.


    While opening it, Rachel asked, ¡°Did she especiallye here to give you this gift?¡±


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    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t.¡± There was a sharp glint in David¡¯s deep eyes. He looked up at Rachel and said slowly,


    ¡°She was here for your sake.¡±


    Although David was in Seaxas, he was secretly monitored by the Elders of Aureliana.


    Perhaps news had reached their ears, and Rachel¡¯s existence had attracted their attention. They


    wanted to monitor Rachel, so David simply got rid of all the spies.


    However, David¡¯s actions had made the Elders wary.


    At this moment, Rachel had already opened the box.


    Inside the box was an extremely sharp dagger. Its hilt was engraved with a lion, and its de with


    auspicious clouds.


    What was worth mentioning was that the dagger waspletely ck. Even under the lights, the


    dagger didn¡¯t reveal a glimmer of light.


    It was suitable for assassination in the dark.


    When Rachel heard his words, she raised her eyebrows a little. ¡°It proves that I¡¯m quite charming.¡±


    Marina hade here for Rachel¡¯s sake.


    It seemed that people from Aureliana had already known about Rachel¡¯s rtionship with David.


    ¡°By the way, how are you going to celebrate your birthday?¡± Rachel closed the box again and ced it


    on the table casually. ¡°Are you going back to Aureliana to hold the birthday party?¡±


    She thought that because of David¡¯s status, the birthday party would definitely be very grand.


    After David heard this,plicated emotions surged in the depths of his ck eyes. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I will


    stay with Grandma in Seaxas.¡±


    ¡°Why has Grandma been alone in Seaxas?¡±


    In fact, Rachel had always been curious about this matter. She had thought that it would be a little


    abrupt to suddenly ask David this question. However, this was the right time to ask it, so she asked


    David carefully.


    David nced at her with a faint smile. ¡°They¡¯re at odds.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel heaved a sigh of relief.


    She had just been secretly annoyed at herself for asking a question she shouldn¡¯t have asked.


    ¡°Have you decided when you will go with me?¡± David suddenly changed the topic. The two of them had


    agreed that Rachel would go with David to Aureliana to take a look after she was done with her work.


    However, Arthur had just recovered. Soon, it would be the triennial meeting of the Chamber of


    Commerce. Rachel could not leave for the time being..


    David seemed to sense her dilemma, so he said, ¡°It¡¯s all right. You can give me an answer when you¡¯ve


    made arrangements.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    David and Rachel walked out of the office hand in hand.


    ¡°Miss Grey, your things.¡± Eddie walked forward respectfully and handed the shopping bag to Rachel.


    David noticed the logo on the shopping bag. He raised his eyebrows slightly and asked while knowing


    the answer, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Since you did your best for my maternal grandfather, I bought you a shirt as a token of my


    appreciation,¡± Rachel said as she reached out to take the shopping bag. Then she turned around and


    put it into David¡¯s arms.


    David¡¯s thin lips curled into a smile. He looked like a refined rascal. ¡°You want to bribe me with just a


    shirt, don¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 463

    Chapter 463


    Chapter 463


    ¡°What else can I do?¡± Rachel¡¯s exquisite eyebrows twitched. Her frowns and smiles revealed a hint of


    unknowing charm.


    David stared at her exquisite and beautiful face, and his eyes darkened.


    He held the shopping bag in one hand and wrapped his other hand around her slender waist. He bent


    down slightly and pressed his thin lips against her temple on one side. His warm breath blew against


    her ear as he said deliberately in a deep and cold voice, ¡°Of course, marry me.¡±


    Rachel raised her chin slightly and breathed on his face. She looked like a seductive fairy.


    Just as David was about to bend down and kiss her, she suddenly pushed him away mercilessly and


    said proudly, ¡°You are dreaming!¡±


    With that, she walked straight to the elevator.


    David watched her back as she was leaving. His eyes were dark and unclear, and his thin lips curled


    into an indulgent smile as he followed her unhurriedly.


    Watching the two of them leave one after the other, Billy asked from the bottom of his heart, ¡°Isn¡¯t Miss


    Grey looking down on Mr. Jones too much?¡±


    Eddie nced at Billy with disdain. ¡°What do you know? That¡¯s love!¡±


    Billy didn¡¯t see David enjoying himself so much!


    With David¡¯s identity and status, as long as he moved his hand as a signal, the women in Aureliana


    would want nothing more than to pounce on him like hungry wolves.


    However, David was not interested in those women at all. He hadn¡¯t even given them a look.


    He only had a particr love for Rachel.


    At first, Eddie and Billy had thought that David was just ying with her.


    But now, for the sake of Rachel, David had eliminated all of the spies sent by the Elders in no time.


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    This alone was enough to prove that Rachel¡¯s position in David¡¯s heart was unique.


    Eddie sighed deeply from the bottom of his heart, saying. ¡°Miss Grey¡¯s luck is


    toe.¡±


    After Rachel and David ate something, the car drove them all the way to Sandalwood Hills.


    yet


    On the way, Rachel received a call from Lucas. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I heard from my father that my aunt has been found.¡± Lucas paused for a moment. Even though he


    had never met his aunt before, he knew her ce in Rachel¡¯s heart and was unwilling to mention the


    word ¡°ashes¡± in front of Rachel.


    Rachel¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°When were they found? Where were they found? Who found them?¡±


    Lucas did not know how to answer her three consecutive questions.


    ¡°ording to my dad, it¡¯s Darcy who found them.¡± Lucas chuckled. ¡°Darcy is still as omnipotent as


    before.¡±


    When talking on the phone, Rachel did not deliberately avoid David, so he vaguely heard something.


    David¡¯s eyes darkened and a cold glint shed across them.


    Rachel frowned a little. Her beautiful eyes narrowed as if she was thinking.


    If Rachel had heard such words from Lucas before, she would have thought that Lucas was praising


    Darcy.


    After all, on her path of growth, Darcy had apanied her like a guardian angel.


    He had risked his life for her more than once and taught her many things.


    Logically speaking, Rachel should have believed Darcy without any doubt. However, this time, she


    could not help but have a trace of doubt in her heart.


    How could she not be suspicious that even the Johnson family failed to find anything while Darcy was


    able to find the ashes in such a short time?


    After hanging up, Rachel seemed to beden with worries.


    ¡°Is Darcy one of the people belonging to the Johnson family?¡± David asked.


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember when he appeared in the Johnson family. I only remember


    that he has been by my side all these years and will appear each time I needed him.¡±

 Chapter 464

    Chapter 464


    Chapter 464


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly and, a chill flickered. He lowered his voice and asked, ¡°All the time?¡±


    He guessed they were monitoring Rachel¡¯s movements on the pretext of protecting her.


    ¡°Compared to the practices of other prestigious families, the Johnson family does not have that many


    regtions. However, everyone in the Johnson family had to ab*de by one rule.¡± Rachel felt powerless


    as she enlightened David. ¡°We are not allowed to unt our wealth.¡±


    Although Rachel did not borate, David could easily figure out the reason behind the rule.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The Johnson family had a high profile in Seaxas. Their status and influence were coveted by many. It


    was inevitable that they would target the younger generation of the family.


    Holding the steering wheel with one hand, David cast a nce at Rachel. ¡°Is that why you went to


    study at Pollister?¡±


    Rachel nodded and said evenly, ¡°During that time, Darcy was not only my driver, but he was also


    responsible for my safety. After graduation, Darcy left the Johnson family, but he kept in touch with us


    all these years.¡±


    David did not say anything. However, his eyes hinted at sarcasm.


    Darcy left the Johnson family but remained in contact with the Johnson family.


    This man was a very patient predator.


    When both of them returned to Sandalwood Hills, Rachel went to the bathroom to take a shower.


    After bathing, she saw David standing on the balcony. He was on the phone. He had his back facing


    the bedroom, with one hand on the railing. It was not difficult to detect his detached yet imposing aura.


    Hearing footsteps behind him, David turned around and saw Rachel.


    The moment his gazended on her, the coldness in his eyes seemed to have dissipated. It was


    reced by a rare disy of tenderness.


    Dressed with only a bathrobe, Rachel was wiping her hair dry with a towel.


    As she moved, the loose neckline of the bathrobe parted slightly, revealing her fair skin and delicate


    corbone. They werepletely exposed in front of David.


    David¡¯s eyes darkened as he walked toward Rachel.


    The moment David walked into the bedroom, he could smell the sweet aroma emanating from her


    body. It was as fresh and invigorating as the dewdrops on a blooming rose. The fragrance was


    tempting yet distant.


    He bent down and buried his head in the crook of her neck. Exhaling deeply, he caressed her waist


    with his broad palms, softly pinching her skin through the thin material of her dress. He kissed her


    lightly on her lips.


    At the end of the call, David said without much emotion, ¡°Got it, Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Grandma?¡± Rachel was a little surprised that Old Mrs. Jones was still awake as it was alreadyte into


    the night.


    David said to Rachel, ¡°Marina will be staying for dinner tonight.¡±


    Rachel nodded and walked to the dressing table to apply her skincare regimen.


    Through the mirror, she saw David pick up the shirt she had bought for him that day.


    ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± Rachel asked.


    David raised his eyes and looked at her. He then raised his hands and started unbuttoning his shirt.


    ¡°Er¡­ do you want to excuse yourself?¡± Rachel¡¯s face was flushed crimson.


    She tried to look down, but her gaze instinctivelynded on him.


    Slowly, the buttons became undone.


    As he removed the buttons with one hand, both his chest and abdomen became visible to Rachel. His


    muscles were taut and firm.


    Rachel swallowed hard and only came back to her senses when she noticed that the toner was


    overflowing on her palms.


    Flustered, she ced the bottle on the table and smeared the liquid absently on her face.


    David now understood how many rulers of the past, who were captivated by the beauty of women, lost


    their senses when they were unable to resist their charms.

 Chapter 465

    Chapter 465


    Chapter 465


    When she looked up again, she saw that David was standing in front of her.


    His thin lips curled into a meaningful smile as he looked down at her. There was a certain intensity to


    his ck eyes as if they held a depth of feeling that was


    impossible toprehend.


    Rachel met his eyes and looked down nervously.


    The next second, David grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the bed.


    Before Rachel could react, David pushed her down onto the bed. He got up and pressed against her,


    kissing her lips forcefully.


    As David was holding on to her chin, Rachel could only raise her head to meet hist kisses.


    Her entire body was numb from the kisses. Her head was dizzy, and her hands gripped the fabric on


    his chest as she instinctively responded to his kisses.


    It was not until the two of them werepletely out of breath that they.finally moved away from each


    other.


    Rachel snuggled in his arms. Her cheeks were flushed red, and her lips were slightly parted in a


    panting gasp.


    David bent down and kissed her forehead. He held her hand and moved it down his body slowly. His


    voice was slow and deliberate, with a hint of sultriness. ¡°Help¡±


    me.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Her mind started shing with unspeakable images.


    She was not prepared for his soulful and amoral eyes when she looked up at him. His gaze was dark


    and brooding, and it seemed to seep into her very soul.


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    Rachel took a deep breath and tried to calm down.


    However, the hand that David was holding was clenched into a fist involuntarily.


    She suddenly realized that he was asking her to help him undo the buttons of his shirt.


    Embarrassed, Rachel looked down. Her cheeks turned a rosy hue, the color spreading from her face to


    her ears.


    Sensing her awkwardness, David narrowed his eyes and chuckled. ¡°What did you think it was?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rachel was stunned for a moment. She cleared her throat and looked. straight ahead. ¡°Didn¡¯t


    you ask me to unbutton the shirt?¡±


    David raised his eyebrows slightly. He did not say anything but gave her a knowing look.


    ¡°Can you stand properly? It¡¯s not easy to unbutton the shirt in this position,¡± Rachel said in a low voice.


    David was very cooperative. Supporting his weight with both hands, he stood up from the bed.


    Under his gaze, Rachel reached out to undo the remaining buttons of his shirt. Her hands were


    trembling.


    She noticed his tight abdomen, his sculptured chest muscles, and his well-defined six-packs.


    Rachel felt that if this agony was prolonged, she might not be able to control herself. She peeled her


    eyes away from him with much difficulty.


    It was the longest ten minutes of her life as she saw him change out of his shirt. She finally managed to


    unbutton his shirt.


    ¡°You¡¯re so good at guessing the size of my shirt. Our times spent in bed did not go to waste.¡± David


    looked down at Rachel, whose head was hung low. She was beaming from ear to ear.


    ¡°Now we have to figure out the other sizes.¡± As he spoke, he bent down and used her body weight to


    press onto Rachel again.


    Rachel had been kissed till her head felt dizzy. The moisture in her eyes seemed to be covered with a


    layer of mist.


    After a long while, Rachel looked at David indignantly. ¡°David, I¡¯m tired¡­¡±


    David did not say a word. He merely buried his head in her neck, his hot breath spraying on her neck.


    Pinching the flesh around her waist, every word from his low and husky voice dripped with sensuality.


    ¡°Rae, hang in there for a little longer.¡±

 Chapter 466

    Chapter 466


    Rachel bit her lip and looked at him pitifully. ¡°I really can¡¯t hold on much longer¡­¡±


    David looked down at her.


    Her clear round eyes were covered with ayer of wet mist, looking very innocent. The corners of her


    slightly upturned eyes curved up sensuously.


    David¡¯s eyes darkened as a terrifying thought shed across his mind. He leaned over and kissed her


    on the lips. ¡°Then let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡±


    Rachel was baffled.


    Before she could react, the world spun around her as her face mmed hard against the pillow.


    The lovers entwined in each other¡¯s embrace, lost in a world of their own.


    Exhausted after David¡¯s relentless torment, Rachel allowed him to carry her into the bathroom.


    The next morning, Rachel received a call from Tom. ¡°Rae¨CRae, your mother¡¯s ashes have been found.


    Rachel made a brief sound to express acknowledgment before asking, ¡°When are we going to put them


    to rest?¡±


    ¡°Your grandfather wants to hear your opinion,¡± Tom said. ¡°Do you want to leave them in the same


    cemetery, or do you want to move them to another ce?¡±


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    If someone could steal Sophia¡¯s ashes from the cemetery, it only meant that it was not a safe ce.


    There was no guarantee that the same thing would not happen if they kept her ashes in the same


    cemetery.


    Rachel felt it was best to ce them in another cemetery.


    Pursing her lips, Rachel¡¯s round eyes were filled with a hint of contemtion. ¡°Let¡¯s move to another


    ce.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±


    After hanging up, Mrs. Brown brought some soup to Rachel.


    Rachel picked up the spoon. Her sore wrist trembled uncontrobly.


    ¡°Oh, Miss Grey, your wrist is injured,¡± Mrs. Brown eximed in a low voice.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rachel was stunned for a moment. When she noticed how anxious Mrs. Brown looked, she


    started to flush.


    She cleared her throat andughed dryly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I identally twisted it.¡±


    At this moment, David, who just walked out of the study, suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. She¡¯ll be all right.


    I¡¯ll massage her handter.¡±


    Hearing this, Mrs. Brown sighed. ¡°You young people are always so careless. If you don¡¯t pay attention


    to small injuries, there may be repercussions when you are older. I have ointment that I brought back


    from my hometown in my room. It¡¯s the best treatment for sprains and injuries. I¡¯ll bring it to you now.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Brown, don¡¯t bother. I¡¯m really fine,¡± Rachel exined awkwardly.


    She now understood what it meant when words got stuck in her throat.


    Just then, David let out a guffaw.


    Rachel red at him. She picked up a napkin and threw it at David¡¯s face. ¡°How dare youugh at me!¡±


    ¡°All right, I won¡¯tugh anymore. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Still smiling, David looked at her affectionately.


    After eating, both of them left half an hourter.


    Rachel went to the hospital to visit Arthur in David¡¯s car. When she got out of the car, she realized that


    David had no intention of driving away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to go in and see my grandfather?¡± Rachel looked at David in surprise.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly with a faint smile on his thin lips. ¡°Can I?¡±


    Rachel did not know how to react.


    They knew very well what it meant for the two of them to appear at the hospital at the same time.


    It was not that Rachel did not want to admit their rtionship, but she felt that Arthur had just


    recovered. She was very worried about his health.


    After all, Arthur had been very firm about her engagement to David.


    He was insistent that they break off the engagement.

 Chapter 467

    Chapter 467


    Chapter 467


    David stared at her with a look of understanding.


    He reached out and rubbed his fingers against her face gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I should do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried that we will make Grandpa angry again.¡± Rachel tried to exin.


    She had been chased out of the Grey family ever since her mother died. Not only had she lost the


    person closest to her in the world, but she also lost her home.


    There were not many people she cared about in this world. Arthur was one of them.


    If something happened to her grandfather because of her, Rachel would never be able to forgive


    herself.


    David reached out and pulled her into his arms. He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. ¡°I know


    what to say and what not to say.¡±


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    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Rachel said.


    David nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Both of them then made their way into the private hospital.


    In the quiet corridor of the high-ss ward, one could hear the footsteps of the group.


    Eddie was carrying a fruit basket and various health supplements.


    Not long after, they arrived at the door of Arthur¡¯s ward.


    Rachel turned to look at David. He gestured with a look for her to open the door.


    Taking a deep breath, Rachel pushed the door open.


    They did not see Arthur in the ward. Instead, Tom was sitting on the couch.


    Hearing footsteps, he instinctively looked up.


    The moment he saw Rachel, the cold, hard look in his eyes became soft. ¡°Rae-Rae¡­¡±


    However, before he could finish speaking, he saw David behind her. His


    expression immediately darkened. He did not bother to put on an act and asked curtly, ¡°Mr. Jones, what


    are you doing here?¡±


    Tom greeted David with hostility.


    Rachel looked around the ward and was secretly relieved that Arthur was not present.


    She decided that she would take the opportunity to win her uncle to her side since Arthur was nowhere


    to be seen.


    ¡°Uncle.¡± Rachel walked up to Tom, smiling. She pulled Tom to sit on the couch again. ¡°I wanted to tell


    youter, but I guess it¡¯s the best time now.¡±


    As she spoke, she stood up again and ran to David¡¯s side, holding his arm. ¡°This is David Jones. He¡¯s


    my boyfriend and fianc¨¦ now.¡±


    The moment Rachel said that, a great surge of emotion swept through her.


    So this was how it felt to officially introduce her boyfriend to her family.


    ¡°Rachel!¡± Tom narrowed his eyes and stared at her coldly. He gritted his teeth and suppressed the


    anger. ¡°I dare you to say it again!¡±


    Although he tried his best to restrain himself, there was still irrepressible anger in


    his tone.


    Rachel knew very well that her family was against their rtionship. Not only did she bring him to the


    hospital, she even introduced David to him openly as her boyfriend and fiance.


    Tom wondered if Rachel was trying to p*ss him off.


    Rachel blinked. There was not a single hint of fear in her eyes. ¡°Uncle, I know what you want to say,


    but I¡¯m serious about this.¡±


    Tom snorted and turned to look at David.


    Given David¡¯s status, he was indeed worthy of Rachel, but Tom just could not ept their rtionship.


    He felt that he had been robbed of his treasure.


    He narrowed his eyes and stared at David.


    David met his gaze directly. He still had the same nonchnt attitude, but the sharpness in his eyes


    gave him an air of authority.


    Sensing the tension between the two men, Rachel tried to mediate. ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s have a drink.¡±

 Chapter 468

    Chapter 468


    Chapter 468


    ¡°Why should I have a drink?¡± Tom could tell that Rachel was trying to protect David, and he did not


    want to give in to Rachel. Nevertheless, he took the ss of water from her ¡°Sooner orter, you¡¯ll be


    the death of me.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s almond-shaped eyes flickered with a sly smile. ¡°It¡¯s not good for health to get angry. I¡¯ll peel an


    orange for you. Don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    your


    Seeing how quick-witted Rachel was, Tom could not help but think of Sophia. For reasons unknown,


    his heart started to soften.


    He sighed. It was difficult for him to stay angry with Rachel for long.


    However, there was still one thing on his mind.


    He turned and looked sharply at David. ¡°Mr. Jones, I know you think that you have nothing since you


    have the token from years ago. What if I disapprove of your rtionship?¡±


    ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes shed.


    Before she could finish, Tom raised his hand to stop her from saying further. He raised his chin slightly


    at David, indicating for him to speak.


    David was sitting on a chair with his legs crossed. He leanedzily against the back of the chair and


    ced his hands on his knees. He carried an unwavering gaze that could easily intimidate others,


    conveying a sense of power and control.


    Hearing this, David looked up at Tom impassively.


    His cold, piercing look felt like staring into the depths of a well, with a frigid chill that sent shivers down


    one¡¯s spine. It looked unfathomable and dangerous.


    ¡°What¡¯s the reason for your disapproval?¡±


    David suddenly spoke. There was no emotion in his calm tone, but it inexplicably made one stand in


    attention.


    Tom narrowed his eyes and stared at David intently. A hint of imperceptible fear appeared in the depths


    of his eyes.


    Even with his status and influence, Tom still felt a trace of fear and reverence when he came face-to-


    face with David.


    It was not cowardice but instinctive reverence when facing someone more strong-willed than him.


    After pondering for a long time, Tom said, ¡°With the Johnson family¡¯s current status, even if Rae-Rae


    doesn¡¯t marry you, she won¡¯t starve. She¡¯ll be well-provided for the rest of her life.¡±


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    In other words, Tom meant that the marriage arrangement with the influential


    Jones family from Aureliana was not necessarily the best choice for the Johnson family.


    ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Rachel felt a little uneasy. She was afraid that Tom would demand that they break off the


    engagement.


    Tom noticed the worried look on Rachel¡¯s face. He looked at her intently and said, ¡°Rae-Rae, go to the


    garden to look for your grandfather.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. Of course, she knew that Tom was sending her away deliberately.


    She instinctively looked at David.


    David gave her a look of reassurance. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and finally stood up to leave.


    There was total silence in the hospital ward.


    Tom picked up the ss of water and took a sip. A trace of mockery shed across his eyes. ¡°As far as


    I know, you¡¯re here to break off the engagement.¡±


    His sharp ck eyes swept across David¡¯s face. His deep voice sounded icy as the room seemed to be


    covered with ayer of frost. ¡°With your status and position in society, you can have any woman you


    want in Aureliana. Why do you have to hold on to Rae-Rac?¡±


    Since Rachel refused to break off the engagement, Tom decided to make David do


    SO.


    David¡¯s narrowed eyes shed with a tinge of darkness. His thin lips curled up slightly into a faint smile.


    ¡°Indeed, there are thousands of women in this world, but Rachel is unique. She cannot be reced.


    Nor can anyone imitate her. There is only one Rachel in the world.¡±


    No words could describe his feelings for her.


    He had once regarded feelings as an unnecessary existence in this world and thought that he would


    never be moved by love. However, he realized he was wrong.


    Both of them were so consumed with love.

 Chapter 469

    Chapter 469


    Chapter 469


    Tom looked at David and opened his mouth as if to speak.


    He wanted to say many things, but when confronting David face-to-face, he did not know where to


    begin.


    Within a short period, Tom¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    After a long pause, he finally sorted out his thoughts and said slowly, ¡°Mr. Jones, you should know that


    with your status and situation, you will be putting Rae-Rae¡¯s life in danger if you insist on being with


    her. It¡¯s as good as hurting her.¡±


    He spoke not only out of concern for Rachel, but his words also contained prejudice against David.


    The Johnson family always had misgivings about David and refused to acknowledge the marriage


    arrangement.


    When they found out that David was in Seaxas to break the engagement, both Tom and Arthur were


    secretly relieved.


    They did not expect David to get into a rtionship with Rachel behind their backs. The girl had now


    fallen head over heels in love with David.


    Despite all these, David himself was enough to cause unease to anyone. At the same time, he also


    made many enemies.


    Rachel would have to go back to Aureliana with him if they were in a rtionship.


    What was most worrying was that Rachel not only would not enjoy the close rtionship she yearned


    for but would be subject to a tumultuous time. Worse still, her life might be in danger.


    The Johnson family refused to watch Rachel step into a minefield and do nothing.


    Both men looked at each other intently. Tom viewed David with distrust and prejudice, while David had


    a prating gaze that made it impossible to guess what he was thinking.


    The room fell into a strange silence.


    Then, David spoke in a low and cold voice. ¡°No one can touch her with me around.¡±


    His tone was calm, but the tone was firm and forceful.


    Taken aback, Tom¡¯s pupils dted as he continued to stare at David.


    Normally, he would disregard such ament andugh it off.


    However, David was different.


    He was a decisive and unyielding man. who did not even care about his uncles.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He got to where he was using cold and brutal ways. It was natural for him to reign supreme among


    men.


    However, people like him would not make a promise so easily. Since he said that, he would keep his


    word.


    With him around, no one would dare to touch Rachel¡­


    It was a straightforward sentence, but he was making a gamble with him life.


    Tom gripped the cup tightly in his hands, not knowing what to think of David¡¯s promise.


    After pondering for a long time, Tom spoke again, ¡°Are you determined to marry Rae-Rae? Are you


    sure you won¡¯t regret this no matter what happens?¡±


    It was a simple question, but it carried much weight.


    Hearing this, David raised his eyes and looked at Tom. His thin lips moved slightly, and his tone was


    firm. ¡°No one in this world can make me do anything.¡±


    His deep and mellow voice did not contain any emotion yet Tom could sense his arrogance and


    comcency.


    Tom¡¯s heart sk*pped a beat.


    He suddenly understood why David got to where he was today. His name struck fear in anyone¡¯s heart.


    Regardless of hismanding presence or his imposing aura, anyone would feel intimidated.


    Suddenly, Tom spoke again. ¡°I hope you can keep your word.¡±


    Meanwhile, Rachel was ying chess with Arthur, but her heart was far away.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, you¡¯ve lost again.¡± Arthur yed with the watch in his hand leisurely. He looked at Rachel


    with a meaningful smile.


    Rachel was taken aback for a moment. She subconsciously looked at the chessboard. As expected,


    her chess pieces were not organized at all. She was not focusing on the game at all.

 Chapter 470

    Chapter 470


    Chapter 470


    Rache lowered her eyes and said quietly, ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re so clever.¡±


    ¡°I can see clearly that your heart isn¡¯t on the chess game.¡± Arthur let on a sigh. His deep and mellow


    tone seemed to imply a hidden meaning in his words.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. She pursed her lips and did not say anything.


    Arthur smiled. ¡°Since you have something on your mind, you don¡¯t have to stay here with me.¡±


    ¡°All right then, I¡¯ll leave first,¡± Rachel said.


    Arthur gave her a dismissive wave before reaching for his cup.


    As he sat on the stone bench in the pavilion and watched Rachel leave, his smile gradually faded.


    ¡°Sir, you¡¯re too soft-hearted,¡± Mr. Chadwick said.


    Hearing this, Arthur looked up at Mr. Chadwick and sighed. ¡°How can I not be soft-hearted toward her?¡±


    Arthur watched Rachel grow up all these years. She shared many of her mother¡¯s personality traits.


    There was no way for Arthur to be heart-hearted toward Rachel.


    Mr. Chadwick¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯re all born in different eras. You seem indulgent


    toward Miss Grey.¡±


    Arthur stood up and walked to the river as he said wistfully, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I owe them too much in my


    previous life.¡±


    Just then, a breeze blew past, causing some leaves on the ground to rustle.


    Arthur¡¯s eyes had a troubled look as if he was struggling with conflicting emotions. ¡°Look, a gentle wind


    is blowing.¡±


    Mr. Chadwick was still smiling although his gaze was cold and devoid of emotion. ¡°Yes, a change is in


    the h*rizon.¡±


    Rachel rushed back into the hospital building and walked into the elevator. Just then, David sent her a


    message. [I have some matters to attend to. I¡¯ll leave first. See you tonight.]


    She pursed her lips and quickly typed a reply. [What did you guys talk about?] David replied, [A major


    event in my life.]


    By the time Rachel received his reply, she was already at the door of the hospital ward.


    As soon as she entered the room, she asked Tom, ¡°Uncle, what did you guys talk about just now?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Tom replied calmly.


    There was a hint ofplexity as he looked up at Rachel. ¡°Rae-Rae, are you sure you want to be with


    David?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rachel had a faint smile on her lips. Her almond-shaped eyes flickered with determination. ¡°He


    will soon be your nephew-inw.¡±


    Tom did not say anything. He took out a cigarette and was about to light it when he suddenly


    remembered that they were in the hospital. He had to restrain himself.


    ¡°Have you thought about¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it.¡± Rachel seemed to know what Tom wanted to say. She spoke first. ¡°I know that


    his identity isplex. I also know that it¡¯s going to be dangerous if I am with him, but I won¡¯t regret my


    decision.¡±


    Hearing this, Tom fell silent.


    He wondered if he should tell Rachel what David had offered in return for Tom¡¯s approval of the


    rtionship.


    Earlier, David had agreed to help Tom conclude a multi-million dor deal with some foreign investors.


    He also promised to sponsor the subsequent Seaxas project personally. It was rather infuriating to hear


    him resolve the situation using money as if it did not cost him a cent.


    However, Tom had already epted David¡¯s favors. He could not go back on his word. Now, he had no


    reason to object to them being together.


    Thinking of this, Tom sighed. ¡°Does your grandfather know about your rtionship?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of what to say to him,¡± Rachel answered honestly. ¡°Grandpa¡¯s just recovered. I¡¯m


    worried that he might get angry¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Tom forced a smile. ¡°You actually thought of his health even though you are head over heels in


    love with David.¡±


    ¡°Uncle!¡± Rachel looked at him indignantly.


    Tom said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already decided, I can¡¯t do anything to stop you. Just remember that the


    Johnson family will always be behind you. Never let yourself suffer. Do you understand?¡±


    Rachel grunted in acknowledgment. She stared at Tom and pondered for a moment before asking


    slowly, ¡°Uncle, do you know anything about this? Why does Grandpa insist that I break off the


    engagement?¡±


    Chapter 471


    This question had bothered Rachel for the longest time.


    It was true that the more one could not get an answer, the more persistent one


    was.


    Regardless of Arthur or Tom, they always had a hesitant look whenever they mentioned the


    engagement. This made Rachel even more curious.


    When Tom heard this, he raised his eyebrows slightly. He picked up the ss of water on the table and


    replied perfunctorily, ¡°Your mother was the one who arranged this engagement. I don¡¯t know the details.


    Besides, didn¡¯t you say in the past that you were worried that you won¡¯t be happy if you got married¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Rachel interrupted him. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, I won¡¯t ask any further.¡±


    She was not a three-year-old child. How could she not know that it was just his excuse not to answer


    her question?


    Tom looked at her. His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something.


    In the end, he chose not to say anything. He drank the water of water in one gulp. Just as the two of


    them fell into silence, they heard Arthur¡¯s voice from outside the ward.


    Exchanging looks, Rachel and Tom stood up and walked toward the door.


    When they came out, they saw Arthur talking to a man.


    The man was in his fifties. He was wearing a suit, and his eyes looked sharp. ¡°This is Sam Turner. He¡¯s


    the person in charge of the Chamber of Commerce. He was appointed to the position two years ago,¡±


    Tom whispered to Rachel.


    Given the Johnson family¡¯s status in Seaxas, every incumbent head of the Chamber of Commerce had


    to visit Arthur as soon as he was appointed.


    Despite his age, Arthur was still the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.


    Of course, Sam had to pay him a courtesy visit.


    Although he was talking to Arthur, he was observant enough to notice Rachel¡¯s


    presence.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± He looked at Rachel scrutinizing, her subtly from top to bottom.


    Arthur gestured for Rachel to go over. ¡°This is my granddaughter, Rachel Grey. She has been studying


    overseas.¡±


    He then turned to Rachel. ¡°Rae-Rae, this is Sam.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Sam.¡± Rachel nodded slightly. Her demeanor was self-assured yet not arrogant.


    Sam had long heard of the heiress of the Johnson family, who was known as Miss Grey.


    Although Rachel took on her father¡¯s surname, all the men in the Johnson family doted on her,


    showering her with much love and attention.


    When Sam saw how pretty Rachel was, he finally understood why the Johnson family regarded her as


    the apple of their eyes and kept her away from the public


    eye.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Grey. Nice to meet you.¡± Sam took a step forward and extended his hand to Rachel.


    Rachel shook his hand lightly.


    The group then walked into the ward, chatting about the meeting that was to be held at the Chamber of


    Commerce in a week.


    Arthur told Sam he would be attending the meeting with Rachel.


    Sam was thrilled to hear that.


    As he left, he suddenly looked at Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey, have we met somewhere before?¡±


    As soon as he said this, not only was Rachel caught by surprise, but Arthur and Tom also gave Sam a


    puzzled look.


    Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Sam smiled sheepishly. ¡°I probably mistook you for someone else.


    He then left after bidding them farewell.


    Soon after, Rachel also left the hospital.


    As she stepped into the elevator, someone bumped hard into her.


    The incident did not bother Rachel at all.


    She only realized that her phone was missing when she reached the parking lot.


    Chapter 472


    Rachel thought of the person who bumped into her earlier, and a cold glint shed across her eyes.


    ¡°Miss Grey.¡± Rachel heard a familiar voice call out to her from behind.


    Rachel turned around and saw Darcy.


    She said in surprise, ¡°Darcy,¡±


    ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± Darcy walked forward and handed the phone to Rachel.


    When Rachel saw the phone, her eyes flickered slightly. She then broke into a smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She took the phone and asked casually, ¡°Where did you find it?¡±


    Darcy said with a deadpan expression, ¡°I saw what happen by coincidence.¡± Coincidence again.


    Darcy noticed the indifference in Rachel¡¯s eyes. He lowered his eyes to hide his self-deprecating


    expression. ¡°Miss Grey, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Rachel watched Darcy leave in silence.


    She knew that she should not have doubted Darcy.


    However, after what had happened recently, it was difficult for her not to suspect that Darcy had other


    motives.


    Even if she disregarded the pickpocket¡¯s motive, she would have expected the person to have fled the


    scene immediately. How could Darcy have caught up with him and sn*tched the phone back from him?


    Unless Darcy knew the other party¡¯s intentions right from the start.


    If everything was as she had expected, then what had Darcy protected her from harm all these years?


    Soon, the driver pulled up in front to pick up Rachel.


    Rachel got into the car immediately. As she looked up at the gradually thickening night sky, her


    almond-shaped eyes were filled with contemtion.


    After dark, the city of Seaxas was transformed into a colorful and dynamic yground for partygoers.


    Darcy drove straight to a bar.


    The bar exuded an atmosphere of romance, with dim lighting and plush, opulent__ decor that set the


    mood for intimacy.


    The crowd on the dance floor was a writhing mass of bodies pulsing to the beat of the music.


    asionally, their bodies would inadvertently brush against each other as they exchanged amorous


    nces. They were moving to the music with carefree abandon.


    Darcy looked indifferently at the crowd as he walked steadily toward the elevator.


    When the man at the bar counter saw Darcy, he immediately picked up inte.


    the


    However, before he could say anything, Darcy pinned him down on the bar counter using his body


    weight.


    As the man instinctively moved his hand to his waist, he heard Darcy speak in a calm voice, ¡°This is


    Seaxas. I advise you not to act rashly. Otherwise, even Boss won¡¯t be able to save you.¡±


    Hearing this, the man gritted his teeth and red indignantly at Darcy.


    ¡°Are you going to invite me in, or should I go in myself?¡± Darcy asked coldly as he spoke into the


    inte.


    The man on the other end of the phone chuckled and gave the man with the buzz-cut a sidelong


    nce.


    Not long after, the man with the buzz-cut walked out of a thick wooden door. He turned slightly and


    made a gesture for Darcy to follow him.


    Darcy snorted coldly and walked straight toward the wooden door.


    The man with the buzz-cut frowned as he watched Darcy walk past him.


    He was impressed at Darcy¡¯s resourcefulness.


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    Darcy had found their hiding ce without much difficulty. The ce, which used to be a dock, had


    been transformed into a bar.


    There was nothing Darcy could not do.


    In the dark corridor, Darcy walked straight to the innermost private room.


    The door swung open. Hell¡¯s crossed legs were resting on the corner of the table. He held a dart in his


    hand and stabbed it at the man on the wall.


    The man was so brutally beaten that his face was unrecognizable. He stared in fear at the darts


    directed at him, and his entire body trembled uncontrobly. His hands and feet were tied up, and he


    had nowhere to escape.


    ¡°Since you¡¯vee to look for me, you¡¯ve saved me the trouble of looking for you.¡± Hell said, thrusting


    a dart into the ear of the man.


    The man howled in pain as blood flowed from his ear.


    Darcy nced at Hell indifferently. He then pulled out a chair and sat in front of


    Chapter 473


    Hell gave the man with the buzz cut a look.


    The man with the buzz cut understood Hell¡¯s instructions immediately and took the man tied to the


    board away with two others. He then closed the door of the private room.


    Only the two men were left in the private room.


    Darcy went straight to the point and warned Hell, ¡°I¡¯m cautioning you. Leave her alone!¡±


    ¡°Most people say that dogs are the most loyal animals in the world, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Hell raised his eyes, revealing a coldness. The corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile, hinting at


    evil. ¡°Or have you had a change of heart after getting a facelift?¡±


    Hearing this, Darcy¡¯s eyes suddenly looked dangerously hostile. He stared at Hell intensely. ¡°You


    should be d that I¡¯ve changed my facial appearance. Otherwise, do you think you will still be alive?¡±


    Hellzily leaned back in his seat, his left hand supporting his temple. His right hand was fiddling a ring.


    ¡°Why is it that I prefer to see you kill people with no regard for their lives?¡±


    If this was the case, he would be able to win Darcy to his side.


    Darcy was once known as the Shadow, who was a cold-blooded and ruthless killer. He was an


    execellent assasin.


    It was a pity that Darcy had now stopped killing because of a woman.


    ¡°Cut the cr*p.¡± Darcy¡¯s voice was harsh and icy. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from doing what you want to do, but


    just leave her alone. You know what I¡¯m capable of.¡±


    Hell narrowed his eyes and gave a half-smile. There was a hint of evil in the corners of his eyes. ¡°Tell


    me who that woman is.¡±


    Darcy frowned. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should have a look at this,¡± Hell handed a document to Darcy.


    Darcy stared at him with a burning gaze. He then lowered his eyes and looked at the document.


    It was a gic tast report.


    Darcy now understood why Hell sent someone to steal Sophia¡¯s ashes earlier.


    Darcy¡¯s pupils dted as his heart sk*pped a beat.


    Hell took in the change in Darcy¡¯s expression, and his smile widened. ¡°I


    discovered something even more interesting while I was investigating this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Darcy interrupted him coldly. He looked up at Hell and said, ¡°This matter ends here.


    Stop investigating.¡±


    ¡°Tell me who this woman is.¡± Hell¡¯s smile faded a little, and a cold light flickered in his eyes.


    Darcy looked at him and said calmly, ¡°She¡¯s Miss Grey from the Johnson family. Her name is Rachel


    Grey.¡±


    Hell chuckled, and the smirk on his face disappeared. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say a thing.¡±


    ¡°Shadow, don¡¯t forget who your real boss is.¡±


    ¡°Shadow has been loyal to only one person all his life. What right do you have to warn me?¡± Darcy


    looked at him disdainfully.


    Hell gripped his ring tightly and gritted his teeth. He red at Darcy with bloodshot eyes.


    Suddenly, he let out a guffaw. ¡°Not long ago, you fought with me over that woman¡¯s ashes. Today, you


    hurt my men and sna tched my phone away. Rachel and the Johnson family are already suspicious of


    you. Why do you still want to protect her?¡±


    Darcy knew better than anyone that what he did would make them suspicious.


    He had watched Rachel grow up. He knew what every single look on her face


    meant.


    Nevertheless, he wanted to take a gamble.


    He banked on the years of friendship with Rachel that she would not doubt him.


    Darcy raised his eyes and looked at Hell calmly. ¡°Whose instructions do you think I¡¯m following to


    protect her?¡±


    He picked up the gic test and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. I won¡¯t stop you from doing what you want


    to do, but leave Miss Grey alone.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he took out a lighter and ced it near the report. He then turned to


    leave after tossing the document into the ashtray.


    Chapter 474


    After Old Mr. Johnson was discharged from the hospital, Rachel had been staying at Johnson¡¯s


    Mansion.


    It was already ten o¡¯clock. If it wasn¡¯t for this, Rachel would definitely have gone to bed at this hour.


    However, when she remembered what her maternal grandfather had said to her at the study today, she


    was immediately wide awake.


    She tossed and turned in bed when she suddenly received a text from David. ¡°Are you asleep?¡±


    Rachel turned around andy on the bed. His fingertips tapped quickly on the keyboard as she replied,


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    The next second, David sent a photo.


    No one was more familiar with the background of this photo than Rachel was.


    She quickly jumped out of bed, grabbed a thin jacket, and rushed out of her


    room.


    She was in such a hurry that she almost bumped into Ms. Wright, who was holding a ss of warm


    milk. ¡°Miss Grey, where are you going sote at night?¡±


    ¡°Outside for some fresh air,¡± Rachel said before disappearing from Ms. Wright¡¯s sight.


    It had always been chilly at night in Seaxas in the autumn.


    Rachel took a sightseeing tram to the entrance of Johnson¡¯s Mansion.


    She noticed David standing under the streetmp at first nce.


    He was wearing a ck suit and was almost blending into the night behind him.


    He stood motionless like a Greek sculpture, exuding an unconceble aura of nobility.


    His facial features were well-defined and deep, like an exceptional piece of G*d¡¯s creation. His every


    subtle action could show his emotions to the extreme.


    The two of them had only not seen each other for a few days, but Rachel felt as if it had been a few


    years already.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes curved into a smile as she quickly ran towards him.


    The moment David saw Rachel, the coldness in his eyes quickly resolved into a gentle smile. ¡°Slow


    down.¡±


    Rachel pounced into his arms and raised her head to kiss his chin. Her beautiful eyes were glistening.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t hurry up, what if another girl seduces you and


    takes you away from me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one for me.¡± David¡¯s palmnded on her slender waist. ¡°Why are you still up?¡±


    Rachel leaned against David¡¯s chest and sensitively smelled an unusual scent on him.


    It was the smell of blood.


    Even his cologne couldn¡¯tpletely cover the smell of blood.


    Could it be that he was injured?


    Her brows furrowed imperceptibly as she buried her face in his chest and sniffed harder, just to confirm


    her guess.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Chamber of Commerce tomorrow. My maternal grandfather asked me to talk to him,¡±


    Rachel answered absentmindedly.


    David sensed her intentions, but he did not stop her. Instead, he stretched out a well-defined finger and


    lifted her chin. His dark eyes stared at her without blinking, and his thin lips curled into a meaningful


    smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been sniffing for a long time. What did you smell?¡±


    Seeing that her intentions were seen through, Rachel did not panic at all. She looked at him calmly and


    said, ¡°The smell of blood.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± David asked.


    Rachel held his hand and rubbed her face against his palm like a kitten. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m so afraid of you.¡±


    Although she said that she was afraid, her eyes did not change at all.


    David¡¯s dark eyes were filled withplicated emotions. ¡°Rachel, you can go back on your words¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Rachel h**ked her fingertips around his cor, stood on her tiptoes,


    raised her head, and kissed him on the lips.


    After the kiss, Rachel looked at him. ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    David looked down at her. There was a faint trace of warmth in his bottomless eyes. ¡°Yes.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he bent down and kissed Rachel again.


    Chapter 475


    After a long time, David finally let go of her.


    He looked down at the woman in his arms who was panting heavily. His dark eyes were filled with


    undisguised dominance and lust. ¡°Since you¡¯ve made your choice, there¡¯s no going back on it.¡±


    His tone was light and casual, but every word he said made Rachel¡¯s heart flutter.


    She raised her eyes slightly and looked at him as she asked softly, ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    David shook his head and asked calmly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me what I did tonight?¡±


    Rachel paused for a moment, and the corners of her mouth curled into a faint smile. ¡°No matter what


    you did, it must be the other party¡¯s fault.¡±


    David looked down at her. Her beautiful eyes were watery. They looked even more dazzling than the


    stars in the night sky. It warmed his heart to know that she was always biased toward him for no reason


    whatsoever.


    He gulped and tightened his hold around her waist instinctively, before bending down again to kiss her


    deeply.


    The warm light from the streetmp shone on the couple, casting shadows of their ovepping figures


    on the ground.


    Eddie Brook, who was standing in front of the car, silently lowered his gaze.


    He wanted to ask if watching couples getting all lovey-dovey in front of him was considered a work


    injury.


    Ouch.


    It was not until Rachel was dizzy and her tongue felt numb from their kiss that he finally let go of her.


    She leaned against his chest weakly, her fingers h**ked around his tie. Her cold voice was tinged with a


    trace of gentleness she was not aware of. ¡°Can you tell me what happened tonight?¡±


    Ever since they met, David had always been patient and restrained and paid attention to propriety. She


    knew that David would never harm others if it weren¡¯t for special circumstances.


    David rubbed behind her sensitive ear without thinking. His low and husky voice slowly rang in her ear.


    ¡°They were just a group of clowns.¡±


    ¡°Was it Marina Jones, or¡­ Hiss¡­¡± Rachel couldn¡¯t help but gasp in mid-sentence. David bit down on


    her earlobe.


    Rachel¡¯s body suddenly stiffened, and her fingers that were hooked around his tie tightened.


    He sucked on her earlobe, his deep voice tinged with lust. ¡°I really want to take you away tonight.¡±


    Unfortunately, tonight was not the time.


    He stood up and distanced himself from her. A vicious look shed across his eyes. He gently wiped


    the stains on her earlobe with his fingertips and brushed his fingers against her cheek. ¡°Go home and


    rest early.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly and looked at him with a serious expression. ¡°David, I¡¯m not as weak as you


    think. I don¡¯t have to hide under your protection. You can¡¯ follow your own pace and I¡¯ll try my best to


    catch up to you and prove to everyone that I¡¯m the only match for you!¡±


    David stared at her without blinking. His eyes gradually softened. ¡°I know, but I won¡¯t leave you behind.¡±


    He knew that Rachel wanted a love that was evenly matched, instead of simply hiding under his


    protection.


    He was willing to fulfill Rachel¡¯s wish, but he would never leave Rachel behind and advance alone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one in this world can hurt me, except you.¡± David¡¯s fingertips caressed her cheek


    lovingly. He bent down and nted a gentle kiss on her lips. ¡°Be good and go home.¡±


    His short words sounded both like an order and a loving reminder. She could never resist him.


    Rachel turned and left, disappearing from David¡¯s sight.


    David stood on the spot and watched as the door of Johnson¡¯s Mansion slowly closed. The gentleness


    in his eyes faded and was gradually reced by a murderous aura. ¡°Send the people we caught


    tonight to the old men!¡±


    Eddie¡¯s heart sk*pped a beat as he hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

 Chapter 471

    Chapter 471


    Chapter 471


    This question had bothered Rachel for the longest time.


    It was true that the more one could not get an answer, the more persistent one


    was.


    Regardless of Arthur or Tom, they always had a hesitant look whenever they mentioned the


    engagement. This made Rachel even more curious.


    When Tom heard this, he raised his eyebrows slightly. He picked up the ss of water on the table and


    replied perfunctorily, ¡°Your mother was the one who arranged this engagement. I don¡¯t know the details.


    Besides, didn¡¯t you say in the past that you were worried that you won¡¯t be happy if you got married¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Rachel interrupted him. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, I won¡¯t ask any further.¡±


    She was not a three-year-old child. How could she not know that it was just his excuse not to answer


    her question?


    Tom looked at her. His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something.


    In the end, he chose not to say anything. He drank the water of water in one gulp. Just as the two of


    them fell into silence, they heard Arthur¡¯s voice from outside the ward.


    Exchanging looks, Rachel and Tom stood up and walked toward the door.


    When they came out, they saw Arthur talking to a man.


    The man was in his fifties. He was wearing a suit, and his eyes looked sharp. ¡°This is Sam Turner. He¡¯s


    the person in charge of the Chamber of Commerce. He was appointed to the position two years ago,¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Tom whispered to Rachel.


    Given the Johnson family¡¯s status in Seaxas, every incumbent head of the Chamber of Commerce had


    to visit Arthur as soon as he was appointed.


    Despite his age, Arthur was still the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.


    Of course, Sam had to pay him a courtesy visit.


    Although he was talking to Arthur, he was observant enough to notice Rachel¡¯s


    presence.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± He looked at Rachel scrutinizing, her subtly from top to bottom.


    Arthur gestured for Rachel to go over. ¡°This is my granddaughter, Rachel Grey. She has been studying


    overseas.¡±


    He then turned to Rachel. ¡°Rae-Rae, this is Sam.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Sam.¡± Rachel nodded slightly. Her demeanor was self-assured yet not arrogant.


    Sam had long heard of the heiress of the Johnson family, who was known as Miss Grey.


    Although Rachel took on her father¡¯s surname, all the men in the Johnson family doted on her,


    showering her with much love and attention.


    When Sam saw how pretty Rachel was, he finally understood why the Johnson family regarded her as


    the apple of their eyes and kept her away from the public


    eye.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Grey. Nice to meet you.¡± Sam took a step forward and extended his hand to Rachel.


    Rachel shook his hand lightly.


    The group then walked into the ward, chatting about the meeting that was to be held at the Chamber of


    Commerce in a week.


    Arthur told Sam he would be attending the meeting with Rachel.


    Sam was thrilled to hear that.


    As he left, he suddenly looked at Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey, have we met somewhere before?¡±


    As soon as he said this, not only was Rachel caught by surprise, but Arthur and Tom also gave Sam a


    puzzled look.


    Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Sam smiled sheepishly. ¡°I probably mistook you for someone else.


    He then left after bidding them farewell.


    Soon after, Rachel also left the hospital.


    As she stepped into the elevator, someone bumped hard into her.


    The incident did not bother Rachel at all.


    She only realized that her phone was missing when she reached the parking lot.

 Chapter 472

    Chapter 472


    Chapter 472


    Rachel thought of the person who bumped into her earlier, and a cold glint shed across her eyes.


    ¡°Miss Grey.¡± Rachel heard a familiar voice call out to her from behind.


    Rachel turned around and saw Darcy.


    She said in surprise, ¡°Darcy,¡±


    ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± Darcy walked forward and handed the phone to Rachel.


    When Rachel saw the phone, her eyes flickered slightly. She then broke into a smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She took the phone and asked casually, ¡°Where did you find it?¡±


    Darcy said with a deadpan expression, ¡°I saw what happen by coincidence.¡± Coincidence again.


    Darcy noticed the indifference in Rachel¡¯s eyes. He lowered his eyes to hide his self-deprecating


    expression. ¡°Miss Grey, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Rachel watched Darcy leave in silence.


    She knew that she should not have doubted Darcy.


    However, after what had happened recently, it was difficult for her not to suspect that Darcy had other


    motives.


    Even if she disregarded the pickpocket¡¯s motive, she would have expected the person to have fled the


    scene immediately. How could Darcy have caught up with him and sn*tched the phone back from him?


    Unless Darcy knew the other party¡¯s intentions right from the start.


    If everything was as she had expected, then what had Darcy protected her from harm all these years?


    Soon, the driver pulled up in front to pick up Rachel.


    Rachel got into the car immediately. As she looked up at the gradually thickening night sky, her


    almond-shaped eyes were filled with contemtion.


    After dark, the city of Seaxas was transformed into a colorful and dynamic yground for partygoers.


    Darcy drove straight to a bar.


    The bar exuded an atmosphere of romance, with dim lighting and plush, opulent__ decor that set the


    mood for intimacy.


    The crowd on the dance floor was a writhing mass of bodies pulsing to the beat of the music.


    asionally, their bodies would inadvertently brush against each other as they exchanged amorous


    nces. They were moving to the music with carefree abandon.


    Darcy looked indifferently at the crowd as he walked steadily toward the elevator.


    When the man at the bar counter saw Darcy, he immediately picked up inte.


    the


    However, before he could say anything, Darcy pinned him down on the bar counter using his body


    weight.


    As the man instinctively moved his hand to his waist, he heard Darcy speak in a calm voice, ¡°This is


    Seaxas. I advise you not to act rashly. Otherwise, even Boss won¡¯t be able to save you.¡±


    Hearing this, the man gritted his teeth and red indignantly at Darcy.


    ¡°Are you going to invite me in, or should I go in myself?¡± Darcy asked coldly as he spoke into the


    inte.


    The man on the other end of the phone chuckled and gave the man with the buzz-cut a sidelong


    nce.


    Not long after, the man with the buzz-cut walked out of a thick wooden door. He turned slightly and


    made a gesture for Darcy to follow him.


    Darcy snorted coldly and walked straight toward the wooden door.


    The man with the buzz-cut frowned as he watched Darcy walk past him.


    He was impressed at Darcy¡¯s resourcefulness.


    Darcy had found their hiding ce without much difficulty. The ce, which used to be a dock, had


    been transformed into a bar.


    There was nothing Darcy could not do.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In the dark corridor, Darcy walked straight to the innermost private room.


    The door swung open. Hell¡¯s crossed legs were resting on the corner of the table. He held a dart in his


    hand and stabbed it at the man on the wall.


    The man was so brutally beaten that his face was unrecognizable. He stared in fear at the darts


    directed at him, and his entire body trembled uncontrobly. His hands and feet were tied up, and he


    had nowhere to escape.


    ¡°Since you¡¯vee to look for me, you¡¯ve saved me the trouble of looking for you.¡± Hell said, thrusting


    a dart into the ear of the man.


    The man howled in pain as blood flowed from his ear.


    Darcy nced at Hell indifferently. He then pulled out a chair and sat in front of

 Chapter 473

    Chapter 473


    Chapter 473


    Hell gave the man with the buzz cut a look.


    The man with the buzz cut understood Hell¡¯s instructions immediately and took the man tied to the


    board away with two others. He then closed the door of the private room.


    Only the two men were left in the private room.


    Darcy went straight to the point and warned Hell, ¡°I¡¯m cautioning you. Leave her alone!¡±


    ¡°Most people say that dogs are the most loyal animals in the world, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Hell raised his eyes, revealing a coldness. The corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile, hinting at


    evil. ¡°Or have you had a change of heart after getting a facelift?¡±


    Hearing this, Darcy¡¯s eyes suddenly looked dangerously hostile. He stared at Hell intensely. ¡°You


    should be d that I¡¯ve changed my facial appearance. Otherwise, do you think you will still be alive?¡±


    Hellzily leaned back in his seat, his left hand supporting his temple. His right hand was fiddling a ring.


    ¡°Why is it that I prefer to see you kill people with no regard for their lives?¡±


    If this was the case, he would be able to win Darcy to his side.


    Darcy was once known as the Shadow, who was a cold-blooded and ruthless killer. He was an


    execellent assasin.


    It was a pity that Darcy had now stopped killing because of a woman.


    ¡°Cut the cr*p.¡± Darcy¡¯s voice was harsh and icy. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from doing what you want to do, but


    just leave her alone. You know what I¡¯m capable of.¡±


    Hell narrowed his eyes and gave a half-smile. There was a hint of evil in the corners of his eyes. ¡°Tell


    me who that woman is.¡±


    Darcy frowned. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should have a look at this,¡± Hell handed a document to Darcy.


    Darcy stared at him with a burning gaze. He then lowered his eyes and looked at the document.


    It was a gic tast report.


    Darcy now understood why Hell sent someone to steal Sophia¡¯s ashes earlier.


    Darcy¡¯s pupils dted as his heart sk*pped a beat.


    Hell took in the change in Darcy¡¯s expression, and his smile widened. ¡°I


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    discovered something even more interesting while I was investigating this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Darcy interrupted him coldly. He looked up at Hell and said, ¡°This matter ends here.


    Stop investigating.¡±


    ¡°Tell me who this woman is.¡± Hell¡¯s smile faded a little, and a cold light flickered in his eyes.


    Darcy looked at him and said calmly, ¡°She¡¯s Miss Grey from the Johnson family. Her name is Rachel


    Grey.¡±


    Hell chuckled, and the smirk on his face disappeared. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say a thing.¡±


    ¡°Shadow, don¡¯t forget who your real boss is.¡±


    ¡°Shadow has been loyal to only one person all his life. What right do you have to warn me?¡± Darcy


    looked at him disdainfully.


    Hell gripped his ring tightly and gritted his teeth. He red at Darcy with bloodshot eyes.


    Suddenly, he let out a guffaw. ¡°Not long ago, you fought with me over that woman¡¯s ashes. Today, you


    hurt my men and sna tched my phone away. Rachel and the Johnson family are already suspicious of


    you. Why do you still want to protect her?¡±


    Darcy knew better than anyone that what he did would make them suspicious.


    He had watched Rachel grow up. He knew what every single look on her face


    meant.


    Nevertheless, he wanted to take a gamble.


    He banked on the years of friendship with Rachel that she would not doubt him.


    Darcy raised his eyes and looked at Hell calmly. ¡°Whose instructions do you think I¡¯m following to


    protect her?¡±


    He picked up the gic test and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. I won¡¯t stop you from doing what you want


    to do, but leave Miss Grey alone.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he took out a lighter and ced it near the report. He then turned to


    leave after tossing the document into the ashtray.

 Chapter 474

    Chapter 474


    Chapter 474


    After Old Mr. Johnson was discharged from the hospital, Rachel had been staying at Johnson¡¯s


    Mansion.


    It was already ten o¡¯clock. If it wasn¡¯t for this, Rachel would definitely have gone to bed at this hour.


    However, when she remembered what her maternal grandfather had said to her at the study today, she


    was immediately wide awake.


    She tossed and turned in bed when she suddenly received a text from David. ¡°Are you asleep?¡±


    Rachel turned around andy on the bed. His fingertips tapped quickly on the keyboard as she replied,


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    The next second, David sent a photo.


    No one was more familiar with the background of this photo than Rachel was.


    She quickly jumped out of bed, grabbed a thin jacket, and rushed out of her


    room.


    She was in such a hurry that she almost bumped into Ms. Wright, who was holding a ss of warm


    milk. ¡°Miss Grey, where are you going sote at night?¡±


    ¡°Outside for some fresh air,¡± Rachel said before disappearing from Ms. Wright¡¯s sight.


    It had always been chilly at night in Seaxas in the autumn.


    Rachel took a sightseeing tram to the entrance of Johnson¡¯s Mansion.


    She noticed David standing under the streetmp at first nce.


    He was wearing a ck suit and was almost blending into the night behind him.


    He stood motionless like a Greek sculpture, exuding an unconceble aura of nobility.


    His facial features were well-defined and deep, like an exceptional piece of G*d¡¯s creation. His every


    subtle action could show his emotions to the extreme.


    The two of them had only not seen each other for a few days, but Rachel felt as if it had been a few


    years already.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes curved into a smile as she quickly ran towards him.


    The moment David saw Rachel, the coldness in his eyes quickly resolved into a gentle smile. ¡°Slow


    down.¡±


    Rachel pounced into his arms and raised her head to kiss his chin. Her beautiful eyes were glistening.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t hurry up, what if another girl seduces you and


    takes you away from me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one for me.¡± David¡¯s palmnded on her slender waist. ¡°Why are you still up?¡±


    Rachel leaned against David¡¯s chest and sensitively smelled an unusual scent on him.


    It was the smell of blood.


    Even his cologne couldn¡¯tpletely cover the smell of blood.


    Could it be that he was injured?Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her brows furrowed imperceptibly as she buried her face in his chest and sniffed harder, just to confirm


    her guess.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Chamber of Commerce tomorrow. My maternal grandfather asked me to talk to him,¡±


    Rachel answered absentmindedly.


    David sensed her intentions, but he did not stop her. Instead, he stretched out a well-defined finger and


    lifted her chin. His dark eyes stared at her without blinking, and his thin lips curled into a meaningful


    smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been sniffing for a long time. What did you smell?¡±


    Seeing that her intentions were seen through, Rachel did not panic at all. She looked at him calmly and


    said, ¡°The smell of blood.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± David asked.


    Rachel held his hand and rubbed her face against his palm like a kitten. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m so afraid of you.¡±


    Although she said that she was afraid, her eyes did not change at all.


    David¡¯s dark eyes were filled withplicated emotions. ¡°Rachel, you can go back on your words¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Rachel h**ked her fingertips around his cor, stood on her tiptoes,


    raised her head, and kissed him on the lips.


    After the kiss, Rachel looked at him. ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    David looked down at her. There was a faint trace of warmth in his bottomless eyes. ¡°Yes.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he bent down and kissed Rachel again.

 Chapter 475

    Chapter 475


    Chapter 475


    After a long time, David finally let go of her.


    He looked down at the woman in his arms who was panting heavily. His dark eyes were filled with


    undisguised dominance and lust. ¡°Since you¡¯ve made your choice, there¡¯s no going back on it.¡±


    His tone was light and casual, but every word he said made Rachel¡¯s heart flutter.


    She raised her eyes slightly and looked at him as she asked softly, ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    David shook his head and asked calmly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me what I did tonight?¡±


    Rachel paused for a moment, and the corners of her mouth curled into a faint smile. ¡°No matter what


    you did, it must be the other party¡¯s fault.¡±


    David looked down at her. Her beautiful eyes were watery. They looked even more dazzling than the


    stars in the night sky. It warmed his heart to know that she was always biased toward him for no reason


    whatsoever.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He gulped and tightened his hold around her waist instinctively, before bending down again to kiss her


    deeply.


    The warm light from the streetmp shone on the couple, casting shadows of their ovepping figures


    on the ground.


    Eddie Brook, who was standing in front of the car, silently lowered his gaze.


    He wanted to ask if watching couples getting all lovey-dovey in front of him was considered a work


    injury.


    Ouch.


    It was not until Rachel was dizzy and her tongue felt numb from their kiss that he finally let go of her.


    She leaned against his chest weakly, her fingers h**ked around his tie. Her cold voice was tinged with a


    trace of gentleness she was not aware of. ¡°Can you tell me what happened tonight?¡±


    Ever since they met, David had always been patient and restrained and paid attention to propriety. She


    knew that David would never harm others if it weren¡¯t for special circumstances.


    David rubbed behind her sensitive ear without thinking. His low and husky voice slowly rang in her ear.


    ¡°They were just a group of clowns.¡±


    ¡°Was it Marina Jones, or¡­ Hiss¡­¡± Rachel couldn¡¯t help but gasp in mid-sentence. David bit down on


    her earlobe.


    Rachel¡¯s body suddenly stiffened, and her fingers that were hooked around his tie tightened.


    He sucked on her earlobe, his deep voice tinged with lust. ¡°I really want to take you away tonight.¡±


    Unfortunately, tonight was not the time.


    He stood up and distanced himself from her. A vicious look shed across his eyes. He gently wiped


    the stains on her earlobe with his fingertips and brushed his fingers against her cheek. ¡°Go home and


    rest early.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly and looked at him with a serious expression. ¡°David, I¡¯m not as weak as you


    think. I don¡¯t have to hide under your protection. You can¡¯ follow your own pace and I¡¯ll try my best to


    catch up to you and prove to everyone that I¡¯m the only match for you!¡±


    David stared at her without blinking. His eyes gradually softened. ¡°I know, but I won¡¯t leave you behind.¡±


    He knew that Rachel wanted a love that was evenly matched, instead of simply hiding under his


    protection.


    He was willing to fulfill Rachel¡¯s wish, but he would never leave Rachel behind and advance alone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one in this world can hurt me, except you.¡± David¡¯s fingertips caressed her cheek


    lovingly. He bent down and nted a gentle kiss on her lips. ¡°Be good and go home.¡±


    His short words sounded both like an order and a loving reminder. She could never resist him.


    Rachel turned and left, disappearing from David¡¯s sight.


    David stood on the spot and watched as the door of Johnson¡¯s Mansion slowly closed. The gentleness


    in his eyes faded and was gradually reced by a murderous aura. ¡°Send the people we caught


    tonight to the old men!¡±


    Eddie¡¯s heart sk*pped a beat as he hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

 Chapter 476

    Chapter 476


    Chapter 476


    David turned and got into the car. At the same time, he ordered again, ¡°Send someone to keep an eye


    on Marina Jones!¡±


    In the car, Billy Jones replied, ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    What happened tonight was really strange.


    Miss Grey¡¯s existence should have beenpletely hidden. No one knew how the news got leaked.


    They had actually found out about Miss Grey¡¯s identity and secretly set up an ambush in Johnson¡¯s


    Mansion.


    However, what Billy found most unbelievable was that David had personally executed those involved.


    All these years, David had not dirtied his hands for a long time, but things clearly. went out of control


    tonight.


    After sending David back to Sandalwood Hills, Eddie and Billy were in no hurry to leave.


    Instead, they sat in the car and silently lit cigarettes.


    ¡°Do you think those people tonight were really sent by the Elders?¡± Despite his rough appearance, Billy


    was sharp.


    Eddie took a long drag off his cigarette and puffed white smoke slowly out of his mouth. ¡°No matter who


    sent them, Mr. Jones was undoubtedly making an example out of them tonight, warning them to mind


    their own business.¡±


    All these years, the Elders had been eyeing David covetously. They had probed many times, wanting to


    gather power.


    However, they were afraid of Mr. Jones¡¯s methods, so they bid their time for the past few years.


    Now that they had learned about Miss Grey¡¯s existence, they would only be the more unwilling to give


    up this opportunity to manipte him.


    ¡°Furthermore, Marina Jones has been using the Elders¡¯ name to scheme against Mr. Jones behind his


    back all these years.¡± The white smoke made the air around them hazy and lingered in front of Eddie¡¯s


    face. His lips curled into a


    thought-provoking smile. ¡°No matter who sent them this time, it¡¯s enough to make them suspicious.¡±


    After all, no one was willing to be the scapegoat for offending Mr. Jones, right?


    Billy had his cigarette in the corner of his mouth. He looked at the thick night sky outside the window


    and sighed deeply.


    Regardless of whether their true motive was to attack Rachel or not, Mr. Jones¡¯s attitude was clear


    enough.


    All these years, the Elders had been afraid of Mr. Jones because they could not find his Achilles¡¯ heel


    to use against him. Now that they had, it seemed like the days ahead would be difficult.


    The next morning, the sun pierced through theyers of clouds and shone on the vi built halfway up


    the mountain.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Under the golden sunlight and white clouds, the vi was like a fairnd in a fairy tale.


    The majestic convoy drove past the t highly winding all the way up the mountain and finally reached


    its destination.


    The door opened and Old Mr. Johnson slowly got out of the car with his walking stick.


    Followed by Rachel.


    ww


    The group walked into the vi and saw many men and women standing on thewn from afar.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Old Mr. Johnson patted her hand andforted her softly. ¡°With our


    status as the Johnson family from Seaxas, nobody can give us a hard time!¡±


    In other words, if Rachel was bullied, there was no need to tolerate it.


    Rachel¡¯s heart warmed. ¡°Got it, maternal grandfather.¡±


    As soon as they had finished talking, Old Mr. Shain, who was dressed in a silver embroidery suit,


    walked forward. ¡°My dear friend, I heard that you were hospitalized a few days ago. Are you better


    now?¡±


    ¡°It was just a small problem. I¡¯m fine.¡± Old Mr. Johnson smiled and waved his hand. Then, he looked at


    him meaningfully. ¡°Is everything arranged?¡±


    Old Mr. Shain understood his words without any further exnation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve handled it


    personally.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson snorted. ¡°You said the same thingst time.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson and Old Mr. Shain were close friends. It was inevitable for them. to exchange


    pleasantries when they met.


    However, Rachel could vaguely sense from their mysterious conversation that this Chamber of


    Commerce was not as simple as it appeared to be.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, don¡¯t just stand there. Go inside and y. There are many young talents here today.¡± Old


    Mr. Shain urged Rachel to hurry in.


    Coupled with the Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s encouragement, Rachel could only brace herself and went inside.

 Chapter 477

    Chapter 477


    Chapter 477


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Everyone knew that the Johnson family had a daughter of a different surname, but no one knew her


    name, let alone her appearance.


    After all, Old Mr. Johnson had protected her like a treasure all these years and never revealed her to


    anyone.


    It was because of this that everyone was more curious about this daughter of a different surname.


    Especially when they heard that she would attend this Chamber of Commerce too. Everyone was


    looking forward to meeting her.


    ¡°It¡¯s already sote. I guess this mysterious daughter of the Johnson family doesn¡¯t dare toe.¡± A


    mocking voice sounded from the crowd.


    ¡°After all, she is of a different surname. Even if her maternal family dotes on her, she¡¯s not a Johnson.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about what the legendary Miss looks like?


    Could it be that


    she¡¯s not good-looking? Otherwise, why hasn¡¯t Old Mr. Johnson ever shown her to anyone all these


    years?¡±


    Their words rang clearly in Katy¡¯s ears.


    She looked up at the speakers.


    They were from the Shain family.


    The Chamber of Commerce of Seaxas wasmonly known as the gathering of the four major


    families of Seaxas.


    It was never open to the public.


    However, those who had received invitations from the four families could attend.


    This was how Hannah managed toe to the Chamber of Commerce.


    At this moment, Mary was the first to speak. ¡°If someone without a proper identity like you dares to


    participate, why wouldn¡¯t she?¡±


    As soon as she had finished speaking, everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Mary.


    Hannah pursed her lips and said with a faint smile, ¡°Miss Green is a proper heiress of the Green family.


    Naturally, you wouldn¡¯t be able to understand those who are not legitimate.¡±


    There was nothing wrong with her words, but it was easy to hear the note of sarcasm toward Rachel in


    herments.


    Mary was about to retort when she saw a familiar figure from the corner of her. eye. She was slightly


    stunned and quickly went up to greet her.


    She walked up to Rachel¡¯s side and could not help but exim in a low voice, ¡°You actually came.¡±


    Rachel raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°My maternal grandfather wants to take me out to learn more.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this is to learn more?¡± Mary pursed her lips and approached Rachel mysteriously. ¡°I


    heard that Seaxas hasn¡¯t been peaceful recently, especially when news got out that Old Mr. Johnson


    was suddenly hospitalized earlier. They¡¯re secretly restless. The Four Families might be reshuffled, so


    everyone is eager to consolidate their statuses now.¡±


    ¡°As for how they were to do it, you know that there is nothing more direct than a marriage alliance.¡± As


    she spoke, she pouted at the well-dressed young socialites. ¡°Look, all of them are dressed like


    peacocks eager to attract their mates. It is almost as if they ck off a little, they wouldn¡¯t attract the


    attention of the opposite sex.¡±


    Hearing her description, a smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s lips. However, her beautiful eyes darkened as


    she muttered softly, ¡°Marriage alliance¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard from my father that the Shain family intends to have a marriage alliance with the Page


    family.¡±


    ¡°Thomas Shain?¡±


    He was the heir of the Shain family.


    But before, Eleanor had said that the Page family intended to marry Katy Page into Pollister¡¯s


    Summers family, right?


    Could something have gone wrong?


    Just as Rachel was thinking about it, she heard Mary say, ¡°It¡¯s Hannah Shain. She¡¯s from a branch of


    the Shain family. She¡¯s the one in the pink gown.¡±


    Rachel followed her gaze and saw Hannah, whose eyes were filled with disdain.


    Such animosity?


    However, she did not remember crossing her.


    After all, this was her first time attending the Chamber of Commerce.


    Mary snorted directly. ¡°Before you came just now, they were already mocking you. Now, they¡¯re all


    quiet. Let me tell you, there are more troubles where there. are more women. Be careful.¡±


    She tried her best to warn Rachel. But when she turned, she saw that Rachel was ying mobile


    games on her phone.


    Mary was speechless.


    She didn¡¯t know what to say!

 Chapter 478

    Chapter 478


    Chapter 478


    ¡°Could this be the legendary daughter of a different surname?¡±


    ¡°After all, the Johnson family has been the richest family for many years. Why is she dressed so


    poorly?¡±


    ¡°Look at how she¡¯s dressed. She¡¯s wearing a white business suit. If I don¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think


    she¡¯s here to attend a funeral!¡±


    ¡°No matter what, the Chamber of Commerce is only held once every three years. Everyone here is


    dressed appropriately, except her. She¡¯s really embarrassing the Johnson family of Seaxas!¡±


    When Hannah heard this, a fleeting smile shed across her upturned lips showed unconceble


    sarcasm and smugness. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s


    eyes. Her slightly enough. No matter what, she¡¯s still the daughter of the Johnson family. We can¡¯t


    afford to offend her.¡±


    ¡°So what? In the end, she¡¯s just a daughter of a different surname.


    for her that the Johnson family acknowledges her. Ou sute. It is fortunate


    have looked twice at her.¡±


    no one here would


    ¡°Even though I have a different surname and all of you disdain me, you still have to greet me


    respectfully, don¡¯t you?¡± Rachel turned slowly. One of her arms was crossed in front of her chest, and


    the other held a goblet. Her wrist shook slightly as she twirled the champagne within, which glittered


    under the sunlight.


    Her cold tone was distant and indifferent.


    ¡°As for my attire, the Chamber of Commerce didn¡¯t explicitly say to dress like a peacock, right?


    Besides, I didn¡¯te to the Chamber of Commerce to curry favor with anyone or attract the attention


    of any member of the opposite sex here. You im to be youngdies from noble families, but in my


    eyes, you¡¯re no different from the gossiping women out in the streets.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Hannah and the others felt their faces flushing in embarrassment.


    She originally thought that Rachel was an easy target for her to bully. She did not expect her to be so


    bold!


    She actually called them out in public without any scruples.


    Of course, these words also attracted the attention of wealthy young men nearby.


    ¡°This daughter of the Johnson family is truly one of a kind.¡± The speaker nudged Charles Page with his


    shoulder. ¡°Charles, aren¡¯t the two of you kind of rted? Can you introduce me to her?¡± ¨C


    Standing next to the pair, Katy Page sneered. ¡°How is she rted to us? If it isn¡¯t for¡­


    Before she could finish speaking, she was cut off by Charles¡¯s cold and sharp gaze. She pursed her


    lips resentfully and swallowed the rest of her words.


    ¡°The daughter of the Johnson family is not someone to mess with,¡± Charles said calmly with a ss of


    wine in his hand.


    ¡°Is that so? In the end, she is nobody without the Johnson family.¡± The man scrutinized Rachel with an


    openly explicit gaze as if he was sizing up a ything. His words were filled with disdain. ¡°Old Mr.


    Johnson was suddenly hospitalized not long ago. People have been talking. Now that he has brought


    her to attend the Chamber of Commerce, it is obvious that he wants to use her to make a marriage


    alliance. Otherwise, why would the Johnson family keep her for all these years?¡±


    In other words, the Johnson family had cared for Rachel all these years only to sacrifice her for a


    marriage alliance one day.


    ¡°Even if the Johnson family is in dire straits, they wouldn¡¯t need to sacrifice their daughter¡¯s marriage to


    survive.¡± Azy voice suddenly sounded.


    Everyone looked up and saw Lucas Johnson leaningzily on the rattan chair.


    He was wearing a ck shirt with the cor slightly open. The lines of his corbone were faintly


    visible.


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    The sleeves of his ck shirt were rolled up to his arms, revealing his tanned skin. His clean and


    slender fingers were holding a cigarette.


    Amidst the smoke, one could vaguely make out his exquisite eyebrows, high nose bridge, and the faint


    smile on his lips. His beautiful eyes were naturally raised, looking s***y but cold.


    The moment the man saw Lucas, his eyes widened in shookk. He called out respectfully, ¡°Mr.


    Johnson¡­¡±

 Chapter 479

    Chapter 479


    hapter 479


    Lucas Johnson opened his eyes and nced at him nonchntly. ¡°How dare a nobody like you covet


    something you have no right to! You¡¯re biting off more than you can chew!¡±


    His tone was indifferent, but it was both chilling and authoritative.


    Everyone in the room fell silent instantly.


    It was rumored that the men of the Johnson family were extremely doting to Miss Grey, and Lucas¡¯


    attitude was enough to confirm this.


    The man who was called a nobody could not even maintain hisposure.


    Given that the people here were all wealthy young men who were used to being ttered, they had


    never suffered such grievances before.


    If it were anyone else who insulted them, they would have already gotten even.


    However, the person in front of them was Lucas Johnson, the heir of the Johnson family!


    No matter how much resentment they had, they could only forcefully endure it with a smile.


    The atmosphere turned chilly immediately.


    Fortunately, at this moment, the staff informed everyone that lunch was ready and invited everyone to


    move to the dining room. Only then did the atmosphere


    ease.


    Old Mr. Johnson walked right in front, with the Shain family, the Page family, and the Green family


    beside him.


    Meanwhile, Rachel Grey followed behind everyone elsezily.


    Lucas Johnson was worried that she would be bored, so he deliberately slowed down.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He looked at Rachel¡¯s attire with disdain and lectured her in disappointment, ¡°What the hell are you


    wearing? It¡¯s fine if you usually dress like this, but don¡¯t you know that this is a special asion? All the


    other women are trying to outshine each other in terms of beauty, so why don¡¯t you take the opportunity


    to show off your good looks? What a waste!¡±


    Although he could not stand how revealing the other women¡¯s clothes were, Rachel did not have to


    dress so conservatively.


    Rachel raised an eyebrow and retorted, ¡°The Chamber of Commerce didn¡¯t give me any orders to


    dress up, right? Besides, those women are here for marriage, which I do not need.¡±


    Lucas was rendered speechless.


    There was no way a woman like her would be interested in those men.


    The group walked to the dining room and took their seats one by one.


    The other juniors were all seated at the end and only Rachel was sitting beside Old Mr. Johnson.


    This special treatment made the eyes of the other socialites turn red with jealousy.


    ¡°Look at her sl*tty face. No wonder the men of the Johnson family are bewitched by her!¡±


    ¡°She definitely has some means. Otherwise, there was no way she would be able to enter the Johnson


    family.¡±


    ¡°All of you, stop talking. Don¡¯t let Old Mr. Johnson hear what you are saying!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the juniors sitting at the end of the table subconsciously looked up at Old Mr.


    Johnson.


    They coincidentally met Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s sharp gaze and were instantly taken aback. They


    immediately lowered their eyes in panic and quietly ate their food.


    Old Mr. Johnson retracted his gaze and looked at Old Mr. Shain before asking, ¡°Where¡¯s the person


    you arranged?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon,¡± replied Old Mr. Shain.


    As soon as he said that, they heard footsteps at the door.


    Rachel looked up and saw Jimmy Shain walking in from afar.


    She subconsciously looked behind Jimmy Shain, trying to find that familiar figure. However, after


    staring for a long while, that person still hadn¡¯t appeared.


    Rachel¡¯s gazended on Jimmy again. The red polka-dotted shirt he was wearing looked familiar.


    She narrowed her eyes and nced at Mary Green¡¯s face.


    She immediately understood what was going on when she saw Mary looking at Jimmy gently.


    Her eyes shed meaningfully.


    When did the two of them get together?


    Why had she not noticed anything before?


    As she was thinking about these, Old Mr. Johnson and Old Mr. Shain had already arranged for Jimmy


    to sit beside her.

 Chapter 480

    Chapter 480


    Chapter 480


    ¡°Hi, Rachel.¡± Jimmy Shain greeted Rachel Grey warmly as he sat next to her.


    But at the same time, he was worried that others would notice something amiss, so he could only lower


    his voice.


    However, everyone else seemed to have misinterpreted this.


    Especially Old Mr. Johnson and Old Mr. Shain who looked at each other as a faint smile shed across


    their eyes at once.


    Rachel held a knife and fork as she slowly sliced the mushrooms on her te. She asked, ¡°Just you


    alone?¡±


    Jimmy replied, ¡°I asked David before but he said that he wasn¡¯t interested.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly andmented, ¡°It¡¯s indeed quite boring.¡±


    Seeing that the two of them were chatting happily, Old Mr. Johnsonmented aptly, ¡°Rae-Rae, you


    and Mr. Shain seem to hit it off quite well.¡±


    Rachel looked up at Old Mr. Johnson. Noticing his expression, her eyebrows twitched as she put down


    the knife and fork in her hand and was about to exin. However, the head of the Chamber of


    Commerce, Sam Turner, rushed over and announced, ¡°Everyone, a distinguished guest has arrived!¡±


    A distinguished guest?


    Could it be the one from the Jones family from Aureliana?


    The respective heads of the Four Families looked at each other and stood up in unison.


    ¡°Was there supposed to be any other distinguished guest today?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of, but since the Four Families seem to respect the person so much, it must be


    someone important.¡±


    ¡°I heard that a special invitation would be sent out every Chamber of Commerce. I¡¯ve heard that the


    person they invited is a mysterious big shot!¡±


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A group of young socialites was discussing the mysterious guest, but at the same time, they were also


    busy touching up their makeup.


    Compared to them, Rachel appeared to be exceptionally calm.


    She looked at Jimmy and asked in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that he wasn¡¯ting?¡±


    ¡°He did say that he wouldn¡¯t being,¡± Jimmy replied.


    He felt puzzled. What exactly was going on?


    Before he came, he had even specially called David and David had said he wouldn¡¯te. So what


    was he doing here now?


    Just as he was consumed in his thoughts, Marina Jones walked in with everyone surrounding her.


    Jimmy frowned slightly and questioned, ¡°F**k! What is this old woman doing here?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel lifted her eyebrows slightly as a faint smile appeared on her lips.


    Old woman¡­


    Looks like Marina Jones seemed to be quite disliked by the others.


    Marina walked in surrounded by many people. When she saw Rachel sitting in front, her eyes


    narrowed and the smile on her face dulled a little.


    ¡°Miss Grey, looks like we¡¯re really fated.¡±


    Upon hearing that, everyone¡¯s eyesnded on Rachel.


    Rachel smiled calmly and replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t expect to see you again.¡± Marina had never


    attended the Seaxas Chamber of Commerce all these. years. The fact that she came uninvited this


    time was probably not just due to ¡®fate¡¯, Marina turned and her gazended on Jimmy again. An


    unknown coldness. shed in the depths of her beautiful eyes.


    She could tell that David cared a great deal about Rachel.


    Not only did he personally take actionst night, he even arranged for Jimmy to sit beside her.


    Although doing this would ensure Rachel¡¯s safety, it would also expose that she was his weakness.


    She would like to see whether David would be able to protect her for the rest of her life!


    ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s no need to cause a stir.¡± Marina looked up and nced at everyone. She continued,


    ¡°I heard that today is the Seaxasth Chamber of Commerce, which is held once every three years. Since


    the heads of the Four Families are here, I was curious and hence, came uninvited. Please forgive me


    for any inconvenience I may have caused.¡±


    Her words were polite, but no one could sense a hint of apology in her words.


    Everyone could vaguely sense that the woman in front of them was not easy to get along with, but they


    could only be respectful.


    They had no choice as she came from the Jones family from Aureliana!

 Chapter 481

    Chapter 481


    Chapter 481


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Miss Jones.¡± Old Mr. Johnson said neutrally before continuing, ¡°We¡¯ve just started as well.


    You are wee to join us.¡±


    Marina raised her hand and gestured for the waiter to bring her a new set of cutlery.


    She casually picked up a napkin and slowly spread it out in front of her before saying, ¡°I heard that you


    were hospitalized not too long ago but now it seems that you¡¯ve recovered pretty well.¡±


    When Old Mr. Johnson heard this, a dark glint shed across his turbid eyes.


    In order to avoid unnecessary suspicion and prevent the other employees of thepany from causing


    trouble, Old Mr. Johnson made sure that the news that he had been hospitalized had not been spread.


    Nobody else knew about it besides his own family members and Old Mr. Shain.


    However, Marina seemed to know about it clearly. Not only that, she undoubtedly announced it in front


    of everyone so that she could unt how powerful she was.


    ¡°The Johnson family has dominated Seaxas for so many years and of course, your contributions are


    indispensable. However, now that you¡¯re getting old, it¡¯s inevitable that you¡¯re not as powerful as you¡¯d


    like to be. So why don¡¯t you just step down early? I bet everyone else will praise you for having great


    foresight.¡±


    Marina¡¯s tone was very nonchnt but her words were as sharp and cold as icicles. The atmosphere of


    the whole dining hall turned cold instantly.


    No one dared to say a word. The younger ones¡¯ eyes were mixed with gloating smiles as they secretly


    sized up Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s expression.


    The Johnson family had dominated Seaxas for many years. They were like a small kingdom as their


    wealth and power grewrger andrger.


    Although nobody else could catch up to them, many others yearned to rece them.


    Some have even hoped that one day, the Johnson family would fall from their position and lose


    everything.


    Marina¡¯s words undoubtedly pointed out the unrealistic thoughts that many others had.


    ¡°Who do you think should take Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s ce then, Miss Jones?¡± Rachel ced her arm on


    the table. Her slender fingers caressed the silver knife as her red lips curled into a perfect smile. There


    was an imperceptible coldness in the depths of her almond-shaped eyes.


    Marina nced at Rachel and replied, ¡°Being the richest is nothing more than a title. Although the


    Johnson family holds that title now, it might still fall to the


    Justin family or the Cruise family tomorrow, right?¡±


    If Marina¡¯s previous words were more indirect, then what she just said straightforwardly told everyone


    that it was time for the richest family in Seaxas to change.


    Rachel held the knife in her hand and gently moved it up and down.


    The tip of the knife shone coldly under the light of the crystalmp.


    However, this was far inferior to the coldness in her eyes.


    She finally understood why everyone referred to Marina Jones as an ¡®old hag. This woman was really


    extremely unlikeable.


    Lucas Johnson, who was sitting not far away, was on tenterhooks.


    He was afraid that Rachel would turn her wrist in the next instant and stab Marina¡¯ fiercely with the


    knife in her hand.


    Jimmy studied Rachel¡¯s facial expression.


    Her eyes were lowered so he couldn¡¯t see the expression in her eyes. However, the aura around her


    was not her usual elegance and indifference. Instead, she exuded a bloodthirsty ruthlessness.


    The aura she exuded was somewhat simr to David¡¯s.


    ¡°You have no right to throw a fit in Seaxas!¡± A deep and cold voice resounded.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were immediately glued to the entrance.


    From afar, a tall figure could be seening nearer.


    The man was wearing a well-tailored ck suit. His facial features were exquisite and well-defined, and


    he gave off a natural sense of nobility. The pressure he exuded was suffocating.


    He walked over with his head held high. His footsteps were powerful and perfectly demonstrated his


    superciliousness.


    The moment everyone realized it was David Jones, their hearts ski pped a beat and their expressions


    changed.


    No one expected him to be here!Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 482

    Chapter 482


    Chapter 482


    ¡°David!¡± Jimmy was the first person to react and stand up.


    He quickly walked to David¡¯s side as the corners of his lips curled up slightly with a hint of provocation.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Now that David Jones had arrived, he wanted to see if that evil b*tch, Marina, could continue acting so


    arrogantly!


    Everyone else immediately recovered from their shock and stood up in unison.


    The person-in-charge of the Chamber of Commerce, Sam Turner, greeted him respectfully, ¡°Mr. Jones,


    this way please.¡±


    The moment she saw David Jones, the smile on Marina¡¯s face froze slightly.


    When her eyes suddenly met David¡¯s pitch-ck eyes, her heart trembled violently. It was as though


    she was standing on the edge of a cliff where she did not dare to look down at the bottomless abyss


    under her feet, nor did she dare to move at all as she was afraid that she would identally fall to her


    death.


    Marina¡¯s grip on her ss tightened continuously. However, her expression was calm as she


    commented leisurely. ¡°In the past, you have always refused to attend the Chamber of Commerce


    despite them sincerely inviting you so what a pleasant surprise it is to see you here today.¡±


    As she spoke, her gaze swept past Rachel subtlely and her red lips curled into an obscure smile.


    ¡°I happened to pass by today, so I decided toe to take a look. I hope I didn¡¯t disturb you guys,¡±


    David replied calmly.


    Eddie Brook and Billy Jones, who were following behind David, looked at each other with meaningful


    smiles in their eyes.


    David was such a liar.


    Initially, the meeting was going well, but Eddie suddenly received information that Marina had attended


    the Chamber of Commerce as a representative of the Jones family.


    With what had happened previously, he did not dare to hide anything and immediately reported the


    news to David.


    After hearing the news, David abandoned everyone in the conference room and specially made his


    way over.


    At this moment, the person in charge of the Chamber of Commerce, Sam Turner, was suffering from a


    dilemma as he could not offend both David and Marina Jones.


    Everybody that was present here were all important people of Seaxas. However,


    David and Marina Jones who came from the Jones family from Aureliana were people who could


    destroy Seaxas easily.


    So who should sit at the head of the table?


    Although Marina came from Aureliana, she could not hold a candle to David, who was the head of the


    family,


    However, in terms of seniority, Marina was David¡¯s aunt so she seemed to be more important.


    Just as Sam Turner was hesitating, David walked straight to Marina.


    He was clearly trying to make Marina give up her seat!


    Marina looked up at David.


    David had an air of indifference as he looked down at Marina. He looked very nonchnt and casual


    but there was a hidden hostility in the depths of his dark


    eyes.


    The powerful aura emitted from his body was so oppressive that it was almost suffocating.


    Marina¡¯s fingers tightened so hard that her fingertips turned pale.


    As expected of the heir chosen by her father!


    He didn¡¯t even think twice about humiliating her even though they are blood rtives!


    But thinking about it, it made sense. Everyone in their family who had tried to go against him had paid a


    painful price.


    It was precisely because of this that everyone in their family was afraid of him. Even the Elders were


    cautious of him.


    But now¡­


    Marina¡¯s gaze shifted andnded on Rachel. She narrowed her eyes and her lips curled into an


    unfriendly smile.


    ¡°I suddenly remembered that I have something else to do so I¡¯ll take my leave first. Please excuse me.¡±


    As she spoke, Marina took off her napkin and stood leave.


    up


    to


    When she stood up, she identally knocked over the knife and fork on the table. Before everyone


    could see what was happening, the knife was flying towards Rachel.


    ¡°Rae-Rae!¡± Lucas eximed in shock as he stood up abruptly.


    Even Mr. Johnson, who had always been cool as a cucumber, had a look of panic. in his eyes.

 Chapter 483

    Chapter 483


    Chapter 483


    In the blink of an eye, Rachel grabbed the te in front of her and threw it out.


    The moment the high-quality te hit the knife, it instantly shattered into pieces which caused broken


    porcin pieces to fly everywhere.


    Marina saw everything and the smile on her lips deepened. Her sharp eyes were fixed on Rachel as


    she remarked, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so agile, Miss Grey.¡±


    Rachel shook off the few pieces of porcin on her body and said casually, ¡°The world is a dangerous


    ce so it¡¯s better to have some self-defense skills just in case, but¡­¡±


    She tilted her head slightly with an innocent smile on her face. She looked at Marina¡¯s neck


    meaningfully and taunted, ¡°You don¡¯t look too good, auntie.¡±


    The smile on Marina¡¯s face froze.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Auntie?


    Although she was almost 40 years old, she had been taking care of herself very well all these years. In


    Aureliana, she was considered a beauty and everyone who saw her would respectfully address her as


    ¡°Miss Jones¡±.


    So how dare Rachel Grey call her ¡®auntie?


    She wasn¡¯t that old!


    Perhaps the anger snapped her awake, but she vaguely felt a sharp pain in her


    neck.


    She raised her hand and touched her neck where she felt a sticky sensation on her fingertips.


    Her fingertips were stained red by her blood, making the red nail polish on her nails stand out even


    more.


    Marina gently rubbed her fingers together as she looked up at Rachel meaningfully.


    ¡°Miss Jones!¡± A trusted aide beside her strode forward immediately.


    Marina raised her hand to signal to him not to act rashly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so skilled at such a young age, Miss Grey.¡± Marina¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly


    as her red lips curled into a smile. She looked at Rachel with an ominous gaze, like a venomous snake


    flicking its tongue, sinister and vicious.


    Rachel was about to speak when something blocked her from Marina.


    She looked up and saw that it was Lucas standing in front of her, protecting her behind him.


    ¡°My sister is extremely delicate and weak. She¡¯s just a weak woman who doesn¡¯t have much strength,¡±


    Lucas said on her behalf. ¡°This must be a coincidence. There is no way she is that skillful.¡±


    Jimmy¡¯s lips twitched when he heard that.


    Anyone who knows Rachel would know that she is not a weak or delicate woman.


    In general, there were very few people who could actually hurt Marina.


    It was not only because Marina had many experts protecting her, but because she was very skillful as


    well even though not many people knew.


    Just now, Marina seemed to have identally knocked over her wine ss and then hit the knife and


    fork. However, Marina definitely did it on purpose. Otherwise, why would the knife just so happen to fly


    towards Rachel?


    On the other hand, Rachel was extremely calm. She managed to only use a te to save herself from


    Marina so she clearly was not a weak person as well.


    However, he was curious about who Rachel learned these moves from.


    Why had he never heard of such a skillful expert in the Johnson family before? ¡°D*mn! Little¡­¡± Jimmy


    recovered from his excitement and could not help but praise.


    David calmly turned his head. Apanied by his strong oppressive aura, his sharp gaze swept


    towards Jimmy.


    Jimmy immediately sucked in a breath of cold air and swallowed his unfinished words.


    The atmosphere at the dining hall fell into a strange silence.


    At this moment, Rachel said calmly, ¡°Auntie, although this wound is not fatal, you should still treat it as


    soon as possible to prevent it from getting infected.¡±


    Marina narrowed her eyes but the smile on her face did not diminish. Her eyes were filled with


    viciousness as she replied, ¡°In that


    case, thank you for your concern, Miss Grey!¡±


    With that, she turned around and left without turning back.


    When she reached the door, she stopped in her tracks and a vicious look shed across the depths of


    her beautiful eyes.


    Marina clenched her fists tightly by her sides, her red nails digging into the flesh of her palms.


    Initially, she thought that David had found a fragile flower and she had not expected her to be a rose


    covered with thorns. If she was not careful, she would. end up being pr*cked and covered in blood.


    However, what she enjoyed the most was pulling out one¡¯s thorns one by one!


    Sooner orter, she would make this ignorant little girl pay the price!

 Chapter 484

    Chapter 484


    hapter 484


    After Marina left, the tense atmosphere eased a little.


    Sam Turner, the head of the Chamber of Commerce, called for someone to clean


    up the broken pieces on the ground and rece Rachel and David¡¯s cutlery.


    As the both of them sat down, they exchanged a look for just a second before averting their eyes


    simultaneously.


    David¡¯s eyes could not help but darken a little as his gaze swept over Jimmy. Then, he turned to look at


    the others. ¡°Everyone, please be at ease and go on as usual.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jones, you had declined our invitation in the past. It¡¯s an honor that you coulde today.¡± Kyle


    Green held up his wine ss, the first to speak to warm up the atmosphere.


    Seated next to Kyle, Mary rolled her eyes like she was disgusted.


    After all, they were one of the four wealthiest families in Seaxas. The way he was fawning over


    someone else was really embarrassing.


    ¡°Mr. Green, you¡¯re too kind.¡± David looked up at Kyle. ¡°I was busier the past few years and didn¡¯t have


    time. I hope I didn¡¯t disturb everyone with my sudden appearance.¡±


    Whether it was his elegance or the way he spoke, not many wealthy young men could match up to


    David.


    In particr, David¡¯s refined facial features made all the young socialites present look at him shyly.


    As time slowly ticked by, everyone¡¯s stomachs were almost full, but no one left early.


    The reason was that David¡¯s aura was too strong from where he was seated at the head of the table.


    No one dared to act out of turn.


    But Lucas was different.


    He was the first to stand, raising his chin at Rachel. ¡°Rae-Rae, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and did not answer. She nced at David seated at the head of the table, her


    eyes holding a hint of reluctance.


    However, it was not appropriate to get too close to David now. It was not the time for romance.


    She took a deep breath and got up to leave with Lucas.


    David raised his eyes slightly, stroking his finger against his wine ss as his thin lips curled up slightly.


    ¡°Miss Grey, please wait.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    His deep voice was cold as usual, making it impossible for anyone to hear any emotion in it.


    However, the short sentence made Rachel¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    The young socialites present had been trying to get close to David. As they heard David initiate contact


    with Rachel, their expressions changed rapidly.


    At that moment, if envy and jealousy could materialize, Rachel would have been riddled with holes


    under the res of the other young socialites.


    Rachel nced toward David and smiled calmly. ¡°How can I help you, Mr. Jones?¡±


    David¡¯s wrist moved slightly, his thin lips curling up into a faint smile. ¡°No help necessary. I just heard


    that the scenery around here is lovely. I hoped Miss Grey would be able to show me around. How


    about it?¡±


    His cold voice was slightly deep, naturally putting distance between himself and others, but it also


    strangely warmed people¡¯s hearts slowly.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not appropriate!¡± A delicate voice suddenly spoke up.


    As everyone heard this, they turned to look at Hannah Shain.


    Hannah quietly gritted her teeth, trying her best to ignore everyone¡¯s gazes. Sincerely, she spoke, ¡°To


    be honest, Miss Grey is fresh off the boat. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be familiar with this area. I know of a hot


    spring in the back mountain. It¡¯s said to have healing effects. Mr. Jones, if you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t I


    bring you¡­¡±


    At this point, her face turned red, almost like a shy flower waiting to bloom.

 Chapter 485

    Chapter 485


    Chapter 485


    When the other young socialites heard what Hannah said, their eyes revealed a look of contempt.


    Visit the hot springs?


    How desperate!


    Just as the others were about to volunteer themselves, with no trace of warmth on David¡¯s angr


    face, ayer of coldness now appeared between his brows. ¡°Did I ask you?¡±


    His deep and cold tone carried a terrifying low pressure as if the surrounding air had condensed into


    fine ice.


    Hannah was shocked by David¡¯s attitude and even more embarrassed that her offer had been rejected


    so coldly with no appreciation.


    Hannah lowered her head, biting her lip. She tried her best to ignore the mocking gazes around her


    and held in her bitter feelings.


    Although Old Mr. Shain was unhappy with Hannah¡¯s actions, in order to protect his family¡¯s reputation,


    he had no choice but to step forward. ¡°Mr. Jones, what Hannah said makes sense. Miss Grey is fresh


    off the boat and I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s not familiar with the surrounding area. I don¡¯t want to ruin your mood.


    Why don¡¯t¡­ why don¡¯t we ask Mr. Shain to help.¡±


    Jimmy was stunned.


    Jimmy, who was already bored of being here, immediately rubbed his palms. together excitedly and


    looked toward David.


    However, he saw David¡¯s unwilling expression.


    Haha! As*hole!


    They were supposed to be good friends that would go through life and death together, but now that he


    had a woman, he was rejecting him in public?!


    David looked toward Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey, are you willing to apany me?¡±


    Rachel nced at Hannah, pulling her gaze away before speaking calmly, ¡°If Mr. Jones doesn¡¯t mind,


    of course, I will apany you.¡±


    As everyone watched, David and Rachel left together.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    David looked down at the high heels Rachel was wearing and frowned. ¡°They don¡¯t fit?¡±


    It was inevitable that brand-new shoes would cause blisters on the back of the heel. However, Rachel


    had not expected David to notice.


    ¡°A little,¡± Rachel answered.


    David nced at Eddie, who was silently following behind them. ¡°Go get a pair of ts.¡±


    Everyone could vaguely hear the conversation between the two of them, and their faces were filled with


    disbelief.


    Rumor had it that David Jones was cold-blooded and ruthless. He would not show mercy even to blood


    rtives. But why was he so¡­ gentle and considerate to Rachel Grey?!


    Moreover, their conversation sounded like they had been close for a long time. Could it be that the both


    of them had known each other long ago?!


    Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s eyes darkened as he watched the both of them leave.


    Kicking Old Mr. Shain under the table, Old Mr. Johnson red at him angrily, conveying the message,


    ¡°This is what you meant by foolproof?!


    Old Mr. Shain touched the bridge of his nose innocently.


    It was supposed to be a foolproof n, but who could have expected David Jones to appear all of a


    sudden?


    Rachel and David arrived at the pavilion on the mountain.


    Rachel sat on the stone bench and looked down at David who was on one knee in front of her.


    David was holding her ankle, carefully cing the band-aid on the back of her heel.


    Billy Jones, who was standing nearby, was dumbfounded as he watched.


    Eddie patted his shoulder and said earnestly, ¡°Hey, calm down. Don¡¯t look as if you don¡¯t know


    anything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking as if you do!!¡± Billy sneered, pushing Eddie¡¯s hand away with his shoulder.


    Eddie¡¯s lips twitched slightly, and a significant smile reached his eyes. ¡°Kneeling? Even if he had to


    give his life, Mr. Jones would be willing.¡±


    Eddie did not say this without any basis. Based on how David had acted tonight, he knew that Rachel


    had already captured David¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Any news from Marina?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone to look for Old Mrs. Jones.¡±


    Hearing this, a hint of sarcasm shed across Eddie¡¯s eyes. ¡°She hasn¡¯t changed!¡±

 Chapter 486

    Chapter 486


    Chapter 486


    ¡°I heard from Jimmy that you weren¡¯ting. Why did you suddenly change your mind?¡± Rachel


    nced at David.


    David looked at her. ¡°I happened to pass by.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, obviously not believing him. ¡°Marina said it was a coincidence, and


    you just happened to pass by? The Jones family has many coincidences.¡±


    Hearing her teasing, a hint of indulgence appeared in David¡¯s eyes. ¡°Marina has her own goals, and


    she¡¯spletely unaware that I¡¯m right behind, watching her.¡± Of course, the main reason was that


    David had heard that Old Mr. Shain intended to introduce Jimmy to Rachel.


    Previously, when Iris had gotten married, David had purposefully interrupted. David thought that Old


    Mr. Johnson would have given up on this idea, but hadn¡¯t expected him to be so persistent.


    He lowered his eyes to hide his contemtion. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Aren¡¯t you going to show me around?¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then let me think about where we should start.¡± Rachel stood up, cing one hand on her hip with a


    leader¡¯s aura.


    She looked around and noticed the sea of flowers at the foot of the mountain. ¡°Let¡¯s start with those


    flowers!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The garden cosmos that covered the mountains and ins were dazzling.


    Under the bright sunlight, Rachel spread her arms and walked through the sea of flowers. Her long


    ck hair flowed naturally in the air and she turned around suddenly, smiling. ¡°David, is it pretty?¡±


    Their gazes met, and David¡¯s eyes turned gentle. ¡°Yes.¡±


    The sea of flowers in front of him was beautiful, but the person in front of him.


    was even more so.


    Nearby, Eddie had just hung up the phone. He hesitated before walking forward. ¡°Mr. Jones, the


    meeting is about to begin.¡±


    David responded with a lukewarm attitude.


    ¡°Meeting?!¡± Rachel looked at David in surprise.


    Her eyes shone with light from the reflection of the sun, almost like attractive


    stars.


    David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down, and his eyes filled with infatuation that even he was


    unaware of. ¡°Marina wants to interfere in Seaxas¡¯ business. Seaxas Four Families should think of a


    way to handle this situation.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°So, she¡¯s here because she¡¯s targeting the Johnson family?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no, David said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°To everyone, the Johnson family is like a b of steak. They want to rece them but more than that,


    they want to swallow them whole.¡±


    As he spoke, David¡¯s thin fingers slid down the smooth outline of her face pausing on her delicate chin.


    He leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto her lips.


    Surrounded by the romantic sea of flowers under the bright sunlight, the two of them hugged


    passionately.


    Rachel tiptoed and h**ked her arms around his neck, responding awkwardly to him.


    After the kiss, Rachel¡¯s lips parted slightly as she breathed softly. Her eyes were filled with passion and


    beauty, much more attractive than the sea of flowers around them.


    David hugged her tightly against him and kissed her forehead. His deep and cool voice was filled with


    passion as he spoke quietly, ¡°Be good and wait for me toe back.¡±


    Rachel nodded and watched as David left.


    David¡¯s words were still echoing in her mind.


    She suddenly understood why Marina had taken issue with the Johnson family¡¯s title as the head family


    of Seaxas.


    Rachel had thought that Marina had been thinking of herself, but there was another reason.


    Marina might have wanted to rece the Johnson family¡¯s position, or she might have wanted to


    support another family to take over this position. However, the Johnson family was the head of the Four


    Families and had maintained this position in Seaxas for many years. They weren¡¯t to be trifled with.


    If Marina really wanted to attack the Johnson family, Rachel would protect the Johnson family even if it


    meant risking her life!

 Chapter 487

    Chapter 487


    Without herpanion, Rachel lost interest in admiring the beautiful scenery and simply returned the


    way she came.


    In the distance, the young socialites led by Hannah saw Rachel¡¯s return, their eyes filled with probing


    as they sized her up.


    Even though they had seen Rachel return, the young socialites did not approach her. It was obvious


    that they were deliberately isting Rachel.


    These were all childish tricks. Rachel naturally wouldn¡¯t take them to heart.


    With no one to disturb her, she was d for the peace and quiet.


    Rachel sat in a quiet corner, searching for information on her phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s the most suitable gift for a boyfriend¡¯s birthday?¡± Mary read out Rachel¡¯s search term with a t


    voice.


    Instinctively, Rachel turned off her phone screen and red at her friend angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t you make any


    sound when you walk?¡±


    Mary noticed Rachel¡¯s slightly swollen lips and a meaningful smile flickered across Mary¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re


    the one who¡¯s distracted.¡±


    Sensing her gaze, Rachel lowered his eyes and gently rubbed her fingers across her lips. ¡°Since you¡¯re


    here, help me think of something. David¡¯s birthday is in a few days. What should I get for him?¡±


    Resting her chin on one hand, Rachel looked slightly troubled. She held a ss straw between her


    fingers, stirring the ice in the crystal ss as she sighed softly. ¡°It feels like he has everything.¡±


    ¡°Who said so?¡± Mary Green said, ¡°There¡¯s something he definitely doesn¡¯t have.¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes


    immediately lit up. ¡°What?¡±


    Mary smiled and said seriously, ¡°I heard that Mr. Jones has been alone all these years and is known for


    not getting close to women. All these years, he has been chaste. He definitelycks a woman¡¯s love.¡±


    Rachel fell silent.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A woman¡¯s love?


    She shouldn¡¯t have expected Mary to help her think of an idea.


    Seeing that she wasn¡¯t happy, Mary moved closer to her. ¡°Rae-Rae, tell me quietly. Have you guys


    done it?¡±


    ¡°It?¡± Rachel looked at her in confusion.


    Mary wiggled her eyebrows, hinting, ¡°You know.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. After staring at Mary for a moment, Rachel realized what Mary was referring


    to. Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks stained with a hint of red now, she answered. ¡°No.¡±


    Hearing this, Mary pped her hand onto the table. ¡°So you should definitely listen to me!


    Rachel didn¡¯t answer her.


    Rachel crossed her legs and stirred the broken ice in the crystal ss roughly. After hesitating for a


    while, she stammered, ¡°He¡­ I can¡¯t possibly take the initiative for such a thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that he really has some unspeakable hidden illness like what everyone says?¡± Mary asked.


    Rachel inexplicably thought of an indescribable scene, her wrist feeling slightly sore. She rolled her


    eyes. ¡°No!¡±


    If he really had a hidden illness, he wouldn¡¯t have tormented her so badly a few days ago.


    Mary was puzzled. ¡°Then why?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s worried I¡¯ll regret it. Rachel said, looking past Mary to the old building behind her. ¡°How long does


    the meeting usuallyst?¡±


    Mary followed her line of sight and said, ¡°It used to end within an hour or two.¡±


    No one knew how long it would take this time.


    After all, Marina¡¯s appearance and what she had said in the restaurant had sounded a warning bell for


    the Four Families.


    They had gradually realized that the power in Seaxas might have to be reshuffled, and they were also


    uneasy about losing their status.


    What they could do now was to support each other and unite against amon enemy.


    Rachel took a deep breath and put down the ss in her hand. She stood and looked at Mary.


    ¡°Restroom?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Mary quickly stood up and looped her arm with Rachel¡¯s.

 Chapter 488

    Chapter 488


    Chapter 488


    A waiter bumped into them as they were walking across thewn.


    With a quick reaction, Rachel grabbed Mary¡¯s arm and dodged. However, she identally hit the


    corner of the nearby table.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    They heard the voice of clothes tearing with a low cry and then an angry shout, ¡°Did you do it on


    purpose? Do you know how expensive my dress is?¡±


    In the years when Rachel did not participate in the Chamber of Commerce, Hannah had been the


    center of attention.


    Now, Rachel¡¯s appearance had easily stolen her limelight..


    In particr, she had just publicly flirted with David in the restaurant.


    That was David Jones!


    He was a man that many women wanted but could not get.


    Hannah thought that she was not inferior to Rachel in terms of looks. But David had embarrassed her


    in public. She med all her unwillingness and jealousy on Rachel.


    Hannah believed that if it had not been for Rachel, she would have been the one to be with David


    today.


    However, not only did Rachel steal the limelight from Hannah, but she also became an obstacle to her


    bing Mrs. Jones!


    Rachel did not have many feelings for Hannah, especially when she saw the tear on her dress. A faint


    sneer shed in the depths of her big eyes.


    However, with the attitude of minimizing the matter, she said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Hannah was instantly enraged at Rachel¡¯s attitude. She red at her and said, ¡°Rachel, you are the


    one who bumped into me and ruined my dress. Now, you¡¯re acting like this. Do you think you¡¯re being


    reasonable?¡±


    Hannah clearly wanted to get to the bottom of the matter, but Rachel did not have much patience. She


    nced at her indifferently with a frown. ¡°Then what do you want?¡± she asked.


    Upon hearing Rachel, Hannah could not help but raise her chin slightly and look at her arrogantly.


    ¡°Naturally, I will give you a taste of your own medicine.¡±


    Rachel caught the meaning of her words, and her eyes curled into a faint sarcasm. Before she could


    speak, Mary said first. ¡°Your dress is from Simon Smith, the Paris designer. Although it¡¯s couture, it¡¯s


    fromst year¡¯s style.¡±


    Mary looked at Hannah mockingly. ¡°And Rae-Rae¡¯s clothes are custom-made by


    top-tier¡¯s luxury brands. Her outfit costs more than a million dors. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to pay more


    even if you destroy this set of clothes.¡±


    The people around them couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°What? Such a lousy suit actually costs more than a


    million dors?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that their family only epts haute couture. And if one wants to be their customer, one has


    to undergo an asset evaluation.¡±


    Hannah¡¯s face became pale as she heard the whispers behind her.


    Initially, she thought it was just a simple suit and didn¡¯t expect it to be so valuable!


    Staring at the suit Rachel was wearing, Hannah¡¯s eyes slowly brimming with venom like a snake


    spitting its tongue. ¡°It¡¯s a waste to ruin such expensive clothes,¡± she said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take the


    clothes off and let me wear them, Miss Grey?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, and a faint, cold smile appeared on her red lips.


    Hannah put on a lofty attitude and looked at Rachel arrogantly. ¡°What? Miss Grey, are you unwilling?¡±


    Her voice was neither loud nor soft, attracting the attention of the young socialites and the wealthy


    young men nearby.


    Including Katy.


    ncing at Rachel, Katy whispered to Luciane, who was a branch member of the Page family, ¡°What¡¯s


    going on?¡±


    Luciane had been respectful to Katy and had also befriended Hannah in private. Naturally, her words


    were biased in favor of Hannah. ¡± It is all because of Miss Grey of the Johnson family. She is


    domineering. It¡¯s clear that she was at fault at first, but she didn¡¯t show any sincerity when she


    apologized. In turn, she even belittled that Hannah¡¯s dress was not good as hers.¡±

 Chapter 489

    Chapter 489


    Chapter 489


    Luciane¡¯s words resonated with the other young socialites around her.


    ¡°At the end of the day, she¡¯s only here because her grandfather¡¯s family is the richest in Seaxas.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s nothing without the Johnson family backing her up.¡±


    These words actually touched Katy¡¯s heart.


    If it weren¡¯t for the Johnson family¡¯s favor of Rachel, Rachel wouldn¡¯t be where she was today.


    Katy silently watched Rachel be besieged with a gloating smile in the crowd.


    It was a joyful thing to see Rachel make a fool of herself in public.


    Some people in the crowd were scared of the Johnson family, the richest one. To avoid making a scene


    too ugly, they could not help but persuade them, ¡°The matter is neither big nor small. Can¡¯t she


    apologize properly?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Hannah sneered and nced at Rachel. She said sarcastically, ¡°But Miss Greyes


    from a high-background family and is arrogant. How can she know to bow down and apologize?¡±


    In other words, she wanted Rachel to bow down to her respectfully in front of everyone before she let


    the matter go.


    In this way, she pped Rachel¡¯s face in public and the Johnson family¡¯s face as well in front of the


    young socialites and the wealthy young men.


    In the future, everyone in the Chamber of Commerce would probably treat the matter as a topic of


    discussion over their coffee.


    The Johnson family would also be unable to hold their heads up in front of the other big families


    because of the matter.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It had to be said that Hannah¡¯s move was lethal!


    ¡°I can apologize,¡± says Rachel. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to kneel and listen to


    me!¡±


    When Hannah heard that, the smile on her face froze, and her eyes surged with anger. ¡°Rachel, what


    are you so arrogant about?¡±


    Rachel did not say anything but looked calmly at Hannah.


    Her calm gaze inexplicably made one feel chilly.


    Hannah was wearing high heels. But when she confronted Rachel, who was a head shorter than her,


    her aura was directly crushed.


    Pursing her lips, she braced herself and said, ¡°Rachel, I don¡¯t want to argue with


    you too much. But it¡¯s a fact that you ruined my dress. I¡¯ll pretend the matter never happened if you


    take off your clothes and give them to me. Of course, I¡¯ll make up for the price difference. Okay?¡±


    Her posture and tone seemed to be saying, ¡°I¡¯ve paid you respect, and don¡¯t be so shameless.¡±


    Rachel looked up at her and said mockingly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Shain to be so obsessed with other


    people¡¯s things. However, I¡¯m a maverick and don¡¯t like others to use the same thing as me. I¡¯m afraid I


    can¡¯tply with your request.¡±


    ¡°I gave an easy way, but you chose the hard way, didn¡¯t you?¡± Hannah looked at her with a faint smile.


    Rachel did not answer her. She looked at Hannah¡¯s dress from head to toe. ¡°The custom-made


    dresses will be modified ording to the proportion of the customers¡¯ figure. At the same time, they will


    ensure sufficient activity space to move around to avoid the awkward situation of the dresses opening


    up. So I¡¯m curious. Miss Shain, you only sta**ered a little. Why is there such a hole in your dress?


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the corner of the table.¡± She walked forward and ran her fingers. along the corner of


    the table. ¡°The edges are round and smooth without any sharpness. It will absolutely not damage the


    dress that Miss Shain is wearing.¡±


    Hannah¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. Her heart tightened when she looked up and met Rachel¡¯s gaze.

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    Her indifferent gaze contained a hint of mockery as if she had seen through Hannah¡¯s thoughts, making


    her feel like she had fallen into an icehouse. Her face turned pale.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She pursed her lips and clenched her fists. She braced herself and said, ¡°Miss Grey, even though you


    have the Johnson family¡¯s support and can do whatever you want in Seaxas, it¡¯s an ugly way for you to


    pass the buck like this! Or is this how you were brought up in the Johnson Family?¡±


    Hearing her, Rachels¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a sharp cold light shot out from the depths of her


    big eyes.


    Today is the Chamber of Commerce in Seaxas. The Johnson family and the Shain family have always


    been on good terms. For the sake of Grandpa Shain, I¡¯ve given you enough respect. Since Miss Shain


    doesn¡¯t want it. I don¡¯t have to give it to you,¡± Rachel said calmly. ¡°You keep saying I did it because I¡¯m


    fresh off the boat, and these people are on your side, but have you forgotten about the surveince


    cameras here?¡±


    Rachel had never been one to suffer losses.


    She had nned to let the incident go so as not to hurt the friendship between the Johnson family and


    the Shain family.


    However, she did not expect Hannah not only to pester her but criticize the Johnson family¡¯s upbringing


    in public.


    Naturally, she would not put up with her any longer.


    it


    Seeing that Hannah was at a loss for words, Luciane finally couldn¡¯t stand, anymore and stood up.


    ¡°Miss Grey, I know you can do whatever you want with the Johnson family backing you up, but don¡¯t


    forget that the eyes of the public are discerning. We had witnessed that you knocked down Hannah


    and tore her clothes.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to apologize to her now, but you¡¯re using Hannah of framing you. That¡¯s


    too much! Do you think you can distort the truth because you¡¯ve obtained Mr. Jones¡¯s favor?¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s taking the opportunity to take revenge on Hannah,¡± the person standing aside said.


    Looking at the speaker, Mary¡¯s eyes suddenly sank, and her lips curled into a sneer of sarcasm. ¡°Kaley,


    you¡¯ll be struck by lightning if you talk nonsense!¡±


    Kaley was from a branch of the Green family. Probably because they were born at odds with each


    other, they had been at loggerheads since they met.


    She was always going against Mary.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong!¡± Kaley said, stiffening her neck as Mary mocked her.


    ¡°So tell me, why am I targeting her?¡± Rachel raised her eyes and looked at Kaley with a half-smile.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because Hannah rmended herself and invited Mr. Jones to visit the hot springs¡­¡± As


    Kaley spoke, she met Rachels¡¯s gaze and inexplicably thought of what Mary had said before. Rachel


    was someone who would seek revenge for the littlest grievance.


    A chill rose in her heart at the thought.


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a beautiful arc, making her exquisite face even more eye-


    catching. ¡°You¡¯ve been disqualified frompeting with me since Mr. Jones ignored you. In that case,


    why should I give a d*mn about you?¡±


    Being rejected in public already made Hannah feel embarrassed. Now, it was like adding salt to her


    wound when Rachel said that in such a casual tone.


    ¡°Rachel, what are you so proud of? You¡¯re just relying on your pretty look. Mr. Jones was momentarily


    fascinated by your seductive look. Do you think you can marry into the Jones family in Aureliana with


    your seductive means?¡± Hannah was so angry that she lost her mind. She could not think of anything


    else and poured out everything she had been thinking. ¡°When Mr. Jones gets tired of you, he will kick


    you away. What are you so proud of?¡±


    Rachel lowered her eyes and admired her manicure. She said calmly, ¡°At least I can use my face to


    attract Mr. Jones¡¯s attention. It¡¯s better than being rejected mercilessly by him even though you


    volunteered, right?¡±

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    Hannah was so angry that her face turned green. She red at her through gritted teeth.


    Seeing that Hannah was once again rendered speechless by Rachel, Luciane could not help but say,


    ¡°Miss Grey, no matter what, you represent the Johnson family today. When you do something wrong,


    you have to admit it bravely. It¡¯s not a big deal if you embarrass yourself, but If you bring shame to the


    Johnson family, wouldn¡¯t you lose more than you gain?¡±


    ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t damage her clothes. You can check the surveince footage if you don¡¯t believe me!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows were filled with impatience.


    Rachel was sharp-tongued and arrogant. In everyone¡¯s eyes, they subconsciously thought that she


    was deliberately bullying Hannah with her family background. The surrounding people could not stand


    it anymore. They spoke one after another, wishing they could destroy Rachel with their gossip.


    Mary¡¯s face was ashen. ¡°Are all of you blind? Which eye of yours saw Rae-Rae ruining her clothes?


    There¡¯s so much space here. How can Hannah hit the table? I think she¡¯s deliberately trying to frame


    Rae-Rae!¡±


    ¡°Miss Green, I know you have a special rtionship with Miss Grey. But I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard to convince


    the public with your words.¡± Hannah calmed down from her excitement and analyzed calmly every


    word. ¡°Since everyone is protecting me, they must have seen it with their eyes. As the saying goes,


    seeing is believing. I think this is far more convincing than the surveince footage.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it. If you take off your clothes in public and give them to me, the


    matter will be over.¡±


    Fighting the urge to rush up and rip Hannah¡¯s mouth off, Mary took a deep breath and said, ¡°Hannah,


    since you know that the Johnson family is standing behind Rachel, You should know when to quit


    before you end up embarrassing yourself.¡±


    Her words implied warning, but they were also sincere advice.


    It was just that Hannah thought she was in the right ce at the right time and didn¡¯t take her words to


    heart at all.


    On the other hand, Katy, who was in the crowd, knew very well what was at stake.


    It was an undeniable truth that men in the Johnson family doted on Rachel.


    -If the matter reached the ears of any man in the Johnson family, they would not


    let it go.


    It would probably harm the harmony between the Johnson family and the Shain family. Hannah would


    be to me if the interests of the two families were


    affected because of such a little matter.


    ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll immediately get someone to prepare a dress for Miss Shain from the studio. It


    definitely won¡¯t affect your subsequent performance.¡±


    However, Hannah did not appreciate it. ¡°What if I say no?¡±


    ¡°It depends on whether the Shain family will give up its future for you!¡± A low and cold voice suddenly


    sounded.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Everyone froze and turned around. The moment they saw David, their expressions changed, and their


    eyes were filled with chaos.


    They did not expect David to appear out of the blue, nor did they expect him to stand beside Rachel


    proudly.


    The depths of the man¡¯s bones exuded an intimidating aura.


    Everyone was shrouded in the powerful and frightening low pressure, and the atmosphere became


    even more solemn.


    Rachel was stunned when she saw David appear.


    Wasn¡¯t he in a meeting?


    Mary¡¯s eyes flickered with an excited smile. She bumped Rachel¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°Look, the


    person who supported you is here.¡±


    Now she wanted to see how Hannah, the little b*tch, could still jump around!


    As soon as Hannah saw David, it was as if someone had poured a basin of ice water over her. The


    bone-chilling cold invaded her wantonly, making her tremble uncontrobly.


    ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Jones¡­¡±

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    The man was wearing a ck shirt. The cuffs of his shirt were rolled up, revealing the tanned skin of


    his forearm and an expensive wristwatch.


    With his appearance, everyone¡¯s heads above were covered with ayer of the dignified atmosphere,


    which unreasonably pressed on their hearts, making them not dare to breathe loudly.


    The man walked over leisurely. Every step he took seemed to be stepping on people¡¯s hearts.


    Afraid of implicating their own families, everyone subconsciously looked at Hannah.


    After all, apart from David and Miss Grey of the Johnson family, Hannah was the most prominent figure


    in the room.


    Everyone¡¯s gazended on Hannah. She pursed her lips and hesitated before saying carefully, ¡°Mr.


    Jones, you came at the right time. Help me judge. Miss Grey ruined my dress. Not only did she not


    apologize sincerely, but she even used me of framing her. You have to help me uphold justice¡­¡±


    Her eyes welled up as she spoke. She looked like a delicate girl that could not take care of herself.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but frown as she watched her act as if she were innocent. David¡¯s gaze never left


    Rachel, but his words were meant for Hannah to hear. ¡°I¡¯m not here to uphold justice for you.¡±


    His insouciant voice was as chilly as ice-breaking spring water, which made people feel cold for no


    reason.


    The tears welled up in Hannah¡¯s eyes. Just as they were about to fall, she suddenly heard David¡¯s


    words and could not help but stand rooted to the ground.


    Was he not here to uphold justice?


    Then what was he doing here?


    Just as she was thinking about it, she heard David speak again, ¡°I¡¯m here to back her up!¡±


    His indifferent and calm tone was as sonorous and forceful as the beating of a drum, shocking


    everyone.


    Everyone¡¯s mind went nk, and they stared at David in shock.


    There were rumors that David was cold-blooded and ruthless. He killed decisively and would not show


    mercy even if they were blood-rted. Now, how could he have such a preference for Rachel?


    Just now, Hannah had made a point of analyzing how Rachel had seduced David. Coupled with the


    fact everyone had witnessed them leaving one after another, people naturally believed Hannah¡¯s


    words.


    However, from the looks of it, it did not seem like Rachel had seduced Mr. Jones. Instead, it was


    more¡­ like Mr. Jones was rushing up to her.


    If they had known that Mr. Jones had such an attitude toward Rachel, they would not have dared to go


    against Rachel.


    The onlookers, who were filled with righteous indignation just now, were now shrinking like the


    ostriches. They wished they could find a hole to hide in quickly, fearing that Mr. Jones¡¯s anger would


    affect them.


    ¡°Look at you. How can I be at case when you are soft and not aggressive?¡± David looked at Rachel


    with affection and tenderness that no one had ever seen.


    When Hannah heard that, she looked even worse than if she had eaten sh*t.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Was Rachel soft and not aggressive?


    However, she was arrogant and condescending just now. She was sharp-tongued and made Hannah


    speechless!


    Now that Mr. Jones was here, she did not say a word.


    The b*tch knew how to act pitifully and innocently in front of the man!


    Hannah gritted her teeth and finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Mr. Jones, don¡¯t let the woman deceive


    you! She was arrogant just then, but she won¡¯t say a word when she sees you here. She is a two-faced


    woman. Don¡¯t be fooled by her false look.¡±


    A mocking smile shed across Katy¡¯s eyes when she heard Hannah¡¯s words in the crowd.


    Hannah was hopelessly stup*d!

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    David¡¯s words were tantly biased toward Rachel.


    Anyone with discerning eyes could tell that it was not Rachel seducing David. It was clearly David was


    willing.


    However, Hannah was blinded by jealousy at that moment. How could she tell?


    She could only hope she would expose Rachel¡¯s true colors as soon as possible and let Mr. Jones


    wake up sooner.


    David raised his eyes and looked at Hannah expressionlessly.


    His dark eyes were bottomless with a piercing sharpness.


    Something in Hannah¡¯s mind suddenly tensed up. Her eyes were filled with panic, as she clenched her


    fists tightly.


    ¡°Do you want her to take off her clothes in public and give them to you?¡± The man¡¯s voice was calm,


    but his words were terrifyingly cold.


    Hannah thought her words would arouse David¡¯s suspicion of Rachel and cause him to despise


    Rachel.


    After all, the most annoying thing for men was that women yed tricks on their backs.


    However, it was as if David did not hear her at all.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Hannah met the man¡¯s bottomless ck eyes. Her heart felt like it was being gripped. She held her


    breath and her body could not help but turn cold.


    She suppressed the fear in her heart and stammered, exining, ¡°My¡­ my dress was ruined. To not


    affect my uing schedule, I had no choice but to exchange my dress for Miss Grey. However, not


    only did Miss Grey refuse to apologize, but she also refused to exchange the dresses. She even said


    that I deliberately framed her and¡­ even mocked me publicly for being rejected by you just now¡­¡±


    David did not care about Hannah¡¯s aggrieved look or whether her dress was ruined. ¡°So, you admit that


    you forced her to take off her clothes in public, don¡¯t you?¡±


    His tone was indifferent and slow, and every word he said made one¡¯s hair stand on end.


    Everyone subconsciously held their breaths and tried their best to reduce their presence, afraid that the


    fire would burn them.


    Rachel looked up at the man¡¯s side profile.


    His sharp and handsome face seemed to have ayer of frost, and an imperceptible harshness hidden


    beneath his eyes.


    Rachel suddenly felt that perhaps the man with the indifferent posture and the domineering anger


    between her eyebrows in front of her was who David was.


    The gentleness in the past was because he had indulged her in every aspect.


    She couldn¡¯t help but think about it. Ever since they met, he could lower himself and amodate her


    in every way.


    At this moment, Old Mr. Shain rushed over after hearing the news. ¡°Mr. Jones, I¡¯m so sorry. Hannah


    ruined your mood because of a little matter. I¡¯ll get her to apologize to you now.¡±


    As he spoke, he gave Hannah a look.


    Hannah snorted angrily. ¡°Why should I apologize? It was Rachel who did the wrong thing. The matter


    wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this if she hadn¡¯t ruined my dress! Rachel should be the one to


    apologize.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Old Mr. Shain red at her disappointedly.


    He had investigated the matter thoroughly on his way here and found out it was all a trick yed by


    Hannah herself.


    As long as she apologized nicely now, there was still a chance for the matter to turn around. However,


    the idiot girl just wouldn¡¯t let it go!


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°Miss Shain, you really won¡¯t give up until you are cornered,¡± said


    she.


    She paused and said unhurriedly, ¡°To ensure the safety and privacy of the surroundings, the Chamber


    of Commerce is not only guarded by professional security personnel but is also equipped with high-


    definition drone surveince.¡±


    Hannah had a bad feeling when she heard her.

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    Hannah dropped her eyelids to hide her panic.


    She thought she had never been absent from the Chamber of Commerce over the years and knew the


    rules and regtions of the Chamber of Commerce like the back of her hand. However, what she did


    not know was Sam, who had just taken office, was good at ttering people but cautious.


    To ensure the safety of personnel, he introduced a number of new equipment.


    Rachel put the surveince video from her phone on the projector under the tent.


    She deliberately zoomed in on a certain frame and looked at Hannah with a half-smile. ¡°Miss Shain,


    you are quite good at scamming.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Hannah¡¯s face turned pale as she tried hard to control her emotions. She


    stiffened her neck and said, ¡°Who knows if you deliberately synthesized these videos to frame me!¡±


    ¡°What about him?¡± Lucas¡¯s cold andzy voice suddenly sounded.


    Everyone looked up and saw Lucas walking over casually with one hand in his pocket. His aura was


    oppressive.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Behind him was a trembling waiter.


    It was the first time the waiter had seen such a big scene before him. He was too frightened to go


    forward at ease.


    Among those present, he did not know Rachel and David, except for the young socialites he was


    familiar with from the Four Families.


    Just as he was hesitating. Lucas grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him directly in front of Rachel


    and David.


    The waiter stag gered and fell to the grass awkwardly.


    Lucas had a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. He lit it with his clean, slender fingers


    rubbing the gears of the lighter, then he bit the cigarette butt with his thin lips and took a deep drag.


    ¡°Miss Shain, how are you going to exin his existence?¡± he asked again in a deep, cold voice amid


    the smoke.


    Hannah¡¯s face turned pale. She gritted her teeth and tried her best to control her panic. ¡°I don¡¯t know


    what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Hannah, I advise you to think carefully before saying anything more.¡± Lucas flicked his cigarette butt


    with his fingertips and slowly raised his eyes. His eyes were as ck as ink but without warmth when


    he looked at Hannah.


    Hannah gritted her teeth and refused to admit it. ¡°It was Rachel who bumped into


    me and took the opportunity to ruin my dress. I¡¯ve said everything I have to say, and I have nothing else


    to say now!¡±


    Old Mr. Shain¡¯s heart sank instantly when he saw she was unwilling to repent until


    now.


    His eyes were filled with disappointment. He turned around and left with a silent sigh.


    Old Mr. Shain¡¯s attitude made it clear that he did not intend to interfere in the matter anymore.


    Sam, the previously silent head of the Chamber of Commerce, vaguely saw some clues. He pushed


    aside the crowd and rushed to the waiter. ¡°Benji, what on earth is going on?¡± he shouted.


    ¡°I, I¡­ The waiter, Benji Fallon, looked flustered. The sweat seeped out of his forehead, and his gaze


    subconsciously drifted to Hannah.


    Hannah gritted her teeth with a warning in her eyes.


    The waiter shivered and hurriedly lowered his head like a frosted eggnt. He couldn¡¯t look Hannah in


    the eyes and stammered, ¡°I, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Benji, if you tell the truth honestly, we¡¯ll forgive you and not punish you severely. Otherwise, don¡¯t


    me me for being merciless!¡± Sam warned him sternly.


    Benji finally exined everything. ¡°Yes, Miss Shain gave me some money and asked me to bump into


    Miss Grey on purpose. She even promised to give me 20 thousand dors after it was done¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop ndering me!¡± Hannah immediately denied it. ¡°I have nothing against you. Why are you


    ndering me? You¡¯re framing me! I¡¯m going to call the police!¡±


    Upon hearing the word calling the police, Benji, the waiter, panicked. ¡°I¡­


    He suddenly thought of something and hurriedly took his phone from his pocket. ¡°I have a recording!¡±

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    The recording was to prevent Hannah from denying it. He did not expect it to be a bargaining chip


    for him to save himself.


    The recording exined clearly how Hannah instructed the waiter, Benji, to bump Rachel and how she


    promised him.


    A series of scornful stares fell on Hannah like knives.


    ¡°Turns out it¡¯s her, the pot calling the kettle ck!¡±


    ¡°To think that we helped her uphold justice just now. She actually used us as the pawns!¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, the Chamber of Commerce installed surveince cameras this year. Otherwise, Miss Grey


    would never clear her name.¡±


    ¡°She prided herself on being from a schrly family, but it was unexpected that she was so vicious to


    force Miss Grey to take off her clothes in public! Sure enough, jealousy makes people unrecognizable!¡±


    Apanied by the sounds of discussion, Hannah¡¯s eyes were filled with anger and unwillingness. An


    overwhelming sense of shame surged toward her like a tidal wave, wanting to drown herpletely.


    Her nails dug into her fingertips, and her body trembled slightly.


    At this moment, it was as if she had been stripped and was standing naked in front of everyone. She


    was at a loss as she faced everyone¡¯s mocking gazes.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, and her red lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°Miss Shain, what do you


    want to say now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± As Hannah met Rachel¡¯s gaze, she felt as if her throat was being strangled by a hand, unable to


    make any sound.


    Mary looked at Hannah with a gloating smile. ¡°Keep arguing and twisting the truth. You were pretty


    good at talking just now. Why are you mute now?¡±


    Hannah did not say anything. She just red at Mary fiercely.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to apologize, do you?¡± Lucas put out his cigarette. His deep, cold voice carried a


    chill that abruptly lowered the air around him.


    Hannah shuddered in fear.


    Lucas had always been azy person who did not care about anything. His


    handsome face was now covered with ayer of frightening frost. His ck eyes squinted slightly and


    burst into sharp cold light.


    Hannah bit her lip.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Teach her how to apologize!¡± said David, ncing sideways at Eddie and Billy behind him.


    Eddie and Billy walked toward Hannah expressionlessly like the tool men who received instructions.


    Without any exnation, they forcefully pressed her to the ground, kowtowing to Rachel and


    apologizing.


    ¡°Let go of me! Do you know who I am? The Shain family will not let you off for offending me!¡±


    At this moment, Hannah no longer looked like a young socialite from a wealthy family.


    The corners of David¡¯s lips curled up slightly. His cold voice was filled with sarcasm. ¡°What makes you


    think that the Shain family will offend me for you?¡±


    As if struck by lightning, Hannah stood frozen in ce with her pupils trembling, slightly when she


    heard his words.


    She subconsciously searched for Old Mr. Shain in the crowd but did not find him.


    Hannah knew what it meant.


    There were more boys in this generation of the Shain family, so girls had be


    treasures.


    She was not as good-looking, clever, and lovely as Iris, nor was she pleasing as Iris. Therefore, she


    had been living in the shadow of Iris for years.


    It was not until Iris married far away that the Shain family noticed her.


    At the Seaxas Chamber of Commerce, the Shain family nned to have a marriage alliance, and Old


    Mr. Shain had promised her that she would not suffer any grievances.


    But now, she had ruined everything.


    Since Old Mr. Shain did not care about her life, why would he offend the Johnson family and David for


    her?


    Hannah¡¯s face turned ashen at the thought.

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    Chapter 496


    Hannah was like an emotionless marite. She was pressed to the ground by Billy and Eddie and


    kowtowed three times to Rachel.


    ¡°Apologies to Miss Grey!¡± Billy said expressionlessly.


    He tightened his grip on Hannah¡¯s shoulder as he spoke.


    There was a disparity in strength between men and women, and Billy, a burly guy, did not know how to


    be gentle with women.


    After a moment of stalemate, Hannah was finally defeated. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss Grey, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you appeased?¡± asked David, extending his well-defined fingers and tucking her hair behind her


    ear.


    Rachel nodded in satisfaction. However, she thought the Seaxas Chamber of Commerce and Four


    Families¡¯ members were all gathered here today. If things. got too ugly, there would inevitably be


    rumors about the Johnson family.


    Hannah¡¯s hair was messy, and her forehead was red and swollen at this time. She no longer had her


    previous high and mighty attitude.


    If she knew this would happen, why did she do it in the first ce?


    ¡°After all, she¡¯s just from the Shain family¡¯s branch. She even fantasized about riding Miss¡¯s head and


    acting wild. She is out of her league.¡±


    ¡°She kept saying that Miss Grey ruined her dress with reason and evidence. Poor and naive me, I


    believed her!¡±


    ¡°She reaped what she sowed. She¡¯s not worth pitying.¡±


    Hannah¡¯s eyshes trembled violently. The undisguised discussions tr*mpled all her pride into the


    mud.


    She red at Rachel furiously. Her hatred and anger were growing.


    It was all because of the b*tch!


    She wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this if it weren¡¯t for her!


    Now, not only had she lost Old Mr. Shain¡¯s support, but she had also be the biggestughingstock


    of the Chamber of Commerce.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Hannah gritted her teeth and endured the bitterness and shame in her heart. She stood up and was


    going to leave awkwardly.


    However, Billy blocked her way in a sh before she could take a step.


    ¡°Did I let you leave?¡± Rachel¡¯s cold voice sounded from behind.


    Hannah stopped in her tracks and clenched her fists tightly. Her nails dug into her palms. ¡°Rachel, I¡¯ve


    apologized. What else do you want?¡±


    ¡°If an apology is useful, what¡¯s the point of having the police?¡± Rachel looked at her calmly. There was


    ayer of shallow mockery between her eyebrows, and her cold voice revealed a chilling coldness.


    Previously, Rachel did not intend to delve deeply into the matter for the sake of the reputation and


    friendship between the Johnson family and the Shain family. However, now that things hade to this


    point, everyone would probably be eager to try to bully her in the future if she just epted Hannah¡¯s


    apology and let


    it go.


    It didn¡¯t matter if she embarrassed herself, but the Johnson family and David were behind her.


    Now, Hannah had lost her face. She stood rooted to the ground and gritted her teeth, trying her best


    not to re up.


    At this moment, Luciane spoke again in the crowd, ¡°Miss Grey, I advise you. Don¡¯t be too ruthless!


    You¡¯re arrogant and despotic because of the Johnson family. The Johnson family is ranked first among


    Four Families today, but how do you know there won¡¯t be any changes in the future?¡±


    The Four Families in Seaxas seemed to be harmonious, but there was actually an undercurrent.


    In addition, there were rumors that the Four Families in Seaxas would be reshuffled. Hence, everyone


    stared at the Johnson family¡¯s position covetously.


    It was human nature to want to see the once invincible Johnson family fall from.. the clouds into the


    dust.


    They wanted to see the high and mighty Rachel being stepped on by them even


    more.


    They did not dare to say anything about their ambitions in the past. However, Marina¡¯s appearance was


    like a spark that lit up in the darkness, illuminating the ugly face of the ferocious beast in everyone¡¯s


    hearts.

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    Chapter 497


    ¡°It¡¯s better to leave a way out for the future. Miss Grey, you should stop while you¡¯re ahead.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to be lenient? That¡¯s enough. Why do you continue to make things difficult for


    her?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all women. Why should a woman make things difficult for the other?¡±


    Everyone spoke one after another, making Rachel sound cold-blooded and vicious and Hannah look


    like an innocent victim.


    But they seemed to have forgotten that Rachel was the real victim.


    If it weren¡¯t for the Johnson family behind her and David, who happened to appear, she would have


    been stripped naked by Hannah¡¯s men and be aughingstock.


    Now, she was only giving Hannah a taste of her own medicine. On the contrary, she had be a


    guilty one.


    As expected, everyone could pretend to be magnanimous if the knife did not stab him.


    Rachel¡¯s calm gaze gradually turned cold. It was as if a knife was hidden in the depths of her big eyes


    and could stab into the other party¡¯s heart at any moment. David looked down at her. The coldness in


    his eyes disappeared in a sh, and then a gentle smile appeared. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to


    marry me. You can¡¯t let others bully you like this. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll support you. Okay?¡±


    Rachel responded indifferently.


    His words made Hannah and the others widen their eyes in disbelief.


    Was there an order in the Aureliana against marrying outside?


    In terms of background, Rachel was Miss Grey in the Johnson family. In Seaxas, she was definitely


    someone that others could notpare to. However, her identity was simply not presentable in


    Aureliana!


    Moreover, with David¡¯s status, how could the Jones family in Aureliana allow him to marry Rachel?


    One had to know that they all thought David was only temporarily interested in


    Rachel.


    In the end, Rachel was just a ything for him. When he was tired of her, he would naturally abandon


    her.


    However, David¡¯s words were clearly meant for them to hear!


    Hannah¡¯s eyes were filled with disbelief and shock. Her throat was dry and tense, and she used a lot of


    effort to say, ¡°Mr. Jones, do¡­do you say you want to marry her? How can you marry her?¡±


    David narrowed his eyes, and the aura around him suddenly turned cold. ¡°Who do you think you are to


    ask about my affairs?¡±


    Hannah choked. The imposing manner that she had painstakingly built up instantly dissipated by half.


    ¡°I, I just¡­¡±


    She stammered for a while but realized she had no standing in the way of David marrying Rachel.


    At this moment, Linda walked over with a gown. ¡°Ms. Grey, this is the gown you wanted.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly. ¡°Miss Shain, I¡¯ll give you this gown in order not to affect your future


    arrangements.¡±


    Give it to her?


    Hannah looked at Rachel warily.


    She could not figure out what Rachel was up to for a moment.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Would the woman be so kind as to give her the grown for free?


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want it?¡± Rachel frowned slightly with unclear emotion in her eyes.


    Hannah looked at her and hesitated for a long time before reaching out to take the frown. ¡°¡­Thank


    you, Miss Grey.¡±


    Then she prepared to leave with the grown.


    As expected, she was blocked by Eddie and Billy again.


    Hannah frowned slightly. She turned around and looked coldly at Rachel sitting in a chair. ¡°Rachel


    Grey, what do you mean?¡±


    After being blocked again and again, she decided to stop pretending and questioned Rachel by her


    name.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss Shain insist on wearing my clothes just now? I¡¯ve especially gotten someone to prepare a


    simr set for you now. Miss Shain, ording to you, shouldn¡¯t you change out in public too?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s tone was slow, but every word she said made Hannah¡¯s heart sink uncontrobly as if she


    was in an icehouse.

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    Chapter 498


    Hannah looked at Rachel in disbelief. Her nails dug into her palms. ¡°Rachel, say that again if you dare!¡±


    ¡°Miss Shain, please change your gown here,¡± Rachel repeated fearlessly.


    The surrounding discussions erupted again as soon as Rachel said so.


    David quietly nced at Eddie.


    Eddie and Billy immediately brought their men forward. Looking at the young socialites pointing their


    fingers at Rachel, the corners of their lips curled slightly into faint smiles, but their smiles were


    obviously cold. ¡°Are you guys leaving yourself, or are we asking you to leave?¡±


    Upon hearing that, the group of people before them immediately panicked.


    Most of them were from the branch of the Four Families. If the n didn¡¯t invite them, they would


    probably never have had the chance to participate in the Chamber of Commerce their lives.


    But now, they were being chased out like stray dogs.


    How could they ept it?


    ¡°What right do you have to kick us out?¡± Luciane was the first one to speak out.


    Eddie looked at her with a half-smile. ¡°Take them all away!¡± Eddie said coldly without any exnation.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Luciane and the man in ck pushed each other.


    Before she could finish speaking, she heard Billy warn her coldly, ¡°We¡¯re a bunch of rough men who


    don¡¯t know how to treat women gently. I advise everyone to be more self-aware so as not to suffer.¡±


    As soon as Billy said so, the voices of the group of young socialites seemed to get. stuck in their


    throats.


    These people were driven out of the vi dejectedly with indignation and unwillingness.


    Hannah stood rooted to the ground. The blood in her body seemed to have frozen, and her body


    shivered uncontrobly from the cold.


    Rachel, who was sitting on the chair, crossed her legs gracefully. She yed with her phone and


    nced at Hannah with a smile. ¡°Miss Shain, please start your performance.¡±


    In other words, she literally wanted Hannah to take off her clothes on the spot.


    A chill ran down Hannah¡¯s spine, and her face was filled with panic. ¡°Rachel, you¡­


    you have gone too far!¡±


    ¡°Cut the cr*p and take it off!¡± Rachel supported her forehead with one of her hands and ced her


    other hand on herp. Her fingertips tapped the rhythm as if she was waiting for someone.


    Seeing that Hannah remained unmoved, David spoke first without waiting for Rachel to say anything.


    ¡°Looks like I need someone to help you.¡±


    Then two burly men in ck walked forward and pinned Hannah¡¯s arms behind her back. They pressed


    her onto the table as if she was a chicken.


    Hannah struggled violently. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll take it off¡­¡±


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing her words, the men in ck let go of her.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Hannah slowly unzipped the side of her dress.


    The overwhelming sense of shame almost drowned Hannah. She clenched her fists tightly, wishing she


    could tear Rachel into pieces.


    She looked at David with teary eyes, begging for his sympathy.


    However, David only had eyes for Rachel.


    Why was he so gentle and patient with Rachel that he wouldn¡¯t give anyone else


    some?


    Hannah closed her eyes in despair. The tears rolled down her cheeks.


    At the behest of Old Mr. Shain, the Chamber of Commerce was meant to matchmake her with Charles,


    the heir apparent to the Page family.


    However, she was so obsessed with David that she had long forgotten about Charles at the moment


    she met David.


    4


    Now, not only had she lost the chance of having a marriage alliance, but even Old Mr. Shain had given


    up on her. She was afraid that she would not be able to stand out in the future.


    But what good would it do her to regret it now? There was no turning back.


    Hannah teared up in despair as she slowly pulled on her gown.


    ¡°Rae-Rae.¡± A deep voice suddenly sounded.

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    When Rachel heard the familiar voice, she subconsciously distanced herself from David and stood up


    to greet him. ¡°Grandpa.¡±


    David¡¯s brows furrowed imperceptibly when he noticed her small movements.


    At this moment, Old Mr. Johnson walked over slowly with his walking stick. He nced sharply at


    Hannah, then meaningfully at David. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you don¡¯t go overboard. It would be


    disrespectful if it goes too far,¡± he said calmly. ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re right,¡± Rachel said.


    Now that thing hade to this point. It was like the water that had been sshed out, and there was


    no way to take it back.


    The Johnson family would still be criticized even if they forcefully took it back.


    It was better to be ruthless. In this way, Rachel had established her authority in front of others and


    made them afraid of the Johnson family.


    It made them understand deeply that not everyone could covet the Johnson family¡¯s position.


    Rachel had used the move to make a brilliant example out of it.


    And now, she had to stop at the most critical moment to save the Shain family¡¯s face. So Old Mr. Shain


    would remember Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s favor.


    Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s eyes were filled with gratification, but he could not show it obviously in front of


    others.


    The grandfather and the granddaughter looked at each other, and faint smiles shed through their


    eyes.


    ¡°For the sake of Grandpa Shain, the matter will end here. If there¡¯s a next time¡­¡± Rachel looked at


    Hannah. The corners of her lips curled up, and her big eyes sparkled with an unknown chill. ¡°You will


    bear the consequences!¡±


    Then she held Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s arm and turned away.


    Hannah looked at her high and mighty attitude. The anger and hatred in her heart burned brighter and


    brighter. Finally, she could not take it anymore. ¡°Rachel, what are you so proud of?¡± she gritted her


    teeth and said. ¡°In the end, you¡¯re just an outsider. The Johnson family favored you so that you have


    your current identity and status. If the Johnson family copses, who will take you seriously? How could


    Mr. Jones ever marry you?¡±


    The more she spoke, the more excited she became. She did not notice the terrifying coldness in


    David¡¯s eyes at all.


    ¡°The day you¡¯re abandoned, you¡¯ll be ridden by thousands of men¡­ Ah!¡± Before Hannah could finish


    her sentence, a loud pnded on her face, interrupting


    her.


    Mary had pped Hannah so hard that her palm was numb. She couldn¡¯t help but shake her hand.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone as shameless as you!¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The p caught Hannah off guard. Her face was deted, a trace of blood oozed from the corner of her


    mouth, and her tanned cheek was marked with a palm print.


    Hannah covered her face and suddenly met David¡¯s bottomless eyes.


    The man¡¯s calm and indifferent eyes seemed to be looking at the dead. Instantly, Hannah crept out.


    Rachel¡¯s gaze was dark, and ayer of frost was between her brows. ¡°Miss Shain, you look gentle and


    weak on the outside, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be so stubborn on the inside.¡±


    Her cold tone seemed to be wrapped in a thickyer of frost, making the people present unconsciously


    silent.


    Those who knew Rachel well were aware that she was furious this time.


    Rachel cared about very few things in her life. The Johnson family was the first one of them.


    However, Hannah publicly cursed the Johnson family before Old Mr. Johnson. It was something that


    Rachel could not tolerate.


    ¡°I admire Miss Shain¡¯s backbone.¡± The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled up. Her cold voice seemed to be


    soaked in ice water for a few days and nights. It was bone-chilling. ¡°I was wondering if Miss Shain¡¯s


    bones are as hard as yours?¡±


    Hannah panicked when she heard Rachel, and the color drained from her face.


    Her heart was beating violently, and her body was trembling uncontrobly. ¡°Rachel, the Shain family


    and the Johnson family have a deep rtionship. Don¡¯t you dare touch me!¡±

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    Rachel chuckled. There was a hint of mockery in her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the value of an abandoned pawn


    worth the Shain family taking the risk for?¡±


    Old Mr. Shain had made his stance clear ever since he left.


    Why would Old Mr. Shain risk his entire family¡¯s future for Hannah if he had chosen to give her up?


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Hannah staggered and almost fell to the ground when she heard that.


    That¡¯s right. Now the Shain family had dumped her. Why would they risk offending the Johnson family


    to protect her?


    Rachel admired Hannah¡¯s ashen face for a while and said coldly, ¡°Miss Shain, you have backbone and


    courage. Naturally, you can bear the consequences of your words! You still have to take off your


    clothes!¡±


    Then she supported Old Mr. Johnson and turned to leave.


    Rachel did not n to let her take off her clothes at first. She just wanted to wait for Old Mr. Johnson to


    appear at the right time.


    In this way, the Johnson family had established its authority in front of others and sold a favor to the


    Shain family.


    Unexpectedly, not only did Hannah refuse to ept it, she even cursed the Johnson family and


    insulted Rachel. Then, Hannah would definitely have to pay the price for what she said.


    Hannah had asked for it!


    When Old Mr. Johnson left with Rachel, he vaguely heard the sound of clothes tearing behind them.


    He frowned slightly and quickly left while holding Rachel¡¯s hand.


    The farcested until Thomas arrivedter.


    Hannah was trapped in the crowd. Her clothes were torn off, and she hugged her gown tightly with both


    hands. Anyone who saw her like this would feel sorry for her.


    However, now that Thomas knew the cause of the matter, he could not feel any pity for Hannah, his


    cousin.


    He walked into the crowd, took off his suit jacket, and wrapped it around Hannah. ¡°Thomas¡­¡± Hannah


    could no longer control her aggrieved tears at the sight of Thomas.


    Thomas replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ve already informed Uncle. You don¡¯t have to


    Hannah shuddered and widened her eyes in disbelief.


    The man¡¯s indifferent gesture was as if to say, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I mean.¡±


    Her pupils trembled as she subconsciously grabbed Thomas¡¯s wrist. ¡°Thomas, I know I was wrong. I


    promise I¡¯ll behaveter!¡±


    At this juncture, to send her abroad would be no different from expelling her.


    She was afraid that if she went abroad this time, she would never be able to return to Seaxas.


    Thomas remained unmoved in facing her pleading. He patiently raised his hand and patted her head.


    ¡°Be good and listen to me.¡±


    Then Thomas gave his assistant a look.


    His assistant nodded slightly and took a step forward. He said calmly, ¡°Miss Shain, it¡¯s gettingte, and


    we should leave.¡±


    Although Thomas was a gentle and honest man, he also had the decisiveness of a superior.


    Once a decision was made, there was no room for negotiation.


    Moreover, Hannah had caused such a huge mess this time. If they did not deal with Hannah properly, it


    would be hard for them to exin to the Johnson family.


    When Rachel saw the message from Mary, her lips curled into a fleeting smile.


    Sending Hannah out of the country was both a punishment and a protection.


    If something happened to Hannah abroad, everyone would naturally suspect that the Johnson family


    sought revenge.


    Thomas was the only person with such a thoughtful mind in the Shain family.


    ¡°It seems that you have no objections to my treatment.¡± Thomas¡¯s gentle voice sounded not far away.


    Rachel looked up and saw Thomas in a white suit.

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    Chapter 501


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and casually ced her phone on the table. ¡°Mr. Shain, are you


    here to denounce me?¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°In your eyes, am I the kind of person who can¡¯t differentiate right from wrong? Thomas¡¯s lips curled


    into a gentle smile as he walked to the single-seater sofa in the rest area and sat down).


    Rachel looked at him with a mischievous smile in her eyes. ¡°People change.


    Moreover, she had ruined the Shain family¡¯s marriage alliance this time. Even if Thomas and Old Mr.


    Shain wouldn¡¯t say anything about it, the rest of the Shan family couldn¡¯t help but feel unhappy.


    Thomas looked at her with a sh of understanding in his eyes. ¡°The marriage alliance is just a means.


    It¡¯s not the only way out for the Shain family.¡±


    In other words, the sessful marriage between the Shain family and the Page family was the icing on


    the cake.


    Rachel was not surprised to hear his words.


    The Shain family, after all, was one of Four Families. If the family fortunes were entirely pinned on a


    marriage alliance, the Shain family would not have to participate in the Chamber of Commerce.


    ¡°Why do youe here sote?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows at him.


    Thomas said, ¡°I had to make an appearance at a social event before I left my office.¡±


    He took out a rectangr velvet box from his pocket as he spoke.


    The lid was opened, and a bracelet iid with various gems was inside.


    The gems reflected a gorgeous night under the light.


    ¡°I came across a bracelet that fits you, so I bought it.¡± Thomas noticed Rachel¡¯s slightly furrowed


    brows, but he did not give her a chance to refuse. He said gently, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for so


    long. It¡¯s my gift to you. There¡¯s no need to feel burdened. Here, let me help you put it on.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and did not extend her hand for a while. ¡°Mr. Shain¡­¡±


    ¡°Rae-Rae, do you have to treat me like a stranger?¡± Thomas looked up at her with a hurt expression.


    ¡°You used to call me Brother Thomas when you followed Lucas and me around.¡±


    At this point, Rachel could not continue to refuse him. She could only let him help her put on the


    bracelet.


    Her smooth wrist was encircled by a bracelet iid with jewels of all colors, which


    glowed in the light.


    ¡°It really suits you,¡± said Thomas with a smile in his eyes.


    In the conference room.


    The people of the Four Families were discussing the future businessndscape in Seaxas.


    Sitting at the head of the table, David crossed his legs and sped his hands on them. His posture was


    indifferent, and he exuded a terrifying pressure that made people not dare to let their guard down.


    Everyone present knew very well that if the Jones family in Aureliana wanted to interfere in Se***s¡¯s


    business, they could not stop it at all.


    However, the man before them was different.


    The Ster Corporation he currently controlled might not be asrge as the Johnson Corporation, but


    he had a wide range of industries under his name.


    Both emerging and traditional industries were on par with the Johnson family in the business world.


    It was not an exaggeration to say that he controlled the local economy.


    Everyone was waiting for David to make one or two suggestions at the right time.


    However, David was staring at his phone the entire time. A vague chill ran through the depths of his


    eyes, making the atmosphere in the conference room suddenly heavy.


    Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Only Old Mr. Shain had a smug expression.


    He quietly handed the phone to Old Mr. Johnson. ¡°Old buddy, do you think it¡¯s okay for Thomas to


    apany your Rae-Rae?¡±

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    Thomas was the Shain family¡¯s most outstanding junior. He was also the next heir nurtured by the


    Shain family.


    The child could be considered to be raised by Old Mr. Shain, so Old Mr. Shain was satisfied with


    Thomas.


    Especially now that he saw Thomas and Rachel chatting happily, Old Mr. Shain was even more


    satisfied.


    Good boy. He really was his good grandson!


    If Thomas could sessfully get Rachel, then the Shain family¡¯s future development would definitely


    be bright!


    19


    If Rachel inherited the Johnson family in the future, the Johnson family would be equivalent to the


    Shain family.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Didn¡¯t the position of the wealthiest family naturally fall to the Shain family?


    Old Mr. Shain¡¯s eyes could not help but flicker with excitement at the thought of that.


    He did not expect that he would actually rely on Thomas, the brat, to reach the peak of his life at his


    age.


    ncing at his phone, Old Mr. Johnson looked at him with a half-smile. ¡°I think you and your grandson


    engaged in wishful thinking!¡±


    ¡°Hey, what are you talking about!¡± The smile on Old Mr. Shain¡¯s face immediately disappeared. With a


    serious expression, he reasoned with Old Mr. Johnson, ¡°Your see, we have a good personal


    rtionship, and I watched Rae-Rae grow up. Moreover, she has been following Thomas since she


    was little. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the two are childhood sweethearts. Thomas¡¯s looks,


    ability, and talent are unparalleled in Seaxas. How is he not worthy of your Rae-Rae?¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson snorted angrily. ¡°If I say he¡¯s not good enough for her, he is!¡±


    He intentionally arranged for matchmaking Rachel with another male member of the Chamber of


    Commerce this time. He even secretly colluded with Old Mr. Shain to introduce Jimmy to Rachel.


    He thought that as long as the other party was not David, he could ept it.


    Who would have thought that David would appear and disrupt the situation? Most importantly, Jimmy


    had disappeared.


    However, he was unhappy to see Rachel talking to other men.


    It was like seeing the roses that he had painstakingly nted being stolen.


    ¡°Then tell me, who is good enough for Rachel if Thomas isn¡¯t?¡± Old Mr. Shain looked at Old Mr.


    Johnson persistently.


    Old Mr. Johnson opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, he saw David sitting in the main


    seat from the corner of his eye. Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s brows moved slightly, and a dark,plicated


    expression shed across his turbid eyes. He said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve raised Rae-Rae as my daughter all


    these years and always had the best food and clothing for her. I¡¯ve never asked her to be rich but safe


    and healthy. Do you understand?¡±


    David frowned slightly, and aplicated emotion shed across his eyes.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Old Mr. Shain blurted out subconsciously. ¡°If Rae-Rae really marries into the Shain


    family, I guarantee you that she will definitely be the one and only. Even Thomas¡¯s status is inferior to


    hers!¡±


    Upon hearing that, Old Mr. Johnson picked up his cup and took a light sip.


    He said calmly after putting down the cup, ¡°It will depend on your Thomas¡¯s luck.¡±


    ¡°Thomas is gentle and considerate. It¡¯s impossible for Rae-Rae not to be moved,¡± Old Mr. Shain


    vowed.


    As soon as he finished his words, he could feel a terrifying low pressure lingering in the conference


    room, making him shudder.


    -Thomas invited Rachel to take a walk in the garden outside.


    Thomas could sense that Rachel was deliberately keeping a distance from him. He could not help but


    feel a little depressed. ¡°I remember you always liked to pester Lucas and me when you were little. Why


    are you being such a stranger now that you¡¯re a big girl?¡±


    ¡°I was insensible when I was little. I¡¯ve embarrassed myself in front of you,¡± Rachel said calmly.


    Thomas sensed Rachel¡¯s deliberate coldness, but he was not discouraged. He continued to find topics


    to try to get closer to Rachel. ¡°Although I¡¯ve been abroad all these years, I¡¯ve often heard Lucas talk


    about you.¡±

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    Regarding Thomas, Rachel was not disgusted but instinctively alienated him.


    After all, they were no longer at the age when they were little and had no worries about ying


    together.


    Now, they each carried the mission of their families and had concerns from all aspects.


    In addition, she was not an inexperienced young girl. She could feel the other emotions under


    Thomas¡¯s enthusiasm.


    ¡°Mr. Shain, I suddenly remembered I have something else to attend to. Excuse me.¡± Rachel smiled


    apologetically.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talkter,¡± said Thomas, slightly stunned.


    Rachel smiled quietly and turned away.


    Thomas stood rooted to the ground in a daze as he watched Rachel leave.


    He couldn¡¯t figure out why Rachel was so cold to him when he came back this time.


    At this moment, Lucas appeared out of nowhere with a mischievous smile. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. An unrequited


    love. What a pity.¡±


    Thomas restrained the disappointment in his eyes and raised his hand to adjust his tie when he heard


    him, ¡°Where did youe from?¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve been friends for so many years, I¡¯ll kindly advise you to give up,¡± Lucas said.


    ¡°Why? Are you worried Rae-Rae will suffer if she marries me?¡± asked Thomas disapprovingly.


    Lucas noticed that Thomas had a feeling for Rachel when they were in high school. But he only thought


    that it was the adoration of their youth at that time. He did not expect that after so many years, not only


    did Thomas¡¯s feelings not dissipate, but he actually had wishful thinking toward Rachel,


    Even though they were good friends, Lucas did not want Thomas to have anything to do with Rachel.


    What¡¯s more, Thomas had such thoughts about Rachel. That man would definitely not sit back and do


    nothing.


    Lucas looked at him with a fake smile. ¡°Mr. Shain, when did you have such a bad habit of


    daydreaming?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a concert on Saturday night. Asking Rae-Rae out for me.¡± Thomas looked at Lucas and took


    out two concert tickets from his pocket. He handed them to


    Lucas.


    At the moment, however, the concert ticket looked more like a death ticket to Lucas.


    He was sure that even if he had given the ticket to Rachel, she would have refused, and the concert


    would not start on time for various reasons.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t help you, Thomas. I really can¡¯t.¡± Lucas looked at him with a troubled expression.


    He had determined not to ept the ticket from Thomas as if it was a hot potato.


    Thomas was not surprised by Lucas¡¯s rejection.


    No one knew better than him how Lucas cherished his sister, Rachel.


    The son of the Johnson family, who was all-powerful in high school, was willing to be Rachel¡¯sckey. It


    was definitely not an ordinary indulgence.


    The corners of his mouth curled into a meaningful smile. ¡°I heard that the Blue Core Group is


    conquering the technology of AI chips. How about I introduce you to the research and development


    team of Photon Technology?¡±


    He did not believe Lucas would remain unmoved in the face of such temptation.


    An hour ago, Lucas would have said yes without hesitation.


    However, the problem was that Thomas¡¯s benefits were smallpared with David¡¯s direct delivery of


    a research and development team.


    Lucas sighed slightly and patted Thomas¡¯s shoulder hard. ¡°Thomas, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help


    you. It¡¯s just that they¡¯ve given me too much,¡± he said earnestly.


    As the saying goes, gifts blind eyes. He had epted the benefits of David, so how could he do


    something like steal his girlfriend?


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    If Rachel found out, she might skin him alive.


    Did they give him too much?

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    Chapter 504


    His words sessfully attracted Thomas¡¯s attention. He grabbed Lucas¡¯s arm and asked. ¡°Who is the


    other party?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Rae-Rae about that.¡± As Lucas spoke, the phone in his pocket. rang. He patted


    Thomas¡¯s shoulder and turned away.


    Thomas frowned slightly and looked down at the concert tickets in his hand. His fingers tightened.


    Did he miss her after all?


    After Rachel made an excuse to avoid Thomas, she casually found a remote corner and sat down.


    She took out her phone and texted David, (Gentle Reminder: you¡¯ve been ignoring your little cutie for


    an hour.]


    After sending it out, she held her chin and quietly waited for David¡¯s message.


    Then Mary appeared from behind. ¡°What are you thinking about? Why are you so engrossed?¡±


    Rachel turned around in a daze. When she saw Mary, the coldness between her eyebrows


    disappeared a little. ¡°Where have you been? I¡¯ve been looking for you all the time.¡±


    Hearing her, Mary¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. She raised her hand and tidied the hair at her temples. ¡°Of


    course, I¡¯m hiding aside to watch the show.¡±


    ¡°What kind of show?¡± Rachel asked.


    Mary smiled wickedly. ¡°I watched you entangled with Thomas, of course.¡±


    Just as Rachel was about to exin, Mary quickly extended her hand to stop her from speaking. ¡°I


    know your attitude, but Thomas clearly doesn¡¯t think so. The way he looks at you can melt even a block


    of ice.¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Hearing her analogy, Rachel couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°We used to y together when we were kids. It¡¯s


    not as exaggerated as you say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not what the other party thinks,¡± Mary said faintly.


    She suddenly thought of something. ¡°Oh, Yulia Wand, the movie star. Her wedding dress model has


    beenpleted. The embroiderers in the studio are sewing it these few days. Go over and take a look


    when you have time.¡±


    The wedding dress gave off a lively feeling. In order to avoid an ident, Mary thought it would be


    safer for Rachel to take a look personally.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Rachel with a nod.


    A message popped up on her phone as she finished her sentence. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I¡¯m


    going out and talk to youter.¡±


    Rachel walked out of the rest area and coincidentally met Thomas at the elevator.


    ¡°Rae-Rae.¡±


    The moment she saw Thomas, the smile on Rachel¡¯s lips became slightly distant. ¡°Mr. Shain.¡±


    ¡°Rae-Rae. I remember you used to like The Count of Monte Cristo very much. Coincidentally, my friend


    gave me two concert tickets, so I wanted to invite you¡­¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve never liked The Count of Monte Cristo. I only enjoy the pleasure of revenge. I like to see


    people who have done all kinds of bad things get what they deserve,¡± Rachel interrupted him. ¡°If you


    don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d better go before my boyfriend gets worried.¡±


    ¡°Your boyfriend?¡± Thomas frowned. ¡°When did you start dating? Why haven¡¯t I heard anyone mention it


    before?¡±


    When Rachel heard him, a hint of impatience appeared in her eyes. ¡°It is my personal affair, and I don¡¯t


    have to report it to you.¡±


    In her mind, Thomas had always been steady and prudent, much more so than Lucas, who did


    whatever he wanted.


    But now, Thomas gave her the feeling that she had misjudged him.


    Seeing that Rachel was slightly displeased, Thomas quickly calmed down his inner panic. ¡°I don¡¯t mean


    anything by it. I just want to ask you about his family background, how he treats you, and¡­ how long


    have you been together?¡±

 Chapter 505

    Chapter 505


    Chapter 505


    A hint of impatience appeared between Rachel¡¯s eyebrows, and her voice subconsciously turned cold.


    ¡°Those don¡¯t seem to have anything to do with you.¡±


    In the end, Thomas was only Grandpa Shain¡¯s grandson. Because the two families had a good


    rtionship, the juniors often yed together when they were little. However, there was no friendship


    between them other than that, and she had never overdid it.


    In particr, they gradually stopped contacting each other when they grew up. It was not an


    exaggeration to say that they were strangers.


    Therefore, Thomas¡¯s questions had crossed the line with Rachel at this moment. If she had known that


    Thomas would be such an unreasonable person when he grew up, she might as well not have known


    him back then.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Thomas, sensing Rachel¡¯s mood, secretly chafed at being too hasty. ¡°Rae-Rae, I¡¯m sorry. I was rude


    just now.¡±


    ¡°I still have something to do and have to go,¡± said Rachel.


    Coincidentally, the elevator door behind her opened, and Eddie walked out. His gaze swept past


    Thomas as he called out respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    When Rachel saw Eddie, the coldness between her eyebrows faded a little. She nodded slightly, then


    walked past Eddie and straight into the elevator.


    Watching Rachel and Eddie walking into the elevator one after another, Thomas¡¯ deep eyes gradually


    darkened with disappointment.


    At the billiard room on the first floor, a few young socialites noticed the scene and could not help but


    mock, ¡°No wonder the Johnson family never brought Rachel out before. They hid her like a treasure.


    Look, when she appeared, not only did she attract the attention of Mr. Jones, but even Mr. Shain


    seemed to be attracted to her.¡±


    ¡°The Johnson family wouldn¡¯t have plucked her from the backcountry if she wasn¡¯t capable, would


    they?¡±


    ¡°As the saying goes, like mother, like daughter. Who do you think Rachel is?¡± ¡°From what you¡¯re


    saying, could it be that her mother did something else?¡±


    The man being questioned enjoyed being the center of attention, and his vanity was greatly satisfied.


    He got a little carried away for a moment, and all he could do was reveal the family¡¯s gossip. ¡°I heard


    her mother fell in love with a certain man back then. It¡¯s said that she even got pregnant and


    shamelessly pestered him. The other party was forced into a corner and had no choice but to marry


    her. As a result, she was eight months pregnant when she suddenly had a miscarriage, and the baby


    was born prematurely. But I¡¯m puzzled. Why did she suddenly have a


    miscarriage for no reason? There¡¯s something fishy going on there. The man could be a backup man, a


    big loser!¡±


    The surroundings burst intoughter as soon as he finished his words.


    At this moment, the door behind him was kicked open.


    Before the leader of the ridicule in the group could react, he was kicked in the back.


    The corners of Lucas¡¯s mouth curled up into a smile. He stepped on the person on the sofa and looked


    down at him. He took a cigarette from his pocket, put it in the corner of his mouth, and lit it. He said


    casually, ¡°Shane, you have a lot of nerve talking about the Johnson family behind their back.¡±


    His thin lips exhaled white smoke, and a trace of coldness and hostility shed in his eyes.


    When the man saw Lucas, his heart skipped a beat. ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Johnson¡­¡±


    Everyone knew that Rachel was the daughter of the Johnson family. Although with a differentst


    name, every man in the Johnson family treated her like a


    treasure.


    Not only did Shane mock Rachel, but he also openly discussed Sophia, which was enough to provoke


    Lucas.


    ¡°Talk to me. What else do you know?¡± Lucas reached for Shane¡¯s cor and flicked the cigarette ash


    with his fingertips.


    The scorching temperature made Shane gasp, but he didn¡¯t dare to speak a word.


    ¡°I¡­ I was drunk and said a few words. Mr. Johnson, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Shane smiled apologetically.


    His tone was humble, and he no longer had the former arrogant attitude.

 Chapter 506

    Chapter 506


    Chapter 506


    ¡°But I don¡¯t smell any alcohol on you.¡± Mary walked in from outside. She stood beside Shane Page and


    sniffed. ¡°You probably drank fake alcohol.


    As Mary spoke, she walked to the wine cabs and picked up two bottles of whiskey, ¡°Come, Mr.


    Page, I¡¯ll treat you to a good drink!¡±


    The two bottles of wine that Mary picked were strong. It would be difficult for an ordinary person to


    finish one bottle, let alone two full bottles.


    The wine bottles were ced heavily on the marble coffee table. The sound was neither loud nor soft,


    making Shane¡¯s heart tremble.


    Shane looked at the two bottles of whiskey in front of him, and his eyebrows twitched.


    If he were to finish those two bottles of wine, he would be knocked out.


    ¡°Mr. Johnson, I¡­ I¡¯m really drunk. I spoke nonsense. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Shane continued to smile


    apologetically. Even though his smile was stiff, he did not dare to rx at all.


    Lucas lowered his eyes and looked at Shane. Lucas¡¯ eyes were filled with ruthless. coldness. ¡°Shane,


    are you going to drink them yourself, or do you want me to get someone to help you? It¡¯s your choice.¡±


    Although Lucas said it would be Shane¡¯s choice, everyone present knew very well that if Lucas were to


    find someone to help, Shane would probably suffer even


    more.


    After hesitating for a long time, Shane gritted his teeth and got up from the ground in a sorry state. He


    opened a bottle and drank it.


    After drinking less than half a bottle, he hugged the trash can beside him and vomited uncontrobly.


    Lucas frowned slightly and looked at the person beside him. ¡°Make sure he finishes them!¡±,


    In other words, if Shane could not finish those two bottles of wine, he would not be able to leave this


    ce!


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but suck in a breath of cold air.


    On one hand, they pitied Shane for having offended Lucas. On the other hand, they secretly broke out


    in a cold sweat, afraid that they would be implicated in the next second.


    As Lucas turned to leave, he turned his body slightly and nced at the people behind him with a


    sharp gaze. ¡°If I hear you guys talking about Rachel Grey again¡­¡±


    He paused for a moment, and the corners of his mouth curled up into a faint smile. ¡°I assure you that


    you won¡¯t have an easy time!¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    With that, he turned around and left.


    Mary slowly followed. When she passed by the few young socialites who were talking about Rachel,


    she snorted unceremoniously. ¡°All of you are ugly yet ambitious. If you want to seduce Mr. Jones, you


    probably have a chance only in your next life.¡±


    After being called ugly in public, the faces of the young socialites became flushed. However, they did


    not dare to say anything.


    On the other end, Rachel followed Eddie to the lounge.


    Noticing the tightly shut door of the meeting room, a look of contemtion shed across Rachel¡¯s


    eyes. ¡°The meeting isn¡¯t over yet?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Eddie said respectfully. ¡°But Mr. Jones has already arranged everything for you, Miss Grey.


    Please wait a moment.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly and followed Eddie into the lounge.


    The lounge adopted a vintage style. Opposite the door was arge screen. Besides being used for


    decoration, it served to avoid the prying eyes of the people outside.


    When Rachel walked past the screen, there was a vintage couch in front of a carved window.


    During the intermission of the meeting, David walked in and saw the scene of a beauty sleeping on the


    couch.


    Her ck hair fell like a waterfall, making her tanned face look delicate. Her curly and thick eyshes


    were as long as tiny fans, casting a faint shadow under her eyes. Her lips were slightly parted, emitting


    a faint luster like cherry blossoms waiting to be plucked.


    The coldness between David¡¯s eyebrows faded a little. David slowly stepped forward and gently


    pushed a strand of hair away from Rachel¡¯s forehead with his fingertips. He bent down and kissed her.


    His action was gentle and pious, as though he wanted to pour all his gentleness into it.

 Chapter 507

    Chapter 507


    Chapter 507


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


    David kissed Rachel all the way down. He parted her cor and bit her corbone.


    Rachel suddenly opened her eyes and hugged David¡¯s head with both hands. ¡°David, are you a dog?¡±


    ¡°Why did he have to bite me like that?¡± Rachel thought.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you pretending to be asleep anymore?¡±


    ¡°Who said I was pretending to be asleep?¡± A sh of embarrassment appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes. She


    argued, ¡°I¡¯d wanted to continue sleeping, but someone¡¯s kiss woke me up.¡±


    Rachel had only wanted to take a nap on the couch initially, but she did not expect to fall asleep.


    Neither did Rachel expect David to kiss her while she was asleep.


    David got up and sat beside Rachel. David reached out his arm and pulled Rachel into his embrace.


    David tucked Rachel¡¯s hair behind her shoulders and rubbed her sensitive car with his fingertips. ¡°In


    that case,


    it¡¯s my fault.¡±


    ¡°It was your fault in the first ce.¡± Rachel leaned her back against David¡¯s chest and looked at him. ¡°Is


    the meeting over?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± David lowered his eyes and looked at the colorful gemstone bracelet on Rachel¡¯s slender wrist.


    An imperceptible coldness shed across his eyes. ¡°What did you talk about with Thomas Shain?¡±


    When Rachel heard this, she immediately understood.


    David was demanding an exnation.


    No wonder the meeting that was going well was suddenly halted.


    ¡°You saw us?¡±


    David¡¯s fingers h**ked onto the bracelet on Rachel¡¯s wrist, and he resisted the urge to rip it off. David¡¯s


    deep and cold voice was mixed with a tinge of unknown anger. ¡°You sounded like you didn¡¯t want me to


    see you.¡±


    ¡°Thomas is just a childhood ymate.¡± Rachel turned around in David¡¯s embrace and ced her hands


    on his shoulders. ¡°The Johnson family and the Shain family are old friends. The three of us often


    yed together. After we grew up, we were busy with our own things and rarely contacted each other


    in private. This time, Thomas suddenly came back. Grandpa Shain probably called Thomas back to


    take over the Shain family.¡±


    David¡¯s dark eyes were filled withplicated emotions as he repeated meaningfully. ¡°He¡¯s just a


    childhood ymate?¡±


    David thought, ¡°Men were the most urate where other men were concerned! ¡°Thomas Shain clearly


    had designs on Rachel!


    ¡°If that wasn¡¯t the case, why would Thomas give Rachel a bracelet and prepare tickets for a concert?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± said Rachel.


    David smiled faintly. ¡°In that case, leave the rest to me.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Rachel subconsciously grabbed David¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m going to persuade Thomas to quit having designs on you.¡±


    Seeing the displeasure in David¡¯s eyes, Rachel could not help butugh. ¡°David, are you jealous?¡±


    David did not say anything. He just looked away with a dark petnt expression. His expression


    seemed to be saying, ¡°I¡¯m angry. You have to coax me.¡±


    The smile on Rachel¡¯s lips involuntarily deepened. Rachel rolled her eyes and imitated David¡¯s


    domineering manner. She grabbed David¡¯s chin and leaned over to kiss his lips.


    Rachel tried to recall the way David had looked when he kissed her. Rachel traced the shape of


    David¡¯s lips, teasing and ingratiating.


    David was quickly aroused by Rachel.


    David wrapped his arm around Rachel¡¯s slender waist and held the back of her head with his other


    hand, pressing her fiercely against the couch.


    The fierce and domineering kiss was like a gust of wind. Although Rachel was a little overwhelmed, she


    did not reject the kiss at all.


    Perhaps sensing Rachel¡¯s obedience, David gradually restrained himself.


    After the kiss, Rachel¡¯s tanned cheeks were already flushed red. There was ayer of moisture at the


    corners of her eyes, emanating a hint of unknowing charm.


    Rachel panted heavily and licked her numb lips with the tip of her tongue. Her pretty eyes flickered with


    a tiny smile. ¡°Are you appeased now?¡±

 Chapter 508

    Chapter 508


    Chapter 508


    ¡°Stay away from Thomas Shain from now on!¡± David looked down at the woman under him. His dark


    eyes seemed to be burning with fire, igniting the hidden desire in the depths of his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t meet


    him, don¡¯t go out to eat with him, and don¡¯t go to any concerts with him!¡±


    Hearing the three things that David forbade her to do, Rachel was even more convinced that David


    knew everything about her conversation with Thomas.


    Rachel did not miss the sh of ruthlessness in David¡¯s eyes.


    Her intuition told her that if she really had a flirtatious rtionship with Thomas, David would get rid of


    Thomas without hesitation.


    David was not afraid of the Shain family¡¯s prestige in Seaxas.


    Rachel looked at David¡¯s dark eyes, which were cold and sharp. She wrapped her arms around his


    neck and buried her face in his neck. She sighed softly. ¡°You¡¯re David Jones. Why are you feeling


    flustered because of another man?¡±


    In Rachel¡¯s impression, David had always been rational and restrained. He was a strategist, and


    everything was in his control.


    But now, because of Thomas, David had lost his cool.


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. His dark eyes hid an unconceble dominance and aggressiveness.


    He stared at Rachel without blinking and grabbed her chin tightly with his fingertips. ¡°Answer me.¡±


    Rachel looked into David¡¯s eyes fearlessly. Her pretty eyes were filled with a faint gentleness. ¡°I have a


    boyfriend, so I certainly know I should avoid spection. I also know I should keep a distance from


    men other than you. But you must understand that the Shain and Johnson families are old friends.


    Thomas and I will inevitably meet, but I can promise you that I¡¯ll take the initiative to report to you every


    time he and I meet.¡±


    As Rachel said, the Shain and Johnson families were old friends, so their rtionship was naturally


    close.


    Whether it was in business or in private, Rachel and Thomas would inevitably meet. However, when


    David thought about how Rachel and Thomas were childhood friends who grew up together in school,


    David could not help but feel jealous.


    David looked at Rachel with unknown emotions surging in his dark eyes. ¡°Do you like Thomas?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Rachelughed. ¡°At most, Thomas was just a ymate. Moreover, every time I yed with


    Thomas, Lucas was also present.¡±


    As long as David said that he did not believe Rachel, Rachel would immediately


    call Lucas to prove her innocence.


    Hearing Rachel¡¯s exnation, the coldness between David¡¯s eyebrows faded a little. His gloomy gaze


    gradually softened. He realized that he might have been too nervous. He sighed slightly and gently


    stroked the top of Rachel¡¯s head with his palm. ¡°I will believe anything you say.¡±


    As David got up, Rachel propped herself on the vintage couch with both arms. ¡°You¡¯re not angry


    anymore?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± David replied gloomily. He turned his gaze to Rachel¡¯s hand and frowned imperceptibly. He


    lowered his voice and said, ¡°Remember to wear the ring after you go back.¡±


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


    Rachel was slightly stunned.


    Currently, it was not appropriate to announce her rtionship with David to the public. Her maternal


    grandfather, Arthur Johnson, also felt that it was


    inappropriate to wear the ring before the wedding ceremony, so he asked her to take it off.


    From Rachel¡¯s point of view, even if she didn¡¯t wear the ring, she still belonged with David in this life.


    However, she did not expect David to be brooding over it.


    She smiled. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After David regted his emotions, he straightened his tie and turned around to leave.


    Unexpectedly, Rachel grabbed the corner of David¡¯s shirt and looked at him pitifully. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little


    irresponsible to run away after kissing me?¡±


    Her cold tone softened like the tinkling spring water in a mountain stream, inexplicably stirring David¡¯s


    heart.

 Chapter 509

    Chapter 509


    Chapter 509


    David pursed his thin lips and looked down at Rachel tugging the corner of his


    shirt.


    Rachel¡¯s tanned fingers were slender and well-proportioned. Her fingertips were grabbing his ck


    suit. It was just a simple action, but for some reason, it made his heart soften.


    David slowly raised his eyes and looked at Rachel.


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows were slightly raised, and her smile was just right. Had she smiled a little bit more, it


    would have been a flirtatious smile. Her pretty eyes were filled with sparkles and a hint of innocence.


    The lipstick on her lips had already been smudged after the passionate and domineering kiss.


    It resonated with her messy cor and the marks on her neck. It made people. involuntarily imagine a


    charming scene in their minds.


    David¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. He reached out his fingertips and rubbed Rachel¡¯s swollen lips. He


    traced the shape of her lips and gently wiped away the smudged lipstick.


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down, and his deep and cold voice was slightly hoa rse. ¡°How do you


    want me to take responsibility?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at David. She stretched out her fingertip. and h**ked her finger


    at him.


    Without thinking, David leaned forward.


    The next second, Rachel held David¡¯s face and kissed him.


    Compared to David¡¯s domineering kiss, Rachel¡¯s kiss was like the hazy spring rain filled with


    gentleness.


    David tried his best to suppress the impulse in his heart and let Rachel do whatever she wanted.


    After the kiss, Rachel pressed her forehead against David¡¯s. Her eyes were glistening, and her red lips


    curled into a smile. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re even now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair,¡± David said.


    Before Rachel could react, David kissed her lips again.


    Kissing was something that was additive.


    Therefore, when David returned to the meeting room, everyone could vaguely sense that he was in a


    good mood.


    People with sharp eyes noticed the lipstick mark on David¡¯s chin at one nce. Although it was very


    faint, it was enough to make everyone present specte.


    It seemed that Mr. Jones was hiding a woman!


    Old Mr. Shain kicked Old Mr. Johnson under the table and looked at David meaningfully.


    Old Mr. Johnson followed his gaze and noticed the lipstick mark on David¡¯s chin. His eyes darkened.


    On the other end, Rachel reapplied her lipstick and walked out of the lounge.


    ¡°Miss Grey,¡± Billy said respectfully.


    Rachel nodded slightly and continued to walk towards the elevator. When she saw Billy following


    behind her unhurriedly, she involuntarilyughed. ¡°Go do your thing. I¡¯m just taking a walk.¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Billy looked at Rachel with a troubled expression. ¡°Mr. Jones instructed me to follow behind you and


    protect you, Miss Grey.¡±


    Hearing this, a meaningful smile shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    Rachel thought, ¡°If David was worried, he could have just sent someone to keep an eye on me. Yet, he


    found such an exaggerated reason.¡±


    Rachel did not make things difficult for Billy. She allowed Billy to follow behind her.


    Only this method would deter those restless rich young heirs from pestering her. Even if they wanted to


    take the initiative to strike up a conversation with her, they had to weigh the consequences. They could


    not take a beating after all.


    When Rachel found Mary and Lucas, they were ying billiards.


    As soon as she walked in, she sensed the strange atmosphere in the billiard hall.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rachel asked casually as she picked up a cue stick from the rack and walked over


    to Mary¡¯s side.


    Mary yed a stroke and watched as the six-ball went into the hole. She said unhurriedly, ¡°It¡¯s just their


    tough luck.¡±

 Chapter 510

    Chapter 510


    Chapter 510


    Mary yed another stroke, but she missed the hole this time.


    When it was Rachel¡¯s turn to y, Mary held the cue stick with both hands and continued to say, ¡°Just


    now, when you weren¡¯t around, Shane from the fourth branch of the Page family was being a


    bbermouth. Not only did he talk about you behind your back, but he also talked about Sophia. Lucas


    and I got back at him for you.¡±


    Rachel arched her eyebrow. ¡°What did Shane say?¡±


    Due to the rtionship between the fourth branch of the Page family and Eleanor Johnson, it was


    inevitable to hear some rumors about the Johnson family.


    However, Rachel was a little curious about what Shane had said to make Lucas angry.


    Mary¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. ¡°Do you like to get upset? Since Shane was discussing behind your


    back, it must¡¯ve been something bad.¡±


    It was obvious that Mary did not intend to let Rachel hear those filthy words.


    Sensing Mary¡¯s intention, Rachel did not continue to ask. Instead, Rachel looked up at Lucas.


    Lucas satzily on the ck leather sofa with his arm resting on the backrest. The sleeves of his white


    shirt were rolled up to his arms, revealing his muscr forearms. His clean and slender fingers were


    holding a cigarette.


    Amidst the smoke, Lucas¡¯ exquisite face could be vaguely seen.


    As if sensing Rachel¡¯s gaze, Lucas suddenly looked up.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    The moment Lucas¡¯ gaze met Rachel¡¯s, the fierceness in his eyes disappeared, and a hint of


    gentleness appeared.


    Lucas put out the cigarette in his hand and walked toward Rachel with one hand in his pocket. ¡°How


    about we y a round?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Rachel held the cue stick with one hand and tapped the cue stick with her fingertips. She raised


    her eyebrows and looked at Lucas. A meaningful smile shed across the depths of her pretty eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s the bet?¡±


    Lucas wiped the cue stick with a chalk cube and said casually, ¡°Up to you.¡±


    ¡°In that case, the limited edition Aventador-J in your garage.¡±


    Actually, that was not the most expensive car in Lucas¡¯ garage. However, it was a limited edition car,


    and there was only one in the world.


    Only such a unique car would be worthy of David.


    Lucas¡¯ eyebrows twitched fiercely, but his eyes were filled with doting indulgence. ¡°You win!¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°You tter me.¡±


    The game took an hour and a half and ended with a narrow victory for Rachel.


    Lucas put down the cue stick and said calmly, ¡°Go to the garage when you have time.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Rachel spoke tentatively.


    Lucas looked at Rachel and waited patiently for her to finish what she was saying.


    ¡°Can you help me customize the voice system? It¡¯s best to set it to my voice.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re really narcissistic.¡±


    Before Lucas could finish speaking, Mary said, ¡°Do you think she¡¯s preparing the car for herself?¡±


    Under Lucas¡¯ gaze, Mary continued to say, ¡°It¡¯s most likely¡­ a birthday gift prepared for Mr. Jones!¡±


    Hearing this, Lucas¡¯ face darkened at a speed visible to the naked eye. He secretly gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re using my money to coax a man. What an excellent yer you are!¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯m making the best use of resources.¡±


    As Rachel turned to leave, she suddenly thought of something and stopped in her tracks. ¡°Remember


    to rece the ss with bulletproof ss.


    After saying that, Rachel left Lucas cursing on the spot.


    In the blink of an eye, night fell.


    Under the guidance of the hotel butler, Rachel returned to her room to rest.


    The hotel had a total of five floors. At the end of the top floor was the presidential suite.


    Rachel¡¯s room happened to be next door to the presidential suite.


    Standing on the balcony, Rachel could see the open-air balcony of the


    presidential suite and the outdoor swimming pool.


    Rachel curled up on the rattan swing chair hung on the balcony. She fiddled with her phone with both


    hands and checked the relevant information on her boyfriend¡¯s gift.


    Suddenly, she heard footstepsing from next door, followed by two voices. deliberately lowered.

 Chapter 511

    Chapter 511


    Chapter 511


    Rachel wasn¡¯t too concerned at first. Eavesdropping was not her particr interest.


    On the other hand, she was instantly drawn to the sound of a familiar voice.


    On the garden¡¯s stone stairs, Jimmy and Landon were having a conversation.


    ¡°Although Marina is ambitious, this is far from enough for her tounch an attack on David in Seaxas.¡±


    It was Landon who spoke.


    His voice was even and unruffled, yet there was an undercurrent of tension.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Jimmy lit a cigarette. Without haste, he exhaled the cigarette smoke and said, ¡°That¡¯s true, but she


    hasn¡¯t wasted any time for the past few days. She has been seeing the members of the Four Families


    in Seaxas rather often recently. You can¡¯t argue that this is simply a casual stop-by, right?¡±


    The room became silent once he finished speaking.


    After some time, Jimmy¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°As far as I know, this includes the Cruise family too.¡±


    Landon knew about the issues between Rachel and Olivia, even if no one else did. Since they were


    aware, Marina would be as well.


    Since Olivia¡¯s arrival, she had been nothing but trouble. It wouldn¡¯t matter if she managed to wipe every


    digital footprint from the Inte since people would still remember.


    ¡°Even though Marina doesn¡¯t have much power in Seaxas, many people are willing to work for her due


    to the fact that she is the oldest daughter of the Jones family in Aureliana.¡±


    When Jimmy said that, he wasn¡¯t trying to tter Marina.


    He knew the Jones family held influence in Aureliana and that many aspired to the family¡¯s status.


    Every single person in Seaxas would drop everything toe to Marina¡¯s assistance at the drop of a


    hat as soon as she made an offer.


    Landon let out a heartyugh. Unmistakable disdain dripped from his voice as he stated, ¡°What else


    can the Cruise family do?¡±


    Rachel smiled silently.


    Indeed, the Cruise family was unable to alter anything at this point.


    Marina was very foolish if she believed that siding with Olivia and working along


    with Olivia would help her against Rachel.


    While she was deep in her thoughts, there was a knock on Rachel¡¯s door.


    She quickly got to her feet. The flower pot on the balcony fell over as she stood up.


    Thankfully, she caught the flower pot just in time.


    She let out an inward sigh of relief and hurried back to her room.


    Rachel opened the door. She was slightly stunned to see Mr. Chadwick and greeted him politely, ¡°Mr.


    Chadwick.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey,¡± said Mr. Chadwick as the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile. Like Old Mr.


    Johnson, he had an air of gentle kindness and tranquility while he continued, ¡°Mr. Johnson would like to


    have you over for a chat.¡± Rachel¡¯s beautiful round eyes suddenly seemed to take on an air of gravity.


    There must be some pressing matter for her grandfather to discuss at this hour. ¡°Hold on.¡± Rachel went


    and changed into appropriate attire and followed Mr. Chadwick to her grandfather¡¯s room.


    As soon as she walked into the room, she heard the sound of a cup shattering.


    Rachel sneaked a nce at Mr. Chadwick.


    Mr. Chadwick, sensing the ufortable silence, coughed lightly to break the ice before responding


    c**lly, ¡°It should be Mr. Louis in there.¡±


    After giving a tiny nod, Rachel entered the room.


    Lucas knelt on the floor. Old Mr. Johnson raised his walking stick and was about to hit Lucas with it.


    Just in time, Rachel called out, ¡°Grandpa!¡± There was a flicker of nervousness in her eyes as she took


    in the sight of Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s lifting his walking stick.


    The moment Old Mr. Johnson saw her, his eyes twitched slightly. The anger had gone out of his eyes,


    but his voice still carried an undercurrent of rage, saying, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    Rachel walked forward and held Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s arm. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Let him speak for himself!¡± Old Mr. Johnson roared as he waved the walking stick in his hand.

 Chapter 512

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    Chapter 512


    A guilty expression crossed Lucas¡¯s face as he cast it on Rachel. His fear of Arthur¡¯s walking stick


    made him open up about being bribed by David.


    He had assumed this issue had been resolved in secret. It still, surprisingly, reached Arthur¡¯s ears.


    When Rachel heard this, there was something else shed across her eyes. This exined why Lucas


    had ceased asking about her and David.


    It turned out that he was so guilty that he couldn¡¯t speak up for himself.


    With his walking staff, Arthur pounded loudly on the ground and roared, ¡°You know he¡¯s up to no good,


    and yet you continue to do business with him behind closed doors. Are you deliberately attempting to


    p*ss me off?¡±


    Lucas maintained his ck stance as if he didn¡¯t give a d*mn about anything. ¡°Grandpa, this matter


    isn¡¯t as simple as you think. We¡¯re just cooperating. It¡¯s at best a win-win situation.¡±


    Arthur snorted angrily. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll sell Rae-Rae out!¡±


    Lucas lowered his head and murmured softly, ¡°How can that be¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    He didn¡¯t even need to sell her out.


    Rachel would do what David told her to do as soon as he made a gesture.


    He would never have the nerve to really say anything like that. Otherwise, he would be skinned alive as


    soon as the words left his mouth.


    When Arthur turned back and saw Lucas, he was furious. He simply waved his hand and demanded,


    ¡°Go, go, go. I¡¯m annoyed just at the sight of you!¡±


    Lucas sprang to his feet. As he turned to leave, he gave Rachel a quick nce.


    Rachel immediately understood what he meant.


    Arthur sipped from the coffee he left on the table after he departed to calm down the mood.


    ¡°Grandpa, why are you looking for me?¡± Rachel asked him.


    Under her honest gaze, Arthur felt even harder at what he was going to tell her.


    Hence, he picked up the cup again and took another sip of his coffee.


    Since he had finished his cup of coffee, he had no choice but to put down the cup in his hand and say


    with difficulty, ¡°Rae-Rae, I know there are some things that I shouldn¡¯t ask as your grandfather, but your


    mother passed away early and had repeatedly instructed me to take good care of you, so¡­¡±


    Rachel could tell that Arthur was in a difficult position. She smiled and said, ¡°Grandpa, since when did


    we have to be so polite with each other?¡±


    When Arthur heard her, the stiffness in his face faded a bit, and a glimmer of relief could be seen in his


    eyes.


    He nced at Mr. Chadwick.


    Mr. Chadwick understood and turned to leave.


    There were only Arthur and Rachel left in the living room.


    Arthur sighed slightly. His gaze was unusually serious and grave as he asked, ¡°Rae-Rae, tell me about


    you and David¡­ How far have you progressed?¡±


    This question made Rachel, who was drinking her coffee, choke and cough. She never expected her


    grandfather to ask about this.


    Arthur knew that it was inappropriate for him to ask this question.


    Nevertheless, it was unfortunate that there was no one else who could have filled the role of


    appropriate candidate.


    He didn¡¯t want too many people to know about Rachel and David¡¯s romance.


    Rachel pursed her lips, not knowing how to answer.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, you think you understand him, but what you see might just be the tip of the iceberg. It¡¯s just


    what he wants you to see.¡± Arthur looked at Rachel¡¯s lowered head and couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°You


    have no idea what being with him


    means.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, I¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Arthur cut her off, ¡°I know what you want to say, but listen to my advice. This


    marriage is not suitable for you.¡±

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    ¡°You¡¯ve always said that this marriage is not suitable for me. You¡¯ve repeatedly asked me to break off


    the engagement, but you owe me an exnation on this.¡± Rachel had always felt that Arthur was


    particrly against her and David¡¯s marriage.


    Since he was so against it, why didn¡¯t he stop her mother from getting engaged back then?


    Arthur became very enraged and bitter after seeing Rachel¡¯s obstinacy.


    If it was Lucas, Arthur would have beaten him to death if he was like this! He rubbed the watch in his


    hand in frustration. After pondering for a long time, he spoke again. ¡°Let¡¯s put other matters aside first.


    Once your rtionship with David is exposed, those who are enemies with David will start to target


    you! It¡¯s easy to fend off an open attack, but you can never avoid an unexpected attack. Can you


    guarantee that you are able toe out unscathed?


    ¡°Perhaps David can protect you for a while, but there will be times when he is careless. If that happens,


    it will be toote for regrets!¡±


    As one basked in the glory of unrivaled honor and the adoration of the masses, the inevitable tide of


    opposition would soon follow suit.


    The existence of Rachel was precisely the bargaining chip these people would use to threaten David.


    Once David¡¯s enemies found out about Rachel¡¯s existence, they would definitely do everything they


    could to get their hands on Rachel.


    However, Rachel had already thought of what Arthur said.


    She had also convinced herself to let go, to attempt to settle for the mundane existence of a regr


    person, and to find contentment in that.


    Yet it was her own selfishness that led her to take the risk.


    She¡¯d given him her everything in the hopes that he¡¯d settle down and spend the rest of his life with her.


    Rachel rubbed the edge of the cup with her fingertips and said, ¡°But I might not be his weakness.¡±


    David might not be able to keep harm at bay for her at all times, but she would never allow herself to be


    dominated.


    She did not need David or the Johnson family as her support. She was the most trustworthy of all.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    As Arthur saw Rachel¡¯s intransigence, he felt nothing but frustration.


    He sighed deeply. ¡°Forget it, forget it! I can¡¯t change your decision. I really hope that you can keep your


    cool and not do anything irrational when you have to deal with this situation.¡±


    ¡°Got it, grandpa,¡± Rachel replied.


    After leaving Arthur¡¯s room, Rachel returned to her room.


    She entered the room and saw Lucas sitting on the sofa.


    ¡°Come here and sign this,¡± Lucas handed a document to Rachel.


    Rachel took it and asked casually, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lucas lit a cigarette and answered, ¡°The shares of mypany.¡±


    His tone was too ck and careless to suggest he was talking about anything of significance. Rather, it


    seemed like he was inquiring as to whether or not she had


    eaten.


    ¡°Why did you give me this for no reason?¡± Rachel stared at him with a raised brow. The transfer letter


    was tossed on the table before she turned and headed to her room. ¡°Are you feeling uneasy because


    you¡¯ve epted David¡¯s privileges behind my back?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by feeling uneasy? It¡¯s as if I¡¯ve done something wrong to you,¡± Lucas muttered.


    He admitted that he was indeed tempted by David this time.


    However, what else could he do? After all, the other party had offered the entire research and


    development team.


    If David had been slightly stingy, Lucas wouldn¡¯t have pulled such a move for the sake of the money


    and lost the Johnson family¡¯s face.


    Rachel walked to him with the first aid kit in her hand, demanding, ¡°Take off your shirt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury¡­¡±


    ¡°Take it off,¡± Rachel interrupted him coldly.


    Lucas was most afraid of Rachel¡¯s cold expression. Putting down the wine ss, he dutifully removed


    his shirt as instructed.


    His back was covered with what looked like vicious scars, and his flesh and skin seemed like being


    ripped apart.


    This time, Arthur was especially brutal.

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    Rachel frowned slightly andforted him, ¡°Bear with it for a while.¡± Lucas wanted to brag, but the


    moment his wound had contact with the disinfectant, he couldn¡¯t help but gasp, ¡°Tsk, that old man is


    ruthless!¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t say anything while she continued to treat his wound.


    Lucas¡¯s veins on his forehead popped out a little when the disinfectant was applied to the incision on


    his back. He looked up at Rachel and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious at all?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Rachel said coldly.


    Lucas straightened his posture and rested his upper body on the chair back to make it easier for


    Rachel to apply the medication.


    Her hands didn¡¯t stop moving. Her techniques were clean and neat as if she had practiced this a


    thousand times.


    ¡°Did you really just ept the little benefit David gave you?¡±


    Rachel looked at the hideous wounds on Lucas¡¯s body and couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    Lucas was a wild and unruly child. Tom had him chastised by Old Mr. Johnson in an effort to shape his


    character.


    However, Lucas stillcked the requisite convergent skills.


    She remembered that once, Lucas had beaten up the eldest son of the Windward family in order to


    stand up for her. It was said that his leg had yet to recover.


    Old Mr. Johnson was so enraged that he ended up physically assaulting Lucas over the incident. Lucas


    clenched his teeth and refused to make a sound while he was being cruelly beaten with a whip,


    maintaining his stance that he hadmitted no mistakes.


    Later, she sneaked into Lucas¡¯s room in the middle of the night to sneak him. some food.


    She happened to bump into Tom.


    Tom, who had never shown any emotion before, did so for the first time at that moment, revealing his


    eyes to be filled with sadness. He sighed faintly and told her, ¡°Don¡¯t think that your grandfather is being


    too hard on Lucas. He knows what he¡¯s doing. Besides, we owe the Windward family an exnation.¡±


    Judging from Lucas¡¯s wound, the old man obviously did not show any mercy. If he had only epted


    David¡¯s R&D team, Old Mr. Johnson wouldn¡¯t have been


    so angry.


    ¡°I¡¯m your brother! Blood is thicker than water! No matter how much of a bas*ard I am, I won¡¯t sell my


    own sister out!¡± Lucas suddenly sat up, turned around, and red at her angrily. ¡°You¡¯re actually


    using me? Rachel, cross your heart and tell me, have I ever done anything wrong in my life?¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Rachel pushed him back down and retorted, ¡°I just find this strange.


    Why would grandpa be so angry over such a trivial matter?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m also curious,¡± Lucas said. ¡°Currently, all the signs point to grandpa strongly


    opposing you being with David.¡±¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, nced at him calmly, and asked, ¡°So?¡±


    Lucas said, ¡°I think you might want to reconsider it¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Rachel suddenly pressed hard on his wound. Lucas was in so much pain that


    he broke out in cold sweat. He couldn¡¯t help but gasp, ¡°Damn it, are you trying to murder your own


    brother?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was a little too rough.¡± Rachel looked at him and apologized with a fake smile.


    Lucas knew that Rachel was deliberately taking revenge just now. He pursed his lips and couldn¡¯t help


    but continue his words, ¡°Today, David said out loud that he would marry you in front of others just to


    support you. If this news gets out, you won¡¯t know what you¡¯re facing.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about other things first. Instead, let¡¯s talk about the remaining three families. If they find


    out about your rtionship with David, you¡¯ll be a stepping stone in their eyes.¡±

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    After carefully dressing Lucas¡¯s wound, Rachel smiled cryptically at him. ¡°We still don¡¯t know who¡¯s


    who.¡±


    Hearing her words, Lucas didn¡¯t know what to say.


    In fact, what she said made sense. Rachel was not any youngdy who only knew how to enjoy life.


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    In terms of courage and cunning, she wasparable to Old Mr. Johnson back when he was young.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have saved the Smith Group from the brink of


    bankruptcy in a single year and taken it to new heights under her direction in at span of two years.


    When Lucas put his shirt back on, he nced at the wound on his back. ¡°After so many years, you¡¯re


    still as skilled as ever.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel stopped packing the first aid kit for a moment.


    She lowered her eyes and pursed her lips. There was no emotion in her calm tone when she answered


    him, ¡°I¡¯m still a little rusty.¡±


    ¡°Want to go out sometime and have some fun?¡± Lucas asked.


    Rachel looked up at him.


    After putting on his shirt, Lucas used his toned fingers to button his shirt up. ¡°Dan has a hunting ground


    near Elderville. Shall we go there and have some fun tomorrow?¡±


    At the hunting ground.


    This was the first time she had seen it in Scaxas.


    Rachel thought for a few moments and nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t ridden a horse in a long time.


    It had been a long time since she enjoyed the feeling of freedom.


    The Cruise family.


    During this period of time, the Cruise family was indeed ttered. Especially Olivia Cruise.


    She did not expect to receive Marina¡¯s invitation.


    It was Marina Jones!


    From the Jones family of Aureliana.


    This indicated that behind her was an infinite supply of riches, in addition to the identity and position


    that everyone aspired to have.


    If the Cruise family had the chance to work together with the Jones family, their future would definitely


    be a bright one.


    Not only might the Smith family¡¯s status as the wealthiest be challenged at that time, but so could the


    Johnson family¡¯s.


    ¡°Olivia, what did you guys talk about today?¡± Richard looked at Olivia and asked. Olivia looked at her


    father. She could feel a hint of ttery in his words.


    She lowered her eyes and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. She mentioned that she wants to take me in as her


    goddaughter and hoped that I¡¯de back and ask for your opinion.¡±


    Hearing this, Richard¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement.


    Hepletely forgot about his


    age.


    Olivia¡¯s eptance as Marina¡¯s goddaughter would be a huge step forward for the Cruise family.


    Richard suppressed his excitement. He tried his best to control his trembling voice and asked, ¡°Then,


    what did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said that if she doesn¡¯t mind, I naturally won¡¯t mind either,¡± Olivia answered. ¡°However, she said that


    she hopes that I can take over thepany as soon as possible. She wants to take me under her wing


    and help me grow professionally.¡± Richard¡¯s enthusiasm faded as soon as he heard this. He gently


    twirled his thumb and index finger. He looked at her for a moment and then said, ¡°So, in order for her to


    take you in as her goddaughter, she hopes that you can take over the Cruise Group?¡±


    Olivia nodded and lowered her head to admire her manicure. She said casually, ¡°You can understand it


    that way. However, she said that as long as I take over thepany, the Cruise family¡¯s status will


    definitely be close to the Smith family with her help.¡±


    Such bait was enough to tempt Richard.


    Over the years, the Cruise family had gradually gone downhill. No one wanted to return to his family¡¯s


    former glory more than he did.


    Who would willingly be an ant trampled underfoot,pared to living the life of an exceptional


    person?


    After pondering for a moment, Richard¡¯s eyes flickered with determination, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll draft the


    appointment letter tomorrow morning!¡±


    As he spoke, he stood up and went to the study to call his secretary.

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    Chapter 516


    When Louis walked towards Olivia, he ced his palm on her thin shoulders and squeezed earnestly.


    ¡°Olivia, the Cruise family is counting on you.¡±


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t disappoint you,¡± said Olivia.


    Before she could finish her sentence, her phone suddenly rang. When she saw that it was a call from


    Louis, the corners of her lips curled up involuntarily. ¡°I have to take this call.¡±


    With that, she grabbed her phone and quickly ran upstairs to her room.


    As soon as the call was picked up, Louis¡¯s voice sounded on the other end, ¡°Olivia.¡± ¡°Louis,¡± Olivia


    called out softly.


    Louis took the initiative to ask about Marina¡¯s invitation to the banquet. ¡°You seem to be very close with


    Miss Jonestely.¡±


    Olivia was slightly stunned. Her expression was calm, but there was an unclear emotion in her eyes.


    Her voice was still as gentle as before. ¡°Miss Jones and I hit it off very well. Not only did she ept me


    as her g*ddaughter, but she also agreed to help me support the Cruise family.¡±


    ¡°Louis, to be honest, I still feel like this is all a dream.¡±


    There was no hint of humility in what was said. They were honest and grounded in truth.


    In the past, Olivia never dreamed that she would one day be rted to the Jones family of Aureliana,


    let alone be taken in as Marina¡¯s goddaughter.


    She thought that perhaps the heavens finally felt sorry for her.


    The heavens couldn¡¯t bear to let her be bullied by Rachel over and over again. She also knew that this


    was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


    Rachel was currently doing well in Seaxas because of the sugar daddy behind her.


    Whether it was a sugar daddy, who was worth 20 billion dors, or the richest family in Seaxas, the


    Johnson family, these two supporters were not worth mentioning in front of the Jones family of


    Aureliana.


    She wanted to see how Rachel would fight her in the future!


    Upon hearing her words, Louis fell into a short moment of contemtion.


    After what seemed like an eternity, a shadowy spark shed in his eyes, as if he had finally made up


    his mind. ¡°Olivia, when I¡¯m done with my work, I¡¯ll find time to visit your parents and propose a wedding


    date,¡± he said.


    Olivia did not seem too shocked to learn this. Everything seemed to fall smoothly


    within her expectations.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Olivia leaned against the window and looked out at the endless night.


    The next morning.


    After a short gathering, the Chamber of Commerce of Seaxas announced the end of the meeting.


    Rachel and Lucas silently followed behind Old Mr. Johnson.


    They watched as the people of the other three families left.


    At this moment, loud footsteps came from behind.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes moved slightly. She turned around and saw a group walking straight toward her.


    of people


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Jimmy and Landon walked in front.


    David followed close behind them. Wearing a ck suit and tie, he gave off an air of icy austerity.


    There was an aura of authority about him.


    He had thick brows and intense ck eyes. His dark,ke-like eyes made it hard to see clearly or make


    any guesses. They posed a threat of certain death.


    He nced over as if he could feel Rachel¡¯s eyes on him. His eyes betrayed an underlying softness.


    Arthur noticed that Rachel was in a daze and couldn¡¯t help but cough softly.


    Rachel suddenly came back to her senses.


    They saw Thomas and Old Mr. Shain standing in front of them.


    ¡°Thomas, it¡¯s been many years since west met. You¡¯ve really be more and more promising.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson smiled kindly and looked at Thomas with admiration.


    Thomas remained calm while he apologized, ¡± Old Mr. Johnson, I¡¯m sorry foring back so abruptly.


    I¡¯ll visit you in a few days.¡±


    When Old Mr. Johnson heard that, the smile on his face widened. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll prepare some nice food


    and good wine. Have a good meal with me.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Thomas¡¯s lips quirked up slightly. He looked at Rachel with unconcealed admiration.


    It seemed to everyone inside that the sun was shining brilliantly, yet the temperature had fallen


    significantly. Everyone could sense the oppressive presence of the air, and it made them shudder.

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    Lucas raised his hand and touched the bridge of his nose. He moved closer to Rachel without a trace


    and deliberately lowered his voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that old Mr. Johnson is exceptionally enthusiastic


    today?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows and gave him a meaningful look.


    Of course, she had sensed it too.


    The Shain and Johnson families were friends, but Old Mr. Johnson had never given them much


    attention. Otherwise, he would not have waited for so many


    years.


    However, Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s attitude toward Thomas was so enthusiastic that Rachel was a little


    confused for a moment.


    Could it be that Old Mr. Johnson suddenly had any ideas about Thomas and Rachel?


    As she was deep in her thoughts, she heard David¡¯s voice behind her, ¡°Mr. Johnson.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s back stiffened, and a sense of guilt instantly arose in her heart.


    She lowered her eyes, not daring to look directly at David.


    When people present heard this, they looked at David.


    He walked over and greeted Old Mr. Johnson respectfully, ¡°Mr. Johnson, I have something to talk to


    you alone. I wonder if now is a good time?¡±


    Not only Old Mr. Johnson, but the others were also stunned.


    After hesitating for a moment, Old Mr. Johnson slowly followed after David.


    Lucas and Rachel started discussing in low voices.


    ¡°What do you think they¡¯ll talk about?¡±


    You


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you follow them and take a look?¡± Rachel looked at Lucas and blinked innocently.


    Lucas squinted his eyes at her and snorted, ¡°You¡¯re not afraid to make me take the risk.¡±


    Rachel blurted out, ¡°It¡¯s all because you¡¯re my brother, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lucas knew that he couldn¡¯t win Rachel in this conversation. So, he simply pulled her hand and left with


    her.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Going to the hunting ground.¡±


    When Thomas saw the two of them leave, he subconsciously wanted to follow them, but he was


    suddenly stopped by Jimmy.


    Although Thomas and Jimmy were about the same age, Thomas had to address Jimmy as his uncle.


    ¡°Uncle,¡± Thomas said.


    Jimmy extended his arm and slung it over Thomas¡¯ neck. He said earnestly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve been kind


    enough to call me your uncle, I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice. Give up on the Johnson family¡¯s daughter


    as soon as possible. The two of you are destined not to be together.¡±


    He patted Thomas¡¯s chest forcefully, ¡°Be smart.¡±


    Thomas, who was rooted to the ce, furrowed his brow, a look of seriousness over his otherwise


    charming face.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    On the other side, Lucas drove for more than an hour and finally arrived at the hunting ground.


    Rachel got out of the car, took off her sunsses, and looked around.


    The trees were green and thendscape seemed rxing. It was an ideal spot for a hunting ground.


    They could make excellent use of all thendscape here for very little money.


    Dan was the fourth sibling at home, and his name, ¡°Dan Harmon¡±, was known by a lot of people.


    It was early in the morning, and he had invited all the young socialites and wealthy young men of


    Seaxas to help build the momentum. The only person absent was the heir to the Johnson family.


    Upon seeing the only Venom F5 Roadster car in the entire Seaxas, his eyes lit up. He didn¡¯t care to


    bother with small talk with anybody else present. He casually handed the wine ss to the guy sitting


    next to him and trotted over to greet him. ¡°Mr. Johnson.¡±


    Lucas nodded. He walked around, hand in his pocket. ¡°The scenery here is not bad.¡±


    ¡°Back then, I bought this piece ofnd because I liked the scenery here.¡± Dan said, ¡°I wanted to


    develop it, but after thinking about it, I thought it would be better to set up such a hunting ground. It


    would save much time and money.¡±


    He nced at Rachel out of the corner of his eye as he talked.


    He made covert attempts to understand Rachel and Lucas¡¯s rtionship.


    After all, the Johnson family had carefully concealed Rachel¡¯s identity throughout her life. Everyone


    only knew that the Johnson family had kin who didn¡¯t use their


    family name, but no one knew who that person was.


    Dan was aware of the Chamber of Commerce incident from the previous day. He overheard several


    members of the Page family branch discussing some matters. Lucas happened to overhear and


    decided to show him how it was done. He apparently drank so much that he had immediate


    gastrointestinal bleeding. Finally, an ambnce arrived and whisked him away to get immediate


    medical attention.


    That man was still recovering in the hospital.


    People said that a man would do anything for the beauty he loved. Was the man standing before him?

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    Dan pursed his lips and finally could not suppress the curiosity in his heart. He asked carefully. ¡°Who¡¯s


    thisdy?¡±


    Lucas answered calmly. ¡°This is my sister.¡±


    It was meant to be a casual introduction, but when it reached the ears of Dan and the others, they


    heard something very different.


    Dan raised his eyebrows and smiled vaguely. He responded meaningfully, ¡°I understand. I understand.¡±


    They were friends first. Then she became his sister and finally became his girlfriend.


    Looking at his expression, Lucas knew that Dan must have misunderstood.


    He considered exining it further, but ultimately opted against it after realizing that Rachel¡¯s true


    identity would be hard to reveal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Everyone in the room noticed Lucas and Rachel as soon as they walked in, even Olivia, who had just


    been talking to someone else.


    Speaking of which, Olivia and Rachel had not met for a long time.


    However, this did not stop Olivia from hating Rachel.


    Her hands, which had been at her sides, balled into fists as soon as she caught sight of Rachel¡¯s


    beautiful face.


    Someone close to her just said in a hushed voice, ¡°I heard that Mr. Johnson taught the Page family a


    lesson yesterday. I heard that guy is still lying in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Is that why Shane is absent today?¡±


    ¡°You might call his run-in with Mr. Johnson a stroke of bad luck. He can only admit that he¡¯s unlucky.¡±


    ¡°But I heard that the boy from the Shain family was also sent overseas because of him.¡±


    These people were not in Lucas¡¯s circle, but they had heard of Lucas¡¯s stunts.


    Lucas was unusual and stubbornly insisted on doing things his own way.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have reached out to the Shain and Page families on the Chamber of


    Commerce¡¯s big day.


    This was no different from pping someone in the face in front of their family.


    Olivia had also heard about the things that the people around her were talking about. However, she


    had only heard about it from Marina.


    She lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in her eyes and sighed softly. ¡°I heard that Hannah was


    forced to take off her clothes and apologize in public. This matter was indeed a little too much. She¡¯s a


    girl after all. Her reputation was ruined just like that. I wonder if we¡¯ll meet again in the future.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they looked at each other and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Whether they would meet again someday, they all knew it in their hearts.


    If they were fated to meet again, the Shain family would not have sent Hannah overseas overnight.


    By doing this, the Shain family would probably give up on her.


    Olivia sent a mocking re in their direction. Those people were all cowards.


    They would probably just talk about her behind her back and make up little squabbles. Each one of


    them would pretend to be clueless if the situation demanded it.


    She also knew that if she continued this conversation, she would be seen as the first to speak, so she


    simply turned the me to Rachel without batting an eyelid.


    ¡°People say that a man would do anything for the beauty he loved, and looking at her appearance, she


    definitely has that ability.¡±


    Actually, everyone had already noticed Rachel.


    After all, with such a pretty face, it was difficult not to attract attention.


    ¡°You¡¯re just relying on your looks. What¡¯s there to be proud of!¡± There was a disdainful voice rang from


    the crowd.


    Olivia looked in the direction of the voice and saw Brenda, the daughter of the Duncan family, standing


    silently behind.


    Brenda¡¯s identity was rather special.


    The Duncan family had always kept an extremely low profile.


    Although they were not the Four Families of Seaxas, she had a hardworking and capable brother.


    Rumor had it that he and Lucas served together in the army back in the day. At this point in time, he


    served in the military at a very prominent rank.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Because of this rtionship, the Duncan family¡¯s status was not considered low.


    Brenda was the daughter of the Duncan family. They were already in their golden. years when they had


    her. She was physically frail because of her youth. As a result of the excessive pampering she


    received, she developed a spoiled personality.

 Chapter 519

    Chapter 519


    Chapter 519


    Brenda¡¯s odd temperament and unfriendliness were well-known, therefore nobody dared to cross her


    for fear of rejection.


    At the sound of Brenda¡¯s words, no one dared to say anything.


    Olivia frowned slightly and silently observed Brenda.


    Naturally, Olivia didn¡¯t miss Brenda¡¯s gaze that was fixed on Lucas. Brenda¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as if


    she were attempting to conceal the thoughts of a little girl.


    Olivia¡¯s lips suddenly formed a crooked grin.


    No wonder he was so hostile toward Rachel.


    It turned out that Brenda liked Lucas.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Olivia lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in her eyes. She said casually, ¡°I heard. that Hannah was


    forced to kneel down and apologize because she identally offended Rachel. Hannah even had to


    take off her clothes in public and her reputation was ruined. But thinking about it, it makes sense. With


    the pampering of the heir of the Johnson family, can¡¯t Rachel do whatever she wants in Seaxas?¡° ¡°We


    have Hannah as an example. Brenda, no matter how much you dislike her, you have to endure it so


    that you don¡¯t get into trouble, alright?¡±


    Hearing her words, Brenda couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    She didn¡¯t like Olivia. She felt that Olivia was a hypocritical woman.


    The two of them clearly did not have any interactions before. Who gave Olivia the nerve to call her by


    her first name?


    Her social standing has certainly risen since she became Marina¡¯s g*ddaughter. The business of the


    Cruise family, too, was flourishing.


    Everyone respected Olivia, but these were not worth mentioning in Brenda¡¯s eyes.


    The Duncan family was an esteemed academic family. They were nevertheless one of the most


    renowned families in Seaxas, despite the fact that their ancestry wasn¡¯t very noteworthy.


    Olivia, on the other hand, was merely a famous actress who had spent time in the entertainment


    industry. Later on, she was forced to leave the spotlight altogether due to unforeseen circumstances.


    Brenda should never have considered Olivia as a friend. What made her think she deserved to call


    Brenda by her first name?


    However, Brenda remembered that her parents had repeatedly warned her not to provoke Olivia.


    Now that she was back in the limelight, she had Marina backing her up. If anyone¡­¡­¡­ provoked her,


    the Duncan family would be in deep trouble.


    Brenda let out a light snort and said, ¡°They say flowers wither and beauty fades. What¡¯s left when all


    you have is a pretty face to show? Nothing but hollow


    sess.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.


    Everyone looked at each other in silence, not daring to utter a word more. As the atmosphere grew


    increasingly awkward, a youngdy spoke up, ¡°In my opinion, it takes two to tango in this kind of


    situation. While the handling of it may have been extreme, we can¡¯t say that Hannah ispletely


    innocent.¡±


    The people around her immediately agreed.


    When she heard this, Olivia let out a snort through her nose, and the mockery in her eyes seemed like


    it was about to spill out.


    At this moment, Dan walked into the crowd with Lucas and Rachel.


    Everyone consciously made their way and greeted respectfully, ¡°Lucas.¡±


    Lucas nodded slightly. With one hand in his pocket, he walked leisurely.


    But it was obvious that he was going out of his way to make thedy standing next to him feel


    comfortable.


    Rachel was not in the mood to observe the people present, nor did she care about the way everyone


    was sizing her up.


    After all, she had the Johnson family¡¯s heir, Lucas, right there with her, so she knew exactly what these


    outsiders were thinking.


    With a quick look, she saw the white horse tied on the far side of the stables.


    Its fur was soft and lustrous, reflecting the sunshine and drawing attention to his white physique.


    ¡°Can that horse be ridden?¡±


    Dan followed her gaze and quickly exined, ¡°This horse is an Akhal-Teke horse that I had someone


    buy from abroad. I was attracted to its beauty, but who knows that this beast has a wild temper? Even


    the horse trainer got injured trying to tame it yesterday.¡±

 Chapter 520

    Chapter 520


    Chapter 520


    Dan didn¡¯te out and say it, but he was hoping to get Rachel to change her horse.


    However, Lucas could tell what Rachel was thinking. He leaned forward slightly and whispered to her,


    ¡°Do you want to try it?¡±


    Rachel responded indifferently, ¡°Isn¡¯t this a challenge?¡±


    ¡°Those who pretty all have tempers.¡± A hint of a smile shed across Lucas¡¯s dark eyes. He gave Dan


    a look and gestured, ¡°Go and bring the horse over.¡±


    Dan was stunned for a moment. After hesitating for a while, he said carefully, ¡°Mr. Johnson, a beast is


    still a beast. It doesn¡¯t have good eyesight. If it really hurts


    someone¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked you to go. Why are you spouting so much nonsense!¡± Lucas¡¯s eyes were filled with


    impatience.


    After hearing this, Dan decided it would be foolish to continue speaking. He could only lift his chin and


    gesture for the attendant to bring the horse over.


    In the crowd, Olivia¡¯s eyes shed with a mocking sneer.


    Rachel really wouldn¡¯t let go of an opportunity to show off at any time.


    However, Olivia had to see if Rachel could afford to be in the limelight.


    Rachel clearly knew that the horse had a fiery temper and was not easy to tame. Wasn¡¯t she clearly


    courting death here?


    Olivia seemed to have a sudden epiphany. Her eyes glowed with an eerie icy radiance.


    Olivia¡¯s menacing eyes were trained on Rachel. Her lips twisted into a menacing grin out of nowhere,


    like a poisonous snake flicking its tongue out of its mouth as it slithered through the grass.


    ¡°Do you want me to hold the reins for you?¡± Lucas asked.


    What had first seemed like a normal sentence took on a new significance in the minds of those who


    heard it.


    Lucas had already indulged this woman to this extent?


    As Seaxas¡¯ most powerful man, he was actually willing to help her hold the reins?


    Especially Brenda, who was in the crowd. Her pretty eyes were filled with jealousy.


    She gave an exasperated snort and muttered under her breath, ¡°What a vixen!¡±


    When Olivia heard this, a meaningful smile shed across her lips.


    Rachel¡¯s horse was delivered to her by the staff. The horse would sometimes puff out a heavy breath


    from its nostrils and rear up on its front feet. It seemed wild. Rachel took the reins and stroked its


    mane.


    At the sound of Lucas¡¯s suggestion, Rachel answered casually, ¡°Let me try it myself.¡±


    In other words, she did not need Lucas¡¯s help.


    Lucas was not surprised by her answer.


    He arched an eyebrow and gave Rachel aforting nce before saying, ¡°Be careful, then.¡±


    Rachel nodded gently. She gently stroked the horse¡¯s forehead and pressed her face against it, letting


    it slowly familiarize itself with her.


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    At this moment, a mocking voice sounded from the crowd. ¡°Do you know how to ride a horse? That¡¯s


    an Akhal-Teke horse worth more than two million dors! If anything happens, you¡¯re only wasting a


    good horse.¡±


    Rachel looked in the direction of the voice and saw Brenda standing in the crowd.


    The girl was decked up in a red riding suit,plete with a white shirt and long ck boots.


    Her wavy, shoulder-length hair had spread behind her ears. She was adorable in a refined way.


    Her lips were also an unusually pale shade of white, and the rest of her skin was ice-cold. Despite her


    obvious health issues, her stoic pride made her an arresting sight.


    Without thinking, the girl cast a dubious nce in Rachel¡¯s direction.


    Rachel nced at Lucas beside her. Then, she looked at Brenda and said indifferently, ¡°You don¡¯t have


    to worry about me.¡±


    Brenda looked at Rachel¡¯s arrogant attitude and the hostility in her eyes became gradually obvious.


    ¡°Since you can say that, it seems you¡¯re quite confident in your riding skills, aren¡¯t you?¡± She took a


    step forward, her chin slightly raising and her moist red lips curling into a yful smile with a hint of


    provocation. ¡°How about we have a littlepetition then?¡±


    Her words and actions were filled with the proud and unrestrained demeanor of a young girl.

 Chapter 521

    Chapter 521


    Chapter 521


    Lucas saw Brenda and frowned. ¡°Brenda, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Lucas was troubled by Brenda¡¯s appearance.


    If he had known this girl was here, he would not havee to this hunting ground no matter what.


    Brenda was caught off guard when she met Lucas¡¯s gaze, causing her eyes to flicker slightly. Her


    cheeks, already slightly flushed from the sun¡¯s rays, turned even redder.


    She snorted arrogantly. ¡°I can go wherever I want. It¡¯s none of your business!¡±


    Because of her health, her parents didn¡¯t want her toe out and y, fearing that something


    unexpected might happen to her.


    This time, Brenda sneaked out while she was at the hospital for a checkup.


    She turned around and looked at Rachel again. ¡°Hey! Say something! Are you afraid?¡±


    Rachel raised her hand and stroked the horse¡¯s forehead. Sheforted the horse repeatedly and


    replied casually. ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Everyone looked at Rachel¡¯s disregard for Brenda and could not help but chuckle. Brenda was raised


    by her parents with utmost care and attention, resulting in her bing extremely spoiled and feeling


    entitled over the years.


    Hence, she often embarrassed people and made things difficult for them.


    However, everyone was afraid of her brother, who was in the military region all year round, so they


    could only endure it.


    Seeing Brenda being humbled by Rachel, those who had suffered mistreatment from Brenda couldn¡¯t


    help but feel satisfied.


    As Brenda heard the lowughter around her, her face was immediately flushed with anger.


    She turned to look at the people who wereughing at her.


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    Those people immediately stopped smiling and pretended to chat with the others around them as if


    nothing had happened.


    At this moment, Olivia said gently, ¡°Miss Grey, we¡¯re just having fun together. -Why do you have to ruin


    everyone¡¯s mood? Besides, Miss Duncan didn¡¯t mean


    any harm. Aren¡¯t you being too unsympathetic by rejecting her outright?¡±


    Although Brenda did not like Olivia, her pride led her to follow Olivia¡¯s lead and ease the tension.


    ¡°Miss Grey, you don¡¯t have to be afraid. My skills are average. We¡¯re just hanging


    out.¡±


    When Lucas heard this, he could not help but say again, ¡°Brenda, go home. immediately. Don¡¯t fool


    around outside, do you hear me?¡±


    Brenda had been in the military region with her brother since she was young, so horseback riding and


    shooting were both second natures to her.


    To say that her skills were average wasplete nonsense.


    Brenda was clearly trying to embarrass Rachel.


    However, Lucas asked Brenda to go home immediately, not to protect Rachel but to prevent any


    idents from happening to Brenda.


    Rachel¡¯s equestrian and archery skills were taught by Darcy. His skills were unparalleled.


    However, even he felt inferior to Rachel.


    Brenda had provoked Rachel. Wasn¡¯t she clearly trying to shoot herself in the foot?


    However, Brenda did not know what Lucas was thinking. When she saw Lucas protecting Rachel, she


    was even angrier.


    She was determined to humiliate Rachel.


    ¡°Lucas, I¡¯mpeting with Miss Grey. Why are you so nervous?¡± Brenda pretended to think for a


    moment and eximed, ¡°Are you worried that I¡¯ll hurt your precious darling?¡±


    Thest sentence, especially the words ¡°precious darling¡±, was almost squeezed out of Brenda¡¯s


    mouth.


    The jealousy in her words hit Rachel, and a subtle amusement flickered in her


    eyes.


    Actually, Brenda was quite cute.


    She turned to look at Lucas with a faint smile and asked, ¡°Did you hit on her before?¡±/


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Lucas quickly waved his hands in denial.


    Actually, Lucas had only met Brenda a few times, but he didn¡¯t know what was wrong with this little girl.


    She kept pestering him.

 Chapter 522

    Chapter 522


    Chapter 522


    When Brenda saw how Lucas denied it, a bitter taste welled up in her throat.


    She bit her lips and endured the pain in her heart.


    Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.


    It was heartbreaking to see her like this.


    Rachel sighed helplessly. ¡°How do you want topete?¡±


    Hearing this, Brenda immediately perked up. ¡°It is apetition, but it¡¯s just for fun. By the way, I¡¯ve


    alsopeted with Lucas before and narrowly won. I don¡¯t know if Lucas still remembers?¡±


    There was nothing wrong with what she said.


    However, her familiar tone made it seem like she was showing off.


    Brenda was doing this to deliberately show Rachel that she had a deep rtionship with Lucas.


    Rachel saw through Brenda¡¯s little thoughts.


    Rachel smiled faintly. She had a rare good temper and exined patiently, ¡°Lucas and I don¡¯t have the


    kind of rtionship you think we do,¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Brenda raised her eyebrows and smiled meaningfully. ¡°I wonder what kind of rtionship you¡¯re


    talking about?¡±


    Lucas looked at Brenda and felt angry. ¡°Brenda, if you don¡¯t start behaving yourself, I¡¯ll call your


    brother!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Brenda was so angry that her face and neck turned red. ¡°Lucas, do you have any


    other tricks besides calling my brother and snitching on me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


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    The proud son of the Johnson family was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted topete?¡± Olivia¡¯s voice sounded again.


    Her gaze swept across Rachel¡¯s face and finallynded on Brenda. ¡°Since it¡¯s apetition, we have


    to use something as a prize, right? Isn¡¯t that more interesting?¡±


    Rachel narrowed her eyes and nced over indifferently. There was an unknown coldness in the


    depths of her big eyes.


    ¡°Looks like Miss Cruise has a good idea.¡±


    Olivia smiled and looked at Rachel again. ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s rare. for everyone to


    gather together.¡±


    Seeing that Rachel had beenforting the Akhal-Teke horse, Olivia¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°Miss


    Grey, you seem to like this horse very much. Let¡¯s use this horse as a prize. If you win, this horse will


    be yours. Dan, do you have any objections?¡±


    Dan, who was suddenly called out, was stunned.


    Weren¡¯t they wanted a simple horserace? Why did he need to provide the prize for it?


    Dan had spent a lot of effort to get this Akhal-Teke horse. Now, Olivia suggested using this horse as the


    prize for thepetition.


    Everyone knew that Olivia had been taken in as Marina¡¯s g*ddaughter. Everyone knew that Olivia had


    Marina¡¯s backing, so one dared to make her unhappy.


    Even though Dan was extremely reluctant, he had no choice but to bear the pain and part with the


    horse. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Brenda was not interested in the horse. Her initial goal was to show Rachel who was the boss.


    However, now that Olivia had said it, Rachel had no choice but to go along with it. ¡°What if I lose?¡±


    When everyone heard this, their eyes flickered with excitement.


    In apetition, there were wins and losses.


    Moreover,pared to the glory of the winner, wasn¡¯t it more interesting to see the loser¡¯s


    embarrassed expression?


    ¡°If you lose¡­¡± Olivia said as she scanned Rachel from head to toe. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to


    compensate Dan for this horse. What do you think, Miss Duncan?¡±

 Chapter 523

    Chapter 523


    Chapter 523


    In fact, Olivia still had more vicious punishments in her heart, but after the previous experiences, she


    became cautious and did not dare to act rashly.


    Ever since Rachel left the Smith family, she had been doing really well.


    She had all sorts of skills and resources. No one dared to underestimate her. Besides, Olivia¡¯s main


    goal today was not just to embarrass Rachel.


    Brenda had no idea that she had unknowingly been used by Olivia. She maintained her usual proud


    expression. ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Miss Grey?¡± Olivia asked Rachel.


    Based on Rachel¡¯s understanding of Olivia, this woman would definitely not let this matter rest.


    She knew that Olivia wanted to deal with her, but she did not know what method Olivia would use this


    time.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Rachel agreed.


    Seeing that Rachel agreed, Olivia smiled. ¡°Miss Grey, do you want to change a horse?¡±


    Although Olivia was looking forward to the scene of Rachel falling off the horse, she did not want to be


    responsible for her death.


    After all, it would be her birthday in a few days. It was also the big day of her engagement with Louis,


    It would be unlucky to be involved in awsuit at this time.


    Rachel nced at the restless horse and gripped the reins in her hand tightly. ¡°No need.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Olivia lowered her eyes to hide the vicious glint in them. She was really


    looking for death!


    On the other side, Brenda had already gone to the stables to choose a new horse. Lucas walked to


    Rachel¡¯s side. ¡°Rae-Rac, switch your horse!¡±


    Although he was confident in Rachel¡¯s riding skills, there were too many unreliable factors when


    dealing with the untamed horse.


    No one could guarantee that no idents would happen during this process.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Rachel said nonchntly, ¡°No need.¡±


    As Rachel spoke, she handed the reins to Lucas. ¡°I¡¯m going to change my clothes.¡±


    Twenty minutester, Rachel dressed in ck riding gear, stepped into people¡¯s sight under the golden


    sunlight.


    Compared to her usual elegant and cold temperament, she looked more carefree and fierce.


    She was like a female soldier on the battlefield.


    Rachel walked to Lucas¡¯s side, took the reins, and walked towards the racecourse.


    Her back was tall and slender, and she exuded a cold aura,


    Lucas stood on the spot and looked at Rachel. He frowned slightly and looked at Dan. ¡°Give me that


    gun.¡±[


    His tone was calm as if he was talking about the most ordinary thing.


    However, Dan¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard that.


    Dan widened his eyes and looked at Lucas in disbelief. After a long while, he stammered, ¡°Mr.


    Johnson, today is my hunting ground¡¯s big day. It¡¯s not good to see blood, right? Besides, that horse


    cost me more than two million¡­¡±


    That was a pure Akhal-Teke horse!


    Although it was true that Akhal-Teke horses were too wild to be tamed, their pure bloodline made up for


    it


    Dan used this horse to show off and impress others, but now it had be a target for Lucas.


    Why did he deserve this?


    Dan had a bitter feeling in his heart and could only show his unhappiness with a drooping face.


    Lucas took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. His deep and cold voice sounded faint. ¡°If you want


    your life, you can choose!¡±


    Lucas¡¯s eyes were slightly lowered, making it difficult to tell if he was happy or angry.


    However, the aura around him was not as casual as before. Instead, it exuded a bloodthirsty


    ruthlessness.


    Dan was shocked and immediately put on a serious and solemn tone. ¡°It¡¯s just a horse. How can it be


    more important than our sister¡¯s safety?¡±


    As he spoke, he nced at the staff beside him. ¡°Go and get the gun hanging in my office!¡±

 Chapter 524

    Chapter 524


    Chapter 524


    The horse didn¡¯t seem to like the environment or the touch of strangers.


    Especially when it smelled Rachel¡¯s breath, it breathed heavily and kicked restlessly.


    The staff pulled the reins tightly, not daring to rx for fear of being shocked.


    ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t we change to another horse?¡± The staff said with a troubled expression. He looked at


    Rachel from head to toe. Seeing that Rachel had an extraordinary aura, he could not help but add, ¡°To


    be honest, this is the most. difficult horse we have to tame here. It has a wild and fiery temperament.


    The horse trainer fell off it yesterday and broke his leg, just because he was not careful.¡±


    The staff would not have said anything if Rachel were a man. However, looking at Rachel¡¯s thin arms


    and legs, wouldn¡¯t her life be ruined if she fell from the horse identally?


    ¡°Give it to me.¡± Rachel extended her hand.


    The staff hesitated for a moment before handing over the reins in his hand.


    Rachel held the reins with one hand and stroked its forehead with the other. She rubbed her face


    against the horse gently.


    It was unknown if it was because this action calmed the horse down, but it miraculously stopped


    kicking.


    However, the coarse breath that came out of its nose still showed its temper.


    Rachel stared into the horse¡¯s eyes and somehow thought of what Darcy had once told her. ¡°Only by


    taming a fiery horse can you match its craziness.¡±


    Before being tamed, a fiery horse would always try to throw off its riders and go wild. If one didn¡¯t get


    thrown off, the horse would take one on a mad gallop together.


    Rachel gathered her thoughts and looked at the staff standing at the side. ¡°Help me get an apple.¡±


    The staff nodded and jogged over to hand an apple to Rachel.


    Rachel waved the apple in front of the horse¡¯s eyes and then in front of its nose.


    The horse blew hot air out of its nostrils and stirred its front hooves in frustration.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly with a hint of provocation.


    The horse was intelligent. Sensing that Rachel was toying with it, it sprayed-its- irritated breath on


    Rachel¡¯s face and kicked the ground in a disorderly manner.


    ¡°Want some?¡± Rachel waved the apple in front of its eyes.


    The horse let out a rough breath as if to vent the frustration in its heart, or as if it was responding to


    Rachel.


    Seeing its reaction, Rachel¡¯s eyes revealed a faint smile.


    After teasing the horse for a while, she handed the apple to it.


    The horse got what it wanted and chewed the apple obediently.


    While it was eating, Rachel held the reins tightly with her right hand and stepped on the stirrup with her


    left foot skillfully. Then, she got on the horse swiftly.


    Everyone was stunned.


    Didn¡¯t Dan say that this horse was wild and difficult to tame?


    Didn¡¯t they say that even professional horse trainers had a hard time taming it? They even said that this


    horse threw the horse trainer out yesterday.


    However, it was bribed with just an apple.


    Dan was so shocked that he could not speak.


    Was this still the same proud and wild Akhal-Teke horse that hated being tamed and would rather throw


    anyone who did so?


    What the hell was going on?


    Could it be that the horse was just an apple away from being tamed?


    When Lucas saw this scene, he smiled faintly. There was an unconceble pride in his eyes.


    His sister was indeed outstanding!


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Olivia saw this scene not far away. She narrowed her eyes and a hint of hatred flickered in her eyes.


    What the hell was going on?


    Wasn¡¯t it said that this horse was fierce and difficult to tame? How did Rachel on the horse so easily?


    get


    As Olivia was thinking, Brenda had already ridden her horse toward Rachel.


    Brenda had seen Lucas use the little tricks to train horses before.


    She only thought that Lucas had taught it to Rachel, so she was not surprised.


    ¡°Miss Grey, let¡¯s take threeps around the racecourse. How about the first person to cross the


    haystack wins?¡± Brenda¡¯s back was straight, and her high-spirited appearance carried a hint of


    recklessness.

 Chapter 525

    Chapter 525


    Chapter 525


    Rachel reached out to stroke the horse¡¯s mane and nodded casually.


    ¡°To avoid people saying I¡¯m bullying you, how about I let you have half ap?¡± Brenda said.


    The seemingly modest words were both an affirmation of her riding skills and a belittlement of Rachel.


    After all, it would not be honorable if Rachel won because of this.


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s face finally showed a trace of emotion. ¡°Since it¡¯s apetition, we have to be


    fair and just. I still appreciate your kindness, Miss. Duncan.¡±


    As Rachel spoke, she squeezed the horse¡¯s belly with her legs and-urged it toward the starting point.


    Brenda watched Rachel leave, and she quietly murmured to herself, ¡°Go ahead and be arrogant while


    you can. You¡¯ll regret it and cry!¡±


    Although the prize for this match was the Akhal-Teke horse that Dan cared about the most, he was


    powerless to change anything at this point.


    Since he could not change anything, he might as well join.


    Dan ran forward excitedly and took the initiative to be the referee. ¡°Are the two of you ready?¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    Brenda nced at the indifferent Rachel. A hint of disdain flickered in her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Dan nodded and blew the whistle in his hand.


    In the next second, Rachel and Brenda spurred their horses forward like arrowsunched from a


    bowstring, galloping away with incredible speed.


    Olivia and her assistant looked at each other. Olivia said in a low voice, ¡°Have done what I asked you


    to do?¡±


    you


    The assistant nodded slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I guarantee that no one will notice. When it happens,


    everybody will think it¡¯s an ident.¡±


    That was an untamed horse. Who could guarantee that no idents would happen during the race?


    Upon hearing her assistant¡¯s words, Olivia looked at her meaningfully. ¡°idents are never


    predictable, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Miss Cruise,¡± the assistant said.


    Olivia did not say anything. She only looked up at the two people on the racecourse and thought to


    herself. If Rachel really fell off the horse and broke her arm or leg, or died, it would serve Rachel right


    for being too arrogant.


    The group of people who had just walked into the racecourse immediately noticed the valiant figure on


    the racecourse.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Rachel?¡± Jimmy eximed in surprise.


    David, who was replying to messages on his phone, suddenly raised his head and looked straight at


    the racecourse, urately capturing that familiar figure.


    His eyes narrowed and he smiled faintly.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Rachel knew how to ride a horse?


    Soon, Rachel and Brenda finished a round. Rachel was still half a head behind Brenda¡¯s horse.


    Landon observed carefully and gave Jimmy a meaningful look. ¡°Who do you think will win?¡±


    Jimmy lit a cigarette and smiled like a hooligan. ¡°Is there a need to ask? It must be Rachel.¡±


    Although they had long heard of the Duncan family¡¯s daughter¡¯s exquisite -horsemanship, her opponent


    this time was Rachel.


    While they might not be considered good people, they would definitely stick up for their own people.


    Jimmy had always been a person who liked to watch a spectacle. ¡°Let¡¯s go over and join in the fun.¡±


    As he spoke, he took the lead and walked over.


    Landon and David followed behind Jimmy unhurriedly.


    By the time the two of them walked over, Jimmy had already urged the others to start a bet.


    As expected, everyone bet on Brenda.


    ¡°Mr. Johnson,e and join the fun!¡± Jimmy looked at Lucas, who was standing still on the spot. He


    noticed the shotgun in Lucas¡¯s hand and could not help but tease, ¡°Does he really think he looks cool?¡±


    Facing Jimmy¡¯s teasing, Lucas did not say a word. It was as if he did not hear Jimmy at all.


    Dan nced at Lucas and nced at the shotgun in Lucas¡¯s hand. He said faintly, ¡°He might make me


    lose 2 million dors!¡±

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    Chapter 526


    Hearing this, a hint of interest shed across Jimmy¡¯s eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Although the other people did not know the identities of Jimmy and his group, the sight of Dan bowing


    and scraping before them indicated that the trio was of no ordinary background.


    Especially David, who was at the back.


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    Some people were eager to curry favor. They told David and his group everything that had happened.


    Initially, David was staring intently at the slender and tall figure on the racecourse. It seemed that he did


    not care about what they were discussing, nor was he


    interested.


    Until Landon repeated meaningfully, ¡°You¡¯re saying that the horse Miss Grey rode wasn¡¯t tamed?¡±


    As soon as Landon finished speaking, everyone clearly felt the surrounding air pressure suddenly


    be malicious. The temperature seemed to have dropped by several degrees, and the chill was


    biting cold as if they were in an icehouse.


    David¡¯s sharp gaze suddenlynded on the person who spoke. His intimidating gazes were like a


    hidden arrow that could stab at the target at any time.


    Landon looked at David and his eyes


    darkened.


    He had been by David¡¯s side for many years. He had gotten used to David¡¯s calmness and reserved


    demeanor. He grew ustomed to his gentle attitude recently. Therefore, he hadpletely forgotten


    David¡¯s true appearance.


    He had forgotten that under David¡¯s charming appearance was a cruel and stubborn nature, one that


    lackedpassion and was capable of brutality.


    Landon retracted his gaze and turned to look at Jimmy, who was standing not far


    away.


    The two of them looked at each other, and a meaningful smile shed in the depths of their eyes.


    They had always thought that Rachel¡¯s arrogance was because the Johnson family had given her


    confidence. Later, they thought that David was backing her up.


    But from the looks of it, Miss Grey of the Johnson family was solely relying on herself.


    ¡°Who do you want to bet on?¡± Jimmy gave Landon a look, signaling him to ce his bet.


    Landon nced at Jimmy indifferently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already bet Miss Grey?¡±


    One against a hundred.


    ording to the current odds, Jimmy would obtain 20 million if Rachel won.


    Although this number was nothing to Jimmy and the others, the losers would have to suffer in the


    future.


    At this moment, David said indifferently, ¡°She will win!¡±


    These three simple words were filled with determination.


    Jimmy didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. He looked at the


    two people on the racecourse in a rxed manner.


    Soon, Brenda and Rachel entered the final round.


    Rachel started to elerate and overtook Brenda bit by bit. However, she was not in a hurry to leave


    Brenda behind. Instead, she maintained a one-head lead.


    This position was advantageous for her horse to observe its opponent.


    A horse that had not been tamed had an innate pride and wildness flowing in its blood. It could only use


    this method to pressure it.


    However, Rachel¡¯s actions p*ssed Brenda off.


    She saw it as a provocation.


    Brenda tightened her grip on the reins in her hand. She exerted strength in her legs and mped the


    horse¡¯s abdomen, trying to shake off Rachelpletely.


    However, Rachel was like a ster that could not be shaken off.


    Brenda secretly gritted her teeth and stared at Rachel.


    Rachel clearly did it on purpose!


    Rachel clearly had a chance to surpass Brenda, but she only remained a head ahead of Brenda. What


    was she trying to do?


    Could it be that Rachel wanted to use this method to humiliate Brenda?

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    Chapter 527


    Rachel remained calm andposed as if everything was under her control.


    On the other hand, Brenda¡¯s expression was filled with seriousness, and there was no trace of the


    arrogance she had at the beginning.


    Her hands kept tightening on the reins.


    Seeing that she was getting closer and closer to the final sprint, Rachel began the final sprint and


    started to elerate.


    Brenda secretly gritted her teeth and urged the horse under her to speed up.


    She could not lose!


    She would never admit defeat!


    Thinking of this, her eyes burned with fighting spirit.


    When Olivia did not see the scene she had been anticipating for a long time, she could not help but


    look at her assistant.


    Although Olivia did not say a word, her sinister and vicious eyes seemed to have told everything.


    Ayer of cold sweat broke out on the assistant¡¯s back. After thinking for a while, she said carefully,


    ¡°Miss Cruise, I did follow your instructions. It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s just¡­¡± The assistant did not know what was


    going on either.


    Could it be that Rachel had found out her n and secretly swapped the saddle?


    As the assistant was thinking, they suddenly heard everyone in the stands exim, ¡°Look!¡±


    Olivia and her assistant looked over at the same time.


    The saddle under Rachel broke, and she fell off the horse¡¯s back.


    The horse was also shocked. It suddenly raised its front hooves as if it wanted to throw Rachel off, who


    was still hung on it.


    This dangerous scene made everyone¡¯s faces turn pale.


    Lucas, who was standing in the front row, was about to raise the gun in his hand when it was sn*tched


    away.


    He looked over.


    David raised the gun and ced his index finger on the trigger, preparing to shoot the horse on the


    spot.


    There was a bloodthirsty ruthlessness around him, and his eyes were filled with


    terrifying coldness.


    Olivia pushed her assistant away excitedly and took a step forward. Her eyes flickered with


    unconceble excitement.


    Wonderful!


    It would be best if this b*tch fell to her death, and she would have one enemy less!


    At the same time, Rachel, who had fallen off her horse¡¯s back, did not give up just like that.


    She gripped the reins tightly with one hand and stepped on the stirrups at the same time. Before


    anyone could react, she miraculously returned to the horse¡¯s back.


    The horse gradually stopped resisting and allowed Rachel to lead it to the finish. line.


    When everyone saw this scene, their eyes were filled with surprise.


    How did she do that?


    Rachel rode on the horse again. She tightened the reins in her hand and kept urging the horse under


    her.


    At this moment, Brenda, who was far ahead, did not rx at all. Especially when she saw Rachel


    return to the horse¡¯s back, her pupils constricted, and she tightened her grip on the horse¡¯s abdomen.


    However, her horse had been sprinting. Her house was too exhausted to speed up again.


    No matter how Brenda urged the horse, it gradually slowed down uncontrobly. In the end, Rachel¡¯s


    horse crossed the finish line one head ahead of Brenda. After getting off the horse, Rachel handed the


    reins to the staff and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve tamed the horse for you.¡±


    Today, the horse trainer came to the racetrack despite his injury just to teach this unruly horse a lesson.


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    However, the staff told him that someone was using the horse to race.


    What surprised him more was that Rachel had already tamed the horse!


    The horse trainer with a cast on his arm looked at her in disbelief and blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re incredible!¡±


    Rachel raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not that impressive.¡±


    When Rachel left, she took a deep look at the fallen saddle. A faint glint of coldness passed through


    her eyes.

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    Chapter 528


    Upon seeing Rachel get off her horse, Lucas immediately rushed over and sized her up from head to


    toe, afraid that he would miss any injuries. ¡°How is it? Are you injured?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rachel said calmly. ¡°Check the surrounding surveince cameras and see if anyone has been


    near the stables and equipment room.¡±


    Hearing this, Lucas¡¯s eyes were filled with ruthlessness.


    Th


    He looked at Rachel for a moment and nodded. ¡°Leave it to me. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    No matter what the other party¡¯s true goal was, it was obvious how vicious their intentions were to


    tamper with Rachel¡¯s equipment.


    Even if this person was Brenda, he would never show mercy!


    David walked over as soon as Rachel got off her horse. When he saw Lucas talking to her, he did not


    say anything.


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    However, his dark eyes kept moving around Rachel¡¯s body. He noticed her strange right ankle and


    frowned imperceptibly. A murderous aura suddenly rose in his


    eyes.


    The situation just now was extremely dangerous. If it were an ordinary person, they would have long


    been thrown to the ground. They would be unable to control the frightened horse, let alone get back on


    the horse again.


    Moreover, it was not easy to get back onto the horse again.


    ¡°Contact the orthopedic specialist immediately.¡± David¡¯s deep voice was as cold as ice and carried a


    chilling air, making one shudder.


    Landon, who was standing at the side, responded and immediately took out his phone to call a private


    hospital.


    Rachel stood where she was and tried to move her ankle. The excruciating pain made her face turn


    pale.


    Her ankle must have been dislocated.


    However, it was not a big problem. Rachel could handle it herself.


    She lifted her gaze and looked at David, whose expression was solemn, and his jaw was tightly


    clenched. She smiled gently and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury.¡±


    David pursed his lips and wrapped his arms around Rachel¡¯s waist to make it easier for her to lean on


    him. ¡°I¡¯ve already called a doctor.¡±


    Rachel was slightly stunned. ¡°No need. I can handle it myself.¡±


    ¡°Rac¡­¡± Jimmy almost blurted out. Fortunately, he reacted in time and changed his


    words. ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re already injured. We insist to help you.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s lips moved slightly. In the end, she did not say anything and allowed David to help her leave.


    When they passed by the crowd, a familiar voice entered their ears. ¡°Miss Grey, what an eye-opener


    today.¡±


    Rachel looked at Olivia expressionlessly.


    Olivia had a gentle smile on her face, but her eyes were cold. ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve known Louis for so


    long. I wonder if he knows that your horsemanship is so exquisite?¡±


    As she spoke, she looked meaningfully at Louis, who had appeared out of nowhere.


    Louis looked at Rachel with surprise in his eyes, but when he heard Olivia¡¯s words, his face suddenly


    darkened.


    This was because he had known Rachel for three years, but he did not know Rachel knew how to ride


    a horse and even tame a horse!


    It made him had been fooled by Rachel Grey like a puppet on a string in the past three years.


    A mocking expression appeared on Rachel¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve always kept a low profile. I don¡¯t like to make


    things known to everyone.¡±


    With that, she walked straight past Olivia and Louis.


    Olivia watched her leave and secretly recalled Rachel¡¯s words.


    She suddenly realized that this b*tch was mocking her for being taken in as Marina¡¯s g*ddaughter. This


    incident caused an uproar and everyone knew about


    it.


    Olivia wanted to step forward and argue, but she stopped when she saw Louis from the corner of her


    eye. She could only endure it.


    ¡°Louis.¡± She pretended to be aggrieved and leaned closer to Louis.


    Louis reached out and caressed her back. He looked at Rachel¡¯s departing figure absent-mindedly.


    All of this was seen by Olivia. She lowered her eyes to hide the viciousness in them.

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    Chapter 529


    In the lounge.


    David carefully ced Rachel on the sofa. He looked down at Rachel¡¯s feet and frowned even more.


    Due to the ankle dislocation, Rachel¡¯s feet were crooked, showing a twisted posture.


    Rachel gently tugged at the corner of David¡¯s shirt. ¡°Do me a favor.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± David said.


    ¡°Help me find two sturdy sticks,¡± Rachel said.


    David looked at her in confusion.


    Under his gaze, Rachel had already bent her knees and brought her ankle in front of his eyes.


    Then, she took a deep breath and reached out to hold her ankle.


    When Landon and Jimmy walked in, they clearly heard a cracking sound.


    Looking at the scene of Rachel fixing the ankle dislocation by herself, Jimmy could not help but exim


    shockingly, ¡°D*mn! You¡¯re crazy!¡±


    Landon elbowed Jimmy imperceptibly and deliberately lowered his voice. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Jimmy felt a pain in his chest and couldn¡¯t help but gasp for breath. He red at Landon with irritation.


    D*mn it, Landon hit him for real.


    David raised his eyes and stared at Jimmy. There was a hint of danger in his dark eyes.


    At this moment, Brenda rushed in aggressively.


    Her fair cheeks were flushed due to the atmosphere, and the corners of her eyes were slightly moist.


    She red at Rachel angrily. ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t think that you can nder me just because you win!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Rachel looked at Brenda expressionlessly.


    off


    ¡°Stop with the pretend!¡± Brenda looked at Rachel mockingly and sneered. ¡°You cut your saddle, so you


    could show off your stunning skills on the racecourse to win everyone¡¯s attention. Then, you ran to


    Lucas and pretended to be pitiful, trying to frame me that I was the one who damaged your saddle!


    Then, you realized you couldn¡¯t frame me, so you used the fool Lucas as a tool! I have to say that your


    move is really impressive!¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel roughly guessed what was going on.


    She said calmly, ¡°This is a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t think you can seduce everyone with you¡¯re pretty. Lucas may be foolish, but I¡¯m not!¡±


    Brenda snorted angrily, her eyes filled with rage. ¡°Also, I am an upright person. Even if I were to face


    anyone in a confrontation, I would never use such despicable means!¡±


    Even without Brenda¡¯s words, Rachel had never suspected Brenda. Otherwise, she would not have


    asked Lucas to investigate.


    However, something must have gone wrong for Lucas to suspect Brenda.


    ¡°Did Lucas tell you that I¡¯m his sister?¡± Rachel asked casually.


    Brenda was about to keep arguing, but when she heard Rachel¡¯s words, she was stunned.


    She stared at Rachel without blinking, like a deer caught in headlights.


    After a long while, Brenda stammered, ¡°You, you, you¡­ You are¡­


    Before Brenda could finish speaking, Lucas walked in from outside. Without saying a word, he grabbed


    Brenda¡¯s hand and walked out. ¡°Brenda, follow me!¡±


    After the two of them left, Rachel fixed her ankle dislocation.


    When the doctor walked in and saw the method of correcting Rachel¡¯s ankle dislocation, he could not


    help but nod repeatedly. ¡°This method is the fastest and most effective. Who treated it?¡±


    As he spoke, his gaze involuntarilynded on David.


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    After all, this method needed to be specially trained by the military.


    Rachel said emotionlessly, ¡°Me.¡±

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    Chapter 530


    Hearing this, the doctor¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    He looked at Rachel with a confusing gaze and scanned her from head to toe with an extremely


    obscure sizing up and probing.


    It was hard for him to imagine that this frail-looking woman in front of him knew such a professional


    technique.


    This was because Rachel did not look like she had undergone professional military training.


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    Seeing the doctor not speak for a long time, Rachel asked casually, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No, no. The doctor shook his head repeatedly.


    He walked forward and gave Rachel a general checkup. This technique was too familiar.


    At the same time, a doubt arose in his heart.


    The doctor hesitated for a moment before asking carefully, ¡°May I ask where did you learn this


    technique from?¡±


    He had seen such a technique before during the riots in the southern country, Zari. This technique


    required decisiveness and absolute endurance for pain.


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered with a hint of intriguing meaning.


    She looked up at the doctor in front of her. There was no emotion in her calm tone. ¡°My brother.¡±


    ¡°A man?¡± The doctor muttered in confusion.


    At this moment, Jimmy walked over. ¡°Stanley, why are you asking so many questions?¡±


    Stanley pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose and did not say anything. He only nced at


    Rachel¡¯s method of handling it meaningfully. ¡°But my trip here is unnecessary.¡±


    In terms of professionalism, Racheal was clearly better than him. It would not be an exaggeration to


    ask her to take him as a disciple.


    Moreover, Rachel had already treated her own injury. There was no need for him. -to do anything.


    One must know that Stanley was their most skilled doctor, and for him to acknowledge that he was


    ¡°redundant¡± was the ultimatepliment to Rachel¡¯s abilities.


    Usually, experts saw things amateurs did not.


    Although Jimmy didn¡¯t know the technique Rachel used, he could see that Rachel¡¯s bandaging was


    done nicely without the need for a ster cast or brace.


    Jimmy scratched his head and asked tentatively, ¡°Do you need Stanley to give you a prescription?¡±


    After all, the injured person was Rachel, the apple of David¡¯s eye. Most importantly, he had just earned


    20 million thanks to Rachel!


    Stanley nced at Jimmy and then at David, who had a grave expression on his face.


    Finally, he took out a bottle of spray from the medical kit.


    Rachel looked at the spray and raised her eyebrows slightly. She did not say anything.


    However, her light gaze made Stanley feel like he was being despised.


    ¡°Give it to me.¡± David reached out and took the medicine. Then, he looked at Rachel. ¡°I¡¯ll help you


    apply for leave from thepany. You can go to work when you recover.¡±


    Rachel did not answer immediately. There was a hint of reluctance in her eyes.


    ¡°Do you hear me?¡± David spoke again, his voice low and deep.


    Rachel replied gloomily, ¡°Got it.¡±


    Lucas, who had returned, could not help but smile gloatingly when he saw how obedient Rachel was.


    All these years, he had never seen Rachel afraid of anyone.


    This was what it meant by everything having its weakness!


    As Lucas was thinking, his phone suddenly rang.


    He walked to a quiet corner and picked up the phone.


    ¡°Have you investigated thoroughly?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lucas, I¡¯ve checked. The person on the other end of the line paused for a moment. ¡°ording to


    the investigation, the suspect is Olivia¡¯s assistant.¡±


    Upon hearing this, a hint of ruthlessness shed across Lucas¡¯s pitch-ck eyes. He drawled, ¡°So it¡¯s


    her¡­¡±


    This woman really couldn¡¯t rest for a moment. She kept looking for trouble!


    Although Lucas did not say a word, he had already thought of hundreds of ways to kill Olivia and the


    Cruise family.

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    Chapter 531


    The person on the other end of the phone did not hear Lucas¡¯s voice for a long time. He could not help


    but say, ¡°Mr. Lucas, as far as I know, Olivia is now Marina¡¯s g*ddaughter. If we act rashly against her, it


    may not be good for the Johnson family.¡±


    Previously, there were already various rumors and spections about Marina. There were rumors that


    Marina would cause a reshuffle of the Four Families.


    If they took action against Olivia now, it would not only be seen as a direct insult to Marina but also an


    implicit deration of war.


    With the strength of the Johnson family, Lucas could still fight Marina to the death.


    During this period, Marina has been extremely busy, getting close to the branches¡¯ of the Four Families


    and even forming a Chamber of Commerce with other prominent families. If she were to unite with


    other families to confront the Johnson family, the Johnson family would be powerless to resist.


    Lucas did not speak. His eyes were lowered, and his emotions could not be seen. His cheeks were


    clenched tightly into a line, showing the forbearance in his heart.


    got it.¡±


    ¡°I


    After hanging up the phone, Lucas¡¯s eyes were filled with frustration. He walked to the window and lit a


    cigarette.


    He suddenly thought of something and took out his phone to forward the message to David.


    David had previously assured Lucas that if he were on top of the world, he would still put Rachel before


    himself.


    Now, he wanted to see what David would do for Rachel!


    When David received the message and saw the person in the photo, he quickly recalled it in his mind.


    He tapped his phone and looked at Jimmy meaningfully. Jimmy immediately understood and left with


    the two of them.


    However, before Jimmy could bring them over, Marina came instead.


    Her voice was heard before her presence was seen. ¡°When I heard Miss Grey was injured, I


    immediately rushed over.¡±


    As she spoke, she walked in her high heels.


    Marina was followed by Olivia and her assistant.


    When Olivia saw how David was taking care of Rachel, he wanted to dig his nails into his palms.


    Marina had always thought that Rachel had only found a super-rich sugar daddy because of her looks.


    However, she never expected this person to be David.


    David was a prominent figure in Aureliana, with a status that surpasses even the most distinguished


    and elite individuals.


    What stroke of luck had Rachel had that made her life easier after being


    abandoned by Louis and leaving the Smith family? Instead of struggling through difficult times, she


    seemed to thrive, even dating David, the head of the Jones family in Aureliana!


    Olivia took a deep breath and lowered her eyes, suppressing the jealousy and unwillingness in the


    depths of her eyes.


    She looked up again with an apologetic smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Miss Grey. I didn¡¯t know that


    this matter started because of me.¡±


    Olivia thought that she had already lowered her stance, but Rachel acted as if she did not hear her.


    Rachel lowered her head and looked at the instructions for Stanley to use the bottle of medicinal spray.


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s reaction, the smile on Olivia¡¯s face froze.


    Marina nced at Olivia meaningfully, then looked at David. ¡°David, this incident was all because the


    assistant was too angry and secretly took revenge. Luckily, it did not lead to an irreparable ident.


    Considering the assistant knowing her mistake, what do you think about letting this matter go?¡±


    Her tone seemed to be humble, but she was actually using her status as an elder to pressure him.


    However, David casually peeled an apple and ignored Marina.


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    The huge lounge was exceptionally quiet, but there was a terrifying low pressure.


    Olivia felt like a clown putting on a show. A wave of shame and anger quietly rose from the bottom of


    her heart.


    She secretly gritted her teeth and finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She pped the assistant¡¯s face.

 Chapter 532

    Chapter 532


    Chapter 532


    A loud pnded squarely on the assistant¡¯s body.


    The assistant sta**ered and fell to the ground in a sorry state. There was a trace of blood at the corner


    of her mouth, and her face was visibly red and swollen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be innocent here! What were you doing earlier?¡± Olivia nced at Rachel. Then, she


    snorted and looked down at the assistant who had fallen to the ground. ¡°You have to admit your


    mistake! What¡¯s the point of hiding here like a coward? Do you expect me to cover for you and pay for


    your mistakes?


    ¡°Looking at my humble apology, you must be very happy! You didn¡¯t even me. me for pping you. I


    gave you a way out with good intentions, but you still insist on being high and mighty. You deserve to


    suffer for it!¡±


    Olivia¡¯s words sounded like she was criticizing her assistant for not admitting her mistake and


    apologizing. However, judging from her words and actions, she was clearly using the pretext of


    criticizing her assistant to speak to Rachel!


    Noticing this, Marina did not stop Olivia. Instead, she sat on the sofa and lowered her head to admire


    her newly-made manicure. She smiled faintly with a hint of coldness.


    In her opinion, Rachel was so arrogant because she was spoiled!


    Marina had already given Rachel a gesture of respect by bringing her people to apologize.


    Since Rachel did not respect her gesture of respect, Marina naturally wouldn¡¯t indulge her anymore.


    After all, in her eyes, Rachel was not qualified to marry into the Jones family.


    ¡°At the end of the day, she¡¯s just like a dog you keep around.¡± Marina lowered her head and said slowly,


    ¡°Of course, she has to spoil you and respect you, Otherwise, where do you think she gets her


    confidence to be arrogant and bully others?¡±


    Marina¡¯swords were even harsher, and her hostility towards Rachel was obvious. However, Rachel did


    not seem to understand Marina at all. She only looked up at Marina expressionlessly.


    ¡°Try it.¡± David handed the peeled apple to Rachel.


    Then, David raised his indifferent eyes and nced at Marina. A hint of coldness flickered through his


    clear eyes. ¡°A dog must be intelligent enough to rely on its owner¡¯s power to bully others. A dog must


    know which master to follow. But if the master cannot even protect themselves, how can they be


    trusted to care about the life and death of their dog?¡±


    The expression on Marina¡¯s face changed slightly. There was a terrifying coldness. hidden in her eyes,


    but she still maintained a smile. ¡°David, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I meant what I said.¡± David took out a tissue and wiped his long fingers clean. His tone carried a


    chilling coldness as if his lips were coated with ayer of ice. ¡°I respect you as an elder, but if you don¡¯t


    know how to appreciate it, then I have no need to consider our blood tie.¡±


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    Upon hearing this, Marina could no longer maintain her smile. Her fingers on the sofa silently tightened,


    and her sharp nails pierced deeply into the sofa. She said furiously, ¡°David, I¡¯m your aunt!¡±


    Compared to the other branches of the Jones family, she was the daughter born after ten months of


    pregnancy from Old Mrs. Jones herself, making her the biological aunt of David.


    With that, the room fell into a strange silence.


    The sound of Rachel chewing on the apple became especially clear, but it did not sound harsh.


    David caught a glimpse of Rachel nibbling on the apple. Her elegant movements were like a noble cat


    eating slowly.


    His icy demeanor softened slightly as he spoke to Marina, ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to behave like the


    other branches of the family and stay out of trouble, I can give you some free lessons. Even if my


    grandma finds out, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll object.¡±

 Chapter 533

    Chapter 533


    Chapter 533


    David¡¯s tone was indifferent and slow, carrying a chilling deterrence.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell into a dead silence. The air seemed to have condensed


    into an invisibleyer of ice, suddenly lowering the temperature.


    Marina felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her pupils constricted.


    David had probably received Old Mr. Jones¡¯s true teachings. Despite his calm andposed


    demeanor, there was still a terrifying intimidation emitting from him. It pressed down on her heart for no


    reason, making her not dare to breathe.


    Marina narrowed her eyes and stared at David.


    David didn¡¯t reveal any hint on the surface, but his delicate brows and eyes were hiding a ruthless aura.


    ¡°David, how dare you against me!¡± Marina pretended to be calm, but her low and gentle voice was


    mixed with an uncontroble tremble. It showed that she was afraid of David.


    After all, David was the annoying brat that Mr. Johnson had personally trained! If he really went crazy,


    he wouldn¡¯t care about any blood ties at all!


    Marina would never forget how David had climbed to his current position!


    She would never forget how David tortured his uncles who opposed his advancement bit by bit!


    David looked up. His eyes were filled with coldness. ¡°You can try.¡±


    It was a light sentence, but it was like a heavy stone pressing down on someone¡¯s heart, making


    Marina hold her breath.


    Marina gritted her teeth and straightened her neck, swallowing the unwillingness in her throat.


    She was actually afraid!


    However, her intuition told her that if she were to fall out with David at this moment, she might not even


    be able to walk out of this door.


    And beside Marina, Olivia was feeling extremely uneasy and anxious at this


    moment.


    Even though her chest was beating violently, she did not dare to breathe.


    After a long while, Marina kicked the assistant who was lying on the ground. She no longer had her


    usual noble and elegant posture. She roared angrily, ¡°What are you waiting for? Apologize now!¡±


    The assistant who was kicked snapped back to her senses. ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m sorry. Everything that


    happened today is my fault. As long as you¡¯re willing to forgive me, I¡¯m willing to turn myself in.¡±


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    Rachel lowered her eyes. When she heard this, she looked up at the assistant. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll keep your


    word.¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    The assistant nced at the expression on Olivia¡¯s face and quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Please


    don¡¯t worry, Miss Grey!¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s forget about this matter. We won¡¯t disturb your rest anymore,¡± Olivia said calmly.


    Rachel lowered her eyes as if she did not hear Olivia.


    The smile on Olivia¡¯s face faded. Before she could re up, Marina let out a cold snort and said,


    ¡°Hmph, let¡¯s go!¡±


    When Marina left with Olivia and the assistant, the atmosphere in the room was no longer as


    oppressive as before.


    Jimmy sneered mockingly and said, ¡°Tsk, Miss Marina will definitely go crying to her mother after being


    wronged like this!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been like this all these years, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Landon looked at Jimmy. ¡°We have gotten used to it long


    ago.¡±


    Hearing their conversation, Rachel looked worried. ¡°Old Mrs. Jones, she¡­¡±


    Although David¡¯s protection made Rachel feel warm, she did not want there to be a gap between Old


    Mrs. Jones and David.


    David held her hand. ¡°Grandma knows what to do.¡±

 Chapter 534

    Chapter 534


    Chapter 534


    Olivia followed behind Marina. After hesitating for a while, she could not help but ask, ¡°Are we just


    going to let Rachel off?¡±


    ¡°What else can we do?¡± Marina stopped in her tracks and turned around abruptly.


    Her sharp gaze pierced straight into Olivia¡¯s eyes like a knife. ¡°Isn¡¯t today¡¯s incident enough to teach


    you a lesson?¡±


    Olivia bit her lip. ¡°I thought this matter would be foolproof¡­¡±


    ¡°You think!¡± Marina sneered and looked at Olivia with a mocking gaze as if she was looking down at a


    lowly ant. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t protected you just now, do you think you could have left here safely?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes were lowered, and the emotions in her eyes could not be seen clearly. She only clenched


    her fists. ¡°I will never forget your help.¡±


    Seeing how obedient Olivia was, the anger on Marina¡¯s face faded a little.


    She took a deep breath to calm the anger swirling in her chest. ¡°Alright, take this as a lesson.¡±


    It was a lesson for Olivia and also a wake-up call for herself.


    She had always thought David treated Rachel as nothing more than a ything kept by his side. He


    would naturally show her some favor when he was in the mood.


    However, Olivia never expected David would tear apart this superficial harmony for Rachel.


    Especially when she thought of the warning in David¡¯s words and the terrifying aura around him, she


    could not help but feel a little afraid.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You can go back first,¡± Marina said. Then, she left without looking back.


    Trinisia garden.


    Rosie told Old Mrs. Jones everything that happened at the racecourse.


    Old Mrs. Jones stopped trimming the flower branches. ¡°You said Rae-Rae fell off the horse?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Seeing Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s nervous expression, Rosie did not dare to hide. anything. She quickly


    exined, ¡°Miss Grey still has some skills. She actually returned to the horse¡¯s back at a critical


    moment.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Jones secretly heaved a sigh of relief, but her eyes were still filled with faint


    worry. ¡°It¡¯s good that she¡¯s fine. It¡¯s good.¡±


    Upon hearing such a thrilling scene, Old Mrs. Jones no longer had the leisure to


    trim the flowers and nts.


    She put down the scissors in her hand and looked at Rosie. ¡°Was she injured?¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey injured her leg.¡± Rosie looked at the expression on Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s face. She hesitated for


    a second and then said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s quite a coincidence. I heard that the incident was caused by Miss


    Marina¡¯s g*ddaughter, whom she took in not long ago. Luckily, Mr. David showed mercy due to respect


    to his aunt.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones frowned imperceptibly. Just as she was about to say something, she heard a mournful


    crying from outside the door. ¡°Mother, Mother¡­¡± Hearing Marina¡¯s voice, Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s eyes


    were filled with indifference. Seeing the situation, Rosie could not help but feel annoyed.


    Ever since Marina came to Seaxas, she had beenining to Old Mrs. Jones every other day. She


    would always talk about how David had grown up and no longer respected her as his aunt.


    As an observer, it appeared that David¡¯s disrespect towards Marina was the result of her own actions.


    ¡°I go tell Miss Marina that you¡¯re not around?¡± Rosie looked up at Old Mrs. Jones.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Rosie thought that Old Mrs. Jones would agree, but she didn¡¯t expect her to reply, ¡°Let her in.¡±


    Mrs. Old Jones knew her daughter the best. She turned a blind eye to what Marina had done all these


    years.


    After all, it was her daughter.


    But this time, Marina was a little too much!


    In the living room.

 Chapter 535

    Chapter 535


    Chapter 535


    Marina secretly observed the expression on Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s face. After helping Old Mrs. Jons take the


    medicine, sheined anxiously.


    She vividly described how David had threatened and disrespected her in front of outsiders.


    ¡°Mother, you have to stand up for me.¡± Marina looked at Old Mrs. Jones with an aggrieved expression.


    ¡°David is simply muddle-headed now. He dares to treat me like this for the sake of a woman. What


    other foolish things will he do for her in the future?¡±


    ¡°You forced David to be where he is today.¡± Old Mrs. Jones raised her eyes and looked at Marina


    meaningfully. ¡°You and the others deserve it.¡±


    Marina¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, but her expression did not change. She still whined like a child.


    ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    ¡°Actions have consequences, but as long as you have a clear conscience, no rumors can harm you.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones rubbed her fingertips against the cup on the table, speaking calmly, ¡°I do not wish to


    meddle in the past, but I have to be fair today. You have clearly overstepped your bounds. If it weren¡¯t


    for my sake, do you think you could have appeared before me unscathed, given David¡¯s


    temperament?¡±


    Hearing this, Marina¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°I¡¯ve long suspected that you¡¯re biased towards David. I didn¡¯t


    expect you to really dote on him and refuse to dote on me, your own daughter!¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones raised her eyes and stared at Marina,


    After a long time, she sighed slightly.


    ¡°Since you use me of being biased, I will openly show my favoritism this time! As long as I am here,


    you won¡¯t get away with your foolish behavior in Seaxas!¡± Old Mrs. Jones dered firmly, with a cold


    and sharp gaze. ¡°If you dare toy a finger on that girl again, I won¡¯t go easy on you regardless of what


    David will do to you!¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones was also a swift and decisive person when she was young. She had always used the


    gentlest tone to do the most ruthless things.


    It was just that she was getting on in years, and she often turned a blind eye to some things.


    However, once Old Mrs. Jones was really angry, it was enough to make people scared of her.


    Marina narrowed her eyes and stared at Old Mrs. Jones without blinking. Her tone was filled with


    disbelief. ¡°Are you going to support David to marry that


    woman?¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones did not care about the surprise on Marina¡¯s face. Instead, she exined in a gentle and


    patient tone, ¡°It¡¯s not to support David in marrying that girl, but to ensure that she can marry David.¡±


    Upon first hearing, this sentence may not have seemed different, but upon careful consideration, it


    carried apletely different meaning


    The former was David willing to marry Rachel, while thetter depended on whether Rachel was willing


    to marry David.


    As long as Rachel was willing to marry David, nothing could stop her.


    Marina stared at Old Mrs. Jones in a daze. After a long while, she said firmly, ¡°Father will definitely not


    agree. The people of the Elders will not let this go!¡±


    What was David¡¯s identity?


    He was an influential figure in Aureliana, with significant power and high status. While the Elders feared


    him, they also coveted the power in his hand.


    How could they let David marry a woman they didn¡¯t know?


    Old Mrs. Jones stared at Marina for a moment. In the end, she did not say anything.


    She stood up slowly. ¡°I¡¯m tired. You can go back.¡±


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


    With that, Old Mrs. Jone slowly walked towards the bedroom with the help of Rosie.

 Chapter 536

    Chapter 536


    Chapter 536


    When Rachel and David returned to Sandalwood Hills, she was sitting on the sofa with one leg bent


    over a bowl of fruit sd, quietly admiring the way David cooked.


    David¡¯s back was facing Rachel. He had broad shoulders and a slim waist, forming a perfectly


    proportioned inverted triangle.


    It was said that men were the most handsome and charming when they cooked. After Rachel¡¯s


    appraisal, it was confirmed that it was not a rumor.


    At this moment, her phone suddenly rang.


    She looked down at the message on Whatsapp.


    Lucas wrote, [What¡¯s going on? Why are you letting Olivia off?]


    Initially, Lucas was still waiting for Rachel to use David¡¯s help to deal with Olivia. Unexpectedly, Olivia


    actually left unscathed with Marina.


    Lucas admitted that using David to punish Olivia was a little despicable, but who asked Olivia to be


    Marina¡¯s g*ddaughter?


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Moreover, David had solemnly promised him to protect Rachel no matter what. He was just testing


    David this time.


    When Rachel saw the message from Lucas, she narrowed her eyes, and a deep and unspoken


    emotion flickered in her gaze.


    She casually put the sd bowl aside and quickly typed on the keyboard with her fingertips. [So you


    leaked the information to David and nned to use him to punish Olivia?]


    When Lucas, who was smoking, saw Rachel¡¯s reply, he was shocked. He choked on the smoke and


    coughed repeatedly. His lungs were about to explode.¡±


    Lucas put out the cigarette in his hand and finally managed to catch his breath. He quickly exined,


    [This is my sincere effort. I just want to help you understand how much weight you hold in his heart,


    you know?]


    Regardless of whether Rachel would believe this dignified excuse, Lucas himself did not believe it.


    From the beginning, when he revealed the information to David, his goal was to make David disrespect


    Marina and teach Olivia a lesson.


    With Marina¡¯s support, the Cruise family¡¯s status skyrocketed, and Olivia was even more popr.


    However, the Johnson family did not care about this at all, and Lucas did not take her seriously either.


    This time, Olivia injured Rachel. Lucas naturally had to think of a way to make her suffer.


    However, the Jones family behind Marina made Lucas wary.


    After all, if they really fought head-on, the Johnson family would undoubtedly suffer great losses, and it


    would only create opportunities for others to take advantage of.


    After consideration, Lucas thought David was a good knife.


    With David¡¯s help, not only could it scare Marina, but it could also deal with the Cruise family.


    How could Rachel not know Lucas¡¯s n?


    She raised her eyebrows and looked at David, who was busy in the kitchen, with a faint gentleness in


    her eyes.


    Lucas did not receive a reply from Rachel for a long time. He could not help but send another


    message. [Speaking of which, Olivia hurt you this time. Are really going to let it go just like that?]


    Lucas was very unhappy with Rachel¡¯s response to Olivia¡¯s scheme.


    Saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± and ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± back and forth was just so boring.


    you


    It would be more satisfying if they had a big argument and even broke into a fight.


    The phone vibrated again, pulling Rachel¡¯s gaze back to the phone. She replied, [Go and investigate


    the assistant beside Olivia. Find a way to uncover some information from her.]


    Lucas seemed to have expected this. [You want her to retract her confession at a critical moment?]


    [She took the me for Olivia. It must be because of money or her life.] Rachel replied.


    [I¡¯ll take care of this matter. You just focus on resting and recovering.]


    Rachel turned off her phone and poked the sd bowl with her fingertip. Then, she got up and limped


    towards David.

 Chapter 537

    Chapter 537


    Chapter 537


    David heard footsteps behind him and looked at Rachel. ¡°Hungry?¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Rachel ced her hands on the table and watched as David


    handled the chicken drumstick skillfully.


    David emphasized eating the food that provided necessary nutrients. It seemed that Rachel¡¯s dinner


    tonight was chicken drumsticks and chicken soup.


    David nced at Rachel. Her cor was slightly loose, revealing her exquisite corbones. Her long


    hair was tied up behind her head, revealing the fair skin on


    her neck.


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as he looked away without batting an eyelid. ¡°Go sit on the


    sofa. Be careful not to burn yourself.¡±


    Rachel pouted as if she did not hear David. She turned around and pushed herself up with both hands


    before sitting down on the table.


    ¡°I can sit here too¡± She swung one leg nonchntly and looked at David.


    From her angle, she could see David¡¯s clear jawline and exquisite facial contours. With such a face, it


    was no wonder that people would fall for him.


    It was estimated that in Aureliana, David had attracted countless admirers.


    Rachel casually picked up a small tomato from the vegetable basket and threw it into her mouth. She


    bit it and did not taste any sweetness. It was all sour.


    The orange-red afterglow of the setting sun shone into the open kitchen through the bright and


    spacious floor-to-ceiling windows.


    David stood in front of the table, working with methodical precision. Rachel ced her hands on the


    table and stared at him silently.


    It was simple yet warm.


    After the chicken soup was cooked, David scooped the soup out and cooked two vegetables.


    ¡°Wash your hands ande eat.¡± David looked at Rachel.


    Rachel nodded and jumped down on one foot.


    David reacted quickly and h**ked her waist. ¡°How do you know emergency medical treatment?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. She replied casually, ¡°I learned a little from Lucas in


    the army.¡±


    Learned a little?


    These words could fool others, but not David.


    David could tell that Rachel¡¯s professional skills were far beyond just a little.


    However, since Rachel was unwilling to say more, he naturally did not ask further. While eating, David


    picked the green onions out of her bowl bit by bit.


    ¡°How does it taste?¡± David looked at Rachel nervously.


    Rachel smacked her lips and stuck out the tip of her tongue to lick away the soup at the corner of her


    lips. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Looking at her licking her lips, David felt a tingling sensation in his heart and his eyes darkened


    involuntarily.


    After eating, David carried Rachel back to the bedroom.


    Rachel was about to take a shower when her phone suddenly rang.


    It was Mary.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, Yulia¡¯s wedding dress has started to bepleted. Remember toe over and take a


    look when you have time.¡± Mary¡¯s voice entered Rachel¡¯s ears through the phone.


    Rachel replied indifferently and continued to walk towards the bathroom.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that the triennial fashionpetition will be held in Seaxas this year. Do you want


    to participate?¡±


    Facing Mary¡¯s suggestion, Rachel did not show any emotion on her face. She said. calmly, ¡°Not


    interested.¡±


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    When she first took on the role of designer, it was just for fun and as a hobby.


    Hearing Rachel¡¯s answer, Mary was a little disappointed but was not surprised.


    After all, Rachel did not have much interest in fame and fortune.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first,¡± said Rachel.


    On the other end of the line, Mary smiled ambiguously. ¡°I understand, I understand. A night of passion


    is worth a queen¡¯s ransom.¡±


    With that, she hung up without giving Rachel a chance to speak.

 Chapter 538

    Chapter 538


    Chapter 538


    The next morning, Rachel washed up and went downstairs for breakfast.


    While eating, she looked up at David. ¡°Lend me your carter.¡±


    While Rachel was recuperating these few days, she nned to go to the studio to take a look at the


    production of the wedding dress.


    ¡°Take your pick from the garage,¡± David said generously.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement.


    David¡¯s garage had more cars than Lucas, including many priceless car models.


    She finished her breakfast quickly, eager to choose the car.


    However, David spoiled the mood by sitting in the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°You want to be a driver?¡± Rachel stood in front of the car and looked at David with raised eyebrows.


    David smiled. ¡°I¡¯m your exclusive driver.¡±


    Rachel thought that having the prestigious David as her exclusive driver was quite an honor.


    Just like that, under David¡¯s escort, Rachel sessfully arrived at the wedding dress studio.


    ¡°You came just in time.¡± Mary, who had received the news, quickly walked out of the office. ¡°Yulia will


    being over to try on the temte sample dresster. It¡¯s a good opportunity to introduce¡­¡±


    Before Mary could finish her sentence, she saw Rachel limping and could not help but curse, ¡°Sh*t!


    What happened!¡±


    Rachel said nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you call a serious injury?¡± Mary asked, ¡°Does it have to be a broken arm or leg?¡±


    Rachel did not answer Mary and walked straight towards the spiral staircase. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in your office.¡±


    As soon as they entered the office, Rachel gave a simple exnation.


    Mary muttered angrily, ¡°No wonder everyone was talking about the grand opening of Dan¡¯s horse ranch


    yesterday. They said it was unprecedented. I even Ireard that someone took the initiative topete


    with Brenda. So that person was you.¡±


    Yesterday, Mary had something on and didn¡¯t go. Otherwise, she would have followed Jimmy to join in


    the fun.


    When Jimmy came back, Mary asked him about the horse ranch. He stammered and only said that he


    had watched a horse race.


    ¡°Then what happened to your leg?¡± Mary handed the coffee cup to Rachel.


    Rachel lowered her eyes and nced at her foot, which was slowly starting to recover from the injury.


    There was a subtle cold glint in the depths of her eyes as she spoke, ¡°It was just an ident.¡±


    Mary frowned slightly and was about to say something when Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Mary had no choice but to swallow them. She picked up


    her coffee and took a sip.


    Rachel swiped the phone screen with her fingertips and picked up the call.


    ¡°Rachel, it¡¯s me.¡± Lily¡¯s sweet and gentle voice came through the phone. ¡°Rachel, it¡¯s Dad¡¯s birthday in


    a few days. He said that he misses you a lot/since we haven¡¯t seen each other in these years. He


    hopes that you cane home and have a good reunion dinner with our family.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Reunion dinner?¡± A mocking smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s lips. ¡°Do I know you very well?¡±


    The bright light shone on Rachel¡¯s wless face, making the coldness between her ¨C eyebrows even


    clearer.


    Hearing her words, Lily choked on the words she had prepared.


    She pondered for a moment before speaking again. ¡°Rachel, Dad has already forgiven you for what


    happened back then. Why do you have to take it to heart and cause our family to drift apart?¡±


    Rachel sneered and said slowly, ¡°Family? But where were you when I was left to starve and freeze in


    the snow?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Lily was at a loss for words.

 Chapter 539

    Chapter 539


    Chapter 539


    She subconsciously looked up at Hans and bit her lip. After pondering for a long time, she slowly said,


    ¡°Rachel, I know that what happened back then caused you to have animosity with us. But this time,


    Dad is willing to let youe back. It means that he still cares about you. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Rachel asked casually.


    Lily could not keep up with Rachel¡¯s thoughts. She subconsciously blurted out, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±


    Before Lily could finish her sentence, Rachel hung up.


    Hearing the beeping sounding from the phone, ayer of ice appeared in the depths of Lily¡¯s eyes.


    She gripped the phone tightly.


    From the moment Lily came to the Grey family and saw Rachel, she knew that the two of them would


    be lifelong enemies.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The sisterly love was not suitable for them at all!


    Hence, when Rachel was chased out of the Grey family, Lily was overjoyed.


    Without Rachel, she would be the Grey family¡¯s legitimate Miss Grey. She would no longer have to


    bear the infamy of being an illegitimate child. She would not have to care about anyone¡¯s opinions or


    judgments


    But now that Hans had asked Rachel to return to the Grey family, Lily could not help but feel rmed.


    But she had learned to observe and understand people¡¯s words and expressions. since she was


    young. She knew that her father, Hans, was a cold-blooded person. In Hans¡¯s eyes, any emotion in this


    world was far inferior to the benefits and interests he valued.


    No one ever benefited from angering him or going against his will


    Therefore, Lily had no choice but to obey Hans¡¯s request.


    Lily took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. She turned around and walked to the living room.


    ¡°Dad, Rachel hung up the phone. She even said, she


    even said¡­¡±


    ¡°What did she say?¡± Hans put out the cigarette between his fingers and threw it into the ashtray. He


    raised his eyes and looked at Lily indifferently.


    Lily pursed her lips and said in a low voice, ¡°She said that she¡¯s not familiar with


    us¡­


    As soon as Lily finished speaking, the huge living room fell into a strange silence.


    The heavy and oppressive atmosphere was like a stone pressing down on her heart, making her pant


    with difficulty.


    Suddenly, Hans let out a lowugh, but his eyes were terrifyingly cold. ¡°She¡¯s still as stubborn as


    before.¡±


    His deep voice seemed to be wrapped in ice, carrying a coldness that made one shudder.


    Lily looked at Han¡¯s malicious and cold expression. After hesitating for a while, she said carefully,


    ¡°Rachel is clearly still holding a grudge against us because of what happened back then. She probably


    won¡¯t forgive us and won¡¯t be willing to return to this family.¡±


    Back then, Rachel pushed Rose down the stairs and caused her to miscarry. The son that Hans had


    been longing for was gone just like that. At that time, Hans even had the thought of killing Rachel to


    exchange her life for his dead son.


    However, in the end, his rationality allowed him to restrain himself.


    Even so, he was determined to punish Rachel. Hence, he stripped Rachel down to her thin pajamas


    and threw her out the door.


    It happened to be New Year¡¯s Eve that day, and it was snowing heavily.


    Hans thought that if Rachel froze to death just like that, he could consider it that Rachel was destined


    to die and let his unborn son¡¯s spirit rest in peace


    If Rachel did not die, he would take it that she was not destined to die.


    However, he did not expect the Johnson family to suddenly appear and take Rachel away without a


    word.

 Chapter 540

    Chapter 540


    Chapter 540


    Therefore, Hans decided to go with the flow. He threatened that if Rachel left, she would have nothing


    to do with the Grey family anymore. He would pretend that he had never had this daughter.


    To be honest, from the moment Hans threw Rachel out the door, he no longer treated Rachel as his


    daughter.


    Letting Rachele back for dinner on his birthday was just an excuse to ease his rtionship with


    Rachel.


    Hans wasn¡¯t simply looking to repair his rtionship with Rachel. Instead, he had discovered her


    usefulness as a tool to his advantage.


    When Hans attended a social gathering today, he identally heard rumors about Rachel.


    Rumor had it that she was now doing well in Seaxas. More importantly, she was now the lover of a big


    shot.


    Although this identity was contemptible, at least it proved the value of Rachel.


    After a long silence, Hans picked up the cup and took a sip. ¡°I¡¯ll make a decision on this matter. Go


    back to your room first.¡±


    Lily responded obediently.


    However, her lowered eyes hid the gloominess in them.


    On the other side.


    After Mary saw Rachel hang up the phone, she couldn¡¯t wait to ask, ¡°How did Lily get your phone


    number?¡±


    Mary had heard about how Rachel got into the Johnson family.


    All these years, Rachel and the Grey family were like strangers. Logically speaking, they should not


    have any connection with each other.


    Rachel raised her eyes and looked at Mary with a faint smile. ¡°Have you forgotten Olivia?¡±


    Previously, Olivia and Lily had joined forces to use public opinion to bring down Rachel. However, they


    didn¡¯t expect to expose the secret that Linda and her daughter had been hiding for years.


    ¡°She is really a disgustingly despicable woman.¡± Mary sneered.


    Rachel had a subtle and chilly smile. She said slowly, ¡°Those vicious people naturally like to do


    disgusting things.¡±


    The conversation between the two of them ended with the arrival of Yulia.


    Yulia was thriving in the entertainment industry. She was only 30 years old but she had already won


    many awards in major film festivals. Coupled with her naturally strong presence and a high and cold


    demeanor, she has been crowned as the ¡°Queen Wand¡± by fans and passersby alike.


    After a short conversation, Rachel realized that Yulia was not as unapproachable as the rumors said.


    As Rachel exined, Yulia listened patiently until the end. She said sincerely, ¡°I like this dress very


    much, but¡­¡±


    Yulia looked up and down at the dress in front of her and frowned slightly as if she was thinking about


    something.


    Rachel saw Yulia¡¯s expression and said calmly, ¡°Actually, the original inspiration for this dress came


    from the Wind Fairy that you yed in your movie. Compared to the traditional white color of the


    wedding dress, the silver color will be more suitable.¡±


    Hearing this, Yulia could not help but turn her attention to Rachel.


    ¡°I believe you would rather choose the former than sacrifice the overall effect just to conform to the


    theme.¡±


    Yulia raised her eyebrows and looked at Rachel with a meaningful glint shing in her eyes. ¡°Miss


    Grey, you seem to be very good at reading people¡¯s minds.¡±


    Rachel said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m just good at giving advice when customers are in a dilemma.¡±


    Her words made Yulia¡¯s eyes sh with admiration. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll look forward to your masterpiece,


    Miss Grey.¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you,¡± said Rachel.


    After sending Yulia off, Rachel and Mary returned to the office.


    Mary mysteriously handed Rachel a beautifully wrapped box from the cab in the office.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Rachel looked at it curiously.


    Mary smiled maliciously. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the special outfit I carefully chose for you.¡±


    Special outfit?

 Chapter 541

    Chapter 541


    Chapter 541


    Subconsciously, Rachel lifted her hand and wanted to open it.


    Unexpectedly, Mary reacted quickly and pped Rachel¡¯s hand away. ¡°Surprises are usually only


    revealed at the end. You can¡¯t open it now.¡±


    Hearing Mary¡¯s words, Rachel could vaguely feel an ominous feeling in her heart. Rachel looked up at


    Mary and asked. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a surprise?¡±


    It was not that Rachel doubted Mary¡¯s intentions, but the surprises that Mary had prepared in the past


    had always caught her off guard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is something that I have carefully chosen just for you! It will definitely let you obtain


    victory!¡± Mary vowed while looking confident.


    When Rachel left the studio with the box in her hands, Mary walked her to the door.


    Mary immediately noticed David, who was leaning against the front of the car. Turning to look at


    Rachel, a faint and ambiguous smile shed across Mary¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°Wow, this exclusively


    chosen man is quite tall.¡±


    Rachel was just about to speak when her phone suddenly rang.


    It was a call from Lucas.


    Rachel picked up the phone and heard Lucas¡¯s cold andzy voice. ¡°Everything has been settled.¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to tell you what to do next?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and asked. A glint


    flickered in the depths of Rachel¡¯s almond-shaped eyes, making her gaze seems cold and sharp.


    Lucas chuckled lightly and said, ¡°Just wait and see.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel took a cab back to Sandalwood Hills.


    Rachel walked into the bathroom and took a quick shower. When Rachel walked into the cloakroom,


    she saw the box that Mary had given her. Biting her lips, Rachel hesitated for a long moment as she


    stared at the box. In the end, Rachel could not suppress her curiosity and opened the box.


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched when she saw what was inside the box.


    ¡°I knew it!


    ¡°That girl Mary! All of the surprises that Mary had prepared will usually end up as a scare!¡± Rachel


    thought to herself.


    Frowning slightly, Rachel lifted the silver bell cor which was at the top, with-her fingertips.


    The cor was wrapped in soft and s****yce and felt furry to the touch.


    If one were tobine all of the fabric of the entire piece of clothing, one would realize that the fabric


    was even lesser than the size of an ordinary bath towel.


    There was also a heart-shaped card on the side of the box. In the card were Mary¡¯s handwritten words.


    [My Dear Master, please use me tonight and enjoy yourself to the fullest.]


    A chill ran down Rachel¡¯s spine and she felt slightly disgusted. With a flick of her fingertip, the cor fell


    from Rachel¡¯s hand and fell back into the box.


    Rushing out of the cloakroom, Rachel took out her phone. Clicking open Mary¡¯s chat box. Rachel


    quickly typed on the keyboard with her fingers and sent a message to Mary. [You¡¯d better exin the


    true intention of why you are giving me this set of clothes!]


    After a short while, Mary replied quickly. [I¡¯m trying to help you.]


    Then, Mary begins to slowly analyze the situation with Rachel with a serious look on her face. [I know


    you¡¯re worried about David¡¯s birthday. But you¡¯ll definitely be right if you were to listen to me!]


    Mary sent a message. [With David¡¯s social status, he must have seen all kinds of rare treasures. I¡¯m


    afraid even the most valuable of things are nothing in David¡¯s eyes! However, it¡¯s going to be different if


    you were to give yourself to him!]


    Mary sent another message. [Look at how cold and abstinent he is every day. If I were to make a bold


    guess, I would bet that David probably hasn¡¯t touched a woman yet in his whole life. If that¡¯s the case,


    then you¡¯re David¡¯s first woman. If you gave yourself to him on his birthday and let him experience the


    delights of what would happen in bed, there¡¯s no doubt that David would treat it as the best birthday


    present he had ever received! It would surely be the most unforgettable present for David!]


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Rachel looked expressionlessly at the long speech sent by Mary. The corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth


    twitched slightly.


    Rachel took a nce at the little fox costume in the box. For a moment, Rachel felt a slight urge to give


    it a try.


    Rachel slowly reached out and picked up the clothes inside the box.


    Although the fabric was scarce, the texture was quite good.


    The costume would make one look innocent and cute, but it also exuded a s*xiness that was different


    from before.


    Overall, Rachel felt that Mary had good taste.


    Just when Rachel was lost in thoughts, she heard a sound that came from the door.


    Rachel broke out of her reverie. In a panic, Rachel hurriedly kicked the box under the table.

 Chapter 542

    Chapter 542


    Chapter 542


    David entered the room. When David saw Rachel¡¯s panicked expression, he raised his eyebrows


    slightly and asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡± Panicking, Rachel hurriedly lowered her eyes, not daring to look David in the eye.


    Rachel had a feeling that David¡¯s sharp gaze was piercing through her and that David was able to see


    through her.


    David stepped forward and approached Rachel. Slowly, David forced Rachel towards the closet. All of


    a sudden, David stretched out his arm to press against the closet door which was behind Rachel. With


    his hand on the side of Rachel¡¯s face, David slowly bent down and leaned forward.


    David¡¯s handsome and well-sculpted face slowly inched towards Rachel¡¯s face.


    Their faces were mere inches apart and they could clearly feel the breaths that the other person was


    exhaling.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered as she panicked.


    ¡°But you¡¯re obviously hiding something from me,¡± David said as he stretched out his finger and lifted


    Rachel¡¯s chin. David stared at Rachel intently.


    ¡°Rachel¡¯s good in everything. However, there¡¯s one thing that Rachel is not good at, and that¡¯s lying.


    ¡°Every time Rachel lied, her eyes would move around. It was as if Rachel was feeling guilty about


    something that she had done.¡± David thought inwardly.


    ¡°I¡­ I have nothing to hide from you,¡± Rachel quibbled with a weak voice. Rachel¡¯s eyes were moving


    around as she tried not to look at David. However, Rachel couldn¡¯t help but sneak nces at the


    cab.


    David followed Rachel¡¯s line of sight.


    ¡°Look at me!¡± In a panic, Rachel tugged at David¡¯s head and turned his head to face her. At the same


    time, Rachel tiptoed and kissed David on the lips.


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    The sudden kiss surprised David and he felt ttered.


    Perhaps it was David¡¯s natural reaction, he quickly took the initiative of the kiss although David was


    surprised by Rachel¡¯s actions.


    David wrapped an arm around Rachel¡¯s slender waist, while his other hand went through Rachel¡¯s


    smooth and silky long hair and held onto the back of Rachel¡¯s head.


    David deepened the kiss and kept asking for more. Domineeringly, David plundered every inch of


    Rachel¡¯s breath.


    Rachel could feel that the air in her lungs was slowly being taken by David and that her body was


    softening against David.


    Instinctively, Rachel¡¯s hands h**ked around David¡¯s neck to find support.


    However, in the next second, Rachel felt a grip on her waist and she was lifted upwards. David had


    actually carried her to the nearby jewelry table and ced


    her on it.


    Sitting on the jewelry table, Rachel was now on higher ground aspared to David. Rachel no longer


    needs to tiptoe in order to respond to David¡¯s kiss. Instead, Rachel just needed to lower her head


    slightly for her lips to touch David¡¯s.


    David¡¯s gaze never left Rachel, and he noticed the sh of surprise in Rachel¡¯s eyes. The corners of


    David¡¯s mouth curled upwards into a smile and he asked, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rachel¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were glistening from arousal as she looked at David in


    confusion. To David, Rachel looked as if she was an inexperienced demoness and waspletely


    unaware of how seductive and attractive she was


    now.


    David¡¯s eyes darkened uncontrobly, and it was as if there was a spark of fire in the depths of his dark


    eyes. All of the emotions that David had kept hidden in the past were revealed now as he stared


    passionately and hungrily at Rachel.


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips curled up slightly when she met David¡¯s eyes which were dark and filled with


    arousal and desire.


    ¡°Are you¡­ hungry?¡± Rachel was at a loss and tried to change the topic.


    David raised his eyebrows and looked at her while his arm around Rachel¡¯s waist tightened


    involuntarily. His low and cold voice was filled with arousal as David. said, ¡°Are you sure that you want


    to talk about this with me now, under such. circumstances?¡± David¡¯s hoa rse voice was exceptionally


    seductive as he stared at Rachel.


    The distance between the two of them was suddenly much shorter when David pulled Rachel towards


    him. Rachel twisted her body ufortably and poked David¡¯s firm chest with her finger.


    Through her fingertips, Rachel could clearly feel the heat that was emitting from David¡¯s body. The


    sudden heat made Rachel¡¯s heart sk*p a beat as she trembled slightly.


    Rachel pursed her lips and looked at David tenderly. ¡°Shall I cook tonight?¡± Rachel asked softly.


    ¡°Okay.¡± David lifted Rachel and carried her down from the table.


    When the two of them turned to leave, David caught a glimpse of the box that was hidden under the


    cab from the corner of his eye. Pausing for a moment, there was a glint in David¡¯s dark eyes when


    he stared profoundly at the box as


    realization dawned.

 Chapter 543

    Chapter 543


    Chapter 543


    Rachel seemed to have sensed that something was amiss, and she tightened her grip on David¡¯s hand


    subconsciously. Trying to divert David¡¯s attention on purpose, Rachel asked, ¡°What do you want to


    eat?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m not picky.¡± David replied.


    Knowing that Rachel¡¯s feet were injured and it was difficult for her to move around, David slowed down


    his pace on purpose as he tried to amodate Rachel.


    Rachel thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°How about soup and a main course with sides?¡±


    With raised eyebrows, there was a glint of happiness that shed in David¡¯s eyes as he looked at


    Rachel meaningfully and said, ¡°You seem to know quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°My maternal grandfather had never had any restrictions to the things that I wanted to do, and he had


    never requested me to do anything either. As long as it¡¯s something that I wanted to do, he would let


    me do it.¡± Rachel said unhurriedly. ¡°In addition, when I was in middle school, I did not know what was


    critical to learn. and what wasn¡¯t. In the end, I learned a lot from Darcy in private.¡±


    As they spoke, the two of them arrived at the stairs.


    David bent down and carried Rachel in his arms. David asked casually, ¡°Does that include


    equestrianism too?¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    Of course, for all these years with Darcy by her side, Rachel knew more than just equestrianism.


    Entering the kitchen, David rolled up his sleeves and asked, ¡°Do you need my help?¡±


    Shaking her head, Rachel pushed David out of the open kitchen area slowly and dered with


    confidence, ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    With quickened steps, Billy hurried into the house. A hint of surprise shed in Billy¡¯s eyes and he was


    taken aback when he saw Rachel in the kitchen.


    Quickly after, Billy regained hisposure and greeted respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    Rachel acknowledged with a light nod and continued with her work on the salmon in her hand.


    Rachel¡¯s technique was adept. In a few simple strokes, Rachel separated the fish fillet from the bones


    perfectly.


    Billy was almost dumbfounded when he saw Rachel¡¯s cooking skills. However, Billy suddenly recalled


    that he had something important to report to David, and


    could not afford to be dyed even for a second. With quickened steps, Billy hurriedly made his way


    toward the study.


    However, before Billy left, he could not help but turned his head to take ast nce at Rachel.


    At this moment, David was reading a document in a file with his head lowered. When David heard


    footstepsing from the door, he slowly lifted his head.


    A piercing sharp gaze wasing from David¡¯s dark eyes. Billy felt as if there was an invisible hand


    that was wrapped around his throat, and the tension in the room made him feel as if he was


    suffocating.


    Billy adjusted his breathing slightly and said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Jones, there have been many unfamiliar


    faces seen around Seaxas recently.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s their background?¡± David closed the file in front of him and asked. Leaning backward, David


    crossed his legs elegantly, although his gaze was still cold.


    ¡°Some of them were sent by Hell, and they seemed to be looking for someone. As for some of them¡­¡±


    A dark glint shed across Billy¡¯s eyes as he replied. Pausing for a moment, Billy continued, ¡°They¡¯re


    from the Elders.¡±


    Actually, Billy was not surprised that the Elders would send people to Seaxas.


    After all, the fact that Mr. Jones had stayed in Seaxas because of a woman was bound to be exposed


    sooner orter.


    Over the years, the people from the Elders have been trying to force Mr. Jones into an arranged


    marriage so that they would be able to restrict Mr. Jones¡¯s authority and even, disperse it.


    Now that the people from the Elders knew about Rachel¡¯s existence, they would definitely not let the


    matter rest.


    Hearing this, David¡¯s face suddenly darkened. The maliciousness that was present in David¡¯s eyes


    made his gaze seem icy cold. If one were to look into David¡¯s eyes, one would feel that he had the


    power to destroy everything.


    Billy, who was standing opposite David, felt his heart tighten. In his heart, Billy was breaking out into a


    cold sweat and pitied the people from the Elders.


    In the next second, David¡¯s deep and cold voice slowly sounded in the quiet study. ¡°Since they don¡¯t


    know how to behave themselves, then we should teach them. well!¡±


    David¡¯s tone was one of indifference and he spoke slowly without showing any emotions. However, the


    words from David¡¯s casual tone were filled with arrogance and made one shudder.


    With eyes filled with shock, Billy replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Just as Billy was about to turn around and leave, David¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°You will personally


    lead a team and protect Rachel in secret.¡±


    Billy was stunned for a few seconds before he quickly caught himself and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was not that Billy was making a fuss.


    It¡¯s just that in the past, Billy had always been in charge of David¡¯s safety and security. It would not be


    an exaggeration if one was to say that Billy was David¡¯s personal bodyguard.


    But now, Billy was tasked to protect Rachel. From David¡¯s instructions, Billy could tell that Mr. Jones


    treated Miss Grey differently from the others.

 Chapter 544

    Chapter 544


    Chapter 544


    Forty minutester, Rachel ced the soup and the main course on the dining table. After taking off


    her apron, Rachel went upstairs to inform David that the food was ready.


    As the study¡¯s door was ajar, David¡¯s figure could be vaguely seen from the gap.


    David was seated on the chair with a cold expression on his face as he stared at theputer in front


    of him.


    After staring at David for a while, Rachel slowly opened the door.


    When David heard the sound of the door opening, he lifted his eyes and looked at the door with a cold


    expression on his face. Upon seeing that it was Rachel, the coldness in his eyes immediately turned


    into one of warmth and gentleness.


    ¡°What are you doing up here?¡± David asked as he put down the file in his hands and rose quickly to his


    feet as he approached Rachel.


    Rachel let out a smile and replied, ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury. I¡¯m still able to move around.¡±


    ¡°Give me a moment.¡± David leaned over and nted a gentle kiss on Rachel¡¯s forehead.


    Rachel nodded and said, ¡°Go ahead. There¡¯s no need to hurry.¡±


    Hearing their conversation, everyone who participated in the video conference had an incredulous look


    on their face.


    ¡°Mr. Jones actually has a woman now?¡± Everyone thought to themselves.


    It had always been rumored that Mr. Jones was not interested in women, and he was either impotent or


    liked men. However, the conversation that David just had earlier had scotched the rumor.


    If this matter were to spread on the ind, it would definitely cause an uproar!


    After all, many women were eyeing to be the wife of the Jones family patriarch.


    If one knew that Mr. Jones had secretly kept a woman in his house, there was no doubt that it would


    cause a disturbance.


    Before everyone could regain theirposure, they saw that David was sitting back in front of the


    computer with a straight face.


    With an indifferent expression on his face, David said coldly, ¡°The meeting will end here for the time


    being.¡±


    With that, David ended the video conference call.


    When they arrived at the dining room, Rachel scooped up a piece of salmon and


    ced it on the te in front of David. ¡°Try it, and tell me if it tastes good.¡±


    David picked up the piece of salmon with his fork and ate it. The fish melted in his mouth and tasted


    incredibly fresh and delicious.


    Under Rachel¡¯s expectant gaze, David gave a fairment. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Hearing David¡¯s remark, Rachel¡¯s face lit up and there was a wide smile on her face.


    After their meal, David voluntarily cleaned up the kitchen while Rachel satfortably on the sofa and


    yed with her phone.


    ncing at the time, Rachel closed the game that she had been ying and opened her Twitter.


    The incident in which Olivia had instructed her assistant to intentionally hurt someone was causing a


    heated discussion online.


    Along with the attention that the post was gaining, theizens begin to connect the dots and traced


    back everything that had happened in the past in which Olivia was involved.


    Theizens managed to dig out a series of scandals that Olivia was involved in when she was


    expanding her carcer overseas.


    ¡°If someone like Olivia with such a family background can be considered to be from a wealthy family,


    then what should the people that came from the Four Families in Seaxas call themselves?¡± One of the


    netizensmented.


    ¡°For your information, the term femme fatale is used to describe an attractive and seductive woman


    who is likely to cause distress or disaster to a man who bes involved with her. I would like to pose


    a question to the blogger. Why does the blogger consider Olivia¡¯s looks to be above average?¡±


    Just as Rachel was enjoying herself and was engrossed in reading through all thements, an


    abnormality suddenly appeared on the Inte. The posts had mysteriously disappeared.


    In the eyes of theizens, this action was no different from one having a guilty conscience.


    In just two minutes, theizens found out that they were unable to ess Olivia¡¯s Twitter page as the


    server was overwhelmed.


    In addition, the Cruise Group quickly made a rification on their official Twitter page. The Cruise


    Group imed that they will be holding a press conference, and also invited the media to be present.


    Rachel calmly read through all of the tweets and was not in the least affected by them.


    Rachel¡¯s heart was calm as she had predicted every move that the Cruise family


    and Olivia would make.


    Rachel could even guess what the Cruise Group would be saying tomorrow at the press conference.


    Now that Olivia was Marina¡¯s goddaughter, it would imply that Marina¡¯s got their back and the Cruise


    family could rely on Marina for help. Now that the Cruise family was rted to Marina, there was no


    way that the Cruise family would ept their fate so easily.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Rachel put down her phone and turned to look at the vast night sky outside of the window. A mocking


    smile shed across Rachel¡¯s face.


    ¡°Tonight, there are people who are bound to lose sleep.¡± Rachel thought to herself.

 Chapter 545

    Chapter 545


    Chapter 545


    ¡°B*tch!¡±


    Apanied by an exasperated curse, the sound of a vase shattering came from the room.


    This incident happened so suddenly. No matter how Olivia used their connections to hide the posts,


    new ones quickly popped up like bamboo shoots after rain and they could not be deleted no matter


    how hard they tried!


    Having been in the entertainment industry for many years, Olivia knew that someone was deliberately


    targeting her!


    Standing at the door, Bertha looked at the crazy Olivia and let out a helpless sigh. At this critical


    juncture, no matter how hard she tried, Olivia would not listen to her.


    Bertha thought she might as well wait for Olivia to give full vent to her feelings and slowly calm down.


    The ttersted for an hour. Olivia panted as she fell onto the sofa.


    Her hair was messy, and her beautiful eyes were filled with intense anger and unwillingness.


    Bertha looked at the mess in front of her and gave the ser vant a look.


    The ser vant understood and quickly entered the room to clean it up.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve done venting anger, you should calm down.¡± Bertha¡¯s voice sounded slowly. ¡°You should


    think about how to make Lynn, who turned herself in, keep her previous confession. Do you know what


    kind of situation you¡¯ll face if she withdraws her confession?¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia raised her eyes and looked at Bertha coldly. The corners of her mouth curled into a


    mocking smile. ¡°Unless Lynn wants her brother¡¯s life!¡±


    Lynn didn¡¯te from a family with a good background, and she relied on herself alone toe to


    where she was today.


    Unfortunately, she could change her life, but she could not change the fact that she was born into a


    family that favored boys over girls.


    The family clung to Lynn like blood-sucking bugs, and her brother was a bottomless pit that could never


    be filled.


    It was said that some time ago, he went out to gamble with their friends for an entire night and lost the


    house and car. The family cried and made unreasonable demands by asking Lynn to pay off the


    gambling debt.


    Because of this, Lynn had a fight with her family, and her brother drove


    away


    in a


    fit of anger.


    Coincidentally, he got into a car ident and became a vegetable. Now, he was lying in the hospital for


    treatment.


    The medical expenses were not a small sum.


    If Lynn was disobedient, Olivia would cut off her brother¡¯s treatment fees without hesitation.


    Bertha secretly heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that. ¡°In that case, there¡¯s nothing to worry


    about.¡±


    Bertha suddenly thought of something and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Then when you get the press


    conference tomorrow¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Olivia took out a box ofdies¡¯ cigarettes from the drawer. After lighting it up, she took a


    puff and said calmly with the cigarette between her fingers, ¡°Everything is under my control.¡±


    Seeing that she was smoking, Bertha quickly walked forward and opened the window. ¡°Then rest


    early.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Rachel received a message from Lucas, she got up and prepared to leave.


    At this moment, David pushed the door open and went in.


    ¡°Drink this.¡± David handed a cup of warm milk to Rachel.


    Rachel took the milk and ced it on the table. ¡°I need to go out for a while.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Where are you going?¡± David saw Rachel limping towards the cloakroom and


    slowly followed her.


    Seeing that Rachel was changing, he consciously turned around with his back. facing her.


    A pattering sound came from behind him. David¡¯s gaze quietly fell on the makeup mirror opposite him.


    The mirror clearly reflected Rachel changing her clothes.


    Her wless skin, slender waist, and graceful curves were so seductive and irresistible.


    David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down, and his pitch-ck eyes grew even darker and deeper.

 Chapter 546

    Chapter 546


    Chapter 546


    Ten minutester, Rachel appeared in front of David in sports attire.


    She was wearing a white top paired with ck pants and a cap on her head. It was a casual outfit but


    was stunning.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± David asked.


    ¡°Casino,¡± Rachel said. She stood on her tiptoes and nted a gentle kiss on his lips. ¡°Rest early. You


    don¡¯t have to wait for me.¡±


    As she spoke, she walked straight towards the door.


    With a slight frown, David took out his phone and called Billy,


    After Rachel walked out of Sandalwood Hills, she saw the car parked by the roadside at a nce.


    She quickly walked over, opened the car door, and bent down to get into the car. ¡°How much gambling


    debt does Lynn¡¯s brother owe?¡±


    Hearing this, Lucas looked at her with a faint smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s neither more nor less¡­¡±


    Rachel¡¯s brows rxed slightly at his words.


    However, in the next second, Lucas blurted out, ¡°10 million dors!¡±


    Rachel was stunned.


    No wonder Lynn, who had always been obedient, chose to resist when she heard her family asking her


    to help her brother repay his gambling debt.


    10 million dors was not a small sum.


    The debtor would either be forced to death by debt collectors or go to jail. If it were anyone else, they


    would choose thetter.


    ¡°Lynn said that as long as she gets the IOU signed by her brother, she will testify against Olivia in


    person at the press conference tomorrow,¡± Lucas said.


    He was surprised to find no joy in Rachel¡¯s expression after hearing his words. ¡°Oh? Are you


    unhappy?¡± asked Lucas.


    Rachel looked at him and said calmly, ¡°Do you really think that you can take down Olivia with just this


    matter?¡±


    Lucas raised his eyebrows slightly and listened to Rachel patiently.


    ¡°Ever since the Cruise family had Marina as its backer, it has taken over severalrge projects in a row.


    These projects are enough for the Cruise family toe. back from the dead. However, as far as I


    know, the legal persons of these projects are all Marina. In other words, the Cruise family is only a


    pawn for Marina to


    enter the market of Seaxas. Before she has a firm foothold, she will not let us take down the Cruise


    family.¡±


    In the eyes of outsiders, the Cruise family was thriving.


    Only Rachel knew that this was just an illusion.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Marina was using these benefits to slowly nibble away at the Cruise family. When the Cruise family


    suddenly came to their senses one day, the Cruise family would probably be someone else¡¯s long


    ago.


    Lucas slowly slowed down and seemed to be nning to turn back. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why are you still


    going through so much trouble?¡±


    ¡°I have my own ns.¡± Rachel said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the casino.¡±


    The decorations in the casino were extremely luxurious.


    The crystal chandelier shone brightly, magnifying everyone¡¯s greed and desire.


    Rachel, wearing a cap, looked around and casually exchanged for 2,000 dors worth of chips.


    ¡°Miss, is 2,000 dors enough?¡± The staff sized up the unfamiliar face in front of him with a smile on his


    face.


    Rachel weighed the chips in her hand and said casually, ¡°Enough.¡±


    As she spoke, she walked around the hall and looked around.


    In the end, she chose a table.


    The rules of the 21-point game were very simple. yers would take turns drawing cards and stacking


    the points. They could choose whether to continue drawing cards.


    In the end, a total of 21 points was considered to be full. Anything above 21 points was considered a


    failure.


    If the people at the gambling table did not exceed 21 points, then they would have aparison. The


    person with the higher points would win.


    In other words, this gamble was all about luck.


    Soon, two cards were handed to Rachel. Without even looking at them, she pushed all the chips in her


    hand out. ¡°All in!¡±

 Chapter 547

    Chapter 547


    Chapter 547


    When the people present heard her words, their gazes allnded on her.


    When a man noticed Rachel¡¯s pretty face, a disdainful and wretched sneer revealed in his eyes. ¡°Chick,


    you shouldn¡¯t steal the limelight here.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe with me? I¡¯ll take responsibility for your loss!¡±


    ¡°Dale, how old are you? You still have the cheek to say that to her.¡±


    Rachel acted as if she did not hear them.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Everyone felt bored and stopped teasing her.


    After the two rounds of gambling, not only did Rachel not losepletely, she even made a huge profit


    with the 2,000 dors worth of chips.


    This scene happened to be seen clearly by the people in the surveince room. ¡°Search her body.¡±


    Buzz-cut gave the man in ck beside him a look.


    Just as the man was about to leave, a man sitting on the sofa suddenly said, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡±


    Buzz-cut looked at Hell.


    The man sat on the sofa with his straight and slender legs crossed on the corner of the table. He


    yed with his bone ring with his fingertips, and his amber eyes flickered with an intriguing dark light.


    ¡°Send someone to keep an eye on them in case anyone has any improper thoughts.¡±


    In the casino, there was nock of people who were anxious from losing or jealous and did something


    overboard.


    Buzz-cut¡¯s eyes shed with surprise.


    Why did he feel that his boss seemed to have a trace of preference for this woman?


    Could it be that his boss was interested in David¡¯s woman?


    He could not help but fantasize about the melodramatic love story between his boss and David for a


    woman.


    ¡°Do


    you think she will win or lose this round?¡± Hell¡¯s voice sounded.


    Buzz-cut suddenly came back to his senses and nced at the cards in Rachel¡¯s hand on the monitor.


    She had two cards in her hand, a ten and a nine.


    If she continued to draw cards, her points would exceed 21.


    The man opposite her held two tens in his hand, which was one point more than Rachel.


    Buzz-cut blurted out, ¡°I guess¡­ she¡¯ll lose!¡±


    Hell chuckled with a meaningful smile on his lips. ¡°She¡¯s not just any woman.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the dealer on the monitor asked Rachel, ¡°Miss Grey, do you want the


    card or not?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s clean and slender fingers tapped the table rhythmically. She raised her eyelids slightly and


    blurted out, ¡°I want it!¡±


    Hearing her words, Dale¡¯s eyebrows twitched fiercely. An ominous feeling arose in his heart as he


    stared fixedly at Rachel.


    With Rachel getting thest card, it was time for a showdown.


    A hush descended over the noisy gambling hall. Everyone held their breaths and waited for Rachel to


    lay her cards on the table.


    Dale was the first to flip over the two cards in his hand.


    20 points. Although it was one point less, it was definitely the biggest number.


    If Rachel wanted to beat him, she would have to have exactly 21 points.


    The surrounding people were secretly worried for Rachel.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Rachel slowly opened her cards.


    The first card was 10, the second card was 9, and the third card was 2!


    No more, no less!


    In an instant, the surroundings were in an uproar.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to be so lucky!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s admirable.¡±


    The previous two cards had a total of 19 points. Ordinary people would definitely not continue to ask for


    cards. Any slight errors would cause one to lose the entire game.


    However, Rachel was betting on thest card.


    Dale realized that he had lost. He mmed the table angrily and stood up. ¡°D*mn it, how dare you


    cheat under my nose? Don¡¯t you know who I am!¡±


    ¡°Since you take the gamble, you should be ready to pay the loss. Don¡¯t you know this rule?¡± A voice


    sounded slowly and leisurely.

 Chapter 548

    Chapter 548


    Chapter 548


    Everyone looked up and saw Hell in a white suit walking over slowly.


    His long blond hair was tied into a low ponytail at the back of his head. A few strands of hair hung down


    from his forehead, covering his exquisite and deep


    eyes.


    Under the light, her amber pupils reflected a faint honey color, mncholic and cold.


    Hell then pulled a chair over and sat down. He sighed softly. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people who dare to


    cause trouble here.¡±¡±


    His tone was indifferent, but it carried a chilling deterrence.


    Dale swallowed nervously and smiled awkwardly. ¡°So it¡¯s Mr., Mr. Diekens¡­¡±


    No one knew the background of this man in front of them and what business his ancestors were in, but


    it was known to all that as long as someone wanted something and could afford the corresponding


    reward, he would be able to satisfy it.


    As a result, people respected and feared him.


    After all, the man was handsome, but he could be as cruel and vicious as he could when it came to


    dealing with others.


    ¡°Did you just say someone cheated?¡± Hell asked.


    Dale was stunned for a moment and quickly replied, ¡°It¡¯s her!¡±


    Following the direction of his finger, Hell¡¯s gaze naturally fell on Rachel.


    Rachel suddenly met Hell¡¯s gaze and held her breath.


    The man¡¯s amber eyes were deep and unfathomable. His gaze was sharp, making people feel as if


    they had been seen through.


    Rachel lowered her eyes and adjusted her breathing slightly. She looked up again and met his gaze


    fearlessly. ¡°Mr. Diekens, right? Coincidentally, I have a business to discuss with you alone.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Hell raised his eyebrows slightly, his exquisite face looking even prettier. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem


    appropriate to discuss business at this juncture. Why don¡¯t¡­ we make a bet?¡±


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Rachel looked up at him and frowned imperceptibly. She did not understand what the man in front of


    her was up to.


    1


    ¡°How do you want to bet?¡±


    Hell looked at her. His eyes suddenly became deep and unfathomable that Rachel


    felt she had been seen through.


    After a moment, he said casually, ¡°If you win, I can satisfy one of your requests.¡±


    As soon as his voice died away, everyone around gasped.


    Rumor had it that Mr. Diekens was very generous. With such a promise, wouldn¡¯t it be equivalent for


    Rachel to make a fortune?


    Rachel¡¯s expression remained unchanged. She asked the waiter beside him for a c***ktail and asked,


    ¡°What if I lose?¡±


    Hearing this, Hell raised his eyes and stared at her deeply.


    It was like a ferocious beast staring at its prey, showing its determination to get it.


    After a long while, he smirked. ¡°If so, you¡¯lle with me tonight.¡±


    In an instant, the atmosphere in the casino turned stiff.


    Even though Rachel tried her best not to lose herposure, there was still a trace of shock in her


    eyes.


    She had not expected Hell to make such a request.


    It should not be just a joke because the man exuded a cold and domineering aura. Every word was


    powerful and carried an unquestionable aura.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes darkened and she said in an icy tone, ¡°Mr. Diekens, are you so sure that I¡¯ll lose?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confident I won¡¯t lose,¡± Hell said.


    His tone was calm, but his words were filled with arrogance.


    Rachel said, narrowing her eyes, ¡°I wonder what Mr. Diekens wants to y?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s bet on luck.¡±


    A minuteter, the dealer stood in front of the table and dealt the cards methodically.


    Rachel took a sip of the c***ktail and pried open a corner of the card. After seeing the number on the


    card, she still remained calm.

 Chapter 549

    Chapter 549


    Chapter 549


    Meanwhile, Hell had been secretly observing her every move. His sharp gaze was like a sharp knife


    that could cut through her skin and see her heart.


    At this moment, the dealer asked the two of them, ¡°Do you want to continue adding cards?¡±


    Hell was the first to speak. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyes and looked at the man sitting opposite him calmly.


    Hell was wearing a white suit and exuded a noble aura. His every move was elegant, like the royal


    family of nobles from thest century.


    However, the cor of his shirt was slightly open, revealing the curve of his corbone. He leanedzily


    against the seat.


    His features were exquisite and sharp. Every part of him seemed to be the ultimate stroke of G*d. Even


    the slightest movement could entuate his exquisite face.


    However, the coldness in his eyes didn¡¯t agree with the elegance of his body.


    Rachel inexplicably thought of an interesting description.


    Hell was like a lion that should have been pampered but he had no choice but to fight in the hunting


    ground infected by the secr world.


    No.


    Perhaps his blood and bones already contained the bloodthirsty genes.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Hell noticed the faint smile on Rachel¡¯s face. The corners of his mouth could not help but curl up


    slightly into a faint smile that revealed a hint of evilness. ¡°Miss Grey, you seem very confident.¡±


    Rachel collected her thoughts and nced at him casually. Then, she said to the dealer, ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, luck won¡¯t always be on your side.¡± Hell¡¯s eyes flickered with a meaningful dark light as he


    stared at Rachel.


    Rachel received the cards, but she was not in a hurry to look at them. She raised her eyebrows and


    looked at Hell. A bright smile emerged on her red lips as she said in a voice with a hint of provocation,


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m always lucky.¡±


    The light shone, making Rachel¡¯s pretty face even more stunning.


    Her beauty had never been concealed. She was always so bright and eye-catching.


    Hell looked at her face and suddenly chuckled. ¡°Then let¡¯s y.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, there was a deathly hush.


    Everyone held their breaths and silently watched the bet in front of them.


    ¡°To show my sincerity, I¡¯ll go first,¡± Hell said, turning over the cards in front of him.


    21 points!


    The surrounding people gasped and couldn¡¯t help but discuss in low voices.


    ¡°Mr. Diekens is really amazing!¡±


    ¡°Rumor has it that he has never lost. Now it seems that the rumors are not groundless.¡±


    ¡°Poor woman. If she really loses and falls into Mr. Diekens¡¯s hands, she¡¯ll suffer.¡±


    ¡°This Mr. Diekens is not an ordinary person. He¡¯s generous and I heard that his methods of torturing


    people are also extraordinary.¡±


    The surrounding peoplemented and looked at Rachel with more sympathy.


    However, the woman in front of them was expressionless, which made everyone very curious about the


    cards in her hand.


    Hell rubbed the bone ring on his index finger with his fingertips and said with a faint smile, ¡°Miss Grey,


    it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Rachel casually flipped open her cards and said slowly, ¡°I want to know, how does a draw count?¡±


    When everyone heard her words, they could not help but shake their heads and sigh.


    At this juncture, she was still stubborn!


    How could it be so easy to draw at the gambling table?


    If it could really be seen, no one would go bankrupt or lose their family.


    However, when everyone saw the cards in Rachel¡¯s hands, they froze on the spot as if they had been


    struck by lightning.


    It was actually 21 points!


    Hell looked at Rachel in surprise.

 Chapter 550

    Chapter 550


    Chapter 550


    He did not expect Rachel to be able to draw with him.


    He said meaningfully, ¡°I¡¯m getting more and more interested in Miss Grey now.¡± ¡°Mr. Diekens, do you


    still want to continue?¡± Rachel asked.


    Hell supported his forehead with one hand and casually yed with the chips on the table. He slowly


    said, ¡°I¡¯m probably not as lucky as you. Miss Grey, why don¡¯t we make a deal?¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and waited quietly for him to speak.


    ¡°I can give you what you want, but you¡¯reing with me tonight.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone showed a meaningful smile on their faces.


    It was said that even heroes fell for beauties.


    Let alone others, Mr. Dickens couldn¡¯t resist the charm of beauties.


    Although Rachel in front of him was stunning, she was wearing a ring on her finger.


    It was obvious that she had a family. Could it be that Mr. Diekens had a special fetish for married young


    women?


    ¡°With Mr. Diekens¡¯s qualities, he should have plenty of women,¡± A low and deep voice suddenly


    sounded.


    Everyone¡¯s gazes instantly gathered over.


    At the sight of Lucas, they inexplicably heaved a sigh of relief.


    If it were anyone else, they would have ended up in a terrible state if they contradicted Mr. Diekens, but


    if this person was the son of the Johnson family, it would be a different story.


    After all, the Jolinson family had dominated the list of the richest family in Seaxas for decades, which


    meant that it wasn¡¯t easy to deal with.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The entire hall fell into a dead silence.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze lingered on between Mr. Diekens and Lucas. They could clearly sense the tension


    between them and there was a suffocating feeling.


    When Hell saw Lucas, his eyes darkened slightly. His tone was no longer as casual as before. ¡°Indeed,


    but there¡¯s few like Miss Grey in the world.¡±


    His tone was calm, but his words were filled with arrogance.


    At his words, Lucas¡¯s expression suddenly darkened as he stared fiercely at Mr. Diekens.


    The aura around him was no longer aszy and casual as before but exuded a bloodthirsty


    ruthlessness.


    He was like a vicious wolf that had the intention to kill.


    It seemed that as long as the man in front of him said another word, he would rush forward mercilessly


    and bite his neck.


    Mr. Diekens raised his eyebrows slightly and said provocatively, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s more interesting to sna


    tch it from someone else.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they could not help but gasp.


    It had long been heard that this Mr. Dic kens had a strange personality. He was generous, but he would


    seek revenge for the smallest grievance. Anyone who offended him would suffer in the end and live a


    life worse than death.


    There was only one person in the world who could make snat ching a woman from someone else


    sound so tant and self-righteous.


    Sensing the man¡¯s provocation, Lucas stared at him with dark eyes as the casual smile on his face


    faded away.


    The maliciousness in his eyes was like bone-chilling ice, carrying a destructive


    aura.


    Rachel frowned slightly, and her fingers with which she was ying with the chips tightened slightly.


    She had a feeling that Mr. Diekens might have known her intentions from the beginning.


    That was why he had set up this bet.


    However, Rachel was set to get the IOU signed by Lynn¡¯s younger brother.


    If the Cruise family wasn¡¯t dragged into the storm of public opinion, then it would be impossible to


    purchase the shares of the Cruise Group as nned.


    ¡°Just as Mr. Diekens said, there are very few outstanding women like my Rae-Rae in the world, so it


    doesn¡¯t seem appropriate to use her as a bargaining chip.¡± Lucas said, ¡°Mr. Diekens, do you mind if I


    y a round with you?¡±

 Chapter 551

    Chapter 551


    Chapter 551


    Hell nced at Lucas nonchntly and said, ¡°You think you¡¯re worthy of ying with me?¡±


    His proud and arrogant attitude fully conveyed his mockery of Lucas.


    In the eyes of outsiders, the so-called crown prince of the Johnson family was nothing in front of him.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Rachel, Hell wouldn¡¯t have bothered to say another word to Lucas.


    Surrounded by onlookers, Lucas clenched the hands that were hanging by his sides suddenly. For a


    moment, he was embarrassed.


    Rachel casually threw the chips in her hand. Just as she was about to speak, a familiar voice came


    from the crowd. ¡°What about me?¡±


    Hearing the familiar voice, Rachel turned around.


    Darcy slowly walked out of the crowd.


    The moment Hell saw Darcy, his eyes darkened slightly and his sharp gaze swept straight at his trusted


    aide, Buzz-cut.


    Buzz-cut couldn¡¯t help but break out in cold sweat when his sharp gazended on him.


    He lowered his eyes guiltily, but his gaze involuntarily fell on Darcy.


    This old man was really something!


    No matter where Hell was hiding, Darcy would always appear in front of them. It was as if he was


    capable of doing anything.


    Moreover, he had arranged a small team of people in the entire casino.


    However, when this old man appeared, they did not receive any news at all.


    Because of the appearance of Darcy, the entire casino seemed to have pressed the pause button.


    The moment Lucas saw Darcy, he was slightly stunned. ¡°Darcy.¡±


    Compared to Lucas¡¯s surprise, Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered withplicated emotions.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    How did Darcy know that she was here?


    Moreover, why could he appear just in time?


    Rachel collected herself and asked calmly, ¡°Darcy, why are you here?¡±


    Darcy pursed his lips and replied weakly, ¡°I happened to pass by.¡±


    He happened to pass by again.


    How coincidental must it be for him to appear in front of her again and again?


    As if sensing Rachel¡¯s suspicious attitude, Darcy paused for a moment and exined again, ¡°I saw Mr.


    David¡¯s car in the parking lot. I was worried and followed him in.¡±


    These words were like a ray of light that suddenly shone down from a dark corner, instantly dispelling


    all kinds of thoughts in Rachel¡¯s heart.


    All these years, Darcy had always been like her shadow, protecting her at all times, right?


    Could it be that all these years ofpanionship could not withstand the many suspicions in her heart?


    ¡°I¡¯ve made you worry again,¡± Rachel said.


    The simple sentence left a glow in Darcy¡¯s heart.


    Darcy came back to his senses and said coldly, ¡°Miss Grey, leave this ce first.¡±


    She shouldn¡¯t be here.


    In particr, she shouldn¡¯t appear in front of Hell.


    Thinking of this, Darcy turned to look at the man sitting on the chair.


    The man was still in azy posture. His every move was casual, as if he did not care about anything.


    As if sensing Darcy¡¯s gaze, he looked up.


    Although Darcy was on his territory, if they really fought, his people might not stand a chance of


    winning.


    However, Hell bet that Darcy would never expose his identity in front of Rachel.


    Suddenly, the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile that exuded a hint of evilness. ¡°This is not a


    ce where people came and go at will.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel narrowed her eyes and they glinted coldly.


    Darcy stared at Hell with dark eyes and said, ¡°Let them take the things and leave. In exchange, I can


    tell you where the person you¡¯re looking for is.¡±

 Chapter 552

    Chapter 552


    Chapter 552


    Hell raised his eyebrows and his eyes were filled with interest. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell me who I¡¯m


    looking for?¡±


    The person he was looking for was right in front of him.


    He did not believe that Darcy would give Rachel to him.


    Darcy said, ¡°What if I say there are others?¡±


    Hearing this, Hell stopped ying with the bone ring for a moment. He suddenly raised his eyes, and


    his sharp gaze was fixed on Darcy.


    The Shadow¡¯s ability to do things had always been unmatched.


    Moreover, he would definitely not break his promise.


    Hell narrowed his eyes and stared at Darcy for a long time. Suddenly, he waved at the buzz-cut beside


    him.


    Buzz-cut dashed forward and bent down slightly. Before he could speak, Hell suddenly grabbed his


    cor and said, ¡°Bring me the IOU!¡±


    Buzz-cut was slightly stunned before he quickly nodded. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Five minutester, the buzz-cut walked over with a document and handed it to Rachel at Hell¡¯s signal.


    Rachel flipped open the document. What greeted her eyes was not the IOU written in ck and white,


    but a shocking bl**dy handprint.


    Her brow furrowed imperceptibly.


    Hell said with a faint smile, ¡°Some people are born to be cheap. They have to suffer a little before


    they¡¯re obedient.¡±


    After confirming the IOU in her hand, Rachel closed the document and said. meaningfully, ¡°Mr.


    Diekens, you¡¯re indeed brilliant.¡±


    Hell didn¡¯t care about Rachel¡¯s taunts at all. ¡°Can¡¯t beat Miss Grey¡¯s sharp tongue.¡±


    Then, he looked at the buzz-cut and ordered, ¡°Send her out.¡±


    At Darcy¡¯s insistence, Rachel had to leave with Lucas.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    When Rachel brushed past Hell, he suddenly said, ¡°Rachel, remember that my name is Ronnie


    Diekens!¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel could not help but look at him.


    However, Lucas did not want Rachel to get involved with him. He simply held. Rachel¡¯s hand and


    strode away.


    They got into the car. Rachel tapped her fingertips on the file.


    ¡°Do you think¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡­¡±


    The two of them spoke at the same time.


    Lucas raised his chin at Rachel, indicating that she should speak first.


    ¡°Why do you think Darcy has been staying in the Johnson family all these years?¡± Rachel asked.


    She did not doubt Darcy¡¯s protection of her, nor did she doubt Darcy¡¯s loyalty to the Johnson family.


    However, the rtionship between Darcy and the so-called Mr. Dic kens was really intriguing.


    The two of them seemed to be enemies. However, the familiarity in their words made them seem like


    old friends who had not seen each other for many years.


    There were too many contradictions between these two people.


    Lucas lit a cigarette and took a deep puff. Amidst the smoke, his voice slowly sounded. ¡°Compared to


    this, I¡¯m more curious about Mr. Diekens¡¯s attitude toward you.¡±


    Rachel lowered her eyes to hide the look in them. She said with an casual air, ¡°He probably wants to


    use me to threaten David.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t listen to me when I didn¡¯t want you to be with him.¡± Lucas snorted. angrily. ¡°Now, it¡¯s only


    been a few days, and you¡¯ve already been targeted.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote to say anything now, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lucas was speechless.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Hurry up and send me back,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Lucas opened the window and threw the cigarette butt out. Then, he started the car and left.


    Darcy, who was standing on the second floor, saw their car leave and turned back to the room.


    He nced expressionlessly at Hell, who was sitting in the chair, and coldly spat out a name. ¡°Jessica


    Tower.¡±


    ¡°Old thing, are you messing with me?¡± Ronnie¡¯s eyes darkened as he stared at Darcy maliciously.

 Chapter 553

    Chapter 553


    Chapter 553


    Darcy met his gaze fearlessly. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who survived. I thought you should have


    understood that long ago.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ronnie¡¯s expression changed slightly. His eyes flickered with aplicated light


    as he stared at Darcy.


    The Shadow had been loyal for generations. Although it was only loyal to one person, its ability was


    obvious to all.


    Since the Shadow had personally said that he was not the only one who had survived, there must be


    others!


    Thinking of this, Ronnie felt the blood in his body freeze. Even though he tried his best to suppress the


    excitement in his heart, the trembling of his fingertips revealed the emotional fluctuations in his heart.


    Darcy nced at him indifferently. Then, he took out an aerated candy from his pocket and bit through


    the hard icing. He said expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯ve already said what I needed to say.¡±


    With that, he turned around and left.


    Ronnie watched him leave and immediately called the buzz-cut man in.


    The buzz-cut man said respectfully, ¡°Boss.¡±


    ¡°Check Jessica Tower for me. The sooner, the better!¡± Ronnie ordered. ¡°Yes.¡±


    At Sandalwood Hills.


    Even at night, it was still brightly lit like a sparkling pearl in the dark night.


    However, at this moment, Rachel had no time to appreciate it. She quickly returned to her room.


    When she passed by the study, she was surprised to find that David was still awake.


    Just as she was hesitating whether to go in and greet him, Mrs. Brown walked over with a cup of coffee


    and said respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re back.¡±


    Rachel nodded and noticed the thing in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll send it in.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Mrs. Brown smiled and nodded.


    Rachel took the coffee and was about to knock on the door.


    Unexpectedly, the door suddenly opened from inside.


    David grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the study.


    She almost spilled the coffee in her hand.


    ¡°You won a lot of money tonight, right?¡±


    His voice was low and deep. It sounded beside her ear, causing Rachel¡¯s heart to skip a beat.


    She looked up and met his dark eyes. Her fingertips curled up slightly.


    ¡°I¡­¡± She swallowed guiltily. ¡°I was just ying around casually¡­¡±


    ¡°ying around? ying around in front of Hell? ying around casually and using yourself as a bet?


    ying around casually, and you almost got yourself killed?¡± David¡¯s dark eyes were stormy. ¡°I was


    worried that you would encounter some danger when you went out alone, but you took the initiative to


    enter the tiger¡¯s den! Rachel Grey, should I praise you for your courage, hmm?¡±


    There was irrepressible anger in his tone.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Her long eyshes trembled slightly, but she did not respond.


    She originally wanted to find a random reason to hide this matter, but now, it seemed that nothing could


    escape David¡¯s eyes.


    After pondering for a long time, Rachel reached out and tugged at the corner of his shirt. ¡°I didn¡¯t know


    Ronnie would be there, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll lose¡­¡±


    Not to mention anything else, Rachel was still confident in the casino.


    ¡°It looks like you guys are having fun. You¡¯re already calling each other by names intimately.¡±


    Rachel was shocked by his words.


    Indeed, when a man was angry and jealous, he became unreasonable!


    ¡°If calling him by his name is considered a sign of intimacy, then what are we now?¡±


    As she spoke, Rachel stood on her tiptoes and nted a gentle kiss on his lips.


    Once she kissed his lips, she stopped and retreated.


    David¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly. He lowered his gaze and stared at Rachel in his arms without


    blinking.


    ¡°I admit that I took some risks tonight, but I promise you that it will never happen again.¡±


    As she spoke, she leaned against David¡¯s chest.


    ¡°It¡¯ll never happen again?¡± David¡¯s well-defined fingers lifted her chin, forcing her to raise her head to


    face him.


    Rachel nodded.


    However, she could not help but think that no one had the ability to predict the future. She would make


    this promise for the time being.


    If something really happened in the future, she would not sit back and do nothing.


    Her slender arms wrapped around David¡¯s lean waist. ¡°David Jones, I¡¯m not someone that survives by


    relying on others, let alone your weakness. I want to be your armor and fight alongside you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± David leaned over and nted a gentle kiss on her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go


    to bed.¡±


    Rachel nodded. A warm feeling flowed through her heart. ¡°Okay,¡±


    The next day, Rachel sat on the sofa and watched the Cruise Group¡¯s live broadcast on the inte


    with her tablet.


    The reporters were all gathered at the entrance of the Cruise Group.


    There were also many fans of Olivia Cruise.


    Back then, when she suddenly left the industry without any warning, many fans who liked and


    supported her were disappointed.


    Now that their idol had been wronged, as a fan, they naturally had to rush out to support her.


    The moment Olivia appeared, the fans shouted hysterically, ¡°Olivia, Olivia, you¡¯re the best. We will be


    with you forever!¡±


    The deafening slogan made a mocking smile appear on Rachel¡¯s face.


    She had to admit that Olivia was indeed good at winning people¡¯s support.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t still have so many fans supporting her even though she had retired from the


    industry for half a year.


    When Olivia heard the fans¡¯ slogan, the gloominess in her heart finally dissipated a little, and a rare


    smile appeared on her face.


    She faced the crowd and bowed slightly. ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡±


    With that, she turned around and walked into the Cruise Group.


    As soon as she entered, Olivia received a call from Marina Jones. ¡°Everyone on site is mine. You can


    speak ording to our n without any worries. They won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Marina,¡± Olivia said.


    Marina was not in a hurry to hang up the phone. She said earnestly, ¡°Olivia, although you are my


    g*ddaughter, in my heart, I treat you as my biological


    daughter. I hope that you can be stronger than anyone else, so no matter what n you have in


    the future, you have to inform me in advance, understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Olivia pursed her lips. ¡°Marina, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Hearing this, Marina nodded in satisfaction. She gave a few simple instructions and hung up the phone.


    Soon, the reporters in the venue were arranged to take their seats. It was time for Olivia to speak on


    stage.


    ¡°First of all, thank you to all the media for your concern for me and attention on this matter. Secondly,


    I¡¯m sorry to meet you in this situation. Lastly, I guarantee that I will give everyone a satisfactory answer


    to the false rumors online and the usation of me maliciously hurting others.¡±


    Her attitude was neither servile nor overbearing, and she maintained a gentle smile on her face.


    Even though she was standing on the stage, she still gave off an approachable attitude.


    ¡°From the moment it happened, I went to investigate immediately and tried my best to understand the


    cause and effect of the matter. It¡¯s undeniable that my assistant, Lynn Wright, was responsible for Miss


    Rachel Grey¡¯s ident. Lynn¡¯s actions were all done by her alone, and she did not ept anyone¡¯s


    instructions. After the incident, I personally apologized to Miss Grey and asked for her forgiveness. I


    have video evidence.¡±

 Chapter 554

    Chapter 554


    Chapter 554


    ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ve contacted the most authoritative orthopedic specialist in the country to find out that Miss


    Grey¡¯s injury is not serious. Therefore, I don¡¯t know why the rumors of disability started. The false


    rumors on the inte have already severely affected my daily life and caused me a certain amount of


    trouble. Therefore, I dere once again that I will investigate to the end the untrue rumors circting


    online.


    ¡°As for the assistant Lynn Wright, ourpany will terminate her employment and recover the


    previously paidpensation, and she will never be hired again.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking. Olivia took a step back and covered her chest with one hand. She


    bowed. deeply to the camera and everyone else.


    Although it could be said that Lynn Wright deserved her current fate formitting such a hurtful act,


    demanding herpensation for work done before seemed like a case of adding insult to injury.


    Most of the reporters below the stage received the benefits of Marina Jones, but there were also


    people who maintained their original intentions.


    Olivia kept saying that all of this was done by Lynn Wright alone and had nothing to do with others.


    However, there had to be a certain reason or purpose for killing ormitting murder. However, Lynn


    Wright and Rachel did not know each other at all. They had only met once, so it did not make sense.


    If Lynn was defending Olivia, this reason was even more far-fetched.


    Perhaps the truth was not what Olivia said. Instead, it was just like the rumors on the inte. Lynn


    Wright had something to hide and took the me for someone.


    ¡°I think Lynn Wright might really have some grievances.¡±


    ¡°After all, she¡¯s just an assistant. How could she hurt someone without instructions? She abandoned


    her bright future just because she couldn¡¯t stand Miss Grey? This reason is too far-fetched, one


    reporter said.


    ¡°Do


    you still remember why Olivia left the entertainment industry back then? She pushed Miss Grey onto


    the road. Anyone with a littlemon sense would know how dangerous it was, but she used a joke to


    gloss over it. After that, she even yed the me game. Why do I feel that it¡¯s simr to what


    happened today?¡± the other reporter added.


    ¡°It¡¯s reasonable to say that Olivia Cruise has a long-standing grudge against Miss Grey and secretly


    instructed her assistant, Lynn Wright, tomit the deed.¡±


    The low voices of the reporters below the stage entered Olivia¡¯s ears. She looked at the reporters, and


    an imperceptible coldness flickered in the depths of her eyes.


    These traitors!


    They took benefits from her and still made things up about her right under her nose!


    They were asked to help her clear her name, not to make things worse!


    Olivia secretly gritted her teeth and clenched her fists by her sides. However, she still maintained a


    smile on her face. ¡°I know you have many guesses, but none of them are as good as Lynn Wright¡¯s


    own confession, right? After the incident, she personally admitted that she would turn herself in at the


    police station. Now, she has already confessed her crime.¡±


    Her tone was calm, but it seemed to be filled with schadenfreude, making it especially ear-piercing.


    However, before she could finish her sentence, an assistant ran over in a hurry. ¡°Miss Cruise, bad


    news! Lynn Wright overturned her confession!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Olivia¡¯s face suddenly darkened,


    and her eyes were filled with panic. Why would Lynn Wright suddenly change her confession out of the


    blue? Could it be that she did not want to protect her brother and nned to fight to the death with her?


    Olivia saw the reporters sitting below the stage from the corner of her eye and quickly regained her


    composure.


    She held the assistant¡¯s hand and walked to the side. She deliberately lowered her voice. ¡°Go to the


    police station immediately¡­ ¡°It¡¯s toote,¡± the assistant interrupted her. ¡°Lynn Wright kept saying that


    she was under your instructions and that she had no choice but to hurt Rachel Grey because she was


    threatened by you. Now that the police are already involved in the investigation, they¡¯re probably on


    their way here.¡± Olivia was so angry that her face turned ashen. The exquisite makeup could not hide


    the ferociousness and horror on her face.


    If not for the fact that there were reporters present, she really wanted to p this assistant! She had


    never seen someone so st*pid!


    It was fine if the assistant said this in private, but how could she say it so clearly in front of the media


    and reporters?


    What an idiot!


    Now that the assistant had said it in front of everyone, it was impossible for Olivia to resolve it in


    private. She lowered her gaze to hide the coldness in her eyes. Lynn Wright wanted to fight her to the


    death, but what about her family? That was a family of blood-sucking bugs. What would happen if they


    knew that Lynn Wright did not care about her brother¡¯s life to expose the truth?


    With this in mind, she walked down the stage, took out her phone, and called Lynn Wright¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Miss Cruise, are you nning to use Lynn Wright¡¯s family to threaten her?¡± The assistant¡¯s voice was


    neither loud nor soft, enough for everyone present to hear her clearly When Olivia heard this, she


    stopped in her tracks and turned around abruptly. She red at the assistant sinisterly. ¡°Haley Bean,


    what exactly do you want!¡±


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    If Haley had said those words unintentionally before, then Olivia could clearly sense her hostility now.


    Haley clearly knew that Olivia was at the center of the storm, but she still targeted her.


    She simply could not wait to roast Olivia over a fire!


    ¡°Miss Cruise, I¡¯ve actually been a fan of yours all these years. I¡¯ve been following every one of your


    works and have always silently supported you. After bing your assistant, I can finally face


    my idol. However,ter on, I realized that there might be some things that are more suitable for distant


    attention.¡±


    Olivia looked at Haley, who had taken off her work pass. She narrowed her eyes and stared at Haley


    with a dark expression.


    She suppressed the swirling anger in her chest and gritted her teeth. ¡°Haley Bean, what exactly do you


    want?¡±


    ¡°Before I was promoted to your assistant, Lynn Wright was my superior. She was cautious and not


    good with words, but she did her best in her work. When you first took over thepany, she worked


    overtime and often stayed overnight in thepany. Because of this, others kept calling her st*pid


    behind her back.


    ¡°But even so, she still didn¡¯t say anything and continued to work diligently. So I really can¡¯t figure out


    why she would harm Rachel Grey to help you vent your anger.¡±


    When Olivia heard this, her eyes flickered with a cold light. ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, it seems like I


    forced her?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Haley asked.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Olivia¡¯s face turned red as if someone had exposed her secret.


    However, she was not blunded by anger. Instead, she pretended to be hurt and looked at Haley


    innocently. ¡°Haley. I¡¯ve treated you well, but why did you frame me in front of so many people?¡±


    Haley looked at the tears rolling down the corners of her eyes and smiled sarcastically. She said


    meaningfully, ¡°Miss Cruise, when you quit the entertainment industry, I strongly opposed it.¡±


    Otherwise, with Olivia¡¯s superb acting skills, this year¡¯s Best Actress would have been her.


    Olivia could hear the mockery in her words, and her eyes suddenly turned malicious.


    This bit*h was determined to drag her down today!

 Chapter 555

    Chapter 555


    Chapter 555


    Olivia stared at her gloomily. Just as she was about to re up, she suddenly saw a familiar figure in


    the crowd.


    Her eyes flickered, and she put on an aggrieved expression, saying sadly, ¡°Haley, I don¡¯t know who


    instructed you, but people have to pay the price for every lie they say!¡±


    ¡°I do believe that good and evil will eventually be repaid. It¡¯s just that the time for repayment may not


    have arrived yet.¡± Haley threw her work pass on the ground with a mocking expression and said coldly,


    ¡°Once again, I officially announce that I, Haley Bean, propose to resign from the Cruise Group. The


    reason for my resignation¡­ is that my values don¡¯t match yours.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s face instantly turned pale, and there was an imperceptible panic in her eyes.


    Although Haley was not an old employee of thepany, she was the person who had the most


    harmonious rtionship with her so far.


    She had just taken over thepany not long ago and was still gradually getting used to many things


    in thepany. Now that Haley had proposed to resign, she could not deal with the matters in the


    company alone at all.


    Louis Smith, who arrivedte, frowned when he heard Haley¡¯s words.


    He knew how important Haley was to Olivia Cruise.


    ¡°Haley, have you really thought it through?¡± Olivia¡¯s heart was already a mess, but at this moment, she


    did not show it on her face. She tried her best to persuade Haley. ¡°In your current situation, leaving at


    this time means that all the hard work you put in previously is in vain. Do you really have the courage to


    start


    over?


    Haley replied calmly. ¡°It¡¯s better to start over than to do things against my conscience in yourpany.


    Besides¡­¡±


    She paused for a moment and said sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯m really afraid of following in Lynn¡¯s footsteps.¡±


    That casual sentence instantly pushed public opinion to another peak.


    ¡°As Olivia Cruise¡¯s assistant, she¡¯s closer to her than ordinary people. Naturally, she knows some


    unspeakable secret,¡± one reporter said.


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    ¡°She keeps saying that Lynn was coerced. Perhaps she has already found some evidence,¡± the other


    reporter added.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that Haley resigned at this time. Otherwise, who knows how tragic her death will be in


    the future.¡±


    The discussions of the reporters below the stage entered Olivia¡¯s ears.


    She clenched her fists tightly and dug her nails into her palms. She burrowed into Louis¡¯ arms with an


    aggrieved expression, but her eyes were terrifyingly cold.


    Louis looked down at the aggrieved woman in his arms. He felt his heart had been pierced by a needle.


    Hended his palm on her back, gently patting andforting her.


    ¡°ording to the employment contract, you have to pay double the penalty if you leave without prior


    notice. Have you really thought it through?¡± His voice was calm, but there was a chilling coldness in his


    words.


    His words were like a basin of ice water pouring over her head. Haley felt her entire body turn cold, and


    the urge vaguely stirring in her body just now was instantly dispelled.


    She had only sensed danger from Lynn¡¯s matter and wanted to get rid of the Cruise Group and Olivia


    Cruise in a hurry. However, she had overlooked the terms of the employment contract in a moment of


    negligence.


    However, she had already proposed to resign. How could she continue to stay in the Cruise Group?


    Even if she really stayed, she could imagine how difficult her life would be in the future.


    Not only would Olivia think of ways to torture her, but others would also rack their brains to make things


    difficult for her.


    Haley was in a dilemma at this moment.


    Olivia looked at the worried look on Haley¡¯s face, and the anger in her heart finally subsided a little.


    ¡°Haley, as long as you¡¯re willing to stay, I can pretend that nothing happened just now.¡±


    Her words were sincere. If Haley did not understand her, she might have believed her easily.


    Unfortunately, she knew how vicious Olivia Cruise was


    She had embarrassed Olivia today and exposed the fact that she had threatened Lynn. If she


    continued to stay by her side, she could imagine what kind of miserable oue she would have.


    However, the double penalty for breach of contract¡­


    Just as Haley was at a loss, her phone suddenly rang. There were only a few words in the message,


    but it made her eyes light up with hope.


    She turned off her phone and looked up at Olivia. ¡°I¡¯ll pay double the penalty!¡±


    Without waiting for Olivia to speak, she said again, ¡°It seems that the Cruise Group is really down and


    out. Now, you have to rely on the double penalty for breach of contract of the resigned staff.¡°


    When Olivia heard this, her face instantly darkened like the bottom of a pot. Her chest heaved violently


    as she gritted her teeth and red at Haley. ¡°You¡­ Good, good for you! Since you¡¯re so carefree, let¡¯s


    see who will hire you after leaving the Cruise Group!¡±


    This sentence undoubtedly cut off all of Haley¡¯s escape routes.


    The current Cruise Group was backed by Marina Jones. Offending the Cruise Group was equivalent to


    offending Marina Jones. Therefore, anypany would avoid having a connection with Haley.


    After what Olivia Cruise said, who would dare to go against the Cruise Group?


    She was expecting to see Haley¡¯s flustered expression but realized Haley was not flustered. Instead,


    she was abnormally calm.


    ¡°Miss Cruise, instead of worrying about my future, why don¡¯t you think about the situation you¡¯re going


    to face?¡±


    With that, she turned around and left without looking back.


    Olivia frowned slightly and stared sinisterly at Haley¡¯s back as she left.


    When the reporters below the stage saw that Haley would rather bear a huge penalty for breaching the


    contract and insist on leaving, they thought she was helping Lynn prove her innocence.


    ¡°Olivia, are you alright?¡± Louis looked down at Olivia in his arms.


    Olivia came back to her senses and shook her head gently.


    However, she hated Haley in her heart.


    Originally, she had held a press conference to rify the overwhelming rumors online. Now that Haley


    had resigned, this matter was getting worse.


    She couldn¡¯t clear herself now, no matter what she did.


    Just now, Haley had also said that Lynn had overturned her confession and was already on her way


    with the police.


    What should she do?


    ¡°Louis, I¡¯m not feeling well. I want to go back to the office to take a rest,¡± Olivia said gently.


    Louis nodded. ¡°Go back to the office first. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    Chapter 355 ¡°Okay.¡±


    Olivia wanted to find an excuse to leave and hide in her office to avoid being hounded by the reporters.


    However, at this point, the smart reporters clearly smelled something unusual. How could they let Olivia


    Cruise leave so easily?


    Rachel saw Olivia being pestered by the reporters from her tablet. The corners of her mouth curled into


    a happy smile.


    She picked up a cherry and put it in her mouth.


    She had always known that destroying something was not about one fatal blow but rather a torturing


    process.


    Then, she would watch aside as the other party copsed and struggled.


    It was like looking indifferently at a stranded fish.


    Wasn¡¯t Olivia Cruise good at winning people¡¯s support?


    Then the stage she set today made her lose the support.


    No longer supported by others, she would only be despised and (tra mpl*d) on in the future.


    At this moment, Marina Jones was also paying attention to this live broadcast.


    The current situation was already very disadvantageous for Olivia Cruise. Anyone with a discerning eye


    could see that, but¡­


    ¡°Miss Jones, aren¡¯t we going to take a look there?¡± The assistant looked up at the expression on


    Marina¡¯s face.

 Chapter 556

    Chapter 556


    Chapter 556


    Marina leanedzily on the chaise lounge, wearing a ( cin na mon) -colored satin slip dress.


    She was lying on her side, showing off her graceful and enchanting figure. Her arms were propped on


    the armrest of the sofa, and her loose cor revealed endless lust.


    Hearing the assistant¡¯s words, she slowly raised her eyes and stretched out her red-painted toes to lift


    the assistant¡¯s chin and said mockingly. Why? Do you feel sorry for her?¡±


    Albert¡¯s heart (ski p ped) a beat. He quickly exined, ¡°I only made a bold guess because I saw you


    were interested in her¡­¡±


    He paused for a moment and added, ¡°I was insensible and broke the rules.¡±


    Albert was in his early twenties, but he had an extremely handsome face with thick eyebrows and a


    pair of watery, innocent deer-like eyes, which made people feel protective toward him.


    Even though he was kneeling on the ground in a humble manner now, he did not look lowly at all.


    Instead, it made people feel sorry for him.


    Marina got angry when she heard him speak up for Olivia Cruise, but instantly the anger dissipated


    when


    she saw his face.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a clown who can¡¯t achieve anything.¡± Marina sneered. Her tone was filled with disdain. ¡°It¡¯s


    a pity that I put in so much effort for her previously.¡±


    However, apart from Olivia Cruise, she still had countless (go dda ughters).


    With her status, as long as she casually crooked her finger, countless people would rush forward.


    As she spoke, she slowly retracted her foot, but Albert in front of her was very sensible. At the critical


    moment, he grabbed her foot.


    The warmth of his palmnded on her feet, causing Marina¡¯s eyebrows to twitch.


    She looked at Albert in front of her.


    Albert held her feet, slowly bent down to kiss them gently, and his kiss slowly walked up.


    The feather-light kiss easily made Marina lose her breath.


    Her fair skin was slightly flushed. She straightened her toes and sank one hand tightly into the sofa


    while the other uncontrobly pressed on Albert¡¯s head.


    At this moment, her phone suddenly rang.


    Marina gradually recovered from the pleasure and picked up her phone weakly. When she saw the call


    from Olivia, a trace of disgust shed across her eyes.


    After turning the phone into silent mode, she casually threw it aside.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Olivia couldn¡¯t get through to Marina for a long time, and her heart was a mess.


    ¡°Olivia, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Louis looked at her pale face and frowned slightly. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Olivia suddenly came back to her senses. She looked up and was caught off guard by Louis¡¯ sharp


    gaze. She immediately lowered her gaze in guilt and panic. 1, I just suddenly feel a little disgusted¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Louis frowned imperceptibly. He could not help but think of another word.


    His cold gaze swept across Olivia¡¯s abdomen without batting an eyelid, and then he quickly looked


    away.


    ¡°What did Miss Jones say just now?¡± Louis changed the topic at the right time.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes flickered. Without changing her expression, she said, ¡°Marina said that she has something


    on and can¡¯t leave for the time being. She¡¯lleter.¡±


    Louis nodded as if he believed Olivia¡¯s words without a doubt.


    ¡°Louis, can you do me a favor?¡± Olivia held Louis¡¯ hand and looked at him gently.


    Chapter 356


    She knew what was good about her and what kind of expression could make the man in front of her


    believe her and let her do whatever she wanted.


    Louis met her gentle and loving gaze. His heart softened for some reason, and his mind immediately


    heated up. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    The smile in Olivia¡¯s eyes deepened. ¡°Help me pick someone up at the Central Hospital.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After finally seeing off Louis Smith, Olivia secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Now, she could only ce her hopes on Lynn Wright¡¯s mother.


    However, just as she thought this, she heard amotion at the door.


    Olivia turned around and saw Lynn and the two uniformed police behind her.


    ¡°Olivia, what¡¯s going on!¡± Bertha Cruise panicked the moment she saw the police. She rushed forward


    and held Olivia¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t we hold a press conference to rify the rumors online? How did


    things turn out like this?¡±


    Last night, Olivia even swore to Bertha that everything was under her control.


    Now, things had long exceeded her control.


    Not only did everything not go ording to n, but the current change had even caught her off guard.


    Olivia stared at the police officer who walked in.


    Until the police officer came up to her. ¡°Miss Olivia Cruise. We now suspect you of being involved in a


    case of intentional assault based on the suspect¡¯s testimony. Now we have a few questions. We hope


    you can cooperate with our investigation.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Olivia took a deep breath and looked up at the reporters who had surrounded her. Her eyes


    darkened slightly. ¡°Since it¡¯s an official business, why don¡¯t youe to my office?¡±


    Without waiting for the police to speak, Lynn suddenly said, ¡°If you have something to say, why don¡¯t


    you say it in front of everyone? Otherwise, it will arouse everyone¡¯s wild guesses.¡±


    ¡°Miss Cruise, didn¡¯t you say that Rachel Grey¡¯s fall from the horse had nothing to do with you? Why are


    you still hiding? Could it be that there¡¯s something awkward to disclose?¡± one reporter asked.


    ¡°Could it be that you have a guilty conscience, the other one continued.


    ¡°Thinking about what Haley Bean said before and looking at Olivia Cruise¡¯s current performance, why


    am I bing more and more suspicious of her initial words?¡±


    For a moment, the entire press conference was filled with the voices of doubt from the reporters.


    Olivia secretly gritted her teeth and tried her best to suppress the anger swirling in her chest.


    She kept taking deep breaths to adjust her emotions and secretly warned herself to stay calm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let these rumors get the better of you.


    ¡°If I said anything wrong at this juncture, I would be beyond redemption!¡± she thought.


    She lowered her gaze to look at the time. She was waiting for Louis to return quickly and help her


    resolve the current predicament.


    ¡°Miss Cruise, I know that I can¡¯t win against you in speech. I also know that you¡¯re very capable. You


    have the Cruise Group and your godmother to protect you, so why don¡¯t we speak frankly?¡± Lynn said.


    She looked especially haggard as if she had aged five or six years overnight. Perhaps it was because


    she was under too much (men tal) pressure or because life in the detention center was not easy.


    She was no longer as elegant as she used to be.


    Olivia looked at her innocently. ¡°Lynn, what do you mean by that? Don¡¯t tell me you want to say that I


    forced you. I know that you¡¯re usually under a lot of pressure at work, so it¡¯s inevitable that you¡¯re


    resentful of me. But one has to have a conscience. How can you distort the truth in front of so many


    people!¡±


    As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes as if she had suffered an enormous grievance.

 Chapter 557

    Chapter 557


    Chapter 557


    Hearing Olivia¡¯s words, Lynn was so angry that sheughed. ¡°Olivia Cruise, you know very well who is


    distorting the truth and who is me-shifting!¡±


    Originally, they had agreed that Lynn would take the me and turn herself in. When this matter was


    over, Olivia would think of a way to get her out.


    However, when Lynn really took on everything, Olivia abandoned her.


    Not only did Olivia send someone to ask Lynn to admit all her crimes, but she also threatened her with


    the gambling debt that her brother owed. As long as Lynn listened obediently and cooperated with her,


    anything that could be resolved with money would not be a problem.


    However, this matter couldn¡¯t be considered insignificant.


    Once she confessed, it would be the most difficult stain to crase in her life.


    All these years, she had been studying hard to get rid of the misfortune her family had brought her. She


    even had the thought of escaping.


    And Olivia¡¯s disregard for her was equivalent to restraining her firmly with the heaviest shackles.


    She would not use her life to pay for those people who treated her as a tool, nor would she allow any


    stains to appear in her life!


    Olivia secretly gritted her teeth. ¡°Lynn, who would believe what you said? You were the one who


    admitted everything in front of Rachel Grey. These surveince cameras were all filming. Now, you¡¯re


    biting back. Do


    you think everyone is a fool who can be teased by you?¡±


    ¡°You know best who was fooling everyone!¡± Lynn knew that she could not win against Olivia in talking,


    so she stopped talking nonsense with her. ¡°You have the video as evidence. How do you know that I


    don¡¯t. have¡­


    Before she could finish speaking, an external force suddenly pulled her away.


    Before Lynn could react, someone pped her hard on the face.


    This p caught her off guard. Lynn stag gered and almost fell to the ground.


    She barely managed to stabilize herself. Her ears were buzzing, and her face was numb at first. Then,


    it gradually began to burn and hurt.


    Lynn was in a daze as she slowly raised her hand to cover her swollen cheek.


    A hysterical roar echoed in her ears. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death, you traitor. Do you have to anger me to


    death before you stop?¡±


    She slowly opened her eyes and saw her mother scolding her with a ferocious expression. An


    imperceptible sadness surfaced in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taught you since you were young that you have to have a conscience. If you do something


    heartless, you¡¯ll be struck by lightning. But what you¡¯ve done!¡± Mrs. Wright raised her hand andbed


    her messy hair. She stretched out her finger and poked her chest forcefully. ¡°Miss Cruise helped you


    when you were and helped our family when we were in the most difficult time. Not only are you not


    grateful, but you even want to bite back! You¡¯re going to suffer retribution!


    ¡°Heavens, why am I so unlucky to have given birth to such a cold-blooded, heartless evil creature!¡±


    Mrs. Wright was not very cultured but had lived in the countryside for many years. Her ability to throw a


    tantrum and cry was superb.


    For a moment, the entire venue was filled with her sorrowful cries.


    When everyone saw this, not only did they not sympathize, but they even revealed mocking


    expressions and looked at her as if they were watching a joke.


    Lynn looked at her mother coldly.


    Suddenly, she sneered. ¡°Do you regret not strangling me when you gave birth to me?*


    Her tone was indifferent and calm as if she was talking about the most ordinary thing.


    When Mrs. Wright heard this, the crying expression on her face froze for a moment, looking


    exceptionallyical.


    Looking at herical expression, Lynn said indifferently again, ¡°Actually, not strangling me back then


    was the worst decision you¡¯ve made in your life¡±


    She paused for a moment and raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°If you strangled


    me to death. I might have already been reincarnated elsewhere. Because even bing a cat or dog


    is better than being your daughter.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wright¡¯s expression changed drastically. She got up from the ground in


    embarrassment and anger. ¡°Da mn you! You¡¯ve lost your mind. How dare you be so rude in front of


    me!¡±


    Just as she was about to re up, she suddenly heard Olivia coughing.


    Mrs. Wright suddenly had an epiphany. Her gaze involuntarilynded on Olivia Cruise. She stiffly


    pursed her lips and revealed an embarrassed smile. Then, she red fiercely at Lynn.


    She had almost been led astray by this da mn girl!


    ¡°No matter how much youin about me, I¡¯m still your mother!¡± She snorted angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t care


    who you received benefits from. But don¡¯t even think about ndering Miss Cruise with me around!¡±


    Seeing Lynn¡¯s indifferent expression, Mrs. Wright¡¯s sullen face changed a little. She held Lynn¡¯s hand


    andforted her earnestly, ¡°Lynn, you have to know how to repay the kindness. Don¡¯t push your


    luck!¡±


    She didn¡¯t know why Lynn suddenly changed her attitude, recanted her statement, and turned against


    Olivia.


    However, Olivia had personally promised her that as long as Lynn admitted her guilt today, not only


    would she be willing to pay for Lambert¡¯s medical expenses, but she could also help him pay off his


    gambling debts and take care of them until Lynn was released from prison.


    The couple was greedy for money and did not care about Lynn¡¯s life.


    ¡°Lynn, don¡¯t you dote on your brother the most? Can you really bear to see your brother lying in the


    hospital with no one to take care of him?¡± At the mention of her son lying in the hospital, Mrs. Wright


    seemed to have hit a nerve. Her voice actually became a little choked. ¡°Your brother is still lying in the


    hospital in aa. If it weren¡¯t for Miss Cruise¡¯s help, you might not have been able to see him!¡±


    Lynn had expected her mother¡¯s attitude.


    All these years, no matter what happened, her parents never cared about her feelings. Her brother,


    Lambert Wright, was always right.


    In the past, she could not fight against fate, but this time, she wanted to fight for it!


    Lynn looked up at her mother, who was chattering non-stop in front of her. She pulled her hand away


    bit by bit and asked indifferently, ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Mrs. Wright was slightly stunned and looked at Lynn in confusion.


    Lynn spoke again. ¡°You¡¯ve been thinking about Lambert all these years? What about me? What should


    I do?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean what should you do!¡± Mrs. Wright pursed her lips and smiled awkwardly. ¡°You did


    something wrong. Miss Cruise ignored it and was still willing to help our family. We should thank her


    properly. Besides¡­¡±


    She paused for a moment and nced at the police officer with some reservations. She whispered into


    Lynn¡¯s ear, ¡°Miss Cruise said that she would help you take care of us. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    When Lynn heard this, a trace of sadness appeared in her eyes.


    It turned out that her life and future were worthless in front of money!


    She sneered openly. ¡°So you¡¯re forcing your biological daughter to go to jail for a promise without any


    proof?¡±


    Mrs. Wright¡¯s heart tightened, and her eyes flickered with panic. ¡°What do you mean by I forced you to


    go to jail? It¡¯s clear that you¡­


    ¡°Enough!¡± Lynn interrupted her sternly. She took a deep breath and turned to look at Olivia with a faint


    smile. ¡°Miss Cruise, I wonder if I can use the podium for a while?¡±

 Chapter 558

    Chapter 558


    Chapter 558


    Olivia frowned slightly. An ominous feeling rose in her heart.


    However, even though she knew that Lyn had ill intentions, she had no choice but to agree.


    This was because she needed to establish a gentle and generous image.


    Who knew what scandals the reporters would fabricate tomorrow if she were to refuse at this time?


    She took a deep breath and pretended to be magnanimous. ¡°Of course,¡±


    Lynn nodded and walked toward the podium.


    She had just taken a step when Mrs. Wright grabbed her hand. ¡°Lynn, what exactly do you want!¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡± Lynn did not answer but pushed her hand away with a determined expression.


    Unexpectedly, Mrs. Wright suddenly sat on the ground and hugged her leg. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to go!¡±


    Lynn frowned. ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± Mrs. Wright hugged Lynn¡¯s leg tightly. ¡°Lynn, I¡¯m warning you. If you don¡¯t listen, I won¡¯t


    acknowledge you as my daughter!¡±


    For her, this was the cruelest and most intimidating warning in the world.


    After all, children in this world could never live without their mothers, right?


    When Lynn was young. Mrs. Wright would use these words to warn her if she cried non-stop. Then,


    Lynn would listen to her obediently.


    When Lynn grew up and went to school, she would still use such words to threaten Lynn if Lynn did not


    listen to her obediently. Then, Lynn would obedientlypromise and be at her mercy.


    However, she had forgotten that Lynn was no longer at the age where she needed to rely on her


    parents.


    Lynn lowered her gaze and looked at Mrs. Wright. A dark andplicated expression shed across


    her


    eyes.


    After pondering for a long time, she secretly clenched her fists. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, consider that you


    never have me as your daughter from now on!¡±


    She felt a lump in her throat and took a deep breath. ¡°After all, Lambert is the most important in your


    eyes.¡±


    With that, she ignored her mother¡¯s stunned expression and walked straight to the stage.


    Lynn stood on the stage and connected her phone to theputer. Then, she adjusted the height of


    the microphone slightly and said unhurriedly, ¡°Hello, everyone. My name is Lynn Wright. I graduated


    from Seaxas University of Finance and Economics and received a full schrship consecutively. After


    graduation, I was epted by the Cruise Group. This year, I was promoted to special assistant of


    Olivia Cruise. During my work. I was conscientious. It wasmon for me to stay upte and work


    overtime. It was also because of this that my colleagues mocked me for being the most professional


    fool.


    ¡°I thought that I could gain respect through hard work and obtain everything I wanted, but I forgot that


    there is too much unfairness in this world. This unfairness has been clearly marked from the moment


    we were born.


    ¡°Just as Miss Cruise once said, ¡®I don¡¯t need to work hard at all because I have enough money to hire


    people like you as my tools. It¡¯s also because of this that I became the main culprit of this incident!


    ¡°I hereby solemnly apologize to Miss Rachel Grey,¡± Lynn added, stepping back and bowing deeply to


    the camera and reporters.


    At this moment, Rachel Grey, who was sitting on the sofa, had a faint smile on her face as she silently.


    stared at the screen.


    The show had just begun!


    She would let Olivia Cruise experience the feeling of a tall building copsing bit by bit.


    Olivia did not realize that she had unknowingly fallen into the trap Rachel had set for her.


    She looked at Lynn, who was standing on the stage, with a gloomy gaze. Her nails dug into her flesh,


    but she did not feel any pain even though her nails were broken.


    She could not understand how a press conference could turn out like this!


    Everything was clearly going ording to her n. How did it unknowingly break free from her control?


    On the stage, Lynn turned her gaze and noticed Olivia¡¯s pale face. An imperceptible cold glint shed


    across her eyes.


    ¡°She was already so nervous. If she knew what I was going to do next, wouldn¡¯t she faint from


    nervousness?¡± Lynn thought.


    Thinking of this, she actually felt the pleasure of revenge.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    She wanted to see Olivia be infamous. She wanted to see her wearing shackles desperately.


    ¡°I admit that I was the one who tampered with the harness and injured Miss Rachel Grey, but I don¡¯t


    admit that I hurt Miss Grey out of my own heart.¡±


    In other words, she was being coerced.


    When everyone present heard this, their gazesnded on Olivia Cruise in unison. Their intriguing.


    Sensing everyone¡¯s gazes, Olivia turned pale and panicked.


    She subconsciously dodged backward, but her back bumped into a hard chest.


    gazes were


    She turned around stiffly and saw Louis Smith, who had appeared behind her at some point.


    ¡°Louis¡­¡± She struggled to make a sound.


    Louis frowned slightly and stared at her with dark eyes. ¡°Olivia, what exactly is going on?¡±


    When Olivia heard this, her heart (ski p ped) a beat. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°I, I don¡¯t know


    what¡¯s going on either. Why did it be like this¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Lynn said onstage. ¡°I have an audio here that I want everyone to appreciate.¡±


    Immediately after, there was an ear-piercing sound in the venue. Then, Olivia¡¯s voice sounded clearly


    through the speaker. ¡°That Miss Duncan is a top-notch equestrian expert. Rachel Grey is simply


    overestimating herself bypeting with her.¡±


    ¡°Then should we persuade that Miss Grey?¡± Lynn asked in the audio.


    Olivia snorted without hiding anything. ¡°Persuade her? Why should I persuade her? She was clearly


    the one who courted death. How can I stop her?¡±


    She paused for a moment before speaking again. ¡°But I¡¯m going to give her a hand. Go to the


    equipment. room and tamper with her harness.¡±


    ¡°Miss Cruise¡­¡± Lynn said in surprise.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? There are no surveince cameras around there. Be careful. This matter


    is a secret between you and me. Besides, we only tampered with it a little. As for whether there will be


    any idents, it depends on her ability, right?


    ¡°Lynn, I know that your brother is lying in aa in the hospital. Your entire family relies on you to


    make a living. After this is done, I can pay for your brother¡¯s medical expenses. How about that?¡±


    The entire audio clip was short. It was just a few sentences, but it was enough for the reporters present


    to connect the cause and effect of the matter.


    There were a lot of fans who had followed Olivia for many years. For a moment, they looked at her with


    disappointment and anger.


    ¡°Pfft! You kept saying how wronged you were! I didn¡¯t expect it to be the pot calling the kettle ck! As


    he spoke, the person threw the supportmp in his hand to the ground. As if he felt that his hatred was


    not appeased, he stomped on it a few more times.

 Chapter 559

    Chapter 559


    Chapter 559


    Hearing this voice, the surrounding people instantly came back to their senses.


    The entire venue resounded with the angry voices of the crowd.


    ¡°Da mn it! We¡¯ve supported you wholeheartedly all these years, but you yed us like fools!¡± one


    reporter


    said.


    ¡°You keep saying that you¡¯re innocent, but in the end, it¡¯s the pot calling the kettle ck, the other


    added.


    ¡°She insisted that Lynn Wright distort the truth. I didn¡¯t expect she to be the viin who distorts the


    truth!¡±


    ¡°No wonder Haley Bean would rather pay double the penalty fee to resign. Clearly, she has seen


    through. her vicious nature!¡±


    ¡°As expected, shameless people are invincible!¡±


    ¡°You have a gentle and loving persona, but you¡¯re doing vicious things behind us. Aren¡¯t you afraid of


    facing the consequences?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Lynn met such a ck-hearted boss. Not only does she have to be the gun in her hand,


    but she also has to be the scapegoat and take the me for her!¡±


    For a moment, the entire venue was in an uproar.


    If Olivia had the advantage of timing, location, and people at the beginning and was enjoying the


    support of everyone, then at this moment, she was facing the predicament of being pushed down by


    everyone.


    She thought fans were like sharp arrows in her hands that she could use and order around.


    However, water could carry a boat, but it could also overturn it.


    When the fans saw through her, they would naturally not be used by her anymore. Instead, they would


    reveal all their sharpness and stab her.


    Lynn stood on the stage and looked at the pale Olivia Cruise. The corners of her mouth curled up


    slightly. ¡°Miss Cruise, what else do you have to say now?¡±


    Olivia suddenly came back to her senses when her name was suddenly called. Her eyes flickered with


    panic as she stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do.


    Looking at the smile on Lynn¡¯s face, the anger in Olivia¡¯s heart burned even more fiercely.


    She could no longer maintain her usual gentle image and immediately rushed forward. ¡°Bi*ch!¡±


    However, just as she took a step out, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist.


    Olivia subconsciously turned around and was caught off guard when she met Louis¡¯ pitch-ck eyes.


    Her heart suddenly tightened.


    Louis¡¯ well-defined face was as cold as ice, and his dark eyes were like a bottomless coldke, emitting


    a sharp cold light.


    He narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on Olivia. His deep and cold voice revealed a chilling.


    coldness. ¡°Olivia, what exactly is going on!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Olivia instantly felt like a fishbone was stuck in her throat. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Louis looked at her calmly. ¡°Then how do you exin that recording?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­¡± Olivia¡¯s long eyshes trembled non-stop. She bit her lips and did not dare to look into his eyes.


    ¡°I was wronged!¡±


    The sudden appearance of this recording did make her panic, but she remembered that Lynn had left


    her phone on the table when she left.


    Therefore, she was certain that this recording was not recorded by Lynn.


    Moreover, the surroundings of the racecourse were empty. Although there were surveince cameras,


    they couldn¡¯t monitor their every move. Therefore, this recording was fake!


    ¡°Right!


    ¡°It was fake!¡±


    Thinking of this, Olivia¡¯s eyes instantly shed with excitement. Like a drowning person who had


    grabbed onto a life-saving straw, she grabbed Louis¡¯ arm. ¡°This is fake! Louis, this recording is fake!¡±


    Louis did not say anything. He only frowned slightly and stared at her intensely. It was as if he was


    making a judgment or a decision.


    Sensing the deep meaning in his eyes, Olivia felt even more uneasy. She held Louis¡¯ hand tightly.


    ¡°Louis, you know me. I usually hate killing. Why would I do such a crazy thing?¡±


    Standing on the stage, Lynn sneered when she heard Olivia¡¯s words.


    Theughter was short but filled with rich sarcasm and ridicule.


    She did not expect Olivia to be so stubborn.


    At this point, she could still put on an innocent face.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened. Her gaze was like a sharp knife stabbing fiercely at Lynn.


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    ¡°Miss Cruise. At this point, you still don¡¯t repent and ask for forgiveness. The recording clearly revealed


    the cause and effect of the entire matter. Who do you think will believe you?¡±


    ¡°Lynn, don¡¯t talk nonsense here!¡± When Olivia heard Lynn¡¯s words, her mind was filled with eagerness


    to clear herself. She blurted out, ¡°That day, your phone was left on the table. There was no time to


    record it. This recording was deliberately faked by you!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the surroundings fell into a strange silence.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes instantly focused on Olivia. Their intriguing gazes were like sharp knives that tore


    through her clothes, making her stand naked in front of everyone.


    Olivia btedly realized what she had just said. Her mind cleared up in an instant, and she felt a chill


    run down her feet and into her limbs and bones.


    Her face turned pale involuntarily, and her entire body trembled uncontrobly.


    She pursed her dry lips and looked at Louis Smith, not knowing what to do.


    Louis lowered his gaze and looked at her. His thin lips were slightly pursed, and his exquisite jawline


    exuded a sharpness.


    His sharp gaze almost pierced through Olivia¡¯s entire body.


    ¡°Louis¡­¡± Olivia¡¯s breathing froze. It was as if an invisible pair of hands had grabbed her heart.


    She held Louis¡¯ hand tightly, afraid that he would abandon her in the next second. ¡°Louis, this, this is all


    a misunderstanding. It was all Lynn¡¯s scheme. She wanted to take the opportunity to take revenge on


    me¡­¡±


    Louis did not say anything. He only slowly pulled his arm away from her embrace.


    ¡°Louis, I¡¯m telling the truth. You have to believe me!¡± Panic shed in Olivia¡¯s eyes. Helplessness and


    anxiety were written all over her pale face.


    Looking at Louis¡¯ back as he turned around and left, she instinctively chased after him and grabbed the


    corner of his shirt. Her gentle voice was mixed with aggrieved so bs. ¡°Louis, don¡¯t leave. Let me exin


    to you, okay?¡±


    Louis looked at her hand that was tugging at the corner of his shirt and frowned imperceptibly. He


    raised his eyes and looked at her indifferently. His voice was cold. ¡°How do you n to exin? That


    all of this is a misunderstanding? Then how do you n to exin this recording? How do you n to


    exin what you just said?¡±


    ¡°Olivia, I gave you a chance and chose to believe you, but your words are full of loopholes.¡±


    With that, he pulled off Olivia¡¯s hand and turned to leave with an indifferent expression.


    Olivia panicked and hurriedly chased after him. ¡°Louis, listen to me. It¡¯s not like that¡­¡±


    Just as she was about to catch up to Louis, a uniformed police officer stopped her and looked at her


    expressionlessly. ¡°Miss Cruise, please follow us to the police station for an investigation.¡±

 Chapter 560

    Chapter 560


    Chapter 560


    Olivia stopped in her tracks and subconsciously retreated. ¡°No! I¡¯m innocent!¡±


    ¡°Whether you were innocent or not, we naturally have our considerations.¡± As she spoke, the police


    forcefully took her from the scene, disregarding her willingness.


    Bertha Cruise saw the situation and rushed forward. ¡°You can¡¯t take her away! My daughter is


    wronged!¡±


    The police officer said expressionlessly, ¡°If she were wrongly used, we would naturally clear her


    name. Now, we have to take her away for investigation. I hope you can cooperate. Otherwise, we will


    take measures against you on the grounds of obstructing official business.¡±


    When Bertha heard this, she immediately wanted to retreat.


    She looked at Olivia Cruise and pursed her lips. ¡°Olivia, don¡¯t worry. Your father and I will think of a


    way.¡±


    As she spoke, she took a step to the side.


    Seeing Olivia being taken away, Mrs. Wright immediately went up to her. ¡°Miss Cruise, you promised to


    give me one million dors previously. You can¡¯t go back on your word!¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Olivia was extremely annoyed. When she saw Mrs. Wright, who could not do anything right,


    she immediately kicked her away without thinking.


    Mrs. Wright (sta gg ered) and fell to the ground. ¡°Ouch!¡±


    She clutched her chest and struggled to get up. When she looked up, she saw a pair of high heels.


    Her gaze slowly moved up.


    The moment he saw Lynn, the embarrassment on her face was swept away, and she returned to her


    usual bossy attitude. ¡°What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help me up!¡±


    As she spoke, she slowly raised an arm, like a queen waiting for someone to serve her.


    However, Lynn acted as if she did not hear her and did not move at all.


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    Seeing that Lynn did not react for a long time, Mrs. Wright frowned, and her eyes were filled with anger.


    ¡°You (da mn bit*h! Do you really want to see your mother make a fool of herself?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± Lynn¡¯s tone was t as if she was talking to a stranger.


    Mrs. Wright frowned. ¡°Nonsense! You¡¯re my daughter. Who else can I talk to if I don¡¯t talk to you?¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ve already broken off our mother-daughter rtionship. From now on, we have nothing to do


    with each other.¡± Lynn said, ¡°You said yourself that you don¡¯t want me as your daughter. Everyone


    heard it.¡±


    Over the years, Mrs. Wright had long been used to Lynn¡¯s submissive attitude. Now that she saw


    Lynn¡¯s indifference, she was at a loss.


    ¡°You¡­ Child, what are you talking about?¡± Mrs. Wright smiled awkwardly and got up from the ground


    with her hands and feet. ¡°We¡¯re mother and daughter. As the saying goes, blood ties are deep. How


    can you sever your rtionship with me?¡±


    ¡°Then just take it that I¡¯m dead,¡± Lynn answered.


    She did not want to be entangled with her mother anymore, nor did she want to waste her breath. She


    simply turned around and left.


    Seeing this, Mrs. Wright hurriedly chased after her. ¡°What right do you have to sever ties with me?


    Besides, if you leave, what will happen to your brother? He¡¯s your biological brother. You can¡¯t ignore


    his life!¡±


    As Mrs. Wright¡¯s voice faded away, the reporters at the scene slowly came back to their senses.


    No one expected that a press conference would cause so much trouble.


    Although the theme of the press conference was obviously off track, the reporters gained a lot. They


    watched one drama unfold after another.


    Meanwhile, the Cruise family members were already very embarrassed.


    In just half a day, the Cruise Group was trending on the inte.


    Some mischievousizens even made memes of Mrs. Wright asking for Olivia Cruise for one million


    dors and watched them repeatedly.


    Rachel could not help but smile happily as she watched the drama unfold.


    At this moment, there was a knock on her office door.


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Linda Galler led Haley Bean and Lynn Wright in.


    The moment the two saw Rachel Grey, their pupils constricted and their expressions changed. They


    looked at her in disbelief.


    ¡°Please take a seat.¡± Rachel gestured for them to sit opposite her.


    Haley and Lynn looked at each other and sat opposite Rachel nervously.


    Rachel looked at their hesitant expressions and said frankly, ¡°If you have anything to say, feel free to


    ask.¡±


    Lynn was the first to speak. ¡°Since you¡¯re managing the Johnson Corporation, why don¡¯t you just buy


    over the Cruise Group?¡±


    Not long after Johnson Corporation¡¯s Ms. Grey took office, she resolved many of thepany¡¯s


    shorings neatly. With continuous innovation, Johnson Corporation became famous in the industry.


    At the same time, Ms. Grey¡¯s name became more and more popr.


    However, everyone only knew that Ms. Grey¡¯s surname was Grey, and her gender was female. The


    rest was unknowIL.


    Lynn would never have thought that Johnson Corporation¡¯s Ms. Grey was actually Rachel Grey, who


    was targeted by Olivia Cruise.


    ¡°The current Cruise Group is not as good as before. Moreover, my analysis of its operations over the


    past two years shows a huge problem with its operating funds. In that case, why should I take over?¡±


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth curled into a faint smile. She clearly did not have many expressions, but


    it made people inexplicably afraid. ¡°I¡¯m in business, not charity. Even if Johnson Corporation has a big


    business, we can¡¯t afford to squander like this, right?¡±


    Hearing this, Lynn choked and was unable to refute it.


    No one knew the current situation of the Cruise Group better than she did.


    It was just a huge paper tiger. If not for Marina Jones¡¯ sudden appearance and secret support, the


    Cruise Group might not have survived this year.


    ¡°What about the Smith family?¡± Haley asked. ¡°You clearly have the ability to make the Smith family and


    the Cruise family pay the price, but you let them off time and time again. You¡¯re indecisive. It doesn¡¯t


    seem like a characteristic of a decision maker.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, a bright smile appeared on her lips. Her almond-shaped eyes contained a


    faint.yer of mockery. ¡°Indeed, I don¡¯tck the ability and capital to make them lose everything


    overnight, but a quick death is far less painful than living a life worse than death, right? Compared to


    shing them. down quickly. I prefer watching the fish struggle in the mud.¡±


    Haley and Lynn stared at the woman in front of them.


    Her body was clearly filled with powerful aggression, but she smiled innocently and elegantly like an


    uninvolved expert. This attitude was probably something Olivia Cruise would never be able to learn in


    her life.


    The two looked at each other, and a dark,plicated smile shed across their eyes.


    They secretly prayed for Olivia Cruise, hoping she could rot in hell.


    ¡°Take a look at this first. If there are no problems, sign it.¡± Rachel handed them the two contracts she


    had prepared in advance.


    Lynn was not in a hurry to take it. She looked at Rachel and asked, ¡°Will you continue to sue Olivia


    Cruise?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rachel replied.


    Continuing the prosecution couldnd Olivia in jail, but that was not what she wanted to see, nor was it


    what she wanted.


    ¡°Then why did you use me to deal with her?¡± Lynn looked at Rachel in confusion.

 Chapter 561

    Chapter 561


    Chapter 561


    Rachel did not answer her. Instead, she slowly leaned back in her chair and yed with the pen with


    her fingertips. She said slowly. ¡°Miss Wright, we are just business partners. That¡¯s all.¡±


    The implication was that she was under no obligation to inform them of her thoughts and ns.


    Her indifference was slow and intimidating.


    Lynn¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the contract. I won¡¯t force you. After you¡¯ve thought it through, report for employment on


    Monday.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Haley and Lynn said in unison.


    The two stood up and left with their things.


    After they left, Linda walked in from outside. ¡°Ms. Grey, this document needs your signature.¡±


    Rachel reached out and took it. Without a word, she signed her name.


    She nced at Linda and saw her conflicted expression. She could not help but ask, ¡°Are you curious


    why I kept them?¡±


    Linda nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re helping them.¡±


    ¡°Because they are qualified for this position. If everything goes well, they will rece you.¡± Rachel


    slowly put down the pen and handed the contract in front of her to Linda.


    Linda¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Then¡­ then what about me?¡±


    Seeing her shocked look, Rachel could not help but smile. ¡°You¡¯re going to be a manager at a


    subsidiarypany.¡±


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    ¡°But I¡­ This decision left Linda at a loss.


    Rachel knew what she was going to say and interrupted her. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to deny yourself.


    You¡¯re far more outstanding than you think to me.¡±


    Linda looked at her, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, or I¡¯ll think you¡¯re going to fall in love with me,¡± Rachel teased.


    When Linda heard the teasing, an unnatural look shed across her eyes. She slowly lowered her


    gaze. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get to work now.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rachel casually flipped through the documents in her hand and took out her phone to call Lucas


    Johnson.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, what can I do for you?¡± Lucas was already familiar with Rachel¡¯s habit of not calling him for no


    reason.


    Rachel did not hide anything. ¡°How¡¯s the modification of the Hennessy Venom GT going?¡±


    When Lucas heard that, he snorted without hiding anything. ¡°Rachel Grey, you¡¯re a girl. Can you be


    more reserved? Besides, aren¡¯t you embarrassed to use my money to make your man happy?¡±


    ¡°A bet is a bet,¡± Rachel said calmly. ¡°Can¡¯t afford to y?¡±


    Her casual words rendered him speechless.


    He didn¡¯t feel sorry for the car.


    To be honest, he had countless cars in his garage. One more or less car did not make a difference to


    him.


    However, he just couldn¡¯t bear to see Rachel being so good to David Jones.


    Especially when he thought about how David Jones had seduced Rachel without the Johnson family


    knowing anything, he felt that his treasure had been stolen.


    ¡°Coincidentally, I have something to discuss with you.¡± Lucas subtly changed the topic. ¡°Brenda


    Duncan¡¯s brother wants you to operate the emergency rescue personally. He was too embarrassed to


    look for you, so he called me. Do you want to consider it?¡±


    Although Brenda was not the culprit behind the incident at the racecourse.


    If she had not insisted on embarrassing Rachel at the horse race, Rachel would not have nearly fallen


    off the horse, let alone the following events.


    When Old Mr. Duncun found out, he immediately locked Brenda up and even personally called Old Mr.


    Johnson to express his condolences.


    Although it was said to be condolences, he was actually seeking peace.


    After all, everyone feared the Johnson family¡¯s prestige in Seaxas.


    Rachel pondered for a moment. ¡°When?¡±


    Tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Before hanging up, Rachel didn¡¯t forget to add, ¡°Remember to send the car over when you¡¯re free.¡±


    Lucas could not help but roll his eyes. ¡°Got it!¡±


    He snorted and hung up.


    Rachel could not help but smile when she heard the beeping sound on the phone.


    She looked up at the calendar on the table. The date circled in red marker was especially eye-catching.


    She tapped her fingertips on the tabletop.


    What should she give him?


    While Rachel was racking her brains to prepare a birthday present for David Jones, Olivia Cruise, who


    had finally left the police with Marina¡¯s bail, was pestered by (pap a raz zi) squatting nearby.


    In the car, Olivia looked at Marina gratefully. ¡°Marina, thank you for this.¡±


    If Marina hadn¡¯t stepped in, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to get away so easily.


    Marina looked at her pitiful appearance, and a trace of imperceptible contempt shed in the depths of


    her beautiful eyes.


    She looked at Olivia lovingly. ¡°You¡¯re my (god d aughter). Of course, I have to protect you at this critical


    moment.¡±


    As she spoke, she held Olivia¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s just that you have to deal with the rest yourself. After all, the


    company¡¯s matters are your own. It¡¯s not convenient for an outsider like me to interfere.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Olivia replied.


    On the way, Olivia had been paying attention to the movements on the inte.


    Especially when she saw her fans groups dissolving one after another, her face turned even paler.


    After sending Olivia back to the Cruise family, Marina reminded her caringly, ¡°Olivia, keep a low profile


    for the time being, understand?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will.¡±


    As the two spoke, the male assistant Albert, who had been sitting in the front passenger seat, opened


    the car door and got out. Then, he got into the back seat and sat beside Marina.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes darkened. A dark light flickered in her eyes as she watched the car drive away, unable to


    come back to her senses for a long time.


    In the car, Albert was perceptive enough to massage Marina¡¯s legs.


    Marina closed her eyes in satisfaction.


    ¡°Miss Grey, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Marina slowly opened her eyes and raised her eyebrows slightly, patiently waiting for Albert to


    continue.


    Albert hesitated for a moment and said carefully, ¡°Miss Cruise has suffered a setback this time. She¡¯s


    obviously useless. How is she worth your trouble?¡±


    It was unknown if his words had greatly satisfied Marina¡¯s vanity or if his considerate and gentle


    service. had made Marina feelfortable. She exined with a rare good temper, ¡°It was nothing.


    Besides, how can the icing on the cake leave a deep impression? It¡¯s most unforgettable to provide


    help in times of


    need.¡±


    Albert added, ¡°I hope this Miss Cruise wouldn¡¯t let you down.


    Marina chuckled and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s already forgotten about me!¡°


    Her low and gentle tone was mixed with unconceble mockery.


    Just as she expected. Olivia was in a hurry to contact Louis.


    However, no matter how many times she called, no one picked up.


    In a fit of anger, she threw the phone to the ground.


    At this moment, the door was pushed open, and Bertha rushed in.


    Seeing her mother¡¯s expression, Olivia had a bad feeling. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°The board of directors wants you to hold a press conference to apologize for your previous words and


    actions. They also said¡­¡±

 Chapter 562

    Chapter 562


    Chapter 562


    ¡°What else did they say?¡± Olivia stared at Bertha intently. When she saw her hemming and hawing, she


    could not help but shout, ¡°What else did they say? Tell me!¡±


    Bertha looked at her with a troubled expression. After hesitating for a while, she answered, ¡°They even


    asked you to leave thepany¡¯s management.¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia felt a blow to her head. Her vision turned ck, and she almost (sta gg ered).


    ¡°Olivia!¡± Bertha rushed forward worriedly and held her.


    Olivia barely managed to stabilize herself. She held Bertha¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t quit the


    company¡¯s management.¡±


    This incident kept fermenting. In just an hour, she hadpletely lost the support of her fans and


    ruined her poprity. It even aroused Louis¡¯ suspicion¡­


    If she left thepany¡¯s management at this time, she would really have nothing.


    ¡°I know.¡± Bertha looked at her sorrowfully. ¡°But the shareholders of thepany threatened to withdraw


    their investments. Your father can¡¯t do anything¡­¡±


    At this time, Oliviapletely panicked.


    She knew those shareholders in thepany.


    A group of ruthless rice worms valued money more than their lives.


    If she insisted on not quitting, it was very likely that these people would withdraw their investments.


    Once the investment was withdrawn, it would be equivalent to adding insult to injury for the Cruise


    Group.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Olivia fell onto the sofa. Her pale face seemed to be covered with ayer of frost.


    She tried her best to control herself and calm down. Suddenly, she thought of something. ¡°I¡¯m in charge


    of the two projects that thepany has signed on with. If I withdraw from thepany¡¯s


    management, these projects will not be implemented.¡±


    At this point, her eyes flickered. ¡°Yes! Marina is my godmother! Once she finds out that I was chased


    out of thepany¡¯s management, she will definitely not let them off!¡±


    Bertha looked at the persistent Olivia and did not know how to advise her. ¡°Olivia¡­¡±


    She gently patted Olivia¡¯s hand. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to be too stubborn. You know that your father


    let you inherit thepany back then mainly to get together with the Smith family. As long as you have


    a deep rtionship with Louis, even without thepany¡¯s support, you can still marry into the Smith


    family and be the young mistress of the Smith family.¡±


    Marrying into the Smith family and bing the young mistress of the Smith family¡­¡­


    Olivia kept repeating this sentence in her mind.


    Previously, she had no doubts about this, but Louis¡¯ change in attitude today made her feel uneasy as if


    something was out of her control.


    Actually, after returning from overseas this time, she could clearly sense the changes in Louis over the


    past three years.


    He was no longer the gentle and considerate young man from before. Now, there was a calmness and


    intriguing unpredictability about him.


    Unknowingly, she could no longer fathom Louis¡¯ heart.


    However, she knew very well that if she didn¡¯t want toe to the point where she was abandoned,


    she could only think of ways to have more.


    Therefore, she could not leave thepany¡¯s management just like that!


    As she was thinking, the door was suddenly pushed open.


    Richard¡¯s expression was solemn, and there was a terrifying aura around him. He said coldly, ¡°Come to


    my study!¡±


    With that, he turned around and left.


    A momentter, Olivia stood in front of him.


    Before she could speak. Richard spoke first. ¡°The shareholders want you to quit management. Go to


    the office and pack your things after some time.¡±


    Obviously, this matter had already been decided.


    Olivia clenched her fists and tried her best to calm down. ¡°Dad, is there no room for negotiation?¡±


    ¡°Negotiation?¡± Richard snorted. ¡°Do you know that someone took advantage of this storm to secretly


    buy thepany¡¯s shares? Thepany¡¯s shareholders look calm on the surface, but they¡¯ve actually


    already sold their shares in private?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s face turned pale as she widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°How could it be


    ¡°Not only that, I sent someone to secretly follow Haley and Lynn. Guess where they went?¡± Richard


    nced at her with a half smile.


    Olivia felt as if her throat was being choked by a hand. She said with difficulty, ¡°Where did they go?¡±


    ¡°Johnson Corporation!¡±


    These words were like a thunderp that exploded in Olivia¡¯s ears.


    Her mind was nk. She (sta gg ered) and finally fell onto the sofa.


    ¡°How could it be?


    ¡°When did Haley and Lynn get in touch with Johnson Corporation?¡± she thought.


    Her eyshes fluttered, and her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms.


    ¡°Could it be that they had stayed by my side in the first ce to approach me deliberately?¡± she


    wondered.


    After an unknown period of time, Olivia recovered from her shock. ¡°Have you found out who is secretly


    buying thepany¡¯s shares?¡±


    Richard shook his head.


    If he had found out, he wouldn¡¯t be frowning now.


    ¡°Any results from Louis¡¯ investigation of Rachel Grey?¡± Richard asked.


    He felt that this matter had something to do with Rachel Grey.


    This matter had clearly been over. Who would have thought that such a thing would happen?


    This Rachel Grey was really strange.


    She was like a switch of bad luck. As long as she was involved, nothing good would happen.


    When Olivia heard that, she shook her head with a serious expression. ¡°We still can¡¯t find anything.¡±


    In the previous investigation, after Louis was yed by the private detective, she reminded him to


    change the direction of the investigation and investigate Rachel Grey¡¯s birthce. However, after some


    investigation, there was no trace of Rachel Grey there at all.


    Later, after she identally found out about Lily Grey¡¯s rtionship with Rachel Grey, she investigated


    for a while in Pollister. However, she could only find information when Rachel Grey lived in Pollister.


    The study fell into a short silence until the phone suddenly rang.


    Richard frowned slightly and picked up the phone.


    ¡°Mr. Cruise, bad news! The partners we discussed previously have all proposed to terminate the


    contract.¡±


    The assistant¡¯s voice was so anxious that Olivia could hear it clearly.


    She stood up and quickly walked to Richard¡¯s side. ¡°We¡¯ve signed a contract. If they suddenly breach


    the contract, they¡¯ll have to pay double the penalty!¡±


    ¡°But the contract also states that if there is any negative news during the period of our contract, the


    other party has the right to terminate the contract,¡± the assistant said. ¡°The person facingpensation


    is not them, but us.¡±


    In an instant, Olivia felt that something was gradually copsing.


    Richard looked at her dejected expression and said to his assistant in a low voice, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, he lit a cigarette. ¡°What¡¯s the attitude of Louis now?¡±


    Now that thepany was facing a precarious situation, they had to be extra careful with every step


    from now on.


    Before the people secretly purchasing thepany¡¯s shares were investigated clearly, they could not


    act rashly.


    Olivia slowly raised her gaze and looked at him. She raised her hand and brushed the hair in front. ¡°He


    hasn¡¯t contacted me since the press conference.¡±

 Chapter 563

    Chapter 563


    Chapter 563


    Upon hearing such an answer, Richard¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t you guys


    fine before?¡±


    Previously, Olivia had said with confidence that she would definitely be able to marry into the Smith


    family sessfully and also that the position of Mrs. Smith was definitely hers.


    But at this moment, she was extremely frustrated and did not want to exin too much.


    She took a deep breath and stood up suddenly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make him change his mind as soon as


    possible.¡±


    With that, she turned around and left without looking back..


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    After leaving Richard¡¯s study, Olivia changed her clothes and went out.


    Olivia was caught up in the storm of public opinion this time. Logically speaking, it would not affect


    Louis too much.


    However, the Smith Group had signed a project with the Cruise Group some time ago. Now that the


    Cruise Group had breached the contract, the Smith Group naturally did not have a good time.


    Louis apologized personally to his customers and was busy socializing. In the end, he did not manage


    to change his customers¡¯ minds.


    Actually, he could understand why his customers did this to him after something like this happened.


    It was not easy to earn money, and people naturally wanted to invest their money in the safest ces.


    However, after calming down, the image of Rachel beside him kept appearing in his mind.


    If she still stayed by his side, she would definitely not watch thepany fall into trouble.


    She would definitely think of ways to retain the project.


    But Rachel wasn¡¯t beside him anymore.


    ¡°Sir, are we going back to the office or to the apartment?¡± The assistant sitting in the front passenger


    seat peered at the man¡¯s face secretly through the rearview mirror.


    The light in the car was dim. The man¡¯s handsome face seemed to be covered in ayer of cold, and


    his entire body exuded a terrifying hostility.


    Louis raised his hand and massaged his temples. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the apartment.¡±


    The assistant¡¯s eyes (twin kled) slightly, signaling the driver to start the car.


    Twenty minutester, the car slowly drove into tinum Mansion.


    ¡°Stop the car!¡± Louis, who was sitting in the back row, suddenly shouted.


    He narrowed his eyes and stared at the tall and slender figure with a burning gaze. His gaze gradually


    became deep and unfathomable.


    Rachel moved out of tinum Mansion after it was broken into by strangers.


    This time, she nned to go back and pack up her things.


    Just as she was about to step into the elevator, someone grabbed her wrist.


    Rachel narrowed her eyes, and a cold glint appeared in them.


    ¡°Rachel, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Louis¡¯ voice rang out from behind.


    Rachel broke free from Louis quietly. She could not help but frown when she smelled the strong smell


    of alcohol on him.


    She flung his hand away with a look of disdain and took a few steps back to distance herself from him.


    She said indifferently, ¡°Mr. Smith, what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°1¡­¡± Louis instinctively tried to exin, but he did not know what to say.


    He had just seen Rachel¡¯s figure in the car and followed her out of the car by a strange coincidence.


    When Rachel saw that he could not say a word for a long time, she could not help but chuckle.


    However, there was a faint coldness in the depths of her beautiful eyes. ¡°You¡¯re following me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Louis hurriedly denied it and tried to exin. ¡°I saw you just now, so¡­¡±


    At this point, he couldn¡¯t help but start to doubt himself.


    Wasn¡¯t he extremely disgusted with Rachel?


    Why did he get off the car and follow her?


    What was going on?


    But Rachel had no time for Louis.


    She had returned to the tinum Mansion on the spur of the moment. David would be worried if she


    went backte.


    Thinking of this, she turned around and left without looking back.


    ¡°No, Rachel. When Louis saw her turn around and leave, he chased after her instinctively and held her


    hand again, saying, ¡°Can I have your attention for a moment?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time, and I¡¯m not interested in talking with you!¡± Rachel rejected his request decisively.


    Louis didn¡¯t want to let her go. ¡°I know you hate me, but I really don¡¯t mean to hurt you. I really hope we


    can be friends.¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± Rachel said with a sneer. ¡°You didn¡¯t deserve to be my friend, and you still don¡¯t!¡±


    With that, she turned around and left without looking back.


    No one knew if it was her indifferent attitude that irritated Louis, or her unkindness that hurt him, but he


    rushed forward and grabbed Rachel¡¯s shoulders.


    Immediately after, Rachel grabbed his wrist.


    With a clean over-the-shoulder m, Louis fell to the ground in disarray.


    The violent collision of his spine with the ground made him cough uncontrobly.


    Rachel looked down at him with a mocking smile on her face and said, ¡°Even if you want to mess


    around, you need to find a suitable candidate. I¡¯m not the right one.¡±


    After saying that, she turned around and left gracefully,


    After she left, the assistant rushed forward. ¡°Sir!¡±


    Louis was helped up from the ground by his assistant. He held his painful chest with a gloomy look on


    his face and with a terrifying deterrence.


    He stared in the direction where Rachel left with a dark gaze. He shook off his assistant¡¯s hand and


    said. coldly. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    When he returned to his apartment, he took off his jacket and loosened his tie out of habit. He headed


    straight for the bathroom.


    Twenty minutester, with his bathrobe around his waist, he walked over to the wine cabs and


    poured a ss of wine for himself.


    As he downed a ss of strong wine, the frustration in his chest eased a little.


    ¡°Stop drinking.¡± A gentle voice suddenly sounded.


    Louis paused and turned around.


    He immediately saw Olivia standing at the bedroom door.


    She was wearing a very cool nightdress. The thin straps hung on her shoulders as if they could be torn


    off without much effort.


    The deep V-neckline revealed her breasts. The dress¡¯ body was made of very light and thin gauze, and


    her delicate and graceful figure could be seen faintly in the dim light.


    She walked toward Louis barefooted.


    As she approached, the sweet smell of her perfume became clearer.


    Louis¡¯ eyes darkened slightly. He swallowed secretly. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want yesterday¡¯s misunderstanding to affect our today¡¯s rtionship,¡± Olivia said as


    she wrapped her soft arms around Louis¡¯ waist and leaned against his chest.


    Sensing Louis¡¯ tense body, Olivia pretended to unintentionally let out a light breath on his throat. Her


    red lips moved closer and kissed his Adam¡¯s apple.


    Louis could not help but tighten his grip on her waist. His eyes darkened deeper.


    Driven by the alcohol, he suddenly bent down and carried Olivia up in his arms. He threw her on the


    sofa and pounced on her.


    The two were like lovers immersed in love.


    They vented their inner desires in the most primitive way from the sofa to the balcony, from the


    bedroom to the bathroom.


    After venting their sexual desire, Oliviay on Louis¡¯ chest.


    Her fair skin was still flushed, and there was a trace of moisture at the corner of her eyes, making her


    look like a seductive Siren.


    Olivia said coquettishly, ¡°Louis, don¡¯t be angry with me. Stop ignoring me, okay?¡±

 Chapter 564

    Chapter 564


    Chapter 564


    As Olivia spoke, she ced her red lips on Louis¡¯ chin again and kissed him gently. ¡°You never know


    how afraid I am of losing you.¡±


    ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t have hidden it from me,¡± Louis said.


    Hearing this, Olivia secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    So it was because she had lied to him.


    She lowered her eyes and looked pitiful and aggrieved as she held Louis¡¯ hand and pressed it against


    her face, saying, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have hidden it from you, but I¡¯m really worried¡­¡±


    Louis frowned slightly and looked at Olivia inquisitively.


    Olivia bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before saying slowly, ¡°During the three years when I was


    not by your side, Rachel was always by your side. The two of you were together day and night and


    almost got married. I was really afraid. Every time I saw her, I would be uncontrobly jealous. There


    would always be some very bad thoughts in my heart.


    ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have been jealous of her, and I know I shouldn¡¯t have done such a thing, but I really


    can¡¯t control myself. I¡¯m really conflicted and in pain. I feel I¡¯m really strange in this way now. I don¡¯t


    dare to imagine what I¡¯ll do if you abandon me one day.¡±


    As she spoke, many crystal-clear tears slowly fell from the corner of her eyes.


    Olivia looked very charming under the dim light. Moreover, her teary eyes made her look really pitiful.


    In the end, Louis did not me her.


    He cupped her face in his hands and gently wiped away the tears on her face. He kissed her lips gently


    and said. ¡°No, I will never abandon you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as she looked at him pitifully.


    Louis said with conviction, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Olivia had intended to take the opportunity to inquire about the engagement at the birthday party, but


    her sanity told her that it was not the right time yet.


    She could only swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue.


    She threw herself back into Louis arms. ¡°Louis, I know you are the one who treats me the best.¡±


    Their bodies were tightly pressed against each other, and the inadvertent friction ignited the evil fire in


    their bodies again.


    Louis tightened his grip on her waist and pressed her down again.


    After Rachel packed up her things, she walked in the direction of the parking lot.


    She vaguely sensed the sound of tiptoeing footsteps behind her. Her red lips suddenly curled up into a


    faint and cold smile.


    Without batting an eyelid, she turned around and walked into a hidden shrubbery.


    Ten minutester, Rachel walked toward the parking lot with her left hand carrying her stuff and her


    right hand dusting herself.


    It was not until Rachel left in the car that Billy brought his men into the shrubbery to check.


    As soon as they walked in, they saw two men half-naked. One was kneeling and the other was lying on


    his stomach. They were tied to the ground in a unique manner.


    From afar, one would think that they were looking for excitement in the shrubbery.


    When the two men saw the burly Billy and his men, they thought that they were Rachel¡¯s


    reinforcements. They immediately trembled and stared at Billy and the others warily, afraid that the


    group of people in front of them would do something heartless in the next second,


    ¡°What are you trying to do!¡± one of the half-naked men asked in fear.


    Billy spat out the grass at the corner of his mouth and smiled gloatingly. ¡°Bro, your muscles look not


    bad but are useless. How did you get them?¡±


    Hearing the humiliation and ridicule in his words, the two men¡¯s faces turned dark.


    Originally, their boss had instructed them to follow a woman. They thought that they had picked up an


    casy job.


    Unexpectedly, that woman was too ruthless.


    She didn¡¯t hit them in the face, but she specialized in hitting ces that were hidden under their


    clothes.


    For example, their waist and legs. And also, their wrists were almost broken.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that your muscles are also useless in front of her!¡± One half-naked man retorted indignantly.


    Any man who was beaten by a woman in this manner would feel ashamed of himself.


    Billy said with a sneer, ¡°A jerk is a jerk. Arguing won¡¯t change the truth.¡±


    As he spoke, he looked at the person beside him and walked to the side to call David to report the


    situation.


    He exined the situation, but David was not surprised at all. ¡°Continue to send people to follow her.


    Don¡¯t disturb her.¡±


    Billy said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    When Rachel returned to Sandalwood Hills with her things, it was alreadyte at night.


    She and David had some kind of tacit understanding with each other as if they had reached an invisible


    agreement.


    No matter howte it was, they would leave a light for the one who returned homete at night.


    ording to David¡¯s habits, he would sit in the living room and wait for her to return.


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


    However, she did not see David in the living room this time.


    ¡°Miss Grey is back.¡± Mrs. Brown¡¯s voice sounded. Sensing Rachel looking around, the smile on her


    face deepened. She pointed to the second floor. ¡°Mr. Jones is in the study.¡±


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but blush unnaturally when she found her thoughts were seen through.


    She nodded. After ncing at the clock, she rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen.


    When Mrs. Brown saw this scene, she followed unhurriedly. ¡°Miss Grey, what do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I just want to make him some supper. When Rachel saw Mrs. Brown pick up her apron, said


    quickly. ¡°It¡¯s very simple. You don¡¯t need to help me.¡±


    Hearing this, Mrs. Brown understood. ¡°I see, I see. It¡¯s more sincere to do it personally.¡±


    Ten minutester, Rachel knocked on the door of David¡¯s study with a freshly made fruit sd.


    The door was not tightly closed, and with a touch of her hand, it opened a gap.


    Through the gap, Rachel saw David sitting in front of theputer with a focused expression.


    she


    She tiptoed in and pointed at the bowl in her hand while asking in a low voice. ¡°Do you want something


    to eat?¡±


    David looked up at her. His deep eyes contained ayer of usual coldness.


    He blinked and the coldness in his eyes disappeared in an instant. He beckoned to Rachel. ¡°Come


    here!¡±


    There were two simple words, but they carried an irresistible pressure.


    Rachel hesitated for a moment before slowly walking forward.


    As soon as she walked closer, David pulled her into his arms.


    He bent down and buried his head in the crook of Rachel¡¯s neck. He sniffed her as if he was a golden


    retriever trying to win her favor, making Rachel feel itchy.


    Instinctively, she cringed and asked him with a giggle, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Take a sniff and see if there is the smell of alcoholic left on your body.¡± David said coldly.


    Rachel could not help but raise her eyebrows slightly.


    It seemed that she could not hide the fact that she had met Louis. Then, how about the fact that she


    beat¡­


    ¡°Do your hands hurt?¡± David suddenly asked.


    Rachel shook her head and said casually. ¡°It¡¯s easy to deal with those two men.¡±,


    David said, ¡°The next time you want to beat someone, ask Billy and the others to do it. You¡¯re the


    precious Miss Grey. You must stay safe.¡±


    His tone was calm, but it could not hide his doting and indulgence to Rachel.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at him with her beautiful eyes( twin kling). ¡°Do you mean that if


    I want to kill someone, you¡¯ll help me do it? If I kill someone, you¡¯ll help me destroy the evidence?¡±

 Chapter 565

    Chapter 565


    Chapter 565


    Actually, Rachel said this more to tease David.


    Unexpectedly, David thought for a moment and said seriously, ¡°You can say that.¡±


    Rachel was stunned for a moment. She was touched.


    She looked at the man in front of her with a smile. ¡°David, where are your principles? Where¡¯s your


    bottom line?¡±


    ¡°I have no bottom line in front of you.¡± David¡¯s fingertips gently touched the corner of her eyes and


    slowly slid down to her lips. ¡°I said that I¡¯ll bear everything for you. I¡¯m not just saying it.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Rachel.


    This was exactly what touched Rachel the most.


    Sometimes, she valued action more than promises.


    As for David, not only did he promise her generously, but he also acted on it.


    Rachel picked up the fruit sd on the table and passed a piece of strawberry to David¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Those two men were sent by the Elders?¡±


    It was not that she did not interrogate them, but the two of them were very stubborn. They told nothing.


    to her.


    Even though she almost broke their wrist, they refused to say a word.


    David frowned slightly and opened his mouth to eat the strawberry. After that, he said, ¡°No.¡±


    He thought that Rachel would continue to ask, but he did not expect her to say calmly, ¡°No wonder


    they¡¯re so weak.¡±


    David could not help but raise his eyebrows. ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied with that fight, why don¡¯t you find a


    day to get Billy to spar with you?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass,¡± said Rachel.


    She thought if a man lost to her, he would definitely feel humiliated in the face of her from now on.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go to bed early.¡± Rachel changed the topic.


    David replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rachel wanted to turn around and escape from David¡¯s embrace, but David grabbed her waist


    domineeringly and locked her firmly in his arms before carrying her up.


    Back in the bedroom, Rachel went straight to the bathroom.


    When she came out, she vaguely heard David on the phone say, ¡°No, no need. It¡¯s not your ce to


    interfere in my matters!¡±


    His low and deep voice was filled with chilling intimidation.


    Rachel, who was sitting in front of the vanity mirror, gradually slowed down the wiping of her hair. Her


    eyes were vaguely sizing up David, who was standing in front of the balcony making a call.


    ¡°Why should I report my decisions to you one by one?¡± His tone was indifferent and slow, with anger


    that could not be erased. ¡°I warn you for thest time, don¡¯t meddle in my business!¡±


    With that, he hung up.


    When he turned around, he saw Rachel standing behind him, looking at him with a hairdryer in her


    hand. ¡°Can you help me blow-dry my hair?¡±


    David¡¯s eyes twin kled slightly. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two of them sat in front of the dressing table. Rachel yed with a strand of her hair with her


    fingertips and sized up the man in front of her through the mirror. ¡°Did your family urge you to go


    Chapter 365 back?¡±


    There were only a few days left until David¡¯s birthday.


    She guessed that his family must have urged him to go back quickly.


    David ran his well-defined fingers through her hair and looked up at her deeply. ¡°You should learn to


    y dumb appropriately.¡±


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s my fault,¡± Rachel said.


    David smiled faintly and said nothing.


    ¡°It feels so good to have someone to serve me. Rachel suddenly felt emotional. She sighed slightly. Tm


    just afraid that I¡¯ll be a useless person who can¡¯t even take good care of himself in the future.¡±


    David lifted her long hair and massaged her scalp with moderate strength. ¡°It¡¯s not bad that you


    be a useless person. This way, you¡¯ll never be able to leave me.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Rachel blurted out.


    She looked at him, her almond-shaped eyes twin kling like the stars in the night sky.


    David looked down at her. Her clear eyes reflected his appearance clearly.


    down the hairdryer in his hand and leaned over to kiss her hair. ¡°I will be your most faithful follower


    forever and ever.¡±


    Rachel blinked and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s sleep.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said David.


    David bent down and carried her up in his arms. The two of them hugged each other and fell asleep.


    The next morning, when Olivia returned to the Cruise family, she was no longer as depressed as


    yesterday. Instead, she looked radiant and regained her usual confidence.


    Bertha noticed the flirtatious look in her eyes, and an ambiguous smile shed across her eyes.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my father?¡± Olivia sat on the sofa as she asked. A serv*nt immediately came up to her to


    serve her coffee.


    Bertha sighed slightly. ¡°You know exactly what thepany¡¯s shareholders are like. Your father went to


    thepany early in the morning.¡±


    Olivia nodded thoughtfully.


    She felt she needed to find a way to get back intopany management.


    As she was thinking, Bertha continued to say, ¡°Olivia, did you mention the engagement to Louisst


    night?¡±


    When Olivia heard this, the light in her eyes dimmed slightly. ¡°No.¡±


    Last night, she had wanted to mention the engagement several times, but she was worried that being


    too hasty would backfire.


    Therefore, she could only suppress the restlessness in her heart.


    ¡°It would be great if you could carry his kids,¡± Bertha said meaningfully.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes twin kled slightly. She put down the cup in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not so down that I need to get a


    shotgun marriage.¡±


    ¡°I just think this is a better way,¡± Bertha said. ¡°When I went shopping yesterday afternoon, I met Louis¡¯


    mother. She was putting on the airs of a richdy. After all, the Smith family is no longer the same as


    before.¡±


    She seemed to be expressing her feelings, but her words were filled with disdain.


    Olivia said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to take it in your heart. She is just in luck.¡±


    While they were talking, Richard walked in tiredly.


    Bertha immediately went up to him and helped him take off his coat.


    Olivia tactfully served a cup of coffee.


    After Richard had drunk coffee, Olivia thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Dad, have you found out who


    is secretly buying Cruise Group¡¯s shares?¡±


    Richard did not speak. He just pursed his lips and his expression was abnormally solemn.


    The other party currently held 30% of the Cruise Group¡¯s shares and was about to be the Cruise


    Group¡¯s secondrgest shareholder. This pressure made Richard feel uneasy.


    Now that the enemy was in the dark and they were in the open, they knew nothing about the other


    party. The situation was very disadvantageous for them.


    If the Cruise Group really changed hands, the Cruise family would bepletely finished.


    ¡°How¡¯s your discussion with Louis going?¡± Richard suddenly asked.


    Olivia frowned slightly, not knowing what to say.


    At this moment, Bertha held her hand and said at the right time, ¡°It¡¯s already very difficult for such a big


    thing to not affect their rtionship. If we mention the engagement at this time, I¡¯m afraid it will cause


    the Smith family to make spection against us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Richard agreed.


    He lit a cigarette and took a few puffs. His deep voice sounded again. ¡°Prepare the birthday party


    during this period of time. Everything still has to go ording to the original n.¡±


    well


    ¡°I know.¡± Olivia said, ¡°I¡¯ll contact Louis now and see if he has time to apany me to try on the


    gown.¡±


    Richard raised his hand and interrupted her. ¡°The most important thing now is to find a way to make an


    appointment with the Smith family. It would be best if Old Mr. Smith woulde forward personally to


    finalize your marriagepletely.¡±

 Chapter 566

    Chapter 566


    Chapter 566


    Currently, the Smith family seemed to be in Louis¡¯ hands. But in reality, everything was in the hand of


    Old Mr. Smith.


    As long as Old Mr. Smith came forward to finalize it, the marriage between the Cruise family and the


    Smith family would be considered sessful.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯te,¡± Olivia said.


    Moreover, Old Mr. Smith was probably the person in the Smith family who objected to her being with


    Louis the most.


    Back then, when Olivia returned to Crucsia to visit Old Mr. Smith personally, she was rejected by him


    with the excuse that he was unwell. It was obvious that he did not like her.


    After that, so many things happened. She even heard with her own cars that Old Mr. Smith was going


    to transfer the shares under his name to Rachel.


    In Old Mr. Smith¡¯s heart, Rachel was probably the most suitable candidate for his grandson Louis¡¯ wife.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have dyed Louis¡¯ engagement with her.


    Olivia sighed softly with a worried look on her face. ¡°Ill be d if he doesn¡¯t object to my engagement to


    Louis.¡±


    ¡°Object?! What right does he have to object?¡± Richard snorted and put out the cigarette in his hand. He


    looked up at Olivia. ¡°In the past, you were only thedy of the Cruise family, but things are different


    now. Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re still Marina¡¯s (god daughter) now! Old Mr. Smith has always valued benefits


    the most. As long as you have this identity, I think the Smith family will be very happy that you¡¯re willing


    to marry into their family and they¡¯ll hold your wedding in a grand manner.¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia¡¯s eyes twin kled with joy.


    That was right. How could she have forgotten that she had such a crucial identity?


    Now that she was Marina¡¯s (go d daughte), countless people were rushing to curry favor with her.


    As long as Marina was around, she would be the most respected person in the entire Seaxas.


    Not to mention Louis, she thought she could even match the owner of the Sandalwood Hills.


    ¡°Call Louis now and ask his parents out for dinner tonight. We can gather together to discuss your


    marriage,¡± said Richard.


    Olivia answered, ¡°Got it, Dad.¡±


    A rxed and shy smile finally appeared on Olivia¡¯s face.


    At this moment, the assistant walked in from outside.


    He looked at Richard hesitantly.


    ¡°Go to my study.¡± Richard took the lead and stood up.


    The assistant followed closely behind.


    After closing the door of the study, the assistant quickly reported, ¡°Mr. Cruise, we sent more than ten


    people, but the results are the same. They said that they couldn¡¯t find anything.¡±


    Rachel was really a strange woman.


    She was clearly in Seaxas, but Richard and his men could not find anything about her. She was like a


    lonely soul wandering in Se**as.


    Upon hearing the assistant¡¯s words, Richard frowned even more and his voice could not help but


    be serious. ¡°Since we can¡¯t find anything, send someone to follow her secretly!¡±


    Hearing this, the assistant pursed his lips but did not say anything.


    Why? Don¡¯t you even know where she lives?¡± Richard berated angrily.


    The assistant looked at the expression on his face and hesitated for a while before saying carefully, ¡°I


    did find out where she lives, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± Richard asked angrily.


    The assistant hesitated and said, ¡°¡­ She lives in Sandalwood Hills.¡±


    Richard stared at his assistant without blinking. ¡°What did you say? Where does she live?¡±


    ¡°Sandalwood Hills¡­¡± The assistant answered in a low voice.


    Apart from Johnson¡¯s Mansion, where the richest family, the Johnson family resided in Seaxas,


    Sandalwood Hills was considered the only building that couldpete with Johnson¡¯s Mansion.


    It was rumored that any flower in Sandalwood Hills was worth hundreds of thousands or even millions


    of dors, not to mention the various rare treasures inside.


    Everyone was curious about Sandalwood Hills¡¯s owner.


    However, without exception, everyone returned empty¨Chanded.


    But now, Rachel was able to move in so easily and enter at will. It was truly unbelievable.


    Richard sat on the chair and supported his chin with his fingers. The pads of his thumbs and index


    fingers rubbed against each other.


    His expression gradually turned solemn as he narrowed his eyes.


    Could it be that Rachel was Sandalwood Hills¡¯s owner?


    Was that why the Cruise family had been defeated repeatedly at this press conference and had almost


    lostpletely?


    If Rachel was really Sandalwood Hills¡¯s owner and had such deep financial resources, she could have


    taken this opportunity to destroy the Cruise family. Why would she be magnanimous at such a critical


    moment?


    This was really unreasonable.


    After pondering for a long time, Richard said again, ¡°Continue to send people to follow her. Remember,


    don¡¯t act rashly unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t work,¡± the assistant said awkwardly. ¡°We lost contact with our men half an hour ago.¡±


    ¡°Lost contact?¡± Richard could not hide the shock on his face.


    The assistant nodded. ¡°Mr. Cruise, Rachel is really strange. Let¡¯s just wait and see what¡¯ll happen.¡±


    Richard did not answer immediately. He looked up at the assistant for a long time and waved his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    Rachel had made an appointment with Lucas to go to the military region yesterday, so she packed up


    and left early in the morning.


    When she arrived at the military region¨Caffiliated hospital in the Lucas¡® car, she couldn¡¯t help but frown


    to say, ¡°We¡¯re recording materials here?¡±


    ¡°Who knows.¡± Lucas said, ¡°Since you¡¯re already here,e down and take a look.¡±


    Brenda¡¯s brother, Karen Duncan, had been waiting at the door to show his sincerity.


    When he saw Rachel open the car door and get out, he quickly went up to greet her. ¡°Miss Grey, sorry


    to trouble you this time.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Rachel replied in neither a servile nor overbearing manner.


    Out of the corner of her eye, her gaze inadvertently fell on Karen¡¯s epaulet. It was with two lines and


    two


    stars.


    It was a pity that he was a bit older. Otherwise, the legend that Lucas created in the military region


    would have been shattered by this man in front of her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Lucas had one hand in his pocket. He narrowed his eyes and nced at the


    group of people standing not far away.


    Karen thought of what had happened not long ago, and a coldness appeared in his eyes. ¡°During this


    exercise, a soldier fell from a height. His corbone was broken and his wrist was also fractured. The


    military region doctor said he could not help. Ever since Mr. Hernandez retired, there are very few.


    people who are proficient in orthopedic massage. And Mr. Hernandez¡¯s old, we can¡¯t trouble him rashly.


    In addition, over the years, more people have chosen modern medicine. It just so happened that when I


    was talking with the instructor, our captain suddenly mentioned you, so I rushed toe to you.¡±


    As he spoke, his gaze could not help but fall on Rachel with a hint of obscure andplicated


    affection.


    If Rachel had not suddenly changed her mind back then, she might have been the creator of another


    myth.


    She was Boyce Hernandez¡¯s personal disciple.


    ¡°Who is the injured soldier? Why is he so highly valued?¡± Lucas said as he looked meaningfully at the


    few big shots who were conversing not far away.


    These few big shots would not easily show their faces.


    The sharpshooter, Oscar Scott,¡± Karen said to Lucas. The legends you created previously were all


    broken by him.¡±


    Lucas chuckled. ¡°No wonder,¡±


    As they spoke, the three of them walked to the ward.


    When the doctor saw Rachel, he was slightly stunned.


    This woman was the expert that Captain Karen had found?


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    However, since Karen had personally invited this woman, they did not dare to be negligent and


    exined the patient¡¯s injuries in detail.


    ¡°How is it? Are you confident?¡± Lucas asked.


    Rachel nced at him. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

 Chapter 567

    Chapter 567


    Chapter 567


    As the saying went, it took a hundred days to recover from a bone injury.


    And after a hundred days, the international exercise would have been over long ago.


    Moreover, there were many nerve endings in people¡¯s fingers. No one could guarantee Oscar¡¯s


    situation after surgery.


    Therefore, after some discussion, they thought they could only use the most traditional method, the


    orthopedic massage to treat Oscar.


    The nurse was slightly stunned when she saw Rachel.


    Sensing the nurse¡¯s gaze, Rachel turned to look at her and asked, ¡°Is there any problem?¡±


    When the nurse was caught off guard by Rachel¡¯s pure ck and white almond-shaped eyes, her heart


    beat fast suddenly and her cheeks turned unnaturally blush.


    She lowered her head in a panic to hide the shyness in her eyes.


    The hospital received a special patientst night. The doctors all said they had no way to cure him.


    However, at this moment, Captain Karen said that he had a solution and found an orthopedic massage


    expert.


    When people heard the word ¡®expert¡¯, they would subconsciously associate it with the image of


    someone over 60 years old with white hair.


    But who would have thought that this expert would be an extremely eye-catching woman?


    After hesitating for a moment, the nurse exined in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be like this.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows. Without a word, she pushed open the door of the ward and walked in. The


    man¡¯s back was straight and his back was facing the door. He stood in front of the window, thinking


    about something.


    From where Rachel stood, it was not difficult for her to see that the man¡¯s right shoulder was drooping.


    Compared to his left shoulder, his right shoulder was at a different height.


    ¡°Mr. Scott, we¡¯ll start treating you now. Please lie back on the bed and cooperate with us,¡± the young


    nurse said gently.


    However, Oscar didn¡¯t move as if he did not hear her.


    Just as the nurse was about to say something again, Rachel raised her hand and interrupted her. ¡°If


    you don¡¯t want to lie back on the bed, you can sit on the sofa.¡±


    Her cold tone was like the cold breeze after the rain, making one¡¯s heart tremble slightly.


    Oscar¡¯s body trembled slightly. He turned around stiffly. The moment he saw Rachel, he was stunned


    on the spot.


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    His eyes twin kled with aplicated expression, with excitement and joy inside them.


    Rachel did not notice the expression on his face. Instead, she walked forward to check on his injuries.


    Her fair-skinned fingers pressed on his shoulder with just the right amount of strength. At the same


    time, she reached out her other hand to massage his right arm. She massaged it a little and frowned.


    imperceptibly. ¡°You¡¯ll feel a little pain. Bear with it.¡±


    With a clear cracking sound, Oscar¡¯s shoulder de returned to its usual height, but his corbone¡­.


    Rachel stretched her palm and massaged his shoulder de slowly.


    The fracture at the corbone was not something she could improve through the orthopedic massage.


    It needed to be secured with steel nails.


    However, this would not affect his subsequent movements much.


    Just as she took back her hand, Oscar grabbed her wrist.


    The temperature on his palm and the soft touch feeling reminded Oscar that everything in front of him


    was not an illusion. It had really happened.


    After so many years, he finally saw her again!


    Compared to the youth in his memory, she was a little more cold and noble. She was like a white rose


    blooming alone on a lonely night. She could be watched but could not be desecrated.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Rachel looked at Oscar calmly.


    Oscar nodded, then quickly shook his head. It made him look like a fool.


    The nurse at the side saw the sweat on his forehead and subconsciously thought that he was feeling


    unwell. She rushed forward to check.


    Seeing his ears red, the nurse instantly came to a realization.


    So he was shy.


    Oscar was an influential figure in the entire military region. Not only did he have excellent training


    results, but his performance in actualbat was also outstanding.


    However, reality proved that no matter how outstanding a person was, they would be shy when they


    saw an outstanding beauty.


    However, Oscar knew very well that he was not shy, but excited.


    He would never forget the shootout he had suffered when he was studying abroad that year.


    He could not forget the feeling of a stray bullet entering his abdomen, nor could he forget that she had


    rushed in front of him without being afraid of the danger, calmly and decisively pulling him back from


    the edge of death.


    At that time, she was wearing a camouge uniform and had short hair that reached her ears. She was


    young


    but she did not lose the innate valiant.


    After getting out of danger, he tried to find out more about her. He wanted to thank her for saving his


    life. but he couldn¡¯t find anything.


    He had revisited the old ce countless times, trying to see that figure again, but she was like a


    goddess who had descended from the sky when his life was in danger. There had been no news of her


    since then as if she had disappeared from the face of the earth.


    All these years, he had never forgotten her.


    He did not expect to see her there again!


    ¡°Your corbone needs to be fixed with steel nails. Everything else is fine.¡± As she spoke, Rachel took


    back


    her hand.


    But Oscar¡¯s palm held her wrist tightly.


    Rachel frowned slightly and impatience appeared in her eyes. ¡°Let go!¡±


    Realizing that he was being rude, Oscar quickly took his hand back and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just


    excited. I didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡±


    Rachel did not say anything and prepared to turn around to leave.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t remember me?¡± Oscar hurriedly asked as he watched her leave.


    Rachel stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him.


    Oscar continued, ¡°It¡¯s me. We met in Phareborough five years ago. You saved me back then.¡±


    Rachel looked at him calmly and responded indifferently.


    Then, she took her gaze back and turned to walk out.


    Chapter 567


    The moment she stepped out of the ward door, she was immediately surrounded.


    ¡°How¡¯s he?¡±


    ¡°Will it affect his exerciseter?¡±


    Questions popped up one after another.


    Rachel looked at everyone indifferently and said indifferently. ¡°There¡¯s no problem with his shoulder


    de and wrist. His corbone needs to be fixed with steel nails, but it¡¯s not a big problem.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Oscar was a key sharpshooter they had been training for the past two years. If anything happened to


    him at this time, they would have to bear the consequences. Fortunately, he was fine.


    The expert of modern medicine at the side sneered. ¡°That¡¯s easy to say. It takes a hundred days to


    recover from a bone injury. If orthopedic massage is really so magical, then why do we still need


    modern medicine?¡±


    It sounded like a casualint, but his words were filled with prejudice against orthopedic massage.


    Rachel narrowed her eyes and nced at that person. ¡°Since modern medicine is irreceable, why


    did they go through so much trouble to ask me toe here? Could it be that they did this to


    embarrass you on purpose?¡±


    That person¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°You¡¯re just in blind luck. It¡¯s not something you can be


    proud of!¡±


    ¡°Blind luck also requires ability.¡± An old and deep voice sounded from the other end of the corridor.


    Everyone looked over and saw Boyce sitting in a wheelchair. Their expression turned solemn as they


    called out respectfully, ¡°Mr. Hernandez.¡±


    Boyce¡¯s peaceful gaze swept across the people in front of him. After pausing his gaze on Rachel for a


    moment, he turned to look at the expert of modern medicine. ¡°Orthopedic massage is a skill left behind


    by our ancestors. It¡¯s not much worse than modern medicine.¡±

 Chapter 568

    Chapter 568


    Chapter 568


    ¡°Not only does this skill test a healer¡¯s judgment, but it also tests a healer¡¯s control of strength. If the


    healer¡¯s massage kill is good, the patient can recover without any pain. If the healer made any mistake,


    the patient would suffer pain or even irreparable consequences.¡±


    Boyce was old now and had been in poor health for the past two years, so he had retired. But, his


    legend had always been widely spread in the military region.


    The moment that person saw Boyce, he changed his arrogant attitude and said, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, it¡¯s


    not that I look down on orthopedic massage. It¡¯s just that this young girl is arrogant.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Vincent, if you have her ability, you can be arrogani too.¡± Boyce said calmly.


    These words were simple, but Dr. Vincent was speechless.


    Boyce waved at Rachel and said, ¡°Rachel,e here.¡±


    Rachel walked forward obediently. ¡°Teacher Hernandez


    When everyone heard this, they could not help but


    gasp.


    It was rumored that Boyce had only taken in one disciple in his life.


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    He doted on his disciple very much and taught his disciple everything he had learned in his life.


    However, no one expected his disciple to be Rachel!


    Dr. Vincent¡¯s expression changed rapidly as he looked at Rachel in disbelief.


    No wonder this woman dared to be so arrogant. It turned out that she was Boyce¡¯s disciple.


    However, this woman looked too young.


    When she was studying with Boyce back then, she might have just been a teenage girl.


    A person standing beside Dr. Vincent looked at the shocked Dr. Vincent and patted his shoulder. He


    said earnestly. ¡°Don¡¯t think that she¡¯s young, but she is quite experienced. Otherwise, Mr. Hernandez


    wouldn¡¯t have liked her at first nce and insisted on taking her in as his disciple.¡±


    Rachel was popr in orthopedic massage.


    Not only because she was smart, but also because she was beautiful and easygoing.


    People would always have a preference for beautiful things.


    ¡°We should thank her for her help this time. Not only did you not appreciate her help properly, but also


    you even embarrassed her in public. This is a little unreasonable.¡± The director patted Dr. Vincent¡¯s


    shoulder. ¡°Hurry up and apologize to her.¡±


    Dr. Vincent turned to look at Rachel, his eyes twin kling with dark andplicated emotions.


    At this moment, Lucas and a few people in uniforms walked in.


    When he saw Rachel, he quickly walked forward. ¡°Done?¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, thank you for your help. Otherwise, we didn¡¯t know what to do.¡± The person who spoke was


    the toon jarl. He was Lucas¡¯ superior and also a friend.


    Due to Lucas, he had met with Rachel several times.


    Rachel smiled faintly and said, ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡±


    ¡°How about we have lunch together?¡± When the toon jarl said this, his gazended on Boyce as if


    he was asking for Boyce¡¯s opinion.


    Boyce nced at Rachel. ¡°Rachel, we haven¡¯t seen each other for so many years. Do you want to


    have at meal with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Hernandez. Rachel was extremely obedient when she spoke to Boyce.


    The ck car drove for a while and slowly stopped at the entrance of First-ss Restaurant.


    Under the sunlight, the car reflected dazzling light, making people involuntarily look at it.


    The car door was opened and Rachel got out of the car first.


    The driver opened the car door on the other side. And Rachel quickly went forward to help Boyce, who


    was sitting in a wheelchair.


    The group of people got out of the car majestically.


    Due to the unusual aura of the group of people, the passers-by could not help but take a few more


    nces at them, but they did not dare to stay their gazes too long.


    Rachel silently pushed Boyce, who was sitting in a wheelchair, but met David in front of the elevator.


    ¡°What brought you here?¡± Rachel asked subconsciously


    After saying this, she realized that her question was a little st*pid.


    As the owner of First-ss Restaurant, David naturally had a reasonable identity to be here.


    The moment Boyce saw David, a hint of surprise shed across his eyes. He restrained his usual


    calmness and shouted solemnly and respectfully, ¡°Mr. Jones.¡±


    David restrained his usual aura and nodded slightly. ¡°Mr. Hernandez.¡±


    His attitude made Boyce¡¯s expression suddenly change. There was a hint of sizing David up in his


    eyes. He wondered why would David have such a respectful attitude toward him.


    Although David¡¯s identity was a secret, everyone present was familiar with him.


    And they all naturally knew how noble David¡¯s status was. It was not an exaggeration to say that he


    was above everyone else there.


    He had always looked down on everyone, but now he was so respectful to Boyce!


    Everyone secretly spected the reason. But only Lucas knew the truth clearly.


    David¡¯s attitude toward Boyce was only because of Rachel.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Rachel, the group of people probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to have the chance to meet


    David!


    The passersby looked around curiously. Rachel said, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, let¡¯s go in and have a talk.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Boyce nodded.


    Karen, who was following behind, narrowed his eyes when he saw David¡¯s attitude toward Boyce. His


    sharp pupils twin kled with a meaningful light while asking Lucas, ¡°Has he taken a fancy to your sister?¡±


    ¡°If only that were the case,¡± scoffed Lucas.


    When he thought about how David had seduced Rachel behind the Johnson family¡¯s back, he could


    not help but curse ¡®David was a beast¡¯ in his heart.


    Karen looked at Lucas. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    Lucas sighed faintly and waved his hand resentfully. ¡°My sister is already in a rtionship. Let¡¯s stop


    talking about it.¡±


    Karen frowned slightly. After pondering for a long time, he said seriously. ¡°The man must be powerful


    and rich.¡±


    While they were talking, they also walked into the elevator.


    At the same time, another group of guests arrived at the entrance of First-ss Restaurant.


    Olivia held Louis¡¯ arm as they walked through the door. Perhaps because the floor was too slippery,


    she was caught off guard and fell backward.


    2-3


    Chapter 568


    Fortunately, Louis reacted quickly and grabbed her waist. ¡°You¡¯re already an adult, but you¡¯re still so


    rash.¡±


    There was an unconceble doting and indulgence in his tone of reproach.


    Olivia snuggled in his arms. A faint blush appeared on her fair cheeks as she looked at him with her


    beautiful eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that your parents are anxious from waiting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote, Louis said as he held her hand and continued to walk toward the elevator.


    Olivia obediently let him hold her hand, but from the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar figure.


    That was¡­ Rachel?


    Why was she with Karen and the others?


    She subconsciously wanted to see more clearly, but she could only see a back view. She could not be


    sure


    at all.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Louis saw Olivia standing there. He could not help but follow her gaze, but he did not


    see anything.


    Olivia suddenly came back to her senses and pursed her lips stiffly. ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go in quickly.¡±


    Louis nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    However, Rachel¡¯s appearance just now made Olivia¡¯s thoughts uneasy. She subconsciously wanted to


    investigate what was going on.


    However, today was the day she and Louis discussed their marriage. There could not be any more


    mistakes.


    She took a deep breath and suppressed the restlessness in her heart.

 Chapter 569

    Chapter 569


    Chapter 569


    After entering the private room, Olivia walked up to Mrs. Smith with a smile. ¡°Mrs. Smith, I chose a


    ne for you on the way here, so I was dyed. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    As she spoke, she opened the jewelry box.


    Inside the box was an ice-type jade embedded with rubies and diamonds.


    Every piece of jade was crystal clear. Under the light, it seemed to have the luster of a cat¡¯s eye,


    complementing the gorgeous rubies.


    There was nock of nobility in its elegance.


    Mrs. Smith had taken a liking to this ne when she was shopping previously. However, the Smith


    family¡¯s business was not doing well during this period of time, so she could only bear to part with it.


    She did not expect Olivia to buy it for her.


    This was a pleasant surprise!


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s eyes shed with joy, but in front of people of the Cruise family, she could not appear too


    superficial. She could only suppress the excitement in her heart and said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure.¡± Olivia smiled obediently. ¡°I¡¯ve caused a lot of trouble these past few days, causing you


    to be implicated as well. I really feel very guilty¡­


    Hearing this, Mrs. Smith sighed helplessly. ¡°You used to be a public figure. Now that you¡¯ve left the


    industry, who knows how many people are watching you in the dark? If you do anything wrong, your


    mistakes will be magnified countless times and be the topic of discussion for the public. So in the


    future, treat this matter as a lesson and be more careful.


    ¡°In the future, you have to think twice before you speak or do anything. Otherwise, you¡¯ll get into trouble


    again.¡±


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    Olivia pretended to be obedient just to gain Mrs. Smith¡¯s favor. But she did not expect Mrs. Smith to put


    on airs and lecture her seriously.


    She answered obediently.


    However, she lowered her head to hide the coldness and disdain in her eyes.


    Bertha sat in her seat and felt her face burning. She looked a little displeased.


    After all, Olivia was the daughter she had given birth to after carrying her for ten months. She felt she


    was disrespected when her daughter was lectured by others in front of her!


    Wasn¡¯t this an obvious insult to her?


    Sensing that the atmosphere was a little awkward, Richard smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s said that daughters


    are considerate. I raised her for nothing. In the end, she only knows to be considerate to others.¡±


    ¡°Dad, what are you talking about?¡± Olivia looked shy. She stomped her feet and quickly walked to


    Richard¡¯s side.


    Seeing her shy look, everyone immediately beamed with joy, and the atmosphere eased.


    Mrs. Smith looked at the ne beside her and nced at it from time to time.


    The more she looked at it, the more she couldn¡¯t wait to try it on.


    She rolled her eyeballs and stood up apologetically. I¡¯m going to the restroom. Please be my guest.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Olivia knew what Mrs. Smith was thinking the most.


    When she stood up to leave, she deliberately took the ne with her.


    When she walked into the restroom, she walked to Mrs. Smith¡¯s side and said, ¡°Mrs. Smith, let me put


    the ne on for you first.¡±


    Mrs. Smith was secretly delighted, but she pretended to be polite. Tm afraid that¡¯s not appropriate¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift for you. Don¡¯t worry. Nothing is inappropriate.¡± Olivia did not give Mrs. Smith a chance to


    refuse and helped her put on the ne directly.


    Mrs. Smith looked at herself in the mirror and gently stroked her face. Her eyes were filled with


    happiness.


    ¡°When I saw this ne, I immediately thought of you.¡± Olivia praised Mrs. Smith generously. ¡°Now it


    seems that this ne really suits you.¡±


    Under her praise, Mrs. Smith smiled exceptionally brightly.


    When they returned, the two of them were holding hands, as intimate as mother and daughter.


    ¡°Olivia, don¡¯t me me for being too harsh just now. I¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡± Mrs. Smith said,


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of trouble when you¡¯re popr. Now that you¡¯re Miss Jones¡¯s (god daughter), countless


    people are secretly trying to cause trouble for you. It¡¯s always a good thing to keep a low profile.¡±


    Olivia smiled faintly. ¡°I know, Mrs. Smith.¡±


    When Rachel walked out of Heavenly Private Room, she saw Olivia and Mrs. Smith. She frowned


    slightly and walked past them indifferently.


    Mrs. Smith did not expect to see Rachel there.


    She was slightly stunned and said indifferently. ¡°I thought I would never see Miss Grey in my life.¡±


    Previously, she strongly opposed Rachel and Louis being together.


    However, she had to admit that during the years when Rachel was with the Smith family, the Smith


    family made rapid progress.


    Although she didn¡¯t want to admit it, she had to admit it. If it weren¡¯t for Rachel, their Smith family might


    have had no ce in Seaxas a long time ago.


    Rachel had contributed greatly to the sess of the Smith family today.


    Ever since Rachel left the Smith family, the Smith family seemed to have run into bad luck. Its business


    was losing ground. Especially after seeing Louis working overtime these days, Mrs. Smith could not


    help but think that it would be great if Rachel was still with the Smith family.


    However, on second thought, she thought Rachel was really not worthy of Louis with her background.


    People were always like this. When they got something good, they could not help but want to keep it all


    the time.


    Just like Mrs. Smith.


    She wanted Rachel to be loyal to Louis and contribute to the Smith family, but she despised her


    background.


    Rachel was a little surprised that the arrogant Mrs. Smith would take the initiative to greet her.


    In the past, when she was in the Smith family, Mrs. Smith would either order her or re at her.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Mrs. Smith?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at Mrs. Smith with a


    faintly mocking smile.


    Seeing her attitude, Mrs. Smith immediately regretted taking initiative to speak to Rachel. She didn¡¯t


    know why she greeted Rachel just now for no reason!


    She took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. I just think you¡¯re radiant, so you must have been


    having a good time recently!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a bright smile, but it looked more like a cold smile. ¡°Back then, the Smith family


    compensated me 10% of thepany¡¯s market value. So, I¡¯m naturally having a good time. But I


    wonder how Miss Smith is now!¡±


    Hearing this, Mrs. Smith¡¯s expression suddenly changed. She red at Rachel.


    These two events, especially thest one, were an absolute disgrace to Mrs. Smith.


    Ever since the cruise ship auction ended, Jane¡¯s reputation had been in tatters. Not to mention finding


    a good man with a good family background to marry, even someone whose family background was not


    as good as the Smith family would not want to marry her.


    A few days ago, she was found to be pregnant.


    Getting pregnant after experiencing that kind of thing was simply a great humiliation.


    Mrs. Smith had no choice but to secretly help Jane abort the baby.


    Jane had suffered, but Mrs. Smith also felt the pain. Mrs. Smith had nowhere toin about this.


    She could only swallow her anger.


    Now, Rachel¡¯s words were like a knife stabbing into her heart.


    Mrs. Smith was so angry that her entire body was trembling. She stared at Rachel viciously as if she


    was a venomous snake lying dormant in the grass.


    ¡°You, this is all your fault! If it weren¡¯t for you, my daughter wouldn¡¯t have be like this! A vicious


    person like you will sooner orter¡­¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Smith!¡± Rachel interrupted her coldly.

 Chapter 570

    Chapter 570


    Chapter 570


    Rachel raised her eyes and looked at Mrs. Smith with her eyes twin kled with a clear coldness. She


    said with a voice filled with coldness, ¡°Jane only has herself to me for her current oue. If she


    didn¡¯t have the intention to harm me, how could she have be like this? Now you want to me me


    for everything? I really don¡¯t know if the Smith family is ungrateful or if I was too kind to you in the past!¡±


    ¡°Kind?¡± Mrs. Smith snorted angrily. At this moment, she no longer cared about the noble elegance of a


    rich man¡¯s wife. Her entire body was trembling with anger, and her expression was as ferocious as a


    shrew cursing in public. ¡°If you were really kind, why did you take the opportunity to extort us, family? If


    you were kind, why did you target Jane? If you were kind, Jane would not have be like this!


    ¡°I think you have the intention to harin our Smith family! Fortunately, Louis didn¡¯t marry you. Otherwise,


    our Smith family would be in big trouble!¡±


    the Smith


    Rachel sneered coldly and said, ¡°1, Rachel, did not grow up with trash that I can fall into love with any


    man casily. Don¡¯t forget, when Louis agreed to be with ine, your Smith family had nothing and were in


    danger. So put away your thought that your Smith family is noble and that I don¡¯t deserve your son!


    ¡°Even though the Smith family¡¯s status in Seaxas rose and it became the rich family in Seaxas, Louis is


    still useless in my eyes. He was a good-for-nothing who relied on women to make a living. In the end,


    I¡¯ll correct you. He didn¡¯t initiate a breakup with me. It was because I didn¡¯t want to be mixed up with


    trash


    anymore.¡±


    If Rachel hadn¡¯t broken up with Louis, she wouldn¡¯t have met David.


    As it turned out, David was a better man than Louis.


    Mrs. Smith already knew that Rachel had a glib tongue, but she did not expect Rachel to be so


    presumptuous in front of her.


    Rachel was like a rose covered in thorns right now. She would pierce others if others touched her with


    at slight touch.


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s face turned pale with anger and her eyes looked even more sinister and cold.


    Rachel realized that she was arguing meaninglessly. She simply took back her gaze indifferently and


    walked toward the restroom.


    However, Mrs. Smith could not bear it when she saw how arrogant Rachel was. Rachel was like a


    victorious general strutting past her arrogantly.


    Finally, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and said, ¡°You¡¯re noble. You¡¯re capable, and you¡¯re amazing, but


    didn¡¯t you work for our Smith family like a dog back then? Now that you¡¯ve climbed the socialdder,


    you¡¯ve reduced our Smith family to nothing. You must have forgotten your dog-like tail-wagging posture


    to beg for favor in front of Louis!¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel stopped in her tracks.


    She turned to look at Mrs. Smith. Her expression turned cold as she looked at her deeply.


    Her eyes were dark as if there was a knife hidden in her pupils that could stab into Mrs. Smith¡¯s heart at


    any moment.


    Caught off guard, Mrs. Smith¡¯s heart (ski p ped) a beat when she met her gaze. A chill rose from the


    bottom of her feet and quietly spread to her limbs and bones as if she had fallen into an ice cave.


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s arrogance me was instantly half-extinguished.


    She tightened her grip on Olivia¡¯s arm and subconsciously leaned closer to her.


    Sensing Mrs. Smith¡¯s nervousness, Olivia¡¯s eyes shed with imperceptible contempt.


    She thought secretly that Mrs. Smith and Jane were indeed mother and daughter.


    They were all idiots who looked fierce on the outside but were weak on the inside!


    They only knew how to hide behind when they got into trouble!


    Olivia restrained the contempt in her eyes and pretended to be kind. ¡°Miss Grey, Mrs. Smith has always


    doted on Jane. What you said just now was indeed a little too much¡­¡±


    ¡°That was too much?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and interrupted Olivia coldly. ¡°Do you want to try


    something even worse?¡±


    Mrs. Smith was speechless, not knowing what to say.


    Rachel looked at them coldly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡±


    Olivia did not say anything and just looked at Rachel quietly.


    On the other hand, Mrs. Smith stammered, ¡°Bet, bet on what?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s bet that the Smith family won¡¯t make it past the second year,¡± Rachel said.


    Hearing this, Mrs. Smith immediately became angry as if she was a cat whose tail had been stepped


    on. She said furiously. ¡°Rachel, do you really think you can do whatever you want just because you


    have slept. with a sugar daddy?¡±


    ¡°I have never relied on others,¡± Rachel said as she looked at her deeply. The corners of her mouth


    curled up into a cold smile.


    She turned around and left without looking back.


    Mrs. Smith stood still on the ground and stared nkly at Rachel¡¯s departing figure. She could not help.


    but exim. ¡°Is Rachel crazy?¡±


    How dared Rachel curse the Smith family in front of her!


    Although the Smith family¡¯s business was not as good as before, they were still better than a lot of


    other families.


    The Smith family wouldn¡¯t go bankrupt so easily!


    In Mrs. Smith¡¯s opinion, Rachel was just irritated after being dumped by Louis, and now she was


    suffering from delusion!


    Compared to Mrs. Smith¡¯s confident thoughts, Olivia had much more thoughts than her.


    She looked meaningfully at Heavenly Private Room.


    This private room was not a ce that anyone could enter as they pleased.


    Moreover, when Rachel entered this restaurant just now, she was surrounded by big shots.


    Coupled with the fact that she could confidently say that the Smith family would not make it past


    second year, she must have a certain level of confidence.


    the


    However, when Olivia thought of Rachel¡¯sst sentence. ¡°I have never relied on others¡±, her lips curled


    into a mocking smile.


    She thought secretly. ¡°If Rachel really didn¡¯t rely on others, would she be where she is today?


    ¡°If she really did not rely on others, where would she get the confidence and courage to argue with me?


    How would she dare to instigate that bit*h Lynn to retract her confession, making me notorious now!¡±


    When Olivia was thinking. Mrs. Smith said, ¡°Now, she¡¯s just relying on the money in her hands to


    be more and more arrogant!¡±


    When Olivia heard this, sheforted Mrs. Smith at the right time. ¡°I¡¯m partly responsible for Miss


    Grey bing like this. If I hadn¡¯t suddenly appeared, she might have already married Louis. It¡¯s only


    natural for her to haveints about me.¡±


    Mrs. Smith quickly retorted, ¡°You can¡¯t say that! For the past three years, she was the one who


    pestered. the Smith family and refused to leave. She even threatened us with the future of the


    company. That was why Louis had no choice but to agree to marry her. Fortunately, Louis went back on


    his word at the wedding¡±


    As she spoke, she held Olivia¡¯s hand and patted it gently. ¡°Just keep your heart at ease. I know Louis


    well. He has never been sincere to Rachel.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Mrs. Smith,¡± answered Olivia.


    As they spoke, the two of them arrived at the private room.


    After adjusting their thoughts, they pushed open the door and walked in. They did not mention anything


    about meeting Rachel.


    However, just as they sat down, they heard Mr. Smith say. ¡°Why are you gone for so long?¡±


    ¡°I felt unwell with a stomach upset.¡± Olivia sensibly answered, ¡°Sorry for the dy. Mr. Smith.¡±


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


    Upon hearing that, Bertha hurriedly asked, ¡°Why are you feeling unwell? Did you eat something bad?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Olivia answered vaguely. She turned around and noticed that Louis¡¯ seat was empty. She


    changed the topic at the right time and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Louis?¡±

 Chapter 571

    Chapter 571


    Chapter 571


    Mr. Smith said, ¡°He went out to answer the phone. He should be back soon.¡±


    Olivia nodded.


    The image of Rachel being surrounded by a group of big shots with prominent backgrounds couldn¡¯t


    help but appear in her mind.


    Heavenly Private Room¡­.


    What the hell kind of luck did Rachel have?


    Olivia didn¡¯t understand why she kept suffering setbacks over and over again, while Rachel was


    moving. up all the time!


    At the thought of this, she was no longer in the mood to eat.


    When Rachel came out of the restroom, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re following


    me!¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Rachel frowned imperceptibly as if she had not heard anything.


    Not only did she not stop, but she also did not even bother to look back at the man behind her.


    Louis saw her determined back and caught up with her quickly. ¡°Admit it. You can¡¯t forget me at all!¡±


    He grabbed Rachel¡¯s wrist.


    However, Rachel shook it off mercilessly. She looked disgusted as if she had just been touched by


    trash.


    ¡°You still have feelings for me, don¡¯t you?¡± asked Louis.


    Upon hearing this, Rachel¡¯s furrowed brows rxed slightly, and a mocking smile appeared on her lips.


    ¡°Did the over-the-shoulder m damage your brain?¡±


    Louis pursed his thin lips slightly, and his handsome face became a little colder.


    He stared at Rachel and pondered for a long time before he said unhurriedly. ¡°Actually, you can¡¯t forget


    me at all. I know you. You¡¯re a very emotional person. If someone treats you well, you can¡¯t wait to


    repay him with 10 times your sincerity. Even if you could cut off these three years of love for me


    ruthlessly, can you really forget everything that happened between you and me in the past three years?


    ¡°If you could really be heartless and forget me, why did you target Olivia again and again? Why did you


    secretly follow us here? Didn¡¯t you follow us all the way here to take the opportunity to ruin my marriage


    with Olivia?¡±


    Hearing Louis¡¯ confident and confused words, the ridicule on Rachel¡¯s face became more and more


    obvious. She said sarcastically, ¡°You two are really a match made in heaven. I can¡¯t wait to give my


    blessings. How could I mess up your engagement?


    ¡°Please put away your blind confidence. You¡¯re not the only man in this world. I won¡¯t be so cheap as to


    look for a man in the trash!¡±


    With that, she turned around and left.


    However, the moment Rachel turned around, she felt a familiar and intense pressure sensitively.


    She swallowed her saliva nervously and looked up along those straight and slender legs.


    She saw David standing behind her.


    The man¡¯s pitch-ck pupils were like a bottomless coldke, and there was a coldness. between his


    brows. There was not much emotion on his face, but one could easily sense his terrible emotions.


    ¡°Why did youe out?¡± Rachel quickly walked forward.


    David took the opportunity to hold her waist with his arm and looked down at her in his arms.


    ¡°If I see you pestering her again, I¡¯ll make you get out of Seaxas!¡± His voice was calm and pleasant to


    the


    car, but cold.


    Louis sneered. ¡°Who do you think you are? Seaxas is not the ce where you can have the final say!¡±


    When David heard this, he raised his eyebrows and looked at Louis casually. ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait and see.¡±


    They were especially enraged when they met each other. It was probably because they were love


    rivals.


    Even though Louis aura was far inferior to David¡¯s, the pride in his bones refused to let him lower his


    head and admit defeat.


    He stared at the backs of David and Rachel as they turned around and left. He could not help but


    sneer. ¡°Do you know about our previous rtionship? We had three years of rtionship. Three


    years¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± David interrupted him coldly.


    He stared at Louis with a dangerous glimt in his eyes.


    Louis felt like his heart was being gripped by someone. It kept curling up. He clenched his fists tightly


    by his sides and gritted his teeth secretly. He braced himself and said, ¡°We held a wedding ceremony


    and almost became husband and wife.¡±


    David let out a lowugh. His words were filled with unconceble mockery. ¡°You know it was almost.


    But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll let you know how st**pid your decision was to lose her.¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± Louis put on a fake smile and said. ¡°In the end, you just get a broken shoe that I don¡¯t want. But


    you show it off to me like you¡¯ve picked up a treasure¡­


    Before he could finish his words, a heavy punchnded on the bridge of his nose.


    Louis stag gered and fell to the ground.


    He covered the bridge of his nose and rubbed the bright red blood with his fingertips. After that, he


    red at David with his eyes widened.


    David looked down at him from above, and there was a terrifying pressure around him. ¡°I hope you can


    still be so arrogant in the future.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Rachel walked forward and tugged at theer of David¡¯s shirt.


    David nced at her. And then he took her hand, turning to leave.


    Louis narrowed his eyes and stared at their backs. He clenched his fists and mmed them on the


    ground.


    ¡°Louis, what¡¯s going on!¡± Olivia¡¯s voice sounded.


    She waited in the private room for a long time but did not see Louis, so she went out to look for him.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped out of the door, she saw Louis getting up from the ground


    awkwardly. There was even blood flowing out of his nostrils, which shocked Olivia.


    Louis raised his hand to wipe away the blood and said absent-mindedly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I identally


    bumped myself.¡±


    As he spoke, he quickly walked toward the restroom.


    When they returned to the private room, the Cruise family and the Smith family went straight to the


    point and made arrangements for Louis and Olivia¡¯s engagement.


    However, unexpectedly, Richard asked to hold a wedding ceremony for Olivia and Louis directly


    This was not part of the Smith family¡¯s n at all.


    Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith looked at each other, and an imperceptible gloominess shed across their


    eyes.


    ¡°Olivia will be our daughter-inw. No one can change that. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Mrs. Smith looked at Mr.


    and Mrs. Cruise¡¯s expression and lowered her head to hide the thoughts in her eyes. ¡°But marriage is a


    big deal in life. We have to be more careful, right? Why don¡¯t we make them get engaged first before


    making them get married?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Mr. Smith chimed in. ¡°The process has to be done step by step. Previously, when the two


    just got together, it already caused quite a bit of controversy. If they suddenly hold a wedding ceremony


    at this time, they will inevitably be criticized by the public again.¡±


    When Richard heard the words of the two people in front of him, he lowered his head to hide the


    scheming glint in his eyes.


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll do as you say. Let¡¯s make them get engaged first.¡± Richard gently tapped the cup¡¯s


    handle and continued, ¡°But how about letting them register their marriage first in order to prevent.


    making more trouble?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Mr. Smith felt a bit embarrassed. He subconsciously looked at Louis.


    Seeing that there was no change in Louis¡¯ expression, he simply nodded and agreed.


    Olivia was overjoyed at how smoothly the discussion went.


    She looked up at Louis and realized that he was sitting on the chair absent-mindedly. She did not know


    what he was thinking.

 Chapter 572

    Chapter 572


    Chapter 572


    The smile on Olivia¡¯s face dissipated a little. She pursed her lips and looked a little aggrieved.


    Bertha saw all of this. The gentleness in her eyes faded a little, and there was a sharpness in her eyes.


    She asked casually. ¡°Louis, if you have any requests or opinions, you can say them. After all, the


    marriage is between you and Olivia. As parents, our opinions are for reference only.¡±


    Louis suddenly came back to his senses. He looked up at Bertha and then at the slightly aggrieved


    Olivia. He frowned imperceptibly. After pondering for a long time, he said in a low voice, ¡°¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Mrs. Smith interrupted, ¡°Of course, Louis has no objections. He dreamed of


    marrying Olivia. After all these years, he finally got what he wanted. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll wake upughing in


    his dreams tonight. Isn¡¯t that right, Louis?¡±


    Mrs. Smith looked at Louis with a warning gaze.


    Louis was slightly stunned. He nodded and replied indifferently, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Cruise, along with Olivia, had a slightly better look on their face.


    During the meal, Olivia clearly noticed that Louis was distracted.


    She lowered her head to hide the coldness in her eyes. Her fingers that were holding the fork were


    pale, revealing the forbearance and restraint in her heart.


    Actually, during the entanglement between Louis and Rachel just now, she was hiding in the dark and


    watching clearly.


    In the past, she had only guessed that Louis had some feelings for Rachel, but that was just a guess.


    However, Louis¡¯ absent-minded state confirmed her guess.


    Men were indeed born despicable!


    They wouldn¡¯t cherish when they got something they wanted, but when they lost it, they started to


    regret it.


    Even if Louis had feelings for Rachel now, Olivia would never allow anyone to shake her status as


    Louis¡¯


    wife!


    However, a shotgun wedding¡­


    Olivia¡¯s hand hidden under the table fell quietly to her belly, and a touch of grief swept across her eyes.


    At this moment, Bertha picked up a piece of fish and ced it in her bowl. ¡°Have a try. This fish is very


    fresh.¡±


    Olivia came back to her senses and smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡±


    She noticed Bertha¡¯s meaningful gaze and nced at Louis, who was sitting opposite her. She pursed


    her lips and said, ¡°Louis, you try it too.¡±


    As she spoke, she picked up a piece of fish with her fork and ced it on the te in front of Louis.


    Unexpectedly, Louis did not even look at it but put it in his mouth directly.


    In the next second, his expression suddenly changed. He covered his neck and coughed drily.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± Bertha looked at Louis worriedly.


    Mrs Smith was so nervous that she jumped out of her seat. She patted Louis¡¯ back hard. ¡°Did you get


    stuck by fishbone?¡±


    Louis nodded. He straightened his neck and swallowed his saliva. The veins on his forehead bulged,


    which could tell that he was extremely painful.


    Mr. Smith hurriedly stood up. ¡°Quick, let¡¯s go to the hospital!¡±


    The group hurriedly left the private room.


    Their hasty movements attracted countless people¡¯s attention. The two managers who happened to be


    standing in front of Heavenly Private Room and waiting for instructions also saw the scene.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked one of the managers.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Richard and Mr. Smith could not help but be stunned when they saw the two managers.


    Who the hell was in Heavenly Private Room that was worth two managers personally waiting at the


    door?


    Louis and Olivia knew very well who was in Heavenly Private Room.


    Coincidentally, amand came from the managers earpiece. The two managers hurriedly walked in.


    The moment the door was pushed open, the group of people outside the private room curiously craned


    their necks to look over.


    Then they found that the people inside the private room were almost all people that could only be seen


    on television or in magazines. If they could casually befriend one, it would be a great honor for them.


    and their business could also easily rise to a higher level.


    Indeed, rich and powerful people would only make friends with rich and powerful people.


    Everyone sighed and slowly retracted their gazes.


    From the corner of their eyes, Richard and Mr. Smith saw an eye-catching face. Their gazes froze, and


    their expressions changed instantly.


    In an instant, it was as if they had been struck by lightning. They stood still on the ground and watched.


    with their eyes widened.


    That was¡­ Rachel?


    Why was she with this group of people?


    With Rachel¡¯s rural background, what right did she have to eat at the same table as this group of


    people?


    What surprised them even more was that everyone in the private room was actually a little respectful to


    her.


    There was no one in the private room that they could match up to, but the people in the private room.


    centered around Rachel.


    What the hell was going on?


    Richard didn¡¯t look good. Mr. Smith had an even worse look.


    He vaguely felt that the Smith family seemed to have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


    Ever since Rachel left, the Smith family seemed to have been cursed and began to slowly decline. No


    matter how hard they tried, they could not change it.


    But on the contrary, after Rachel left the Smith family, she seemed to get her lucky break.


    She had actually walked into the upper-ss circle of Seaxas¡¯ rich families without their knowledge.


    Now,


    she was even having a meal at the same table as the rich and powerful people in Seaxas.


    If the Smith family hadn¡¯t gotten into a fight with Rachel, if Louis hadn¡¯t abandoned her at the wedding


    ceremony, what would the Smith family be like now?


    It might have already be one of the Four Families.


    However, it was useless to think about this now.


    The engagement of Louis and Olivia had be a fact.


    The two of them were going to the city hall to register their marriage tomorrow.


    Mr. Smith sighed faintly and helped Louis away.


    Louis did not know how he got into the car and arrived at the hospital.


    His heart was filled with endless regret.


    If he could get to know the people in Heavenly Private Room, it would be a great help to the Smith


    Group.


    But it was toote now..


    Not only that, it seemed that from the moment he abandoned Rachel, everything was developing in a


    direction that he could not imagine.


    ¡°This fishbone is not small,¡± the doctor said as he threw the fishbone and the tweezers in his hand onto


    the te.


    Mrs. Smith could not help but frown when she looked up and saw the fishbone was stained with blood.


    She asked, ¡°How did it get so deep? Will it cause any effect on him?


    The doctor turned to Louis, ¡°This fishbone was stuck in the back wall of your pharyngeal cavity.


    Although it¡¯s not a big deal, it will inevitably cause pain if it cuts the mucous membrane of the wound.


    Under normal circumstances, it will gradually ease. If you don¡¯t feel relieved, I can prescribe you some


    medicine to help relieve your difort.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, doctor, Mrs. Smith said.


    After packing up and returning to the Smith family, Mrs. Smith saw that Louis was still absent-minded.


    She could not help but ask, ¡°Louis, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Louis was already so absent-minded when they were discussing the engagement in the private room.


    Now, he still looked like he was on the verge of death.


    ¡°Mom, do you think I did something wrong?¡± Louis mumbled.


    Mrs. Smith frowned slightly. ¡°What did you do wrong? What did you do?¡±

 Chapter 573

    Chapter 573


    Chapter 573


    At that time, Mrs. Smith was busy instructing the driver to drive over and didn¡¯t notice that Rachel was


    in the Heavenly Private Room.


    And she also had no idea what kind of important people Rachel was surrounded by today.


    If Louis hadn¡¯t walked out on Rachel at the wedding ceremony back then, would he and the Smith


    family have advanced to another socialyer now?


    Louis couldn¡¯t regret it more when he thought of this


    As the saying goes, a mother knows her son best.


    Looking at the sullen look on Louis¡¯s face, Mrs. Smith immediately warned him, ¡°Louis, I don¡¯t care


    what you¡¯re thinking, but I¡¯m warning you. Now that things havee to this, you have to ept your


    fate! Be good and go to the city hall with Olivia to get your marriage license tomorrow. Do you hear


    me?¡±


    Louis responded indifferently and got up to leave.


    Mrs. Smith stood rooted to the ground as she watched him leave. She could not help but sigh. ¡°What¡¯s


    with this nonsense?¡±


    Actually, Olivia wasn¡¯t the perfect option in Mrs. Smith¡¯s opinion. She only did this because of the fact


    that Olivia was Marina¡¯s godd aughter now.


    Olivia wasn¡¯t the only one who knew this and the Cruise family knew it even better.


    ¡°Dad, why did you suddenly mention marriage today?¡± Olivia looked at him, confused.


    Richard looked up at her deeply with a significant smile. ¡°If I just say that you two should go to the city


    hall and get married so straightforwardly, do you think the Smith family would agree to this?¡±


    From the beginning, Richard had no intention of letting Louis and Olivia hold the wedding ceremony.


    His actual intention was just to make sure Louis and Olivia would get married as soon as possible.


    However, the Smith family would definitely not go with it if he said that directly.


    Bertha sneered, ¡°The Smith family are all so scheming. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we have Marina.


    backing us up, the Smith family would still be so arrogant and look down on all of us!¡±


    ¡°There are some things that you should only keep in your heart and there¡¯s no need to say it out loud.¡±


    Richard nced at Olivia meaningfully.


    Only then did Bertha finally shut her mouth. However, she was really upset because she couldn¡¯t get it


    out.


    ¡°There¡¯s a charity banquet tomorrow night. Get yourself prepared for it. You¡¯ll go to the banquet with


    Louis so that you can take this chance to salvage your reputation,¡± Richard said.


    Olivia answered, ¡°Okay.¡±


    On the other side, Rachel and the others had finished their meal and it was almost 1 o¡¯clock.


    Boyce was getting old and also feeling a bit unwell. He needed to go back home and rest early.


    After he said goodbye to everyone, Boyce¡¯s assistant came to pick him up.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, if you think it through one day, let me know,¡± Boyce said earnestly.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Got it, Mr. Hernandez.¡±


    After sending Boyce off, Rachel greeted the others and followed David into the car.


    When the people behind saw Rachel leave, they could not help but whisper, ¡°That¡¯s Boyce¡¯s favorite


    student. What a pity. Otherwise, it would be great if she stayed with us.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she only know how to do orthopedic massage?¡± the person beside him asked in confusion.


    Karen lit a cigarette and said in a deep and (ho ar se) voice, ¡°This is only one of her many skills. In the


    assessment back then, she was the number one in the entire military region and the champion of the


    individual tournament in the international exercise.¡±


    She was also the focus of the entire military region.


    ording to the original n, Rachel would officially join the army after returning from Country A.


    However, when she returned, she chose to quit. Until now, no one knew what had happened.


    That person said. ¡°What a pity. Such a good opportunity was wasted just like that.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then you¡¯re wrong big time,¡± the captain standing at the side suddenly spoke.


    Sensing that person¡¯s puzzled gaze, the captain smiled and said. ¡°It¡¯s because this ce is not good


    enough for her to shine.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for Lucas, she might not have been willing to help today.


    Sandalwood Hills.


    Rachel was sitting on the sofa.


    She liked to curl up on the corner of the sofa as her smooth long hair fell naturally on her shoulders.


    David was sitting beside her. He held her slender ankle with his left hand and gently massaged it with


    his right hand. From the corner of his eye, he kept watching the expression on her face.


    ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± he asked.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°It stopped hurting a long time ago.¡±


    This little injury was nothing to her.


    When she was very young. Darcy began teaching her about human joints.


    A little more force could incapacitate a person and make them stay in bed for life.


    Of course, there were also some bones that could not be touched easily.


    Because once they were touched, that person would lose his life.


    David sprayed the spray for her and rubbed it away with moderate strength. He asked casually, ¡°Did


    you learn how to do orthopedic massage from Boyce?¡±


    ¡°Boyce did teach me a lot,¡± Rachel said, ¡°but I first learned it from Darcy.¡±


    Rachel did not hide this fact from David.


    However, when David heard this, he raised his eyebrows slightly and a meaningful dark glint shed


    across his eyes.


    There was silence in the living room, but the atmosphere was harmonious and warm.


    At this moment, Rachel¡¯s phone rang.


    She looked down to check the message.


    [Mary Green: Yulia¡¯s wedding dress has beenpleted. Please take a look.]


    And there was a video attached.


    The hem of the wedding dress was decorated with embroidery, and the threads reflected sparkling


    beams under the light.


    Rachel quickly started typing as she replied, ¡°Has she tried it? Is there anything that needs to be


    adjusted?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good,¡± Mary said, ¡°but Yulia invited us to her wedding. Are you free the day after tomorrow?¡±


    The day after tomorrow¡­


    Rachel checked the calendar and started smiling significantly.


    It happened to be Olivia¡¯s birthday.


    She had prepared a big gift for Olivia!


    Rachel turned to look at the day before, and a sly smile shed across her eyes.


    However, David¡¯s birthday was more important.


    ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± David suddenly asked.


    Rachel looked up at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an auction tomorrow night. Do you want to go and y?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    As he spoke, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    It was an unknown call, but the location was Seaxas.


    She swiped her finger across the screen and picked up the call. Before she could speak, Oscar¡¯s voice


    came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Miss Grey, this is Oscar.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Rachel was casually ying with a strand of hair hanging from her chest.


    Although that was all she said, it made Oscar¡¯s heart race uncontrobly. ¡°Miss Grey, can I buy you


    dinner?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Miss Grey, I don¡¯t mean any harm. I just want to thank you for saving my life back then. Actually¡­


    Actually, I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time. I¡¯ve been dreaming of seeing you again.¡±


    I¡¯ve had a crush on you for a long time.


    However, Oscar knew what kind of consequences it would bring if he really say it out loud, so he only


    said it silently in his heart.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°I appreciate your kindness.¡±


    Back then, she and Lucas identally barged into Pharcborough and unwillingly got involved in a


    gunfight.


    At dawn, the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, and on either side of the roady many


    unfortunate men who had been shot.


    Oscar was one of them.


    She saved him because he was not destined to die.

 Chapter 574

    Chapter 574


    Chapter 574


    David¡¯s palm tightened a little, making Rachel involuntarily gasp. She didn¡¯t know if he was doing that


    on purpose or not.


    She looked up at David.


    Her clear almond eyes were looking at him with a hint of innocence.


    However, David did not ignore the slyness that shed across her eyes.


    She was clearly doing this on purpose to arouse his sympathy and make him feel bad for her.


    On the other end of the phone, Oscar heard the noise and hurriedly asked, ¡°Miss Grey, what¡¯s wrong?


    Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Rachel said and hung up.


    She casually threw the phone aside and rubbed her feet on David¡¯s legs restlessly, tugging the corner


    of his shirt with her toes.


    She was seducing him right now but she pretended to be so nice and innocent. ¡°Why are you looking at


    me like that?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± David raised his eyebrows, his eyes darkening.


    He grabbed her slender ankle.


    Rachel got goosebumps the moment she felt the heat of his palm on her skin.


    She instinctively pulled away, but her ankle was held tightly by the man.


    Rachel¡¯s heart started racing.


    Oh no, she had provoked him way too much!


    ¡°David, I¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, David¡¯s hand that was holding her ankle suddenly pulled down.


    Rachel was caught off guard and fell onto the sofa.


    David parted her legs with his knees and knelt on one knee on the sofa. He ced his hands on both


    sides of her head and leaned down to look down at her.


    His well-defined face was a little gloomy, and his dark eyes were like a bottomlesske that no one


    could see through.


    ¡°Tell me, what should I do when my fianc¨¦e is flirting with another man in front of me?¡± he asked in a


    low and husky voice.


    Rachel blinked and pondered for a moment before saying calmly, ¡°I think men should be more


    generous.¡±


    Hearing this, David narrowed his eyes. He was obviously dissatisfied with what Rachel just said. ¡°What


    about women?¡±


    ¡°As a woman, promises are not as effective as actual actions.¡± As she spoke, she grabbed David¡¯s tie


    and forced him to lower his head to her as her soft lips pressed against his cold lips.


    The sudden kiss made David shudder.


    Instinctively, he quickly came to his senses and took control.


    His kiss was as domineering as ever, not giving Rachel any chance to escape.


    When he bit Rachel¡¯s lips, she couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    The air in her lungs was gradually sucked out as if all the strength in her body had been stolen away.


    Her hand that was holding the man¡¯s cor slowly lost its strength.


    Just as she felt that she was about to pass out from suffocation, David let go of her.


    He pressed his forehead against hers and stared at her with his dark eyes.


    Rachely on the sofa with no strength left.


    Her smooth long hair was spread on the sofa like fine silk, and her beautiful corbone could be seen


    in her messy and loose cor.


    She opened her lips slightly as she was catching her breath. Her cheeks were blushing and turned


    rosy.


    She looked up at him and with one look, she could take anyone¡¯s breath away.


    David¡¯s swallowed and his eyes darkened. He ran his hand through her hair and rubbed it softly. ¡°Were


    you trying to y up to me just now?¡±


    ¡°I was trying to please you.¡± Rachel looked at him with a smile.


    Her eyes were sparkling, and her red lips were curled into a bright smile, making her gorgeous face


    even more dazzling.


    Seeing that David didn¡¯t say anything, she (hoo ked) her legs around his lean waist and rolled over to


    pin him down, sitting on top of him. ¡°Are you still mad at me?¡±!


    ¡°What do you think?¡± David asked.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°In my opinion, you¡¯re not angry anymore.¡± Rachel smiled like a fox. ¡°You¡¯re the most forgiving person


    on the, right?¡±


    David looked at her while she was being naughty and the coldness in his eyes faded a little.


    He stood up and picked Rachel up in his arms. He pushed her long hair aside and rubbed her earlobe.


    He said in his deep voice, ¡°Tell me about this Oscar.¡±


    Rachel could not help but raise her eyebrows.


    It seemed that if she didn¡¯t exin it to him clearly, this matter would not pass.


    Noticing that he was rubbing behind her sensitive ears, she curled her fingers slightly and her body


    stiffened unnaturally.


    She subconsciously wanted to dodge, but her waist was tightly held by the man¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, why are you so sensitive?¡± David¡¯s lips were pressed against her temples as he whispered


    in his deep and maic voice.


    Rachel nced at him. ¡°Do you still want to hear what I¡¯m about to say?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. He probably just wants to repay me for saving his life.¡±


    Hearing this, a hint of yfulness shed across David¡¯s eyes. ¡°When did you save him?¡±


    ¡°Five years ago, in Phareborough.¡± Rachel turned over and sat on the seat beside him. She slowly


    smoothed out the creases on her shirt and looked at the zing sun outside the window, saying


    indifferently. ¡°At that time, everything was very chaotic. People who were shot could be seen


    everywhere on the street. He was one of them. It was just that he was much luckier than the others, so


    I saved him.¡±


    But now it seemed that he had a crush on her.


    She was not some teenage girl who didn¡¯t know much about romance, so it was not difficult for her to


    tell why he made this call and asked her out for dinner.


    It was not that she was narcissistic, but Oscar, the legendary sharpshooter, was like a dumb teenager


    who had his thoughts written all over his face.


    ¡°Phareborough is indeed the city with the most gunfights every year. The government has tried to


    intervene. Obviously, the results were unsatisfactory.¡± David sensed Rachel¡¯s low mood and stroked


    her soft hair with his palm as if he was petting a cat.


    Rachel looked at him. ¡°You seem to know Pharcborough very well.¡±


    David smiled meaningfully. I¡¯ve been there a few times. Maybe we¡¯ve even met before.¡±


    ¡°Is that possible?¡± Rachel felt that such a coincidence was too unrealistic.


    David raised her eyebrows. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Coincidentally, his phone rang.


    He got up and answered the call.


    The call was from Jimmy.


    ¡°David, Landon and I just received a batch of goods. We¡¯re rich now!¡± He shouted excitedly.


    Compared to his excitement, David was quite calm. ¡°Give the phone to Landon.¡±


    On the other end of the line. Jimmy obediently passed the phone to Landon. ¡°Here, he wants to talk to


    you.¡±


    Landon took his phone and lit a cigarette. ¡°This batch of goods is too big. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be process.


    If Ronnie finds out, there will be another battle.¡±


    This was a good worth tens of billions!


    easy to


    David narrowed her eyes as they flickered coldly. ¡°Do you need me to teach you the phrase ¡®dog eat


    dog?¡± Hearing this, Landon smiled and said, ¡°Understood.¡±


    They were not good people to begin with, and when it came to ¡°dog eat dog¡±, no one did it better than


    them.


    After hanging up the phone, David returned to the sofa.


    He realized that Rachel had fallen asleep on the sofa.


    David looked at her with a smile and sighed.


    This careless girl. They had been together for so long. Why hadn¡¯t she realized the fact that he was


    that person?

 Chapter 575

    Chapter 575


    Chapter 575


    Rachel was sound asleep, dreaming.


    Although it was just a dream, it was something that had really happened.


    She went back to that long night five years ago in Phareborough.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    The air was tainted with the smell of blood and gunpowder. The person who got shot was lying on the


    ground, struggling in pain.


    However, no matter how fast she was, she could not surpass the speed of death.


    No matter how hard she tried, she could only watch that person die. It was a huge blow for her.


    Just as she was questioning herself, a bullet was fired at her.


    Before she could turn around, someone suddenly showed up and pushed her to the ground.


    Due to inertia, the two of them broke through the ss of the basement and rolled into a shabby and


    dark basement.


    There was no light inside. It was endless, like a depraved abyss.


    There was a strange aura in the air, and the pattering sound became especially clear.


    Rachel could not see what was inside clearly, but she was sensitive enough to sense that danger was


    approaching.


    She could not help but tense up. She subconsciously reached for her weapon, but then she realized


    that she had lost the dagger she carried with her.


    Sensing her nervousness, the man beside her whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    His voice was low and deep, like an ice-breaking spring tainted with a hint of coldness.


    ¡°You¡¯re Crucsian?¡± Hearing the familiarnguage, Rachel felt more at ease.


    The man responded indifferently.


    On that long night, the man was like a guardian angel. He silently protected her and helped her make it


    out alive in this world.


    It was not until dawn when she slowly woke up and saw the blood on her hands that she realized that


    he was also injured.


    However, that man had disappeared without a trace.


    There were no clues left behind.


    She vaguely remembered that there seemed to be a faint smell of ebony on the man.


    The cold wooden fragrance gradually became clear and real.


    Rachel suddenly opened her eyes. When she saw David¡¯s face that was so close to her, she could not


    help but be stunned.


    ¡°Go to sleep.¡± David stretched out his arm and gently pulled her into his embrace.


    Rachel took the opportunity to snuggle into his arms. Smelling that cold scent, she felt strangely at


    ease.


    But no matter how she closed her eyes, she could not fall asleep.


    The two of them hugged each other, their heartbeats gradually bing synchronized.


    David¡¯s thin lips were pressed against her temple, kissing her.


    She could feel his breath on her face sweeping the loose hair at her temples.


    ¡°It¡¯s itchy.¡± Rachel couldn¡¯t help but flinch.


    She was smiling but she did not open her eyes. She kept her eyes closed, and the palm on his chest


    slowly


    moved down to his waist. Her movements were slow as if she was recalling something.


    However, what she was doing was leading David on.


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he reached for her wrist. ¡°Are you seducing me?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you don¡¯t have enough self-control?¡± Rachel asked.


    David raised his eyebrows. She was getting better at ming others now!


    ¡°Do you want to visit grandma tonight?¡± David held her hand and kissed it gently.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the two of them walked hand in hand into Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s


    Trinisia garden.


    Upon seeing their arrival, Old Mrs. Jones quickly put down the things in her hands and waved at


    Rachel. ¡°Rae-Rae,e over and let grandma take a good look


    ¡°Grandma. Rachel obediently walked up to her.


    Old Mrs. Jones was grinning happily. She held Rachel¡¯s hand and eyed her up and down and her gaze


    finallynded on Rachel¡¯s stomach.


    Sensing Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s burning gaze, Rachel was a little embarrassed and didn¡¯t know how to react.


    At this moment, David walked forward and reached our his arm to pull Rachel into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s been a


    while since thest time I came here. Aren¡¯t you going to let us in?¡±


    ¡°And you know it¡¯s been a while.¡± Old Mrs. Jones red at him angrily. Then, she looked at Rachel with


    a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Rae-Rae. Come on in and try the new coffee that I got.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rachel let Old Mrs. Jones hold her hand as they walked in.


    David smiled. After the two of them walked away, the smile on his face faded a little. He looked at


    Rosie and asked casually, ¡°Has anyone disturbed Old Mrs. Jones recently?¡±


    Although he did not say it explicitly, it was not difficult for Rosie to guess who he was talking about.


    ¡°She dide and made a scene a few days ago, Rosie said, ¡°you know Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s temper, Mr.


    David. She has always been reasonable and fair. Moreover, she really adores Miss Grey. Miss Marina


    felt that Old Mrs. Jones was ying favorites. In the end, the two of them parted on bad terms.¡±


    With that, Rosie could not help but sigh. ¡°Old Mrs. Jones said that she doesn¡¯t care, but at the end of


    the day, Miss Marina is her child.¡±


    Ever since Marina made a scene and left, Old Mrs. Jones had not been able to sleep well during this


    period of time, but she had reminded Rosie not to tell anyone.


    David frowned slightly, and there was a terrifying tension mounting up in the room.


    ¡°Spread my word, from now on, whoever dares to let Marina in will be banished!¡± His deep and cold


    voice carried a deterrent force.


    When the (ser vants ) heard this, they answered as they trembled in fear, ¡°Yes, Mr. David!¡±


    In the living room, Old Mrs. Jones frowned when she heard this.


    ¡°This is¡­ Rachel looked at the note in the coffee bean jar and carefully took it out.


    Old Mrs. Jones suddenly came back to her senses. When she saw the note that Rachel took out, she


    seemed to have suddenly thought of something. Then she stood up and (sna tched ) it over.


    She unfolded the note and quickly read it.


    It said. ¡°In this sullen autumn, the wind is bleak and the moon is bright. The leaves gathered and sca


    ttered in the wind, and the jackdaw was startled by the sound. I miss you and hope you and I will meet


    again, but I don¡¯t know when, and I can¡¯t stand the lonely sadness anymore tonight.¡±


    When she read thest sentence, Old Mrs. Jones tore the note into pieces and scolded angrily, ¡°Pfft!


    This old (ba stard ) is so shameless!¡±


    ¡°I miss you and hope you and I will meet again¡±?


    In that case, should she close all the roads to Seaxas or get someone to break his legs?


    It had been so long, but that man didn¡¯t evene to look for her. All he did was write such a bad


    poem!


    Would it kill him to be more sincere?


    Old Mrs. Jones felt a surge of anger in her chest and she wanted to take it out on something so badly.


    When she saw the coffee bean jar, she quickly walked over and threw it on the ground furiously.


    With the sound of porcin shattering. David and Rosie rushed in at the same time.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Jones.¡± Rosie hurriedly walked in. When she saw the broken coffee bean jar and the


    shredded paper on the ground, she vaguely realized what was going on.


    Rosie gave the (ser vants ) a look, indicating that they should quickly clean up the floor.


    Rosie helped Old Mrs. Jones back to the armchair and sighed softly, saying regretfully, ¡°That¡¯s Blue


    Mountain and it¡¯s your favorite. It¡¯s a pity that it shattered just like that.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones snorted angrily. ¡°I do like Blue Mountain, but I can also live without it!¡±

 Chapter 576

    Chapter 576


    Chapter 576


    Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s words had a double meaning.


    It seemed that she was talking about coffee and the shattered jar, but she also seemed to be talking


    about Old Mr. Jones, who was far away in Aureliana.


    Everyone present could understand Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s implication.


    Rachel did not say anything.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Previously, she had heard from David that Old Mrs. Jones and Old Mr. Jones had a conflict, which was


    why Old Mrs. Jones ran away from home. However, judging from Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s attitude now, this


    conflict would probably not be resolved in a short period of time.


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t like Blue Mountain, then try the Mandheling coffee I brought for you this time,¡± David


    said and gestured for the (ser vant ) to bring it over.


    Rachel tacitly took it and methodically made a coffee.


    She handed the cup of coffee to Old Mrs. Jones with both hands. ¡°Have a try, Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Leave these things to the subordinates.¡± Old Mrs. Jones took the cup of coffee and put it aside


    casually. She stroked Rachel¡¯s hand and her tone turned soft and amiable again. ¡°My good girl, did I


    scare you just


    now?¡±


    Rachel smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m not like a cat or anything. Grandma. How could I be frightened so easily?¡±


    David¡¯s lips curled into a meaningful smile. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not a cat, indeed.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel looked over and saw David¡¯s hand brushing past his lips.


    Some ambiguous scenes shed across Rachel¡¯s mind. Her fair cheeks were slightly flushed.


    Old Mrs. Jones silently watched the eye contact between Rache?and David, and an ambiguous smile


    shed across her eyes.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Jones, the food is ready,¡± Rosie said.


    Old Mrs. Jones nodded and held Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go to dinner.¡±


    Rachel replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    During the meal, the atmosphere was very harmonious.


    ¡°Well, are you leaving me alone outside so you can have a family reunion here?¡± A sudden voice


    sounded.


    The woman said this in a soft but squeaky voice that was filled with strange emotions, making it sound


    a little harsher.


    When Old Mrs. Jones heard this, she put down the fork in her hand. ¡°If you want to join us for dinner, I¡¯ll


    tell them to get you utensils. But if you¡¯re deliberately looking for trouble, I¡¯d suggest you leave!¡±


    Marina was dissatisfied in the first ce. When she heard Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s words, she became even


    angrier.


    However, faced with David, she could not help but feel a little afraid.


    After thinking about it, she could only vent her anger on Rachel. ¡°If an outsider can just stay here and


    eat calmly, why can¡¯t I?¡±


    As she spoke, she threw her bag to the (ser vant) beside her and sat opposite Rachel.


    ¡°Good job, Miss Grey. Not only my nephew, a man who never gets close to women, jumps through


    hoops for


    you all day long, but also Old Mrs. Jones is willing to trust you. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to do that for


    the rest of my life.¡± Marina deliberately said this in a mean tone. She was like a dagger that had lost its


    rationality and wanted to stab anyone in front of her.


    Rachel looked up at her and said with a faint smile, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m naturally likable.¡±


    In other words, Marina could only me herself for not being liked!


    When Marina heard the mockery in Rachel¡¯s words, her face immediately darkened. She stared at her


    coldly. ¡°You are so shameless, Rachel Grey!¡±


    However, before she could finish her sentence, David put down the fork in his hand.


    The fork hit the table, making a neither loud nor soft sound, making Marina¡¯s heart (sk ip) a beat.


    ¡°Since when do you think you have the right to tell my girl what to do?¡± David looked up, his sharp gaze


    stabbing at Marina like a sharp knife.


    Marina secretly gritted her teeth and suppressed the anger in her heart. She looked at Old Mrs. Jones


    with an aggrieved expression. ¡°Mom, just look at how this woman has incited David to behave like this!


    He doesn¡¯t even show any respect for his own aunt! It seems like he has no regard for you either!¡±


    As she spoke, she raised her voice and was about to cry


    Rosie, who was standing on the side, looked impatient. Miss Marina, you¡¯re not a child anymore. Why


    do you have to cry every time you see Old Mrs. Jones? Can¡¯t you just let Old Mrs. Jones have a


    peaceful


    meal?¡±


    There was a hint of dissatisfaction in her tone.


    If it was an ordinary person, Marina would throw a fit on the spot, but this person was Rosie Crox.


    She was Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s most trusted person.


    Often, the words she said were equivalent to Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s attitude.


    Marina clenched her fists under the table and turned to look at Old Mrs. Jones, who was sitting in the


    main seat of the table.


    Seeing her indifferent attitude, Marina immediately knew that if she continued to argue, she would be


    the one who would be embarrassed in the end.


    She wanted to get up and leave, but she was the one who asked to stay here in the first ce. If she


    left just like that, she would definitely look like a clown.


    Helpless, Marina could only bite the bullet and sit here to eat.


    However, this meal tasted extremely insipid to her.


    Especially when Marina saw David sitting with Rachel, she felt even more unhappy. ¡°Mom, David¡¯s


    birthday ising. ording to the rules of the Jones family, we should go home, right?¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones looked at Marina indifferently. ¡°This is Trinisia garden, not the Jones family. Stop with


    the Jones family thing.¡±


    away


    ¡°Mom, even if you¡¯re upset, you should have some restraint. It¡¯s okay for you to throw a tantrum and


    run


    from home, but what about David?¡± Marina said, ¡°Dad and my brother have been thinking about him.


    They¡¯ve been preparing for his birthday party for a long time. I heard that someone from the Clifford


    family¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk when you¡¯re eating!¡± Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s eyes gradually darkened. Her words carried a hint of


    warning. ¡°Have you forgotten the rules I taught you in the past?¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones rarely got angry.


    It was precisely because of this that once she was enraged, it would cause fear to arise in one¡¯s heart.


    Marina froze for a moment, and her grip on her fork tightened. Finally, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and


    down her utensils. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t havee here today!¡±


    With that, she stood up and left.


    Old Mrs. Jones watched her leave and said coldly, ¡°From now on, you don¡¯t have toe here


    anymore.¡± ¡°Are you chasing me out of the house?¡± Marina narrowed her eyes, her expression


    unreadable. ¡°Well, the Jones family means nothing to you. You¡¯re too good to be here with me,¡± Old


    Mrs. Jones said.


    Marina stared at her without blinking. She snorted and left without looking back.


    After Marina left, Old Mrs. Jones lost interest in eating. She told David and Rachel that she was going


    back to her room to rest.


    In the dining room, Rachel rested her chin on one hand and rested her other hand on the table. Her


    clean and slender fingers tapped on the tabletop, again and again, which was nerve-racking. ¡°Is that


    person from the Clifford family a woman?¡±


    David frowned slightly. ¡°It could also be a man.¡±


    Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°If it¡¯s really a man, why did she say that in front of me just now?


    Why did grandma interrupt her at the critical moment?¡±

 Chapter 577

    Chapter 577


    Chapter 577


    David Jones frowned slightly. ¡°It could also be a man.¡±


    Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°If it¡¯s really a man, why did she say that in front of me just now?


    Why did Grandma interrupt her at the critical moment?¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones was angry just now for two reasons.


    Firstly, Marina did not follow the rules.


    Secondly, she saw through her trick of sowing discord.


    David looked up at her. After peeling thest shrimp in his hand, he took a tissue and slowly wiped his


    well-defined fingers. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Am I a mistress of yours?¡± Rachel asked.


    Regardless of whether Marina¡¯s words were meant to sow discord or to deliberately mystify things, it


    had to be said that she had indeed piqued her curiosity.


    There was no woman in this world who didn¡¯t care if her man was getting too close to other women.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    If she really didn¡¯t care, it must be because she didn¡¯t love him.


    ¡°No!¡± David looked at her and felt that his answer a second ago was not serious enough. He continued


    seriously. ¡°Other than you, I haven¡¯t been with any other woman.¡±


    Upon hearing his answer, Rachel said calmly without any hesitation, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t ept that David had been with other women before.


    It was because she couldn¡¯t ept that after David got together with her, he still maintained an


    ambiguous rtionship with other women.


    She could not ept the existence of a mistress.


    She did not care about David¡¯s past. After all, she was the one who was and would be with him.


    David looked at Rachel¡¯s cheeks that were filled with shrimp and could not help but reach out to pinch.


    her face.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Rachel stared at him angrily with her sparkling eyes.


    David said, ¡°Why can¡¯t you be a little more st*pid!¡±


    Rachel rubbed her face. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. You¡¯re too smart.¡±


    After eating, the two of them nned to leave after saying goodbye to Old Mrs. Jones.


    However, Old Mrs. Jones held Rachel¡¯s hand and chatted with her for a long time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let my words bother you, Rae-Rae,¡± Old Mrs. Jones said. ¡°I can assure you that David has never


    been with any woman other than you.¡±


    At this point, Old Mrs. Jones thought of something and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Let me tell you


    something. Back then, I suspected that David had some unspeakable mysterious illness. I even sent


    someone to tie him up and send him to the hospital for a checkup.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    ¡°You¡¯re not treating me as an outsider, Grandma,¡± she thought. ¡°Why are you telling me all these?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as I¡¯m here, no one can bully you,¡± Old Mrs. Jones said. She took a wooden box


    carved with a phoenix from Rosie¡¯s hand and handed it to Rachel. ¡°Take this.¡±


    Rachel looked at the box in front of her.


    Although she did not know what was inside the box, she was quite sure that the item inside was


    priceless, judging from the box carved with a phoenix.


    Rachel didn¡¯t want to take Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s things, so she returned it to her. ¡°Grandma, I can¡¯t take


    this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my family. Why can¡¯t you take it?¡± Old Mrs. Jones said as she stuffed the box into Rachel¡¯s


    arms.


    Rachel looked at David at a loss.


    David¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly into a faint smile. ¡°Since Grandma gives it to you, just take it.


    Anyway, she has got a lot of good things.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips. ¡°Thank you, Grandma.¡°


    Rachel¡¯s words brought a bright smile to Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s face. ¡°Well, you have taken it. From now on,


    you will be David¡¯s wife. You can¡¯t go back on your word.¡±


    Rachel was stunned.


    For some reason, she felt like she had sold herself to David.


    The two of them chatted for a long time until eight o¡¯clock in the evening. After Old Mrs. Jones took her


    medicine, Rachel and David stood up and left.


    Watching the two of them leave, Old Mrs. Jones could not help but sigh softly. ¡°I wonder how long I can


    protect her.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that. Mrs. Jones. You¡¯re lucky and blessed. Don¡¯t worry about them.¡± Rosie


    carefully tucked Old Mrs. Jones in. ¡°You know Mr. David well. No matter what kind ofmotion there


    will be, it will have nothing to do with Miss Grey.¡±


    When Old Mrs. Jones heard this, she still had a worried expression on her face. ¡°Have you invited the


    Johnson family?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Rosie replied, ¡°but they said that Old Mr. Johnson has been feeling unwell recently and can¡¯t


    receive guests.¡±


    When Old Mrs. Jones heard this, a meaningful smile shed across her eyes. ¡°I guess he won¡¯t be able


    to recover for a while.


    Rosie smiled tacitly.


    After David came out of the bathroom, he saw Rachel sitting cross-legged at the end of the bed. She


    opened the box, took out the things inside, and ced them in front of her one by one.


    Rachel rested her chin on her hand and looked at the ne, bracelet, earrings, and ring.


    ¡°This set of jewelry is a little old.¡± David dried his hair as he walked straight to Rachel, his legs straight


    and slender.


    When he passed by the sofa, he put down the towel in his hand and sat beside Rachel.


    Rachel looked up at him. ¡°Well, tell me something about these.¡±


    Judging from the color of this set of jewelry, one could tell that it was priceless, and there were four rare


    pieces of them!


    She did not expect Old Mrs. Jones to be so generous.


    ¡°These are the engagement gifts given to Grandma. They¡¯re quite old. It¡¯s said that Grandma¡¯s mother


    passed it to her back then,¡± David said as he picked up the bracelet and put it on Rachel¡¯s wrist.


    Its color made Rachel¡¯s skin look even fairer than that of an angel.


    David¡¯s fingers rubbed her wrist. ¡°It suits you very well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so precious. I¡¯ll return these to Grandma another day,¡± Rachel said and was about to take the


    bracelet off her wrist.


    David grabbed her hand. ¡°Since you¡¯re wearing it, I won¡¯t let you take it off.¡±


    ¡°You want to keep me with you with this?¡± Rachel raised her arm and shook the bracelet on her wrist.


    ¡°With the bracelet and me!¡± David said. He leaned over and pressed Rachel under him. His arms and


    legs


    held her tightly in his arms.


    Rachel rolled her eyes helplessly. ¡°Why are you so childish, David?¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do something mature, shall we?¡± His fingertips held Rachel¡¯s chin as he kissed her lips.


    Rachel opened her mouth and breathed heavily, giving David a chance to take advantage of the


    situation.


    He ran his fingers through her hair and held the back of her head. He went straight in and invaded her


    mouth, little by little.


    Sometimes it was intense, and sometimes it was gentle.


    His breath was like an imprable that wrapped around her tightly, wanting to devour her.


    The corner of her pajamas was lifted, and the skin around her waist was exposed, causing her body to


    tremble.


    He kissed her all the way down.


    Gradually, he reached the sensitive area of Rachel¡¯s body. Her fingertips curled up. ¡°Enough¡­ This is


    enough¡­¡±


    If he continued, he would soon lose control.

 Chapter 578

    Chapter 578


    Chapter 578


    David looked up at her. There seemed to be a spark in the depths of his dark eyes, illuminating the


    hidden addiction and lust.


    ¡°Do you I¡¯m childish now?¡± His deep voice was tinged with a sensual (hoa rseness) that had a


    bewitching charm.


    Rachel gulped and pretended to be calm. ¡°You¡¯re not childish.¡±


    ¡°As an adult, we should do something that isn¡¯t childish, right?¡± David¡¯s lips curled into a smile, making


    him look like a refined (sc um) .


    Rachel was speechless.


    She seemed to have set a trap for herself.


    Knowing that she would be making a mistake if she said anything more, she simply lowered her eyes


    and pursed her lips without saying anything.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes were long and thick, like a bird¡¯s feathers, casting a faint shadow under her eyes.


    Her nose bridge was straight, and her slightly swollen lips were glowing with a faint luster, which were


    exceptionally attractive.


    Her facial features were exquisite and delicate, just like a doll.


    Looking down from her beautiful face, David saw her slightly messy cor.


    Two buttons of her pajamas were unbuttoned, and the curve of her chest could be vaguely seen.


    David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down, and his eyes darkened. His hand on her waist tightened.


    ¡°David, you¡¯re hurting me.¡± Rachel struggled slightly.


    David looked up at her. ¡°If you can¡¯t even endure a little pain, you¡¯re going to experience something


    worse.


    Rachel was at a loss for words.


    Could someone tell her how to continue this conversation?


    She pursed her lips and looked into David¡¯s eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she asked carefully,


    ¡°Will it¡­ hurt much?


    David frowned slightly and pondered seriously. It was as if he was using everything he had learned in


    his life to answer Rachel¡¯s question.


    After a moment of silence, he asked, ¡°Do you want to give it a try?¡±


    Rachel was astonished.


    How should she answer this question?


    Just when she was wondering what to say, David bent down again and kissed her lips.


    Amidst their unsteady breaths, David vaguely heard Rachel mutter softly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­ give it a


    try¡­¡±


    David¡¯s body stiffened, but he didn¡¯t answer her. His lips pressed against her skin and moved down.


    Rachel gripped the bedsheets tightly with both hands nervously. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have any experience in


    this. Be gentle¡­¡±


    A little whileter, he buried his head in the crook of her neck. Panting slightly, he chuckled gloomily.


    ¡°Sleep.¡±


    His hot breath sprayed on her skin, as if it was burning.


    Rachel came back to her senses in confusion. When she met David¡¯s smiling eyes, she kicked him off


    the bed angrily.


    She grabbed the corner of the nket and rolled around, wrapping herself in it, revealing only half of


    her head.


    David looked at the ¡°giant omelet¡± on the bed, and the smile in his eyes gradually fainted.


    He got up and silently walked into the bathroom.


    After more than half an hour of cold showers, he deeply understood what it meant to ask for trouble.


    Meanwhile, Rachel had already fallen asleep.


    David walked over to her quietly, lifted the nket, and crawled in.


    Rachel felt the area of the soft bed beside her sink. She could vaguely smell a familiar scent. She


    crawled into his arms and rubbed her head against his chest.


    David stretched out his arm and hugged her. His palm gently caressed her back. ¡°Good night.¡±


    Rachel muttered in a low voice, ¡°Good night.¡±


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    The next morning.


    After Louis and Olivia walked out of the city hall, Louis apanied her to Winnie¡¯s studio to try on the


    new gown.


    The gown they needed this time should not only cater to the theme of the birthday party meeting, but it


    also had to meet the requirements of the engagement.


    Hence, the entire gown was in white.


    Olivia looked at the ready-made gown and was stunned. ¡°Miss Yule, you¡¯re indeed the champion of the


    fashionpetition. Even though you¡¯ve kept a low profile for the past few years, your design is still so


    stunning, but¡­¡°


    She paused for a moment and said doubtfully, ¡°I remember that your previous design style was not like


    this.¡±


    Winnie¡¯s design style used to be gorgeous and casual.


    However, this time, the gown had a more traditional style. It was as exquisite as a piece of art.


    Hearing this, Winnie¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°To be honest, the main reason I came back to Crucsia


    this time was to change my design style. Coincidentally, you found me, so I made a certain


    breakthrough ording to your image. Actually, I didn¡¯t expect it to be so good in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case, we¡¯ve achieved something for each other, right?¡± Olivia asked.


    The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Winnie suddenly thought of something. ¡°There¡¯s


    something I want to ask your opinion on.¡±


    Olivia admired the gown in front of her and said casually, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I want to participate in the fashionpetition this time with the draft design,¡± Winnie said. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t


    go well. I might need to take this gown with me. I wonder if you¡¯re willing?¡±


    After all, this gown belonged to Olivia.


    It was up to Olivia to decide whether she could take it away and make it public.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Of course. This dress doesn¡¯t just belong to me, it also belongs to you. It¡¯s your


    design.¡±


    If Winnie sessfully won the championship, she would be able to ride the wave of it. At that time, she


    would definitely be able to obtain some attention.


    Although she had quit the entertainment industry, she was used to being the center of attention.


    Because of Lynn¡¯s incident some time ago, she was hated by everyone around her. Now that she had


    such


    a chance to regain attention, how could she give it up so easily?


    ¡°Can I try it on now?¡± Olivia couldn¡¯t wait to put on this beautiful gown.


    Winnie smiled and said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Olivia stood in front of the mirror in her gown. When she saw herself in the mirror, she could not hold


    back the joy on her face. She turned to look at Louis. ¡°Louis, how do I look?¡±


    Louis, who was sitting in the waiting area, looked up.


    Under the light, Olivia was exceptionally beautiful and attractive. The gown on her perfectly outlined her


    graceful figure, but shecked the unique cold temperament that matched the gown.


    For some reason, Rachel¡¯s face suddenly appeared in Louis¡¯s mind.


    If this gown was worn by Rachel, it would definitely be perfect.


    In a daze, he recalled the day of the wedding ceremony. He recalled Rachel wearing a wedding dress


    and standing in front of him with flowers in her hands.


    If he had not abandoned her that day, what kind of life would they live now?


    Ever since Louis saw Rachel in the Heavenly Private Room that day, he had begun to waver


    uncontrobly.


    The more he controlled himself, the more he could not help but regret his previous decision.


    ¡°Louis¡­ Seeing that Louis was distracted, the smile on Olivia¡¯s face faded a little, and her with an


    imperceptible coldness.


    eyes flickered


    Winnie looked at Louis¡¯s stunned expression and could not help butugh and tease, ¡°It must be


    because you look very beautiful in this gown. Didn¡¯t you see Mr. Smith¡¯s stunned face?¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia gradually regained herposure.


    However, she still had some doubts in her mind.


    Women had always been sensitive.


    Ever since Louis met Rachel in Best Fry, he seemed to have be a different person.


    Could it be that at this point, Louis regretted?

 Chapter 579

    Chapter 579


    Chapter 579


    When Olivia left Winnie¡¯s studio, she wanted to go shopping with Louis.


    However, Louis refused on the grounds that something had happened to thepany.


    ¡°Since you are busy, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± Olivia pretended to be considerate and said,


    ¡°However, you still have to make time to apany me to the charity banquet tonight. Otherwise, if


    others see me alone, I don¡¯t know what gossip will arise.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Louis grabbed her hand and turned to leave,


    After he left, Olivia¡¯s face suddenly darkened. She took out her phone and called Louis¡¯s assistant.


    ¡°Has Louis been socializing recently?¡±


    ¡°Well, recently, Mr. Smith went straight back home after he got off work,¡± the assistant said.


    When Olivia heard this, her slightly furrowed brows rxed slightly. ¡°Keep an eye on him for me. You¡¯ll


    get a lot of benefits.¡±


    The assistant knew well what was best for him and said respectfully, ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    After hanging up, Olivia nned to get into the car and leave.


    A car horn suddenly sounded behind her.


    She turned around and saw the car window slowly roll down, revealing Marina¡¯s beautiful face.


    ¡°Marina?¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes shed with surprise as she quickly walked forward. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I had some business up here,¡± Marina said. ¡°Get in the car.¡±


    Olivia nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    In the car, Olivia saw an invitation letter beside Marina¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you attending the charity banquet


    tonight too?¡±


    Marina raised her eyes and nced at Olivia indifferently. ¡°Why? Are you attending tonight?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Olivia said, ¡°There was quite amotion a few days ago. I have to think of a way to


    salvage the situation.¡±


    The charity banquet this time was different from the previous ones.


    Every guest participating in it had to provide an item for the auction. It could also be the jewelry they


    were wearing. The money raised in the auction would be handed over to a charity organization for


    charity activities.


    With such a rule, everyone would think of ways to show off.


    After all, those who could participate were all from famous and influential families in Seaxas. Everybody


    wanted to be superior to others.


    In order to motivate everyone, the organizer had specially set up an auction.


    The top five would have the right to bid for tonight¡¯s heavyweight item.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    It had to be known that everyone at this banquet was worth a lot of money, but the organizer had only


    given them five ces, which was enough to make the guests present fight for it.


    In particr, the organizers had long prepared a blurred photo of the heavyweight item. It was as if they


    had put a mysterious veil on it, which greatly piqued people¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°Well, in that case, I¡¯m suddenly a little interested in it.¡± Marina propped her forehead with her


    fingertips, and a shrewd light flickered in the depths of her beautiful eyes.


    Of course, she was not here for thest item. She wanted everyone to see how much money she had!


    ¡°Are you freeter?¡± Marina looked at Olivia. ¡°Come and help me choose a gown to wear tonight,


    okay?¡±


    Olivia smiled. ¡°Of course.¡±


    In Times Square.


    Rachel had apanied Mary for a day, but Mary had yet to find a suitable gown.


    ¡°This is the sixth shop. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t like any of them?¡± Rachel looked at Mary helplessly.


    Mary shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault for making me picky.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because you¡¯re too hard to please.¡± Rachel said, ¡°There¡¯s a new shop down the way. Do you


    want to take a look?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Mary grabbed Rachel¡¯s arm and walked straight toward the clothing shop.


    As soon as Mary entered, she took a fancy to the gown on the model and said to the shop assistant


    beside her. ¡°Please get me an S of that one, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Alright, please wait a moment, the shop assistant said politely.


    While waiting, Mary looked at Rachel, who was standing motionlessly at the side. ¡°Did you see


    anything you like?¡±


    Rachel shook her head.


    ¡°I think this one suits you very well.¡± Mary took out a moon-white gown from the corner.


    The gown was embroidered with high-quality golden threads, making it look lifelike. One could vaguely


    smell its fragrance.


    For some reason, this gown was hung in the corner. If it weren¡¯t for Mary¡¯s astute observation, they


    definitely wouldn¡¯t have noticed it.


    Rachel reached out and gently twisted the fabric of the gown. ¡°Well, not bad.¡±


    ¡°Then try it on,¡± Mary said as she stuffed the gown into Rachel¡¯s arms and pushed her toward the fitting


    room.


    Rachel took a look at the size and found it just right for her, so she walked into the fitting room.


    Ten minutester, Rachel walked out of the fitting room in the gown.


    The unique tailoring fitted Rachel¡¯s body perfectly, vividly disying her unique and charming curves.


    There was a hint of s**iness in her elegance, and there was also a charming and extraordinary aura in


    her coldness.


    As she walked, her straight and slender legs were faintly discernible under the high slit of the gown,


    which was especially eye-catching.


    She was like a white rose that was dancing alone in the moonlight. She exuded a cold aura that could


    only be seen from afar.


    When she smiled, she was like the moon in the middle of the water. Her pure beauty seemed to be


    within reach. When she did not smile, she was like the moon in the clouds, exuding a cold aura.


    Mary looked at Rachel¡¯s perfect waist-to-hip ratio and could not help but eximed in shock, ¡°Rae-Rae,


    you must be an angel falling from Heaven!¡±


    After all, Rachel was rich and beautiful, and had a good figure. She was simply Go d¡¯s favorite!


    ¡°I guess that when Eve was fashioned, Go d must be thinking about you.¡± As Mary spoke, she could


    not help but reach out and touch Rachel¡¯s slim waist. ¡°If Mr. Jones sees this, he will one hundred


    percent be knocked out by your beauty!¡±


    A shy blush appeared on Rachel¡¯s fair face. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so dramatic, will


    you?¡±


    Rachel turned to look at herself in the mirror.


    The design of the gown was noble and elegant, but because of the high slit on the side, it looked a little


    s*y.


    However, thebination of the two features was not weird at all.


    Especially the patterns embroidered on the gown, it exuded a gorgeous and elegant aura.


    ¡°Good choice,dies! The shop assistant walked forward with her symbolic smile and said respectfully,


    ¡°This gown is a limited edition that was just released, but because of the size, we haven¡¯t been able to


    meet the fated person for it.¡±


    Rachel nodded indifferently. ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    After changing her clothes, she took out a card from her bag.


    When the shop assistant saw the color of the card, her expression changed.


    It was actually the ck gold card!


    For a moment, the shop assistant looked at Rachel with respect. Her attitude was even more respectful


    than before. She said in fear, ¡°Madam, please have a rest in the waiting area for a moment.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly.


    At this moment, in the fitting room next door, a loud p sounded. Then, a shop assistant stumbled out


    of the fitting room.

 Chapter 580

    Chapter 580


    Chapter 580


    ¡°Idiot! You can¡¯t even handle something like this!¡± A low voice filled with faint anger sounded in the


    quiet shop.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly.


    What a coincidence!


    The woman¡¯s high heels tapped on the clean and tidy ground, making a ¡°ck-ck-ck¡± sound. The


    clear sound seemed to be stepping on one¡¯s heart, making one feel a little nervous.


    Rachel looked up. The moment she saw Marina, a subtle expression shed across her eyes.


    Enemies were bound to meet.


    ¡°She¡¯s new here. It¡¯s inevitable that she doesn¡¯t know the rules. Please don¡¯t get angry with her, Miss


    Jones. The store manager had originally heard that Rachel woulde, so she decided to personally.


    wee her. However, she did not expect to see this scene as soon as she entered.


    When Marina heard this, she sneered without hiding anything. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t know the rules, someone


    has to teach her anyway!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Miss Jones.¡± The store manager put on a fake smile. Then, she looked at the others


    and eximed, ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take her down! Don¡¯t ruin Miss Jones¡¯s mood!¡±


    The surrounding people immediately walked forward and took the intern away.


    There was still a stern expression on Marina¡¯s face. The moment she turned around and saw Rachel,


    an imperceptible coldness shed in the depths of her beautiful eyes. ¡°Miss Grey? What a


    coincidence.¡±


    Rachel stopped drinking coffee and raised her eyebrows without raising an eyebrow.


    Fine, she was discovered by her again.


    Rachel put down the cup of coffee in her hand and looked up at Marina with a smile. ¡°So it¡¯s Auntie


    Marina. What a coincidence.¡±


    Marina felt as if she had eaten a fly when she heard this uncouth address. Her face was filled with


    disgust.


    She took a deep breath and touched the huge diamond ring on her finger. She looked at Rachel¡¯s outfit


    from head to toe and was attracted by the gown she was wearing. ¡°You¡¯re here to buy clothes too?¡±


    Rachel yed with the cup with her clean and slender fingers. She raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t


    I?¡±


    Times Square belonged to Johnson Corporation.


    It was also a birthday gift from Rachel¡¯s maternal grandfather back then. As long as she was willing,


    she could casually buy the entire mall without spending a dime.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    It was reasonable for her to appear here.


    In fact, it was weird that Marina was here as well.


    Times Square was one of the top luxury shopping malls in Seaxas, but it was not indispensable.


    With Marina¡¯s status, she shouldn¡¯t have casually chosen Times Square. Rachel assumed that the


    reason why Marina was able to appear here was due to Olivia Cruise, who was standing behind


    Marina.


    When Olivia sensed Rachel¡¯s sharp gaze, her eyes shed slightly. ¡°Marina, I think that gown suits you


    very well, especially the patterns on it. Other than you, no one else can match that elegant


    temperament.¡±


    These words greatly pleased Marina.


    Initially, she could not find a suitable opportunity to speak, but Olivia¡¯s words gave her a way out.


    ¡°Go get me a size that suits me,¡± Marina ordered arrogantly.


    The store manager followed her gaze and saw the gown Rachel was wearing. An embarrassed


    expression immediately appeared on her face. ¡°Miss Jones, this is the only limited-edition gown in our


    shop.


    Moreover, thisdy has already paid the bill.¡±


    More importantly, with Marina¡¯s figure, it would probably be difficult for her to fit into that gown.


    ¡°Rachel, if you¡¯re willing, how about we pay double the price?¡± Olivia asked.


    Without waiting for Rachel to speak, Mary pushed open the door of the fitting room and walked out.


    She had a mocking smile on her face. ¡°Olivia Cruise, are you born to be cheap, or are you addicted to


    snat ching other people¡¯s things? Why are you so interested in Rac-Rae¡¯s things? Well, I guess you will


    be extremely nervous whenever Rachel poops, right? Because you¡¯re afraid the dogs will take your


    food!¡±


    ¡°What the hell did you say?¡± Olivia immediately flew into a rage out of humiliation.


    Mary rolled her eyes. ¡°You know da mn well what I said,


    Olivia was so angry that her face and neck turned red. However, her talent for insults was not as good


    as that of the Arguing Queen Mary.


    She red at Mary fiercely and clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Anyone could tell that no one is more


    suitable for this gown than Marina, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Well, in terms of fitness, my p suits your face very well. Do you want to give it a try?¡± Mary stretched


    out her palm and pointed it to Olivia¡¯s face.


    Mary¡¯s bad temper had already spread throughout the socialite circle.


    She didn¡¯t look like ady from a wealthy family at all. She always started quarreling without caring


    about her family¡¯s reputation.


    Therefore, when Olivia saw Mary extend her palm, she felt a little scared.


    She did not want to cause any more trouble before attending tonight¡¯s charity banquet.


    ¡°Miss Grey, what do you think?¡± Marina looked at Rachel. ¡°As long as you agree, you can name the


    price.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t need the money.¡± Rachel looked up at Marina and scanned her body


    indifferently. ¡°Besides, with Auntie Marina¡¯s voluptuous figure, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to suffer a little if


    you wear this gown.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s tone was sincere, as if she was saying, I¡¯m saying this for your own good.¡±


    However, how could Marina not sense the mockery in her words?


    Her face alternated between red and white as she secretly gritted her teeth. ¡°You¡¯re quite confident in


    your figure, Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°The truth is right in front of you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly.


    At this moment, the shop assistant walked forward and returned the ck gold card to Rachel. ¡°Ma¡¯am,


    this is your card.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly and took the card.


    At this moment, Marina¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s the ck gold card?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s slightly raised her eyebrows and said vaguely, ¡°I think so.¡±


    When Marina heard this, her eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°It was David who gave it to you, right?¡±


    There weren¡¯t many people with the ck gold card in the world, and it was not something that could


    be applied for with just money and power.


    Instead, it required the relevant institutions to approve the application again and again and conduct a


    comprehensive evaluation of the customer¡¯s status. They would distribute cards of different levels


    ording to the customer¡¯s worth.


    Among these cards, the ck gold card was undoubtedly the highest level.


    Any person with the ck gold card would be able to enter and exit any luxury ces at will and would


    have priority.


    Chapter 580


    Even though Marina was born in the Jones family and had a high worth, she did not meet the


    standard of owning the ck gold card.


    Marina¡¯s gaze sized up Rachel from head to toe, her eyes filled with subtle scrutiny.


    The position of the richest family in S**xas, the Johnson family, was indeed unshakable, but Marina did


    not think that a mere Rachel Grey was more qualified than her to own the ck gold card, so she


    thought that it must be David who had given it to her.


    In her opinion, the title of the richest family was not worth mentioning at all.


    Rachel smiled and looked down at the card in her hand. I don¡¯t need him to give it to me.¡±


    With her strength, the ck gold card was nothing special.


    However, when Marina heard these words, a hint of unconceble mockery appeared on her


    exquisitely made-up face.


    She thought that Rachel was like a country bumpkin who had never seen the bigger picture. It seemed


    that Rachel didn¡¯t understand the rule of owning the ck gold card at all and all she did was brag


    about herself!


    ¡°Since it wasn¡¯t given to you by David, why don¡¯t you tell me the conditions for owning the ck gold


    card?

 Chapter 581

    Chapter 581


    Chapter 581


    In Marina¡¯s heart, she was certain that Rachel was not qualified to own the ck gold card, and this


    card must have been given to her by David.


    If that was the case, Rachel could never state the conditions for owning the ck gold card!


    Over the years, Marina had applied for the ck gold card several times, but she had never been able


    to get it. The main reason was that she was not worth enough.


    She didn¡¯t believe that a mere Rachel Grey was worth more than her!


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyes and looked indifferently at the arrogant Marina. The corners of her


    mouth curled up slightly, forming a faint smile. Tm not Google or something. I¡¯m not obligated to answer


    your question. Auntie Marina, if you¡¯re curious, why don¡¯t you apply for it yourself? I think the official


    answer is more professional than mine.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a member at all, and that¡¯s why you can¡¯t say it!¡± Marina snorted disdainfully. ¡°Well,


    you¡¯re still too naive. And you¡¯re vain and extremely hypocritical!¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows. She could not be bothered to waste her time on Marina. After the gown


    was packed up, she said. Think whatever you want. I still have something on. I¡¯ll leave first. Bye, Auntie


    Marina.¡±


    Watching Rachel leave, Marina clenched her fists, and a trace of ruthlessness shed in the depths of


    her beautiful eyes.


    ¡°This bit*h is getting more and more impudent in front of me with the support of Old Mrs. Jones and


    David!¡± she thought.


    At this moment, even Marina herself wanted to know if this little bit*h¡¯s position in the Jones family


    wouldst long.


    Sensing the terrifying aura surrounding Marina, Olivia secretly took a deep breath.


    After thinking for a while, she said carefully. ¡°It¡¯s just a gown, Marina. Why don¡¯t we choose something


    else¡­


    Marina¡¯s sharp eyes turned to Olivia, and a strong sense of pressure assaulted her. Olivia felt as if an


    invisible hand had grabbed her neck, making her swallow the unfinished words in her mouth.


    After a long while, Olivia braced herself and said again, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the shop assistant if there are any new


    gowns.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Marina said coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll take the one I¡¯m wearing.¡±


    Although she did like the gown Rachel was wearing, she was not interested in what others had worn.


    Olivia nodded and stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do.


    Along the way, she followed Marina carefully, just like a secretary who was following behind a boss.


    Olivia pursed her lips and said carefully again, ¡°Marina, I have something to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± There was a hint of arrogance in Marina¡¯s eyes, and her every word carried a


    condescending


    tone.


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


    ¡°Who exactly is the owner of the ck gold card given to Rachel Grey? The David you mentioned?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes flickered with a dark light.


    From Marina¡¯s conversation with Rachel, she instantly caught the key message.


    She guessed that the ¡°David¡± that Marina mentioned was most likely the president with a worth of


    20 billion dors who had appeared at the auction previously.


    However, since Marina could call him that, it meant that the rtionship between the two of them was


    quite good.


    Olivia thought that if everything was as she had guessed, she would be able to use her rtionship


    with


    Marina to get close to the president who was worth 20 billion dors!


    Marina turned around and looked deeply at Olivia. A trace of disdain shed across her


    eyes.


    Her sharp gaze was like a knife that cut through Olivia¡¯s skin and saw through her inner thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯d suggest you give up on those thoughts.¡± Marina¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery, and her tone was


    mocking. ¡°Your tricks are nothing to him. If he wants to crush you, all he needs to do is snap his fingers,


    which is easier than crushing an ant.¡±


    Sometimes, Olivia seemed to be a little smart, but most of the time, she was st*pid and ignorant.


    Who was David Jones?


    He was the man that Old Mr. Jones had raised single-handedly. Back then, he was someone who didn¡¯t


    show any respect to Old Mr. Jones when he was angry, let alone how he had stepped on his blood


    rtives. to get to where he was today.


    Provoking him was the same as courting death!


    Knowing that Marina had seen through her tricks, Olivia¡¯s eyes shed with embarrassment. I¡¯m just a


    little curious.¡±


    ¡°You can be a little curious sometimes, but you should know there¡¯s someone in this world you should


    stay away from!¡± Marina looked at her deeply, her words containing a warning.


    Olivia lowered her eyes. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Night fell, and the nightlife officially began.


    The tall buildings were brightly lit and dazzling.


    The Hilton Hotel was like the moon surrounded by stars, attracting a lot of attention.


    Its magnificent decoration style was extravagant.


    Luxury cars arrived one after another at the entrance. The car doors opened, and men in suits and


    leather shoes and women in gorgeous dresses appeared. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, they walked into the


    hotel intimately with men¡¯s arms around women¡¯s waists.


    The media photographers who were squatting at the door pressed the shutter button of the camera in


    their hands from time to time to record these special moments.


    Olivia looked at the photographers¡¯ cameras and sweat unknowingly appeared on her palms.


    This was the first time she had appeared in such an asion after the stir caused by Lynn Wright. It


    was also the first time she had faced the media reporters.


    Even though the Cruise Group tried their best to settle the trouble caused by Lynn, the reputation of


    Olivia could not be salvaged anymore.


    Recently, it was revealed that she would be attending this charity banquet, causing a constant online


    dispute.


    Some thought that she was using the charity banquet to gain people¡¯s favor and seek everyone¡¯s


    forgiveness. In the name of charity, she was actually trying to clear her name.


    Some people thought that she was sincere. After all, she used to attend a lot of charity events.


    However, most people had a wait-and-see attitude toward her. It was like there were pairs of eyes


    watching her from the dark. If anything went wrong, her reputation would plummet.


    Olivia knew that this charity banquet meant a lot to her.


    Therefore, her every move, word, and even attire, were carefully designed.


    She was wearing a simple, elegant, but sweet champagne-colored dress. The tube top design revealed


    her beautiful corbone and exquisite shoulders.


    Her curly brown hair was tied up behind her head, and a strand of long hair hung down from her


    forehead. She looked simple and casual, but she exuded a gentle temperament.


    Chapter 581


    She curled her lips into a faint smile and expressed her goodwill to the reporters outside the red carpet.


    Unfortunately, the people present did not seem to notice her at all. They were either chatting or fiddling


    with the equipment in their hands with their heads down.


    Their postures seemed to be saying, ¡°Don¡¯t associate yourself with us. We¡¯re not familiar with you.¡±


    In the past, Olivia was the most popr star of the new generation. These reporters followed her


    everywhere she went, wishing that they could get close to her. Now that she was down and out, they


    began putting on airs in front of her!


    As the saying went, even the strong could fall and be humiliated if they were in unfavorable


    circumstances!


    ¡°A bunch of snobbish people!¡± Olivia thought. ¡°Sooner orter, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± Louis walked to her side and whispered to her.


    Olivia bit her lip and nodded obediently as if she had been wronged.


    At this moment, a cry of surprise came from behind. ¡°Thisdy is so beautiful!¡±

 Chapter 582

    Chapter 582


    Chapter 582


    A ck Rolls-Royce slowly pulled to a stop at the end of the red carpet.


    The car door opened, and a pair of straight and slender legs entered people¡¯s sight. They looked up


    and saw a well-defined and exquisite face. It was as if his deep eyes were a masterpiece of a great


    artist.


    The man was wearing a ck suit. The well-tailored design entuated his tall and straight figure.


    There was an aura around him that everyone present couldn¡¯t ignore. His noble aura made him look


    like a king looking down at the whole world, emitting a soul-stirring pressure.


    Even though he was looking around calmly at this moment, his almost indifferent eyes were enough to


    make everyone present gasp.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the man extended a hand into the car.


    Then, a slender hand was ced on his palm and caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    Everyone gasped when Rachel appeared.


    Everything around her seemed toe to a standstill. One second, two seconds¡­.


    The moment they saw Rachel in a gown, everyone thought of all the beautiful words they had learned


    in their lives, but they still found it impossible to describe her soul-stirring beauty.


    Someone in the crowd pressed the shutter button of the camera.


    The short and dazzling light from the sh made everyone snap back to their senses.


    Rachel subconsciously looked up at that person.


    The man was wearing a pair of thick-rimmed ck-framed sses. His appearance was ordinary, and


    it was obvious that he was an honest person.


    When he met Rachel¡¯s gaze, he blushed and pursed his lips awkwardly, caught off guard.


    Rachel didn¡¯t look like a good-looking but empty-headed babe in the woods.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her beauty was wild and eye-catching. It was breathtaking. Even a casual nce of hers was enough


    to make everyone turn their attention to her.


    The seemingly unceasing sounds of pressing shutter keys were like a p to Olivia¡¯s face.


    Just now, she took the initiative to express her goodwill, but these people totally ignored her. At this


    moment, however, they were taking photos of Rachel non-stop.


    This group of people had gone too far!


    No matter how hard Olivia tried to control herself, her face still revealed a hint of shame and anger that


    she could not hide.


    She secretly gritted her teeth. When she turned around, she saw Louis staring at Rachel in a daze as if


    he had lost his soul.


    A strong sense of danger swept through Olivia¡¯s heart. She took a deep breath and adjusted her


    emotions. ¡°Louis, the wind is rising. Let¡¯s go in quickly.¡±


    Louis suddenly came back to his senses. He looked away reluctantly and replied absent-mindedly,


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Due to themotion caused by Lynn Wright a while ago, everyone knew well what was going on with


    Olivia these days. As a result, when everyone present saw her, they could not help but discuss softly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to have the guts toe.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the godd aughter of the eldest daughter of the Jones family now. Her status is much nobler than


    ours.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see? There are many people trying to curry favor with her.¡±


    After Olivia walked in, many young socialites weed her and asked about her well-being.


    However, Olivia knew very well how sincere these people in front of her were.


    When she was in trouble, these people weren¡¯t even willing to call her. And now, they all seemed very


    hospitable toward her.


    Since these women liked to act like her good friends, Olivia was happy to put on a little show.


    After all, she was extremely unpopr now. She needed a chance to salvage her image.


    Olivia sighed faintly. Her eyes drooped, as if she was sincerely repenting. ¡°It¡¯s indeed my fault this time.


    I shouldn¡¯t have been blinded by jealousy and done such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Blinded by jealousy?¡± someone asked curiously. ¡°Could it be that Miss Grey is better-looking than you,


    Olivia?¡±


    These words ttered Olivia without a trace, making the anger in her heart dissipate a little.


    No woman in this world would dislike it when someone praised her looks.


    The smile on Olivia¡¯s face became brighter. ¡°Well, in fact, she is much better-looking than everyone


    here today.¡±


    ¡°How could there be such a beautiful woman in Seaxas?


    ¡°There are enough good-looking women now. Compared to beauties with simr appearances, there¡¯s


    ack of natural-looking ones.¡±


    In other words, this man was implying that Rachel must have had cosmetic surgery several times.


    Olivia surely knew what he was implying. However, she did not stop him. Instead, she said vaguely,


    ¡°Miss Grey¡¯s appearance is extremely eye-catching. Otherwise, she would not have stayed in Louis¡¯s


    company for three years, and she would not have got so many investments by herself.¡±


    Hearing this, the group of young socialites in front of her could not help but give a disdainful smile.


    Olivia saw everyone¡¯s expressions and said calmly, ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t get stage fright when you


    see herter.¡±


    Hearing this, Cindy Tory couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is she attending the charity banquet tonight?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I just saw her outside!¡± Olivia said, ¡°Look, there she is.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone couldn¡¯t help but look in Rachel¡¯s direction.


    At the same time, the appearance of Rachel and David caused quite a stir again.


    David was tall and strong, exuding a noble aura.


    He just stood there, and the intimidation of his domineering aura was enough to suppress the mor


    present.


    Beside him stood Rachel.


    With the high heels she was wearing, she barely reached David¡¯s chest, which made her look


    especially cute and lovable.


    Surprisingly, when the two of them stood together, Rachel¡¯s temperament was not at all inferior to that


    of David. Instead, they were surprisinglypatible.


    When Olivia saw how morous Rachel was now, the jealousy and unwillingness in her heart burned


    even more fiercely.


    However, her rationality told her that she shouldn¡¯t act rashly now. She needed to use tonight¡¯s


    opportunity to regain her reputation.


    What she had to do now was endure.


    However, when she saw how intimate Rachel and David were, she could not help but grit her teeth in


    hatred.


    ¡°Who does this woman think she is?¡± Olivia thought.


    ¡°Next to her stands a president worth 20 billion dors!


    ¡°How is she worthy of him?¡±


    At this moment, Cindy, who was standing at the side, muttered, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen this man in


    Seaxas. before?¡±


    ¡°Cindy, do you like him?¡± The woman beside her couldn¡¯t help butugh and tease.


    Cindy blushed and red at her angrily. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Just admit that you like him. What¡¯s there to be afraid of admitting? To be honest, I like him as well.¡±


    That woman said. ¡°He looks thousands of times better than those wealthy young men around us who


    know nothing but how to indulge in pleasure, right?¡±


    ¡°I should have met such an outstanding man, but why didn¡¯t I remember him at all? Cindy frowned


    slightly as if she was recalling something in her mind.


    ¡°Of course you shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Olivia said. ¡°He¡¯s not from Seaxas, but¡­¡±


    She deliberately paused for a moment and lowered her voice. ¡°From Aureliana!¡±

 Chapter 583

    Chapter 583


    Betrayal At The Altar


    Chapter 583


    When these women heard this, their expressions changed.


    All the young socialites present knew what the word ¡°Aureliana¡± meant.


    Rumor had it that it was a ce where the rich reigned supreme.


    The six families assisted the Elders in governing. Each family had countless assets. They possessed


    the most advanced technology and the richestnd in the world.


    These young socialites were filled with curiosity and desire because they had never set foot on that


    land.


    Even though they had long heard that people from Aureliana could not marry outsiders, they were still


    willing to have a temporary love.


    To them, being able to h**k up with a man from Aureliana was a supreme honor for themselves and


    their families.


    Moreover, the man in front of them was from the Jones family!


    Olivia could tell that these young socialites in front of her were tempted. A hint of disdain shed across


    her eyes.


    These young socialites all came from noble families, but now they were still willing to be a


    ything of his in the face of David. However, they could not even be considered his mistresses!


    Olivia lowered her eyes to hide her expression. I¡¯m reminding you out of kindness. We don¡¯t have.


    Rachel¡¯s good looks. You¡¯d better not go up and ask for trouble. I know well Mr. Jones dotes on her a


    lot.¡±


    Cindy, who stood at the side, snorted. ¡°A flower¡¯s beauty can¡¯tst long, and neither can hers. Rachel


    Grey is just relying on her good looks. But when Mr. Jones gets tired of her, he will dump her at once!¡±


    As soon as Cindy said this, the women around her echoed, ¡°You¡¯re right. When ites to marriage,


    well-matched family backgrounds matter. With her background of a country bumpkin, how can she be


    worthy of Mr. Jones?¡±


    ¡°Well, a lot of women in this world are nning to change their lives by marrying rich guys, aren¡¯t they?


    But no matter how hard Rachel Grey is trying, she will fail sooner orter. Who knows, she might even


    end up a widow or something!¡±


    ¡°Olivia, aren¡¯t you Miss Jones¡¯s godd aughter? Have you never had any contact with Mr. Jones in


    private?¡± Cindy looked at Olivia with aplicated expression in her eyes.


    From the moment these young socialites were born into a wealthy family, they knew their mission.


    Their families provided them with food, clothing and entertainment. In return, they needed to sacrifice


    their marriages to help their families gain benefits.


    Therefore, they had long realized that love was the most unreliable thing in the world.


    Instead of relying on love, it was better to find a rich and powerful man. Be it for their families or for


    themselves, they would try their best to obtain the greatest benefits.


    And David, who was standing in front of them, was like the brightest star that they had suddenly


    noticed after living in a daze for more than 20 years.


    Cindy didn¡¯t believe that Olivia had no interest in someone with a top-notch appearance and figure like


    David, who had an impable status.


    Of course, Olivia had thought about it. Unfortunately, just as this idea of hers was born, it was


    completely smothered by Marina¡¯s warning.


    However, just because she didn¡¯t fight for it didn¡¯t mean that others couldn¡¯t.


    If anything wrong happened, they deserved it.


    Thinking of this, Olivia lowered her eyes to hide the sinister coldness that shed in her eyes.


    She looked up again with a pure and kind smile on her face, like a harmless little girl. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the


    only one I love in this world is Louis. I¡¯m different from you single people.¡±


    She suddenly thought of something. ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯ll announce my engagement to Louis on my


    birthday. You all need toe.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re best friends.¡±


    ¡°You and Louis are a match made in heaven. We naturally have to go and witness such a blessed


    event.¡± These women spoke one after another, but their gazes were silently focused on David.


    Seeing David leave after receiving a call, Cindy looked at Rachel thoughtfully. She put down the goblet


    in her hand and walked straight to Rachel.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    The moment Rachel was stopped, she subconsciously looked up. Sensing the obvious hostility in


    Cindy¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows.


    She did not remember seeing this woman before.


    She was really confused by her sudden hostility.


    Rachel¡¯s gaze swept across Cindy¡¯s clothes, and a meaningful smile shed across her eyes.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know me, Miss Grey. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± Cindy looked at Rachel


    from head to toe. Her eyes were filled with scrutiny. ¡°You were abandoned on your wedding day and


    soon became other people¡¯s mistress. Now, you¡¯re relying on your face to get close to all kinds of big


    shots. Even Mr. Jones is head over heels for you. I¡¯m impressed, Miss Grey.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel finally understood.


    The woman in front of her was probably a secret admirer of David¡¯s.


    Rachel had always been a person who would not offend others unless she was offended. However,


    since this woman hade making trouble for her, she did not mind teaching her a lesson.


    ¡°You think I seduced him?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and nced at Cindy with a faint smile.


    ¡°Or what? Could it be that Mr. Jones seduced you?¡± Cindy¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°Why don¡¯t


    you take a look at yourself in the mirror? You do have an eye-catching face, but you¡¯re capable of


    nothing! Do you think everything will be fine just because you have Mr. Jones as your backer? In the


    end, you¡¯re just a ything for him to pass the time when he¡¯s bored!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s a ything or not. What¡¯s important is that Rachel does have the right to rely


    on her good looks. But what do you have?¡± A low voice sounded from behind. There was


    unconceble mockery in his tone. ¡°A big mouth? Or an ugly face?¡±


    Rachel turned around and saw Zion standing behind her.


    He was wearing a gray suit. The well-tailored suit entuated his slender figure, making him look tall


    and straight.


    His well-defined jawline looked even more attractive under the light.


    His eyes were indifferent, and his eagle-like eyes were dyed with the sharpness and coldness that had


    been immersed in the business world for many years.


    Although his face was not as exquisite as David¡¯s, he gave off a different aura.


    If David was an iceberg that would not melt for ten thousand years, then Zion was a spring that melted


    the ice in spring.


    ¡°Who is this man?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Rachel (hoo ked ) up with someone else behind Mr. Jones¡¯s back?¡±


    ¡°She is a natural vixen. She (hoo ked ) up with another man so quickly.¡±


    Olivia was in a daze when she saw Zion.


    she had no impression of Zion at all.


    Chapter 583


    only one I love in this world is Louis. I¡¯m different from you single people.¡±


    She suddenly thought of something. ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯ll announce my engagement to Louis on my


    birthday. You all need toe.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re best friends.¡±


    ¡°You and Louis are a match made in heaven. We naturally have to go and witness such a blessed


    event.¡±


    These women spoke one after another, but their gazes were silently focused on David.


    Seeing David leave after receiving a call, Cindy looked at Rachel thoughtfully. She put down the goblet


    in her hand and walked straight to Rachel.


    The moment Rachel was stopped, she subconsciously looked up. Sensing the obvious hostility in


    Cindy¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows.


    She did not remember seeing this woman before.


    She was really confused by her sudden hostility.


    Rachel¡¯s gaze swept across Cindy¡¯s clothes, and a meaningful smile shed across her eyes.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know me, Miss Grey. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± Cindy looked at Rachel


    from head to toe. Her eyes were filled with scrutiny. ¡°You were abandoned on your wedding day and


    soon became other people¡¯s mistress. Now, you¡¯re relying on your face to get close to all kinds of big


    shots. Even Mr. Jones is head over heels for you. I¡¯m impressed, Miss Grey.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel finally understood,


    The woman in front of her was probably a secret admirer of David¡¯s.


    Rachel had always been a person who would not offend others unless she was offended. However,


    since this woman hade making trouble for her, she did not mind teaching her a lesson.


    ¡°You think I seduced him?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and nced at Cindy with a faint smile.


    ¡°Or what? Could it be that Mr. Jones seduced you?¡± Cindy¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°Why don¡¯t


    you take a look at yourself in the mirror? You do have an eye-catching face, but you¡¯re capable of


    nothing! Do you think everything will be fine just because you have Mr. Jones as your backer? In the


    end, you¡¯re just a ything for him to pass the time when he¡¯s bored!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s a ything or not. What¡¯s important is that Rachel does have the right to rely


    on her good looks. But what do you have?¡± A low voice sounded from behind. There was


    unconceble mockery in his tone. ¡°A big mouth? Or an ugly face?¡±


    Rachel turned around and saw Zion standing behind her.


    He was wearing a gray suit. The well-tailored suit entuated his slender figure, making him look tall


    and straight.


    His well-defined jawline looked even more attractive under the light.


    His eyes were indifferent, and his eagle-like eyes were dyed with the sharpness and coldness that had


    been immersed in the business world for many years.


    Although his face was not as exquisite as David¡¯s, he gave off a different aura.


    If David was an iceberg that would not melt for ten thousand years, then Zion was a spring that melted


    the ice in spring.


    ¡°Who is this man?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Rachel (hoo ked )up with someone else behind Mr. Jones¡¯s back?¡±


    ¡°She is a natural vixen. She (hoo ked ) up with another man so quickly.¡±


    Olivia was in a daze when she saw Zion.


    It wasn¡¯t like she had no impression of Zion at all.


    Back when she was studying at Pollister High School, Zion was publicly acknowledged as the school


    hunk and the object of the girls¡¯ crush.


    ¡°That¡¯s the heir of the Summers family of Pollister, Zion Summers.¡±


    ¡°Zion, the one who just bought Skysgate a while ago?¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, there was an interview about him in the financial report. There was even a photo


    attached! I didn¡¯t expect him to be even more handsome!¡±


    ¡°Zion?¡± Rachel was a little surprised to meet Zion at such a banquet.


    Zion didn¡¯t answer her question. Instead, he said with a serious expression, ¡°You look beautiful today.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.

 Chapter 584

    Chapter 584


    Chapter 584


    ¡°Rae-Rae, why are you here?¡± Mary¡¯s voice sounded.


    At this very moment, in this setting and atmosphere, her voice was simply like music from the heavens,


    causing Rachel to almost be moved to tears with emotion.


    She pursed her lips. ¡°Mr. Summers, I still have something on. Excuse me.¡±


    Without giving Zion a chance to reply, Rachel turned and departed.


    When Mary saw Zion, she was dragged away by Rachel before she could say goodbye.


    Cindy subconsciously chased after them. ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    However, Zion swiftly blocked her path and said. ¡°Rachel¡¯s not avable to talk to you now. It¡¯s better if


    you don¡¯t bother her.¡±


    His voice was deep and carried a chilling coldness. It was like a sharp, cold wind that hit one in the


    face, causing one¡¯s heart to suddenly tighten.


    After hearing his implicit warning, Cindy bit her lip and looked at Zion with eyes filled with unwillingness.


    ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Rachel?¡±


    The way Rachel fled just now clearly suggested that she was feeling guilty.


    Cindy suspected there must be some intricate connection between the man before her and Rachel.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Zion narrowed his eyes, and his sharp gaze pierced toward Cindy like a knife.


    Suddenly, he smiled mockingly at Cindy.


    Without answering her, he turned around and left with his men.


    On the other side, Mary looked at Rachel with a mischievous smile. ¡°Rae-Rae, your charm hasn¡¯t


    decreased at all. Men are hitting on you so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Rachel looked around guiltily, afraid that David would hear Mary.


    After the shenanigans Zion pulled in Pollister, David became very jealous, and Rachel had to coax him.


    for a long time.


    Seeing this, the smile on Mary¡¯s face became even more obvious. Her eyes sparkled with excitement


    and curiosity. ¡°Hurry up and tell me your story.¡±


    ¡°What kind of story could there be? It¡¯s just a misunderstanding.¡± Rachel tried to brush it off with a few


    words, but Mary refused to let it go. She pestered Rachel and used all sorts of ways to coax her.


    Rachel had no choice but to tell Mary the truth.


    After Mary learned about the whole story, she pretended to be serious and said, ¡°If it were me, I would


    definitely choose you.¡±


    There was noparison between Katy and Rachel.


    Even though Rachel was not really part of the family, the Johnson family¡¯s man doted on her as much


    as she was the legitimate daughter of the family.


    In terms of looks and ability, Rachelpletely crushed Katy,


    Anyone with a functioning brain would know who to choose.


    Except for Louis, who was born short of intelligence!


    ¡°But you¡¯re so beautiful tonight. How can Mr. Jones feel at ease leaving you here alone?¡± Mary did not


    ignore the covetous gazes of the men around her.


    Beautiful things nevercked attention, but there was nock of people who coveted them.


    Rachel casually touched the bracelet on his wrist. ¡°Isn¡¯t this better? Otherwise, you¡¯ll be a sitting


    duck.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re already a live target.¡± Mary pointed in a certain direction with her mouth.


    Rachel followed her gaze and saw a small group led by Olivia.


    Cindy was in that group, who had shouted in front of her just now.


    ¡°However, the clothes she¡¯s wearing are quite interesting. Mary¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and the


    corners of her mouth curled into a meaningful smile.


    Rachel and Mary smiled at each other and changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to sit down first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two of them sat in the private room. Rachel casually picked up the list of auctioned items on the


    table and casually flipped through it.


    At this moment, the door of the private room was pushed open. Rachel didn¡¯t look up a strange scent


    wafted towards her. She looked up abruptly and was stunned when she saw Zion¡¯s face.


    ¡°How did you get in?¡±


    ¡°The door is right there.¡± Zion sat beside Rachel and nced at the auction booklet in her hand. ¡°What


    do you like? I¡¯ll buy it for you!¡±


    Rachel closed the booklet in her hand and said calmly, ¡°I have money. There¡¯s no need to trouble you,


    Mr. Summers.¡±


    ¡°Some things are worth the effort, Zion said. ¡°I¡¯m more than willing to spend money on you.¡±


    Rachel rolled her eyes helplessly.


    Who cared about his money? Who cared about his willingness?


    ¡°What the hell do you want?¡±


    ¡°Pursue you.¡±


    Rachel was secretly d that David was not around. Otherwise, he would have been extremely jealous


    when he heard Zion¡¯s words.


    When Rachel turned around, she saw Mary sitting with her legs crossed, munching on a mu ffin. She


    was like an onlooker who loved to watch the drama unfold, unconcerned with the consequences.


    Rachel took a deep breath. ¡°Mr. Summers, there¡¯s a limit to jokes. I¡¯ve already made it very clear that I


    have a boyfriend, so please stop.


    ¡°Even a married couple can get a divorce. How can you be sure you won¡¯t break up with your


    boyfriend?¡± Zion looked up at Rachel. ¡°Besides, he¡¯s not suitable for you.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°If he¡¯s not suitable for me, who is?¡±


    ¡°Me!¡± Zion said.


    ¡°Mr. Summers, please stop!¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with what I¡¯m saying.¡± Zion said. ¡°Miss Grey, you don¡¯t have to


    be troubled. It¡¯s my business to pursue you. It has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly.


    Why did these words sound so familiar?


    It seemed that David had said the same thing before.


    Rachel had initially shown some courtesy to Zion, given that he was introduced to her by Lucas.


    However, she had underestimated his annoying persistence.


    Since that was the case, she had nothing to worry about.


    ¡°Mr. Summers, you seem to be very confident in yourself?¡± Rachel smiled faintly with a hint of


    coldness, like a bewitching white rose at midnight. ¡°You¡¯re even willing to degrade yourself and be


    a backup?¡±


    Being treated as a backup in a rtionship was insulting, particrly for men.


    A man¡¯s self-esteem was extremely strong. He would not allow anyone to humiliate him like this.


    However, Rachel had clearly underestimated Zion.


    Zion stared at Rachel¡¯s mesmerizing face and pursed his lips slightly. ¡°Miss Grey, you underestimate


    me if you think one sentence will make me give up.


    ¡°Moreover, the more you reject me, the more it ignites my desire to conquer you.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Rachel blurted out.


    She never thought that the heir of the Summers family would be so shameless.


    Zion frowned. ¡°I¡¯m justpletely captivated by you.¡±


    Rachel was stunned.


    She was speechless. Meanwhile, Mary, who was sitting not far away and watching the show, was


    holding back herughter and trembling.


    I¡¯m sorry. Mr. Summers. I don¡¯t have the energy and time to deal with other men. I don¡¯t want anyone to


    affect my rtionship with my fiance. When Rachel spoke, she deliberately emphasized the word


    ¡®fiance¡¯ However, Zion didn¡¯t seem to understand. I¡¯ve said it before. It¡¯s my business to pursue you. It


    has nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Summers, I humbly ask, what do you like about me?¡±

 Chapter 585

    Chapter 585


    Chapter 585


    ¡°I like the way you don¡¯t like me. Do you want to change it?¡±


    Rachel did not say a word.


    She was speechless again.


    She decided not to engage with Zion any further and instead focused her attention on reviewing the list


    of items to be auctioned.


    Rachel didn¡¯t think she had enough charm to make Zion fall in love with her at first sight, nor did she


    think there was anything about her that could make him fall head over heels.


    Not to mention, Zion¡¯s image waspletely different from that of a devoted lover.


    She even suspected Zion was secretly plotting something with Lucas to cause trouble for her.


    However, on second thought, Lucas had received David¡¯s benefits after all.


    Lucas was not st**pid enough to bite the hands that fed him. Hence, he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.


    But Rachel couldn¡¯t figure out why Zion was so obsessed over her. It was like he couldn¡¯t live without


    her. She thought David was the only man that made her feel helpless, but there was Zion added to the


    mix.


    Was G**d making a joke with her?


    Rachel supported her chin while ncing over the booklet in her hand with a downcast expression.


    Mary, who was watching themotion, said, ¡°Mr. Summers, can I ask you a question?¡±


    Zion knew Mary, so he was a little polite to her. ¡°Miss Green, please go ahead.¡±


    ¡°What was the exact moment or event that made you fall in love with Rae-Rae at first sight?¡±


    No matter what it was, nothing could escape the arrangement of fate.


    Zion yed with a lighter with his well-defined fingers. He frowned slightly and said with a serious.


    expression, ¡°It¡¯s not love at first sight. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Hearing Zion¡¯s answer, Mary immediately perked up. ¡°So you knew Rae-Rae long ago?¡±


    Zion didn¡¯t answer, but his gaze fell on Rachel as if he was waiting for her answer.


    Sensing Zion¡¯s gaze, Rachel looked at him in confusion.


    As Zion saw the confusion in Rachel¡¯s eyes, which didn¡¯t seem to be fake, Zion couldn¡¯t help but furrow


    his brow and ask, ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    His words were mixed with unknown anger.


    As soon as Zion said this, Mary was dumbfounded. Even Rachel herself was stunned.


    Could it be that they knew each other before?


    But why didn¡¯t Rachel have any impression of it?


    Coincidentally, David caught sight of the moment when Rachel and Zion were ¡°staring deeply into each


    other¡¯s eyes.


    David had been secretly monitoring the conversation between Zion and Rachel from the start.


    But now, he finally reached his breaking point and left the organizer behind, heading directly toward


    Rachel¡¯s private room.


    Confused, the organizer hurriedly followed.


    The entire auction venue was semi-circr, and the hall was in an ordinary position. There were six


    chairs ced on each round table.


    On the second floor were private rooms with a good view. It was also convenient for the people in the


    room to see the entire situation.


    In particr, the indistinct gauze curtains in front of the stands easily aroused the curiosity of the


    guests. on the first floor towards the second floor.


    It was not that no one had thought of trying to sneak in, but there were bodyguards guarding the stairs,


    so they had no choice but to give up.


    As the godd**ughter of Marina, the organizer made an exception and arranged a private room for


    Olivia. Although the view was not the best, it greatly satisfied her vanity.


    Especially when she noticed Cindy and the others looking at her with envy and jealousy, she couldn¡¯t


    hide the smugness in her eyes.


    However, she did not expect to meet David walking straight toward her the moment she went upstairs.


    Olivia quickly raised her hand to adjust her hairstyle. She put on a gentle and sweet smile for David.


    ¡°Mr. Jones¡­¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    However, David did not seem to see Olivia at all. He walked past her and walked towards Rachel¡¯s


    private


    room.


    David¡¯s sudden appearance was a surprise to Rachel.


    She subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice.


    Rachel held her breath when she met David¡¯s bottomless ck eyes. Her heart felt like it was being


    squeezed, curling up in her chest.


    She adjusted her emotions slightly and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    David didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he turned to look at Zion and raised his eyebrows slightly with a hint


    of provocation. His gaze seemed to be saying, ¡°Rachel¡¯s fianc¨¦ is here. Hurry up and give up your


    position.¡±


    Zion pursed his lips and stood up unhurriedly. ¡°Mr. Jones, you sure know how to ruin the atmosphere.¡±


    Hearing this, David narrowed his eyes. His deep gaze was cold. ¡°Mr. Summers, if you have nothing to


    do, I can immediately make you busy.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Zion¡¯s expression was calm, and there was no trace of panic. ¡°If this can


    ease the anger in your heart and not vent your anger on Miss Grey, I¡¯m willing to ept it.¡±


    Zion¡¯s words appeared harmless, but upon further consideration, they had a hint of deceit.


    ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m sorry for dropping in on you like this and disturbing you. Maybe you should go and


    appease Mr. Jones first. Otherwise, he will get angry with you again. I¡¯m different. You don¡¯t need to


    worry about me.¡± Zion looked at Rachel with a softened gaze. He smiled faintly, and his eyes were no


    longer as cold as a second ago. He looked like a warm-hearted man.


    However, his words were too obnoxious!


    David was instantly offended by Zion!


    Mary couldn¡¯t help but imagine a cheesy love story ying out in front of her as she watched the two


    men fight over one woman.


    Unfortunately, it was uneasy to watch two men fighting in a tense atmosphere.


    The best option was to run away.


    Mary gave Rachel a helpless look and quietly slipped away.


    However, Mary did not expect to bump into Louis just as she went out.


    Mary was stunned for a moment. Then, she rolled her eyes and said unhappily, ¡°You blind b**t*rd.¡±


    Louis¡¯s face immediately darkened when he was inexplicably scolded.


    However, after calming down and thinking about it, wasn¡¯t he blind?


    Chapter 385


    Louis turned around with a bitter smile of self-mockery. As he left, the corner of his eyes caught a


    glimpse of a familiar figure in the private room.


    Rachel¡¯s white silk gown clung tightly to her slender waist, highlighting her wless curves.


    Her ck hair was tied up behind her head, and a jade hairpin was inserted diagonally behind her


    head, exuding a gentle and elegant aura.


    It resonated with the coldness that came with her.


    Rachel looked stunning tonight.


    Louis had noticed it from the moment Rachel appeared.


    Unfortunately, no matter how beautiful Rachel was, she no longer belonged to him.


    Louis was not in a hurry to return to his private room. Instead, he walked to the window and lit a


    cigarette.


    He took several puffs in session, the pleasure of nicotine briefly rxing him and smoothing out the


    agitation in his mind.


    However, he still could not help but recall Rachel¡¯s mesmerizing face.


    At this moment, a pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist from behind.


    Louis suddenly came back to his senses. He turned around and saw Olivia¡¯s face. His eyes flickered


    slightly. Why did youe out?¡±

 Chapter 586

    Chapter 586


    Chapter 586


    Olivia Cruise took a moment before answering. Gracefully, she glided to the front and slid into the


    man¡¯s arms. ¡°Louis, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you always look so absentminded these days?¡±


    Louis Smith lowered his gaze and saw Olivia¡¯s concerned expression, his heart throbbing with guilt that


    was difficult to break free from.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright. Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said reassuringly.


    ¡°Louis, have I done something to upset you? Is there something I¡¯m not doing well enough?¡± Olivia¡¯s


    voice trembled as she bit her lip, her eyes welling up with tears. Her pitiful and vulnerable expression


    made one¡¯s heartache. ¡°I used to think that I knew you so well. But I feel like we¡¯re drifting further apart.


    and this scares me. It feels like I might lose you at any moment now.¡±


    Olivia tightened her grip on Louis¡¯s shirt. Her gentle voice trembled, ¡°Please, be honest with me. Do


    you regret marrying me¡­¡±


    Hearing her words, Louis frowned. A sense of guilt quickly overpowered the struggle within his heart.


    He was well aware of the sufferings that Olivia had endured during this trying time, and he saw how


    tirelessly she had worked to keep up with him. Despite herck of familiarity with the business world.


    Olivia had enrolled in a finance ss and had done everything she could to support him in his pursuit.


    Even now, she was suppressing her fears and worries while being extra cautious of his well-being. As


    he reflected on his recent internal struggles, Louis was consumed by guilt and remorse.


    Snaking his arm around her slim waist, Louis pulled Olivia closer and whispered reassuringly, ¡°Why


    would you even think that? Even if we¡¯ve been separated for three years, you¡¯re still the woman I want


    to marry. So, why would I regret marrying you?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Olivia subconsciously asked.


    Louis nodded solemnly as he answered, ¡°I mean it. Stop dwelling on this.¡±


    Hearing hisforting words, Olivia¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears of relief. With a gentle smile on her


    face, she nestled into his embrace.


    Louis held Olivia close. He took a deep breath and silently vowed to dispel his restless thoughts.


    He should not have any other thoughts now that they were legally married.


    In fact, he would not have been alive today if Olivia had not shielded him with her delicate body during


    the car ident.


    He owed his life to her.


    Even if it was a way to repay her kindness, Louis could not disappoint her.


    ¡°Would you like anything from this auction? Shall I buy them for you?¡± Louis asked.


    Olivia thought immediately of the final item the organizers had nned.


    Although all the guests had arrived, the organizers had kept the final item a secret, refusing to reveal


    any information about it. This piqued everyone¡¯s interest, and all the guests were curious to see what it


    was. If she could sessfully bid for this item, it would be enough to attract everyone¡¯s attention.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes flickered at the thought. Casting her gaze to conceal her emotions, she murmured with


    contentment, ¡°You are all I need.¡±


    As she spoke, Olivia leaned in and gently pecked the corner of Louis¡¯s lips.


    Louis gazed at her fondly as he reminisced about their carefree days in university together.


    Louis¡¯s heart softened as he caressed her cheek lovingly, Gazing at her affectionately, he cooed, ¡°Even


    after all these years, you have not changed.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault for being so stubborn. Once I¡¯ve set my eyes on someone, I want to spend the rest of my


    life with them,¡± Olivia Cruise replied.


    ¡°What a silly girl,¡± Louis chuckled.


    As they chatted, the couple could hear the host announcing the official start of the auction.


    Louis and Olivia exchanged a brief yet meaningful nce before returning to the private room.


    All the guests had dabbled in the business world for many years and were well-versed with such


    events¡± social rules and norms. Everyone remainedposed and patient after the auction began and


    was not in a hurry to make a move.


    As such, the first few items were all purchased by bidders nted by the organizers. These bidders


    saved the organizer¡¯s reputation and prevented an awkward situation where guests felt obligated to


    bid.


    Since this was a charity banquet, all guests made a genuine effort to bid on the items, though some


    may have been motivated by their appearances.


    Mary Green purchased several jewelry pieces and a Renaissance painting from the 1800s. At the


    same time. Rachel Grey idly flipped through a booklet until the host on stage announced the name of


    the following collection.


    The host announced, ¡°Next, we have an ivory-craved painter¡¯s brush made with squirrel hair from the


    1700s. The brush body measures approximately 8 inches in length. The starting price is set at 160


    thousand dors.¡±


    Most attendees were young heirs and heiresses of wealthy families and had little interest in the cultural


    relics being auctioned. However, there were also several antique enthusiasts present.


    In the eyes of industry experts, this brush held significant value.


    As such, the price quickly soared to 300 thousand dors.


    Rachel lifted her sign and raised the price, ¡°400 thousand dors.¡±


    Upon seeing Rachel¡¯s bid, Olivia, who was sitting in the private room at the end, hastily raised the


    bidding sign in her hand as she dered, ¡°440 thousand dors.¡±


    This painter¡¯s brush held little value to Olivia. However, she could not bear to let Rachel get what she


    wanted.


    Instinctively, Olivia would seize any opportunity to cause problems for Rachel.


    However, her unusual action caught Louis¡¯s attention.


    Sensing Louis¡¯s gaze, Olivia¡¯s eyes showed a hint of panic. She quickly exined, ¡°Grandpa Smith


    always loved these cultural relics, right? I once gave him a fake one at his birthday party, and I¡¯ve felt


    guilty about it ever since. So, I want to bid for this one and gift it to him.¡±


    Louis¡¯s frigid gaze softened upon hearing her words.


    He dismissed the suspicion in his heart.


    Olivia silently heaved a sigh of relief at Louis¡¯s softened expression.


    In the next few bidding rounds, Olivia followed Rachel closely, raising the bid higher each time. It was


    as if the duo were natural rivals.


    Meanwhile, Rachel also became aware that Olivia¡¯s secretpetition against her.


    ¡°Is she so obsessed with stealing what¡¯s mine?¡± Rachel pondered.


    Raising her brows, Rachel broke into a meaningful smile as she announced, ¡°500 thousand dors!¡±


    This number sent a jolt through Olivia, and she raged.


    Olivia cursed in her heart, This bit*h must have done it on purpose!


    ¡°Of all the possible prices, she had to offer 500 thousand dors!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it clear that she¡¯s taking this opportunity to criticize me!¡±


    Secretly gritting her teeth, Olivia raised the sign and dered, ¡°600 thousand dors!¡±


    ¡°700 thousand dors!¡± Rachel continued to bid.


    ¡°800 thousand dors!¡± Olivia followed.


    Experts in the industry knew that this painter¡¯s brush was only worth 700 thousand dors; anything


    more would be an overpayment.


    However, Olivia had raised the bid to 800 thousand dors.


    No one knew if she was being wilful and arrogant or that shecked intelligence despite her wealth.¡±


    However, this interaction piqued the curiosity of the attendees.


    Murmurs could be heard from the crowd, ¡°It¡¯s just a painter¡¯s brush. Is it worth fighting over?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Love can make people do crazy things like this.¡±


    This heated exchange naturally led to discussions about theplicated love triangle between Rachel,


    Louis, and Olivia.


    ¡°Wow, Mr. Smith seems popr among thedies!¡±


    ¡°So what if he is? The beauty has already been taken by someone else. It¡¯s toote for him to regret it


    now.¡±


    The onlookers threw meaningful nces at one another and smiled.

 Chapter 587

    Chapter 587


    Chapter 587


    Everyone held their breath in anticipation after Olivia Cruise raised the bid.


    Following the protocol, the host broke the silence, asking, ¡°The current bid is at 800 thousand dors.


    Are there any other bidders?¡±


    Silence ensued.


    The host announced, ¡°800 thousand dors, going


    While Rachel Grey did not necessarily need the painter¡¯s brush, the thought of pairing this brush with


    her ivory pocket watch from the 1800s was too tempting to resist. The intricate patterns of this painter¡¯s


    brush pair beautifully with cravings of the sea, clouds, and dragon on her pocket watch.


    However, Rachel changed her mind after she noticed Olivia¡¯s efforts to obstruct her.


    ¡°Well, the thrill in the game of cats and mice isn¡¯t in capturing the prey but in the process of toying with


    it.¡± Rachel thought.


    With this thought in mind, Rachel sessfully led Olivia to raise the bid to 800 thousand dors.


    She enjoyed the process of doing so.


    Rachel murmured to herself, ¡°Although Olivia will have to pay a hefty price for this, she deserved it!


    ¡°I wonder if her savings could handle this!¡±


    David Jones caught the (cun ning) glint in Rachel¡¯s eyes and immediately understood her n.


    The host turned to Rachel, silently urging her to raise the bid.


    However, Rachel casually set her bidding panel down and picked up a cup of coffee, sipping it


    elegantly.


    ¡°800 thousand dors, going twice.¡±


    800 thousand dors, sold!¡± With a swift and resounding tap, the hammer in the host¡¯s handnded.


    heavily on the table, signifying the end of the bidding.


    Olivia broke into a satisfied grin, and her eyes gleamed with a hint of triumph.


    Little did Olivia know, she was toyed with by Rachel.


    The next item was an emerald ne made of 43 perfectly rounded beads and a diamond sp.


    Numerous jewelry enthusiasts, including Rachel, participated in the bidding.


    Meanwhile, Olivia also joined the bidding war.


    During this process, Olivia exined her decision to Louis Smith, ¡°Mrs. Smith loves jewelry. If I am


    sessfully bidding for this, consider this as my gift to her.¡±


    ¡°Having such kind intentions are enough. It¡¯s unnecessary to spend so much money,¡± Louis replied


    graciously.


    However, Olivia grasped his hand firmly and responded. ¡°Your family is my family now. It¡¯s only natural


    for me to treat them sincerely.¡±


    Hearing Olivia¡¯s bid, Rachel Grey smirked. With a confident voice, she counteroffered, ¡°200 thousand


    dors!¡±


    All eyes turned to Rachel as she raised the bid from 120 thousand dors to a (stagg ering) 200


    thousand dors.


    Everyone had assumed that Rachel was determined to obtain the ne. Little did they know, she


    was setting up a trap for Olivia.


    Olivia raised the bid, ¡°280 thousand dors!¡±


    Unsurprisingly, she won the bid and became the new owner of the emerald ne.


    Chapter 587


    Following that, Olivia also won the bids for the third and fourth items.


    As Rachel observed the confident and smug stance of Olivia, a hint of sarcasm crept onto her lips.


    She brooded, ¡°How st**pid. I wish Olivia could maintain this smugness for the rest of the auction.¡±


    ¡°How many perks did the organizers give you to be the bait?¡± David asked Rachel with fondness in his


    eyes.


    Rachel threw him a yful wink and responded, ¡°Guess?¡±


    Zion Summers, who was sitting next to her, was taken aback by her response.


    He silently picked up the cup, only to find it empty.


    Just as he was about to ring the bell to summon the waiter, David¡¯s teasing voice interrupted, ¡°Is the


    dignified heir of the Summers family reduced to shamelessly freeloading coffee now?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zion paused and nced at David with a smirk. His cold voice held a hint of


    amusement and challenge. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re quite ipetent as a partner, Mr. Jones. You did not


    even notice that Miss Grey¡¯s cup has been empty.¡±


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his deep, husky voice turned icy cold, ¡°Mr. Summers, you do not have to


    be concerned for my fianc¨¦e. Guard, please escort the guest out.¡±


    When Billy Jones and Eddie Brook, who were standing outside, heard this, they quickly stepped in and


    ushered Zion out, saying, ¡°Mr. Summers, please!¡±


    Zion¡¯s gaze briefly lingered on David before turning to Rachel, ¡°I will be right next door. Come find me


    anytime.¡±


    ¡°Take care, Rachel replied without asking him to stay.


    She did not like beating around the bush or leaving things up in the air. Rachel preferred a clear-cut


    approach, and when it came to Zion, she wanted to shut down his advances once and for all.


    Zion¡¯s departure did not disrupt the auction proceedings.


    The host¡¯s voice echoed through the auction hall, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this stunning diamond ring is


    provided by the esteemed Jewel Auction House. It was retrieved from the Famous ¡®Madame Atoca


    shipwreck, and its main body is cut into a striking square shape. The exquisite stone weighs


    approximately 5.27 carats. The bidding starts now.¡±


    Jewelry had always been a woman¡¯s weakness. The fact that this diamond ring was from the ¡®Madame


    Atoca¡¯ shipwreck, one of the world¡¯s top six shipwrecks, made it all the more enticing.


    ¡°200 thousand dors!¡±


    ¡°400 thousand dors!¡±


    *600 thousand dors!¡±


    The bidding for the diamond ring was intense. Olivia was keen on securing it, but Rachel was


    seemingly disinterested.


    ¡°Is Rachel hesitant to join this bidding around after losing my previous bids?¡± Olivia pondered.


    As Olivia was still lost in her thoughts, Louis¡¯s voice was heard, ¡°I million dors!¡±


    The sudden jump in bid caught the attention of all those present, and murmurs could be heard.


    ¡°Looks like the Seaxas nouveau riche is living up to their reputation. How generous!¡±


    ¡°I heard Mr. Smith and Miss Cruise have already registered their marriage. Looks like he ns to buy


    this ring to please his wife.¡±


    ¡°Spending five million to put a smile on the beauty¡¯s face. That¡¯s true generosity.¡±


    ¡°The Smith family runs a huge business. Five million would be insignificant to them.¡±


    Rachel could faintly hear the murmurs happening below the stage.


    She silently snickered, ¡°The act of spending a million dors to win the smile of a beauty did not seem


    entirely genuine.¡±


    Rachel gently tapped the bidding te in her hand as she pondered.


    Meanwhile, in another private room, Olivia gazed at Louis in astonishment, Louis, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s our engagement, I should give you a ring,¡± Louis said. ¡°This shall be the first ring I give you.¡±


    His words deeply touched Olivia. She wrapped her arms tightly around Louis and whispered, ¡°Thank


    you, Louis.¡±


    ¡°Silly, we¡¯re husband and wife now. It¡¯s my pleasure to shower you with gifts,¡± Louis responded lovingly.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At this moment, there were no further bids.


    Just as Louis thought he had the winning bid, Rachel surprised everyone by raising her sign, ¡°1.2


    million dors!¡±


    As her cold voice fell, Olivia¡¯s face twisted in disgust in the private room.


    ¡°Is Rachel Grey deliberately trying to go against me?¡± She cursed under her breath.


    However, upon further consideration, Olivia wondered if Rachel¡¯s bid for the ring signified that she still


    had feelings for Louis and wanted to disrupt his ns to give her a ring.


    Olivia felt satisfied as she noticed Rachel¡¯s obvious jealousy.


    The more Rachel showed that she cared about Louis, the greater Olivia¡¯s satisfaction.


    Her desire was to witness Rachel in agony.


    Rachel¡¯s actions brought to mind theplex and tumultuous love triangle between the three of them

 Chapter 588

    Chapter 588


    Chapter 588


    The moment Louis heard Rachel¡¯s voice, his heart started racing uncontrobly.


    Unexpectedly, he felt an overwhelming sense of joy and excitement.


    Rachel still cared about him, right?


    Otherwise, why would she interfere?


    He tightened his grip around the number sign he was holding. For a moment, he forgot to continue


    bidding.


    Seeing that he did not speak for a long time, Olivia could not help but turn to look.


    When she saw his distracted look, a hint of coldness shed in her eyes.


    She collected her thoughts before putting on a gentle expression. ¡°Louis, why don¡¯t we forget about it?


    It¡¯s just a ring.¡±


    Louis came back to his senses. Looking at her forced smile, he frowned.


    The conflict and struggle he was feeling were reced by heartache and guilt. Determination appeared


    in his eyes as he raised the sign in his hand and said, ¡°1.4 million dors!¡±


    ¡°1.6 million dors!¡± Rachel refused to give up.


    Hearing her voice, the people below the stage erupted into discussion again.


    Everyone knew that Louis and Olivia were getting engaged soon.


    Since this was the case, Louis must be buying this ring for Olivia.


    However, Rachel kept stopping Louis. It was obvious that she did not want Louis to get the ring.


    There were a lot of dignitaries and socialites from Seaxas in the audience. In the current situation, they


    felt that they should not get involved and would just be onlookers.


    As the price increased, Louis¡¯s expression became more and more solemn.


    Previously, Rachel¡¯s decision to join the bid out of the blue made Louis feel that Rachel could not let go


    of him, but now that she was continuing to bid, it made him feel annoyed.


    At this moment, Olivia held his hand and said gently, ¡°Louis, forget it. There¡¯s no need to spend so


    much money on me.¡±


    The more obedient and sensible she acted, the more Louis¡¯s heart ached.


    He held Olivia¡¯s hand. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ll never put a price tag on you.¡±


    As he spoke, he raised the sign in his hand again. ¡°2 million dors!¡±


    There was an uproar below the stage.


    They all looked at Rachel expectantly.


    Rachel crossed her legs and raised the sign in her hand. Her red lips parted as she calmly said, ¡°4


    million


    dors.¡±


    It was 2 million dors more than thest bid. Everyone praised Rachel¡¯s boldness and felt sorry for


    this woman who could not get who she loved.


    So what if Rachel pestered Louis? It was a fact that Louis and Olivia were about to get engaged.


    ¡°This woman really doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her. Mr. Smith and Miss Cruise are about to be


    engaged, yet she¡¯s still unwilling to give up. She¡¯s really shameless.¡±


    ¡°So greedy! This kind of woman often doesn¡¯t end up in a good ce!¡±


    ¡°As an ex-girlfriend, she should disappear from his sight. Why is she appearing in front of him? Is she


    afraid that no one knows how she pestered the Smith family in the past?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s from a small family after all and doesn¡¯t care about her reputation. I would never do something


    as embarrassing as this.¡±


    However, Cindy didn¡¯t think so. She couldn¡¯t wait for Rachel to be proven guilty of not giving up on


    Louis.


    How could a normal man tolerate his woman being obsessed with another man?


    Not to mention a man like David Jones.


    With his status, he could have any woman he wanted. How could he allow Rachel, who loved another


    man, to continue staying by his side?


    Thinking of this, Cindy¡¯s eyes flickered. She took advantage of the fact that Rachel was bidding against


    Louis again to defend Olivia.


    ¡°Rachel, what is the meaning of this? You clearly know that Mr. Smith wants to buy that ring and give it


    to Olivia, but you still won¡¯t let go. Are you trying to make things difficult for them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Smith and Miss Cruise are about to be engaged, but she¡¯s still pestering Mr. Smith.


    She¡¯s simply shameless!¡±


    Rachel lowered her eyes and looked at Cindy below the stage mockingly. ¡°Since it¡¯s a charity auction,


    everyone has the right to bid. I really don¡¯t know why you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m not giving up.¡±


    ¡°You know best whether you¡¯re relentless or not!¡± Cindy snorted disdainfully. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that


    you¡¯ve been pestering Louis all these years and even threatened him with thepany¡¯s future to


    marry you? But what happened in the end? If it¡¯s not meant to be, you can¡¯t force it. You were about to


    marry hit, but he still abandoned you at the altar!¡±


    Cindy thought that she was rubbing salt in Rachel¡¯s wound. Little did Cindy know that when Louis.


    abandoned Rachel and Rachel broke up with him, this rtionship was already dead in Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    Sc um bags were just like trash. Why would Rachel take Louis seriously?


    Why would Rachel still be hung up on Louis?


    Rachel sighed faintly. She held her forehead and looked down at Cindy, who had a provocative


    expression.


    What should she do to urately convey to everyone that Louis was meaningless to her?


    ¡°Since this is a charity auction, everyone is just doing their best to contribute. Is Miss Tory all worked up


    because her wallet is empty?¡± Rachel asked.


    Cindy¡¯s face turned red.


    The auction was more than halfway through. Most people had bought a few things, but Cindy had not


    paid a single cent.


    Cindy blushed in embarrassment and red at Rachel.


    Cindy initially wanted to embarrass Rachel in public, but she did not expect to be exposed by Rachel.


    At this moment, she really wanted to tear Rachel¡¯s mouth apart.


    Rachel¡¯s red lips curled up into a bright and moving smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t have money, shut up. No one


    will pay to see you embarrass yourself, and even if they did, it wouldn¡¯t be a huge amount.¡±


    Then, Rachel ignored Cindy¡¯s re and looked at Louis, ¡°Mr. Smith, 4 million dors. Are you going to


    continue bidding?¡±


    At this point, everyone¡¯s eyes were on Louis. He had no way out.


    He gritted his teeth and raised the number sign. ¡°6 million dors!¡±


    ¡°Louis!¡± Olivia looked at Louis in surprise.


    Olivia thought that Louis would back off and did not expect him to yell out 6 million dors!


    He was going to spend 6 million dors on just a diamond ring for her. This would definitely be in the


    headlines tomorrow.


    Rachel raised her eyebrow. ¡°Looks like Mr. Smith is determined to get this ring. Although I still have


    some money to spare, 6 million dors for a diamond ring is too much for me, so I¡¯m withdrawing from


    this bid.¡±


    ¡°I admire Mr. Smith¡¯s strong support for phnthropy, I also wish him sess. I think everyone here


    should apud and congratte Mr. Smith.¡±


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


    Rachel took the lead in pping. Spa rse apuse came from below the stage, but gradually,


    thunderous. apuse filled the entire hall.

 Chapter 589

    Chapter 589


    Chapter 589


    Originally, Olivia was still immersed in the joy and excitement of Louis spending 6 million dors on a


    diamond ring for her. However, the thunderous apuse in her ears gradually made her snap out of it.


    She vaguely sensed that something was amiss.


    Olivia suddenly raised her eyes and looked at Rachel, who was sitting in the private room diagonally


    opposite her.


    Olivia saw a faint smile on Rachel¡¯s face as they looked at each other from afar. Rachel also had an


    eyebrow raised provocatively.


    At that moment, Olivia¡¯s guess was confirmed.


    Olivia¡¯s expression darkened and her nails dug into her palms.


    Rachel was doing this deliberately!


    From the start of the auction, Rachel had never wanted the ring.


    However, Rachel baited Louis and made him spend so much money just to buy a bunch of useless


    things.


    Olivia was filled with the urge to skin Rachel alive.


    Meanwhile, Louis, who was sitting beside Olivia, had an extremely gloomy expression on his face as


    well.


    When Rachel said those words calmly, he sensed that something was wrong.


    Rachel never wanted that ring.


    From the beginning, her goal was to raise the price so that he would have to buy the ring at a high


    price.


    If Rachel had not participated in the auction, he would have been able to sessfully buy the ring for


    only 1 million dors. However, now he had to pay a total of 6 million dors.


    That was a huge sum!


    Rachel must have realized that she couldn¡¯t stop him from buying the ring and giving it to Olivia, so she


    thought of this method to take revenge on him.


    In the end, Rachel did it because she was jealous.


    Although Rachel said that she didn¡¯t care about him, her actions had already exposed what she really


    thought.


    Rachel did not know what Louis was thinking. She only sensed his unfriendly gaze and smiled brightly.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, your love for Miss Cruise is really enviable. I think when the news spreads tomorrow, it will


    definitely make countless people jealous and you¡¯ll be a model husband in Seaxas.¡±


    Everyone naturally heard the sarcasm in Rachel¡¯s tone and thought that she was saying that because


    she was jealous.


    ¡°Miss Cruise is blessed.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Smith spent 6 million dors just to buy a diamond ring for Miss Cruise. It¡¯s obvious he loves Miss


    Cruise.¡±


    The two of them are a match made in heaven. This story will be a legend in Seaxas in the future.¡±


    Everyone praised Louis.


    Even if Louis and Olivia were unhappy, they had no choice but to ept thepliments with a smile.


    They were forced to swallow their anger.


    Louis looked at the culprit, Rachel. She was savoring theplimentary fruit with a satisfied


    expression.


    Olivia clenched her fists tightly. She would remember this!


    However, after knowing Rachel¡¯s thoughts and intentions, Olivia and Louis became cautious in the


    subsequent auctions. They no longer rashly bid against Rachel, afraid that they would be scammed


    again.


    It was also for this reason that Rachel sessfully obtained a few things that she liked at a reasonable


    price.


    ¡°Are you happy now?¡± David looked at her.


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m in a much better mood now that there¡¯s no troublemaker.¡±


    David watched as she crossed her legs and sipped on her coffee. She looked like a cat bathing in the


    afternoon sun¨Crxed,fortable, and at ease.


    As the auction drew to a close, some people began to secretly rub their hands in anticipation of the


    final item. ¡°It¡¯s said to be a set of priceless jewelry that once belonged to the royal family of a certain


    country. It was bought anonymously at the previous auction. Rumor has it that there is a treasure map


    hidden in this set of jewelry. I wonder if it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Don¡¯t you see that everyone here is pining for it?¡±


    ¡°The organizer of this auction is smart. Only the top five spenders of this auction are qualified to


    participate in the auction for this item. Looking at our spending. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Just like everyone else, the previous auction items were not what Olivia wanted. What she really


    wanted was this set of jewelry that once belonged to the royal family.


    If Olivia got this set of jewelry, she would be in the headlines tomorrow, and it would satisfy her vanity.


    At that time, she would bribe the ghostwriters to publicize her wedding date with Louis. Not only would


    she be able to regain her reputation, but she would also be able to get the people in the business world


    to reevaluate the value of Cruise Group.


    Therefore, this set of jewelry was extremely important to her.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the jewelry that had been shrouded in mystery was finally revealed to


    everyone.


    The entire set consisted of nine pieces of jewelry¨Ca crown, a pair of earrings, a ne, a bracelet, a


    brooch, a pendant, a ring, and a couple more pieces.


    There were a total of 38 precious sapphires in the entire set. The sapphires were in different shapes


    like a water droplet, a rectangle, an octagon, and an oval. The sapphires were also cut differently for


    each piece of jewelry, and there were cuts like the rose cut and antique cut.


    The most eye¨Ccatching item was the sapphire ne. It was made of 10 octagonal sapphires. The


    largest sapphire weighed 15 carats, and all the sapphiresbined weighed 70 carats. It was


    surrounded by diamonds and was extremely precious.


    Under the light, the sapphire sparkled like the mysterious sea, dazzling and eye¨Ccatching.


    David looked at Rachel. ¡°Are you interested?¡±


    ¡°Meh,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about the legend behind this set of jewelry?¡± David raised his eyebrow when he


    saw that she seemed disinterested.


    ¡°You mean the treasure map?¡± Rachel did not expect David to be interested in something as unreliable


    as legends. She asked casually. ¡°Would you believe me if I said it was fake?¡±


    David said, ¡°I believe everything you say.¡±


    While the two of them were talking, a few people below the stage had already started bidding.


    This included Louis, who bought the diamond ring for 6 million dors. ¡°200 thousand dors!¡±


    400 thousand dors!¡±


    ¡°I million dors!¡±


    Rachel crossed her legs and tapped the table rhythmically with her fingers as if she was waiting or


    secretly plotting something.


    She remembered that this set of jewelry had cost her 4 million dors.


    She was still far from getting back her capital at the current bid price.


    She thought that she should get things going.


    As she was thinking, she heard Louis say again. ¡°2 million dors!¡±


    Such a huge leap caused everyone present to involuntarily gasp.


    Tonight, they had witnessed Smith Group¡¯s wealth.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    They originally thought that Louis spending 6 million dors on a diamond ring to show his love for


    Olivia was already enough. Now, he even called out 2 million dors without hesitation as he really


    wanted to get this set of jewelry.


    ¡°Louis, we have to get this set of jewelry no matter what Olivia said. ¡°Marina likes to collect jewelry.


    Ordinary jewelry is not worthy of her attention. If we can sessfully bid for it and give it to her. I


    believe she will secretly help Smith Group in the future!


    Of course. Louis knew all this. That was why he wanted to buy this set of jewelry.


    However, Rachel seemed to have guessed their intentions.


    Since Rachel had put up this set of jewelry for auction, she had no intention of taking it back. However,


    when she thought about how her things would be bought by Louis, she felt disgusted.

 Chapter 590

    Chapter 590


    Chapter 590


    The people present were unaware of Louis and Olivia¡¯s intentions. They were simply interested in the


    legend behind this set of jewelry.


    *4 million dors!¡± A deep and cold voice sounded.


    Everyone turned toward the direction of the voice and their gazesnded urately on Zion¡¯s private


    room.


    The man was slouching on the sofa, typing on hisptop with his arms resting on the backrest. His


    white shirt was rolled up to his arms, revealing his toned forearm and an expensive wristwatch.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    He held a cigarette between his clean and slender fingers, the crimson sparks flickering intermittently.


    The light flickered, and a hazy profile shed through the white smoke.


    His looks were no less attractive aspared to David¡¯s.


    ¡°4 million dors in a single move. He seems like a wealthy person with plenty of money to spare!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the heir of the Summers family from Pollister.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there was quite a bigmotion recently when they acquired Hubert Group. His methods were


    quite impressive.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys curious about which family is more powerful, the Summers family from Pollister or the


    Smith family from Seaxas?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really noparison, is there? Although the Summers family is from Pollister, their status in


    Pollister is equivalent to the Johnson family from Seaxas, and as for the Smith family, they might be


    considered nouveau riche, but it¡¯s just due to everyone¡¯s ttering. Who doesn¡¯t know that the Smith


    family has been going downhill recently? How can they be considered nouveau riche?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by the fact that the Smith family is spending excessively tonight. I don¡¯t think they have


    much money left to spend!¡±


    This isn¡¯t the end yet. It¡¯s still uncertain who will win.¡±


    The whispers from the people below the stage fell clearly into Louis¡¯s ears.


    His expression suddenly darkened, as if it was covered in ayer of terrifying frost. His ck eyes


    narrowed slightly, and a sharp cold light emitted from his eyes.


    The incident with Olivia a few days ago had a certain impact on the Smith family, in particr on the


    joint project between the Smith and Cruise families.


    The partners had all proposed to terminate the contract and demanded the two familiespensate for


    the breach of contract.


    Although thepany was not too affected, as outsiders had said, with the current situation of the


    Smith family¡¯s current situation, there was not much money on the books for them to squander.


    But he needed the set of jewelry on the stage.


    That was the key to his visit to Marina Jones.


    With this in mind, Louis¡¯s eyes flickered with determination as he raised the number te. ¡°6¡­¡±


    ¡°10 million dors!¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a cold voice.


    In an instant, the entire ce fell into dead silence.


    While everyone was raising bids by 2 million dors, this man raised it by 8 million!


    This was no different from throwing money around casually!


    Louis was equally shocked and looked up at David in the private room diagonally opposite him.


    However, David didn¡¯t even pay attention to them, sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed. Even if he


    didn¡¯t do anything, his innate noble and indifferent aura couldn¡¯t be concealed.


    Rachel looked at David with her eyebrows raised slightly. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Unwilling to give it to them, right?¡± David retorted.


    Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s lips. ¡°As expected, nothing can escape your eyes.¡±


    David leaned toward her ear and whispered, ¡°A man who is worthy of Rachel Grey naturally can¡¯t be


    too bad.¡±


    His warm breath fell on her ear, and his low and maic voice carried a hint ofughter. It was like


    countless little h**ks that tickled her heart.


    She wanted to reach out and rub her ear, but before she could raise her hand, David grabbed her.


    Looking at their interlocked fingers, Rachel¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help but curl upwards.


    At this moment, Zion¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°12 million dors!¡±


    Upon hearing the amount. Louis felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His pupils trembled slightly.


    This amount had far exceeded his expectations.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Louis, are you giving up? Without this set of jewelry, how are you going to ask Marina for help?¡± Olivia


    thought that they could rest easy after Rachel lost the right to bid, but she did not expect Zion and


    David to continue bidding against each other.


    Moreover, the price was so high that it was dizzying.


    However, she was really unwilling to give up just like that.


    She held Louis¡¯s hand and said earnestly, ¡°Louis, the Seaxas conference is only two months away.


    Don¡¯t you want to use Marina¡¯s connections to move the Smith family forward?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Louis frowned imperceptibly. His grip on the number te tightened.


    After a moment of silence, he finally raised the number te in his hand. ¡°14 million dors!¡±


    Before anyone could react, Zion¡¯s voice sounded again. ?20 million dors!¡±


    Everyone was stunned by the price of 20 million dors. Before they could recover, a deep voice


    sounded, ¡°40 million dors!¡±


    Louis¡¯s heart instantly sank as he looked up at David with a dark gaze.


    Despair shed across Olivia¡¯s eyes.


    She knew Louis well enough to know that he wouldn¡¯t continue bidding at this price.


    This also meant that they were going to lose this set of jewelry.


    However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Louis suddenly spoke, 50 million dors!¡±


    In an instant, Olivia felt like she had been pulled out of an ice-coldke. Her groggy mind instantly


    sobered up, and her pupils trembled as he looked at Louis.


    She gulped, her voice trembling with shock. ¡°Louis, you¡­¡±


    Louis nced at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can handle it.¡±


    *50 million dors is nothingpared to what it could bring to the Smith family!¡±


    The people below the stage looked at Louis in disbelief.


    Even the experienced host was so shocked that his jaw dropped.


    ording to the organizer¡¯s estimation, this set of jewelry was expected to sell for a maximum of 10


    million dors.


    They never expected it to soar to 50 million dors!


    After a long while, the host regained his senses and maintained his image. ¡°The current bid is 50


    million dors. Is any bid higher than this? 50 million dors once! 50 million dors twice! 50 million


    dors¡­ Sold!¡±


    As the host¡¯s gavel fell, he was the first to apud and congratte. ¡°Congrattions to Mr. Smith of


    the Smith Group for winning this royal jewelry set for 50 million dors!¡±


    Olivia held Louis¡¯s hand excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    Louis¡¯s smiled slightly, feeling a mixture of emotions.


    Now, he only hoped that Marina would truly appreciate this set of jewelry.


    Only in this way would everything he had done tonight be worth it.


    Rachel looked at Olivia¡¯s joyful expression. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly.


    ¡°Reluctant?¡± David asked.


    ¡°If I were reluctant, I wouldn¡¯t have taken it out.¡± Rachel turned to look at him. ¡°A set of jewelry bought


    for 4 million dors was exchanged for 50 million dors. It¡¯s a great deal.¡±


    At this moment, the door of the private room was pushed open, and Darcy walked in.


    He nodded slightly at David, then walked over to Rachel¡¯s side. ¡°Miss Grey, are we asking the usual


    tonight?¡±

 Chapter 591

    Chapter 591


    ¡°No.¡± Rachel looked up and nced at Darcy with a meaningful smile in her eyes. ¡°Let them prepare


    properly.¡±


    Darcy was stunned for a moment before he respectfully said. ¡°Yes!¡±


    ording to the tradition of the annual charity auction, the organizers had to go on stage to give a


    speech at the end.


    However, Rachel had never liked to be in the limelight. In the past, Darcy would always give a speech


    on


    her behalf.


    But this time, she wanted to give the speech herself.


    After all, Olivia and Louis had contributed so much to this charity auction. As the organizer, she should


    thank them properly.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, may I ask if you will be paying by credit card or check?¡± Darcy led several ck-suited men


    into the private room they were in.


    In the past, the tradition of the charity auction was to pay for the items purchased when the guests left.


    But this time, they were worried that something might go wrong, so they brought the items in early.


    When he saw Darcy¡¯s face, Louis was slightly taken aback.


    He felt like he had seen this man somewhere before.


    But because the man¡¯s face was too ordinary, he could not remember who he was even after thinking


    for a long time.


    ¡°With my card,¡± said Louis as he took out his card from his pocket.


    Darcy took out the POS machine that he had prepared in advance and handed it to Louis.


    After paying. Darcy gave the ck-suited men a nod, indicating for them to bring the set of sapphire


    jewelry up.


    After everything was done, the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed.


    Everyone was stunned and the host slowly walked onto the stage with his signature smile. ¡°Next,


    please wee the representative of the organizer of this charity auction up on stage to give a


    speech!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous apuse broke out in the audience.


    But the woman on stage had an indifferent expression, showing no interest or anticipation in this


    perfunctory process.


    ¡°Why is she here?¡± someone in the crowd asked.


    Upon hearing that, everyone turned their attention to the stage.


    Rachel slowly walked forward.


    She was wearing a moon-white gown, which wrapped around her enchanting figure. As she walked,


    her straight and long legs could be faintly seen beneath the gown, and her elegance was infused with a


    s**y


    charm.


    But her cold temperament was like a lily blooming at the top of a snow-covered mountain, making her


    only for distant admiration and not to be profaned.


    The spotlight fell on Rachel¡¯s face, making her eye-catching face even more dazzling.


    Rachel walked onto the stage with a calm expression. She took the microphone from the host and said


    to the audience, I¡¯m very happy that everyone came to participate in this charity banquet despite their


    busy schedules and thank you for your strong support for this charity auction.¡±


    She paused for a moment and lifted her gaze to the private room where Louis and Olivia were.


    The moment Rachel took to the stage, Louis felt as though he had been doused head to toe in icy


    water in


    the dead of winter.


    A chill spread through his limbs and bones, and his body trembled uncontrobly.


    His mind was in a mess, unable to find any clues.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how Rachel had suddenly be the organizer of this charity auction.


    Sensing Rachel¡¯s gaze, Louis frowned. His handsome fare was gloomy as if covered in ayer of ice,


    and a sense of ominous premonition rose in his heart.


    Suddenly, Rachel¡¯s red lips curved into a beautiful smile. ¡°I would especially like to thank Mr. Smith


    from the Smith Group and Miss Cruise from the Cruise Group. If it weren¡¯t for their generosity, this


    auction. wouldn¡¯t have broken the previous record. It is their boundless love that has made our auction


    the most sessful one yet.


    ¡°Let us give the warmest round of apuse to Mr. Smith and Miss Cruise.¡±


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


    Rachel led the apuse.


    Immediately, thunderous apuse resounded throughout the venue.


    But for Olivia and Louis, these ps fell on their ears like ps in the face, one after another.


    They had been tricked by Rachel again!


    ¡°No!¡±


    They had fallen into Rachel¡¯s trap from the very beginning!


    Every penny they spent was helping Rachel in doing her good deeds!


    An unprecedented sense of humiliation swept through Olivia¡¯s heart, causing her whole body to tremble


    uncontrobly.


    She gritted her teeth tightly, her eyes slightly reddened. She tightly clenched her fists, not feeling any


    pain. even when her nails broke.


    At this moment, even the exquisite makeup could not hide the anger on Olivia¡¯s face.


    Unfortunately, the camera suddenly zoomed in at Olivia¡¯s face.


    The people present did not miss the twisted and ferocious expression on her face, especially with her


    eyes reddened like a raging beast on the verge of madness, causing a tingling sensation on their


    scalps.


    Rachel looked at Olivia¡¯s crazed expression and the smile on her lips involuntarily deepened. Her


    exquisite eyebrows raised into a perfect arc with a hint of provocation.


    ¡°Mr. Smith and Miss Cruise, please face the camera and pose for a photo. We want to take a photo to


    commemorate the asion.¡±


    Louis and Olivia looked at Rachel¡¯s face and wished they could tear her


    apart.


    They were in no mood to pose for a photo.


    But facing the camera, they had to force a smile.


    They suppressed their anger so hard that they felt like they were about to be torn in half.


    Compared to the two of them, Rachel¡¯s posture remained elegant and generous.


    Her eyes were filled with a faint coldness, and the corners of her lips were curled up into a perfect


    smile. She seemed to not have many expressions, but when people looked at her, they felt a sense of


    fear inexplicably.


    She exuded an air of elegance and aloofness, with a seemingly casual and peaceful demeanor that


    carried. a sharp edge above the facade of pretense.


    David looked at the person on stage. The coldness in his eyes faded slightly, and a hint of gentleness


    appeared.


    Dangerous yet charming. At some point, Zion had walked to David¡¯s side. The Smith family must be


    blind, but at least she hade to her senses.¡±


    Hearing this. David¡¯s face darkened.


    He nced sideways. His sharp gazended on Zion like a knife, the hostility in his eyes undisguised.


    Noticing his warning gaze, Zion met his gaze fearlessly and his lips curled up slightly. ¡°Did I say


    something wrong?¡±


    ¡°The Smith family is blind and ignorant. They deserved it!¡±


    Zion looked at David¡¯s profile and said meaningfully. ¡°Things that seem beautiful often aren¡¯t. I sincerely


    hope she can turn back before it¡¯s toote.¡±


    Understanding the meaning behind his words, David¡¯s chiseled face turned as cold as ice, a destructive


    aura radiating from him.


    ¡°Do you like to meddle in other people¡¯s business?¡± The man¡¯s voice was like a bone-chilling winter


    wind. with a biting coldness that made people shiver.


    Zion didn¡¯t answer him. Instead, he looked in the other direction, his eyes shing withplex


    emotions. ¡°It seems like she¡¯s in trouble.¡±


    David turned to look in the same direction. His dark eyes narrowed as a cold glint flickered in his gaze.

 Chapter 592

    Chapter 592


    Chapter 592


    p! p! p!


    The crisp and abrupt sound of apuse rang out behind.


    Rachel nced to the side and immediately spotted Marina standing in front of the second-floor


    balcony.


    ¡°Miss Grey, you always bring me surprises time after time,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an impressionable senior, Auntie Marina, Rachel said sarcastically.


    Rachel¡¯s sarcastic and impolite words instantly wiped the smile off Marina¡¯s face.


    She took a deep breath and forced a smile again. ¡°Miss Grey, do you really think you can do whatever


    you want just because someone is backing you up in this auction?¡±


    The organizers of this charity auction had always been low-key.


    When Marina first arrived in Seaxas, she privately conducted an investigation into the long-established


    and wealthy families in the city, as well as gained an understanding of the city¡¯s major events.


    There had always been three unsolved mysteries in the whole city of Seaxas.


    One of them was the organizer of this annual charity auction.


    She came to this auction hoping to meet the organizers, who had always been low-key. But instead of


    meeting the real organizers, she ended up meeting Rachel, who she considered a fake.


    In


    Marina¡¯s understanding, even if Rachel had the Johnson family as her backing, it was not easy to


    organize such a grand charity auction solely through financial and material resources.


    Besides, the Only Love Foundation had a history of more than 30 years.


    However, Rachel was only in her early twenties, which meant that the Only Love Foundation had long


    existed before Rachel was born.


    Therefore, Marina guessed that Rachel was just causing trouble here under the name of David.


    Rachel did not know what Marina was thinking, but upon hearing Marin¡¯s words, she smiled faintly. ¡°Do


    you think I need him to back me up?¡± she asked.


    Her confidence never came from anyone else but from herself.


    Even if Rachel lost David, she still had the confidence and capital to confront Marina.


    ¡°Idiot, you¡¯re still acting tough at this point!¡±


    A mocking voice filled with sarcasm rang out loud and clear, causing the crowd to burst into low


    laughter.


    If Rachel¡¯s speech as a representative had surprised the audience just a moment ago, the


    contemptuous smiles on their faces now made it clear they were mocking her. It was as though they


    were watching a joke as they looked at Rachel.


    After all, other than Marina, David, Zion, and Mary in the private room, no one knew her identity.


    Seeing this scene, Olivia¡¯s anger and hatred were finally relieved.


    At this moment, nothing could make her happier than seeing Rachel getting humiliated.


    ¡°This Rachel is really overestimating herself. She actually dares to say such rude words to the mistress


    of the Jones family!¡±


    ¡°Look at how arrogant she is. She clearly has no idea who she just offended!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s vain and hypocritical. No wonder she was dumped by Mr. Smith back then.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re so great just because you have Mr. Jones backing you? The person in front of you


    is the proud daughter of the Jones family. Even Mr. Jones has to be polite to her. You¡¯re doomed!¡±


    Everyone spoke one after another, not hiding their mockery of Rachel.


    After a long while, an extremely deep and cold voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Is it very funny?¡±


    David¡¯s voice carried a chill that seeped into one¡¯s heart. The cold temperature was like the biting cold


    wind in the cold winter, lowering the temperature in the venue.


    In an instant, all the mockery and ridicule in the venue stopped.


    Everyone looked at David walking towards them step by step.


    David exuded a terrifying aura, and his exquisite eyes were filled with cold hostility.


    The murderous look on his face made people shudder.


    He had one hand in his pocket and his footsteps were casual, but every step seemed to be stepping on


    one¡¯s heart.


    He was as cold and ruthless as Satan walking out of hell, stepping over the corpses across the ground.


    Those who were familiar with David knew that he was furious at this moment!


    In the silent venue, David¡¯s deep and cold voice sounded again. ¡°Why aren¡¯t youughing anymore?¡±


    The only answer he got was dead silence.


    Everyone¡¯s pleading gazesnded on Marina. Their gazes seemed to be anticipating their savior to


    show


    mercy.


    Marina frowned, and an imperceptible coldness shed across her eyes. What a group of idiots!


    They only looked for her after making such a huge mess!


    After pondering for a long time, Marina said, ¡°David, everyone was just joking.¡±


    She spoke to both ease the tension and to give herself an out.


    If Marina showed the slightest bit of fear toward David, no one in Seaxas would be at her disposal in


    the future.


    David looked at Marina with a menacing gaze. ¡°When did my people be the subject of their


    jokes?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Marina¡¯s face stiffened.


    She did not expect David to retort to her in public!


    No matter what, she was his aunt!


    Did he really not care about their blood ties at all?


    Olivia also looked at the unexpected scene in front of her in disbelief.


    She knew about the rtionship between Marina and David.


    No matter what, they were rted by blood, but David didn¡¯t show Marina any respect at all.


    He had even humiliated Marina in public!


    Marina¡¯s face flushed with anger and embarrassment, but she tried to maintain a calm and unaffected.


    demeanor. ¡°David, have you lost your mind? How could you embarrass me in front of everyone just for


    the sake of a woman? I am your aunt!¡±


    Her words were both criticizing David and implying that he had been blinded by love.


    ¡°Since when is it your turn to tell me what to do?¡± David looked at Marina indifferently.


    The sharp gaze felt like an arrow shooting straight from the depths of his eyes, aimed directly at Marina


    without any hesitation.


    Marina¡¯s heart trembled. Her footsteps were unsteady, and her hands on the fence suddenly tightened.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Her intuition told her that if she spoke again, David would strangle her throat without hesitation.


    In the long silence, ayer of cold sweat broke out on her back.


    Chapter 592


    Marina secretly gritted her teeth and dug her sharp nails into her palms. ¡°Okay, okay, okay! I don¡¯t care


    anymore!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she ignored the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces and turned to


    leave angrily.


    However, only Marina knew that every step she took was like walking on thin ice. She was afraid that


    David would stop her.


    At that time, she would not be able to protect her reputation.


    Everyone looked at Marina¡¯s back as she left. They didn¡¯t know if it was their imagination, but they felt


    that she was fleeing.


    ¡°You scared my guests away.¡± Rachel looked at David.


    David lowered his eyes and looked at Rachel. The coldness between his eyebrows faded a little. It¡¯s


    my fault. You can do whatever you want with me.¡±


    When the people present saw David¡¯s attitude, their expressions changed drastically.


    Especially Cindy, whose face was filled with disbelief.


    Rumor had it that Mr. Jones did not get close to women. He was decisive and did not show mercy to


    his blood rtives. Why was he only so gentle to Rachel?

 Chapter 593

    Chapter 593


    Chapter 593


    There were many women among the guests.


    They could sense that David¡¯s feelings toward Rachel were not just a fling.


    From the moment when David stepped forward to defend Rachel, it was easy to specte about the


    ce that Rachel held in his heart.


    And from beginning to end, David¡¯s gaze never left Rachel. The coolness in his eyes was filled with


    indescribable tenderness and dotingness.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, do you really like Rachel?¡± Cindy asked, unwilling to give up.


    In her opinion, Rachel was nothing but a pretty face with no good qualities!


    As for David, he came from a noble family and could have any amazing woman he wanted. Why would


    he choose Rachel?


    After all, Rachel had once been abandoned at the wedding ceremony!


    To be abandoned at the wedding ceremony was a lifelong humiliation. It was a stain that Rachel would.


    never be able to get rid of


    How could Mr. Jones ept it? It was impossible!


    Hearing this, David¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly. His indifferent eyes moved to the end corner of his


    eyes, and he nced at Cindy coldly. ¡°What right do you have to ask about my matters?¡±


    David¡¯s voice was indifferent, and there was a chilling coldness in his words.


    His cold and indifferent gaze was filled with a sharpness that could not be concealed. It was as if he


    had seen through Cindy¡¯s thoughts, making her feel like she was in an icehouse. She could not say


    anything.


    Cindy opened her mouth, trying to say something.


    However, it was as if there was a ball of cotton stuffed in her throat, and she could not make a sound.


    ¡°Watch your attitude, Rachel said. ¡°Your attitude makes Miss Tory very upset.¡±


    There was a hint of mockery in Rachel¡¯s casual tone, which made Cindy feel ashamed.


    David frowned slightly. ¡°Why should I care if she is upset or not?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jones¡­¡± Cindy felt like something had stabbed her heart, and tears welled up in her eyes.


    She could not ept that she had lost to a woman who had once been abandoned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I will forgive you for scaring my guests. Although Rachel said that, her gaze on David


    was gentle, and did not have the slightest intention of ming him.


    David raised his eyebrows and a smile appeared in his eyes.


    He leaned down slightly and whispered in Rachel¡¯s ear, ¡°You can do whatever you want with me


    tonight.¡±


    His deep and maic voice was deliberately ambiguous, making one¡¯s imagination run wild.


    When everyone saw David flirting in public, their jaws almost dropped.


    In their eyes, David was like a peacock during the mating season. Not only was he flirtatious, but he


    was also seductive!


    He even told Rachel she could do whatever she wanted with him at night!


    What else could they do at night?


    Could it be that the two of them were cosying at night?


    Rachel blinked innocently. Her gaze seemed to be saying. ¡°What did you say? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss how you will deal with me tonight,¡± David said calmly.


    Chapter 593


    Rachel retreated tactically, choosing to draw a line with David.


    Mary, who was in the private room, couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes when she saw this scene. ¡°Discuss at


    night? Why not just say, ¡®Let¡¯s discuss in bed¡¯? Men, huh! They can speak their selfish desires so


    righteously.¡±


    David¡¯s insincere smile at the end seemed to convey nothing, yet it hinted at something.


    Zion said. ¡°There are differences between men.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s not much difference, right?¡±


    Zion thought about it and was speechless.


    At this moment, Olivia flew into a rage with jealousy.


    She had always thought that Rachel had taken the initiative to seduce David because of her confidence


    in


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    her pretty face. At most, she was just David¡¯s ything to pass the time.


    However, seeing David¡¯s attitude toward Rachel, it was clear that he did not treat her as a toy.


    As a woman. Olivia knew best what David¡¯s gentle and doting gaze meant when he looked at Rachel.


    The rumored ruthless and decisive Mr. Jones, who was said to have no interest in women, seemed to


    only have Rachel in his heart and mind.


    But what right did Rachel have?


    Was it because she had a beautiful face?


    Was it enough to make up for the fact that she had been abandoned by Louis?


    Olivia initially thought that Rachel would be in a sorry state after being abandoned by Louis and kicked


    out of the house by the Smith family. However, she never expected that Rachel would h**k. up with


    David.


    It meant that Rachel was destined to suppress her.


    Olivia would never allow that to happen!


    How could Rachel be worthy of David? How could she be worthy of stepping on her head?


    Not only should Rachel be abandoned by Louis, but she should also be despised by David.


    That was David!


    Be it social status, wealth, or power, David was above Louis. He could even easily crush everyone in


    the


    scene.


    How could such an outstanding man belong to Rachel?


    Olivia bit her lip. Her heart felt like it had been fried in oil. Jealousy overwhelmed her uncontrobly.


    When she turned around, she realized Louis was staring nkly at a certain spot.


    She followed the gaze and saw Rachel standing on the stage, which made her furious.


    suppressed the jealousy raging in her chest and said gently. ¡°Louis, let¡¯s send the jewelry to


    Olivia


    Marina.¡±


    Louis suddenly retracted his gaze, but he did not hear what Olivia had just said. ¡°What did you just


    say?¡±


    Olivia bit her lip in frustration but maintained herposed and gentle demeanor. ¡°I said let¡¯s quickly


    send the things to Marina now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Louis nodded.


    The news of their departure quickly reached Rachel¡¯s ears.


    All of this was within her expectations.


    If Louis and Olivia continued to stay for dinner, she would be surprised.


    The two of them had suffered such a huge loss today. It was already not easy for them tost until now.


    ¡°Beautifuldy, may I invite you to dance with me?¡± A clean and slender hand was handed to Rachel.


    She raised her eyes and looked at David, who was right in front of her. She smiled faintly. ¡°Of course.¡±


    The two of them walked onto the dance floor, and the people around them consciously made way for


    them.


    The huge venue flowed with gorgeous and elegant music, making people suddenly feel like they were


    in a magnificent pce.


    The guests were immersed in this wonderful musical feast, except for Cindy.


    After being hurt by David¡¯s coldness, she also thought of leaving. But on second thought, she was a


    mistress from a wealthy family. Other than her looks, she was better than Rachel in other aspects.


    Why should she leave there feeling downcast when even Rachel could stay?


    Therefore, Cindy had been secretly paying attention to Rachel¡¯s every move. When she saw David¡¯s


    hand on Rachel¡¯s waist, the jealousy in her heart burned hotter and hotter, as if they were consuming


    her entire being.


    As the slow rhythm of the music gradually increased, the pace of Rachel and David increased.


    At this moment, the entire venue suddenly fell into darkness

 Chapter 594

    Chapter 594


    Chapter 594


    ¡°Ah-


    The entire ce was filled with the panicked screams of the guests.


    The sudden darkness sent everyone into a frenzy.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Why did the power suddenly go out?¡±


    Without the gift of sight, the people pushed and shoved each other, desperate to flee the darkness.


    Suddenly, someone in the crowd pushed Rachel. Wearing high heels, she was thrown off bnce and


    fell directly in a certain direction.


    At this moment, an arm reached around her waist.


    Before she could react, the man swiftly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his


    embrace.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Rachel frowned slightly, a hostile hint of coldness shed in her deep eyes.


    The next moment, she bent her arm and tried to elbow the man¡¯s waist heavily.


    However, the man saw iting. He grabbed her arm and pinned it behind her back. He forcefully


    pulled her into his arms again and said, ¡°How did you know I¡¯m not him?¡±


    The man¡¯snguid and seductive voice echoed in Rachel¡¯s cars.


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guess?¡±


    Before she finished speaking, she suddenly raised her foot and stomped hard down on the man¡¯s foot.


    The sharp heels crushed onto the man¡¯s foot and made him gasp in pain. However, he did not mind it


    and said, ¡°Come with me, the easy way or the hard way, your choice.¡±


    ¡°What if I refuse?¡± A hint of hostility emerged in Rachel¡¯s cold voice.


    A low and wicked chuckle came out of Ronnie Diekens¡¯s throat as he tightened his arms around her


    waist and said, ¡°You won¡¯t have the chance to.¡±


    The man¡¯s tone exuded his arrogance.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Rachel said and suddenly raised her leg and kicked the man¡¯s inner thigh.


    Out of instinct and reflexes, Ronnie let go of her.


    Seizing this opportunity, Rachel quickly broke free and fled.


    In the darkness, someone identally bumped into the champagne tower table.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With the sound of ss shattering, sharp ss shards and wine sshed everywhere.


    Rachel, in her high heels, slipped and fell hard.


    High heels were indeed beautiful, but sometimes they could be a real hindrance.


    For example, now.


    If she fell onto the ground, even if she was lucky enough to not have her pretty skin destroyed by the


    shattered ss, she would be tr ampl**d to death.


    Fortunately, Rachel fell straight into a warm and solid chest.


    The cool wooden fragrance rushed into Rachel¡¯s nose and swept over her heart, bringing her an


    unprecedented sense of peace.


    Her hand clutched the man¡¯spels. ¡°David?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± David leaned over and kissed the top of her head, his arms encircling her waist and holding


    her tightly in his embrace.


    He moved forward cautiously while protecting Rachel, using his body to shield her from danger.


    Rachel held his waist tightly. At this moment, her heart was filled with emotions that would certainlyst


    for quite a long while.


    How could she possibly remain unmoved in the face of this man who protected her like a treasure in


    every way imaginable?


    He possessed more than enough qualities and there were too many reasons for her to fall for him.


    At this instant, Rachel felt that even if there was a seemingly bottomless pit before them, she would


    have enough courage to unhesitatingly plunge right into it with David.


    Just as this thought settled in Rachel¡¯s mind, the power came back on.


    The sudden bright and dazzling light was so intense that the people found it difficult to keep their eyes.


    open and subconsciously raised their hands to block it.


    Rachel closed her eyes for a while. When she finally adjusted to the light and opened her eyes, she


    subconsciously looked around in search of Ronnie Dick**ens.


    However, there was no trace of him anywhere at the scene. It was as if everything that had happened


    earlier was merely her imagination.


    ¡°Miss Grey, are you hurt?¡± Late to the scene, Darcy arrived and asked, checking if Rachel was fine.


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°Check the surveince cameras nearby.¡±


    The ckout and Ronnie¡¯s sudden appearance were definitely not a sheer coincidence!


    Darcy nodded, ¡°Okay¡±


    Although the staff quickly cleaned up the scene as quickly as they could, it did not bring the people


    back into the mood they were in earlier.


    The elegant and slow dance music started ying again. Rachel and David were about to leave the


    dance floor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Cindy¡¯s voice suddenly appeared from behind.


    She red at the staff at the scene angrily. ¡°This is a ¡®The Raimant Collection¡¯ haute couture gown,


    crafted by the mysterious designer Queen. This is the only one in the world, and now it¡¯s broken, which


    one of you willpensate me for it?¡±


    The staff members all had troubled expressions.


    At this moment, a woman in a uniform walked forward. ¡°Miss Tory, I apologize for our mistake affecting


    your mood. However, judging by the condition of the torn part of the dress, it¡¯s clear that this damage


    was not idental but deliberate.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it wasn¡¯t an ident but deliberate Cindy¡¯s eyes narrowed, filled with anger. ¡°Are


    you implying that I intentionally tore my own dress?¡±


    The woman calmly responded, ¡°Not exactly. It¡¯s just that your figure is quite curvy, which led to the


    dress. being torn.¡±


    However, before she could finish speaking, Cindy suddenly raised her hand and pped her hard in


    the face. ¡°Bit**h! What right do you have to talk to me like that? My dress is ruined, and now I demand


    compensation equal to the amount I paid for it!¡±


    The sudden p caused the woman to st**gger, nearly falling to the ground.


    She managed to steady herself. She covered her cheek and stared coldly at Cindy.


    ¡°No one is allowed to hit my people however they like. A cold voice suddenly sounded from behind.


    Cindy turned and immediately saw Rachel walking towards her slowly.


    Rachel examined the injury on the woman¡¯s face first, then said, ¡°Go get that treated, then go to the


    finance department to apply for a subsidy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Grey.¡± When the woman left with her hand covering her face, she red at Cindy.


    Cindy snorted and raised her chin arrogantly. ¡°Rachel, perfect timing! Tell me, how do you n to


    compensate for this dress?¡±


    ¡°ording to its price, of course,¡± Rachel replied.


    Hearing this, Cindy¡¯s eyes shed with satisfaction. ¡°Good, that¡¯ll be 360 thousand dors, cheque or


    credit card?¡±


    ¡°Miss Tory, it seems you¡¯ve misunderstood me.¡±


    Cindy frowned and looked at Rachel in confusion.


    A charming smile graced her lips. ¡°When I said I¡¯llpensate you ording to its price, I didn¡¯t mean


    for you to take advantage of the situation and extort me.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, you can just say so if you don¡¯t have the money. There¡¯s no need to use me! Cindy had a


    sarcastic smile. ¡°Everyone knows that an haute couture gown from ¡°The Raimant Collection, especially


    one by the mysterious designer Queen, is hard toe by. This dress cost me 360 thousand dors,


    and I have an invoice to prove it!¡±


    As if she had suddenly remembered something, Cindy eximed softly, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Miss Grey is


    from a humble background, so you probably don¡¯t have much experience of the world out there. It¡¯s no


    wonder you¡¯re unfamiliar with The Raimant Collection.


    This was not the first time he deliberately mentioned Rachel¡¯s background in public. She had done it


    repeatedly as if she had to make sure everyone present was aware of it.


    Rachel curled her lips and replied unhurriedly. ¡°Sometimes, invoices don¡¯t necessarily prove


    everything. Your dress is worth 100 dors tops. Any amount you paid beyond that is most likely


    because of st**pidity.¡±

 Chapter 595

    Chapter 595


    Chapter 595


    Cindy was furious upon hearing the mockery in Rachel¡¯s words. Driven by rage, she raised her hand


    and was about to p Rachel hard across the face. ¡°Rachel Grey!¡±


    Her palm sliced through the air, approaching Rachel¡¯s face rapidly with a sharp wind.


    The people around could not help but gasp when they said th


    They did not know if they should praise Cindy Tory for being bold enough to raise her hand at Rachel in


    front of Mr. Jones, or silently pray for her in their hearts.


    The next second, Rachel easily grabbed Cindy¡¯s wrist without even blinking.


    She held Cindy¡¯s wrist tightly. Her expression was calm, but her grip tightened bit by bit. Cindy felt so


    painful that she frowned and her face turned pale.


    She struggled with all her might, but it was to no avail,


    ¡°Rachel. let go of me!¡± Cindy¡¯s voice trembled uncontrobly.


    She felt like if this went on, Rachel was going to break her wrist.


    Rachel¡¯s grip on Cindy¡¯s wrist did not loosen at all. It was as if she did not hear her at all.


    At this moment, the intense pain had already robbed Cindy¡¯s ability to speak. All she could do was


    struggle instinctively.


    Then, Rachel suddenly let go.


    Caught off guard, Cindy stag ger*d and fell to the ground in a hideous manner.


    Rip-


    Along with the ripping sound of fabric, Cindy¡¯s gown was torn from the side of her chest to the waistline


    of her back.


    She cried out in surprise and was flustered. For a moment, she did not know whether to cover her waist


    or the side of her chest.


    She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, curled up her body, and red fiercely at Rachel with a


    twisted and ferocious expression. If looks could kill, she would have torn Rachel up and eaten her flesh


    alive.


    Rachel raised her hand and brushed the loose hair behind her ear. Her smile was pure and kind, but as


    fake as fake smiles go. ¡°Miss Tory, why are you looking at me like that? Didn¡¯t you tell me to let go?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Cindy was so bent out of shape that her chest heaved up and down. From the corner of her eye,


    she saw David standing rtively close by and realized that the man had no intention of interfering at


    all. On the contrary, it seemed like he was enjoying the show.


    Jealousy spread like wildfire in Cindy¡¯s heart, but she had to maintain a trace of calmness and continue


    to confront Rachel. ¡°There are two options in front of you now. Either youpensate me ording to


    the price I paid for this dress, or I¡¯ll see you at the police station!¡±


    So what if Rachel had David¡¯s support? David could only help her so much.


    Cindy refused to believe that there was not a single ce for reason in the entire Seaxas.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried you might end up even more embarrassed than you already are.¡± At this moment, a


    teasing voice sounded.


    Everyone looked in the direction the voice came from.


    It was Mary Green who elegantly walked over in a strapless halter dress.


    Her lips curled into a deep smile as she scanned Cindy¡¯s gown from head to toe, the ridicule in her


    eyes. bing more and more obvious. ¡°Miss Tory, aren¡¯t you bold, wearing a knockoff and


    pretending it¡¯s from my The Raimant Collection?¡±


    *Knockoff? What are you talking about?¡± Cindy¡¯s eyes shed. She straightened her neck, looked at


    Mary Green, and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re the boss of The Raimant Collection. So why don¡¯t you open your


    eyes. wide and take a good look? This dress is one of the creations by your mysterious designer


    Queen! Plus, I have the proof of purchase. Even if this is a knockoff, it¡¯ll be because your brand, The


    Raimant Collection. is lying to its customers!¡±


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, she said that you designed this piece of garbage. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s nder? She also


    used The Raimant Collection of deceiving consumers. Isn¡¯t that defamation?¡± Mary Green looked at


    Rachel.


    Cindy frowned and sneered. ¡°This is a work by the mysterious designer Queen. What does it have to


    do with Rachel¡­¡±


    Halfway through her sentence, her voice seemed to go bo*rse. Then, it stopped abruptly.


    Her eyes widened with shock as she stared at Rachel with a stiff and dull expression.


    No matter how slow the people around were, they all realized what Mary Green meant. They looked at


    Rachel in astonishment.


    There were a ton of designers in the country, but only a few were renowned in the industry.


    Especially those famous designers whose work was hard to purchase.


    The mysterious designer Queen was one of them.


    Though The Raimant Collection brand had a short history, its rapid development made its high-end


    products highly sought after by both domestic and foreign celebrities.


    As the chief designer of these high-end products, Queen had ama**ed countless fans.


    However, over the years, the mysterious designer Queen had never appeared in public. The people


    were left wondering about Queen¡¯s identity. In fact, they did not even know what Queen¡¯s gender was.


    To think that this person was actually Rachel?


    The more Cindy thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. However, since the founder of The


    Raimant Collection, Mary Green said it herself, people could not help but wonder.


    After a long while, Cindy finally was able to speak again. ¡°You, you¡¯re the mysterious designer Queen?¡±


    Rachel casually nodded. ¡°This is a design from many years ago. I didn¡¯t expect Miss Tory to treasure a


    knockoff this much.


    She circled around Cindy, her sharp gaze scanning the dress. ¡°The materials and craftsmanship are


    about 90% simr. Well, Miss Tory, it looks like your 360 thousand dors was not aplete waste.¡±


    What Rachel said was basically an indirect confirmation that she was indeed the mysterious designer


    Queen. She even explicitly pointed out that the dress Cindy was wearing was indeed a fake.


    This gown was a knockoff. No matter how simr it was to the real one, it could never truly be.


    Cindy had spent 360 thousand dors on a knockoff.


    Moreover, she had unted this fake dress all night and told everyone she talked to about how difficult


    it was to obtain it. Now, those words only felt like ps on her face.


    The onlookers¡¯ gazes felt like sharp knives cutting through her dress.


    At this moment, she felt exposed, as though she was standing nude before everyone.


    A strong sense of humiliation surged like a tide, suffocating and almost drowning her.


    Biting her lip and lowering her head, she tried her best to ignore the judgmental stares from everyone


    around her.


    After pondering for a long time, she spoke again, ¡°What evidence do you have!¡±


    Hearing this, the people around finally regained a slight sense of calmness from the shock and started


    pondering.


    Over the years, the mysterious designer Queen had always kept a low profile. People had no idea what


    Queen¡¯s gender was, but it was always rumored that Queen was a man.


    If that were true, how could Queen be Rachel?


    ¡°I know that Miss Green is the founder of The Raimant Collection. For years, she has never disclosed


    any information about the mysterious designer Queen. Yet, today, she suddenly ims that Rachel is


    Queen. Isn¡¯t this a bit too unusual?¡± Cindy¡¯s eyes narrowed. A smile that was far from friendly appeared


    on her face, like a venomous snake ready to strike.


    As the crowd listened to her calm analysis, their expressions wavered.


    ¡°You im to be the mysterious designer Queen, but what evidence do you have?¡±


    ¡°Even if you have Mr. Jones backing you, you can¡¯t just talk nonsense. Are you aware of the mysterious


    designer Queen¡¯s reputation in the industry? How dare you impersonate Queen? Are you looking to


    die?¡± To im you¡¯re the mysterious designer Queen based on a single statement? Who would believe


    you?

 Chapter 596

    Chapter 596


    Chapter 596


    It was said that the mysterious designer Queen was also involved in founding the brand, The Raimant


    Collection.


    Not only did Queen have her own independent design team, but she also worked as a designer for the


    brand Z&M.


    It was said that the founder of Z&M had to be respectful to the mysterious designer Queen.


    If Rachel was really the mysterious designer Queen, then with her status in the industry, why was she


    dressed so poorly today?


    No one knew Rachel¡¯s background better than Cindy.


    Olivia told Cindy that Rachel of the Grey family, who was born in Pollister, was chased out of the family


    at a young age. Rachel was brought back to a remote mountain ditch by her maternal grandfather¡¯s


    family before she came to Seaxas for some reason.


    By chance, Rachel met Louis and began to pester Louis for half a year.


    Rachel had clung to the Smith family for 3 whole years. Later on, Rachel used thepany¡¯s interests


    to threaten Louis into marrying her.


    If Rachel was really the mysterious designer Queen, why would she force Louis to marry her?


    Listening to the discussions around her, Cindy finally vented her anger. Cindy took a deep breath and


    looked at Rachel aggressively. ¡°Since you say you¡¯re the mysterious designer Queen, why don¡¯t you


    compare it with your previous designs? Or take out the clothes and let¡¯spare them. Then we¡¯ll


    know who¡¯s real and who¡¯s a fake!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she has it at all. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have proven it with empty words!¡± A woman in a


    pink tube top dress said.


    When people heard this, they began to jeer.


    Just like the dogs in the vige. When one dog barked, the other dogs followed suit.


    ¡°Even if you have Mr. Jones backing you, you can¡¯t bully others!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fact that Cindy¡¯s clothes were torn. It¡¯s right in front of us. If you admit that you¡¯re the mysterious.


    designer Queen, you have to show some evidence. If you can¡¯t, not only do you have to apologize for


    what you said just now, but you also have topensate Miss Tory for her clothes!¡±


    Cindy saw that Rachel didn¡¯t say anything, so she was sure that Rachel was just an imposter!


    Cindy immediately felt a little self-righteous. Cindy raised her chin slightly and did not look as


    embarrassed as before. ¡°Mr. Jones, I don¡¯t know why Miss Grey is targeting me constantly, but what


    she did this time has caused me a lot of trouble. Not only do I want her to apologize to me solemnly,


    but I also want double thepensation!¡±


    ¡°Who said there¡¯s no evidence?¡± A female voice suddenly sounded.


    Everyone looked over and saw a woman in a white dress walking over step by step.


    The woman¡¯s slender body looked fragile, but her expression was very firm as if there was an army


    behind her.


    ¡°Who is this woman?¡± Everyone couldn¡¯t help but whisper.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know her? She¡¯s the champion of this year¡¯s Neer Awards! It¡¯s said that at that


    time. many big-namepanies wanted to hire her with high sries, but she rejected them. In the


    end, she chose to work as an ordinary employee at the Raimant Collection.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also a rumor that she¡¯s been training with the mysterious designer Queen.¡±


    ¡°So, she¡¯s designer Queen¡¯s disciple?¡±


    ¡°You could say that.¡±


    While everyone was discussing, Alice walked straight to Rachel¡¯s side and smiled. ¡°Sorry, boss, I¡¯m


    late.¡±


    As soon as Alice finished speaking, there was dead silence.


    Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief.


    Could it be that Rachel was really the mysterious designer Queen?


    Cindy, who had been arrogant just now, seemed to have been sshed with a basin of cold water. Her


    arrogance instantly withered.


    The blush disappeared from Cindy¡¯s face, and she looked weak and pale. Her eyes were filled with


    chaos.


    ¡°Did you bring the thing?¡± Rachel looked at Alice.


    Alice nodded. ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡±


    All these years, Alice had insisted on staying in the Raimant Collection so that she could be closer to


    her idol.


    That was the mysterious designer Queen, a mythical existence in the industry.


    In the words of professionals, ¡°You never know what kind of wild world she has in her head, but you will


    be amazed by her work again and again.¡±


    All these years, Alice hoped that Rachel could unveil the mystery and reveal her identity to the public.


    Now that the thing that Alice had been looking forward to for many years had finally happened, how


    could she not be excited?


    Rachel¡¯s gaze fell on the box that Alice had brought.


    ¡°Turn off the lights.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    Alice eagerly went to turn off the lights.


    It was time for the show.


    ¡°Do me a favor?¡± Rachel turned to look at David, who was standing behind her.


    David said, ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    The two of them opened the box and took out the gown.


    The people didn¡¯t know if it was because the big designer¡¯s work had its own superpower, or if they


    were hallucinating.


    When the gown was perfectly disyed in front of them, it glowed faintly, like Cindere¡¯s princess


    dress in a fairy tale.


    The gown was designed in a simple style, but the details were exquisite.


    Those who knew the industry could tell at a nce how different the one in Rachel¡¯s hand was from the


    one in Cindy¡¯s.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    The reason why this piece of clothing could glow was not that it was processed in a high-tech way. It


    was because the fabric was woven with a certain proportion of silver threads.


    As for Cindy¡¯s dress, both the fabric and the craftsmanship used were 90% simr to the real one. If


    one wasn¡¯t particrly knowledgeable, one would be easily deceived.


    At this moment, Mary clicked her tongue and sighed. ¡°Sure enough,parison tells itall.¡±


    ¡°But this only proves that the dress I¡¯m wearing is fake¡­ Cindy struggled to find her voice amidst her


    panic. ¡°It doesn¡¯t prove that Rachel is the mysterious designer Queen!¡±


    ¡°You want evidence, don¡¯t you?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled indifferently.


    As she spoke, Rachel gave Alice a look.


    Alice nodded and handed Cindy the draft design Alice had saved on her phone. ¡°Take a good look.¡±


    Cindy took the phone with trembling fingers and saw the signature on the draft design.


    The name Rachel Grey was written on it.


    Cindy¡¯s eyes instantly became empty and dull. Cindy stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to


    1. do.


    Rachel was really the mysterious designer Queen!


    If that was the case, why did Rachel stay in the Smith family back then?


    With Rachel¡¯s talent and status, why should shepromise in the Smith family?


    In an instant, countless questions popped up in Cindy¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Do you admit defeat now?¡± Mary¡¯s voice sounded.


    Cindy suddenly came back to her senses. She looked up at Mary and then at Rachel.


    Cindy could hear the mockingments of the people around her.


    ¡°A second ago, she was just asking Rachel to apologize and ask for double thepensation. Now,


    she is provenpletely wrong!¡±


    ¡°Tonight, Cindy unted her dress to everyone she met. In the end, she spent 360 thousand dors on


    a fake. What a joke.¡±


    Everyone spoke one after another, and Cindy was embarrassed by their mocking tone.


    Cindy couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She snorted and stormed toward the door.

 Chapter 597

    Chapter 597


    Chapter 597


    However, just as Cindy took a step, Mary blocked her way in a sh.


    Mary crossed her arms. She was half a head taller than Cindy in her high heels. Mary lowered her eyes


    and looked at Cindy. ¡°Miss Tory, don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave. Our matter isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    Cindy had caused such a hugemotion, but now she wanted to leave.


    Mary wasn¡¯t going to make it easy for her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Who said that Rae-Rae was pretending to be the mysterious designer Queen?¡± Mary raised


    her eyes and swept her calm gaze across everyone¡¯s faces. Mary¡¯s voice was filled with coldness as


    she said firmly. ¡°Listen up. Rachel is the designer of the Raimant Collection, and she is the mysterious


    designer Queen that you all are talking about!¡±


    This simple sentence was like a resounding p to everyone¡¯s faces.


    Everyone¡¯s faces turned red, and they could not say a word.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you all talking andughing just now? Why are you all mute now?¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    The man¡¯s deep and cold voice was filled with coldness. It was like a cold winter wind that pierced the


    bones.


    The moment the man spoke, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly turned cold and heavy, making


    people feel like they were in an ice cave.


    In an instant, everyone was silent like cicadas in winter. They secretly sized up the expression on


    Rachel¡¯s face.


    Rachel¡¯s face was expressionless, and her eyes were indifferent. Rachel casually moved the bracelet


    on her wrist with her fingers.


    Rachel¡¯s nonchnt attitude made it seem as if this smokeless dispute had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°It¡¯s reasonable to be jealous because she¡¯s beautiful, but is it so difficult to admit that she¡¯s


    outstanding?¡± Zion had one hand in his pocket as he walked over step by step. ¡°Earlier, all of you


    wanted to drown this weak and innocent girl with your spit. Now, you don¡¯t even apologize. How can


    you call yourselves noble? If word gets out, how can you maintain your dignity in the future?¡±


    Everyone present was smart enough to hear the threat in Zion¡¯s words.


    To put it bluntly, they had to apologize obediently for what had happened today. Otherwise, the news


    would be spread. No one knew what would happen by then.


    Hearing this, everyone immediately panicked.


    A potbellied middle-aged man in the crowd was the first to speak. ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault


    just now. I wronged you for nothing. I apologize to you. I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Hearing this, the others began to apologize.


    Rachel¡¯s expression did not change. Instead, she looked up at Cindy, who was standing not far away.


    ¡°Miss Tory?¡±


    Cindy¡¯s back stiffened, but she didn¡¯t turn around. Cindy just clenched her fists tightly.


    Cindy believed that other than being less good-looking than Rachel, she could easily crush Rachel in


    other aspects.


    Rachel was from a humble background. She was just lucky to be favored by Mr. Jones. When Rachel


    was abandoned by Mr. Jones one day, Rachel would no longer have the right to be arrogant.


    If Cindy lowered her head and apologized to Rachel today, she would be mocked ruthlessly by her


    friends. Then, Cindy would be too ashamed to face anyone in the future.


    Seeing that Cindy was indifferent, Cindy¡¯s father, Thomas Tory, finally couldn¡¯t help but rush out of the


    crowd. He grabbed Cindy¡¯s face and pped her hard.


    This p stunned Cindy.


    Cindy buried her face in her hands and stared at her father in disbelief.


    At this moment, Thomas couldn¡¯t care less about Cindy¡¯s hurt and aggrieved expression. Thomas just


    wanted Cindy to apologize as soon as possible. If Cindy really angered Mr. Jones, the weak Tory family


    couldn¡¯t survive Mr. Jones¡¯s monstrous anger.


    ¡°What did I teach you when you were young? If you did something wrong, you have to apologize!


    Apologize to Miss Grey now!¡± Thomas red at Cindy angrily.


    Seeing that Cindy was still stubborn. Thomas pulled Cindy¡¯s arm and deliberately lowered his voice to


    warn her, ¡°You¡¯d better apologize now, or you have to leave the Tory family and be on your own!¡±


    Cindy stared at her father with reddened eyes.


    Cindy could not believe that her father would threaten to kick her out of the family just to force her to


    apologize to Rachel.


    How could Tom¡¯s biological daughter be no match for Rachel?


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and apologize!¡± Thomas urged Cindy anxiously, afraid that the Tory


    family would suffer a cmity in the next second.


    Cindy bit her lip, took a deep breath, and mumbled reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Say it again!¡± Thomas said sternly, ¡°If you want to apologize, you have to apologize properly. Whom


    are you trying to show your unwillingness to?¡±


    Cindy gritted her teeth. ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°Now that our matter has been resolved, it¡¯s time to settle the second matter.¡±


    Hearing this, Cindy frowned slightly. Cindy looked at Rachel¡¯s half-smiling expression and had an


    ominous feeling.


    ¡°Miss Tory just hit my man without good reasons. Logically speaking, you should pay for the medical


    fees and men tal damage. Are you using your card or cash?¡±


    ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t go too far!¡± Cindy gritted her teeth and squeezed out a few words. Cindy clenched her


    fists tightly. ¡°Even if you¡¯re designer Queen and you¡¯re talented, so what? You¡¯re from a humble


    background. What right do you have to shout in front of me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m her right.¡± The man¡¯s deep and cold voice sounded.


    Cindy was stunned. She stared nkly at David, who was standing not far away. It was as if two


    streams of tears would fall from Cindy¡¯s aggrieved eyes at any moment.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯llpensate. Thomas hurriedly went forward with a ttering smile on his face. He said


    respectfully. ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯ve spoiled this girl since she was young. Please don¡¯t hold it against her.


    What should we do about this matter?¡±


    Looking at Th*ma s¡¯s ttering attitude, Rachel could not help but think of certain images.


    Rachel frowned slightly, and a hint of impatience appeared in her eyes. ¡°Darcy, I¡¯ll leave the rest to


    you.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Darcy.


    When Rachel turned to leave, David followed closely behind.


    David stretched out his arm and naturally h**ked it around the woman¡¯s slender waist.


    ¡°You¡¯re upset, David whispered.


    It was a short sentence, but it carried absolute certainty.


    Rachel looked at David from the corner of her eyes and pursed her lips slightly. ¡°Am I?¡±


    David raised his eyebrows but did not say anything.


    David trusted his own judgment.


    Sandalwood Hills.


    David came out of the kitchen with a cup of hot milk. His cell phone rang in his pocket.


    It was Jimmy.


    David The Tory family is very tactful. There¡¯s no need for Landon and me to do anything. They¡¯ve


    already bought a check overnight and sent Cindy overseas. If nothing goes wrong, she probably won¡¯t


    be able toe back for the rest of her life.¡±

 Chapter 598

    Chapter 598


    Chapter 598


    David¡¯s eyes were dark, and there was a faint hostility in his eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Jimmy quickly corrected himself. ¡°There will be no idents.¡±


    David replied indifferently, ¡°Lock down all the news tonight. I don¡¯t have to teach you what to do.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Jimmy replied.


    Suddenly, Jimmy thought of something and could not help but ask, ¡°David, Rachel is the daughter of


    the Johnson family, the owner of mour Pavilion, and one of the founders of the Raimant Collection.


    She must have at least millions. Why did that idiot Louis take a fancy to the Cruise family girl?¡±


    These identities were worth a lot. Even 10 times the Cruise family would not bepatible, let alone


    one.


    How s*upid must the Smith family be to abandon Rachel and choose a brainless Olivia?


    David¡¯s pitch-ck eyes were frosty, and the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile. ¡°Fate is


    indescribably wonderful.¡±


    Fortunately, Louis was s*upid.


    On the other end of the line, Jimmy felt like he had been caught off guard, And David was saying


    something about fate being indescribably wonderful. Jimmy did not expect to hear such pretentious


    words from David one day.


    David was about to hang up when Jimmy suddenly shouted, ¡°David.¡±


    There were some words on the tip of his tongue, but Jimmy suddenly hesitated. After thinking for a


    moment, Jimmy finally said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t say these things, but I still want to advise you to be less


    concerned about Rachel. Even if you care, you should restrain yourself.¡±


    ¡°The Jones family. You know very well what kind of people they are. Those people are eyeing you


    covetously. All these years, they¡¯ve been trying their best to find a way to deal with you. If they find out


    about Rachel¡¯s existence, I¡¯m worried¡­¡±


    Jimmy stopped talking at the right time. He sighed softly. ¡°In short, what you do for Rachel might not be


    good for her.¡±


    No one knew better than David about what kind of existence the Jones family was.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    David pursed his thin lips slightly. His dark eyes seemed to be tempered with ice, murderous and


    dangerous.


    After hanging up, David returned to his bedroom.


    Rachel sat on a rattan chair on the balcony. The hem of her white nightdress fluttered in the wind.


    Rachel looked up at the endless sky, thinking about something.


    ¡°There¡¯s no moon tonight.¡± David handed Rachel the milk in his hand and draped the nket over


    Rachel¡¯s shoulders before sitting on the seat beside her.


    Rachel held the hot milk in her hand and slowly lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in her eyes.


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no moon.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s tone was indifferent, but there was an indescribable sadness in it that made one¡¯s heart ache


    for her.


    David held one of Rachel¡¯s hands. ¡°I will always be by your side.¡±


    How could someone as smart as David not understand the deeper meaning behind Rachel¡¯s words?


    But David would always be by Rachel¡¯s side, unlike the moon.


    Hearing this, Rachel looked up at David. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious at all?¡±


    David looked at Rachel. The coldness between David¡¯s eyebrows faded a little, and a hint of


    gentleness. appeared. ¡°If you want to talk about it, I¡¯m willing to be your most loyal listener.¡±


    ¡°David¡­¡± The corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth curled into a helpless smile. ¡°You make it difficult for me not


    to love you.¡±


    David had never pressed Rachel for anything. David would only hold Rachel¡¯s hand and tell her that he


    was there for her when Rachel was in a deste mood. David would stay by Rachel¡¯s side quietly.


    There were too many things about David that made Rachel fall for him. Rachel was willing to walk.


    through fire for him.


    Of course, Rachel knew that David would never allow that.


    Rachel held David¡¯s hand back and gently rubbed her fingertips against the back of his hand as if to


    comfort him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just thought of some unpleasant people and things when I saw Thomas Tory¡¯s attitude.¡±


    Rachel sighed slightly. ¡°Give me a minute to adjust my emotions.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be strong in front of me.¡± David pulled Rachel into his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll be your protector.


    Do whatever you want.¡±


    David¡¯s deep and maic voice became gentle, showing endless pampering and indulgence. His


    voice was like soft silk wrapping around Rachel¡¯s ears and her heart.


    Rachel looked at David with her almond-shaped eyes, sparkling with happiness. She leaned on David¡¯s


    shoulder and looked at the few stars in the night sky. Rachel said calmly, ¡°When I was young, I naively


    thought that people could be stars in the sky when they died. Butter, I understood that death is


    death. Dead people don¡¯t be stars.¡±


    It was a lie used by adults to deceive children.


    And a lie was a lie. There was no kindness to speak of.


    ¡°Have you heard of a saying?¡± David said, ¡°As long as the living remember, the deceased will not


    leave. Perhaps she is guarding and apanying you in another parallel world. As long as you


    remember, she will never disappear.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly.


    As long as Rachel remembered it, she would never disappear.


    Rachel vaguely remembered that her mother loved gowns, liked flowers, but loved white tulips the


    most. Her mother liked to eat sweet food even when her teeth hurt. Her mother liked to listen to ¡°My


    Heart Will Go On¡±, and¡­


    What else?


    Rachel pursed her lips and said in a low voice, ¡°Then I definitely don¡¯t love her enough.¡±


    Otherwise, how could Rachel not remember what she looked like?


    ¡°Love has never had a standard answer or a clear rule, so don¡¯t question yourself.¡± David leaned over


    and kissed Rachel¡¯s forehead.


    Rachel slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Rest early. After 12 o¡¯clock tonight, you will be


    the birthday boy.¡±


    David raised his eyebrows slightly. There was a hint of interest in his eyes. ¡°What surprise gift did you


    prepare for me?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s definitely a gift.¡± Rachel slowly withdrew from David¡¯s embrace and poked his chest with her


    fingertips. ¡°As for whether it will surprise you, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    David chuckled. ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯m even more curious about what my gift is.¡±


    Looking at Rachel¡¯s back as she left, David quickly caught up to her and bent down to carry her


    h*rizontally.


    Rachel eximed and instinctively h*oked her arm around David¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Disclose some information in advance?¡± David looked down at Rachel.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°If I told you, you wouldn¡¯t be looking forward to it.¡±


    Rachel paused for a moment. ¡°But I advise you not to have too much hope, lest you get disappointed.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± David said.


    Rachel could vaguely smell a faint scent on David¡¯s body.


    It was the smell of a woman¡¯s perfume.


    Rachel moved closer to David¡¯s neck and sniffed carefully.


    Rachel¡¯s warm breath sprayed on the skin of his neck, making David itch uncontrobly. David¡¯s arms


    that were hugging Rachel could not help but tighten.


    David¡¯s dark eyes were deep, and his cold voice was mixed with a hint of s*xy h*arseness. ¡°What do


    you smell?¡±


    ¡°The smell of a woman¡¯s perfume,¡± said Rachel.


    +


    Upon hearing this, an imperceptible coldness shed across David¡¯s eyes. ¡°I must have caught it at the


    venue.¡±


    ¡°Then quickly wash it off,¡± Rachel said as she broke free from David¡¯s embrace and pushed him


    towards. the bathroom. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep with the smell of other women.¡±

 Chapter 599

    Chapter 599


    Chapter 599


    David was tall and straight. When Rachel pushed him with both hands, she could not help but find it a


    little strenuous.


    When the man was unwilling, Rachel¡¯s strength was like an ant trying to shake a tree.


    David looked at Rachel¡¯s strenuous figure reflected in the French window. The smile on David¡¯s lips.


    gradually reached the end of his eyes.


    After finally pushing David to the door, Rachel heaved a sigh of relief.


    Just as Rachel was about to turn around and leave, the bathroom door suddenly opened. The man


    stretched out his arm and pulled Rachel into the bathroom.


    With a bang, the bathroom door was closed.


    Rachel¡¯s back was pressed against the door, and she faced David.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered in panic, and she dared not to look David in the


    This was the bathroom!


    It was the easiest ce for things to happen.


    It was impossible for Rachel not to panic.


    ¡°Help me take it off.¡± David held Rachel¡¯s hand and slowly reached for the cor of his shirt.


    Rachel secretly heaved a sigh of relief, but her fair cheeks could not help but blush.


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips trembled as she unbuttoned the man¡¯s shirt one button at a time.


    eye.


    As the shirt was unbuttoned, the man¡¯s exquisite corbone and muscr chest were revealed bit by


    bit.


    David was free from his usual aloofness and abstinence.


    At this moment, David was filled with an unknown wildness.


    Rachel looked at the blood-curdling muscle lines and resisted the urge to touch them.


    David¡¯s eyes were filled with lust and desire. David stared at Rachel with his dark and deep eyes, like a


    beast staring at its favorite delicious prey.


    David ran his well-defined fingertips lightly over Rachel¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re sweating again.¡±


    Sensing the man¡¯s fingertips brush past her cheek and gently rub behind her sensitive ear, Rachel felt


    her heart s*ip a beat. Rachel tried her best to control the feelings in her heart and pretended to be


    calm. ¡°I¡¯ll go out first.¡±


    However, before Rachel could turn around, the man¡¯s palmnded on her slender waist and forcefully


    locked her between his arms.


    Through the thin fabric, Rachel could clearly feel the warmth of the man¡¯s palm.


    Rachel¡¯s heart raced uncontrobly, and she instinctively pushed David¡¯s chest with both hands.


    ¡°Do you want to take a shower again with me?¡±


    Rachel was astonished!


    Rachel quickly shook her head. ¡°No need. I have something on. I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡±


    With that, Rachel leaped out of David¡¯s embrace like an agile fish and ran out of the bathroom without


    looking back.


    Looking at Rachel¡¯s fleeing figure, David chuckled.


    Rachel returned to the bedroom and crawled under the nket. She grabbed the nket to cover her


    face, but her heart was still beating fast.


    Take a shower with him¡­¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t even dare to think about such a thing.


    Listening to the sound of running water in the bathroom, Rachel bit her lips with her pearly white teeth.


    A sly light flickered in the depths of her almond-shaped eyes.


    Rachel threw back the covers and tiptoed barefoot into the cloakroom.


    Rachel searched around but could not find the box that Mary had given her.


    Rachel frowned slightly and muttered in a low voice. ¡°Strange, where¡¯s the thing?¡±


    Rachel clearly remembered that she had hidden it here. Could it be that Mrs. Brown had helped her put


    it away?


    Rachel turned around with her mind upied. Suddenly, she was caught off guard by David, who was


    leaning against the door.


    ¡°When did youe out? Why is there no sound at all?


    ¡°I came in because I saw the door was open,¡± David said, ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    Rachel blinked. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    With that, Rachel walked out of the cloakroom and yawned. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. I¡¯ll go to sleep first.¡±


    When Rachel passed by David, David suddenly stretched out his arm and h*oked it around Rachel¡¯s


    waist, pulling her into his arms. ¡°You¡¯re very strange tonight.¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± Rachel was afraid that David would notice something. She pursed her lips stiffly. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m


    tired.¡±


    David raised his eyebrows silently. ¡°Do you need me to help you rx?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Rachel quickly shook her head.


    Rachel felt that David was a little too enthusiastic tonight.


    David even made a request to help Rachel rx.


    How could she rx sote at night?


    At this moment, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang. To Rachel, it was like the saver¡¯s sound.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes shed with unconceble joy as she quickly walked towards the bedroom.


    The call was from Mary.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, have you heard about Cindy?¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Rachel left the rest to Darcy and naturally wouldn¡¯t ask anymore.


    However, Mary¡¯s words made it clear that there was something more to this matter.


    Mary pursed her lips. After hesitating for a while, she finally said, ¡°The Tory family paid for the medical


    fees and m*ntal damage. I don¡¯t know what Jimmy said to them. The Tory family sent Cindy abroad


    overnight. Sending her away at this point is no different from exiling her. I think Cindy won¡¯t be able to


    come back for the rest of her life.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else by saying this. I just didn¡¯t expect them to be so heartless. If the Tory family


    didn¡¯t handle this properly tonight, they will probably lose their status in Seaxas tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re wrong,¡± Rachel said. ¡°How can you show mercy if you don¡¯t use hard forces?¡±


    Cindy being abandoned by the Tory family was pitiful, but if Cindy had known her ce, she wouldn¡¯t


    have ended up like this.


    In the end, Cindy had chosen this path herself.


    Although she was pitiful, Cindy did not deserve sympathy.


    On the other end of the line, Mary sighed softly. ¡°Jimmy and Landon¡¯s actions represent David. I¡¯m just


    a little worried that you¡¯ll be in danger if you stay by David¡¯s side.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s cold voice was emotionless. ¡°I know he¡¯s not a good person.¡±


    David had never intentionally concealed this fact.


    Compared to Rachel¡¯s calmness, Mary was like an angry cat. ¡°You know you¡¯re still with him?¡±


    ¡°Birds of a feather flock together.¡± Rachel smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not a good person anyway.¡±


    Hearing this, Mary fell into a short silence.


    After some time, Mary suddenly said. ¡°You¡¯re a good person. It¡¯s just that you haven¡¯t been lucky


    enough.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Mary, I¡¯m really not as good as you think.¡±


    At the same time, the news of Cindy being sent overseas overnight also reached Olivia.


    Olivia flipped through the messages in the group chat!


    ¡°Cindy has been sent overseas and will nevere back!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible!¡±


    ¡°I heard that a few businesses under the Tory family¡¯s name have also suffered a series of losses. I


    reckon they¡¯ll have to tuck their tails from now on.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jones is so ruthless!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing. If he really wants to do it, 10 times the Tory family won¡¯t be able to survive, let alone


    one. Fortunately, the Tory Family was smart enough to send Cindy out early.¡±


    ¡°For a moment, I didn¡¯t know whether to sympathize with Cindy or envy that woman called Rachel.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t care about envy or sympathy. When we see Rachel in the future, let¡¯s keep away so that we


    don¡¯t follow in the footsteps of the Tory family¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 600

    Chapter 600


    Chapter 600


    After reading these messages, Olivia sat on the sofa in a daze.


    At this moment, Bertha pushed open the door and walked in. Bertha noticed that Olivia looked a little


    embarrassed and could not help but frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Olivia suddenly came back to her senses.


    Olivia was just worried that Rachel would use David to target the Cruise family.


    If David really wanted to deal with the Cruise family, the Cruise family stood no chance.


    However, judging from the Tory family¡¯s situation, Mr. Jones was indeed decisive and cold-blooded.


    Olivia gripped her phone tightly as the uneasiness in her heart intensified.


    ¡°Drink this.¡± Bertha brought a bowl of ck soup to Olivia.


    A strong smell of herbal medicine mixed with a faint fishy smell made Olivia instinctively frown. Olivia


    covered her nose and shrank back. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask so much. In short, it¡¯s something good for your body. Bertha said and stuffed the bowl of


    ck soup into Olivia¡¯s hand. ¡°Drink it while it¡¯s hot. The effect will be reduced when it¡¯s cold.¡±


    Olivia looked at the soup in front of her and instinctively felt disgusted. ¡°Mom, what the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°I told you not to ask so much. The usually gentle Bertha looked at Olivia with a serious expression.


    ¡°After all, I won¡¯t harm you. Listen to me and drink now


    Olivia looked at Bertha, and she drank it half-heartedly.


    However, just as Olivia put down the bowl in her hand, she suddenly covered her mouth and rushed to


    the restroom.


    In a short while, Olivia spat out all the soup she had just drunk.


    ¡°Mom, what the hell is this?¡± Olivia knelt in front of the toilet bowl weakly, her face slightly pale.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing to help you consolidate your position in the Smith family.¡± Bertha walked to Olivia¡¯s


    side with a ss of warm water. As the ancient saying goes, a mother rises because of her son. Now


    that you¡¯ve seen the Smith family¡¯s snobby true colors. If you marry into the Smith family just like that,


    you might suffer a lot. However, if you¡¯re pregnant, it¡¯ll be very different.¡±


    Olivia slowly raised her hand and stroked her t stomach. Olivia furrowed her brows imperceptibly,


    and a hint of seriousness shed through the depths of her beautiful eyes.


    ¡°Think about it. Mr. Smith is old now. If you¡¯re pregnant with Louis¡¯s child, his family will treat you well. If


    you can get the shares under Old Mr. Smith¡¯s name with the child, your status in the Smith family will


    bepletely stabilized.¡±


    Bertha held Olivia¡¯s hand and said earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s a hard way to go to be above others. This thing


    tastes. bad, but good medicine is bitter. Even if you don¡¯t want to drink it, you have to drink it,


    understand? Don¡¯t forget how you slowly pulled Louis¡¯s heart over and almost lost your life. You can¡¯t


    let all your previous efforts go to waste now.¡±


    Olivia looked up at Bertha, and her lips moved slightly. After hesitating for a long time, Olivia finally


    swallowed the words that were on the tips of her tongue. Olivia said indifferently, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Olivia could create a car ident and save Louis once to win Louis¡¯s heart.


    But Olivia couldn¡¯t do this every time.


    Moreover, the car ident at that time had far exceeded Olivia¡¯s control. It almost cost her her life.


    Olivia did not dare to take the risk easily.


    However, the way Louis jooked at Rachel tonight vaguely made Olivia feel that Louis¡¯s heart was


    starting to waver again.


    This was not a good thing for Olivia.


    How could Olivia not know the benefits of a mother relying on her child? It was just that¡­


    Olivia touched her t stomach again and slowly lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in them.


    ¡°By the way, how¡¯s Miss Jones?¡± Bertha suddenly changed the topic.


    Olivia could not help but be stunned for a moment. After thinking for a moment, Olivia slowly said, ¡°She


    epted the item, but her attitude was ambiguous.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean she won¡¯te to your engagement party?¡± Bertha frowned slightly. The gentleness


    in her eyes suddenly changed into seriousness.


    ¡°She just said she¡¯de when she had time.¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to attend Miss Cruise¡¯s engagement party?¡± The male assistant Albert¡¯s well-


    defined fingersnded on Marina¡¯s temple. He massaged Marina¡¯s temples with moderate strength,


    sizing up the expression on Marina¡¯s face from time to time to determine if he was using too much


    strength.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Marina¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°It¡¯s already the greatest gift to her and the Cruise family that


    I¡¯m willing to take her in as my g*ddaughter.¡±


    How could Marina not know what the Cruise family was thinking?


    The Cruise family just wanted to use Marina¡¯s reputation to raise their status in Seaxas.


    In this world, Marina was the one who made use of others. It was not up to others to make use of her.


    Moreover, the Cruise family was useless.


    Initially, Marina wanted to use Olivia to deal with Rachel. However, Marina did not expect Olivia to be a


    useless thing. Olivia was not Rachel¡¯s match at all.


    Instead, Marina got herself into trouble. In the end, Marina even had to bail Olivia out.


    Fortunately, the Cruise family was still a little useful to Marina.


    Otherwise, Marina would not even give Olivia a look without feeling stained.


    ¡°How¡¯s the matter I asked you to do?¡± Marina waved her hand and raised an arm, signaling Albert to


    help. her up.


    Albert walked forward slightly and pulled Marina up. He handed Marina the caviar on the table and


    said,¡± ¡°Our people have been secretly buying the shares of the Cruise Group, but we found that there is


    another group of people buying it at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Another group of people?¡± Marina suddenly looked up at Albert.


    Albert¡¯s heart s*ipped a beat and he quickly exined, I¡¯ve already sent people to investigate, but the


    other party¡¯s whereabouts are hidden and our people can¡¯t find them.¡±


    Marina¡¯s beautiful eyes shed with a hint of contemtion. She held the spoon and slowly stirred the


    caviar.


    Suddenly, a meaningful smile appeared on Marina¡¯s red lips. ¡°Making such a big fuss over a woman. I


    didn¡¯t expect the old man to make a mistake one day.¡±


    In the entire Seaxas, Marina could not think of anyone else who could do this except for David.


    ¡°In the end, they are still too conceited. Now, they don¡¯t even care about the old man and the others.¡±


    Albert¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°But Mr. Jones has always been cautious and meticulous. He


    doesn¡¯t look like a conceited person¡­¡±


    Marina snorted without hiding anything. ¡°He¡¯s targeting the Cruise family for a woman, and now he¡¯s


    even expelled the Tory family girl. I¡¯m afraid that S****s¡¯s people are already panicking. Moreover, he¡¯s


    punishing the Tory family with so much force for Rachel. He¡¯s helping Rachel vent her anger and


    pamper her! However, the old man isn¡¯t out of his wits. The old man notices everything.¡±


    ¡°He knows the old man¡¯s abilities and methods, but he still made such a big fuss. Isn¡¯t he not taking the


    old man seriously?¡±


    The old man was already suspicious of David staying in Seaxas. Now that this matter had happened,


    the old man would probablye personally soon.


    At that time, Marina wanted to see how David would protect the little b*tch Rachel.

 Chapter 601

    Chapter 601


    Chapter 601


    ¡°Then should we take the opportunity to¡­¡± Albert looked up at Marina with a dark glint in his eyes.


    Hearing this, Marina raised her eyes and looked at him. Marina stretched out her fingertips and lifted


    Albert¡¯s chin. Marina said unhurriedly. ¡°The water is not muddy enough now. When the water in the


    pool is so muddy that you can¡¯t see it clearly, that will be a good opportunity to catch and kill fish.


    Albert didn¡¯t say anything. He just followed the force of Marina¡¯s fingers and moved forward.


    Seeing this, Marina smiled even more, but her eyes were still cold. Marina¡¯s sharp nails slowly slid


    down Albert¡¯s face as she said unhurriedly, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the most difficult and the most painful


    thing in this world?¡±


    Albert pondered for a moment but could not think of it


    ¡°Being hurt by someone close.¡± Marina slowly retracted her hand and stood up to look at the


    boundless. night sky outside the window. Marina¡¯s beautiful eyes flickered with a clear cold light. ¡°It was


    most fatal to be hurt by someone he raised and trained, someone he considered to be the most


    satisfying sessor. I just don¡¯t know if that woman is worth the grandfather and grandson turning


    against each other?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can test it out.¡± Albert looked at the expression on Marina¡¯s face and said carefully, ¡°The


    Tory family might hate Rachel now. Who knows if they will take revenge.¡±


    The Tory family thought that everything would be fine after sacrificing Cindy, but they did not expect


    David to be so merciless.


    The businesses under the Tory family¡¯s name were severely damaged.


    A cornered dog would jump over the wall. Who knew if the Tory family would hate Rachel and take


    revenge on Rachel because of this?


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± Marina nced at Albert and picked up a white rose in the vase. Marina sniffed it


    and said slowly, ¡°There will always be people who can¡¯t control themselves.¡±


    No matter who attacked, they only needed to sit back and enjoy the fruits of theirbor.


    Marina was curious if David, who had a weakness, could still be as decisive as before!


    Marina really hoped to see the scene of the grandfather and grandson turning against each other.


    However, Marina did not know if Rachel was worth it.


    With this in mind, Marina clenched her fists tightly. The beautiful white rose was ruined by Marina and


    thrown to the ground.


    The next morning.


    Rachel arrived at thepany as usual.


    When the meeting ended, it was already an hour and a halfter.


    As Rachel flipped through the file in her hand, she headed for her office.


    However, Rachel did not expect to see Old Mr. Johnson sitting on the sofa when she pushed the door


    open.


    ¡°Grandpa?¡± Rachel eximed in surprise. Rachel turned to look at Linda beside her.


    Linda shook her head slightly, indicating that she did not know about Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s arrival either.


    A hint of contemtion shed past Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°You can leave first. No one is allowed to approach


    the office without my permission.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Grey,¡± Linda said.


    After the office door closed, Rachel stood in front of Old Mr. Johnson. ¡°Why are you suddenly here?


    You didn¡¯t even tell me.¡±


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting more sessful now, and you have a big shot backing you up. How would I dare to


    trouble you to wee me personally?¡± Old Mr. Johnson turned his head and refused to look at


    Rachel.


    As smart as Rachel was, she naturally sensed something from the old man¡¯s words.


    It seemed that the news about the Tory family had reached the old man.


    Rachel was not in a hurry to exin. Instead, she got up and personally brewed a pot of coffee for the


    old man. Rachel handed the coffee to Old Mr. Johnson.


    However, the old man snorted arrogantly, and he had no intention of epting it.


    Rachel was not angry. She ced the coffee on the table and said unhurriedly. ¡°No matter how


    arrogant 1 am, I can¡¯tpare to you, right?¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Johnson frowned imperceptibly!


    Rachel continued, ¡°I heard that Mrs. Jones asked to visit you early, but you kept rejecting her because


    you imed you were not feeling well. Isn¡¯t that you being arrogant?¡±


    ¡°You heartless little brat, I¡¯m your biological grandfather. I am!¡± Old Mr. Johnson mmed the walking


    stick in his hand against the ground. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he raised the walking stick.


    Mr. Chadwick saw the situation and rushed forward with a terrified expression. ¡°Mr. Johnson, please


    don¡¯t!¡±


    Looking at the old man¡¯s angry expression, Rachel could not help butugh. ¡°Mr. Chadwick, don¡¯t stop.


    him. If he wants to hit me, let him.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey!¡± Mr. Chadwick looked at Rachel helplessly.


    Sometimes, Rachel was really like Sophia.


    Rachel was clearly spoiled, but she still looked so self-righteous. It was really infuriating and lovable at


    the same time.


    ¡°How did I raise such a brat like you!¡± Old Mr. Johnson snorted angrily.


    Rachel smiled and wrapped her arms around the old man¡¯s arm. Rachel¡¯s voice was not as cold as


    usual, but it was filled with gentleness. ¡°You know that I¡¯m not targeting the Tory family just because the


    Tory family made trouble at the banquet. I¡¯m just taking advantage of the situation to take revenge on


    them. for colluding with outsiders to plot against the Johnson family a few days ago.


    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor that the Johnson family¡¯s position as the richest family will change. I don¡¯t believe that


    such rumors will spread for no reason. These people below are covetous and want to take the


    opportunity to take a share. Then I¡¯ll make an example out of the Tory family. I will let the other families.


    who made the most noise see the consequences of plotting against the Johnson family. So I can kill


    their restless hearts.¡±


    Anything that happened at the Chamber of Commerce of Seaxas had never leaked, big or small.


    However, the appearance of Marina this year and the words Marina said at the dining table got out. It


    was obvious who was behind all of this.


    ¡°Even if David didn¡¯t make a movest night, I wouldn¡¯t let the Tory family leave unscathed.¡±


    Hearing this, there was no joy on Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s face. He looked at Rachel with unprecedented


    seriousness. ¡°Then should I praise you for your good n?¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, you think that I was too ostentatiousst night,¡± Rachel said.


    At this point, Old Mr. Johnson did not hide anymore. With a serious expression, he said, ¡°Rae-Rae,


    you¡¯re not the same as David!¡±


    Since what happenedst night could reach Old Mr. Johnson, it could naturally reach the others.


    David had such a special identity!


    Rachel was with him so ostentatiously, and David was so tantly helping Rachel vent her anger. This


    was no different from roasting Rachel over a fire!


    Rachel¡¯s eyes shed slightly as she slowly let go of Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s arm. ¡°Do you think that his


    actions


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± A hint of impatience appeared between Oid Mr. Johnson¡¯s


    eyebrows. He held Rachel¡¯s hand and said earnestly, ¡°Rac-Rac, listen to my advice. It¡¯s not toote to


    separate from him now.¡±

 Chapter 602

    Chapter 602


    Chapter 602


    Rachel looked at Old Mr. Johnson.


    After pondering for a long time, Rachel slowly pulled her hand away from the old man¡¯s. ¡°What if I say


    no?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Old Mr. Johnson finally couldn¡¯t take Rachel¡¯s stubborn attitude anymore. The old man raised the


    walking stick in his hand and hit Rachel hard.


    Old Mr. Johnson was really angry. He did not show any mercy.


    Old Mr. Johnson thought that Rachel would dodge. He did not expect Rachel to stubbornly stand on the


    spot and take the hit.


    With a dull thud, Rachel¡¯s face instantly turned pale. Sweat appeared on the tip of Rachel¡¯s nose.


    However, Rachel did not let out a single cry of pain and remained standing in ce.


    This stubborn look was exactly the same as Sophia¡¯s!


    Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s hand, which was holding the walking stick tightly, trembled uncontrobly. Old Mr.


    Johnson¡¯s eyes were filled with pity.


    ¡°Think carefully about whether you deserve this or not! With that, Old Mr. Johnson snorted and walked


    away.


    Mr. Chadwick took a deep look at Rachel. His face was filled with pity. He sighed helplessly and


    followed Old Mr. Johnson.


    When the two of them reached the door, Old Mr. Johnson nced at Mr. Chadwick with a dark gaze.


    Mr. Chadwick instantly understood and deliberately slowed down.


    After the old man left, Mr. Chadwick rushed forward and looked at Rachel with a doting expression.


    ¡°Miss, why didn¡¯t you dodge?¡±


    Rachel covered her arm and pursed her lips. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to take a step back in this matter.¡±


    ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you understand Mr. Johnson¡¯s painstaking efforts?¡± Mr. Chadwick sighed deeply and


    helped Rachel to sit on the sofa. Seeing that Rachel¡¯s face was covered in a cold sweat from the pain,


    Mr. Chadwick could not help but frown. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the hospital for a checkup?¡±


    The walking stick in the old man¡¯s hand was not an ordinary item. Even Mr. Louis and Mr. David would


    not be able to withstand it, let alone Rachel who had always been used to living like a princess.


    Rachel waved her hand. ¡°Mr. Chadwick, I¡¯m really fine. You should hurry back to Grandpa.¡±


    Mr. Chadwick watched Rachel grow up. Naturally, he knew that no one could change Rachel¡¯s


    decision. He could only nod.


    However, when Mr. Chadwick reached the door, his footsteps paused for a moment. Mr. Chadwick.


    turned around and looked at Rachel, who was sitting on the sofa. After thinking for a long time, Mr.


    Chadwick said slowly, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t me Mr. Johnson. He¡¯s really thinking for you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Rachel said.


    After Mr. Chadwick left, Rachel got up and walked into the lounge.


    Rachel unbuttoned her clothes and frowned when she saw arge bruise on her arm.


    Actually, the old man had been merciful with that hit. Otherwise, Rachel would have more than just a


    bruise.


    However, this matter somehow reached Tom and Adrian. The two brothers appeared in Rachel¡¯s office


    together as if they had nned it.


    ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± Rachel looked at her two uncles.


    Tom¡¯s well-defined face was slightly gloomy as if there was a thinyer of ice on it. ¡°I heard that you


    were


    beaten up by the old man, so I came to check on you. Are your injuries serious?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, is the injury serious?¡± Adrian said as he walked towards Rachel and reached out to pull Rachel¡¯s


    clothes.


    Seeing the situation. Tom¡¯s face suddenly darkened. Torn suddenly raised his leg and kicked Adrian¡¯s


    butt. ¡°Men and women shouldn¡¯t touch each other!¡±


    Adrian rubbed his butt and realized how inappropriate his actions were.


    Rachel had grown up and was no longer the child he used to be.


    Adrian scratched his head awkwardly and exined in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m just worried.¡±


    ¡°This is a special medicine. It¡¯s said that it has the best effect of helping blood flow and easing bruises.


    Try it.¡± Tom took out a small bottle from his pocket.


    Rachel reached out and took it. Rachel yed with the small medicine bottle with her fingers as a


    meaningful smile shed across her eyes.


    This boule looked familiar.


    It was simr to the bottle David had given Rachel.


    The only difference was that the bottom of this one was printed with the steel seal of the 101 Institute.


    ¡°How did you provoke the old man?¡± Adrian asked curiously..


    Tom and Adrian knew very well how much Old Mr. Johnson doted on Rachel. The old man would give


    Rachel everything she wanted. Good things and rare toys would always be with Rachel. The two


    brothers. could only pick things that they liked from what Rachel left over.


    But no matter what happened, the old man could never bear toy a finger on Rachel.


    Tom and Adrian were curious about what Rachel had said that made the old man so angry that he


    actually hit Rachel.


    Rachel yed with the medicine bottle with her fingertips and said casually, ¡°Grandpa persuaded me to


    break up with David.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Adrian widened his eyes in disbelief.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree, and then it ended up like this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with the Tory family?¡± Tom suddenly asked.


    Rachel was stunned for a moment and exined the whole story. Rachel was worried that her two


    uncles would be biased against David¡¯s methods, so she quickly exined, ¡°Actually, even if he didn¡¯t


    make a move, I would have made a move. Perhaps the Tory family won¡¯t just lose money¡±


    As soon as Rachel finished speaking, the office fell silent


    After a long while, Tom¡¯s cold voice sounded. ¡°Rae-Rae, cancel the engagement and leave David.


    ¡°Give me a reason.¡± Rachel looked at her eldest uncle calmly, but Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with


    stubbornness.


    Tom stared at Rachel and said coldly, ¡°You guys are not the same people.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Then what kind of people are the same?¡±


    Adrian, who was sitting between the two of them, sensitively sensed the tense atmosphere between


    Rachel and Tom. Adrian looked around and hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Shouldn¡¯t we


    go cal¡­¡±


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    However, before he could finish speaking, Adrian swallowed the rest of his words under Tom¡¯s cold and


    sharp gaze.


    Adrian rested his chin on his hand gloomily.


    This d*mn bloodline suppression.


    ¡°David isn¡¯t a good person. It¡¯s dangerous for you to be with him.¡± Tom said.


    Although David was not the one who attacked the Tory family. David¡¯s attitude was represented by


    Jimmy and Landon¡¯s actions.


    David attacked the Tory family so tantly just to avenge Rachel.


    This was definitely not a good thing for Rachel.


    Perhaps the Jones family had already discovered Rachel¡¯s existence.


    At that time, those who wanted to take revenge on David would think that Rachel had something on


    David. No one could imagine what kind of situation Rachel would face, and what kind of crisis she


    would


    be in.


    If the Jones family in Aureliana also attacked Rachel, no one knew how long they could protect Rachel.


    Rachel looked at Tom with a burning gaze. ¡°But who is considered a good person and who is a totally


    bad person? People still don¡¯t have a clear answer, right?


    ¡°People just define themselves ording to their own preferences and judgments.¡±

 Chapter 603

    Chapter 603


    Chapter 603


    Tom pursed his thin lips slightly and stared at Rachel with dark eyes.


    After pondering for a long time, Tom moved his thin lips. ¡°Have you thought it through? Even if you


    know that you might be in danger, you won¡¯t regret it?¡±


    Tom had made a deal with David in private that Tom promised would not interfere with Rachel and


    David¡¯s rtionship.


    However, there were some things that had to be said.


    Tom could not watch the unsuspecting Rachel jump into the fire pit.


    ¡°Of course. Rachel smiled, her eyes shining with determination. ¡°Tom, you know me. I won¡¯t change my


    mind easily no matter what.¡±


    Tom stared at Rachel for a moment. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t regret it one day.¡±


    Rachel said calmly. ¡°That day will note.¡±


    Rachel believed in her choice and that David would never let her down in this life.


    When Tom and Adrian left, Rachel secretly sent a message to Adrian, asking him to help find out more


    about the engagement.


    When Adrian received the news, he immediately put down his arrogance as a famouswyer and took


    the initiative to stick to Tom¡¯s side. ¡°Tom, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s abnormal for the old man to be so against


    Rae-Rae¡¯s engagement?¡±


    Tom lit a cigarette and said coldly, ¡°Just ask what you want to ask.¡±


    Hearing this, Adrian¡¯s eyes


    lit up.


    Amidst the smoke, Tom¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Adrian was at a loss for words.


    Adrian took a moment to recover. ¡°We¡¯re brothers. Isn¡¯t it a little unreasonable to hide it


    from me?¡±


    Tom¡¯s expression was indifferent. Smoke curled around his fingertips, and his deep and cold voice was


    tinged with low h*arseness. ¡°If you want to know, ask the old man yourself.¡±


    Based on the rtionship between Adrian and Rachel, as long as Adrian knew, Rachel would definitely


    know.


    Adrian stood rooted to the ground as he watched Tom leave. Adrian could not help but roll. his eyes.


    Adrian quickly typed on the keyboard with his fingers as he sent a message to Rachel. ¡°He is too tight-


    lipped. There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±


    Rachel was not surprised at all.


    Rachel put down her phone and her gaze fell on the small bottle on the table.


    Rachel drummed her fingers rhythmically on the table and suddenly got up.


    When Linda saw Rachel leave, Linda could not help but be stunned. ¡°Getting off work so early?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a special situation.¡± Rachel smiled at Linda and left.


    09401


    Rachel was not in a hurry to return to Sandalwood Hills. Instead, she drove to a nearby florist.


    The flowers in the florist made one feel happy. The fragrance was not as strong, and it was especially


    refreshing.


    Rachel looked around, and her gazended urately on the beautiful red roses. ¡°Please wrap 99


    roses for me.¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Alright, please wait a moment,¡± the shop assistant said respectfully.


    While the shop assistant was wrapping the flowers, Rachel looked around with her hands behind her


    back. Rachel¡¯s gaze was attracted by the white bellflower under the sunlight.


    The white flowers were covered in ayer of faint golden light under the sunlight. It was holy and


    elegant.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Bellflowers, the shop assistant said. ¡°Another name is the thornless rose.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. A hint of interest appeared in Rachel¡¯s almond-shaped. eyes.


    ¡°Thornless rose?¡±


    This name was quite interesting.


    The shop assistant exined patiently, ¡°The floweringnguage of the bellflower is ¡®I¡¯ll only give you


    unchanging love. I¡¯m very wary of this world, but in front of you, I¡¯m willing to let go of all my defenses


    and hug you. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s wonderful?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to let go of all my defenses and hug you¡­¡±


    It was indeed a beautiful flowernguage.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes shed slightly, and a gentle light appeared in her eyes. ¡°Could you please wrap another


    bouquet of bellflowers for me?¡±


    The shop assistant smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    While the shop assistant was wrapping the flowers, Rachel sat on the rattan chair in front of the French


    window.


    Suddenly, Rachel felt a furry touch on her leg. She was so shocked that she quickly sat up.


    Rachel lowered her head and met a pair of blue eyes.


    It was a very beautiful and sweet Ragdoll cat.


    The cat looked at Rachel and meowed delicately. He arched his back and rubbed against Rachel¡¯s leg.


    One could vaguely hear his purring.


    Looking at the cat¡¯s coquettish appearance, Rachel reached out and gently scratched his


    chin.


    The soft feeling to touch the cat instantly melted Rachel¡¯s heart.


    When Rachel was young, she also had a cat. Rachel fed him meticulously every day and lived with


    him. However, one day, for some reason, the cat drowned in the pool. From then on. Rachel did not like


    cats.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Piney When the shop assistant saw Rachel petting the cat, the shop assistant


    couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Usually, other than me, he doesn¡¯t let anyone get close to him. He is extremely


    indifferent. Today, he is willing to wheedle to you. It seems like it really likes. you.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips gently.


    Not long after, the shop assistant handed the two bouquets of flowers to Rachel.


    After paying the bill, Rachel left the florist with two bouquets of flowers.


    Rachel had just driven her car out when an unremarkable ck car slowly drove out of the alley.


    In the car, the man sitting in the driver¡¯s seat muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me our boss really likes this woman?¡±


    The buzz-cut nced at the man indifferently. ¡°Do whatever I tell you to do. Why are you talking so


    much nonsense?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious,¡± the man said. ¡°Besides, Jo and Jay were killed by this woman. If anything happens to


    me, I¡¯ll have to die knowing what happened.¡±


    During this period of time, their boss had gone crazy and was secretly watching Rachel like


    a voyeur.


    After Jo and Jay went down, their boss still didn¡¯t give up.


    However, even though they were tailing her, Ronnie had clearly ordered them not to act on their own.


    They were not to hurt Rachel at all, and they were not to disturb her.


    How was this stalking? This was clearly guarding!


    Buzz-cut did not know and could not guess what was on Ronnie¡¯s mind, so he could only do as Ronnie


    instructed. With a gloomy expression, buzz-cut instructed the man sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°Make


    more distance. Don¡¯t be discovered.¡±


    They thought that they were cautious enough, but in the end, they did not escape. Rachel¡¯s


    eyes.


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled up into a cold smile. Rachel suddenly sped up and used the traffic


    to quickly shake them off.


    But soon, the car followed again. A cold look appeared on Rachel¡¯s face.


    Two ck H*mmers appeared out of nowhere in the traffic.


    The two cars drove side by side with Rachel¡¯s car and approached Rachel bit by bit as if they wanted to


    force her to stop.


    Buzz-cut looked at the ck H*mmer that suddenly appeared and could not help but frown. ¡°Did the


    boss order others toe over?¡±


    ¡°Never heard of it,¡± the man said.


    The two of them looked at each other and had some guesses in their head. They couldn¡¯t. help but


    speed up and chase up.


    On the other side, Billy¡¯s car followed behind the buzz-cut.


    ¡°Billy, what¡¯s going on in front? The man driving the car saw the car moving fast in front of him and


    could not help but speed up.


    Billy was no longer as s*oppy as before. ¡°Hurry up and chase after them to provide support!¡±


    The other party did note with good intentions. If anything really happened to Rachel, Billy and his


    guy would not be able to keep their heads!


    Rachel calmly dialed L**as¡¯s number.

 Chapter 604

    Chapter 604


    Chapter 604


    As soon as the call went through, Rachel said calmly, Tm in some trouble. Transmit the traffic situation


    ahead of me in time¡±


    ¡°Wait for me. The sound of typing came from Lucas. Soon, Lucas pulled up the real-time. surveince


    of the road where Rachel was. ¡°There¡¯s a turn up ahead. It¡¯s more convenient there.


    Rachel responded and nced at the cars on both sides through the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Competing with you in driving skills? Isn¡¯t that just asking for trouble?¡± Lucas chuckled. Lucas was not


    worried about Rachel¡¯s safety at all.


    Lucas picked up the coffee beside him and crossed his legs on the table. ¡°The situation you¡¯re facing


    now will be part of your daily private life in the future. It might be even more troublesome than this.


    Don¡¯t you regret it?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows. The corners of her eyes curved into a perfect arc, cold and charming ¡°Oh,


    I¡¯m quite regretful.


    Lucas was speechless.


    Even when one fooled others, one had to have some sincerity. Lucas did not sense any regret or fear


    from Rachel.


    Rachel nced at the rearview mirror of the car. ¡°Have you investigated the origins of these two


    H*mmers?¡±


    ¡°I did. The tes are not real,¡± Lucas said. ¡°Since the other party is tantly targeting you, they are not


    afraid of being investigated. However, the other party probably wants to use you to deal with David.¡±


    Then I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll have to waste their effort.¡± As she spoke, Rachel suddenly elerated.


    Rachel suddenly increased the speed of the car, causing the drivers of the cars behind her to be


    stunned. The followers hurriedly increased the speed of the car.


    ¡°F*ck, when did Bentley Continental¡¯s performance be so amazing?¡± the buzz-cut could not help


    but exim.


    Theckey beside Billy looked troubled. ¡°Billy, our car¡¯s performance can¡¯t keep up. If this continues,


    the engine will be ruined.¡±


    ¡°Even if the engine explodes, you still need me to keep up!¡± Billy said.


    Billy stretched his neck and stared at the Bentley Continental. Billy could not help but sigh in his heart.


    As expected, the woman Billy¡¯s master fancied was indeed wild!


    As Billy watched, the two H*mmers once again drew level with Rachel¡¯s Bentley Continental and


    abruptly turned around, trying to force Rachel to stop.


    ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry!¡± Billy was as anxious as a cat on hot bricks.


    If anything happened, Billy would be a dead man.


    Theckey beside Billy looked troubled ¡°Billy, we really can¡¯t go any faster. Our car can


    1/4


    only reach here.¡±


    ¡°Move!¡± Billy said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and switched seats with the man in the driver¡¯s seat.


    Before the man could finish, Billy suddenly kicked him and he bashed against the windshield.


    Billy quickly caught up to Rachel and tried to break the encirclement of the two ck. H*mmers.


    However, a white Bentley Continental was blocking in front of Billy. There was no way to overtake it.


    Billy was so angry that he pped the steering wheel hard and cursed silently.


    Under the gaze of the buzz-cut and Billy, Rachel¡¯s car passed the barrier and drove into the reverse


    traffic.


    ¡°Is she crazy?¡± the buzz-cut and Billy said in unison.


    Rachal was actually driving in the opposite direction at the peak of the traffic!


    The two ck H*mmers behind Rachel chased relentlessly. It was as if they would not give


    The oing tanker truck saw the three cars heading in the opposite direction and. h*nked


    desperately.


    Rachel narrowed her eyes. A cold glint appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes. Rachel held the steering wheel and


    continued driving towards the tanker truck.


    The H*mmers sped up.


    ¡°Is this woman trying to get herself killed?¡± the buzz-cut could not help but curse.


    When Billy saw this scene, he could not help but widen his eyes. Billy¡¯s eyes were filled with fear, and


    his heart was in his throat.


    At this speed, once Rachel collided with the tanker truck, it would basically destroy the car and kill


    everyone!


    Everyone was utterly nervous. Only Rachel¡¯s red lips curled up slightly into a faint arc, her eyes were


    cold.


    but


    The tanker truck driver looked at the three cars heading in the opposite direction and gripped the


    steering wheel tightly. The brakes under the driver¡¯s feet were smoking, but he could not slow down


    completely. The truck driver was so anxious that he could not help but curse crazily in the driver¡¯s seat.


    Seeing that Rachel had no intention of slowing down, the driver of the ck H*mmer looked at the


    approaching tanker truck and hesitated whether to continue encircling. Rachel.


    Just as they were hesitating, Rachel¡¯s car moved backward without warning. As it retreated, it turned


    the car around and perfectly merged into the traffic.


    The entire process was as smooth as flowing water.


    The two H*mmers were not so lucky. In order to avoid colliding with the tanker, they


    quickly drove to the barrier beside them.


    With a loud bang, the cars hit the barrier.


    Rachel nced at the H*mmers mounted on the barrier through the rearview mirror, and her lips curled


    into a mocking smile.


    With such driving skills, they still wanted to be an ouw.


    How embarrassing.


    Billy, who was following behind, waspletely shocked by Rachel¡¯s top-notch driving


    skills.


    Theckey beside Billy could not help but praise, ¡°F*ck! Awesome! This driving skill is simply amazing!¡±


    On the other side, the buzz-cut could not help but exim, ¡°F*ck! I¡¯m a man, but I can¡¯t even drive as


    well as a woman!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Rachel thought she was out of danger, but she noticed a white Bentley Continental of the same model


    behind her shing its headlights at her.


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°Is it ever going to end?¡±


    Just as Rachel was about to speed up and shake the Bentley off, the other party overtook


    her.


    The car window slowly rolled down, revealing Zion¡¯s face. ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯ve booked a private room. Shall


    we have a meal together?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time,¡± Rachel rejected mercilessly.


    Zion said. Tve been covering for you just now. It¡¯s not too much to repay a life-saving favor


    for lunch.¡±


    Rachel looked at Zion with a fake smile. ¡°You¡¯re ckmailing me?¡±


    ¡°I just like to get today¡¯s business done today,¡± Zion said. ¡°I¡¯ll send the location to your phone. See you.¡±


    As he spoke, Zion rolled up the window and drove the car past Rachel.


    Rachel nced at the location and sneered in her heart.


    This man must have done it on purpose!


    Why did Zion choose a ce opposite David¡¯s office?


    Was Zion afraid that David would not know that they had lunch together?


    Although she was a little unwilling. Rachel, who never liked owing favors, still arrived on


    time


    Rachel deliberately parked the car in an inconspicuous spot. Then she crossed two streets and walked


    into the restaurant


    Zion looked at Rachel, who was wearing sunsses and a mask. A faint smile appeared in Zion¡¯s eyes


    ¡°You¡¯re making it look like we re having an affair!¡±


    Rachel sneered. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to attract unnecessary attention.


    ¡°Do you not want to attract unnecessary attention, or do you not want to attract someone¡¯s attention?


    Zion asked.


    Rachel nced at Zion indifferently.


    Zion was asking the obvious!

 Chapter 605

    Chapter 605


    Chapter 605


    Noticing the impatience on Rachel¡¯s face, Zion smiled faintly and said, ¡°I heard that the steak here is


    not bad. Try it.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Summers, if you have anything to say, just say it,¡± Rachel said.


    Rachel was not in the mood to taste the steak.


    ¡°Injured?¡± Zion¡¯s gaze fell on Rachel¡¯s right arm.


    Rachel pursed her lips slightly and said perfunctorily. I identally sprained it.¡±


    ¡°Girls still have to learn to love and protect themselves.¡± Zion looked at Rachel meaningfully.


    ¡°If you are looking for me to talk about these unimportant things. Mr. Summers, please excuse me.


    Rachel stood up and was about to leave.


    At this moment, the waiter walked over and served them two sses of lemonade.


    Zion rubbed the edge of the ss with his fingers and said calmly. The Summers family. just opened a


    smart integrated hotel not long ago. It¡¯s not officially open for business yet. If Miss Grey is interested,


    you can visit it.


    ¡°In the hotel industry, Smith Group has always had a ce. It¡¯s not that easy to kick it out. If the


    Johnson Corporation wants to upy a certain position, it can only get there by continuously


    innovating. Smart integration is indeed a very good direction of development. However, currently, in the


    country, only the Summers Corporation has been sessful. Miss Grey, it¡¯s definitely not a loss for you


    to get the right to experience it yourself¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly, ¡°How do you know the next step of the Johnson Corporation¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone in Seaxas knows that the richest family in Seaxas is about to change. The news has spread


    to Pollister as well.


    In other words, anything rted to the Johnson family was no longer a secret.


    Hearing this, Rachel had a cold glint sh across her eyes.


    It was true that good things did not go out, but bad things spread far and wide..


    With Marina¡¯s words in the Chamber of Commerce, the current Johnson family in Seaxas was like a


    delicious piece of meat. Everyone could not wait to rush up and take a bite.


    People would do anything for money. With money and power, how could people remain. unmoved?


    It had to be said that Marina¡¯s methods were impressive.


    Without much effort, Marina pushed the Johnson family to the position of the public¡¯s target with just a


    few words.


    Rachel could deal with one Tory family, but could she really deal with coundless Tory families at the


    same time?


    Zion stared at Rachel with a burning gaze. Zion picked up his ss and took a sip. He said calmly. The


    Johnson family has been forced into a position of everyone¡¯s target It¡¯s dithcult for two fists to fight four


    hands. Miss Grey should understand this


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in love with Miss Grey. Naturally¡­¡±


    Before Zion could finish speaking, there was amotion at the door.


    Rachel turned around and saw Billy rushing over with a group of men in ck. They surrounded the


    entire restaurant.


    It felt like Rachel and Zion were cheating and got caught.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± Rachel looked at Billy.


    Billy looked very hesitant. Billy could not begin to talk bad things about someone when the person was


    right in front of him.


    However, when Billy thought about how it looked like there were 3 of them, and there was actually a


    fourth person in his pocket, he struggled for a moment and said, ¡°Mr. Jones asked me to tell you, Miss


    Grey, that Zion is up to no good. Please be careful. If Zion is pestered, you can order us to take him


    away.¡±


    ¡°Looks like this Mr. Jones really cares a lot, Zion said. ¡°Now, he even wants to control freedom.


    Rachel frowned slightly.


    How could Rachel not tell that Zion was trying to sow discord?


    I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Summers. I still have something on, so I¡¯ll leave first¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think the Smith family people will do if I give them the chance?¡± Zion interrupted Rachel.


    Rachel paused and looked up at Zion without blinking.


    your


    Zion noticed the coldness in Rachel¡¯s eyes and pursed his lips. ¡°Miss Grey, you cherish my goodwill. I


    think the Smith family won¡¯t miss out on my kindness.¡± Rachel sat back on the chair and asked coldly.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    didn¡¯t


    There was no free lunch in the world. Rachel didn¡¯t believe that Zion would give her such an


    opportunity for nothing.


    ¡°The Summers family wants to participate in the team of equipment development,¡± Zion said.


    A bright smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s face. Her clear r*und eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°A chance to


    exchange for core technology. Mr. Summers, you have such a good n.¡±


    ¡°I handed my job to you in exchange for another way to make money. It¡¯s not too much to


    ask.¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Alright, I promise you. However, the development team will be established by the


    Johnson Corporation¡±


    Rachel did not trust Zion.


    A faint smile shed across Zion¡¯s eyes. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll personally lead the team to negotiate. with the


    Johnson Corporation.¡±


    As soon as Zion finished speaking, Rachel was about to get up and leave.


    Zion spoke again. You promised to eat with me. It¡¯s a little unreasonable to leave me alone.¡±


    Before Rachel could speak, Billy coughed heavily a few times, as if he was trying his best to hide


    something.


    Rachel looked up at Billy, then turned to look at Zion. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it willingly.¡±


    Zion saw through Rachel¡¯s intention to leave and said again, ¡°Since Miss Grey is unwilling to discuss, I


    can only disturb Old Mr. Johnson.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Rachel could not take it anymore and red at Zion.


    Because of what happened to the Tory family, Rachel¡¯s grandfather was already biased against David.


    Rachel even got beaten up for it.


    If Rachel¡¯s grandfather knew what Rachel had encountered on the road today, there might be trouble.


    Zion must have done it on purpose!


    Zion handed the ss to Rachel. ¡°It¡¯s just a meal. It won¡¯t take up too much of your time.¡±


    Rachel snorted softly and crossed her arms. It was obvious that Rachel did not appreciate it.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t treat me like this in the past.¡± Zion sighed softly.


    Rachel looked at Zion in confusion.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Zion had brought up the past in front of Rachel.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    However, after thinking for a long time, Rachel really couldn¡¯t remember anything about Zion.


    Rachel even suspected that Zion had recognized the wrong person.


    Seeing the confusion in Rachel¡¯s eyes, Zion darkened his eyes. But Zion didn¡¯t intend to exin too


    much. Instead, Zion asked, ¡°Why did you choose David and not consider me? To be fair, I don¡¯t think


    I¡¯m much worse than him.¡±


    Zion wasn¡¯t bragging.


    The Summers family was considered a century-old aristocratic family in Seaxas. Their assets were


    immeasurable.


    Zion was young and promising. In terms of temperament and looks, Zion was indeed not inferior to


    David.


    Rachel looked at Zion and pondered for a long time. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just kinder and richer.¡±


    Zion was speechless.


    ¡°You said that we knew each other before?¡± Rachel hesitated for a while before asking the question


    that was buried in her heart.


    Hearing this, Zion looked up at Rachel. After pondering for a long time, Zion said calmly. ¡°Compared to


    deliberate reminders, I prefer to let nature take its course¡±

 Chapter 606

    Chapter 606


    Chapter 606


    Seeing that Zion was unwilling to tell, Rachel did not continue asking.


    They fell into a short silence.


    At this moment, the waiter served the dishes one by one.


    Try their ck truffles.¡± Zion pushed the beef with ck truffles in front of Rachel.


    Rachel said indifferently. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Rachel picked up the knife and fork beside her. When Rachel raised her arm, she moved the sore spot


    and frowned.


    Zion stood up abruptly and walked to Rachel¡¯s side. ¡°Did you just get injured?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Rachel said calmly.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t say that she was beaten up by her grandfather. That would be embarrassing.


    However, Zion reached out and grabbed Rachel¡¯s shoulder. He touched Rachel¡¯s arm bit by bit.


    Sensing that her arm was abnormally swollen, Zion instantly frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to the


    hospital!¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Rachel said. ¡°This injury is nothing.¡±


    ¡°Come with me, right now!¡± Just as Zion was about to drag Rachel away, someone grabbed Zion¡¯s


    shoulder.


    Rachel felt a sense of foreboding when she smelled the familiar, cold, wood fragrance. A chill ran down


    Rachel¡¯s spine.


    Rachel turned her head stiffly.


    Sure enough, Rachel saw David¡¯s tall figure standing behind her. David was surrounded by a terrifying


    aura.


    Those bottomless ck eyes were like cold ice, immersed in a devastating aura.


    It was over!


    Rachel quickly shook off Zion¡¯s hand and stood up in a hurry. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    As soon as Rachel finished speaking, the man¡¯s expression became even darker and more terrifying.


    Rachel secretly bit her tongue. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. What I meant was¡­¡±


    Rachel realized that no matter how she exined, it was useless. Instead, it only made. things worse.


    ¡°You came just in time. I haven¡¯t eaten yet. Sit down and eat with me, okay?¡± The smile on Rachel¡¯s


    face was fawning as she reached out and gently tugged at the corner of David¡¯s shirt.


    Seeing that the woman was carefully trying to please him, the coldness in David¡¯s disappeared. ¡°Why


    are you eating sote?¡±


    eyes


    David wrapped Rachel¡¯s hand in his palm. The two of them sat opposite Zion.


    09:48


    Try this.¡± David pushed away the te of beet with ck truffles and brought the grilled snail to Rachel.


    When Zion saw the two people in front of him, he was so angry that he touched his lower. jaw with the


    tip of his tongue.


    ¡°When did Mr. Jones learn to freeload?¡± Zion looked at David with a faint smile.


    David looked up at Zion and said calmly. ¡°I remember I¡¯m one of the shareholders of this restaurant.


    This meal is on me.¡±


    Zion was stunned.


    D*mn it. Zion had given David an opportunity to show off!


    Eddie and Billy looked at each other with a smile in their


    eyes.


    Zion looked deeply at Rachel and said coldly. ¡°Who cares about the food you treat? Rachel, remember


    what you promised me!¡±


    With that, Zion picked up his suit jacket and turned to leave without looking back.


    After Zion left, David ced the ss of water on the table and made a sound that was neither loud nor


    soft. It made people¡¯s hearts tighten for no reason.


    ¡°Let me see if it¡¯s serious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the right ce.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks could not help but blush.


    David suddenly reacted. ¡°Then let¡¯s go take a look in the carter.¡±


    It seemed to be a simple sentence, but it felt like there was more to it when one thought further.


    It felt like David was making an ambiguous invitation, making one¡¯s imagination run wild.


    In the car, David unbuttoned Rachel¡¯s shirt. When he saw the bruise on her shoulder, ayer of


    coldness appeared in David¡¯s eyes. ¡°It hurts a little. Bear with it.¡±


    Rachel looked at the ointment David took out with a hint of surprise in her eyes.


    David had actually prepared it long ago?


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The ointment had a faint minty fragrance. When it was applied to Rachel¡¯s skin, it felt slightly cool. As it


    seeped into Rachel¡¯s skin bit by bit, Rachel vaguely felt a slight burn.


    Rachel fiddled with the lid of the ointment with her fingertips. The texture of the ceramic was exactly the


    same as the bottle that her u*cle Tom had given her. The only difference was that this one did not have


    the print of the 101 Institute.


    ¡°Do you want toe to the office with me?¡± David asked.


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°There are other things to doter.¡±


    David frowned imperceptibly. ¡°You are injured. Can¡¯t you take a break?¡±


    Rachel smiled calmly and blurted out. This small injury is nothing.¡±


    Before Rachel could finish speaking. David¡¯s grabbed her chin with his well-defined fingers. David¡¯s


    dark eyes flickered with a dangerous dark light. ¡°Then tell me, what kind of injury is


    not considered a small injury?¡±


    The two of them were very close to each other. Their breaths sprayed on each other¡¯s faces and


    blended together.


    There was a strange ambiguity in the oppressive atmosphere.


    Looking at the man¡¯s face that was so close to hers, Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. Rachel suddenly


    leaned forward and kissed David¡¯s thin lips.


    It was like a dragonfly touching the water, but it caused ripples to form in David¡¯s calm heart.


    The coldness in David¡¯s eyes instantly faded, leaving only gentleness.


    Seeing the frost in the man¡¯s eyes fade, Rachel pressed on. ¡°Remember to get off work early tonight.


    There¡¯s a surprise waiting for you.¡±


    Then let¡¯s go home now. David grabbed Rachel¡¯s arm.


    Rachel looked at him, not knowing how to respond. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, can you be more


    reserved?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be reserved in front of you.¡±


    Eddie, who was sitting in the front row, could not help but feel a chill.


    Ever since Mr. Jones fell in love, he had be more and more shameless.


    After David watched Rachel leave, he darkened his eyes at a speed visible to the naked eye. David


    returned to his usual unapproachable attitude. ¡°Have you investigated clearly?¡±


    Sensing the terrifying hostility around the man, Eddie could not help but take a deep breath. Eddie


    thought for a moment and said carefully. At the moment, all the me is on the Tory family.¡±


    However, anyone with a brain would know that this matter had nothing to do with the Tory family.


    Now, the Tory family wanted nothing more than to tuck their tails. How could they dare to take revenge


    on Rachel so tantly? Wasn¡¯t this clearly courting death?


    Clearly, after yesterday¡¯s incident, the Tory family had been used as a tool.


    Billy, who was in charge of driving, said carefully, ¡°Could it be Miss Grey¡­


    After all, there were many people rushing to work for Miss Grey,


    ¡°Heh!¡± David sneered. I¡¯m just afraid that she doesn¡¯t have the guts to do it!¡±


    David¡¯s voice seemed to have condensed into ice, carrying a coldness. His calm gaze revealed an


    unreasonable sharpness, like a sharp dagger. ¡°Continue to send people to keep an eye on her!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    When he returned to thepany, David found that Jimmy and Landon hade uninvited.


    At this moment, Jimmy and Landon were sitting on the sofa, holding the tablet and watching the video


    with relish.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Rachel to be so cool!¡± Seeing the most exciting scene, Jimmy patted his thigh excitedly.


    ¡°Her driving skills are definitely top-notch! If only I could pull her into my


    team!¡±

 Chapter 607

    Chapter 607


    Chapter 607


    Landon rolled his eyes at Jimmy. ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of the Johnson family. Do you think she needs


    your bonus?¡±


    ¡°What a pity! If she changed her identity, I would definitely poach her over with a lot of money and let


    her name any conditions she wants!¡±


    Seeing that Jimmy¡¯s words were getting more and more ridiculous, Landon snapped, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    This guy really had no foresight at all.


    Rachel was not only the daughter of the Johnson family. The most important thing was that Rachel had


    the priceless mour Pavilion, not to mention her other identities.


    Poaching Rachel to the team to be a racer was simply not possible.


    Landon looked up at David. ¡°The two of them opened their mouths. They said that they were paid to do


    it. The other party has always been anonymous and contacted one-way. They don¡¯t know who it is


    either. I checked the ounts. It¡¯s fake.¡±


    This meant that the clues were cut off here.


    However, since the other party was so careful, it meant that the other party knew what David was


    capable of and was somewhat afraid of David.


    ¡°In my opinion, it was definitely that vicious old woman!¡± Jimmy put down the tablet in his hand and lit a


    cigarette. Jimmy changed his previous s*oppy attitude and analyzed seriously, ¡°Ever since she came to


    Seaxas, she has not been idle. She has secretly roped in many forces. Now that she knows about the


    existence of Rachel, she naturally won¡¯t let opportunity to manipte David.¡±


    go


    of the


    David, who was sitting in the boss¡¯s chair, closed the contract in front of him. David sped his hands


    on hisp and crossed his legs elegantly. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have the guts.¡±


    Jimmy blurted out, ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t give up and ns to make aeback?¡±


    Ambitious people would never give up any opportunity.


    Landon noticed the secretive look in David¡¯s eyes and frowned imperceptibly. ¡°Could it be that you


    already know her purpose foring to Seaxas this time?¡±


    David lowered his eyes and nced at the time on his watch. He said absent-mindedly, ¡°Her goal can¡¯t


    affect the overall situation.¡±


    Seeing David¡¯s absent-minded look, Jimmy and Landon looked at each other with. meaningful smiles in


    their eyes.


    Jimmy teased, ¡°David, are you waiting for someone or a call?¡±


    David had been sitting there for so long, and his eyes never left his watch.


    It was obvious who David was waiting for.


    ¡°David, today is your birthday. I booked a private room at the Lucky Entertainment Center. Shall we


    celebrate tonight?¡± Jimmy asked.


    As soon as Jimmy finished speaking, the hour hand on David¡¯s watch pointed straight at 6.


    David suddenly stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll get going first!¡±


    Jimmy and Landon watched as David strode away and whispered, ¡°Tell me, why is David in such a


    hurry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him so enthusiastic on his birthday before,¡± Landon said meaningfully.


    Hearing this, Jimmy¡¯s eyes were filled with interest. ¡°Since we are so curious, why don¡¯t we secretly


    follow and take a look?¡±


    Rachel ced thest red cherry on the birthday cake, and a satisfied smile appeared on her red lips.


    Time passed bit by bit, and an indescribable nervousness rose in Rachel¡¯s heart.


    This was the first time in her life that Rachel had made a cake for a man. Rachel wondered if David


    would like what she had made.


    Under Rachel¡¯s gaze, the ck Rolls-Royce slowly drove into her line of sight.


    Rachel didn¡¯t expect the car to be followed by a silver sdematin.


    The car door opened and Jimmy followed. ¡°David!¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± David looked at the two uninvited guests in front of him with a cold expression.


    Jimmy smiled and said, ¡°Today is your birthday. Of course, I¡¯m here to celebrate your birthday.¡±


    ¡°He specially ordered a cake. It should be on the way now,¡± Landon said.


    Jimmy turned around and red at Landon.


    Why did this Landon sell Jimmy out right from the start?


    This was not the saying they agreed on before they came!


    Sensing Jimmy¡¯s fierce gaze, Landon raised his hand and pushed his sses up the bridge of his


    nose. ¡°I said we shouldn¡¯te, but you insisted oning. Why don¡¯t we leave?¡±


    ¡°Why are you leaving? I¡¯ve already ordered the cake!¡± Jimmy snorted and walked towards the stairs.


    In any case, there were going to be serious consequences. Jimmy would rather die heroically.


    However, just as Jimmy stepped onto the first step. David blocked Jimmy¡¯s way in a sh. ¡°Do you


    want me to break your legs?¡±


    Threat. It was definitely a tant threat!


    When David didn¡¯t have a woman, David said that they were as close as brothers and that they would


    live and die together. Now that David had a woman, he wanted to break Jimmy¡¯s legs!


    So much for brotherhood!


    Pfft! What a despicable man!


    Although Jimmy cursed in his heart, Jimmy still smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯re just here for a meal.


    09.30


    We won¡¯t disturb your private time with Rachel. We¡¯ll leave after dinner.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± David said.


    With that, David left Jimmy and Landon standing on the spot and walked quickly towards the steps.


    Behind David, Jimmy rolled up his sleeves and said indignantly. ¡°This man is too heartless! We have


    been his friends for a long time, and he doesn¡¯t even care to treat us to a meal! Landon, don¡¯t stop me.


    I¡¯m going to fight him to the death today! Don¡¯t stop me, don¡¯t stop


    me¡­


    Out of the corner of his eye, Jimmy saw Landon standing there indifferently. Jimmy said angrily. ¡°Why


    don¡¯t you fucking stop me?¡±


    Did Landon really want to see Jimmy die in front of David?


    Landon said seriously. ¡°You said it yourself. Don¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Jimmy was so angry that he felt dizzy. Jimmy turned around and kicked the wheel.


    ¡°We need to find the right person.¡± Landon said meaningfully, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want us to stay, someone


    else will.¡±


    Jimmy¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right. If David doesn¡¯t want us to stay, how can Rachel not?¡± With that,


    Jimmy took out his phone. I¡¯ll make a call now and ask where the cake is!¡± David walked into the room


    and saw a room full of balloons. David¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Candles were ced on either side of


    the door, extending all the way to the living room. Arge bouquet of roses in the living room caught


    David¡¯s attention.


    Flowers were not rare, especially red roses that symbolized love. However, the red roses that belonged


    to David and were given by the woman he loved the most were unique.


    However, in David¡¯s eyes, the beauty of flowers was far less than one-tenth of Rachel¡¯s.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    The woman was wearing a white fishtail skirt that wrapped around her tall and slender figure. Rachel¡¯s


    curves were beautiful and graceful, and her figure was elegant.


    Rachel¡¯s long hair was tied up behind her head, and a strand of hair hung down from her forehead.


    There was a hint of casualziness in Rachel¡¯s elegance.


    The candlelight outlined Rachel¡¯s face which was as cold as jade. Rachel¡¯s red lips curled into a gentle


    smile as she held a bouquet of bellflowers in her arms. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    David nodded in a daze. David stared at her figure with his dark eyes without blinking.


    Rachel walked forward and handed David the bellflowers in her arms. ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    When she looked up and met the man¡¯s burning eyes, Rachel felt as if she had been scalded. Rachei


    quickly averted her gaze, but her face could not help but blush.

 Chapter 608

    Chapter 608


    Chapter 608


    Seeing that David did not take the bouquet for a long time, Rachel had a fleeting nervousness sh


    across her eyes. Rachel held the bouquet tightly with both hands and asked carefully. ¡°You don¡¯t like


    it?¡±


    David suddenly came back to his senses. Seeing the woman¡¯s nervous expression, David hurriedly


    took the bouquet. ¡°I like it.¡±


    As if David felt that his words were not sincere enough, he added, ¡°I like it very much.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    This was the first time Rachel had prepared a surprise for a man in her life.


    Rachel had always been worried that David would not like it.


    But how could David not like it?


    In the past, David had never understood why women liked surprises, nor did he understand why a


    simple bouquet of flowers could make women happy for an entire day.


    But today, David seemed to understand.


    Surprises and flowers were just a part of the happiness. What really made women happy was the care


    that the person they loved was willing to spend on them.


    Women had never been happy about how valuable this gift was. Instead, they were happy about the


    sincerity and care that people had put into the gift, the time and effort to prepare the gift.


    They were happy that the surprise and flowers came from the person they loved, and it was unique and


    exclusive to them.


    David stared at Rachel without blinking. David¡¯s dark eyes revealed a soul-stirring dark light.


    The blush on Rachel¡¯s face gradually spread to her ears. Her earlobes were faintly itchy, and her heart


    could not help but beat faster. ¡°Can you not look at me like that..¡±


    Rachel kept feeling that the scorching heat was filled with fatal danger. It was like a ferocious beast


    staring at its prey as if the beast was about to swallow her at any moment.


    David took a step forward and held Rachel¡¯s hand. David¡¯s eyes were filled with a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯m


    thinking about what other surprise gifts are waiting for me.¡±


    The moment their skin touched, Rachel could clearly feel the warmth of the man¡¯s palm. Rachel


    panicked for no reason.


    Rachel took a deep breath, her chest moving up and down.


    David stared at Rachel, his dark eyes darkening,


    David could not help but tighten his grip on the woman.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first,¡± Rachel said.


    David nodded. ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    The dancing fire on the candle and the dim light created an indescribably ambiguous atmosphere.


    David looked at Rachel, who was sitting opposite him. The indescribable secret addiction in his eyes


    was stirring.


    The flickering candlelight outlined Rachel¡¯s face which was as wless as cold jade. Rachel¡¯s


    extremely beautiful contour was half-lit and half-dark. Rachel¡¯s exquisite facial features. were like a


    work of art.


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows were arched at the right angle. Any higher and she would be flirting. Event so, at


    first nce, it looked like Rachel was secretly flirting. It did not conflict with the coldness Rachel


    exuded. She looked like a demon and a fairy at the same time.


    Admiring a beauty under the candlelight was a different experience.


    It was indeed right.


    Rachel raised her ss and looked at David with a smile. ¡°In the end, I sincerely wish you a happy


    birthday.¡±


    ¡°Then, can i make a wish now?¡± David raised his eyebrows. His thin lips curled into a faint smile that


    looked a little devilish.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner first.¡± Rachel lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in them.


    However, Rachel¡¯s hand holding the goblet trembled slightly, revealing the nervousness in her heart.


    David didn¡¯t say anything and finished the wine in the ss in one gulp.


    David stared deeply at Rachel with his ck eyes. David¡¯s gaze was like a predator staring at a prey


    that had stepped into his encirclement.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve made Wetanean food. Try it and see how it tastes,¡± Rachel


    said.


    Only then did David turn his attention to the dish in front of him. He looked at the exquisite te and


    asked, ¡°You cooked it yourself?¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°I just don¡¯t know if it suits your taste.¡±


    Under Rachel¡¯s gaze, David tasted the warm sd of foie gras in front of him.


    The man¡¯s every move exuded a natural aura of nobility. Even if one gave just a casual nce, one


    would give David all his attention and would not be able to look away.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    David¡¯s well-defined face was handsome and indifferent. When the candlelightnded on his face, it


    was as if his face was coated with ayer of faint golden light. David was like an angel instead of a


    man.


    Even though Rachel often faced such a face, every time she focused on admiring it, she would be


    stunned.


    Looking at the man chewing slowly, Rachel curled her fingers nervously. A hint of nervousness could


    not help but appear in Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Does it taste good?¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± David praised generously.


    Of course, the best praise was to finish all the food on the te.


    As expected, the smile in Rachel¡¯s eyes deepened when she saw that David had finished the food.


    Rachel rested her chin on one hand and looked at David. ¡°Do you know why I gave you the


    bellflowers?¡±


    David shook his head with a gentle expression and patiently listened to Rachel¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°The florist at the flower shop told me that the bellflower is also called the thornless rose. Its flower


    language is ¡®I will only give you unchanging love. I am very wary of this world, but in front of you, I am


    willing to let go of all my defenses and hug you.¡¯


    ¡°Actually, I know that these flowernguages are just given to them by people for marketing. But in the


    face of such special flowernguages, I can¡¯t help but want to buy them for you. Thank you for letting


    me meet you in my life, and thank you for being tolerant of me.¡±


    Initially, Rachel thought that being abandoned on her wedding day was the most. embarrassing state


    she would ever be in her life. However, David appeared in Rachel¡¯s life at Rachel¡¯s most embarrassing


    moment and gave that day a new meaning.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it my fortune to have met you in my life? David asked.


    Rachel¡¯s face was filled with a bright and moving smile. Under the candlelight, her face looked even


    more beautiful.


    After eating, Rachel held David¡¯s hand and walked to the stairs.


    The entire staircase was paved with rose petals, and different gifts were ced in the corresponding


    positions.


    Each gift was decorated with a different number of balloons.


    ¡°These are different gifts I prepared for you at different ages.¡± Rachel held David¡¯s hand and exined,


    ¡°Everyone has their own past. I regret not meeting you when I was young. I want to say that I can¡¯t


    participate in your past, but I will apany you to the end of your future!


    ¡°Of course, the reason why I did this is to make up for not participating in your past. I hope to leave


    more of me in your memories.¡±


    Seeing that David did not speak, Rachel lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in her eyes. Rachel


    mocked herself, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m too greedy?¡±


    Everyone could listen to reasons. But when it came to themselves, no matter how smart they were,


    they would be unreasonable.


    Rachel felt that what she said just now was really s*upid.


    Just as Rachel was secretly vexed, a ck shadow fell in front of her.


    David raised Rachel¡¯s chin and stared at her with his ck eyes.

 Chapter 609

    Chapter 609


    Chapter 609


    Rachel looked up and was caught off guard by that pair of bottomless ck eyes. It was as if Rachel


    had fallen into a ck hole and was firmly imprisoned.


    The man¡¯s bottomless eyes seemed to be filled with infinite gentleness. There were indescribable


    emotions in the depths of David¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I was hoping that you can be more greedy. It¡¯s best if you pester me all the time.¡±


    Rachel could not help but raise her eyebrows.


    This was the first time Rachel had heard such a rude request in her life.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°But don¡¯t men always like wise women who know when to advance and when to retreat?¡± Rachel


    looked at the man in front of her with a thoughtful look in her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°If I were to pester


    you all the time, I¡¯m afraid you would have grown tired of it long ago. Moreover, I think that no matter


    how intimate two people are, they have to have their own space.¡±


    Rachel had never thought of love as a restraint.


    If the other party only had you in his heart, even without the rules and regtions you set, he could still


    be 100% self-disciplined. On the other hand, no matter how many rules and regtions there were,


    they could not restrain the man¡¯s heart.


    ¡°You¡¯reparing me to f*ckboys?¡± David frowned slightly. His every word was extremely arrogant.


    ¡°Are other men worthy of beingpared to me?¡±


    Looking at the proud David, Rachel couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°They¡¯re indeed not worthy of being


    compared to you.¡±


    ¡°So, feel free to pester me and cling to me. I definitely won¡¯t grow tired of you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Rachel looked at David in surprise.


    David nodded. ¡°You can try.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered with a sly smile. ¡°David, are you trying to trick me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± David looked at Rachel honestly.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. It was obvious that Rachel was skeptical of David¡¯s words.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. You should open the gifts first¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time to open the gifts,¡± David said as he bent down and carried Rachel h*rizontally.


    Rachel¡¯s body was suddenly in the air. Rachel¡¯s arm naturally h*oked around David¡¯s neck. ¡°What are


    you doing?¡±


    ¡°Open the gift,¡± David said in all seriousness.


    Rachel was astonished.


    David didn¡¯t mean what Rachel thought, did he?


    Seeing that David had ignored the gift she had meticulously prepared on the stairs, Rachel hurriedly


    exined, ¡°The gifts are right here. Where are you going to open the gifts?¡±


    That¡¯s all? David frowned slightly. David looked at the exquisite gift boxes on the stairs, and he


    analyzed calmily. ¡°ording to the number of balloons, the corresponding gifts should be from one to


    twenty-eight. There¡¯s one less.¡±


    As he spoke, David looked down at Rachel in his arms.


    David seems to talk through his, ¡°You can¡¯t hide it from my eyes.¡±


    Rachel was at a loss under David¡¯s gaze. Rachel¡¯s fingertips curled up slightly. ¡°You seem to be too


    smart.¡±


    Normally, most people would be overjoyed when they saw a surprise. How could a person be as calm


    and logical as David?


    Was this man allergic to romance?


    ¡°So where¡¯s myst gift?¡± David stared at Rachel with his dark eyes. It was as if a dark me had been


    lit in his eyes, igniting his dark addiction. ¡°Is that gift you?¡±


    The man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his eyes were filled with infatuation.


    Rachel¡¯s long eyshes fluttered in panic.


    Rachel lowered her eyes to hide the panic in them.


    However, David suddenly grabbed Rachel¡¯s butt and hugged her like she was a doll. David used one


    hand to support Rachel¡¯s butt and the other hand to hold her slender waist, making Rachel face him.


    There was nowhere to run.


    David leaned down and kissed Rachel¡¯s forehead, ¡°Rae-Rae. Tell me, were you thest gift?¡±


    That ¡°Rae-Rae¡± was so sweet, as if it had been brewing in his throat for a long time. It was. natural,


    pleasant, and gentle.


    David¡¯s slightly cold lipsnded a gentle kiss on Rachel¡¯s forehead. David¡¯s thin lips slowly moved


    down and finallynded on her lips.


    The two of them were so close to each that their breaths mixed and they could even hear each other¡¯s


    heartbeats.


    Rachel felt that her heart was beating so fast that it was about to jump out of her chest.


    Rachel bit her lip and refused to answer.


    David slowly moved his hand up Rachel¡¯s back, and finallynded his hand on her exposed back.


    The man¡¯s rough fingers ran along her spine as if they were rubbing against her heart. A numb feeling


    spread throughout Rachel¡¯s body like an electric current, causing her body to tremble slightly.


    ¡°Can you tell me?¡± The man¡¯s lips were on Rachel¡¯s temples, his warm breath sweeping her hair.


    Rachel bit her lip. ¡°I¡­¡±


    Tonight, Rachel did treat herself as a birthday present for David.


    However, when Rachel¡¯s thoughts were seen through by David, she felt ashamed.


    Rachel¡¯s upbringing had taught her that a girl should always be reserved no matter what.


    Rachel was willing to lower herself for David and put down the reservedness in her bones. However, it


    was difficult for Rachel to say it out loud.


    Rachel struggled for a long time before suddenly kissing David on the lips.


    Rachel wanted to make David understand her feelings better than admitting them herself.


    As Rachel¡¯s kissnded, the man¡¯s arms wrapped around her waist and tightened as if he wanted to


    rub Rachel into his body.


    Rachel¡¯s hands gripped the cor of David¡¯s shirt tightly as she tried her best to cater to his demands,


    silently enduring David¡¯s domineering force.


    The urgent and lingering kiss messed up their breathing and their heartbeats.


    Although she was still nervous, Rachel raised her trembling fingertips and took the initiative to unbutton


    the cor of David¡¯s shirt.


    Both of them knew what this action meant.


    David held Rachel¡¯s hand and stared at her without blinking. David¡¯s lust-stained voice was gravelly.


    ¡°Have you really thought it through?¡±


    David actually gave the choice to Rachel again.


    As long as Rachel said that this was it, David would never take a step over the line. However, as long


    as Rachel agreed, he would definitely have her mercilessly.


    David was not as noble as Rachel thought, nor was he not interested in women. David just did not want


    Rachel to have any regrets in the future.


    Rachel pursed her lips and nodded solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through.¡±


    It was a short sentence, just a few words, but it made David¡¯s steady heart beat wildly.


    David kissed Rachel¡¯s lips again.


    The two of them stumbled onto the sofa. David used his knee to push Rachel¡¯s legs apart. David knelt


    on one knee on the sofa and bent down to look at Rachel. David¡¯s thin lips. could not help but curl up.


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Rachel looked at David in confusion.


    ¡°G o d still favors a viin like me. He fulfilled my birthday wish.¡±


    With that, David kissed Rachel¡¯s lips again.


    It was not like the passionate kiss just now. Instead, it was as gentle as the spring breeze brushing past


    their hearts. The kiss seemed to beforting, making Rachel fall bit by bit. Rachel¡¯s body, which was


    stiff from nervousness, gradually softened.

 Chapter 610

    Chapter 610


    Chapter 610


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    As they kissed, Rachel mumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t like the other gifts I prepared for you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡± David¡¯s fingertips caressed Rachel¡¯s cheek. There was an indescribable gentleness


    in David¡¯s bottomless eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the most unique gift in the world. Everything else can be reced


    at will, but you¡¯re the only one that can¡¯t be reced.¡±


    The dim lights and fragrant roses turned into a fuse that ignited the fiery atmosphere.


    The kiss was like poison, inadvertently making people sink into it and unable to escape.


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°David, David!¡± The fearless Jimmy knocked on the door.


    Rachel, who had been kissed until her head was dizzy, immediately came back to her senses. Rachel¡¯s


    entire body jolted, and her eyes regained the usual rity. ¡°Someone¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Ignore it,¡± David said coldly.


    Without another word, David carried Rachel in his arms and headed straight for the bedroom.


    However, the knocking on the door behind him was nonstop. It was as if the knock would not stop until


    the door was opened.


    Seeing that there was no movement from the door, Jimmy could not help but mutter, ¡°Sleeping so


    early? That can¡¯t be! It¡¯s such a good opportunity. They should be making out.


    now!¡±


    Landon red at Jimmy angrily.


    ¡°Since you know that, why are you still rushing to court death here?¡± Landon thought.


    Jimmy put on a mirthless smile. ¡°Maybe he is picking out a graveyard for you inside.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± Jimmy looked fearless. ¡°I went to that godforsaken ce in Afreya and stayed


    there for more than half a month. David wouldn¡¯t treat me like this after that.¡±


    As he spoke, Jimmy continued to knock on the door. ¡°David, open the door! Landon and I ordered a


    cake for you to celebrate your birthday!¡±


    ¡°If you want to die, leave me out of it!¡± Landon secretly gritted his teeth.


    Jimmy chuckled. ¡°If I¡¯m going to die, we¡¯ll die together. At least we¡¯ll havepany on the way to hell.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell wants yourpany!¡±


    In the room, Rachel looked at David¡¯s well-defined face with a gloomy expression. It was like David¡¯s


    face was covered with a thinyer of ice.


    There was a thinyer of sweat on David¡¯s forehead, and his wet hair naturally hung in front of his


    eyes.


    David¡¯s thin lips were tightly pursed, and the bones on his cheeks were tightly clenched into a straight


    line. His entire body exuded a terrifying vicious aura.


    Looking at David¡¯s forbearance, Rachel did not know whether to feel sorry for him orugh.


    Rachel reached out and stroked David¡¯s chiseled face. ¡°They were kind enough to celebrate your


    birthday for you. We can¡¯t turn them away. I¡¯ll get the door.¡±


    As she spoke, Rachel broke free from David¡¯s embrace.


    Rachel had just taken a step when the man behind her grabbed her wrist.


    Rachel was stunned for a moment before turning to look at David.


    David¡¯s expression darkened. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±


    David pulled off the tie hanging loosely around his neck and wrapped it tightly around his palm. With a


    terrifying hostility, David strode towards the door.


    Rachel saw that David didn¡¯t look like he was opening the door. David looked more like he was going to


    kill someone.


    While David opened the door, Rachel tidied up the creases on her dress.


    On the other side, as David opened the door, Jimmy saw the flowers and candles in the room and


    could not help but exim, ¡°F*ck!¡±


    ¡°Are you tired of living?¡± David raised his cold eyes and looked at Jimmy. David¡¯s eyes were filled with


    maliciousness.


    Jimmy touched the bridge of his nose. ¡°We¡¯re really here to celebrate your birthday.¡±


    As he spoke, Jimmy mysteriously handed a box to David. ¡°David, this is good stuff.¡±


    David frowned slightly. David took the box and opened it to take a look.


    When David saw what was inside, he darkened his eyes.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about at the door?¡± Rachel¡¯s voice came from behind.


    With a bang, David closed the box tightly. ¡°Get lost after you¡¯re done eating!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Jimmy walked into the living room happily, and he gestured to the person behind. him to carry


    the eight-story cake in. Jimmy did not forget to greet Rachel. ¡°Rachel, long


    time no see.¡±


    When Rachel saw the eight-story cake, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. ¡°It¡¯s been a long


    time. You¡­.¡±


    It was not that Rachel was observant, but Jimmy¡¯s skin color was too different from before.


    A meaningful smile shed across Jimmy¡¯s eyes. ¡°I had nothing to do, so I went to Afreya for a


    vacation.¡±


    As he spoke, Jimmy quietly changed the topic. Landon and I came over to help David celebrate his


    birthday. Rachel, you don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Rachel said calmly.


    At this moment, David walked over and casually ced the box on the corner of the table. However,


    David kept his hand on the box as if he was afraid that the thing inside would pop


    out.


    ¡°If you want to eat, just eat. Why are you talking so much nonsense!¡±


    Then I¡¯ll go and get ready,¡± Rachel said and turned to walk into the kitchen.


    It was David¡¯s birthday today and Rachel had prepared a surprise. It would be inconvenient if there


    were outsiders around, so Rachel gave Mrs. Brown a day off.


    However, Rachel did not expect Jimmy and Landon to suddenlye over.


    David looked at Rachel¡¯s departing figure and followed her. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Jimmy looked at Landon and said, ¡°Let me ask you something. After being friends with David for so


    many years, have you eaten the food that David personally cooked?¡±


    Landon shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to my persistence. Otherwise, I would have missed the dinner that David personally


    prepared.¡±


    ¡°But it looks like yourst dinner to me.¡±


    Jimmy was speechless.


    In the kitchen, David wanted to help Rachel, but Rachel sent him out. ¡°I can do it myself. Go out and


    wait.¡±


    Looking at David, who had been chased out, Jimmy poured a ss of red wine and handed.


    it to David.


    Jimmy crossed his legs and satzily on the sofa. Jimmy leaned towards David and deliberately


    lowered his voice. ¡°The things you want will be delivered tomorrow.¡±


    Upon hearing this, David curled his lips into an imperceptible smile. David picked up his wine ss and


    downed it in one gulp.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve always been curious. Why must it be 21 carats?¡± Jimmy asked.


    David nced at Jimmy but did not intend to exin.


    Seeing that David had no intention of exining, Jimmy simply changed the topic. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s


    almost time for the cab to re-elect the president. Shouldn¡¯t you start preparing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± David said calmly.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t go back, the Jones family will definitely be in a mess,¡± Landon said. ¡°At most, we¡¯ll help


    you keep an eye on Seaxas.¡±


    ording to the n, after David returned to Seaxas and proposed to break off the engagement, he


    should return to Aureliana.


    However, David did not return for Rachel.


    If it was any other time, it would not cause anymotion. However, if David did not appear on the day


    of the cab re-election, there would be a bloodbath.

 Chapter 611

    Chapter 611


    Chapter 611


    Jimmy looked at Rachel, who was busy in the kitchen alone. Jimmy could not help but ask from the


    bottom of his heart, ¡°Do you really know how to cook, Rachel?¡±


    Someone like Rachel, who had never done any housework, probably could not even differentiate


    between salt and


    sugar.


    Therefore, Jimmy seriously suspected that Rachel would serve some terrible dishes.


    David put down the ss in his hand, removed the diamond cuffs on his sleeves, and slowly rolled up


    his sleeves. ¡°It¡¯s your greatest honor to be able to eat her cooking.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Jimmy did not show any joy on his face. Instead, Jimmy began to pray silently in his


    heart.


    David nced at Jimmy expressionlessly before walking into the kitchen.


    ¡°Do you want to cut the vegetables? I¡¯ll help you.


    Rachel did not look up. Instead, Rachel picked out the washed vegetables. ¡°I can do it myself. It seems


    like I was not thoughtful enough and forgot to invite them.¡±


    ¡°Invite them to kill the mood?¡± David walked over, picked up the kitchen knife, and cut the vegetables in


    an orderly manner.


    Rachel looked at David.


    The man was tall and well-built. David standing in the kitchen made the kitchen seem narrow and


    cramped.


    Even though he was cutting vegetables, David still exuded a natural elegance. David¡¯s every move was


    pleasing to the eye.


    Sensing Rachel¡¯s gaze, David turned to look at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Rachel smiled and shook her head.


    With the help of David, three dishes and a soup were quickly ced on the dining table.


    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s also the cake I made,¡± Rachel said as she turned around and walked toward the


    fridge.


    As Rachel turned around, the hem of her dress flipped over the box that David had ced at the corner


    of the table.


    The box fell to the ground and everything inside spilled out.


    The light was dim, so Rachel could not see clearly the squarish thing on the ground for a moment.


    However, Rachel subconsciously squatted down to pick it up.


    However, when Rachel touched the aluminum film and saw the words on it, she immediately blushed.


    Her fair face was so red that it looked like blood was about to drip from it.


    The thing on Rachel¡¯s fingertips seemed to be extremely hot. Rachel suddenly shook it off as if it


    burned her.


    Rachel clenched her skirt tightly in embarrassment. ¡°Um, I suddenly remembered that I have


    something to do. You guys eat first.¡±


    With that, Rachel blushed and fled.


    When David returned to the bedroom, he could vaguely see the curve under the nket.


    1


    David frowned slightly, revealing a trace of dissatisfaction.


    Because of the appearance of Jimmy and Landon, the previous hot and ambiguous atmosphere was


    broken.


    Although he felt an evil fire jumping up and down in his body, David did not pester Rachel to vent his


    desire.


    Instead, David went to the bathroom to wash up as usual.


    However, when he returned to bed, David realized that Rachel was tightly wrapped in the nket.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot when you¡¯re wrapped up so tightly?¡± David looked down at Rachel who was wrapped up


    like a spring roll.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not hot.¡±


    David stared at Rachel with his dark eyes. ¡°Rae-Rae, are you hiding something from me?¡±


    This woman had never been good at lying.


    Every time Rachel lied, her ears would turn red, and her eyes would be erratic.


    Rachel pursed her lips stiffly. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. Turn off the lights and go to sleep.¡±


    Rachel regretted wearing the s*xy lingerie that Mary had bought on impulse.


    This lingerie could not cover anything at all and could not be shown to others.


    Rachel felt that she must have gone crazy!


    ¡°But I¡¯m not sleepy yet.¡± David crossed his arms and looked at Rachel quietly.


    David was clearly waiting for Rachel to give herself away.


    Rachel bit her lips and hesitated for a moment.


    As long as Rachel was fast enough, David would hot notice anything.


    Unexpectedly, just as Rachel stretched out an arm, she coincidentally touched the bell on her cor.


    The crisp and pleasant sound made Rachel¡¯s scalp tingle.


    Before Rachel could react, David suddenly lifted the nket.


    David¡¯s eyes became even darker when he saw Rachel¡¯s little fox outfit.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Rachel with a faint smile.


    Rachel curled her toes in embarrassment. Rachel¡¯s cheeks were so red that they looked like they were


    about to bleed. ¡°Happy, happy birthday¡­¡±


    Rachel could not open her mouth no matter what to say, ¡°Master, please enjoy me to your heart¡¯s


    content.¡±


    ¡°This is probably the most satisfying gift I¡¯ve had in 29 years,¡± said David. He leaned down


    and kissed Rachel on the lips.


    David gave her so many kisses. Rachel was unable to resist. There was a strong and domineering


    aggression in the gentleness.


    The hot and ambiguous atmosphere spread between the two of them to the corner of the


    room.


    Wherever the man¡¯s palm went, it made Rachel¡¯s body tremble involuntarily.


    Rachel gripped the thin nket tightly, not knowing what to do.


    Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks were blushed, and her thick curly eyshes were trembling uneasily. Rachel was


    like a delicate white rose, nervously waiting for the storm toe.


    It was inexplicably endearing.


    David¡¯s throat tightened. David pursed his lips slightly and said slowly, ¡°Since you¡¯re afraid, don¡¯t force


    yourself.¡±


    Sensing the man¡¯s retreating figure, Rachel suddenly opened her eyes and subconsciously grabbed


    the man¡¯s arm.


    Rachel tried to control her voice, which was trembling with nervousness. ¡°I¡¯m just a little nervous


    because I heard it would hurt a lot¡­


    Hearing this, a hint of joy shed across David¡¯s eyes.


    David raised his hand and gently pushed away her sweat-soaked hair. David gently kissed. Rachel¡¯s


    lips. ¡°I¡¯ll try to be gentle.¡±


    Rachel bit her lips and replied weakly.


    David held Rachel¡¯s ankles, h*oked them around his waist, and pressed himself down.


    Although Rachel was inexperienced, she could feel that David was really gentle to her.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    However, when Rachel was about toe, she could not help but tear up.


    The perfect fit made David go crazy with excitement.


    David kissed her, his lust-stained voice like gravel. ¡°Say my name.¡±


    ¡°David¡­¡± There were tears in the corners of her eyes as Rachel called David¡¯s name over and over


    again.


    These simple words seemed to carry a unique melody and lingering love as they came out of Rachel¡¯s


    mouth. They became the most moving words of love in the world.


    Rachel felt like a small boat floating in the vast sea, passively enduring wave after wave.


    After an unknown period of time, Rachel felt as if she was engulfed by a huge wave. Everything finally


    returned to calm.


    David gently licked Rachel¡¯s earlobe, and his deep and h*ase voice sounded. ¡°I like this birthday gift


    very much. Wear it a few more times in the future, okay?¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    Tonight was a lesson of blood and tears. How many times should she wear it?


    No way!


    After having a good time, Rachel felt that her entire body had fallen apart. Her body was so sore that


    Rachel could not muster any strength.


    On the other hand. David was extremely energetic. David hugged Rachel and kissed her lips gently,


    sliding down bit by bit¡­

 Chapter 612

    Chapter 612


    Chapter 612


    Rachel Grey raised her hand and pushed lightly, tilting her neck slightly upward. ¡°David Jones, that¡¯s


    enough¡­¡±


    The little bit of strength she had waspletely ineffective, and instead conveyed a sense of yielding.


    David Jones coaxed her with his voice, ¡°Good girl. Just onest time.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel could not help but sneer inwardly.


    He had said the same thing so many times tonight.


    Sure enough, a man¡¯s words are only good as his actions!


    In the end, Rachel was exhausted and faintedpletely.


    David gently kissed her forehead, his movements gentle and sincere, as if he wanted to


    pour


    all his gentleness into it.


    He carefully lifted Rachel up as if she were made of ss, and walked steadily towards the bathroom.


    The water temperature in the bathroom covered her exhausted body, causing her slightly furrowed


    brow to rx and a soft moan to escape her throat, ¡°Mm¡­¡±


    However, her usually cool voice was tinged with a hint of h*arseness, as if it had been ravaged by a


    violent storm.


    David stirred the water and gently wiped her body, looking at the marks all over her body with a slight


    frown.


    He knew that he had gone a little too far tonight.


    He was never a rigid and conservative person. He knew what would happen if Rachel and Louis Smith


    were together for three years, and even wondered how far they had progressed before entering into


    marriage.


    Therefore, David never held a grudge against Rachel for everything that had happened.


    before.


    But when he broke through that barrier, the shock and joy in his heart had already drowned. out his


    remaining rationality.


    Especially when he saw Rachel¡¯s passionate appearance, how could he maintain his sober rationality?


    Everything started from instinct.


    Her breath, her body temperature, everything about her was magnified infinitely, shattering his once


    proud cool restraint.


    He was like a person who had been poisoned, wanting to desperately obtain more.


    With this in mind, David took a deep breath and brushed her long hair to one side of her shoulder,


    leaning down to kiss her lips. ¡°Rae-Rae, I¡¯m sorry¡­


    It was early in the morning. The dappled sunlight seeped into the room through gaps in the curtains


    and stretched across the expensive wool carpet, eventuallynding on the bed.


    When Rachel opened her eyes in a daze, David was no longer in the room.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The air was filled with a faint ambiguous aura, seemingly reminding her of the passionate scene from


    the night before.


    She touched her flushed face and slowly got out of bed. Every joint in her body was sore, and she


    couldn¡¯t help but gasp for breath.


    To make matters worse, her arm seemed to hurt more afterst night¡¯s ordeal.


    Looking at the clothes s*attered all over the ground, Rachel could not help but curse silently in her


    heart. The man had said it was thest time, but it happened again and again!


    Rachel tried to stand up with her weak and sore body but her legs gave in and she fell back onto the


    bed.


    How could this be more tiring than physical training?


    Her back and waist ached as if she had been dragged for miles.


    Rachel took a deep breath and stood up again with trembling legs.


    ¡°Why are you up?¡± When David saw Rachel struggling to stand and quickly went over to support her


    waist.


    Rachel nced at him resentfully. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.


    She did not eat muchst night, plus David had been keeping her up all night, and now she was


    starving.


    However, she could not figure out why she was in such a sorry state afterst night¡¯s events, while


    David seemedpletely unharmed.


    Sensing her resentful gaze, David felt a little guilty and touched his nose. ¡°You worked hardst night.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± Rachel scolded him.


    David gave a slight smirk, his palm resting on her slender waist. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t say it.¡±


    He helped Rachel lie back down onto the bed.


    As he leaned over, the marks on his neck were exposed.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Rachel¡¯s fingertips lightly touched the marks on his skin, three neat scratch marks.


    ¡°Were you scratched by a cat?¡±


    David nced at the marks on his chest and sucked on her earlobe. ¡°Scratched by the little.


    fox.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    She shouldn¡¯t have asked!


    Wasn¡¯t she digging a hole for herself?


    ¡°Take off your clothes and let me take a look,¡± David said.


    Rachel¡¯s mind immediately tensed up. ¡°What do you want to do!¡±


    She was really afraid of David now.


    No, to be precise, she was afraid of the beast in hum that was awakened!


    Usually, he looked so aloof and noble, as if he didn¡¯t care about worldly things, butst night. he


    seemed like he had gone mad, wanting nothing more than pound her into oblivion.


    David watched her with a gaze that was wary of liimself, like she was watching a wild beast. Silently, he


    took out an ointment from his pocket and said, ¡°Put this on.¡± He didn¡¯t need to look to know where it


    should be applied.


    Rachel¡¯s cheeks were flushed with a deep crimson hue, like a ripe tomato, as she s*atched the


    ointment from his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    But instead of letting go, David held on to her hand and smiled faintly, ¡°You¡¯re notfortable with it, so


    let me do it.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    With her lips bitten and the bedsheets tightly gripped, she trembled slightly. ¡°Is it done yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± David said with a slight frown. ¡°Why is it so swollen?¡±


    Rachel stared at him with resentment.


    Even though no words were exchanged, it felt like an entire conversation had taken ce.


    David coughed awkwardly to relieve the tension. ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡±


    After applying the ointment, he wiped his fingers with a tissue and threw it into the trash can. ¡°Lie on


    the bed for a while. I¡¯ll bring you foodter.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± Rachel straightened her dress. I¡¯m not that delicate.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to lie in bed all day without a good reason, lest Mrs. Brown, the housekeeper, get


    suspicious.


    David stared at her with his dark. eyes.


    After a night of transformation, she had be much more alluring, with a coquettishness that she


    had never shown before.


    David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down, and his hand on her ankle tightened involuntarily.


    Feeling the warmth of the man¡¯s palm, Rachel reflexively withdrew her foot and looked at him warily.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Can you stop staring at me as if I¡¯m kind of wild animal?¡± David smiled helplessly, his expression


    conveying a mix of amusement and resignation.


    ¡°Better safe than sorry,¡± Rachel retorted.


    Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the bedroom door.


    Mrs. Brown, the housekeeper, stood outside and said respectfully, ¡°Sir, Miss Grey, Old Mrs. Jones is


    here.¡±


    Rachel and David exchanged a nce upon hearing the announcement.


    Rachel quickly got out of bed, but David pressed her back down. ¡°You rest here. I¡¯ll go out and see


    her.¡±


    No matter what, Old Mrs. Jones was an elder, and it wouldn¡¯t be right to hide in the bedroom when she


    came to visit.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    After hesitating for a minute, they held hands and walked out of the room.

 Chapter 613

    Chapter 613


    Chapter 613


    Downstairs, Old Mrs. Jones sat on the sofa.


    Hearing footsteps, she looked up and caught Rachel¡¯s unintended charm in her eyes. Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s


    expression froze for a moment, and aplex and obscure emotion flicked in her murky gaze.


    Then, she returned to normal.


    ¡°Rae-Rae,e to me.¡± Old Mrs. Jones patted the seat beside her.


    Rachel obediently walked over and sat beside her. ¡°Grandma.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones took her hand. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing in particr. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t seen you for a few


    days, and I¡¯ve been missing you.¡±


    ¡°I was actually nning to visit you today. I didn¡¯t expect you toe by yourself,¡± Rachel said,


    shing a smile.


    ¡°Looks like we have a special bond and are always on the same page.¡± Old Mrs. Jones held Rachel¡¯s


    hand and smiled. ¡°Would you like to go to Aureliana with David in a few days?¡±


    Hearing this, David raised his eyes and looked deeply at Old Mrs. Jones.


    Old Mrs. Jones nced at David, then held Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ve never been


    there before? It¡¯s a good time to unwind and have some fun.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Before Rachel could finish, Old Mrs. Jones spoke again. ¡°Don¡¯t feel pressured to decide now. Take your


    time to think about it. Whenever you want to go, I will be here to support you.¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Thank you, Grandma.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones reached out to touch Rachel¡¯s face. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, dear. It¡¯s always a


    pleasure to have you here with me.¡±


    Rachel gazed at Old Mrs. Jones, her eyes shimmering ever so slightly.


    When they first met, Rachel could discern Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s fondness for her, yet she attributed it to her


    ardent desire for a grandchild. In their subsequent interactions, Rachel still sensed Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s


    genuine affection and fondness for her, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint when Old Mrs. Jones had begun


    looking out for her in every way possible.


    This act of protection made Rachel feel pleasantly surprised, but she knew it wasn¡¯t as simple as


    showing same care for both her and David.


    Just then, Mrs. Brown approached them, nodding ever so slightly at Old Mrs. Jones before turning to


    Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey, I heard your phone ringing as I passed by the bedroom just


    now.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Rachel replied, and then looked at Old Mrs. Jones and said, ¡°Grandma, let me answer the


    phone and I¡¯lle back to keep youpanyter¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones smiled and nodded in agreement. ¡°Good girl, go ahead.¡±


    As Rachel departed, the smile on Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s face faded a little. She shot a sidelong nce at


    David and said, ¡°Are you too impatient?¡±


    1/3


    pter


    David handed her a cup of freshly made coffee and raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I


    have done to upset you so much.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb here.¡± Old Mrs. Jones retorted, taking the coffee and cing it on the table. Her


    countenance, usually kind and gentle, had turned stern. ¡°Although you¡¯re engaged to her, she¡¯ll


    eventually be the mistress of our Jones family. Yet, you haven¡¯t given her any status yet, and now


    you¡¯re doing this. It¡¯s too irresponsible!¡±


    Her words were brimming with me for David,


    Faced with her criticism, David had no choice but to agree. ¡°I admit that I handled this matter poorly,


    but I assure you, whatever other girls have, Rae-Rae has too.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As soon as David voiced his thoughts, Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s expression softened slightly, but she made a


    show of being annoyed and gave him a stern look. ¡°What good is it for you to make promises to me?


    It¡¯s Rae-Rae who¡¯s been wronged.¡±


    David let out a faint sigh and said, ¡°You¡¯ve be so biased now. All you care about is Rae-Rae.


    There¡¯s no room left for me in your heart.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it! Rae-Rae is such a sweet girl. She¡¯s understanding and lovable.¡± Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s love


    for Rachel was evident in her expression. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my foresight, you might never have found


    such a pleasing wife in your lifetime!¡±


    David looked at her with a hint of contemtion in his eyes. ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m curious, how did


    my engagement to here about?¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip, ncing at him imperceptibly. ¡°Why


    are you asking about it all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°This is a matter of my lifelongmitment. How can I not inquire about it?¡± David smiled meaningfully.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a three-year-old who¡¯s easily fooled.¡±


    When he went to Old Mr. Johnson with a token of engagement, it was clear that Old Mr. Johnson was


    extremely opposed to this marriage. He even asked Rachel to break off the engagement several times,


    which showed his strong aversion to this union.


    ¡°I heard that Old Mr. Johnson has been iming illness recently, refusing to go out for social events or


    ept visitors. I suspect it¡¯s rted to your visiting card, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    This showed that Old Mr. Johnson was strongly against any involvement between Rachel and the


    Jones family in Aureliana.


    His words hit the nail on the head. If it were someone else, they would have been thrown off bnce.


    However, Old Mrs. Jones was a seasoned veteran, who had long mastered the art of keeping a calm


    demeanor even in the face of great turmoil.


    She nced at David and said without changing her expression, ¡°What¡¯s there to say? It¡¯s just a matter


    of parental arrangements and matchmakers¡¯ words.¡±


    ¡°So, have you met Rae-Rae¡¯s mother?¡± David asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°In that case, shouldn¡¯t we prepare to propose to the Johnson family?¡±


    At his words, a dark andplicated glint shed across Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s eyes. ¡°Have you really


    thought this through?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. She can only be mine,¡± said David.


    His tone was calm and emotionless, but his words were filled with unwavering conviction.


    Old Mrs. Jones stared at him for a moment, a smile appearing in her eyes. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t misjudge


    you.¡±


    ¡°If it hadn¡¯t developed to this point, would you have easily allowed me to break off the engagement?¡±


    David Jones asked.


    Though this question doesn¡¯t seem to have any problems at first listen, but upon closer inspection,


    there are traps hidden between the lines.


    If Old Mrs. Jones disagreed, David would definitely notice something amiss.


    Old Mrs. Jones looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile. ¡°But in this world, there are no


    ¡®what ifs.¡±¡±


    With that, therge living room fell silent once again.


    After a moment of contemtion, Old Mrs. Jones spoke up again. ¡°The cab is hosting a banquet in


    a few days. Do you want to take Rae-Rae with you?¡±


    David lowered his eyes, making it difficult to guess his emotions.


    He picked up the coffee pot and poured himself a cup, then put the pot down and looked up at Old Mrs.


    Jones with a meaningful expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already have a n in mind before you came here?¡±


    If Old Mrs. Jones hadn¡¯t had a n from the beginning, she wouldn¡¯t have invited Rachel to visit


    Aureliana with her.


    Therefore, whether Rachel went to Aureliana or not was never up to Old Mrs. Jones, but rather


    up to Rachel herself.


    Just as Old Mrs. Jones had said, as long as Rachel wanted to go, no one could stop her.


    Old Mrs. Jones didn¡¯t answer his question. Instead, she lifted her teacup and took a sip, then slowly


    raised her gaze to look out the window. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and a murky darkness shed


    across them. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s going to be windy. The weather is about to change.¡±

 Chapter 614

    Chapter 614


    Chapter 614


    Rachel was in her bedroom when she received the video call from Mary. She picked it up without much


    thought.


    Noticing Mary¡¯s background surrounded by flowers, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at Yulia¡¯s engagement banquet.¡± Mary noticed Rachel¡¯s outfit. ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still in


    bed!¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Rachel pursed her lips. ¡°I think it¡¯s not toote for me to get ready


    now.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, you¡¯ve changed,¡± Maryined bitterly. ¡°You¡¯ve always remembered what I said in the


    past. Now that you¡¯ve found someone new, I¡¯m no longer important!¡±


    Rachel looked at her helplessly and exined vaguely, ¡°Something unexpected happenedst night.¡±


    Mary¡¯s face fell on the camera within a second. Her eyes flickered with excitement. ¡°Tell me, tell me.


    How was itst night? Did you see Mr. Jones¡¯s majestic and mighty side? I heard that men with high


    nose bridges have short dicks. Did you¡­¡±


    Seeing that Mary was getting more and more ridiculous, Rachel hurriedly interrupted. ¡°Mary, don¡¯t you


    feel ashamed?¡±


    Sometimes, she really admired Mary for being able to discuss such a private matter without feeling


    embarrassed.


    When Mary saw the blush on Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks, she knew that Rachel was shy. ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s


    forget about this topic.¡±


    Rachel quickly walked to the dressing table to put on her makeup. ¡°Send me the location.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Mary said, ¡°Send me a message when you have arrived so that I can pick you up.¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    After hanging up the video call, Rachel quickly put on her makeup.


    In just five minutes, she was ready. She entered the walk-in wardrobe and changed into a new set of


    clothes.


    However, when she walked to the mirror and saw the terrible marks on her chest, she cursed and


    changed into another set of clothes.


    After tidying up, she walked out of the bedroom,


    ¡°Where¡¯s grandma?¡± Rachel walked down the stairs and subconsciously looked around.


    David approached her and extended a hand to her. ¡°She was worried she would disturb your rest, so


    she left early.¡±


    He then noticed Rachel¡¯s attire. ¡°Are you going out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am going to attend a friend¡¯s wedding,¡± Rachel answered.


    David frowned slightly. He slid his hand to the back of her waist and gently rubbed it before leaning


    close to her ear and whispering, ¡°Looks like I wasn¡¯t rough enoughst night.¡±


    1/2


    Rachel was speechless.


    In fact, she was curious. What good would it do him if she couldn¡¯t get out of bed?


    She pinched David¡¯s soft waist and red at him angrily. ¡°Please give me a break.¡± David held her


    hand and kissed it. ¡°I¡¯m going to go harder on you next time.¡±


    Rachel pulled her hand away with a look of disdain and walked towards the door with her bag.


    ¡°Have something to eat first. I¡¯ll send you thereter.¡± David hugged Rachel Grey¡¯s waist and walked


    towards the dining room.


    While eating, Rachel felt her lower back aching, and she could not sit properly.


    At this moment, David pressed his palm against her back. The moderate pressure helped ease her


    soreness by a great deal.


    Mrs. Brown happened to see this scene.


    She quickly lowered her eyes to mask the smile in them.


    ¡°Miss Grey, have some caviar.¡± She handed a white bowl to Rachel.


    Just as Rachel was about to say she was full, Mrs. Brown added, ¡°This is good for replenishing your


    energy. At least eat a little. It¡¯s good for your body.¡±


    Rachel kept silent.


    On the other side, at Hotel Grand Royale.


    Olivia was trying to contact Marina using her phone.


    However, the call did not go through even after a long time.


    Frustration shed across her eyes.


    At this moment, the makeup artist who was doing her hairstyle identally pulled her hair and hurt her


    scalp. She pped the makeup artist¡¯s hand. ¡°Get lost! You couldn¡¯t even do something as simple as


    combing my hair!¡±


    The makeup artist wanted to retort after being pped, but a man beside her stopped her.


    The man was wearing a white shirt. His ck hair was tied up behind his head, making his beautiful


    face appear more arrogant.


    ¡°She¡¯s new here, so her skills can be somewhat rusty. Miss Cruise, don¡¯t get angry with her on such a


    good day.¡± The person walked forward and stood behind Olivia. He helped her tidy her hair and


    changed the topic without batting an eyelid. ¡°Miss Cruise, your gown today is absolutely gorgeous.


    Judging from the style, it seems to be from¡­¡±


    ¡°At least you know something¡± Olivia raised her chin slightly, and a hint of arrogance shed in her


    eyes. ¡°Miss Yule personally designed it for me.¡±


    As soon as the man heard this, his eyes darkened, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips. ¡°I see.


    Of course, he heard of Winnie, the renowned designer.


    However, in his opinion, the dress did not match Winnie¡¯s style at all. Instead, it looked like


    0.2


    another designer had designed it.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Yet he felt it was better to avoid trouble and therefore chose to remain silent. He continued to help


    Olivia with her makeup.


    At this moment, Bertha and Richard walked in.


    ¡°What the hell is the Smith family trying to do?¡± Bertha¡¯s expression darkened as soon as she entered


    the room. ¡°It¡¯s the kid¡¯s engagement banquet, but Old Mr. Smith is still not here. He obviously doesn¡¯t


    take Olivia seriously! Does he really think that the Cruise family is indebted to them?¡±


    Richard looked angry too, but there were outsiders around. He had no choice but to pretend to be


    generous. ¡°He¡¯s already old. It might be inconvenient for him to go out.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, he could¡¯ve sent someone to offer their greetings! Besides, Olivia and Louis have


    already registered their marriage. Although there¡¯s no wedding ceremony, they¡¯re already legally


    married. As elders, he should at least give them some blessings, but he¡¯s like a miser! Don¡¯t tell me he


    wants to bring all his wealth into his grave!¡±


    Sitting in front of the makeup mirror, Olivia heard this. Her eyes instantly turned cold.


    The Cruise family had insisted on holding the engagement ceremony. They asked Louis and Olivia to


    register their marriage first so that Olivia could legitimately obtain the shares in Old Mr. Smith¡¯s hands.


    This way, Olivia could openly attend the board of directors of Smith Group as a shareholder. At the


    same time, it could bind the Cruise family and the Smith family tighter.


    However, Old Mr. Smith refused to show up or even give her a penny now!


    Richard nced at Olivia, sitting in front of the dressing mirror, and then looked at Bertha. He frowned


    slightly. ¡°Alright, stop talking about this in front of the kids.¡±


    ¡°Back when Louis was pursuing Olivia, have we ever rejected him? Now that the Smith family has


    be sessful, they¡¯re not even willing to cast us a nce! They¡¯re simply going too far!¡±


    As Bertha spoke, he walked towards Olivia. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Olivia is deeply in love with


    Louis, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to this marriage!¡±


    ¡°Mom, I believe in Louis. He definitely won¡¯t let me suffer.¡±


    As she spoke, the door to the dressing room was pushed open.

 Chapter 615

    Chapter 615


    Chapter 615


    Louis walked in awkwardly and nodded slightly. ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cruise.¡±


    Judging from his expression, he must have heard their previous conversation.


    However, Bertha did not look embarrassed after getting eavesdropped on. Instead, she looked at Louis


    self-righteously. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°My grandfather said that he hasn¡¯t been feeling well recently. I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t attend engagement


    ceremony with Olivia¡­¡±.


    Hearing this, Bertha looked at Richard profoundly.


    Her gaze seemed to be implicating that what she said was correct.


    my


    Richard¡¯s face fell immediately. ¡°Louis, you and Olivia¡¯s engagement is a big thing. Everyone will be


    unhappy if Old Mr. Smith can¡¯te personally.¡±


    Who knew how many people wouldugh at the Cruise family behind their backs if the news got out?


    Pursing his lips, Louis was at a loss of words to exin.


    Right then, Olivia stood up and walked to Louis¡¯s side. She held his hand and looked at her own


    parents. ¡°Dad, Mom, this is just an engagement party. We will still have a wedding ceremony in the


    future. Even if Grandpa Smith doesn¡¯t attend, other people are here to give us their blessings. Don¡¯t


    make things difficult for Louis over such a small matter.¡±


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Cruise, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let Olivia suffer in the future,¡± Louis promised solemnly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve raised you for nothing all these years! Who am I doing this for? It¡¯s all for you!¡± Bertha pretended


    to be angry and red at Olivia. ¡°No matter what, Old Mr. Smith is an elder in the family. How can he


    not participate? He clearly has a problem with you and refuses to acknowledge you as his


    granddaughter-inw! If word gets out, you will be aughing stock! Don¡¯t you understand the


    impact of being destroyed by gossip?¡±


    However, Olivia smiled innocently and snuggled into Louis¡¯s arms. ¡°I don¡¯t care about all this. The


    person I¡¯m going to marry is Louis. As long as we can be together, I¡¯m satisfied.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Bertha knocked her head in exasperation. ¡°How did I give birth to such a disappointing daughter


    like you? I¡¯m done with you!¡±


    She snorted and turned to leave.


    Richard smiled and tried to smooth things over. ¡°Bertha doesn¡¯t mean anything else. She only feels


    sorry for you. After all, you know how innocent she is.¡±


    After the two left, only Olivia and Louis were left in the dressing room.


    Olivia facepalmed herself and smiled sweetly at Louis.


    Her smile broke Louis¡¯s heart. He held Olivia¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Olivia, don¡¯t worry. I will never let you


    down in this life.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know that.¡± Olivia stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips.


    Coincidentally, Olivia¡¯s phone rang at this moment. When she saw it was Marina calling, her eyes


    flickered with joy.


    Suppressing her ecstasy and excitement, she picked up the phone. ¡°Marina.¡±


    ¡°Olivia, I just got off the ne,¡± Marina exined in a lukewarm tone. ¡°The cab meeting is about to


    begin, so I¡¯ll be away for a while. I can¡¯t attend your engagement ceremony today, but I¡¯ve sent


    someone to prepare a gift for you.¡±


    The reason why Olivia insisted on asking Marina to participate in her wedding ceremony was nothing


    more than to save her face in front of others.


    She thought it was a pity that Marina could not attend the engagement ceremony.


    However, it was also a great honor for the Cruise family that she had sent someone to prepare a gift.


    As long as the Smith family and outsiders could feel how much Marina valued her, it was enough for


    Olivia.


    Olivia said gently, ¡°Thank you, Marina.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me.¡±


    After a brief conversation, Olivia hung up.


    ¡°Olivia, I still have something on. I¡¯ll step out for a while,¡± Louis said. Then, he turned around and left


    without looking back.


    When he walked out of the hotel to wee the guests, he happened to see Rachel walking into the


    lobby.


    ¡°Rachel?¡±


    A familiar voice sounded, and a look of disgust shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes. Looking up and seeing


    Louis¡¯s face, her expression immediately turned cold.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe today.¡± Louis looked at Rachel in front of him, and a hint of joy crept into


    his eyes.


    He scanned Rachel from head to toe. He felt that Rachel was even more eye-catching today than


    before.


    Rachel was not as delicate as Olivia. She was dazzling and had an innate charisma. She had an aura


    that could crush


    everyone else present.


    Her raised eyebrows bore a charm unknown to herself, but the coldness she exuded added a distant


    and cold temperament to her attracting face. She was seductive yet not unpleasing.


    For a moment, Louis could not think of any words to describe her beauty.


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°Why can¡¯t Ie?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I..¡±


    ¡°Rae-Rae, over here!¡± Before Louis could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Mary, who was


    running over from afar.


    She quickly ran to Rachel and nced at Louis. Instantly, disgust washed over her face as if she had


    seen unsightly trash.


    The disdain on her face made Louis feel offended.


    He frowned slightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here for me?¡±


    Rachel sneered. ¡°Mr. Smith, you think too highly of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Rachel?¡± Mrs. Smith¡¯s voice came from behind.


    When she saw Rachel appear, she instantly rushed to her in her high heels as if she was facing a great


    enemy. ¡°Why are you here? What are you trying to do? I¡¯m warning you, today is Louis and Olivia¡¯s


    engagement party. You¡¯d better behave yourself, or the Smith family will never let you off!¡±


    Rachel did not care about Mrs. Smith¡¯s warning at all. She raised her eyes and nced at Louis


    indifferently before saying, ¡°Congrattions, your wish finally came true.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Louis¡¯s face fell. His thin lips pursed slightly, and his fists hanging by his sides could


    not help but tighten.


    Rachel was toozy to talk further to Louis. She followed Mary to the outdoorwn at the back of the


    hotel.


    Louis stood rooted to the ground as he watched the two leave. He vaguely heard Mary say, ¡°Yulia is


    really unlucky. She chose such an unlucky day.¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± Rachel said lightly.


    The two of them walked to the fountain and happened to meet a man in a white shirt.


    When the man saw Rachel and Mary, he could not hide the joy on his face. ¡°I was wondering why it


    was shining so brightly here. So it¡¯s because of you two beauties.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Rachel looked at the man in front of her.


    Hanson approached them and naturally wrapped his arm around Rachel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m


    here to earn money to support you.¡±


    ¡°Speak properly. Don¡¯t be so touchy.¡± Rachel coldly nced at his arm.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for so long, and you¡¯re still so strict.¡± Hanson pursed his lips and leaned


    closer to Rachel. ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time since we met. Don¡¯t you miss me at all? My arms have


    always been open for you.¡±

 Chapter 616

    Chapter 616


    Chapter 616


    Rachel nced at Hanson faintly. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not interested in women.¡±


    Hanson was speechless.


    ¡°Could you talk some good? I will be sad if you say so again.¡±


    Rachel was about to say something when a timid female voice came from the stairs. ¡°Mr. Key, Miss


    Cruise wants to see you.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Hanson frowned slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll go over first. Let¡¯s meet again when we¡¯re free.¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    ¡°Olivia is quite capable. She actually poached Hanson to be her makeup artist.¡± A hint of mockery


    appeared in Mary¡¯s eyes. ¡°Even Miss Wand doesn¡¯t have the ability!¡±


    As Mary spoke, she held Rachel¡¯s right arm.


    Rachel was caught off guard and could not help but gasp.


    When Mary saw Rachel like this, her eyes lit up at once. ¡°Did the two of you have sexst night? How


    do you feel? Is it great?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Rachel rolled her eyes helplessly. Rachel rubbed her shoulder and exined


    calmly, ¡°This was beaten up by Grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Johnson?¡± Mary widened her eyes in disbelief.


    Mary had known Rachel since high school, and the two of them were almost inseparable during those


    years.


    Mary often visited the Johnson family, so she naturally knew how much the men in the Johnson family


    doted on Rachel.


    Even the once all-powerful Old Mr. Johnson, the terrifying business overlord, did not put on any airs in


    front of Rachel.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    The extent of Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s love for Rachel was simply outrageous.


    Mary found it hard to imagine that Old Mr. Johnson would actually hit Rachel.


    ¡°Rachel, are you kidding me?¡±


    Seeing that Rachel was silent, Mary analyzed seriously, ¡°I know. Mr. Johnson must be ill?¡±


    Rachel nced at Mary. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Rachel worried that Mary would think nonsense, so she simply told Mary the whole story.


    ¡°After all you¡¯ve said, I have a question right now.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°When did you make the engagement? Why haven¡¯t I heard you mention it before?¡± This was not only


    the most curious thing in Mary¡¯s mind, but Rachel was also curious. As the person involved, Rachel


    had lived for more than 20 years hut cha une actuall..


    unaware of her engagement.


    Rachel sighed softly. ¡°I¡¯m also curious, but every time I ask Grandpa, he uses my mom to


    brush it off.¡±


    As the two of them spoke, they arrived at Yulia¡¯s wedding venue.


    Due to Yulia¡¯s special status, the hotel staff had signed a confidentiality agreement. All invited guests


    had to undergo a body search to ensure that no media equipment was on them to leak the details of


    the wedding.


    And Yulia¡¯s carefulness was a huge contrast to Olivia, who also held an engagement


    ceremony.


    Olivia invited all the famous media outlets and newspapers in Seaxas over to publicize the


    engagement. It was as if Olivia was afraid that others would not know that she was engaged to Louis.


    Besides, Olivia requisitioned the hotel¡¯s high-definition disy and made a live broadcast during the


    entire process.


    When Mary saw what Olivia had done, she could not help butin, ¡°I¡¯m really afraid that she will


    appear in front of the camera in a gown in the next second and start selling the goods in the live


    broadcast.¡±


    When Rachel heard Mary¡¯s words, vivid images immediately appeared in her mind.


    ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you say a long time ago that you would prepare a surprise for Olivia?¡± Mary looked


    at Rachel.


    Mary was very curious about the surprise Rachel mentioned.


    There was an intriguing smile on Rachel¡¯s lips. ¡°A surprise naturally has to appear at the most


    unexpected time.¡±


    At twelve o¡¯clock sharp, the engagement ceremony officially began.


    Olivia in a white gown appeared in front of everyone. The strapless design perfectly entuated the


    beautiful curves of Olivia¡¯s neck.


    The well-tailored gown wrapped around Olivia¡¯s graceful figure, making her look graceful and beautiful.


    Thebination of crystal yarn and embroidery techniques sparkled under the light, as dazzling as the


    gxy.


    Arge piece of fluttering gauze hung down from Olivia¡¯s waist and extended outwards, making this


    gown not look so thin and light.


    When everyone saw the gown Olivia was wearing up close, their eyes were filled with amazement.


    ¡°This gown is really beautiful¡±


    ¡°It was designed by Winnie. I heard that Winnie used this gown to participate in this year¡¯s fashion


    competition. With the amazing level of this gown design, Winnie will definitely win the championship!¡±


    ¡°Winnie is indeed worthy of being called a genius designer in the industry. Even though she has been


    silent for a year, one of her casual works is enough to shock people.¡±


    ¡°This gown is simply a work of art!¡±


    The guests below the stage were not stingy with their praises for this gown.


    On the stage, Olivia noticed everyone¡¯s stunned and infatuated gazes. Olivia raised her eyebrows


    slightly, and a smug smile appeared on her red lips.


    With the media outlets here and the gown Winnie designed, Olivia would definitely be famous and


    regain everyone¡¯s attention.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Olivia walked toward Louis on the other side in her high heels.


    Louis was wearing a well-ironed ck suit with a bow of the same color at the cor. On closer


    inspection, the embroidery pattern on Louis¡¯s suit was extremely simr to that on Olivia¡¯s gown.


    When Olivia ced her hand in Louis¡¯s palm, a joyful smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on her


    face.


    Louis finally belonged to Oliviapletely.


    Even if Rachel stayed by Louis¡¯s side for three years, so what? Even if Rachel had helped the Smith


    family pull through, so what?


    In the end, Rachel still lost to Olivia.


    Olivia really wished that Rachel coulde to the scene and see Louis get engaged to Olivia with her


    own eyes.


    Olivia wanted to see Rachel lose her loved one and be in so much pain that she even wanted to die.


    Olivia thought that it must be especially exciting!


    At the same time, a live broadcast was on a tform to show the engagement of Olivia and Louis.


    Everyone was attracted by the gown Olivia was wearing.


    ¡°Oh my god, she looks like a goddess in this gown!¡±


    ¡°Is this the difference between haute couture and rental?¡±


    ¡°Olivia is getting engaged and Miss Wand is getting married. It¡¯s obvious that today is a good day!¡±


    ¡°Winnie is indeed a genius designer. She¡¯s simply born for design. With her current level, probably no


    designers in the industry couldpare her.¡±


    Various topics swept the Twitter list, such as ¡°Olivia Cruise¡¯s engagement¡±, ¡°Olivia Cruise¡¯s gown¡±, and


    ¡°Winnie Yule¡¯s haute couture¡±.


    The news of Olivia¡¯s engagement jumped onto the trending topics.


    At this moment, when the guests attending Yulia¡¯s wedding saw the live broadcast online, they could


    not help but whisper below the stage, ¡°What exactly is going on?¡±


    ¡°Will two couture gowns be the same?¡±


    ¡°Is this considered outright giarism?¡±


    The surrounding guests whispered among themselves. Yulia quickly noticed something was wrong and


    looked at her assistant, Charlotte.


    Charlotte quickly turned on her phone and opened Twitter. When Charlotte saw the trending topics, her


    eyes were filled with shock.


    Taking advantage of the opportunity when Yulia handed over the ring, Charlotte deliberately lowered


    her voice. ¡°Your gown is exactly the same as Olivia¡¯s!¡±

 Chapter 617

    Chapter 617


    Chapter 617


    Hearing this, Yulia nced at Charlotte coldly.


    After staring at Charlotte for a moment, Yulia looked at Rachel, who was sitting below the stage. Yulia¡¯s


    eyes narrowed slightly, and coldness could not be concealed from her eyes. Below the stage, Mary


    vaguely sensed something and hurriedly turned on her phone.


    What greeted Olivia¡¯s eyes was the news of Olivia and Louis¡¯s engagement. Mary browsed through it


    expressionlessly until she saw the gown Olivia was wearing. Mary frowned. ¡°Rae-Rae!¡±


    Rachel also picked up her phone, but her movements were not as fast as Mary¡¯s.


    Rachel lowered her eyes to look at Mary¡¯s phone. Her gazended on the gown Olivia was wearing in


    the video. Rachel narrowed her eyes, and a cold glint appeared in her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mary pursed her lips and gripped her phone tightly. ¡°How did Winnie know your


    draft design?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s draft design had always been kept separately by herself, so the design drawings would never


    be leaked.


    Moreover, the staff in the studio were all old employees. They would definitely not do anything to help


    outsiders just for a little benefit.


    In that case, how could the gown Winnie designed to be almost identical to that of Rachel?


    There were two reasons to say the two gowns were almost identical. Firstly, there was a certain


    disparity in the craftsmanship of the two gowns. Secondly, although the gown designed by Winnie was


    beautiful, itcked a little elegance.


    Strictly speaking, the two gowns were just simr in form but not in nature.


    Rachel¡¯s charming eyes were filled with thoughts. After pondering for a long time, Rachel looked at


    Mary. ¡°Do you remember the discarded draft design that was thrown in the cafe?¡± Hearing this, Mary


    immediately felt guilty.


    Just now, Mary said confidently that they hadn¡¯t leak the draft design, but now, Rachel¡¯s words


    reminded Mary that she was wrong.


    Mary cleared her throat awkwardly and silently took out her phone to contact the public rtions


    department. ¡°I¡¯ll contact the studio immediately to handle the public rtions


    matter!¡±


    Soon, the studio issued a statement. ¡°The designer in the studio, Queen, was entrusted by Yulia Wand


    to design the wedding dress. After many modifications, Queen finally designed the wedding dress this


    time. However, we discovered that Winnie Yule¡¯s design is extremely simr to this wedding dress. The


    simrity has already constituted giarism. We request Winnie Yule to apologize! We also call on


    everyone to support the original and resist giarism!¡±


    As this statement was released, thements section instantly was filled with the public¡¯s opinions.


    ¡°Do you know this studio? I have never heard of it. How dare they scam Winnie?¡±


    1/4


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone as shameless as them. They even came up with such a despicable move


    just to gain public attention!¡±


    ¡°Since you said it was giarism, show us the evidence.¡±


    ¡°Without any evidence to say it, can we sue you for spreading rumors and framing?¡±


    ¡°Although Raimant Collection has only been developing for a short period of time, it has always been


    sought after by domestic and foreign celebrities. Any clothes designed by Queen are very hard to buy.


    Please understand before saying it, anti-fans. Thank you!¡± As long as Raimant Collection¡¯s true fans


    defended the brand, they would be scolded badly. ¡°What bullshit hard to buy. It¡¯s just hunger


    marketing!¡±


    ¡°If Queen is really as amazing as you say, why didn¡¯t she participate in the fashionpetition?¡±


    ¡°Miss Yule is the champion of the fashionpetition and a publicly acknowledged genius designer in


    the industry. Who do you think you are?¡±


    Looking at theizens who were distorting the truth in thements section, Mary was so angry that


    her fingers were trembling. ¡°Back then, I told you to participate in the fashionpetition, but you


    refused. Now, you¡¯re being med. We don¡¯t even have a way to exin!¡±


    ¡°You think I need those?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and pped along with the apuse


    around her.


    Mary red at Rachel angrily.


    Mary knew that Rachel had never cared about fame and profit.


    Moreover, with Rachel¡¯s identity as the Johnson family¡¯s youngdy, she looked down on the little fame


    and profit in the design industry.


    Rachel did not care about Winnie who was praised as a god-like existence at all. Otherwise, with


    Winnie¡¯s standards, she could never get the title of a genius designer.


    ¡°Miss Grey Charlotte walked to Rachel¡¯s side. ¡°Miss Wand invites you to the lounge. She has


    something important to discuss with you.¡±


    Rachel nced at Charlotte indifferently. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Five minutester, Rachel arrived at the lounge.


    As soon as Rachel entered, Yulia questioned coldly, ¡°Miss Grey, shouldn¡¯t you exin to me how your


    draft design ended up in Winnie¡¯s hands?¡±


    Hearing this, Mary and Rachel were slightly stunned.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    This inexplicable trust was like a sudden warm current that poured into Rachel¡¯s heart. Rachel felt


    ttered and suddenly felt like she was in a dream.


    Mary restrained the surprise in her eyes. ¡°You believe that Winnie giarized Rae-Rae?¡±


    ¡°Even a child has the ability to distinguish right from wrong.¡± Yulia kept erging the photo of Olivia in


    the gown. There was a hint of mockery in Yulia¡¯s eyes, and her tone was rather arrogant. ¡°Besides, this


    gown doesn¡¯t suit her


    There was no doubt about that.


    2/4


    Since the gown was tailor-made for Yulia, its style naturally matched Yulia¡¯s temperament.


    Now, Olivia did look beautiful in the dress. But Oliviacked a cold and arrogant temperament. It was


    like a thief wearing a queen¡¯s wedding dress. It was incongruous.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Before Rachel could finish speaking, Charlotte barged in with a flustered expression. ¡°Miss Wand, bad


    news! I don¡¯t know who leaked the photos of the wedding venue. Now, the photos of you wearing this


    gown are posted online. Peoplepared you with Olivia. Thements section is in a mess.¡±


    When the three of them in the room heard this, their faces suddenly darkened.


    Rachel nced at her phone, and her eyes turned cold.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Charlotte looked at Yulia, not knowing what to do.


    Rachel put away her phone and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m going to prove my innocence!¡±


    With that, Rachel turned around and left.


    At this moment, the paparazzi who had heard the news had already surrounded Yulia¡¯s wedding venue.


    Ever since Yulia debuted, she had won countless awards both domestically and abroad. Coupled with


    the temperament Yulia had honed over the years, she had always been known by fans as Queen


    Wand.


    Yulia had always been a superior person, but now she was involved in the center of public opinion just


    because of a gown. This was what the onlookers wanted to see the most.


    No one wanted to miss this opportunity to embarrass Yulia. They carried their cameras and aimed at


    the entrance.


    Seeing the situation, Rachel frowned slightly.


    Mary tried to squeeze out with Rachel, but she was hit by someone¡¯s camera in the forehead.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Rachel looked at Mary with a frown.


    Mary shook her head. ¡°We have to think of a way to get out of here.¡±


    Otherwise, even if they had a n, they would not be able to carry it out.


    At this moment, a group of men in ck appeared one after another. They cut the crowd in half like a


    sharp ax and made way for Rachel and Mary from the middle.

 Chapter 618

    Chapter 618


    Chapter 618


    Rachel looked up and saw that familiar figure. The coldness in the depths of Rachel¡¯s charming eyes


    faded and a gentle smile appeared.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°What are here?¡±


    The two of them said in unison.


    A faint smile appeared on David¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m here to support you.¡±


    These simple words made Rachel¡¯s heart feel warm.


    This feeling of being supported made Rachel feel like she had thousands of powerful helpers in an


    instant.


    Mary could not help but let out a low cough as she looked at the two people in front of her. ¡°Speaking of


    which, now is not the time to show off your love.¡±


    Rachel took a deep breath and suppressed the throbbing in her heart. ¡°I have to deal with something


    now.¡±


    ¡°Just do what you want. I¡¯ll help you carry it even when the sky falls,¡± David said.


    Rachel nodded. When Rachel turned around and left, she returned to her usual cold expression.


    Jimmy and Landon rushed over after seeing the news.


    When Mary saw Jimmy, Mary revealed a rare look of grievance. ¡°Why are you only here now?¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± Jimmy silently pushed Mary away and walked to David¡¯s side.


    David had no expression on his face. David nced at Jimmy indifferently and said, ¡°Go deal with


    these media outlets.¡±


    With that, David put one hand in his pocket and strode over after Rachel, his legs straight and slender.


    Jimmy and Landon looked at each other. ¡°They quite look like a couple.¡±


    Rachel went to mess up, and David went to help to clean up the mess.


    Mary walked to Jimmy¡¯s side. ¡°Shall we follow them in and take a look?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jimmy nodded. He held Mary¡¯s hand and chased after Rachel and


    David.


    When Mary looked at the two of them holding hands, a smile appeared on her lips.


    At this moment, Olivia¡¯s engagement banquet was extremely lively.


    When the media reporters saw the trending topics on the Inte, they instantly surrounded Winnie


    and asked bluntly, ¡°Miss Winnie Yule, Raimant Collection is using you of giarism. How do you


    exin this?¡±


    ¡°We noticed that your design style this time is very different from before. Did you draw inspiration from


    others in the early stages of the design?¡±


    ¡°Raimant Collection has issued a statement on Twitter asking you to apologize. What do you think


    about this matter?¡±


    Winnie¡¯s heart tightened, but she did not show it on her face. Facing the media. reporters in front of her,


    Winnie remained natural and elegant. ¡°This breakthrough in style is indeed abnormally difficult for me.


    After all, it takes more than courage to walk out of myfort zone. It¡¯s my honor to be invited to


    design a gown for Miss Olivia Cruise.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known Miss Cruise for many years. We¡¯re good friends in private. I know her love story with Mr.


    Smith. Mr. Smith bought a star for Olivia in middle school and named it after Olivia. I wondered if I


    could design it with Gxy as the inspiration. Hence, after discussing it with Olivia, I finally designed


    this gown after countless modifications.


    ¡°This is the result of my hard work. It¡¯s my one of works, and I treat it like a child Therefore, I won¡¯t


    allow anyone to taint it and nder it!¡±


    As soon as Winnie finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.


    Suddenly, there was a round of apuse.


    Everyone turned to look. The moment they saw Rachel, they could not help but be stunned. Their eyes


    revealed unconceble amazement then.


    Not everyone could show the charm of the vintage gown. Only people who had a temperament that


    had been settled over time and had been well cultured since little could do it.


    Although Rachel was young and beautiful, her innate elegance had already vividly portrayed the charm


    of the vintage gown on her.


    Rachel¡¯s beauty was wanton and ostentatious, and her every move exuded an aura that was difficult to


    ignore.


    The moment Jane saw Rachel appear, intense unwillingness and hatred appeared in the depths of her


    eyes.


    ¡°Rachel, that (b i t c h)!¡±


    Jane subconsciously got up, but Mrs. Smith quickly pulled Jane back.


    Mrs. Smith grabbed Jane¡¯s arm tightly and deliberately lowered her voice to waru Jane, ¡°Behave


    yourself! Otherwise, I¡¯ll get Louis to send you overseas!¡±


    Mrs. Smith looked at Jane nervously, afraid that Jane would act rashly and cause trouble again in the


    next second.


    The incident on the cruise shipst time ruined Jane¡¯s reputation, causing the Smith family¡¯s reputation


    to be damaged as well. If Mrs. Smith had not threatened the Smith family with death, Jane would have


    been thrown out of Crucsia to fend for herself.


    Jane gritted her teeth so hard that they almost shattered. Her face was ashen, and her scarlet eyes


    stared fixedly at Rachel.


    Rachel walked toward Winnie, who was standing on the stage, in her high heels.


    The moment Olivia saw Rachel, she subconsciously held Louis¡¯s arm and silently unted it like a


    victor. ¡°Rachel, what are you doing here?¡±


    Rachel ignored Olivia and looked at Winnie, who was standing on the stage. ¡°Miss Yule, how dare you


    say it¡¯s your draft design? You¡¯ve really opened my eyes.¡±


    When Winnie heard it, her eyes flickered slightly, and her face darkened at a visible speed. Winnie


    questioned coldly, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    The surrounding people also noticed the targeted meaning in Rachel¡¯s words and shifted all their


    attention to Rachel.


    The reporters present were all invited by Olivia and Winnie, but they only had one goal, and that was to


    use this opportunity to be famous.


    Now that there was such a huge controversy over Winnie¡¯s most satisfactory work and Winnie was


    even speaking bluntly in front of the media outlets and reporters. to them, this kind of exciting scene


    would be a primary resource that upied the front page!


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s literal.¡± Rachel smiled casually. Her clear charming eyes contained a faintyer of


    mockery, and her cold voice was mixed with a hint of coldness. ¡°It¡¯s hard for Miss Yule to forcefully


    connect the discarded draft design that I abandoned with the love stories of Olivia and Louis so that


    everyone is touched by such a touching love story.¡±


    Everyone keenly extracted key information from Rachel¡¯s words.


    The gown designed by Winnie was made ording to Rachel¡¯s discarded draft design?


    Disbelief was shown all over the Smith family¡¯s faces.


    Others might not understand Rachel, but they knew her very much.


    Rachel was just a poor woman from the countryside. Rachel had no money or power. If Louis had not


    kindly brought Rachel home, Rachel would have starved to death.


    Over the past three years, Rachel did have helped Louise up with strategies to


    get the Smith family back on track. However, this only showed that Rachel was a little smart.


    Things rted to the design field could not be achieved with just intelligence and hard work. It required


    talent support.


    ¡°What nonsense is Rachel spouting?¡±


    ¡°I thought that she would behave herself after leaving the Smith family. I didn¡¯t expect her to be


    more and more (a r r o g a n t) now. Fortunately, Louis didn¡¯t marry her. Otherwise, Louis would really


    be unlucky!¡±


    ¡°Winnie is the champion of the fashionpetition after all. But Rachel is nothing. What nonsense is


    Rachel talking about?¡±

 Chapter 619

    Chapter 619


    Chapter 619


    An imperceptible panic shed across Winnie¡¯s eyes. Winnie clenched her fists tightly by her side.


    When Winnie saw this draft design in the cafe, the waitress told Winnie that no one else knew about


    this matter except for her.


    Worried that this matter would be exposed, Winnie even transferred the intern to a full-time employee


    and assigned her to work in another shop.


    Winnie thought that she had done this without anyone knowing and that no one would have any


    evidence against her.


    However, Winnie did not expect Rachel to appear in front of her and use her in public.


    When everyone saw that they were about to argue, the fatigue in their eyes was swept away. All of


    them stretched their necks and stared at Winnie and Rachel excitedly.


    The reporters at the scene aimed their cameras urately at Winnie, afraid that they would miss any


    clues.


    Facing the cameras that wanted to hit her face, Winnie lowered her eyes to hide the panic in them.


    The blood in Winnie¡¯s body froze, and her hands and feet turned cold.


    No, Winnie could not admit that she was the one who stole Rachel¡¯s draft design


    If Winnie admitted it, her reputation would bepletely ruined today.


    Not only would Winnie¡¯s previous achievements be canceled, but she would also be removed from the


    industry in the future!


    At this moment, Olivia questioned coldly, ¡°Rachel, today is my engagement ceremony with Louis. How


    long do you want to make a fuss for? Others might not know your standard, but how can Louis and I


    not know? Ask yourself! With your standard, can you really draw such a good draft design and design


    such a beautiful gown?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s tone was helpless, but her words were filled withints against Rachel,


    Mrs. Smith even stepped forward to criticize, ¡°Rachel, I¡¯ve advised you more than once that the feelings


    can¡¯t be forced. Why are you looking for trouble time and time again? We won¡¯t pursue the previous


    unhappiness, but today, you( p u b l i c l y) destroyed Olivia and Louis¡¯s engagement ceremony. Isn¡¯t


    that too much?


    ¡°You imed that Miss Yule picked up the discarded draft design that you threw away, but why don¡¯t


    you think about the gap between your background and Miss Yule¡¯s background? If you really have the


    ability, why did you stay in the Smith


    family all these years? Why can¡¯t you show your talent in the fashionpetition?¡±¡±¡±


    With Rachel¡¯s background, she had probably never participated in a fashion show in her life and did not


    know what fashion was.


    But Rachel even dared to say Winnie giarized her draft design?


    Rachel was clearly lying through her teeth.


    Hearing this, the people below the stage could not help but whisper to each other. ¡°If she¡¯s really


    talented, why didn¡¯t she participate in the fashionpetition?¡±


    ¡°After all, Winnie won the championship in the fashionpetition and is known as a genius designer


    in the industry. Why would Winnie copy an unknown person like her?¡±


    ¡°Winnie has real talent and skills, unlike this woman. I think she is here to frame Winnie and scam!¡±


    ¡°She kept saying that Winnie giarized her. Why hasn¡¯t she shown us the evidence? Who will believe


    her without evidence?¡±


    Hearing everyone¡¯s discussion, Winnie instantly gained confidence.


    Winnie took a deep breath and looked up again. Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice was slightly


    choked. ¡°Miss Grey, I worked hard for a few months toplete this draft design. You can dislike it, but


    you can¡¯t nder me in public like this. Your current actions have a huge impact on my reputation! I


    have the right to sue you for nder!¡±


    Winnie had brought the draft design of this gown to the fashionpetition. In addition, Winnie had the


    identity of a designer. Even if Rachel was the original designer, so what?


    No one present would believe what Rachel said.


    Even if Rachel had modified the draft design and helped Yulia design one, Winnie could distort the


    facts and use Rachel of giarizing her.


    Thinking of this, Winnie was even more confident.


    Winnie raised her chin slightly, and there was a hint of arrogance in her eyes.


    When Mary saw Rachel being surrounded and criticized, she instinctively rushed forward, but Jimmy


    pulled Mary back. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to help Rae-Rae,¡± Mary said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see this group of people ganging up on


    Rae-Rae?¡±


    A yful smile appeared on Jimmy¡¯s lips. Jimmy nced at David who was sitting in the back row and


    said casually, ¡°This is a great opportunity to show one¡¯s love for Rachel. Of course, you have to give it


    to him. Don¡¯t get involved¡±


    Mary followed Jimmy¡¯s gaze and saw the indifferent David. Mary immediately understood.


    David was expressionless, but his gaze was fixed on Rachel all the time. David instructed Landon, ¡°Go


    and investigate this person called Winnie¡­¡±


    Landon understood. ¡°Winnie Yule.¡±


    David nodded slightly.


    David had never been a good person, nor was he a gentleman. Compared to taking revenge step by


    step, David enjoyed the process of torturing a person more.


    It was easy to (k i l l ) a person, but it was more interesting to let a person live worse than death.


    It was like breaking one¡¯s bones one by one. As long as there was enough patience. there would be a


    day when the person could not take it and went crazy.


    How dare the (b u n c h) of fools actually mock Rachel?


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel was such a noble youngdy. She would never care about their so-called fame and profit.


    ¡°You want evidence? I can satisfy you.¡± Rachel¡¯s cold and indifferent voice suddenly sounded.


    When Winnie heard this, her breathing slowed down. Her heart suddenly tightened as Winnie looked


    straight at Rachel.


    Rachel had proof?


    Winnie clenched her fists tightly and forced herself to calm down.


    ¡°Everyone who pays attention to Raimant Collection knows that this Christmas, Raimant Collection will


    beunching couture gowns with the theme of the four seasons. Every piece willbine wind, rain,


    lightning, snow, frost, sunset, cloud. ice, rainbow, and dew with the constetion. Currently, all the


    gowns have been designed, and the discarded draft design you¡¯re holding happens to be the one with


    the theme of wind.¡±


    Things rted to design were not easy to aplish with just talent.


    It was important to constantly break through innovation while shocking guests.


    For the themes of the design this time, Rachel had begun to prepare after breaking up with Louis.


    However, Rachel encountered a bottleneck when it came to the theme of wind.


    Theck of inspiration was one thing, but more importantly, the wind was more manifested through


    words, and very few people materialized it.


    Until Yulia took the initiative to contact Rachel.


    Rachel thought of the role of Wind Fairy in a movie that Yulia had starred in.


    When everyone heard Rachel¡¯s reasonable words, their expressions suddenly changed.


    Could it be that Winnie really giarized Rachel¡¯s draft design?


    Raimant Collection¡¯s new four seasons series had been receiving attention from the outside world,


    especially when the public found out that the theme show was done by Queen.


    However, it clearly showed that Rachel knew the theme show like the back of her hand. Could Rachel


    be Queen?


    During thest charity dinner, Olivia and Louis left early. In addition, David used the Tory family as a


    warning to others. Not a word about Rachel being Queen was leaked.


    Therefore, the people at the scene were unaware of it.

 Chapter 620

    Chapter 620


    Chapter 620


    ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re Queen?¡± Olivia looked at Rachel with a cold glint in her eyes.


    Olivia did not dare to ept this setting, let alone believe this fact.


    Raimant Collection had only been established for a short period of time, but it had developed rapidly.


    ording to the timeline, Rachel was only a high school student at that time.


    If Rachel really had such outstanding talent, why would she keep pestering Louis?


    Why was Rachel willing to suffer three years of mockery and disdain in the Smith family for nothing?


    This did not make sense.


    The Smith family¡¯s other rtives couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and quickly stood up to persuade Rachel,


    ¡°Rachel, although you have nothing to do with the Smith family now, from an outsider¡¯s perspective, I


    still advise you not to (s p o u t) nonsense just to fight for the limelight for a moment!¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s Queen, I¡¯ll drink all the water in the fountain!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak too soon. Don¡¯t forget that she¡¯s the owner of mour Pavilion. It¡¯s hard to guarantee that


    she won¡¯t have other identities to deliberately hide it from us!¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of? She¡¯s just bluffing. If she really has evidence, she would have long shown us.


    Why is she standing here and arguing even now?¡±


    When the Smith family saw that Rachel did not produce any evidence, they concluded that Rachel did


    not have any evidence at all.


    When the surrounding people heard the Smith family¡¯s words, they all thought SO.


    Seeing that Rachel did not speak for a long time, Olivia asked aggressively again. ¡°Rachel, now that


    you¡¯ve disrupted my engagement ceremony and kept saying that Winnie giarized your works, please


    show us the evidence!


    ¡°Miss Green, as the founder of Raimant Collection, please take out the other design drawings and let


    everyonepare them one by one, okay? If there¡¯s no result today, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be disadvantageous


    to your brand in front of so many media reporters?¡±


    At first nce, Olivia¡¯s words sounded like she was thinking for Raimant Collection¡¯s reputation, but


    she cleverly hinted at the content that the media reporters present would release tomorrow.


    ¡°If you have evidence, quickly show us. Don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time here!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she has any evidence at all!¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s no evidence, then it¡¯s framing! I thought she was a pitiful woman who could not be together


    with her loved one, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be a (l i a r) full of lies and trying to nder others!¡±


    When Winnie heard the support of the people around her, a satisfied look


    appeared in her eyes. ¡°Miss Grey, since you can¡¯t produce evidence, I request you to apologize in


    public for ndering me!¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The people around Winnie agreed and shouted in unison, ¡°Apologize! Apologize! Apologize!¡±


    The deafening sound was like a heavy punch to the hearts of everyone, causing their hearts to tremble.


    Looking at Rachel who was criticized by them, Mary was as anxious as a cat on hot bricks.


    Mary looked down at the progress bar on her phone, her eyes shing with urgency. ¡°It¡¯s only one


    percent away!¡±


    As soon as Mary finished speaking, her phone rang.


    Mary was so excited that she almost jumped on the spot. Mary hurriedly walked over. ¡°She¡¯s not the


    one who should apologize, but you!¡±


    The moment Olivia saw Mary walking over, she had an ominous feeling in her heart. Olivia looked at


    Rachel with aplicated gaze.


    Could Rachel really be the designer of the Raimant Collection?


    Why had Olivia never heard Louis mention it before?


    Olivia turned to look at Louis.


    At this time, Louis stared at Rachel with deep thoughts, his face gloomy.


    It was obvious that Louis did not know Rachel¡¯s identity either.


    ¡°You want evidence, right? Then please open your eyes wide and take a good look!¡± Mary walked


    through the crowd and used her phone to connect to the big screen at the scene.


    During thest charity dinner, David found out about Rachel¡¯s identity as a design¨¦r.


    However, when David saw the eleven draft designs on the screen, his gaze froze. Then, David turned


    his gaze and looked at Rachel again. His eyes were filled with a faint smile, filled with indescribable


    gentleness and doting.


    Rachel was so outstanding that David was almost not worthy of her.


    When the people at the scene saw the perfect design drawings, they were stunned


    and stared at them nkly.


    No wonder Rachel said Winnie¡¯s draft design was discarded draft design.


    Every draft design wasbeled with the words ¡°wind, rain, lightning, snow, frost, sunset, cloud, ice,


    rainbow, and dew¡±. These gowns¡¯ design style was no different from that of Winnie¡¯s designs.


    However, the overall appearances were far more astonishing than Winnie¡¯s works.


    In particr, the draft design of the wind was far more perfect than Winnie¡¯s.


    Winnie¡¯s breathing paused slightly. The blood in her entire body seemed to have frozen in an instant.


    Winnie stared nervously at Mary, who was standing on the


    stage.


    ¡°Experts should know that design styles can¡¯t be changed just because one wants to!¡± Mary looked at


    Winnie with a faint smile. ¡°Even Miss Yule, who is known as a genius designer, can¡¯t change her design


    styles so drastically in a short period of time!¡±


    Winnie stared at the perfect draft designs on the big screen in a daze. She stood rooted to the ground


    as if she had been struck by lightning.


    The discarded draft design Winnie picked up really came from Rachel?


    Rachel was really Queen from Raimant Collection?


    Now, the evidence was right in front of Winnie.


    Winnie was really finished for this time.


    If this matter got out, what awaited Winnie would only be her reputation being ruined.


    Olivia¡¯s cold gaze swept straight at Rachel.


    Rachel was actually Queen from Raimant Collection.


    Olivia clenched her fists tightly by her side. The anger circling in her chest could not be controlled.


    ¡°Winnie, tell me what¡¯s going on!¡±


    Following her low roar, everyone came back to their senses and focused their gazes on Winnie.


    Winnie¡¯s mind went nk, and her eyshes trembled in panic.


    The disdainful gazesnded on Winnie like sharp knives, wishing they could cut her up and leave her


    (n a k e d) in the crowd for everyone to see.


    The extreme embarrassment made Winnie want to find a (h o l e) to hide in.


    Winnie wanted to exin, but after opening her (m o u t h) for a long time, she could not say a word.


    What should Winnie do? What should she do now¡­


    ¡°She was so confident just now, but it turns out that she is the one who stole another¡¯s draft design!¡±


    ¡°She said that thisdy was ndering and full of lies. Not only did she want to sue thisdy for


    nder, but she also asked thisdy to apologize in public just now. Now, I¡¯m even ashamed of her!¡±


    ¡°Is she the (p u b l i c l y ) acknowledged genius designer in the industry? I think she¡¯s a genius


    giarist. To be able to take the copied things for herself and be so self-righteous, she¡¯s definitely the


    first in history!¡±


    At this moment, Winnie finally felt what it was like to be condemned by


    everyone.


    The undisguised discussion almost (t r a m p l e d) all of Winnie¡¯s pride and self-esteem into the mud.


    Winnie¡¯s face was pale and her ears were ringing. Finally, Winnie couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She threw


    out a sentence and fled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have something to deal with.¡±


    Winnie had just taken a step when a person reached out to block her way.

 Chapter 621

    Chapter 621


    Chapter 621


    Rachel shed in front of Winnie and looked at Winnie with a faint smile. ¡°Miss Yule, where are you


    going?¡±


    Rachel was wearing a vintage gown made of fragrant cloud gauze. A perfect smile on her red lips, but


    her eyes were cold, inexplicably chilling.


    ¡°Miss Yule, it has just begun.¡± Mary slowly walked down from the stage and said calmly. ¡°If you leave,


    we won¡¯t be able to go on the rest.¡±


    Winnie wanted to leave so easily after messing this ce up?


    Did Winnie really think that they were pushovers that could be easily bullied?


    ¡°Miss Yule, you¡¯re a well-known designer in the industry. Five years ago, you won a fashionpetition


    with your works. Not only did you gain fame and benefits. but you also received countless praises. You


    were even called a genius designer by the seniors in the industry. A year ago, when you stopped


    creating, the saying that you had run out of your talent came out of nowhere.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°However, I think anyone would encounter a bottleneck in their creative process. But now, you¡¯re


    openly taking the stolen works for yourself. Not only did you take someone else¡¯s draft design to


    participate in thepetition, you even


    shamelessly asked for the original designer to apologize to you. Looks like our genius designer is going


    to fall!¡±


    Mary sighed, but her words could not hide her mockery of Winnie.


    Upon hearing her words, Rachel felt rxed and refreshed. Rachel looked at Mary with admiration.


    Mary raised her chin, looking as proud as a peacock.


    Mary was given the nickname of Arguing Queen. She had never lost when it came to arguing.


    Winnie stood rooted to the ground with her head lowered the entire time, making it impossible to see


    her expression.


    The genius designer persona that Winnie had been managing for many years was destroyed.


    When the organizers of the fashionpetition heard the news, they would definitely disqualify Winnie


    from thepetition. They might even revoke the award that had been given to Winnie back then.


    If the garment association found out, would they remove Winnie¡¯s name?


    If it was really that case, Winnie would really have nothing.


    Winnie gritted her teeth furiously so hard that they were almost crushed. Her nails dug into her palms,


    but she did not feel any pain.


    Everyone lowered their heads, afraid of attracting trouble.


    For a moment, there was dead silence.


    David, who was sitting at the end of the audience seats, suddenly spoke. Hr. indifferent eyes swept


    across everyone¡¯s faces as David said casually, ¡°Do you want to volunteer to apologize, or should I


    send someone to teach you?¡±


    David¡¯s tone was indifferent and slow, carrying a chilling deterrence,


    Everyone felt the atmosphere in the hall suddenly turn cold and heavy.


    In an instant, everyone present fell silent.


    Earlier, all of you looked quite (a r r o g a n t ) and wanted to destroy Rachel by gossip Now, all of you


    are pretending to be mute?¡± Jimmy sneered. ¡°If you can¡¯t open your mouth to apologize, you can even


    kneel down!¡±


    Everyone panicked when they heard that.


    The guests did not know the backgrounds of David and the others, but from the way they spoke, it was


    not difficult for the guests to tell that the group of people were someone they could not afford to


    provoke.


    Everyone looked at each other and looked at Olivia and Louis in the end.


    No


    o matter what, today was their engagement banquet. The guests present naturally their rtives and


    friends.


    When Olivia saw everyone¡¯s gazes, her brows furrowed imperceptibly. An imperceptible hint of


    mockery shed past Olivia¡¯s eyes.


    Just now all of them looked very aggressive, wishing they could rush up and s Rachel apart. Now that


    they caused such a huge mess, they all waited for Ga step forward and deal with it.


    Mr. Jones, today is my engagement ceremony. Why do you have to make to embarrassing?¡± Olivia


    looked at David with a gentle smile on her face. ¡°If Grey had shown the evidence earlier, things


    wouldn¡¯t have ended up like t right?¡±


    Olivia was pushing all the me onto Rachel.


    Mary smiled slightly. ¡°Winnie giarized and lied. She also instigated everyone frame Rae-Rae. As the


    victim, Rae-Rae is actually in the wrong? Olivia, yo.? ability to distort the facts is really increasing day


    by day!¡±


    ¡°Miss Green, you know that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    Mary interrupted Olivia impatiently. ¡°What does this have to do with me? Apologize to Rae-Rae


    immediately!¡±


    Mary¡¯s indifferent gaze swept across everyone in front of her. ¡°And you gry w of you can escape. If you


    don¡¯t apologize, none of you can leave!


    Hearing this, the Smith family immediately became furious.


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you trying to imprison us illegally?¡±


    ¡°Please be clear. Rachel is the one who didn¡¯t take out the evidence early. Even if she¡¯s scolded, she


    deserves it!¡±


    ¡°You should be the ones apologizing. Their engagement ceremony was ruined by you!¡±


    ¡°How dare you threaten us with our personal freedom? Do you really think you can do whatever you


    want?¡±


    David¡¯s dark eyes swept across these people. His deep and cold voice was filled with coldness. ¡°Do


    you want to be reduced to the second Tory family?¡±


    When everyone heard it, their hearts (s k i p p e d) a beat.


    The Smith family also (s h u t ) their (m o u t h s). Their eyes were filled with panic.


    Everyone present was well aware of the Tory family¡¯s current tragic state.


    It was said that the daughter of the Tory family, Cindy, offended someone she shouldn¡¯t have offended


    and ended up badly. Could this person be Rachel?


    In the crowd, Mr. Smith stared at Rachel with a dark gaze. After pondering for a long time, Mr. Smith


    stepped forward.


    Mr. Smith had just taken a step forward when Mrs. Smith grabbed him. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    They had been married for many years. Of course, Mrs. Smith knew what Mr. Smith was going to do.


    Mrs. Smith secretly gritted her teeth and gripped Mr. Smith¡¯s sleeve tightly. ¡°If you apologize, how can


    we maintain our reputation in front of others?¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t apologize, the Smith family might very well be the second Tory family. If it were you,


    what would you choose?¡± Mr. Smith looked at Mrs. Smith¡¯s unwilling expression and sighed helplessly.


    Mr. Smith forcefully pushed Mrs. Smith¡¯s hand away and walked out.


    Mr. Smith apologized respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m sorry. We were blind and misunderstood you. Here, I


    sincerely apologize to you on behalf of the Smith family. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Rachel did not say anything. Instead, Rachel looked up at the other branches of the Smith family.


    The group of people met Rachel¡¯s gaze and immediately lowered their eyes guiltily.


    Unexpectedly, Mrs. Smith gave them a hard push from behind.

 Chapter 622

    Chapter 622


    Chapter 622


    ¡°Miss Yule, you just said that I was full of lies and nder. You even wanted to sue me. Why have you


    been silent now?¡± Rachel¡¯s tone was light, slow, and indifferent, making people shudder.


    Winnie¡¯s eyshes trembled and her eyes were filled with panic. Winnie opened her (m o u t h) but


    could not make a sound. Winnie¡¯s voice was so dry that it sounded like a traveler who had been


    walking in the desert for three days.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at Winnie with a faint smile, but her eyes were


    terrifyingly cold.


    Winnie knew that she could not avoid it, but she really could not apologize to Rachel in front of so many


    people.


    Winnie was the champion of the fashionpetition and had received


    professional training. Even if Rachel was talented, she had never learned design. What right did Rachel


    have to ept Winnie¡¯s apology?


    ¡°Winnie, you¡¯ve really embarrassed me!¡± A deep scolding voice suddenly sounded.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Winnie trembled. The colors drained from her face, leaving her pale.


    Winnie raised her head stiffly and saw the man walking toward her. She could help but widen her eyes,


    her pupils trembling violently. ¡°Mr. Dous¡­¡±


    Without waiting for Winnie to finish, Harvey Dous shouted angrily, ¡°(S h u t) up. don¡¯t have a


    shameless apprentice like you! You¡¯ve really embarrassed me! Back then, I took you in as my


    apprentice and taught you everything without reservation. Is this how you repay me?¡±


    ¡°No, Mr. Dous, I was wrong. I really know my mistake.¡± Winnie waspletely flustered.


    If Winnie was abandoned by Harvey, she would be notoriouspletely in the industry in the future.


    Winnie wanted to go forward and grab Harvey¡¯s hand, but her legs went soft and she fell to the ground


    in a sorry state. Winnie crawled to Harvey¡¯s feet and grabbed Harvey¡¯s pants tightly. ¡°Mr. Dous, I


    know my mistake. Please don¡¯t abandon me. What should I do if even you don¡¯t want me¡­¡±


    Harvey was the vice president of the garment association. Back then, Harvey felt that Winnie had some


    talent and made an exception to take Winnie in as an apprentice. Harvey hadn¡¯t expected that Winnie


    would cause such a huge scandal today. Not only did Winnie¡¯s reputation be ruined, but Harvey was


    also implicated.


    Harvey was really unlucky to have such an apprentice.


    Harvey lowered his eyes and looked at Winnie, who was kneeling on the ground. There was no worry


    on Harvey¡¯s gloomy face. ¡°You should know that the design industry has always supported original


    works and boycotted giarism. However, you knew that you couldn¡¯t do it, but you insisted on doing it.


    Now, it¡¯s even turned into this situation. You brought this on yourself!¡±


    Originally, when Harvey saw thepetition draft design handed in by Winnie this time, he was


    extremely gratified. Harvey thought that Winnie had finally made a huge breakthrough. Harvey never


    expected that Winnie had obtained it through giarism.


    Harvey took a deep breath and walked to Rachel with an apologetic look. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not teaching


    Winnie well. Today¡¯s trouble was caused by this disappointing apprentice of mine. However, as her


    teacher, I¡¯m also in the wrong. It¡¯s my fault for neglecting Winnie. I apologize to you solemnly. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s expression was indifferent as if she did not hear Harvey.


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s indifferent expression, Harvey felt uneasy.


    Suddenly, Harvey saw Winnie kneeling at his feet. He kicked Winnie angrily. ¡°(B a s t a r d), hurry up


    and apologize to Miss Grey!¡±


    Winnie was stunned for a moment. She bit her lip and said in fear, ¡°Miss Grey, I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry. I


    shouldn¡¯t have stolen your draft design. Please forgive m I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    The moment Winnie saw Harvey appear, all her pride and self-esteem disintegrated. Winnie naturally


    agreed to apologize.


    Rachel looked down at Winnie and said casually, ¡°Remember to make a statement to rify.¡±


    Everyone secretly heaved a sigh of relief when they saw Rachel leave.


    However, before they could let this sigh of relief, Rachel stopped in her tracks, turned around, and


    slowly raised her eyes to look at them.


    A casual gaze was filled with huge pressure. It was as if an invisible hand was grabbing their necks,


    making everyone¡¯s breathing stagnate.


    Suddenly, a bright smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s red lips. ¡°I remember that someone said that he would


    drink all the water in the fountain. Don¡¯t forget about that.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, a rtive of the Smith family silently lowered his head and raised his hand to


    p himself.


    Previously, they had mocked Rachel because they thought that Rachel must not be Queen of the


    Raimant Collection.


    However, they never expected things to turn out like this.


    In their eyes, Rachel was just a poor woman who came from the countryside. Not


    only did Rachel have no money or power, but she had also not seen the elephant It Louis had not


    kindly taken Rachel in all these years, Rachel would not have been able to settle down in Seaxas.


    Even if Rachel was smart, her background was not worthy of Louis, and she would not bring any


    benefits to the Smith family.


    Back then, they kept inciting Louis and Rachel to break up because they were worried that Rachel


    would be a burden to the Smith family.


    However, now, Rachel was living a smooth life. Not only was she mour Pavilion¡¯s boss, but she was


    also Queen from Raimant Collection. If they had known that Rachel had such an identity, they would


    not have let Rachel leave the Smith family so easily.


    Rachel¡¯s indifferent gaze swept across everyone¡¯s faces and finallynded on Olivia and Louis. ¡°Miss


    Cruise, Mr. Smith, your feelings are sincere. I sincerely wish you two love each other forever. I hereby


    offer a small gift. I believe you will especially like it, Miss Cruise.¡±


    When Olivia heard this, her eyelids twitched as a bad feeling arose in her heart.


    After Rachel and the others left, they first went to greet Yulia before leaving the hotel.


    As Jane watched Rachel and David leave, she finally could not take it anymore. Jane took out a knife


    from somewhere and stabbed it straight at Rachel. ¡°Rache! you (b i t c h)! I¡¯m going to (k i l l) you!¡±


    Seeing this, Mrs. Smith was shocked and hurriedly called for the surrounding people to stop Jane.


    Jane was suppressed by a group of people and forcefully (s n a t c h e d) away the dagger


    in her hand.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Jane roared indignantly.


    p!


    Mrs. Smith pped Jane¡¯s face hard. Mrs. Smith looked at Jane coldly. ¡°You really disappoint me!¡±


    Mrs. Smith took a deep breath and ordered expressionlessly, ¡°Send her back to the Smith family. She¡¯s


    not allowed to step out of the bedroom without my permission!¡±


    (¡°M o m!)¡± Jane, who was dragged away, shouted hysterically, ¡°I¡¯m your daughter. You can¡¯t leave me


    alone! Others don¡¯t know how painful it is for me to live, but you know best! Mom¡­¡±


    The shrill screams made Mrs. Smith¡¯s heart tremble.


    Mrs. Smith trembled uncontrobly and clenched her fists tightly.


    But at this critical juncture, countless people were waiting to see Mrs. Smith make a (f o o l) of herself.


    Mrs. Smith suppressed the sadness and heartache in her heart and pretended to be calm as she


    looked at the priest. ¡°The engagement ceremony will continue!¡± The priest was stunned for a moment.


    Then, he reacted and used his super strong ability to control the situation to get the engagement


    ceremony back on track.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give them the best blessings and the warmest apuse.¡±


    As soon as the priest finished speaking, there was a round of enthusiastic apuse from the guests.


    Suddenly, there was a cry of surprise from below the stage, followed by an intense discussion.

 Chapter 623

    Chapter 623


    Chapter 623


    The engagement ceremony went on.


    Olivia and Louis exchanged rings and kissed each other under the gazes of family, friends, and guests.


    Mr. and Mrs. Cruise as well as Mr. and Mrs. Smith exchanged nces. They were extremely satisfied


    with it and smiled at


    the same time.


    The people below the stage could not help but praise, ¡°The two of them are simply a match made in


    heaven.¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been easy for the two of them toe this far. Today, they¡¯re finally engaged. From now on,


    in Seaxas, there will be another childhood sweetheart story.¡±


    However, a sudden exmation attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    The person raised his finger and slowly pointed at the big screen.


    In an instant, everyone¡¯s attention was diverted.


    Photos scrolled across the screen.


    The female lead in the photos was Olivia, but there were many male leads, tall, short, fat, and thin.


    Olivia snuggled in their arms obediently, allowing the men to caress her.


    After that, there were photos that Olivia dressed in revealing clothes and pole-danced in front of the


    men.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, Olivia had always maintained an image as a pure and innocentdy since she


    debuted. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so promiscuous!¡±


    ¡°To think it¡¯s the entertainment industry, okay? They¡¯re willing to do anything to get famous!¡±


    ¡°Celebrities rely on maintaining character settings. On the surface, they look morous, but behind


    their backs, they are all (bit**hes) who can be f**ked by lots of men.¡±


    ¡°Looks like Mr. Smith really likes Olivia. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten engaged to her so


    casually.¡±


    When Louis saw these photos, his face darkened at a speed visible to the naked eye. His cold gaze


    stabbed straight at Olivia like a knife.


    Olivia never expected these photos to be made public at such a time.


    Olivia had clearly bought these photos from the (pa para zzi ) at a high price and destroyed all of them.


    Why would they appear here?


    Olivia¡¯s mind went nk instantly, and she stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do.


    When Mrs. Smith saw the photos, she looked at Olivia with a sinister gaze. ¡°What exactly is going on?¡±


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s angry roar snapped Olivia back to reality. Olivia swallowed nervously and her voice


    trembled uncontrobly. ¡°I¡¯m not the person in the photos! Turn it off! Turn it all off!¡±


    Olivia screamed and quickly pounced in front of the screen, trying to cover everyone¡¯s vision with her


    body.


    However, the huge screen stood in stark contrast to Olivia¡¯s petite body.


    Everyone could clearly see that in thest photo, Olivia was wearing a loose dress. Even so, it could


    not cover her pregnant belly.


    ¡°Wow! She even gave birth to a child!¡±


    ¡°With so many men around, can she tell who the father of the child is?¡±.


    ¡°No wonder she tried so hard to marry into the Smith family. She must have carefully chosen a s**ker!¡±


    When Olivia saw the pregnancy photo exposed, her face instantly turned pale, and her constricted


    pupils trembled.


    Olivia was so flustered that she didn¡¯t know what to do. Her legs went weak, and she fell to the ground.


    Mr. Smith, who had always been gentle, also couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Does the Cruise family think the


    Smith family is st*pid? Olivia did such shameless things before, and you still want her to marry Louis?¡±


    ¡°Olivia, you keep saying that you¡¯re deeply in love with Louis. You have been thinking about Louis all


    these years. Is this how you keep thinking about Louis?¡± Mrs. Smith scolded sternly. There was


    obvious anger in her eyes.


    The Cruise family waspletely flustered. They wanted to say something, but they did not know what


    to say.


    Bertha looked anxious like a cat on hot bricks. ¡°Olivia, what the hell is going on?¡±


    Even as Olivia¡¯s mother, Bertha knew nothing about Olivia¡¯s pregnancy and childbirth.


    If Bertha had not happened to see the photos today, she would have been kept in the dark.


    Olivia sat on the ground with a lifeless expression. The bone-chilling cold corroded her limbs and


    bones, making her tremble uncontrobly.


    These photos were Olivia¡¯s murky past and secrets that she kept hidden in her heart.


    Olivia thought that these things would never be exposed in her life, but she did not expect them to be


    seen in front of so many people.


    There was no need to think too much about it. These things must have been arranged by that sl*t


    Rachel!


    This was not a small gift at all. Rachel was simply wanting to ruin Rachel.


    Everyone¡¯s disdainful gazesnded on Olivia like iparably sharp knives, cutting her entire body.


    Olivia clenched her fists tightly. Her nails dug into her palms, but she did not feel any pain even though


    her nails were bleeding.


    A sense of despair arose spontaneously, like a vine with life, pulling Olivia down the abyss bit by bit.


    Seeing this scene, the media reporters asked excitedly. ¡°Miss Cruise, are these photos true?¡±


    ¡°May I ask who the father of the child is? Is it Mr. Smith?¡±


    ¡°Did you confess to Mr. Smith that you were pregnant?¡±


    Finally, Olivia shouted awkwardly and angrily, ¡°These are all fake! They are photoshopped! Rachel


    deliberately framed me! She was unwilling to let me marry Louis, so she used despicable methods to


    ruin my reputation, She¡¯s taking revenge on me!¡±


    ¡°Louis¡­¡± Olivia looked at Louis pitifully.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Louis¡¯s well-defined face seemed to be covered with ayer of ice, and there was a cold and malicious


    look between his brows.


    Olivia was caught off guard and met Louis¡¯s dark eyes. Her heart tightened. Olivia took a deep breath


    and quickly exined, ¡°Louis, you have to believe me¡­¡±


    Seeing that Olivia refused to answer, the reporters simply pointed the cameras at Louis. ¡°Mr. Smith, do


    you know that Miss Cruise was pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Seeing that Miss Cruise has been slept with by countless men, can you really ept her without any


    grudges?¡±


    ¡°I heard that in the charity auction the day before yesterday, you spent 6 million dors to buy a ring for


    Miss Cruise. Do you regret it now?¡±


    ¡°For Miss Cruise, you abandoned Miss Grey, who has been with you for three years. Do you regret it


    now?¡±


    Louis clenched his fists tightly. Veins could be vaguely seen protruding from his joints.


    At this moment, Louis really suffered in silence.


    Louis never thought that Olivia he had been loving for so many years would be so shameless.


    Relying on his feelings for her, Olivia kept Louis in the dark and made him c**kold.


    Olivia looked at the silent Louis and felt even more nervous. Olivia looked at Louis pitifully and called


    out sweetly, ¡°Louis, you have to believe me¡­¡±


    Louis secretly gritted his teeth. His cheekbone was clenched into a straight line, and the veins on his


    forehead were bulging. Louis tried his best to restrain himself. ¡°Tell me! How should I trust you!¡±


    Olivia could lie to others by saying these photos were photoshopped. But Louis had been with Olivia for


    so long and knew about Olivia very much.


    At this moment, a man walked over from the door. ¡°Excuse me, is Olivia Cruise here?¡±


    Olivia looked up and immediately recognized the man as Marina¡¯s male assistant, Albert.


    Olivia was stunned for a moment before joy shed in her eyes. ¡°Is Marina here?¡±

 Chapter 624

    Chapter 624


    Chapter 624


    The moment when Albert appeared, Olivia seemed to have grabbed onto herst life-saving straw.


    Albert smiled faintly and said, ¡°Miss Jones knew that you are engaged to Mr. Smith today, Miss Cruise.


    She specially asked me to send a gift to the two of you. Please ept it.¡±


    Olivia nodded in a daze. Olivia hurriedly stood up and walked forward to ept the gift.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s from Miss Jones from Aureliana, it¡¯s naturally not bad.¡±


    ¡°Miss Jones specially sent someone to deliver a gift. I think Miss Jones is still very concerned about


    Olivia.¡±


    The surrounding discussions made Olivia gradually calm down from her panic.


    Even if these photos were exposed and the Smith family was extremely dissatisfied with Olivia, they


    had no choice but to swallow their anger for the sake of Marina.


    After all, the Smith family valued Olivia¡¯s identity as Marina¡¯s godd aughter the most.


    As long as Olivia was Marina¡¯s godd aughter, the Smith family would behave themselves in front of


    Olivia!


    Under everyone¡¯s envious gaze, Olivia slowly opened the box.


    Inside the box was an emerald ne with a hundred carats.


    Each emerald was round and smooth, giving off a clear luster under the light.


    Thebination of diamonds and emeralds was luxurious but notcking in elegance.


    ¡°I can tell this ne is worth a fortune.¡±


    ¡°Miss Jones is so generous. I¡¯m really envious of Miss Cruise.¡±


    ¡°Miss Cruise is really lucky to be epted as Miss Jones¡¯s godd aughter. Many people can¡¯t have such


    a good chance.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Smith is lucky to be able to marry Miss Cruise.¡±


    When Mrs. Smith heard this, her face alternated between gloomy and pale. Mrs. Smith snorted softly. ¡°I


    would rather wish you were the lucky one.¡±


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s voice was neither loud nor soft. When it entered the Cruise family¡¯s ears, they felt


    awkward.


    ¡°The gift has been delivered. I¡¯ll take my leave first,¡± Albert said at the right time. ¡°Miss Cruise,


    congrattions.¡±


    As Albert left, the atmosphere fell into dead silence again.


    Everyone looked at each other and secretly sized up the expressions of the Smith family and the


    Cruise family.


    The Smith family¡¯s expression was the most intriguing.


    They clearly hated Olivia, but because of Olivia¡¯s identity as Marina¡¯s godd aughter, they couldn¡¯t say


    anything. This feeling was as disgusting as swallowing a fly.


    ¡°Louis, Marina still cares about us,¡± Olivia said as she reached out and h**ked her arm around Louis¡¯s


    hand.


    However, just as Olivia¡¯s fingertips touched the corner of Louis¡¯s shirt, Louis avoided Olivia without a


    trace. ¡°I still have something on. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Olivia grabbed Louis¡¯s hand. Olivia¡¯s eyes were filled with panic. ¡°This is our


    engagement ceremony. What should I do if you leave? You knew that Rachel hates me. She hates me


    for snat ching you away from her. You know that these are all her schemes to sow discord between us.


    She deliberately wants to destroy me¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want others to know, you shouldn¡¯t have done it!¡± Louis interrupted Olivia coldly. ¡°If you


    didn¡¯t do these things, how could she have caught you? Now that things havee to this, not only are


    you unrepentant, but you also want to y the me game. Olivia, you really disappoint me!¡±


    With that, Louis turned around and left without looking back.


    When Richard saw Louis leave, Richard blocked Louis in a sh. ¡°Louis, what do you mean by leaving


    Olivia here alone?¡±


    Things hade to this, and they had already fooled themselves in front of so many people. If Louis


    left just like that, the Cruise family¡¯s reputation would bepletely destroyed.


    Louis raised his eyes and looked at Richard indifferently. ¡°Do you really think there¡¯s a need to continue


    the engagement ceremony? You don¡¯t find it embarrassing, but I do!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Richard¡¯s eyes widened in anger. ¡°Then how can you leave Olivia alone here?¡±


    How could Louis leave Olivia here alone¡­


    This sentence made Louis involuntarily think of Rachel, whom he had abandoned at the wedding


    ceremony back then.


    At that time, Rachel had tried her best to persuade Louis to stay, but in the end, Louis still chose to


    abandon her.


    Bitterness filled Louis¡¯s heart without warning, making his stomach churn.


    Louis took a deep breath and looked at Richard calmly. ¡°Since we¡¯ve already gotten married, we¡¯re


    legally husband and wife.¡±


    With that, Louis walked around Richard and left without looking back.


    Seeing that Louis had left, the rtives of the Smith family had no need to stay here. They left in twos


    and threes.


    Mrs. Smith and Mr. Smith left without even saying goodbye.


    quite


    When Mrs. Smith passed by Olivia, she looked at Olivia deeply and sneered without hiding it. ¡°The


    Cruise family is qui capable!¡±


    With the Smith family leaving. Olivia became aplete joke.


    Olivia finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and pushed down the champagne tower in front of her. ¡°Rachel,


    this bit*h! Bit**h!¡±


    Even Olivia¡¯s exquisite and wless makeup could not hide her twisted and ferocious expression.


    Olivia gritted her teeth tightly and wished she could bite off Rachel¡¯s throat and drink her blood.


    Olivia¡¯s fingers gripped the table tightly, and her nails scratched the table with a harsh sound.


    ¡°Olivia, what¡¯s going on?¡± Bertha walked forward and grabbed Olivia¡¯s arm. Bertha was no longer as


    gentle as before, and her expression was abnormally stern. ¡°When did you get pregnant? Who¡¯s the


    father of the child? Where is the child now?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s head was buzzing. The anger that Olivia had suppressed in her heart was jumping up and


    down, but she had nowhere to vent it.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    When Olivia heard Bertha¡¯s series of questions, impatience and frustration appeared in her eyes. ¡°I


    don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°How can you not know?¡± Bertha¡¯s eyes turned cold inch by inch. ¡°Tell me what you¡¯ve experienced


    overseas all these years!¡±


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t know!¡± Olivia finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and pushed Bertha away. ¡°Is there any point


    in asking me this now? It has already happened, and the photos have already been exposed! What


    should have happened has already happened. Now that Louis¡¯s attitude toward me is so cold, what can


    you change even if you know?¡±


    The empty venue was filled with Olivia¡¯s hysterical shouts. ¡°You can¡¯t change anything!¡±


    ¡°Even if we can¡¯t change anything, we can¡¯t let Rachel live happily,¡± At this moment, Richard, who had


    always been silent,


    said.


    Richard took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up. He took a deep puff and his eyes flickered with


    a sinister and cold light. ¡°Rachel will be a big problem for you sooner orter!¡±


    When Olivia heard this, her eyebrows twitched fiercely. After hesitating for a while, Olivia said carefully,


    ¡°Dad, you want


    to¡­¡±


    The answer had already jumped out of Olivia¡¯s mind, but she did not dare to say it out loud.


    Richard looked at Olivia and said calmly, ¡°Eliminate the root of the problem and prevent future


    troubles!¡±


    When Olivia heard Richard¡¯s words, her heart ski pped a beat, but her eyes flickered with excitement.

 Chapter 625

    Chapter 625


    Chapter 625


    However, after the excitement, Olivia felt a lingering fear in her heart. ¡°But Rachel is protected by


    David¡­¡±


    It would not be easy for the Cruise family to deal with Rachel.


    Moreover, if this matter really blew up, it might bring disaster to the Cruise family.


    Richard knew the worry in Olivia¡¯s heart. ¡°Even if she has David behind her back, these two people


    can¡¯t be inseparable 24 hours a day.¡±


    All they needed was a time for Rachel and David to separate.


    Moreover, since ancient times, riches and honor came with danger.


    If they did not take the risk this time, how could they obtain the result they wanted?


    ¡°No matter what, David is Marina¡¯s nephew. Even if David knows, he won¡¯t fall out with his aunt for a


    woman.¡± Richard put out the cigarette in his hand and nced at Olivia, who had a lot on her mind.


    ¡°Leave this to me. You just need to live the same as usual. Don¡¯t take the Smith family¡¯s attitude to


    heart.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve registered your marriage with Louis, even if it¡¯s for the future of the Smith Group, he


    won¡¯t divorce you. Moreover, with Marina as your godmother, the Smith family won¡¯t dare to do


    anything to you!¡±


    The Smith family still hoped that relying on Olivia¡¯s rtionship with Marina would win over the Jones


    family in Aureliana.


    Outside the hotel.


    After the Smith family got into the car, Mr. Smith pulled off his tie in frustration and mmed it on the


    ground. ¡°This is the good woman you¡¯ve chosen. She caused such a huge scandal today and caused


    Louis to be embarrassed in front of everyone. The Smith family is also implicated! When she returned


    to Crucsia back then, she swore she has always been loving Louis over the years. However, what did


    she do? She hung out with a group of men and got pregnant. How can such a shameless woman be


    worthy of marrying Louis!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯tpletely me me for this. You should me Olivia for hiding it too deeply. She actually


    fooled our family¡­¡±


    Before Mrs. Smith could finish, Mr. Smith interrupted her sternly, ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you despise the poor


    and tter the rich! If we followed Dad¡¯s wishes and let Rachel marry into the Smith family, would we


    have to embarrass ourselves with the Cruise family today?¡±


    When Mr. Smith thought about how high Rachel¡¯s statuses now, and the people she knew were on a


    level that the Smith family would never be able to reach in their lives, Mr. Smith really regretted it.


    When Mrs. Smith heard this, her face suddenly darkened. ¡°Who do you think Rachel is? All these


    years, we have been raising her. Mr. Smith has been so good to her, but what did she do? She actually


    hid her real identity! She is such an ungrateful person!¡±


    ¡°Do you know what you are saying?¡± Mr. Smith rolled up his sleeves and prepared to argue with Mrs.


    Smith who despised the poor and ttered the rich. ¡°When Rachel first came to the Smith family, you


    didn¡¯t give her a good attitude, but she never took these things to heart. Instead, she was busy with the


    Smith family¡¯s matters and came up with strategies. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to get the Smith family back


    on track, but you started to sow discord between Louis and her after that!Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°When you saw Olivia return, you couldn¡¯t wait to matchmake the two of them. But think about it


    carefully. Ever since Olivia returned, has our family lived a peaceful life?¡±


    Hearing this, Mrs. Smith couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought.


    Mrs. Smith had always thought that Rachel had cursed them. However, now that Mrs. Smith thought


    about it carefully, ever since Olivia returned, the Smith family had indeed not lived a peaceful life.


    However, Mrs. Smith thought about it again. ¡°That¡¯s not right! It was clearly after Rachel left Louis that


    the Smith family started to have all kinds of misfortunes! It wasn¡¯t Olivia who harmed our family. It was


    clearly Rachel who deliberately took revenge on us because her love turned into hatred!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Mr. Smith was so angry that he almost couldn¡¯t breathe. He simply waved his hand. ¡°Forget it.


    You won¡¯t listen even if I tell you. Besides, it¡¯s toote to say anything now. Other than this today, let¡¯s


    see how Louis will get along with her in the future!¡±


    ¡°I want them to get a divorce now, but don¡¯t forget that Olivia still has Marina behind her!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mr. Smith frowned imperceptibly and sighed deeply. ¡°The most important thing now


    is to think about how to exin it to Dad.¡±


    However, they did not expect to see the medical staff carrying Old Mr. Smith out just as they arrived at


    their house.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Mr. Smith hurriedly caught up to him.


    A nurse hurriedly stopped Mr. Smith. ¡°The patient needs to be resuscitated now. Please cooperate with


    us!¡±


    Hearing this, the Smith family immediately panicked.


    Mr. and Mrs. Smith did not even return home. They got back into the car and rushed to the hospital.


    Coincidentally, this scene was captured by the reporters following them all the way and uploaded


    online. For a moment, the trending topics of Olivia¡¯s engagement was revealed again.


    Before theizens could start to discuss, the organizers of the fashionpetition took back Winnie¡¯s


    awards and banned her from participating in thepetition for five years.


    A certain blogger directly revealed that Winnie was suspected of giarism to get the awards she


    received that year. The garment association had already removed Winnie¡¯s name.


    Looking at the endless gossip on the Inte all exposed in Olivia¡¯s engagement banquet,izens


    could not help but joke, ¡°It¡¯s quite a good engagement banquet!¡±


    When Mary saw the trending topics on Twitter, she could not hide the gloating smile on her face.


    ¡°Olivia is going to be busy for a while.¡± Mary put down her phone and looked at Rachel, who was lying


    on the shore soaking in the hot spring. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Where did you get those photos of her? If you have


    them, why didn¡¯t you release them before? You should teach someone like her a lesson early.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyeszily and smiled meaningfully. ¡°If these photos had been exposed earlier, how


    could we have seen the engagement of Louis and Olivia?¡±


    Rachel slowly stood up and climbed up thedder to the shore. She picked up a nket and wrapped it


    around herself. She said casually, ¡°Since they like to be together, let them be together.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be letting them off too easily?¡± Mary did not think that Rachel was taking revenge on


    them.


    Rachel picked up the goblet on the table and turned her wrist slightly. ¡°I think the best revenge is never


    to kill a person, but to slowly torture a person and kill his or her heart bit by bit, watching him or her live


    worse than death.


    ¡°Even if Olivia¡¯s scandal of having a child was exposed, given Olivia¡¯s status as Marina¡¯s godd aughter,


    the Smith family won¡¯t easily ask for a divorce. Not getting a divorce means that they have to spend


    every day with Olivia. I think the most disgusting thing in the world is to live in the same house with the


    person you hate the most every day. This is men tal and psychological torture.¡±


    Hearing this, Mary revealed a wicked smile. ¡°In terms of torturing people, you¡¯re the great one,¡±


    ¡°This is just my first big gift to them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve prepared a second one?¡±

 Chapter 626

    Chapter 626


    Chapter 626


    ¡°Of course!¡± Rachel finished the wine in her goblet and put down the ss in her hand. Rachel said


    calmly, ¡°But not now.¡± The excitement in Mary¡¯s eyes dimmed a lot. ¡°Why is it not now?¡±


    When Rachel heard this, a bright smile appeared on her lips. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s only fun to torture them


    slowly.¡±


    After saying goodbye to Mary, Rachel returned to the hotel.


    David and the other two were talking. When they saw Rachel, they were slightly stunned. It was


    obvious that they didn¡¯t want Rachel to hear what they were discussing.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°She is one of us.¡±


    Rachel and David spoke at the same time.


    The two of them looked at each other and smiled.


    Although David did not have any reservations about Rachel, Rachel did not stay to listen in. Instead,


    Rachel returned to the bedroom.


    Rachel put her feet up on the bed and yed the game.


    Suddenly, Linda called, ¡°Ms. Grey, the Cruise Group¡¯s shares have been falling. Should we continue


    with our n?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rachel said calmly.


    After today¡¯s scandal was exposed, Olivia¡¯s image waspletely destroyed. There was no room for


    redemption, and it was not something that could be salvaged by charity.


    The Cruise Group¡¯s shares were affected to arge extent.


    This was a good opportunity for them to buy the Cruise Group¡¯s shares.


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel stood up and walked to the curved balcony. Rachel crossed her


    arms and leaned against the white jade railing.


    The night breeze blew, and the slightly wet air was mixed with a faint fragrance of flowers.


    At this moment, footsteps sounded behind Rachel.


    Rachel looked over and saw a familiar figure.


    Rachel¡¯s breath was engulfed by the cold aura on David. David stood behind Rachel with his arms on


    both sides of her, his tall and straight figure enveloping her.


    Rachel was surrounded by David. She simply leaned back and leaned against David¡¯s chest.


    David bent down slightly and rubbed his chin against Rachel¡¯s neck. ¡°Why did youe to the guest


    room?¡±


    The presidential suite was divided into two floors. The guest room was next to the master bedroom on


    the second floor.


    Rachel blinked and slowly lowered her eyes. Rachel said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll disturb you.¡±


    ¡°Disturb me?¡± David frowned slightly. David bent down and pressed his face against Rachel¡¯s temple.


    David¡¯s breath sprayed on her temple, and there was a meaningful smile in his eyes. ¡°Are you sure


    you¡¯re not avoiding me?¡±


    Seeing that she was seen through, Rachel coughed awkwardly. ¡°Why would I avoid you¡­¡±


    David¡¯s chest was pressed tightly against her back, and Rachel could clearly feel his warmth.


    For some reason, it reminded Rachel ofst night¡¯s indulgence. Rachel¡¯s face immediately burned, and


    she felt her legs ache. David looked at Rachel¡¯s fluttering eyshes and suddenly had the intention to


    tease her. David took a step forward and held Rachel tightly in his arms. ¡°Since you¡¯re not avoiding me,


    I¡¯ll sleep with you tonight.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Hiss¡­¡± Rachel was halfway through her sentence when David caught her earlobe off guard.


    Rachel could not help but


    gasp.


    Her body trembled visibly, and Rachel grabbed the white jade railing under her hand.


    David was half nibbling and half licking and sucking. When David sensed Rachel¡¯s stiff body, he could


    not help but smile. David¡¯s low and maic voice slowly entered Rachel¡¯s ears. ¡°What did you just


    say?¡±


    Rachel took a deep breath and tilted her head to avoid David¡¯s lips. ¡°The bed in the guest room is too


    small. You don¡¯t have to apany me to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Then apany me back to the master bedroom,¡± David said lightly.


    Rachel was stunned for a moment.


    Seeing David wrap his arms around her waist and bend down to pick her up h o riz ontally, Rachel


    quickly dodged to the side. ¡°Wait!¡±


    David raised his eyebrows and smiled faintly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t rested enough yet, so can we¡­¡±


    ¡°Can we what?¡± A mischievous smile shed across David¡¯s dark eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s face was slightly red. Her fingertips grabbed the corner of David¡¯s shirt, and her voice


    subconsciously lowered. ¡°I want to sleep alone tonight.¡±


    As soon as Rachel finished speaking, David let out a lowugh. His deep eyes rippled, making one¡¯s


    heart flutter.


    David wrapped his arms around Rachel¡¯s slender waist and pulled Rachel into his arms again. ¡°Do you


    really think I¡¯m a beast?¡±


    David admitted that he liked having sex with Rachel and he had gone a little overboardst night, but it


    was not as if he did not know how to control himself.


    Moreover, it was the first time for Rachel to experience sexual life. David had to give her a few days to


    recuperate.


    Rachel¡¯s back was tightly pressed against David¡¯s chest. Rachel could feel the vibration in David¡¯s


    chest. For some reason, Rachel thought of the scene in the bathroomst night. The blush on her face


    spread to her ears at once.


    Rachel nced up at David and reached out to pinch his arm. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± she murmured.


    Rachel had begged for mercyst night, but David had never been merciful enough to let her go.


    David said onest time every time, but he didn¡¯t stop every time.


    ¡°I promise you that we will only sleep tonight,¡± David said as he wrapped his arms around Rachel¡¯s


    waist and walked toward the bedroom.


    Theyy on the bed, Rachel nestled in David¡¯s arms, her fingertips touching his Adam¡¯s apple. ¡°You¡¯re


    leaving tomorrow?¡±


    David responded indifferently. David rubbed his chin against Rachel¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°There are


    some things that need me to deal with.¡±


    Rachel looked up at David. ¡°Will it be dangerous?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then you have to be careful. I¡¯ll check carefully when youe back¡­¡±


    Before Rachel could finish her sentence, David rolled over and pressed her under him. David¡¯s dark


    eyes were filled with uncontroble emotions. ¡°How do you want to check?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with slyness. ¡°Guess¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    As soon as Rachel said it, she felt David¡¯s palm on her waist. Rachel could not help but let out a low


    cry and grabbed David¡¯s hand as if she was facing a great enemy. ¡°You said that we would only sleep


    tonight!¡±


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    ¡°Kissing is okay, right?¡± With that, David leaned over and kissed Rachel¡¯s lips.


    The passionate kiss gradually made the two of them sink into each other. The ambiguous and hot


    atmosphere gradually spread throughout the entire room.


    Rachel¡¯s stiff body gradually softened into a puddle of water. A hint of flirtatiousness inadvertently


    appeared at the corner of her eyes.


    David saw all of Rachel¡¯s reactions, and his deep eyes rolled.


    Suddenly, David pulled off Rachel¡¯s arm, lifted the nket, and got out of bed.


    David suddenly pulled away, causing Rachel¡¯s dizzy brain to instantly regain rity. Rachel


    subconsciously asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    David walked into the bathroom without looking back. ¡°Take a shower!¡±


    Taking a shower?


    Didn¡¯t David just take a shower?


    When Rachel heard the sound of water flowing in the bathroom for a long time, she couldn¡¯t help but


    laugh out loud.


    In the bathroom, David could vaguely hear Rachel¡¯sughter. Helplessness shed across David¡¯s


    eyes.


    David remembered that someone had once told him, ¡°Beautiful women can disintegrate one¡¯s will.


    Don¡¯t even think about them, let alone get them.¡±


    In the Grey family in Pollister.

 Chapter 627

    Chapter 627


    Chapter 627


    On the day of Olivia¡¯s engagement, waves ofmotion arose. From Winnie giarizing Rachel¡¯s


    draft design to Olivia¡¯s scandal, everyone on the Inte knew about them. It was difficult for Hans not


    to know even if he didn¡¯t want to.


    The Cruise family¡¯s reputation plummeted, and the Smith family was implicated.


    Most importantly, the famous designer Winnie, who should have had a bright future, became notorious.


    Not only was Winnie disqualified from this fashionpetition, but even the garment association


    removed her from the list.


    They did not leave Winnie a way out at all.


    And this was only because Winnie had provoked Rachel.


    It seemed that the precious daughter, Rachel, who had once been chased out of the Grey family by


    Hans, had found a reliable backer. Otherwise, with Rachel¡¯s ability, how could she cause such a huge


    commotion online?


    Hans lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. He shifted his weight back and slowly leaned against the


    back of the chair.


    The designer of the Raimant Collection?


    Hans did not know if this identity was worth anything.


    However, Hans had long heard of Raimant Collection¡¯s clothes.


    Not only were they difficult to buy, but they were also priceless.


    However, Rachel had never shown her talent in this aspect when she was little. How did Rachel


    suddenly be a famous designer?


    In the quiet study, Hans sat on a chair and smoked silently.


    Perhaps it was time for Rachel toe back to the Grey family.


    Early in the morning.


    Rachel was woken up by the sudden ringtone of her phone.


    Rachel reached out her hand and fumbled on the bedside table for a long time. Before Rachel could


    reach for her phone, she was pulled back by David¡¯s outstretched arm. ¡°Sleep again.¡±


    Rachel nced at David and simply hung up the call to continue sleeping.


    An hourter, Rachel and David sat at the table and ate breakfast.


    At this moment, Rachel¡¯s phone rang again.


    When Rachel saw the caller ID, her charming eyes flickered with a clear coldness. Then, Rachel turned


    her phone to silent mode and ignored it.


    David saw Rachel¡¯s small actions but did not ask further. ¡°Are you going to the officeter?¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rachel sighed faintly and looked at David with regret and unhappiness. ¡°After you leave, I can


    only rely on work to fill the gap in my heart.¡±


    David did not say anything. He just raised his eyebrows and looked at Rachel with a faint smile on his


    lips. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like something you can say.¡±


    In David¡¯s impression, Rachel had always been cold as ice as if nothing in this world could evoke the


    softness in her heart.


    A blush shed across Rachel¡¯s fair face as she said indifferently, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it either.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s tone was pretentious and resentful, making her like a pitiful woman who was not doted on by


    her husband. However, these things were like instinctive reactions, and there was no need for any


    disguise. Rachel didn¡¯t even think about it and just naturally blurted out.


    Perhaps speaking something sweet was an attribute that every woman had, but the trigger condition


    was the men¡¯s endless love and unreasonable favoritism.


    David¡¯s eyes were filled with a doting smile. ¡°When Ie back, how about going to Aureliana with


    me?¡±


    When Rachel heard it, her chewing paused for a moment. ¡°Then I¡¯ll arrange my work in the near


    future.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. Let me know when you¡¯re ready,¡± said David.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After eating, Rachel was sent by David to the office building of the Johnson Corporation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going then¡± Rachel opened the car door.


    Just as her fingertips touched the car door, David grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. David


    held the back of Rachel¡¯s head with his palm and kissed her lips.


    Eddie, who was sitting in the front row, didn¡¯t expect it at all.


    After the kiss, Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks were slightly flushed, and there was a faint flirtatious look in her


    eyes.


    His fingertips caressed Rachel¡¯s slightly swollen lips as David carefully wiped away the smudged


    lipstick mark. ¡°Call me if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Rachel replied.


    When Rachel was leaving, she suddenly turned around and leaned forward. Rachel kissed David¡¯s


    chin lightly, then opened the car door and left.


    David watched Rachel leave and retracted his gaze. His well-defined face returned to its usual


    coldness and indifference. ¡°To the airport!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    On the other side, after Rachel returned to thepany, she held an internal meeting regarding the


    acquisition of the Cruise Group.


    When it came to the acquisition, Lynn and Haley¡¯s performance was exceptional.


    Of course, this was not only a performance of good work, but more importantly, there were some


    personal grudges.


    When the people present saw Lynn and Haley reporting the current situation of the Cruise Group in


    detail, they silently prayed for the Cruise Group in their hearts.


    After the meeting, Rachel began other work intensively.


    At noon, Mary walked into her office with her bag.


    Mary threw her bag on the sofa and curled upzily. Looking at Rachel, who was working hard, Mary


    could not help but ask, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been busy until now after sending Mr. Jones away?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Rachel looked up at Mary.


    Noticing Mary¡¯s listless look, Mary frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Mary sat on the sofa with a sad face. ¡°It¡¯s all because Jimmy suddenly left again. The two of us only


    spent a few hours together before he left again.¡±


    Rachel rolled her eyes helplessly. ¡°Mary, you have to control yourself. Don¡¯t let rtionships be your


    whole life.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you miss David at all?¡± Mary asked.


    Seeing that David had yet to send a message, Rachel said without changing her expression, ¡°No.¡±


    Mary saw Rachel¡¯s actions and snorted softly. ¡°I think you do but you don¡¯t want to admit it.¡±


    At this moment, the unlisted phone number called again.


    Looking at the endless calls, Rachel simply hung up and blocked the phone number.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Mary asked. ¡°It can¡¯t be Louis, right?¡±


    Rachel said, ¡°Harassment calls.¡±


    Rachel tidied up the things on the table and nced at the time. ¡°Shall we go to dinner together?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After the two of them ate, Rachel returned to thepany.


    ¡°Rachel!¡± A familiar voice sounded from behind.


    Rachel frowned imperceptibly. She turned around and saw Louis hurriedly getting out of the car.


    Louis had waited here for Rachel hours with the men tality of giving it a try. He did not expect to really


    meet Rachel.


    As soon as Louis approached, Rachel smelled the strong smell of smoke on him. There was


    undisguised disgust in Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Could Rachel¡¯s identity have been exposed?


    However, as soon as this thought surfaced, Rachel quickly dismissed it.


    It was most likely because Rachel had exposed Olivia¡¯s scandal and Louis was here to denounce her.

 Chapter 628

    Chapter 628


    Chapter 628


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s inditlerent expression, Louis felt a slight pain in his heart. ¡°Rachel, I¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re here nounce me for Olivia¡¯s scandal, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have anything to speak with you!¡±


    Rachel said as she walked past Louis and headed straight for Johnson Corporation¡¯s office building.


    Louis felt like a fishbone was stuck in his throat. When Louis saw Rachel walk past him, he quickly


    said, ¡°No, I just want to talk to you alone.¡±


    ¡°Talk about what?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery. Rachel nced at Louis. indifferently. ¡°Talk


    about how you made a mistake, how you chose the wrong person, or how regretful you are now?¡±


    Faced with Rachel¡¯s questions, Louis felt like a fishbone was stuck in his throat. Louis pondered for a


    long time and said in a low and hoa rse voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­


    ¡°Heh!¡± Rachel sneered. ¡°Mr. Smith, your sudden apology is really ttering! I just don¡¯t know what you


    did to let me down.¡±


    ¡°Back then, I shouldn¡¯t have left you alone at the wedding ceremony and caused you to suffer the


    disdain and criticism of the rtives. This is the first thing. I clearly knew your feelings for me, but I


    squandered them at will. This is the second thing. My wavering between you and Olivia indirectly


    caused you to be injured. This is the third thing.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, her expression did not improve at all. Instead, there was ayer of frost


    between her eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯ve done more than this! Moreover, what you and Olivia owe me is not just


    an apology!¡±


    Rachel would never forget the humiliation of being abandoned on her wedding day.


    Rachel still remembered those contemptuous and mocking gazes. Everyone looked at her as if she


    was a joke at that time.


    Louis wanted to let it go so easily with just an apology?


    Louis was too innocent.


    ¡°Good and evil will both be rewarded. If evil people don¡¯t suffer retribution, how can sufferers vent their


    hatred?¡± A perfect smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s lips. Rachel was bright and moving, like a flower


    blooming under the sun, but she was filled with aggression. ¡°I will make you regret your choice for the


    rest of your life!


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she always like to stir up trouble in front of the media outlets and reporters? Then I¡¯ll give her


    a taste of her own medicine. I¡¯ll strive to help her get everyone¡¯s attention and make everyone


    remember her!¡±


    In the past, when Louis heard these words, he would definitely think that Rachel was cold-blooded and


    ruthless.


    But now, Louis felt that Olivia only had herself to me.


    Louis even felt that Rachel¡¯s revenge on Olivia was reasonable.


    ¡°The Cruise family is not as simple as you think.¡± Louis hesitated again and again, but he could not


    help but persuade Rachel. ¡°Richard is not to be trifled with. This time, you made the Cruise family¡¯s


    reputation damaged. ording to Richard¡¯s temperament, he will definitely not let this matter rest.¡±


    As soon as Rachel took a step. Louis grabbed her wrist. ¡°Can you answer a question for me?¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡± Rachel frowned and shook off Louis¡¯s hand forcefully. Rachel¡¯s disgusted expression was as if


    she had been stained by trash.


    Louis ignored Rachel¡¯s words. Why did you release those photos at the engagement ceremony? Was it


    to take revenge on Olivia or me? Actually, you still care about me, right? You deliberately released


    those photos to ruin our engagement party, right?¡±


    A mocking smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s face when she heard Louis¡¯s self-righteous speech. ¡°I just took


    revenge on Olivia so that she could experience the feeling of being abandoned. At the same time, I


    wanted to test the touching rtionship between the two of you on behalf of the heavens. So, please


    put away your pathetic self-righteousness!¡±


    With that, Rachel left without looking back.


    Louis looked at Rachel¡¯s determined back and felt a sharp pain in his heart.


    Louis had been with Rachel for three years and knew her personality well.


    There was no going back between them.


    Louis still lost Rachel who used to love him to the core in the end.


    Rachel walked into thepany and coincidentally met Linda. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Linda did not answer. Instead, Linda took out an alcohol wipe from her bag. ¡°Wipe it properly and


    disinfect it.¡±


    Hearing Linda¡¯s words, Rachel could not help butugh out loud. Rachel opened the wet wipe and


    slowly wiped her hand.


    As if Linda felt that Rachel did not clean her hand fully, she simply picked up Rachel¡¯s hand and wiped


    it carefully, not even missing the gaps between Rachel¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°You are going to break my skin if you keep wiping it, Rachel said with a smile.


    Looking at Rachel¡¯s flushed skin, Linda could not help but frown. ¡°Later, I¡¯ll instruct the nearby security


    personnel to chase him out when they see him in the future!¡±


    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t leave?¡±


    ¡°Then I will ask the security personnel to hit him out with a stick!¡± Thinking of the scene where Louis


    pestered Rachel just now, Linda could not hide the disgust in her eyes. ¡°Trash like him doesn¡¯t deserve


    to appear in front of you.¡±


    Sensing Linda¡¯s deep malice toward Louis, Rachel thought that Linda hated Louis for hurting Rachel


    and did not think too much about it. ¡°Follow me to the office.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±


    On the other side, the photos of Louis and Rachel being entangled were sent to Olivia¡¯s phone by the


    person who followed them secretly.


    When Olivia saw this photo, her suppressed anger finally erupted.


    Olivia grabbed the ss beside her and hit it against the wall.


    The ss instantly shattered into pieces and fragments flew everywhere.


    Olivia clenched ner nsts ugnuy. Her enure body trembled uncontrobly, and her eyes flickered with a


    sinister cold light. ¡°B*tch! How dare she seduce Louis in broad daylight!¡±


    Bertha, who had pushed the door open, saw Olivia like this and then looked at the broken ss. Bertha


    had a guess in her heart. ¡°Why are you so angry over a person who doesn¡¯t have long to live?¡±


    ¡°A person


    who doesn¡¯t have long to live? I think she¡¯s living happily!¡± Olivia snorted. ¡°She clearly knows that I¡¯m


    already engaged to Louis, but she¡¯s still flirting with Louis behind my back. It¡¯s obvious that she is


    deliberately provoking me!¡±


    Hearing this, Bertha could not help but sigh softly. ¡°Louis is really too much. He¡¯s already engaged to


    you, yet he¡¯s still so close to that b*tch. Isn¡¯t he afraid of being seen and gossiped about?¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°How are Dad¡¯s arrangements going?¡± Olivia asked.


    Bertha brought the medicine to Olivia and said unhurriedly, ¡°This kind of thing can¡¯t be rushed. It¡¯s


    better to be careful in case we get caught.¡±


    Olivia nodded thoughtfully.


    When Olivia saw the thing in front of her, she couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°What is this?¡± During this period


    of time, in order to get Olivia pregnant as soon as possible, Bertha searched everywhere for


    prescriptions to help women get pregnant.


    However, Olivia knew her physical condition very well. No matter how much nourishing medicine Olivia


    drank, it was useless.


    ¡°It helps a lot. Drink it quickly.¡± Bertha said, ¡°After you drink itter, call Louis. No matter what, you have


    to stay at his ce tonight, understand?¡±


    When Olivia heard this, a trace of sadness shed across her eyes. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t want to?


    Louis doesn¡¯t even answer my calls now.¡±


    ¡°All men value their reputation. No man would be able to ept those photos, not to mention that you


    hid the fact that you were once pregnant.¡± Bertha held Olivia¡¯s hand andforted Olivia gently.


    ¡°Listen to me and apologize him properly. Besides, as long as Marina is supporting you, the Smith


    family won¡¯t dare to do anything to you.¡±

 Chapter 629

    Chapter 629


    Chapter 629


    When Louis received Olivia¡¯s call, he was sitting in front of Old Mr. Smith¡¯s bed.


    When Louis saw the call from Olivia, he hung up without hesitation.


    Ever since the incident, Old Mr. Smith saw the overwhelming scandal and fainted on the spot.


    Fortunately, after a series of c¡­ergency treatments, Old Mr. Smith¡¯s life was not in danger for the time


    being.


    But ever since Old Mr. Smith woke up, he had not seen anyone from the Smith family.


    Louis rushed over after receiving Old Mr. Smith¡¯s call.


    ¡°Grandpa, eat something first. Louis brought the soup to Old Mr. Smith¡¯s mouth.


    Old Mr. Smith waved his hand. ¡°Put the things there first.¡±


    How could Old Mr. Smith be in the mood to eat after such a huge incident at home?


    When Olivia and Louis got engaged back then, Old Mr. Smith was dissatisfied.


    Old Mr. Smith thought that his words were enough to make Louis understand, and he did not expect


    things toe to this now.


    Old Mr. Smith, who had been silent ever since he was admitted to the hospital, spoke up, want to ask


    you. What do you n to do next?¡±


    Louis was slightly stunned. After thinking for a long time, Louis said calmly, ¡°Control the spread of the


    scandal and stabilize the shareholders¡¯ emotions.¡±


    If thepany¡¯s interests were affected due to Louis¡¯s personal matter, those shareholders. would


    definitely take the opportunity to make things difficult for the Smith family.


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Smith sneered. ¡°Then how do you n to control it? Even if you can control the


    spread on the Inte, can you control the mouths of others? If words spread, can you stop people


    from talking?¡±


    ¡°I


    Upon hearing this, Louis immediately understood that Old Mr. Smith was not satisfied with his solution.


    ¡°Then you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Divorce!¡± Old Mr. Smith blurted out. ¡°Now that Olivia¡¯s reputation has been destroyed, the Cruise


    family is implicated. If you divorce now, we can still protect ourselves, and you won¡¯t be criticized by


    others. At most, people will say that you¡¯re a pitiful man who was deceived. by a woman.¡±


    If the Smith family continued to be involved with the Cruise family, Old Mr. Smith was worried that they


    would be dragged down with the Cruise family before long.


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s intuition told him that Rachel¡¯s goal this time was probably not just to take revenge on


    Olivia.


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s words fell into Louis¡¯s ears, making his heart pound.


    ¡°No!¡± Mrs. Smith, who had been waiting outside the door, suddenly broke in. ¡°Olivia has Marina backing


    her up. The Smith family can¡¯t afford to offend Marina.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith looked at Mrs. Smith coldly. There was an imperceptible mockery hidden in the depths of


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s eyes. ¡°Then let me ask you. Ever since Marina acknowledged Olivia as her godd


    aughter, has she ever brought Olivia to any public ces? Or has she ever openly introduced Olivia to


    outsiders? Or has she held a ceremony to announce Olivia her godd aughter officially?¡±


    Mrs. Smith was speechless at once.


    Back then, it was rumored that Marina had acknowledged Olivia as her godd aughter. This matter came


    out of nowhere. Everyone was still immersed in the shock of Marina¡¯s iparably noble identity when


    Olivia suddenly became Marina¡¯s godd aughter.


    There were no signs or rituals.


    To date, Marina has never introduced Olivia to outsiders.


    Marina never showed up on any asion rted to the Cruise family, making it seem like the Cruise


    family was the ones who were trying to curry favor with Marina with wishful thinking.


    Mrs. Smith pondered for a moment and stammered, ¡°Perhaps Marina doesn¡¯t care about such rituals at


    all? Moreover, at the engagement banquet yesterday, Marina personally instructed her assistant to


    send Olivia an engagement gift.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Old Mr. Smith could not help but sneer. ¡°The youngdy of the Jones family in


    Aureliana doesn¡¯t care about these rituals? You must be joking.¡±


    As soon as Old Mr. Smith finished speaking, the ward fell into an oppressive silence.


    After some time, Old Mr. Smith spoke again. ¡°Have you contacted Rachel since the incident?¡±


    ¡°I went to look for her,¡± Louis said. ¡°But her attitude was very clear¡­


    ¡°She is not going to forgive you, right?¡± Old Mr. Smith interrupted.


    Seeing that Louis lowered his eyes and did not speak, Old Mr. Smith guessed correctly in his heart. Old


    Mr. Smith sighed softly, and a helpless smile appeared on his lips. ¡°She is a good girl, but her stubborn


    character is really unbearable.¡±


    No one could change what Rachel had set her mind on.


    Rachel would never forgive the person she hated.


    ¡°Go get Mr. Francis for me.¡± After instructing Louis, Old Mr. Smith turned to look at Mr. and Mrs. Smith.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. You guys can go back first.


    With that, Old Mr. Smith ignored the two of them andy down on the bed.


    After everyone in the ward left, Old Mr. Smith slowly opened his eyes.


    Old Mr. Smith stared at the ceiling above his head and could not help but sigh softly.


    At this moment, Mrs. Smith, who had left the ward, frowned slightly and looked at the ward.


    thoughtfully.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Mr. Smith saw that Mrs. Smith did not follow him for a long time and could not help but ask, ¡°What are


    you thinking?¡±


    Mrs. Smith raised her eyes to look at Mr. Smith. Mrs. Smith looked like she wanted to say


    something but hesitated. Mrs. Smith looked around and finally pulled Mr. Smith to at deserted corner.


    ¡°Why do you think Mr. Smith is looking for Benson now?¡±


    Benson had always been Old Mr. Smith¡¯s loyal subordinate. More importantly, Benson held the Old Mr.


    Smith¡¯s will!


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of thepany,¡± Mr. Smith said casually.


    Mrs. Smith raised her hand and pped Mr. Smith on the chest. ¡°When can you be attentive to family


    matters?¡±


    Mr. Smith looked at Mrs. Smith in confusion.


    ¡°I think Mr. Smith is probably looking for Benson to change his will!¡± Mrs. Smith said, ¡°The doctor also


    said that Mr. Smith was lucky to be sent here in time. Otherwise, he would have¡­ I think Mr. Smith


    probably feels that he is not as strong as before, so he wants to change his will before he gets


    confused!¡±


    The more Mrs. Smith spoke, the more she felt that this was a possibility.


    Otherwise, why would the Old Mr. Smith contact Benson at this time?


    Mr. Smith didn¡¯t care about this. ¡°Dad doesn¡¯t have much left. Even if he wants to change his will and


    gives someone something, it doesn¡¯t matter.


    Hearing this, Mrs. Smith red at Mr. Smith angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that he still holds 15% of the


    company¡¯s shares!¡±


    ¡°Louis was raised up by him. Dad wouldn¡¯t make Louis suffer a loss. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Mr. Smith


    said as he pulled Mrs. Smith¡¯s hand and walked out.


    After the two of them got into the car, Mrs. Smith still did not give up. Just as the car was about to start,


    Mrs. Smith opened the door and got out. ¡°Go back first. I¡¯ll stay here!¡±


    ¡°Why do you stay here?¡±


    They had been married for many years. Mr. Smith knew clearly what Mrs. Smith was thinking.


    As the two of them were arguing, Benson arrived.


    After seeing the two of them, Benson nod slightly, greeted them politely, and walked toward the ward.


    Mrs. Smith grabbed Mr. Smith¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s follow him and take a look!¡±


    In the ward.

 Chapter 630

    Chapter 630


    Chapter 630


    Old Mr. Smith looked at Benson. ¡°Did you bring the will?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Benson took out the will from his briefcase and handed it to Old Mr. Smith.


    Old Mr. Smith picked up the reading sses on the table and put them on. After carefully reading the


    will, Old Mr. Smith slowly said. ¡°Help me make the following changes.¡±


    Seeing that Benson was ready, Old Mr. Smith sped his hands and slowly leaned against the head of


    the bed. His turbid eyes swept across the door of the ward, and a meaningful cold glint shed across


    his eyes. ¡°Give 60% of the total assets under my name and thepany¡¯s shares to Rachel for free.


    The remaining 40% will be divided equally among the branches of the Smith family.¡±


    Hearing this, Benson was stunned.


    The bigger the family, the more benefits were involved. There were many people who turned against


    each other for money.


    Back then, Old Mr. Smith had modified his will three times in order to avoid conflict in the Smith family.


    Benson thought that Old Mr. Smith would favor Louis, but he did not expect that in the end, the person


    who benefited the most would be an outsider.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to give most of the inheritance to an outsider?¡± Benson could not help but ask.


    After all, this was not a small matter.


    Once this will was made public, Rachel would be the person who benefited the most and also the


    person who would be involved in the most disputes.


    Rachel was an outsider. It was hard for others not to think much when they knew Rachel received so


    many inheritances.


    Old Mr. Smith raised his hand and took off his sses. ¡°In your opinion, is there a better way?¡±


    *Forgive me for being blunt, but your preference for Miss Grey might not necessarily be a good thing


    for her,¡± Benson said.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Benson had several encounters with Rachel in the Smith family.


    Benson also knew Rachel¡¯s situation in the Smith family.


    ording to the temperament of the Smith family, they would not let it go easily when they learned that


    Rachel had obtained most of Old Mr. Smith¡¯s inheritances.


    Old Mr. Smith smiled. He naturally knew his children.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to add another prerequisite: Old Mr. Smith paused for a moment. ¡°Only when


    Rachel gets the inheritance will they be able to get the rest smoothly!¡±


    In other words, if they opposed Rachel inheriting the estate, they would get nothing.


    It had to be said that this move was quite ruthless.


    They were clearly unwilling, but they had no choice but to ept it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Benson looked worried. ¡°With Miss Grey¡¯s temperament, she might not be willing to


    ept it.¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Smith fell silent.


    Previously, Old Mr. Smith had tried to transfer his shares to Rachel more than once, but Rachel had


    rejected him mercilessly.


    It was obvious that Rachel did not want to have anything to do with the Smith family, nor did she intend


    to help the Smith family.


    However, Old Mr. Smith knew very well that if Rachel had not appeared back then and pulled the Smith


    family which was on the verge of bankruptcy back on track, in Seaxas, the Smith family would have


    long disappeared.


    There was a short silence in the ward, but Mrs. Smith, who was outside the ward, was already furious.


    If not for Mr. Smith¡¯s tight grip, Mrs. Smith would have rushed into the ward and cursed.


    Old Mr. Smith must have gone crazy from his illness.


    Old Mr. Smith actually gave most of his inheritances andpany shares to outsiders for free?


    Could it be that in Old Mr. Smith¡¯s eyes, his family was not as important as Rachel?


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have stopped me just now!¡± Mrs. Smith roared angrily. ¡°I want to ask him what he¡¯s


    thinking! He would rather hand the inheritance to an outsider than refuse to give it to our family. Is he


    an old fool who can¡¯t differentiate between an outsider and his family?¡±


    Mr. Smith¡¯s eyes were filled with deep thought. After pondering for a long time, Mr. Smith. said, ¡°Dad


    naturally has his own considerations and ns. Let¡¯s not worry.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Mrs. Smith pulled a long face and shook off Mr. Smith¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t care about his research and


    ns. In short, I can¡¯t watch an outsider take our things!¡±


    With that, Mrs. Smith left without looking back.


    Rachel received a call from Mrs. Smith, and ayer of coldness could not help but between her


    eyebrows.


    appear


    This family of weirdos was really making their presence known in front of Rachel¡¯s eyes all the time.


    ¡°Miss Grey, if it¡¯s convenient for you, I hope that you cane out and meet me alone. There are some


    things I want to talk to you about alone.¡± Mrs. Smith felt that her attitude was good enough, but her


    words still revealed an unconceble arrogance.


    Rachel closed the contract in front of her and yed with the pen with her fingertips. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s not


    convenient.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mrs. Smith choked.


    Mrs. Smith clenched her fists tightly and resisted the urge to curse. She continued, ¡°Miss Grey, you


    have Mr. Jones backing you now. Naturally, you don¡¯t take us seriously.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Rachel narrowed her eyes. There was an indistinct coldness in her eyes.


    Mrs. Smith paused for a moment and said earnestly, ¡°I want to say that now that you¡¯ve a more


    powerful backer, the Smith family naturally bes useless for you. As long as you follow Mr. Jones,


    you¡¯ll definitely have a bright future. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t care about Mr. Smith¡¯s little inheritance, right?¡±


    Mr. Smith¡¯s inheritance?


    Upon hearing this, Rachel frowned imperceptibly.


    Although Mrs. Smith did not borate on the ins and outs of the matter, Rachel could. roughly guess


    what had happened.


    On the eve of Rachel¡¯s wedding to Louis, Old Mr. Smith revealed to Rachel that he wanted. to transfer


    the shares under his name to her as a congrattory gift.


    Later, when Rachel broke up with Louis, Old Mr. Smith tried to transfer these shares to her as an


    apology.


    However, Rachel knew that guilt was just an excuse. Old Mr. Smith¡¯s real goal was to tie Rachel to the


    Smith family.


    It had to be said that Old Mr. Smith was quite scheming.


    Old Mr. Smith wanted to tie Rache to the Smith family forcefully by giving Rachel his inheritance.


    ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯ve been by Mr. Jones¡¯s side during this period of time. You must have seen the


    elephant and naturally obtained a lot of benefits. If you give birth to a child for Mr. Jones in the future,


    you will definitely gain endless glory and wealth. Mr. Smith¡¯s inheritance. is nothing in your eyes, right?¡±


    Mrs. Smith said, ¡°When you came to the Smith family penniless back then, Mr. Smith doted on you in


    every way possible. Even on ount of your past rtionship, you shouldn¡¯t just watch him make a


    mistake, right?¡±


    Rachel did not say anything. She casually picked up a magazine. On it was the news that the


    government would jointly establish a new pharmaceuticalpany with the 101 Institute.


    Mrs. Smith felt that the previous preparations were enough, so she went straight to the point. ¡°So, I


    hope you can persuade Mr. Smith to abandon this will and redraft a new one.¡±


    Mrs. Smith had said so much for thisst goal.


    ¡°This is your family¡¯s business. It has nothing to do with me,¡± Rachel said coldly.


    ¡°Rachel, it¡¯s quite easy for you to say that!¡± Mrs. Smith¡¯s voice suddenly rose, and her tone was sharp


    and unkind. ¡°You know that Mr. Smith has given you most of his inheritance, but you¡¯re in a hurry to


    draw a line between us and say that it has nothing to do with you! If you really want to cut ties with us,


    you can contact Mr. Smith immediately and ask him to change his will!¡±


    Rachel sneered. ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡±


    With that, Rachel hung up.

 Chapter 631

    Chapter 631


    Chapter 631


    When Mrs. Smith heard the beeping sound of the phone, her expression became even more gloomy.


    Mrs. Smith knew that Rachel would not listen obediently.


    However, other than Rachel, no one else could convince Old Mr. Smith at all.


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s expression was gloomy. Her knuckles were pale as she gripped her phone. tightly.


    No one knew why Old Mr. Smith doted on Rachel so much. Old Mr. Smith would rather leave the


    inheritance to Rachel than give it to the Smith family.


    Old Mr. Smith kept saying that he had high hopes for Louis, but in the end, he


    assets to Rachel, that bit*h!


    The older Old Mr. Smith got, the more confused he became!


    gave his


    Mrs. Smith narrowed her eyes and pondered for a long time before taking out her phone and calling


    Louis.


    Rachel would be alone even if she got off work early and went home.


    Rachel simply stayed in thepany and worked overtime untilte at night.


    Rachel walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and stretched. Looking at the starry night sky outside the


    window, Rachel could not help but think of David¡¯s handsome face.


    Rachel had a feeling, and her phone suddenly rang.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel turned around to take a look. When Rachel hurried over, David had already video called.


    Rachel picked up the phone and David¡¯s well-defined face appeared in front of her.


    ¡°You are still in the office?¡± David noticed the background behind Rachel and frowned. imperceptibly.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°I¡¯m getting ready to get off work.¡±


    David noticed the slight coldness in her eyes. ¡°You are in a bad mood. Who provoked you?¡±


    Rachel was slightly stunned. ¡°Nothing. I just miss you a little.¡±


    Hearing this, David was silent for a moment. A meaningful smile appeared in her eyes. ¡°Where do you


    miss me? It seems that what you miss me is different from what I miss you.¡±


    Rachel was stunned for a moment.


    When David saw a shy blush appear on Rachel¡¯s fair face, the smile in his eyes involuntarily deepened.


    His low and maic voice was mixed with unconceble affection. ¡°I miss you


    too.¡±


    The short sentence seemed to have been brewing in David¡¯s throat for a long time. It circled around his


    lips and teeth as he muttered softly. It was natural and pleasant, like the most pleasant words of love in


    the world.


    Although Rachel could not bear to hang up the phone, she noticed the fatigue in David¡¯s


    eyes and could not help but persuade him. ¡°You just got off the ne. Hurry up and sleep for a while.


    ¡°Then you should rest early too,¡± David said.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After they ended the call, the gentleness in David¡¯s eyes faded and was reced by his usual cold


    indifference. David raised his thin and cold eyes and instructed Eddie, ¡°Find out who she saw today!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    On the other side, after Rachel packed her things, she walked along the road and waited for the driver


    to arrive.


    From the corner of her eye, Rachel saw a dark purple Lykan Hypresport driving slowly.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed. She retracted her gaze and continued walking forward.


    It waste at night, and there were no longer any pedestrians on the road.


    The bushes that usually looked lush and full of vitality now looked a little creepy under the night sky.


    Rachel, who was walking alone on the road, became especially conspicuous.


    Footsteps suddenly came from behind. Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, and a man¡¯s sneaky figure


    was reflected on the ground.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold glint appeared in them.


    Just as the man was about to touch her back, Rachel dodged nimbly and threw the bag in her hand at


    the man¡¯s face.


    The man did not expect Rachel to be so agile. He could not help but be stunned.


    However, Rachel did not give the man a chance to react. She kicked the man¡¯s abdomen with her high


    heels.


    The man groaned and fell to his knees in a sorry state.


    His face flushed red as he clutched his stomach in pain. ¡°Hurry up and f**king attack! What are you all


    waiting for?¡±


    As soon as the man finished speaking, people in the surrounding grass instantly appeared.


    A group of fierce-looking and burly men appeared.


    They held sticks in their hands and sized up Rachel with ill intentions.


    Seven or eight men surrounded Rachel.


    There was no fear in Rachel¡¯s eyes. She slowly tied her hair into a low ponytail with the rubber band on


    her wrist.


    One of the men with a scorpion tattoo on his head looked at Rachel from head to toe. ¡°You¡¯re a rare


    beautifuldy. Unfortunately, someone can¡¯t tolerate you.¡±


    A bright smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s mouth, and the depths of her charming eyes flickered with an


    unconceble sharpness. ¡°If you want to attack,e together!¡±


    ¡°Thedy is quite eloquent. Let¡¯s see how strong she is!¡± The man with a scorpion tattoo looked at the


    person beside him.


    The group understood and instantly rushed toward Rachel.


    The dark purple Lykan Hypresport was parked by the roadside.


    Ronnie held his chin with one hand and looked at the dangerous scene in front of him with a smile on


    his face.


    The buzz-cut¡¯s voice came from the earpiece. ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t we going up to help?¡±


    Didn¡¯t Ronnie fall for David¡¯s woman?


    This was a great opportunity to show up and gain Rachel¡¯s favor.


    But why was Ronnie just sitting in the car and watching it?


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll be at a disadvantage?¡± Ronnie asked.


    The buzz-cut was stunned for a moment and quickly said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    As they spoke, Rachel¡¯s high heels kicked one of the tall and thin men¡¯s knees hard.


    Before the man could react, the steel pipe in his hand had alreadynded in Rachel¡¯s hand.


    In the next second, Rachel swung the steel pipe at the man with the dagger.


    Rachel was so vicious that she even wanted to hit the man¡¯s head like a ball.


    The man with the dagger fell to the ground with a thud and fainted on the spot. Blood. flowed out and


    quickly formed a small pool of blood.


    The others¡¯ expressions suddenly changed when they saw the situation. They looked at each other and


    secretly tightened their grip on the steel pipes in their hands. They swarmed forward with the weapons


    in their hands.


    When the buzz-cut and the others saw this, they could not help but break out in cold sweat for Rachel.


    Although they knew that this woman was not simple, she was a weak woman who had been pampered


    after all. How could she be a match for these vicious men?


    As buzz-cut was thinking, a shrill screampletely dispelled the unnecessary his heart.


    worries in


    The man with a scorpion tattoo clutched his broken leg, his eyes filled with fear as he looked at Rachel,


    who was walking toward him.


    The man with a scorpion tattoo dragged his broken leg and kept crawling backward as if the Grim


    Reaper was approaching him bit by bit.


    ¡°One leg for one answer. Choose for yourself.¡± A smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s lips, but her pure and


    kind look at this moment inexplicably made one¡¯s scalp tingle.


    The man with a scorpion tattoo swallowed his saliva. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s Richard¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Rachel swung the stick in her hand at the man¡¯s neck.


    The man with a scorpion tattoo fainted on spot.


    the


    s¨¢lu ¡°This woman is too cruel!¡±


    Before the buzz-cut could finish his sentence, Rachel¡¯s gaze suddenly swept over.


    The buzz-cut subconsciously held his breath and focused as if a knife was pressed against his throat.

 Chapter 632

    Chapter 632


    Chapter 632


    Rachel dragged the steel pipe in her hand and picked up her bag. She took out her phone and called


    the police.


    Previously, when Rachel taught Jo and Jay a lesson, it was only heard that Rachel was ruthless, but


    that was only hearsay.


    This time, when they personally saw Rachel break the arms and legs of that people, their hearts could


    not help but tremble.


    group


    of


    How was this a woman? Rachel was simply a female demon!


    ¡°F**k! F**k! Look! She¡¯sing!¡± The man sitting in the driver¡¯s seat grabbed the buzz-cut¡¯s arm and


    panicked.


    Cold sweat had unknowingly formed on the buzz-cut¡¯s forehead, and his heart was beating


    uncontrobly faster.


    However, Rachel did not appear beside them. Instead, Rachel walked straight to the dark. purple Lykan


    Hypresport.


    The car window slowly rolled down, revealing the man¡¯s exquisite face.


    The man¡¯s looks were not inferior to David¡¯s. Even in the dim light, the man still looked handsome. His


    facial features were even more deep and three-dimensional.


    Ronnie raised his eyebrows and smiled slyly. ¡°Miss Grey, what a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Mr. (Dic ke ns), have you watched enough?¡± Rachel looked at Ronnie with a faint smile.


    ¡°Miss Grey, you are quite decisive and can be considered a heroine,¡± Ronnie said. ¡°Do you want a


    ride?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Rachel.


    Rachel opened the car door and bent down to get into the car.


    Ronnie looked at the calm Rachel and smiled yfully. ¡°Miss Grey, aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll plot against


    you?¡±


    Rachel looked at Ronnie with a calm expression. ¡°Will you?¡±


    Ronnie stared at Rachel for a long time before he suddenly chuckled. ¡°No, I will never hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Diekens, do you like me?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and nced at Ronnie indifferently.


    Ronnie nodded and said frankly, ¡°I do like you.


    Hearing this, Rachel did not say anything. Rachel took out her phone and sent a message to Linda. ¡°I


    want to see the news of the Cruise Group dering bankruptcy tomorrow morning!¡±


    Linda was a little flustered. She quickly got up from the bed and quickly typed on the keyboard with her


    fingertips. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡±


    They did have the n to acquire the Cruise Group, but the n would take at least a month. Why was


    it brought forward so much without any warning?


    Moreover, the fact that the Cruise Group had been able to stand tall in Seaxas all these years meant


    that their foundation was solid enough.


    It was not easy for the Cruise Group to dere bankruptcy.


    Rachel lowered her eyes and typed slowly, ¡°If nothing goes wrong, you will see the news of Richard¡¯s


    arrest tomorrow morning.¡±


    Upon seeing the message, Linda quickly noticed the abnormality, but she did not dare to have any


    objections. ¡°I understand.¡±


    After putting down her phone, Rachel heard Ronnieugh. ¡°Does this old man have a radar on you?¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. She followed Ronnie¡¯s line of sight and saw Darcy¡¯s car.


    The coldness in Rachel¡¯s eyes faded, and a hint of gentleness appeared. ¡°Looks like I don¡¯t need to


    trouble you, Mr. Diekens.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, you can¡¯t get in or out of my car at your will.¡± A faint smile appeared on Ronnie¡¯s lips,


    revealing a hint of evilness. ¡°Sit tight.¡±


    As soon as Ronnie finished speaking, the car suddenly sped up.


    The car sped along the empty street like a bolt of dark purple lightning.


    Darcy, who was following behind, was not willing to fall behind and quickly increased the speed of the


    car.


    The two cars chased each other until they stopped in front of the dock.


    Darcy opened the car door and rushed forward aggressively. Darcy grabbed Ronnie¡¯s cor and said, ¡°I


    warned you to stay away from her!¡±


    Ronnie looked at Darcy calmly. ¡°You know very well that I will never hurt her.¡±


    ¡°Darcy!¡± Rachel quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and rushed forward. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Darcy stared at Ronnie deeply for a moment. Darcy snorted and let go of Ronnie.


    In the car, Darcy¡¯s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. After thinking for a long time, Darcy finally


    could not help but say, ¡°Miss Grey, stay away from him in the future.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    On the other side, after the police took the group of people away, they followed the clues to the Cruise


    family.


    After taking out the search warrant, the police took Richard away without any exnation.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The disheveled Bertha rushed forward in a panic and pulled them away. ¡°What


    right do you have to take Richard away?¡±


    A police officer looked at Bertha expressionlessly. ¡°We received a report that you hired someone to kill


    someone. Now, please cooperate. If you continue to obstruct us, we¡¯ll take you away too!¡±


    When Bertha heard it, her expression suddenly changed.


    Bertha quickly nced at Richard and immediately understood that those people had been caught red-


    handed.


    If Richard was taken away just like that, he would probably never return.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? The Cruise family has always been upright and kind. How could we do


    such a heinous thing? Someone is clearly framing us!¡± Bertha said, ¡°Unless you show the evidence,


    you can¡¯t take Richard away!¡±


    The police warned coldly. ¡°You¡¯re obstructing official business. We have the right to take you away with


    us!¡±


    At this moment, Bertha could not care less about her usually gentle image. She shouted like a shrew,


    ¡°So be it! Do you really think the Cruise family is a pushover? Let me tell you! My daughter is the godd


    aughter of Marina of the Jones family in Aureliana! If you dare to take Richard away today, I¡¯ll let my


    daughter skin you alive tomorrow!¡±


    The police officer sneered. ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait and see!¡±


    After saying that, they ignored how Bertha threw a tantrum and forcefully took Richard away.


    When Richard was taken away, he shouted, ¡°Call Olivia immediately!¡±


    Bertha was instantly enlightened. She hurriedly rushed to the phone and dialed Olivia¡¯s number with


    trembling fingers.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ever since Olivia registered her marriage with Louis, Olivia had moved directly to their new house.


    However, Olivia felt an indescribable sense of frustration when she was alone in the house. tonight.


    When Olivia received the call from Bertha, she was drunk and preparing to go back to the bedroom to


    sleep.


    ¡°Olivia, you have to save your dad!¡±


    Hearing Bertha¡¯s cries, Olivia sobered up a little at once. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Bertha sobbed and told Olivia what had happened. ¡°What should we do? What should we do now?¡±


    If the news of Richard being arrested tomorrow morning was exposed, the Cruise family¡¯s current


    situation would be even worse.


    Moreover, the Cruise family could not afford a police investigation.


    Olivia pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll contact Marina now and ask her to help. With her status, even the


    police have to be polite.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    When Marina received a call from Olivia, a trace of disgust appeared in her eyes. Marina said


    indifferently, ¡°Olivia, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you. You did do something dirty and get caught.


    There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±

 Chapter 633

    Chapter 633


    Chapter 633 Olivia knew very well that the glory and sha me of the Cruise family and the Smith family


    were tied together. At this juncture, if something really happened to the Cruise family, Olivia would


    really have no backer in the Smith family in the future. ¡°Marina, Rachel is clearly the one who framed


    the Cruise family! My dad is innocent. You have to think of a way to save him!¡± Olivia¡¯s nervous voice


    was mixed with an uncontroble tremble. ¡°Rachel has known so many big shots. She must have


    colluded with the police in secret to frame the Cruise family! Marina, you have to think of a way!¡± When


    Marina heard that, impatience and frustration appeared in her eyes. ¡°Olivia, be it to do anything, you


    have to be clean. Once you¡¯re caught, you deserve to be punished. Don¡¯t you even understand this


    logic?¡± ¡°But Rachel doesn¡¯t have any evidence,¡± Olivia said. When Marina heard it, the impatience and


    frustration between her eyebrows disappeared in an instant, reced by a hint of interest. ¡°You said


    that Rachel doesn¡¯t have any evidence?¡± Olivia said meaningfully, ¡°Rachel is arro gant and has been


    hated by countless people behind her back. The Tory family is one of them. As far as I know, Cindy has


    already engaged a long time ago. However, because of offending Rachel, not only was Cindy¡¯s


    engagement canceled, but she was also sent overseas overnight. The Tory family¡¯s business. has been


    thwarted again and again. How can the Tory family swallow this anger! ¡°Now that David has left


    Seaxas, without anyone to back Rachel up, isn¡¯t this a great opportunity in front of us?¡± Marina instantly


    found what she was most interested in. Marina quickly put down the wine ss in her hand excitedly


    and sat up. ¡°You said David. isn¡¯t in Seaxas?¡± This was such a great opportunity. Without David¡¯s


    support, it would be much easier for Marina to deal with Rachel. ¡°I¡¯ll inform the police station,¡± Marina


    said. ¡°Get the surveince videos nearby now. I don¡¯t have to teach you what to do next, right?¡±


    Hearing Marina¡¯s meaningful tone, Olivia instantly understood. ¡°Marina, don¡¯t worry.¡± After Olivia hung


    up the phone, her eyes flickered with a sinister cold light. Olivia wanted to see how arro gant Rachel


    could still be without David¡¯s support! Olivia calmed herself down and called the police. As soon as the


    call was connected, Olivia said in a panic, ¡°I want to call the police. Someone maliciously injured


    people. They¡¯re bleeding a lot¡­ It¡¯s a woman. She looks to be in her early twenties and is very


    beautiful¡­ It¡¯s near the Luxiden Road. You can definitely find her if you check the surveince videos


    now!¡± Recently, the police department had been working with the relevant departments to fight against


    evil forces. As the leader of the operation team, Don had been working night shifts for a week. Don


    really couldn¡¯t take it anymore today and was prepared to go home early to With a cigarette dangling


    from the corner of his mouth, Don hooked his fingers into his denim jacket, slung it over his shoulder,


    and headed out. At this moment, a police officer ran over. ¡°Mr. Cole, can I trouble you to go to a crime.


    scene?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Maliciously injuring people,¡± the police officer said. ¡°We¡¯ve checked the


    surveince videos. in this section of the road and have confirmed the suspect¡¯s identity.¡± Don took the


    cigarette from the corner of his mouth. ¡°Name.¡± The police officer said, ¡°Rachel Grey.¡± Don¡¯s fatigue


    was instantly swept away in shock. His voice suddenly rose. ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± The police


    officer looked at Don with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Mr. Cole, is it something wrong with Rachel?¡±


    Was it something wrong with Rachel? Of course, Rachel was! Don calmed himself down. ¡°What did


    you say she has done just now?¡± ¡°She maliciously injured a group of people. From the looks of it, they


    are seriously injured.¡± The police officer suddenly thought of something and hurriedly said, ¡°By the way,


    the group of people who were beaten up was taken away by your subordinate, Randy. They should be


    receiving treatment in the hospital now, but Randy called previously and said that their injuries were


    quite serious. They were either broken limbs or ribs. One of them is still unconscious yet now.¡± Hearing


    this, Don felt a headacheing on. The youngdy of the Johnson family was getting more and more


    too much. Don¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°Where is the surveince video?¡± ¡°It¡¯s on myputer. Before


    the police officer could finish his sentence, Don pushed him away and rushed to theputer. Don


    frowned and rubbed his fingertips. No one knew what Don was thinking. At that moment, the phone in


    Don¡¯s pocket suddenly rang. It was the deputy chief, Alfredo George. ¡°Are you at the police station?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Don. ¡°That¡¯s perfect. I will give you an arrest warrant now. Go immediately and help me


    arrest someone,¡± Alfredo said. ¡°Take the crime as maliciously injuring people and causing serious


    injuries.¡± When Don heard it, his eyelids twitched. An ominous feeling arose in his heart. Don


    swallowed his saliva and asked carefully. ¡°What¡¯s the suspect¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Rachel Grey.¡± Don was totally


    shocked. What Don was afraid of really came true. After pondering for a long time, Don said again, ¡°Mr.


    George, I suspect that this case is rted to another case. I personally think that before we investigateN?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    it clearly, it¡¯s better for us not to act rashly.¡± Don had learned from his mistakesst time. He had


    suffered a setback in front of Rachel before, so he didn¡¯t want to provoke her again. When Alfredo


    heard Don¡¯s words, he sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t care about your opinion. Just do as I told you. Don¡¯t forget that


    before Mr. Henry left, he personally said that while he was out, he would leave all the matters to me!¡±


    Alfredo was a deputy chief after all. Don had no choice but to agree in front of the pressure Alfredo


    landed on Don. ¡°I¡¯ll go to her now.¡± After hanging up, Don tapped his fingertips on the table. The entire


    police station looked calm on the surface, but there were constant disputes in the dark. Warren had


    reached retirement age, and this was the most crucial time. However, the higher-ups had suddenly


    appointed Alfredo. A smart person could tell what this action. meant at a nce. Hence, the entire


    team was divided into three factions. One group of people stood on Warren¡¯s side, while the other


    stood on Alfredo¡¯s side, who had just taken up his post. There was also a small group of people who


    were neutral like Don. However, now that Rachel was involved, Don had no choice but to take sides.


    After a long while, Don stood up and left with the arrest warrant. After leaving the police station, Don


    called Warren. Warren had justid down when his phone suddenly rang. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you got into


    trouble again?¡± ¡°Rachel is in trouble!¡± Don did not waste any time and went straight to the point.


    ¡°Alfredo has issued an arrest warrant and asked me to personally arrest Rachel. I won¡¯t say anything


    more. When Don got into the car, he briefly exined the situation.. Warren sneered. ¡°I think Alfredo is


    in a hurry to get fired after he was just promoted!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said everything that needs to be said. I¡¯ll leave


    the rest to you,¡± said Don. Warren said coldly, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll rush back immediately. Think of a way to dy


    it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 634

    Chapter 634


    Chapter 634 Rachel was sent by Darcy to Lucas¡¯s apartment. Seeing Rachel¡¯s arrival, Lucas could not


    help but be stunned. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I miss you,¡± Rachel said. Lucas was totally shocked. It was


    too strange to hear Rachel said these words. ¡°Did you quarrel with David?¡± Lucas asked carefully. ?


    Before Lucas could finish his sentence, Rachel picked up a pillow and threw it at him. ¡°Can¡¯t you speak


    something good?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re making things too difficult for me.¡± Lucas grabbed the pillow and flipped


    over tond steadily on the sofa. Lucas pretended to be serious and said, ¡°To be honest, if the two of


    you really break up, Grandpa can¡¯t wait to celebrate for it for the entire night.¡± Rachel was speechless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about serious matters.¡± Rachel changed the topic at the right time. ¡°Back then, during the


    financial crisis, manypanies were severely injured. Only the Cruise family stayed out of it all the


    time. Previously, it was exposed that the Cruise family was involved in illegal transactions and was


    suspected of tax evasion. However, all the negative news was suppressed by the Cruise family¡¯s


    backers. See if you can find anything.¡± ¡°Ever since the crackdown on the underworld, there have been


    many anonymous reports on the Cruise family, but they have all been suppressed.¡± A disdainful smile


    appeared on Lucas¡¯s face. ¡°Since there are traces, there¡¯s no privacy in front of me.¡± As Lucas spoke,


    he got up and walked to study. Lucas came out with a notebook then. Lucas¡¯s clean and slender


    fingers quickly flew across the keyboard. The dim light on the screennded on his face, making his


    well-defined face look half-lit and half-dark. There was an imperceptible killing intent in Lucas¡¯s eyes. A


    momentter, the Cruise Group¡¯s ounts appeared on theputer screen. There was a real


    ount, a fake ount, and a roster. This roster recorded all the convenient services provided by the


    Cruise family to certain high-level figures over the years. The time, ce, and incident were all


    recorded clearly. In another private document, there were some photos that were taken in secret.


    These photos could be used as evidence. ¡°No wonder the Cruise family has been so frugal over the


    years. It turns out that most of the money is spent on the ways of ttering big shots.¡± An intriguing


    smile appeared on Lucas¡¯s lips. His eyes flickered with an unknown coldness. ¡°Come and take a look.


    It will definitely broaden your horizons.¡± Rachel put down the ss in her hand and took theptop.


    Rachel ced it on herp and skimmed through it. The room fell into dead silence After an unknown


    period of time, Rachel¡¯s cold voice slowly sounded. ¡°This is enough for Richard to go to jail for the rest


    of his life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just Richard who will be jailed. No one from the Cruise family will be able to escape,¡±


    Lucas said. ¡°That roster alone is enough to bring death to Richard.¡± Rachel copied all the information


    and sent it to her private email. Lucas looked at Rachel. ¡°Why did you decide to deal with the Cruise


    family so soon?¡± Those who were familiar with Rachel knew thatpared to a quick resolution,


    Rachel preferred to torture her enemy slowly. It was as if Rachel was watching coldly from the sidelines


    a fish on the ground as it struggled on the verge of death. Rachel was about to speak when there was


    a knock on the door. Rachel subconsciously looked up. ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Who is it?¡± Lucas mumbled


    as he stood up and walked toward the door. When the door opened, Lucas saw Don standing


    awkwardly at the door with two police officers following behind him. Lucas raised his eyebrows slightly.


    It was quite interesting. Lucas leaned against the door and took out a cigarette from his pocket. ¡°Are


    you here to do your routine?¡± The moment Lucas finished speaking, the atmosphere suddenly became


    subtle. The surrounding air revealed a seriousness that pressed down on the police officers¡¯ hearts,


    making them not even dare to breathe loudly. When Don found out that Rachel was at Lucas¡¯s home,


    he was men tally prepared to face Lucas. However, in the face of Lucas, Don still could not help but


    feel guilty. Don looked past Lucas and immediately saw Rachel sitting on the sofa. Rachel was wearing


    a royal blue suit with a white silk sling inside. She looked capable and elegant. Her slightly curly long


    hair fell to one side of her shoulder, making her cold and beautiful face look even more charming. As if


    sensing Don¡¯s gaze, Rachel slowly raised her eyes and looked over. ¡°Are you here to look for me?¡± The


    sudden gaze made Don¡¯s ears turn red. Don cleared his throat and returned to his usual unsmiling


    manner. Do took out the arrest warrant. ¡°We have received a report that you are suspected of


    intentional injury. Pleasee with us and cooperate with our investigation.¡± When Rachel heard this,


    her eyes narrowed slightly, and an unknown coldness flickered in the depths of her charming eyes.


    Lucas suddenly chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you clearly. Say what you just said again?¡± Lucas¡¯s tone was


    slow and calm, and there was an unconceble sharpness in his words that made one shudder. Don


    secretly observed the expression on Lucas¡¯s face. Don¡¯s intuition told him that if he spoke again, Lucas


    would directly strangle Don¡¯s throat. After pondering for a long time, Don could only brace himself andContent is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    hand the arrest warrant to Lucas. He exined, ¡°Mr. George personally gave the order.¡± Lucas didn¡¯t


    even look at it and directly threw the arrest warrant in Don¡¯s face. ¡°The Seaxasth Police Station is quite


    impressive. You didn¡¯t even investigate the matter properly and dared toe to my door to arrest


    Rachel?¡± 5 Lucas had heard a little about the newly appointed deputy chief, Alfredo. It was said that


    Alfredo was appointed here by the higher-ups. As soon as Alfredo took office, he couldn¡¯t wait to take


    away Warren¡¯s power. Alfredo looked like he wanted to take over Warren¡¯s position urgently. Alfredo


    was so arro gant because he had a powerful backer behind him. Now, Alfredo had brazenly dealt with


    Rachel, he was simply trying to embarrass the Johnson family! ¡°Mr. Johnson, we¡¯re doing things


    ording to thew.¡± At this moment, Travers, who was following behind, said, ¡°Since we personally


    came to take Miss Grey away, we naturally have evidence. She was indeed the one who attacked first.


    If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask her yourself!¡± With just one sentence, Travers targeted Rachel,


    Rachel yed with the crystal cup with her fingertips. A beautiful smile appeared on her lips. ¡°I did


    attack first. Is self-defense against thew?¡± Travers sneered. ¡°Those people were beaten up by you


    until they were crippled or unconscious. You¡¯re telling me this is self-defense?¡± Don looked at Travers


    and did not say anything. Instead, Don silently walked to the side and lit a cigarette. Since someone


    was rushing to show up, Don didn¡¯t need to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t fuc king poprizew in front of me.


    Unless Warren or Alfredoes personally, no one can take her away!¡± Lucas¡¯s malicious gaze swept


    past the people in front of him, and his body emitted a terrifying murderous aura. Travers frowned. ¡°Go


    and take her away!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The police officer following behind Travers immediately barged into the


    room with handcuffs and walked straight to Rachel. At this moment, Don walked forward and handed


    the phone to Travers. ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡± ¡°Who is it!¡± Travers¡¯s tone was filled with impatience. The next


    second, Warren¡¯s scolding voice came from the phone. ¡°Are you courting for a beating again? How


    dare you go arrest Miss Grey? I think you¡¯ve lived long enough! I¡¯m warning you, without my orders,


    don¡¯t act on your own! If you cause some trouble, I will give you a hard lesson then.¡±

 Chapter 635

    Chapter 635


    Chapter 635 When Travers fa ced Warren¡¯s pressure, ayer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.


    ¡°Mr. Henry, but this is an order from Alfredo himself¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t retired yet. He¡¯s not in charge of our


    police station yet!¡± After Travers hung up the phone, his expression was gloomy. Travers stood rooted


    to the ground awkwardly. At this moment, Travers¡¯s phone rang in his pocket. Travers paused and took


    out his phone. When Travers saw that it was a call from Alfredo, his expression instantly became


    respectful. ¡°Hello, Mr. George.¡± ¡°Have you caught her?¡± Alfredo asked. Travers nced at Lucas, who


    was blocking the door, and then at Rachel, who was sitting on the sofa. Travers raised his other hand


    to cover the phone and said carefully, ¡°Mr. Lucas has been blocking us. Moreover, Mr. Henry personally


    called just now and said that without his orders, none of us can act on our own, so¡­¡± ¡°Trash!¡± Alfredo


    said, ¡°Travers, don¡¯t forget who your immediate superior is! Now that the evidence of Rachel¡¯s


    intentional injury is conclusive, bring her back immediately! If anyone dares to stop you, bring him back


    with me too! Travers said, ¡°Yes!¡± After hanging up the phone, Travers took the handcuffs from his


    subordinate, barged into the room, and cuffed Rachel on the spot. Lucas wanted to stop Travers, but


    he was stopped by Rachel¡¯s gaze. At Seaxas Police Station. After Rachel handed over her personal


    belongings, she was brought into the interrogation. room. At this moment, Alfredo walked into the


    police station with a yawn. In front of the mirror, Alfredo tidied his hair which had just been taken care of


    and casually asked, ¡°Have you brought her back?¡± ¡°She¡¯s currently being interrogated in the


    interrogation room,¡± a police officer said. This time, it was Marina who personally called Alfredo, asking


    Alfredo to arrest this woman called Rachel. Marina even hinted to Alfredo that he could properly give


    this woman a hard time. Wanting to take the chance to tter Marina, Alfredo thought for a moment and


    walked toward the interrogation room. When the door opened, Alfredo saw Rachel sitting on the chair


    with her hands cuffed. The woman¡¯s appearance was eye-catching. Even though she was in the


    interrogation room, she did not look embarrassed at all. While Alfredo was in a daze, amazement


    appeared in his eyes, followed by a wretched Seeing that Alfredo was standing rooted to the ground,


    the police officer beside him could not help but ask, ¡°Mr. George, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Alfredo suddenly


    came back to his senses. He cleared his throat and said arrogantly, ¡°This has nothing to do with you.


    You can leave first.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The police officer looked troubled. ¡°Mr. George, this is against the rules.¡±


    ¡°Do I need you to tell me what to do? Besides, the rules are dead, but the person is alive!¡± Alfredo¡¯s


    eyes were filled with impatience as he pulled the person¡¯s cor and walked out. ¡°This criminal has a


    special identity and is highly suspicious. Naturally, it¡¯s most suitable for me to interrogate her


    personally. Hurry up and leave here!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The police officer wanted to say something else. Before


    he could finish speaking, he was berated by Alfredo. ¡°Why are you talking so much. nonsense? Since


    Warren isn¡¯t around, I¡¯m the rules!¡± With that, Alfredo pushed the police officer out and closed the door


    of the interrogation room. Looking at the closed door, the interrogator sighed helplessly. Alfredo was a


    deputy chief after all, and he even had a backer behind him. Alfredo had. always been a bu lly at the


    police station. Thest person who angered Alfredo was stripped of his police uniform on the spot and


    thrown out the door. Fac ed with such a deputy director who used his power to oppress others, if


    Alfredo became the chief in the future, one could imagine how difficult their future days would be.


    Rachel crossed her legs and fiddled with the lock between the handcuffs in boredom. When Rachel


    heard the sound of the door of the interrogation room being locked, her eyebrows moved slightly.


    Alfredo pretended to flip through the documents in his hand and looked up at Rachel. Alfredo¡¯s eyes


    were filled with a malicious smile. ¡°Youngdy, you look young, but you¡¯re quite strong. Do you know


    that those people were seriously injured by you and are still lying in the hospital for treatment?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be investigating who hired them to kill me?¡± Rachel looked at Alfredo indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry. We¡¯ll investigate what needs to be investigated.¡± Alfredo threw the documents in his hand on the


    table casually and slowly walked behind Rachel. Alfredo nced at the camera behind him and


    adjusted the angle slightly, using his broad body to cover it tightly. Alfredo could vaguely smell the faint


    fragrance on Rachel¡¯s body. It was really refreshing and intoxicating. ¡°Do you know the rules at the


    police station?¡± Alfredo slowly bent down and reached out his hand to p Rachel¡¯s shoulder at the


    same time. ¡°If you confess, you will only get light punishments. But if you¡­ Ah!¡± Before Alfredo could


    finish, Rachel turned her wrist and sshed all the hot water in the paper cup on Alfredo¡¯s face. The


    scorching heat made Alfredo close his eyes in pain. His facial features were scrunched up as he


    howled like a wild boar. open When the people outside heard the sound, they subconsciously pushed


    the door entered. However, they strangely realized that the door was locked from the inside. For a


    moment, the few people standing outside the door looked at each other with meaningful expressions.


    and At this moment, Don walked over. When Don saw the people blocking the door, he could not help


    but frown. ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± ¡°Mr. George said that the criminal has a special identity and is


    highly suspicious. He wants to interrogate her personally¡­¡± When Don heard this, his heart suddenly


    skipped a beat. Don immediately rushed forward and was about to break in when he realized that the


    door was locked. Without any hesitation, Don took a few steps back and kicked the door open. As soon


    as Don entered, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Rachel sitting on the chair unscathed.


    When Don looked at Alfredo again, his face was red from the hot water, especially around his eyes.


    ¡°Mr. George, are you alright?¡± The person beside Alfredo asked carefully. Alfredo scolded angrily,


    ¡°Wide your eyes and look at me! Do I fu ck look like I am okay?¡± The man shrunk his neck and nced


    at Alfredo¡¯s swollen face and suppressed hisughter. ¡°Mr. George, why don¡¯t you go down and rest


    first? We¡¯ll handle the interrogation,¡± Don said at the right time. Alfredo snorted and raised his hand to


    cover his aching eyes. Alfredo gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I gave her an easy way, but she chose the


    hard way! Since she¡¯s unwilling to cooperate, lock her up first. She¡¯s not allowed to eat or drink. When


    she cooperates, you can let her out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s against the rules,¡± Don said. ¡°I¡¯m the heavens


    here. I can decide the rules here!¡± ¡°Alfredo, you¡¯re really powerful!¡± A deep and cold voice suddenly


    sounded. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Tom standing at the door in a ck


    windbreaker. The light from the incandescentmp shone on Tom, entuating his fierce aura. When


    Tom saw the handcuffed Rachel, he narrowed his ck eyes slightly, which emitted a sharp cold light.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

 Chapter 636

    Chapter 636


    Chapter 636 In an instant, the temperature in the entire interrogation room dropped to a low point.


    Lucas sensed the change in Tom¡¯s aura, lowered his eyes, and smiled, revealing a hint of evilness.


    Lucas really felt that Alfredo in front of him was quite reckless. If the matter today was settled properly,


    everyone would be okay. Otherwise, Alfredo¡¯s career would probablye to an end. Although Alfredo


    was appointed by the higher-ups toe over from another ce, Tom was no stranger to Alfredo.


    However, Alfredo did not expect to meet this legendary ruthless secretary-general at this juncture.


    When Travers saw Tom, his expression changed. Travers silently held his breath and focused. He


    carefully retreated to the side, afraid that he would be implicated. When Lucas saw Travers¡¯s cowardly


    appearance, he sneered in disdain. Traverspletely lost his arro gant attitude from just now.


    ¡°Travers, you didn¡¯t look like this when you took Rachel away in front of me previously.¡± Hearing this,


    Tom frowned slightly. Tom turned to look at Travers, who was standing in the corner but did not say


    anything. Tom walked toward Rachel. Rachel¡¯s slightly curled long hair was scattered behind her head.


    The strong lightnded on her face, making her fair cheeks look almost pale. His gaze slowly moved


    down until Tom looked at Rachel¡¯s wrists which were reddened by the handcuffs. A trace of anger


    appeared between Tom¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°Uncuff her!¡± Travers was stunned for a moment and almost


    instinctively rushed forward. Travers had just taken a step when Alfredo stopped him. Travers looked at


    Alfredo in confusion. Alfredo changed his respectful and fearful attitude from just now and said


    meaningfully, ¡°Mr. Johnson, I¡¯m afraid what you¡¯re doing is against the rules.¡± This casual sentence


    firmly pinned the me for the abuse of power on Tom. Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly and looked


    up at Alfredo with a cold glint in her eyes. ¡°Since when did a deputy chief at the police station have the


    right to speak?¡± Tom looked at Alfredo with a faint smile. Tom¡¯s tone was calm and emotionless,


    carrying an unknown ruthlessness. Alfredo felt inexplicably guilty for a moment, but he quickly adjusted


    his emotions. ¡°Mr. Henry is on his business trip. I¡¯m the one who has the most power at the police


    station for the time being, so I naturally have to bear the corresponding responsibility.¡± Tom looked at


    Alfredo coldly. Alfredo continued, ¡°Mr. Johnson, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know this. Miss Grey maliciously


    injured people, causing them seriously injured. The circumstances are wicked, so before the matter is


    investigated clearly, she can¡¯t even leave the interrogation room, let alone be removed from the


    handcuffs.¡± ¡°Mr. Johnson, if you really want to help her, you should think of a way to persuade her to


    cooperate with us as soon as possible. Otherwise¡­.¡± Alfredo paused for a moment, endured the pain


    on his face, and squeezed out an intriguing smile. ¡°You know how the officers at the police station


    handle cases, right?¡± If not for the fact that Rachel was quite pretty, Alfredo would have already asked


    his subordinates to do something to make Rachel suffer. Alfredo did not expect Rachel to dare to


    ssh hot water on his face. Damn it, it hurt so badly. ¡°Alfredo, you want to force her to confess?¡±


    Tom¡¯s deep and cold voice was filled with a chill that seeped into one¡¯s heart, making one shudder.


    Alfredo touched his face and said calmly, ¡°We all have our duties, so the working rules and ways are


    naturally different. It¡¯s better for you not to interfere, Mr. Johnson.¡± When Marina called today, she made


    herself very clear on the phone that the reason why Rachel was so arro gant was that she had the


    Johnson family backing her. However, with the surveince videos as evidence, even if the Johnson


    family wanted to protect Rachel, it was still difficult for Rachel to escape the crime of maliciously and


    seriously injuring others. Moreover, Marina¡¯s intention was very simple. She wanted to use this matter


    to put Rachel in jail for life. If the Johnson family insisted on protecting Rachel, Marina would not mind


    taking advantage of the situation and pulling them down too. After all, the Johnson family had


    dominated Seaxas for many years. It was time for the position of the richest family to change hands.


    Tom still wanted to say something, but Rachel grabbed his hand and said, ¡°Go and get ready.¡± When


    Tom sensed the object in his hand, his eyes flickered slightly. Tom looked up and gave Rachel a deep


    look. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Rachel said. Tom pursed his thin lips. After hesitating for a while, Tom stood up and


    left in the end. As Alfredo watched Tom leave, he had a smug look on his face. ¡°Mr. Johnson, you¡¯re


    indeed a wise man.¡± Hearing this, Tom stopped in his tracks slightly and looked sideways at Alfredo


    deeply. However, Lucas, who was standing at the side, rushed forward and grabbed Alfredo¡¯s cor


    directly, pressing Alfredo against the wall. ¡°If you dare to say another word of nonsense, believe it or


    not, I¡¯ll cripple you!¡± ¡°Lucas!¡± Rachel and Tom spoke in unison. Lucas secretly gritted his teeth. The


    veins on his forehead bulged, and his cheeks were tense, showing his forbearance at this moment.


    Lucas snorted, let go of Alfredo, and turned to leave. After they left, Rachel yed with the empty


    paper cup with her fingertips and said casually, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about what I have done?¡± Hearing this, the


    people in the interrogation room could not help but be stunned. Their gazes allnded on Rachel. Don


    sized her up with probing eyes. Could it be that Rachel couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and decided to


    confess so quickly? This waspletely different from what Don had imagined. One had to know that


    thest time Rachel came to the police station, she had caused a hugemotion in the entire police


    station. The big shots of various forces took turnsing to take her away. Alfredo did not know about


    these things. He only thought that Rachel realized that her backers were useless and nned to admit


    guilt. ¡°Sure.¡± Alfredo adjusted his slightly wrinkled cor, pulled out a chair, and sat opposite Rachel


    arro gantly. ¡°Then tell me everything you knew.¡± Rachel said, ¡°They have ulterior motives against me. I


    was just defending myself. I just didn¡¯t expect them to be so unprofessional. They were so weak and


    could not afford my slight beating at all. It¡¯s just like that.¡± When Alfredo heard Rachel¡¯s words, his face


    suddenly darkened. ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re ying with me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Rachel looked up at


    Alfredo. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask those people. Alfredo looked at Rachel deeply for a


    moment and sneered. ¡°I will wait and see how stubborn you can be!¡± As soon as Alfredo finished


    speaking, he looked at the people beside him. ¡°Lock her up. She¡¯s not allowed to eat or drink, let alone


    sleep!¡± The expressions of the surrounding people suddenly changed, and they silently sympathized


    with Rachel. Rachel, on the other hand, had a calm expression on her face as if she did not care about


    these at all. After Marina received the news, she took a private ne to Seaxas overnight. After Marina


    got into Olivia¡¯s car, she asked, ¡°Did you get the injury reports?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve got them.¡± Olivia said, ¡°I¡¯ve


    consulted awyer. These are all solid evidence. Even if the famouswyer, Adrian,es, he won¡¯t


    be able to save Rachel!¡± When Marina heard this, her eyes lit up. ¡°Have you talked with the people


    lying in the hospital properly?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

 Chapter 637

    Chapter 637


    Chapter 637 Olivia smiled. ¡°Their parents¡¯ lives are in my hands. Naturally, they know what to say what


    not to say. and Not to mention the Johnson family¡¯s support this time, even if David returned to support


    Rachel, Rachel would still be doomed! Seeing how confident Olivia was, Marina kindly reminded her,


    ¡°Things can change before everything is settled. What you have to do is to be fully prepared and meet


    the changes with constancy.¡± ¡°Marina, don¡¯t worry,¡± Olivia said. Marina nced at the horizon outside


    the window and said meaningfully, ¡°It¡¯s almost dawn.¡± The show was about to begin. Olivia followed her


    gaze and said gently, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s going to be dawn soon.¡± This time, she wanted topletely trample


    Rachel under her feet! On the other hand, Tom did not leave after walking out of the police station.


    Instead, he sat in the car and called his brother-inw, Warren. His thin lips were as cold as ice, and


    his tone was as cold as frost. ¡°Where are you?¡± I¡¯m already on my way back.¡± Warren knew how much


    the Johnson family cared about Rachel. If Rachel really suffered any grievances in the police station,


    he should di e as an apology. Tom lit a cigarette and took a deep puff. White smoke slowly came out of


    his mouth. His deep and cold voice slowly sounded. ¡°I¡¯ll also give you a good opportunity to be


    promoted.¡± Hearing this, Warren, who was on the other end of the phone, was not happy at all. Instead,


    he became even more nervous. He thought for a moment and asked carefully, ¡°What good


    opportunity?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get Lucas to send it to your email. Remember to check it,¡± Tom said and hung up.


    Listening to the beeping sound on the phone, Warren could not figure it out for a moment. After an


    unknown period of time, he received a document in his email. He clicked on his phone to check. When


    he saw the contents, his small eyes were filled with shock and excitement. Warren grabbed his phone


    and pped his thigh excitedly. If not for the roof restricting him, he would have done a few backflips to


    celebrate. He did not expect to encounter such a good opportunity when he was about to retire! ¡°Mr.


    Henry?¡± The driver in the front looked at him in confusion. Warren cleared his throat and suppressed


    the ecstasy and excitement in his heart. ¡°Drive faster!¡± He didn¡¯t want to dy his promotion! In the


    police station. Alfredo rested his legs on the corner of the table. He was holding ice wrapped in a towel


    and applying it to the swelling on his face. ¡°Did she say anything?¡± ¡°No.¡± Don said, ¡°Mr. George, I feel


    that this case is full of suspicious points. I suggest that we investigate it together. Perhaps there will be


    unexpected gains.¡± Upon hearing this, Alfredo¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°Don, I know you have


    real talent, but don¡¯t order me to do anything until you be more powerful than me!¡± His words were


    filled with mockery. However, Don did not seem to understand. His eyes were lowered, and the


    expression in his eyes could not be seen clearly. ¡°I¡¯ve investigated those people. They all have criminal


    records. In addition, they were holding control knives at that time. Who can guarantee that they did not


    have any motive for killing or malicious intentions?¡± ¡°Mr. Cole, aren¡¯t you being too one-sided?¡± A low


    and gentle voice sounded from behind. The two people in the room turned around at the same time


    and saw Marina in a wine-red V-neck dress walking toward them in high heels. Behind her was Olivia.


    When Alfredo saw Marina, he hurriedly sat up. With a red and swollen face, he walked forward


    respectfully. ¡°Miss Jones, why are you here?¡± Marina¡¯s eyes shed with imperceptible disgust as she


    looked at his face. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Alfredo sighed. ¡°It¡¯s all because of


    that¡­¡± Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Don and stopped abruptly. ¡°This has nothing to do with you.


    You can leave first.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± After Don left the room, he was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he stood at


    the door and lit a cigarette. He could vaguely hear Alfredo and Marina talking in the room. ¡°She is a


    criminal, but she attacked you. It¡¯s very bad.¡± ¡°The crime of assaulting a police officer can be serious or


    trivial. You don¡¯t have to worry about such a small matter, Miss Jones.¡± Alfredo paused for a moment


    and asked, ¡°May I know why you suddenly came over?¡± ¡°Release Richard,¡± said Marina. ¡°But we got a


    report that he hired a murder to kill someone.¡± ¡°So have you got solid evidence?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Since you don¡¯t


    have evidence, you can¡¯t confirm his crime, so there won¡¯t be any problem even if you release him.¡±


    Yes, I¡¯ll give the order now.¡± When Alfredo went out, Don had already left. He brought Olivia to the


    ce where Richard was temporarily imprisoned. When Richard saw Olivia, he was so excited that he


    almost cried. He held Olivia¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Olivia, how is it?¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s okay. We can go home now,¡±


    Olivia said as he helped him out of the detention room. When they passed by Alfredo, Olivia¡¯s footsteps


    paused slightly. ¡°Mr. George, I wonder where Rachel is being locked up now?¡± ¡°Interrogation room,¡±


    Alfredo said. ¡°Miss Cruise, do you want to take a look?¡± Olivia naturally hoped to see Rachel in a sorry


    state. However, everything had yet to be settled. It was better for her to keep a low profile. ¡°My father


    was framed this time. I¡¯ll have to trouble you with this matter, Mr. George.¡± Olivia had a gentle smile on


    her face. Her slender and fair hands gently held Alfredo¡¯s fat hands. At the same time, she took out the


    bank card that she had prepared in advance and stuffed it into Alfredo¡¯s hand. ¡°Mr. George, if you can


    help my father seek justice, the Cruise family will remember your kindness.¡± ¡°Miss Cruise, you¡¯re too


    polite.¡± Alfredo touched the texture of the bank card and a dark andplicated expression shed


    across his eyes. He looked at Olivia lecherously and held her hand tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Our goal is to


    serve the people wholeheartedly! Leave this matter to me. Don¡¯t worry.¡± A trace of disgust shed


    across Olivia¡¯s eyes as she looked at Alfredo¡¯s indecent hand. She quietly pulled her hand away.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. George.¡± With that, she held Richard¡¯s arm and turned to leave. Richard was suddenly


    taken awaytest night. He was frightened and could not sleep or eat in peace. After all this, his


    usual vitality was greatly reduced, as if he had aged a lot overnight. When the two of them left, they


    happened to pass by the interrogation room where Rachel was detained. In the interrogation room, two


    high-intensity lights were aimed at Rachel. The dazzling light made her fair face almost transparent,


    and one could vaguely see the blood vessels under her skin. There was no panic or uneasiness on her


    face. Her eyes were calm, and she did not look disheveled at all. Rachel seemed to have sensed


    something. She narrowed her eyes and looked at the door.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 638

    Chapter 638


    Rachel nced at the door coldly.


    Through the ss, she could vaguely see the facial features of Olivia and Richard.


    Her eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold light appeared in the depths of her almond-shaped eyes.


    Was Richard actually released?


    She slowly lowered her eyes and a faint smile appeared on her lips.


    Olivia snorted without hiding anything. ¡°It¡¯s already at this juncture. But she can bring herself tough!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Richard retracted his gaze and nced at Olivia.


    They got into the car and the car slowly (dro ve) out of the gate. Richard finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    Before he could exhale, the car suddenly braked.


    Olivia and Richard were caught off guard and fell toward the front row seats.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Olivia scolded coldly.


    Before she could finish her sentence, someone knocked on the car window beside her.


    Olivia frowned and slowly lowered the car window. What she saw was Eddie¡¯s faint smile.


    Her heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of uneasiness instantly overwhelmed her.


    She looked up at the ck Rolls-Royce that was slowly driving past Eddie.


    The (arro gant)) license te number symbolized the man¡¯s iparably noble status in the car.


    Olivia¡¯s eyshes fluttered, and her eyes flickered with panic.


    Was David back?


    Why did hee back at this juncture?


    There was a faint smile on Eddie¡¯s lips, but his smile was obviously cold. ¡°Miss Cruise, the police are


    investigating a smuggling case. In order to prevent the news from leaking, the higher-ups have


    specially instructed that everyone is only allowed to enter and not leave! I hope the two of you can


    cooperate!¡± Richard was scheming and sensed his daughter¡¯s panic. He held her slightly cold hand. At


    the same time, he said to Eddie, ¡°Got it. We will definitely cooperate.¡±


    When Eddie heard this, the smile on his lips became more obvious, but there was a terrifying coldness


    in his eyes.


    After he left, Olivia grabbed Richard¡¯s hand. ¡°Dad, what should we do now?! If David finds out that


    we¡¯re targeting Rachel, he won¡¯t let us go!¡±


    Thinking about what happened to the Tory, Olivia was filled with lingering fear.


    If David really attacked the Cruise family, they would not even have the chance to fight back. At that


    time, only death awaited them.


    ¡°What are you panicking for?¡± Richard sighed softly. He took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.


    ¡°Without anything as evidence, who can convict us with just one sentence?¡±


    When Olivia heard this, her panicked emotions wereforted. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s direct evidence of Rachel


    maliciously hurting someone. Even if someone wants to take the me, she¡¯s the one who can¡¯t


    escape!¡± There was no evidence to prove that she had hired a murder to (ki l l ) someone. It was


    impossible to convict them with just one sentence.


    Olivia¡¯s anxious heart gradually rxed when she thought of this. ¡°I¡¯ll inform Marina first so that she


    won¡¯t be caught off guard when she sees David.¡±


    Lucas, who was smoking in front of the car, was slightly stunned when he saw David appear. He


    immediately threw away the cigarette (b u t t) in his hand and quickly walked toward David.


    The first thing he said was, ¡°Are you willing to put righteousness before family?¡±


    David nced at him indifferently. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Lucas raised his eyebrows, and a ruthless look appeared in his eyes. ¡°No matter what, they¡¯re rtives


    who are rted by blood. If you can¡¯t bear to do it, I don¡¯t mind helping you.¡±


    David did not say anything. Instead, he put one hand in his pocket and walked into the police station


    with powerful steps.


    Don was stunned when he saw David appear.


    However, as David walked over step by step, his blood could not help but boil.


    He could finally see the scene of the big shot beating up (s c u m) with his own eyes again!


    ¡°Open the door.¡± David¡¯s voice was low and maic. There was a terrifying murderous aura around


    him. Just his one look made Don¡¯s body tense up involuntarily.


    Don opened the door without hesitation.


    As the door opened, David¡¯s pupils constricted when he saw Rachel in handcuffs.


    In an instant, the temperature in the entire interrogation room seemed to have dropped several


    degrees, and the air was cold.


    The moment Rachel saw David, the coldness in her eyes disappeared and was reced by a gentle


    smile. ¡°Why are you suddenly back?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me even when you were wronged?¡± David slowly squatted down and knelt on one knee,


    looking into her eyes.


    Rachel pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be distracted by these insignificant things.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t ignore anything that concerns you.¡± David reached out and touched her cheek before grabbing


    her hand.


    Sensing her cold hands, David frowned slightly and said coldly, ¡°Open the handcuffs.¡±


    At this moment, Travers, who camete, said, ¡°That won¡¯t do. Mr. George specially instructed¡­¡±


    Hearing this, David slowly raised his eyes and casually nced over, making Travers feel as if his


    throat was being strangled. Travers bit back his unfinished words abruptly.


    ¡°I asked you to open it! Don¡¯t make me repeat myself a third time!¡± David¡¯s tone was cold and his voice


    was low. It seemed to be wrapped in ice, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet.


    Travers¡¯s entire body tensed up. He swallowed his saliva and slowly walked forward to open the


    handcuffs.


    David took off his jacket and put it on Rachel. ¡°Ask Alfredoe to see me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Travers nodded vigorously and turned around to leave as if he was running for his life.


    At this moment, Eddie walked forward and said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Jones, I¡¯ve stopped Richard and


    Olivia.¡±


    -David replied indifferently, ¡°Go pour a cup of hot water.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Eddie handed over a cup of hot water. David tested the temperature and stuffed it into Rachel¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Warm your hand.


    On the other side.


    Alfredo was ttering Marina in his office when Marina received a call from Olivia. ¡°Do you mean David


    is back?¡±


    Even though she tried her best to control her emotions, she still revealed a trace of surprise and shock.


    She thought that David was just interested in Rachel on a whim. Whether he doted on Rachel or really


    loved Rachel, when Rachel was no longer attractive to him, he would abandon Rachel sooner orter.


    However, the fact that David had returned to Seaxas despite everything made Marina even more


    certain that David really loved Rachel.


    She did not expect that one day, her nephew, who hated constraints and did not tolerate blood


    rtives,


    would also have a weakness.


    Weakness was something good.


    One could be easily controlled and swallow his pride because of his weakness!


    ¡°Marina, will David¡¯s sudden return affect our next n?¡± Olivia probed carefully.


    Marina lowered her eyes to admire her beautiful nails. A mocking smile appeared on her red lips. ¡°Don¡¯t


    forget that the evidence of Rachel maliciously injuring others is still in our hands.¡±


    She wanted to see how far David could go for Rachell .

 Chapter 639

    Chapter 639


    When Travers walked into the office, Marina had just hung up.


    When Alfredo saw Travers, he quickly walked forward and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Um, someone wants to see you,¡± Travers said.


    Alfredo casually asked. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Seeing that Travers was stammering for a long time and could note up with an exnation, he


    scolded angrily, ¡°You don¡¯t even know who he is but you dare to let me go over! I think you¡¯ve lost. your


    mind!¡±


    As he spoke, he raised his leg and kicked Travers¡¯s leg.


    Travers stood on the spot with an innocent expression. He raised his hand and scratched his head.


    ¡°That person doesn¡¯t look simple, so¡­¡±


    ¡°F**k you!¡± Alfredo cursed coldly. ¡°Hurry up and get out of here. Can¡¯t you see that I have an honored


    guest here?¡±


    Upon hearing this. Travers nced at Marina, silently turned around, and left.


    At this moment, Marina put down the cup in her hand and said unhurriedly. ¡°I advise you to go over and


    take a look. That nephew of mine is not a good-tempered person.¡±


    Hearing this, Alfredo was stunned.


    Alfredo had long heard about Marina¡¯s nephew, David.


    At such a young age, David was already the head of the Jones family. Even people from the Elders


    were wary of him. It could be seen that David¡¯s methods were not ordinary.


    Unfortunately, he had already expressed his loyalty to Marina.


    Alfredo looked at the expression on Marina¡¯s face and asked cautiously, ¡°Then should I go over and


    take a look?¡±


    ¡°Go, Marina said calmly.


    However, Alfredo did not expect to meet David and the others as soon as he left.


    David held Rachel¡¯s hand as they walked side by side.


    Rachel was wearing high heels. Her steps were not big. David¡¯s legs were long, so his steps were big,


    but he walked very slowly as if he was deliberately waiting for her.


    Meanwhile, Adrian followed behind Rachel.


    No one present was unfamiliar with Adrian¡¯s name. He was a figure that would make people tremble in


    fear in thewyer circle.


    Alfredo had an ominous premonition when he saw this group of people.


    However, he thought about the irrefutable evidence of Rachel maliciously injuring others, and he felt


    relieved. Not to mention Adrian, even if (G o d) came here, Rachel would not be able to clear her


    name.


    He raised his hand and ran his fingers through his hair. With a ttering smile on his face, he quickly


    walked forward. ¡°Mr. Jones, I didn¡¯t know that you were here. I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t go out to wee


    you. I hope you can forgive me.¡±


    However, David only nced at him indifferently. His overly calm gaze seemed to not see Alfredo¡¯s


    existence at all.


    Seeing the group of people walk into the meeting room, Alfredo couldn¡¯t help but secretly calcte in


    his heart.


    After thinking for a while, he walked into the conference room.


    After the group sat down, Alfredo looked around and pulled out a chair to sit opposite them.


    As soon as he sat down, David nced at him.


    Alfredo¡¯s heart (ski pped) a beat when he met that pair of unfathomable ck eyes, and his back


    inexplicably stiffened.


    ¡°When did you start to manage this police station?¡±


    David¡¯s tone was slow and indifferent, but it carried a chilling deterrence.


    Alfredo cleared his throat and calmed the fear in his heart. ¡°Mr. Henry is on a business trip. During this


    period of time, I¡¯ll be in charge of all the matters in the police station.¡±


    There was a kind of pride in his words and actions.


    Rachel did not say anything. She just quietly appreciated David¡¯s hand that was held her.


    ¡°Was it you who imprisoned Rachel by force and used torture to force her to confess?¡± A faint smile.


    appeared on David¡¯s lips, but a trace of viciousness shed in the depths of his eyes.


    At this moment, if Alfredo still couldn¡¯t sense David¡¯s annoyance, he would have been in the official.


    circles for many years in vain.


    He pursed his lips. ¡°Mr. Jones, you might not know that we received a report that Ra¡­ Miss Grey


    maliciously injured someone and caused that person to be seriously hurt. We couldn¡¯t sit back and do


    nothing. We could only invite her over for an investigation, but she refused to cooperate. We were


    forced to take extreme measures. I hope you can understand.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± David said ambiguously, ¡°Who was the one who reported the case? Did he ept the


    investigation and confess? Have you investigated the group of people lying in the hospital? Have you


    obtained concrete evidence?¡±


    The series of questions left Alfredo at a loss.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He even felt the pressure of being interrogated.


    He gave Travers a look, and Travers immediately understood. ¡°The person who reported the case is


    Olivia. Currently, the hospital has given us the injury report. A total of eight people are injured. Among


    them, six are seriously injured, one is slightly injured, and one is unconscious. In addition, we¡¯ve


    checked the surveince cameras around the road and didn¡¯t find anything suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± Lucas said sarcastically, ¡°Travers, you¡¯re not as impressive as before, are you?¡±


    Travers secretly clenched his fists. ¡°We¡¯re just doing things ording to thew.¡±


    ¡°Cut the (cr ap).¡± (Lu ca s¡¯s) face suddenly darkened. ¡°I only have one sentence to tell you. How can


    you convict ¡°Rachel without evidence?¡±


    ¡°Who said there¡¯s no evidence?¡± Alfredo said calmly, ¡°Isn¡¯t the injury report from the hospital evidence?


    Or is the surveince footage of her hitting someone not evidence?¡±


    He paused for a moment and looked at Travers beside him. ¡°Go to my office and get the things.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In just a moment, Travers ced all the evidence in front of them.


    When Alfredo saw the evidence in front of him, he could not help but straighten his back.


    Even if Rachel had the backing of David and the protection of a famouswyer, how could she quibble


    in the face of this irrefutable evidence?


    Adrian flipped through the injury report. It was clearly written, and there was a hospital seal printed


    below. It did not seem to be fake.


    ¡°ording to the regtions, if one intentionally harms someone, he will be sentenced to less than


    three years of fixed-term imprisonment. If the circumstances are serious, he will be sentenced to more


    than three years and less than ten years of fixed-term imprisonment.¡± Alfredo crossed his legs, and


    there was a hint of smugness in his eyes. ¡°Instead of quibbling, why don¡¯t you think about how to let the


    unconscious


    person pass through the dangerous period safely? If anything happens to him, what awaits Miss Grey


    will be more than ten years of fixed-term imprisonment or life imprisonment.¡±


    He turned his gaze to Adrian. ¡°Mr. Johnson, you¡¯re a famouswyer, No one here is more familiar with


    thew than you. I wonder if you have anything to say after seeing the injury report.¡±


    Adrian casually threw the injury report, took out a document from his briefcase, and threw it in front of


    Alfredo. ¡°This is the information I¡¯ve investigated. As far as I know, these eight people all have criminal


    records. After being released, not only did they not reform, but they even established a gang of evil


    forces. All these years, they¡¯ve beenmitting crimes in Linsburg. Mr. George, since you know the


    law. so well, why don¡¯t we see how they¡¯ll be sentenced?¡±


    His voice was gentle, but every word he said was like ice that smashed into Alfredo¡¯s heart, causing it


    to sink uncontrobly.


    In the long silence, a sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead.


    No one had told him this before.


    If what Adrian said was true, Rachel¡¯s case was worth investigating.


    Recently, the higher-ups had been strictly fighting against evil forces. If he really covered up for them,


    his career woulde to an end.


    At this moment, the sound of high heels clicking came from the corridor.


    The crisp sound gradually became clearer, as if it was stepping on people¡¯s hearts, making their scalp.


    tingle.

 Chapter 640

    Chapter 640


    Chapter 640


    Everyone in the conference room subconsciously turned to look at the door.


    The door opened and Marina walked in.


    Behind her stood Albert and Olivia.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be so many people.¡± Marina¡¯s soft voice sounded.


    She nced at David and pretended to be surprised. ¡°David, you¡¯re here too. What exactly has


    happened? You actually left your house. If word gets out, who knows how much gossip will spread?¡±


    David¡¯s expression was indifferent and distant. He retorted, ¡°Is it worth it for you to personally take


    action over such a small matter?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, anything rted to Miss Grey is not a small matter.¡± Marina lowered her eyes to hide the


    coldness in her eyes. She sat on the sofa beside David and said unhurriedly, ¡°Miss Grey is the person


    Old Mrs. Jones likes. Old Mrs. Jones even gave the ancestral precious jade bracelet to Miss Grey. It


    can be seen that Old Mrs. Jones treats Miss Grey as one of us. How can I sit back and do nothing


    when something happens to Miss Grey?¡±


    Hearing this. Rachel slowly raised her eyes and stared at Marina with gloomy eyes.


    Marina was quite capable.


    She even knew such a thing clearly.


    Sensing Rachel¡¯s gaze, Marina looked at her with a smile. ¡°Miss Grey, do you have something to say to


    me?¡±


    Rachel smiled and said meaningfully, ¡°Auntie Marina, Ijust feel that although you look like an ordinary


    person, you¡¯re actually very impressive. You actually know such a private matter.¡±


    The smile on Marina¡¯s face froze when she heard this. She subconsciously nced at David.


    Seeing that David was expressionless, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    She turned to look at Rachel, and a trace of imperceptible coldness shed across her


    eyes.


    Rachel, this (bit ch ) actually dared to trick her.


    ¡°Miss Grey, only you can get Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s favor. Naturally, I have to pay more attention to you.¡±


    Rachel did not say anything, but there was a meaningful smile on her lips.


    Seeing this, Marina stopped talking nonsense with Rachel and turned to look at Alfredo. ¡°I heard that


    Miss Grey maliciously hurt some people and seriously injured them. I think she didn¡¯t do it on purpose.


    Why don¡¯t we do this? I¡¯ll interfere and we¡¯ll settle this matter privately. Miss Grey willpensate


    those people with a certain amount of medical and psychologicalpensation. What do you think, Mr.


    George?¡±


    Alfredo was about to speak when there was amotion at the door.


    Just as everyone was confused, they saw a group of people rush in.


    ¡°Sir, you have to help us!¡±


    ¡°My son was seriously injured and is lying in the hospital. No one cares about him. You have to arrest


    the murderer and bring her to justice!¡±


    For a moment, all kinds of cries and wails filled the quiet and solemn conference room.


    Alfredo¡¯s head was about to explode from the noise. He was at a loss as he looked at the scene in front


    of him. He then nced at Marina from the corner of his eye.


    The two of them looked at each other meaningfully and immediately understood why this group of


    people would appear at this juncture.


    He rolled his eyes, cleared his throat, and put on an impartial expression. ¡°We¡¯re investigating this


    matter.


    We¡¯ll definitely give everyone a fair and just exnation.


    At this moment, Marina said, ¡°Miss Grey, I think it¡¯s better to resolve this matter privately. If this matter


    blows up, it won¡¯t be good for you. Am I right?¡±


    Hearing this, David narrowed his eyes and looked at Marina with a sharp look in his eyes.


    As expected, when the group of people who had just been appeased heard Marina¡¯s words, they


    instantly targeted Rachel.


    Alright, so you¡¯re the one who injured my son!¡± An old woman with white hair red fiercely at Rachel.


    She wanted to rush up and bite Rachel, but she was stopped by Don.


    Her eyes were red as she roared in pain. ¡°You¡¯re really ruthless. You actually hit my son so hard. If


    anything happens to my son, I¡¯ll make you pay with your life!¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t know what was good for them. What does it have to do with me?¡± Rachel said.


    Hearing that, the woman was furious. She grabbed Don¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°Sir, did you hear what she


    said? She clearly hit my son, but she doesn¡¯t repent. This kind of woman should be dragged out and


    shot!¡±


    Don looked helpless.


    How could Rachel say such things directly?


    This was no different from adding fuel to the fire!


    Amidst the chaos, Alfredo pped the table. ¡°Everyone, be quiet!¡±


    As he spoke, the noisy people were silent for a moment.


    ¡°We always handle things ording to thew. Now, there are two options in front of you. One is to


    settle the matter in court. We will pursue Rachel¡¯s criminal responsibility ording to thew,¡± Alfredo


    said. ¡°The other is to settle it out of court. As for how and how much topensate, you¡¯ll have to


    discuss this in private¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, the white-haired old woman spat. ¡°How can there be such a good


    thing in this world?¡±


    Alfredo couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back because of her vulgar behavior.


    The white-haired old woman said again, ¡°My son is seriously injured and unconscious, but do you want.


    to give us money and send us away? Let me tell you. That won¡¯t do! Not only are we going to sue her


    and pursue her criminal responsibility, but we also want her topensate us for all the medical


    expenses and (men tal ) damage!¡±


    Hearing this, the surrounding people agreed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Our entire family is counting on my man to earn money. Now that he¡¯s been seriously


    injured, how can our family survive?¡±


    ¡°My brother has a seventy-year-old mother to support and a six-year-old son to take care of. But his


    arm is broken. How can he take responsibility in the future?¡±


    Everyone spoke one after another. They all scolded Rachel harshly.


    Marina and Olivia watched expressionlessly, but they couldn¡¯t help but sneer in their hearts.


    This time, Rachel was dead meat!


    These people would not let her off easily.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    As long as they insisted on holding Rachel ountable, Rachel would have to bear criminal.


    responsibility,


    Once Rachel was imprisoned, they had plenty of ways to make her die!


    After some time, Rachel slowly said, ¡°Every injustice has its perpetrator. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve asked the


    wrong person forpensation.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The white-haired old woman stared at Rachel with a cold expression. ¡°You were


    the


    one who admitted to hitting someone just now. We all heard it with our own ears. Are you going back


    on your word now?¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t say anything. She just nced at the clock on the wall.


    Seeing that she did not speak, Olivia could not hold it in anymore. ¡°Rachel, the evidence is right in front


    of you. It¡¯s not something you can deny.¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡±


    Seeing the smile on her lips, Olivia could not help but frown. She felt that Rachel¡¯s smile was


    indescribably dangerous.

 Chapter 641

    Chapter 641


    Chapter 641


    Marina sighed faintly and said earnestly, ¡°David, why don¡¯t you persuade Miss Grey properly? At a time


    Like this, she shouldn¡¯t be stubborn.¡±


    ¡°At this time, what we have to do is to seek the forgiveness of the injured people¡¯s family members. No


    matter what request they make, you have to agree. Don¡¯t tell me you n to see Miss Grey go to jail for


    intentionally hurting someone at such a young age. This kind of dishonorable thing is a stain on her life.


    She can¡¯t get rid of it in the future.¡±


    Upon hearing this, David raised his eyebrows slightly. His thin lips curled into a faint smile that revealed


    terrifying ruthlessness. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Seeing his indifferent expression, Marina could not help but frown.


    Originally, she thought that David rushing back at all costs would show how important Rachel was to


    him. However, his current attitude made her wonder if she had guessed wrongly.


    But if he really didn¡¯t care about Rachel, why would he rush back?


    Wasn¡¯t this inconsistent?


    At this moment, Alfredo looked at the white-haired old woman in the lead. ¡°So are you nning to


    sue?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! The white-haired old woman nodded. ¡°We want the wicked to be punished as she


    deserves!¡±


    Alfredo lowered his eyes to hide the smug look in his eyes. ¡°In that case, please go back. When it¡¯s


    time to bear the case in open court, we will inform you. At that time, you can tell the judge your


    demands.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Adrian suddenly shouted as he watched everyone leave.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on him.


    ¡°I have a video here that I would like everyone to take a look at,¡± Adrian said as he walked to the


    computer and inserted the USB drive into theputer.


    He projected the scene on theputer onto the screen behind him.


    The scene in the video was extremely clear.


    The eight burly men circled around the bushes. After whispering to each other and discussing, they hid


    in


    the bushes.


    Not long after, Rachel slowly walked into the scene.


    She lowered her head and checked her phone. A man holding a steel pipe followed behind her.


    When the man raised his stick and wanted to hit Rachel, Rachel mmed the bag in her hand into the


    man¡¯s face and kicked him to the ground.


    The man clutched his chest and cursed. The next second, seven burly men appeared from the bushes


    and surrounded Rachel. They held steel pipes and daggers as thick as a baby¡¯s arm and sized up


    Rachel with ill intentions.


    In the video, those people were indeed up to no good. They nned to ambush Rachel.


    Olivia had always known that Rachel was ruthless, but she did not expect Rachel to be so vicious.


    Rachel could actually fight eight people alone!


    Seeing those people lying on the ground, Olivia could not help but feel her scalp tingle,


    At this moment, Alfredo said, ¡°This evidence can only prove that it wasn¡¯t Rachel who caused trouble,


    but it also fully proves that she was the one who injured them seriously. Moreover, ording to the


    injury report of those people, she was overly defensive and will still bear the criminal responsibility.¡±


    Those injured people had to support their families, and some of them were the only ones who worked


    in their families. If this matter was brought to court, not only would the judge not fit the punishment to


    the crime, but he would also ask Rachel topensate them.


    Upon hearing this, Marina smiled smugly and coldly.


    Did Rachel really think that she could get away with it with the video as evidence?


    It wasn¡¯t easy for her to get something on Rachel. She couldn¡¯t let it go!


    A sinister and cold glint shed across her eyes as she thought of this. She gave the white-haired old


    woman a meaningful look.


    The white-haired old woman was stunned for a moment before she reacted. She knelt on the ground


    and hugged Alfredo¡¯s leg as she cried, ¡°Sir, you have to help us! My son is still lying in the hospital


    unconscious. If anything happens to him, how am I going to live?¡±


    Her cries seemed to have a chain effect. The others also cried in grief.


    ¡°My brother has an 80-year-old mother and a six-year-old child to raise. Now his leg has been broken.


    What will happen to his future life?¡±


    ¡°My poor grandson was crip pled at such a young age. It¡¯s a pity that he doesn¡¯t even have a wife.¡±


    The resentful cries made people¡¯s minds a mess.


    ¡°Mr. George, since you are familiar with thew, I would like to consult you,¡± Rachel said at this


    moment. She sat on the chair with her legs crossed and David¡¯s suit jacket draped over her shoulders.


    She remained calm as if everything was under her control.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Alfredo said.


    Rachel slowly raised her eyes and a bright smile appeared on her lips. ¡°ording to thews of our -


    country, how should we deal with attempted murder?¡±


    Those who intentionallymit murder will be sentenced to death, life imprisonment, or fixed-term


    imprisonment for more than ten years. If the circumstances are less serious, they will be sentenced to


    fixed-term imprisonment for more than three years and less than ten years,¡± Alfredo said. ¡°For those


    who havemitted a crime but fail to seed because of reasons other than the criminal¡¯s will, it is


    an attempted crime. The punishment can be reduced ording to the aplished crime.¡±


    He recited it very familiarly, a mocking smile hidden in his eyes. ¡°Miss Grey, if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t


    understand, feel free to ask. I¡¯ll definitely tell you everything I know.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, are you suing them for attempted murder?¡± Marina¡¯s low and gentle voice sounded again.


    ¡°This crime is really not light. They used to have criminal records. If they are really convicted, I¡¯m afraid


    it will be difficult for them to be released in this lifetime.¡±


    With that, she sighed faintly.


    Her words were vague, but it was obvious that she was hinting at the people on the other side. If


    Rachel really charged them with attempted murder, they would not get anything.


    The white-haired old woman and Marina looked at each other. Although it was only a short nce, their


    eyes were filled with deep meaning.


    The white-haired old woman took a deep breath and said with a rude and unreasonable expression,


    ¡°Forget about the attempted murder! You beat my son up like this. You¡¯re the one who should be


    charged with attempted murder! My son is still lying in the hospital. I don¡¯t know if he can wake up in


    this life. Not only are you unrepentant, but you also want to frame us. You¡¯re really vicious!


    ¡°How can there be a coldhearted and ruthless woman like you in this world? How are you worthy of


    living in this world?¡±


    David¡¯s eyes moved. His pitch-ck pupils carried unconcealed sharpness as he red at the woman.


    maliciously.


    The woman felt a strong sense of oppression and gasped in fear. She bit back what she was going to


    say.


    ¡°So, do you n to sue them for attempted murder?¡± Alfredo said, ¡°Then do you have evidence? If you


    don¡¯t, this matter¡­¡±


    David raised his cold eyes. His deep eyes were filled with shallow coldness as he said lightly, ¡°Billy.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 642

    Chapter 642


    Chapter 642


    Yes. Billy had been carrying a long ck canvas bag since he entered. The zipper was unzipped, and it


    was thrown to the ground.


    ng!


    The sound was neither loud nor soft as if it had hit the hearts of everyone present, causing them to


    tremble.


    ¡°It¡¯s the evidence you want,¡± Billy said expressionlessly


    When everyone heard this, panic appeared in their eyes. They craned their necks to look at the things


    in the bag.


    Inside were all kinds of controlled knives, some of which were even stained with blood.


    Marina narrowed her eyes and turned her head sharply to look straight at Olivia.


    Olivia clenched her fists lightly and her pupils constricted.


    She had clearly thrown away all these things. Why were they here?


    ¡°Mr. Cole, can these things be used as evidence of the attempted murder?¡± At this time, Adrian said.


    unhurriedly, ¡°Take a good look. These are all life-threatening things. Fortunately, Miss Grey has been


    practicing self-defense since she was young. She was prepared. Otherwise, she would have died since


    she¡¯s just a weak woman who can¡¯t take care of herself.¡±


    Don was speechless.


    Was Rachel a weak and helpless woman who couldn¡¯t take care of herself?


    What kind of weak woman could fight eight people alone?


    Which weak woman who could not take care of herself could seriously injure eight men?


    At this moment, the old woman, who had been crying just now, instantly stopped crying.


    Her face was pale. ¡°Well¡­ She was the one who attacked first and she even seriously injured my son.


    Why does it be an attempted murder?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was at most a fight. How could it be considered murder?¡±


    ¡°Who knows whether those things are real or fake? What if it¡¯s false evidence that you framed!¡±


    As soon as someone said this, the others immediately became excited.


    The white-haired old woman snorted coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t you officers always protect each other in the official


    circles? This must be the perjury you made to protect this woman!¡±


    Adrian pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose and took out a certificate from his briefcase. He


    handed it to Alfredo. ¡°This is aparison based on the fingerprints of these controlled knives and the


    people who were injured and hospitalized.¡±


    Alfredo hesitated for half a second before reaching out to take the report.


    ording to the fingerprintparison, those people¡¯s fingerprints were indeed on these knives.


    This time, although they were seriously injured, the evidence of the attempted murder was conclusive,


    and they would not be able to escape responsibility.


    Besides, they had criminal records before. The judge would not fit the punishment to the crime, and


    they would be sentenced even more severely.


    He subconsciously nced at Marina, who was sitting on the sofa,


    Marina looked at Rachel and narrowed her eyes. Her eyes flickered with coldness.


    No wonder this (bit ch ) looked so confident. It turned out that Rachel had already nned everything!


    Alfredo cleared his throat and looked at Adrian. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re prosecuting as well?¡±


    Of course, Adrian took out thewyer¡¯s letter that he had prepared in advance. ¡°On behalf of my client,


    Rachel, I¡¯m suing Eric, Mike, and the other eight people for attempted murder. Also, Richard hired them


    to kill Rachel


    Olivia¡¯s face turned pale when she heard this. A sh of panic shed across her eyes as she blurted


    out, ¡°You¡¯re ndering me! How could my father hire them to kill Rachel?¡±


    She originally thought that everything was under her control, but she did not expect that things didn¡¯t


    turn around. Moreover, the Cruise family was in the teeth of the storm in the end.


    *Rachel, don¡¯t think that you can spout nonsense just because you have someone backing you!¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s nonsense or not, we¡¯ll naturally investigate it.¡± A deep voice suddenly sounded.


    Hearing the voice, everyone looked at the door of the conference room.


    As the door was pushed open, Warren walked inside in his uniform, followed by a few uniformed


    people.


    Alfredo was stunned.


    Didn¡¯t Warren go on an official mission?


    Why did he suddenlye back?


    Caught off guard, he met Warren¡¯s cold gaze and felt a chill run up from the bottom of his feet and


    sweep through his limbs and bones, causing a certain string in his body to stiffen.


    He pursed his lips and restrained the surprise and panic in his eyes. He said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Henry,


    why are you suddenly back?¡±


    Warren snorted without hiding anything. ¡°If I hadn¡¯te back, would you have continued to act like a


    tyrant in the police station?¡±


    Alfredo smiled with embarrassment. ¡°Mr. Henry, you can¡¯t nder me. I¡¯m just doing my job. I didn¡¯t


    vite the rules of the police station¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to talk nonsense with you.¡± Warren raised his chin at the person in the prosecutor¡¯s


    uniform behind him. ¡°The person you¡¯re looking for is here. Take her away!¡±


    The moment Olivia saw the prosecutor, she panicked.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Especially when she heard that she was going to be taken away, she instinctively shrank behind


    Marina.


    Even so, she was still taken away in the end.


    ¡°Let go of me! What right do you have to arrest me?¡± Olivia struggled.


    Marina frowned slightly and watched coldly.


    Warren nced at Olivia coldly. ¡°We have received a report that the Cruise family is suspected of tax


    evasion. The Cruise Group has been doing illegal smuggling transactions behind the scenes. You¡¯re a


    suspect, so we have the right to take you away for investigation.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s heart (ski p ped) a beat, and her pupils trembled violently. ¡°What evidence do you have?¡±


    Evidence?


    Warren thought of the email sent to him by Lucas which recorded every illegal smuggling transaction of


    the Cruise Group.


    He said expressionlessly, ¡°Do you think we¡¯lle personally to arrest you without evidence?¡±


    The uniformed prosecutor ced the handcuffs on Olivia¡¯s wrists and took her away.


    When the cold handcuffs touched her skin, Olivia¡¯s body trembled violently.


    She looked at Marina in a panic. ¡°Marina, you have to help me!¡±


    She could not be taken away just like that.


    If the Smith family knew about this, they would definitely abandon her!


    If Louis found it out, he would definitely ask for a divorce!


    Hearing Olivia¡¯s words, Marina frowned slightly, her eyes filled with disgust.


    Idiot!


    Wasn¡¯t it obvious that Olivia wanted to get her involved by speaking to her at this juncture?


    ¡°Mr. Henry, is there a misunderstanding?¡± Marina asked calmly.


    Warren nced at Marina coldly. ¡°Miss Jones, let me give you a piece of good advice. It¡¯s not up to you


    to teach the police how to handle a case.¡±


    How dare Marina hurt Rachel!


    Marina was really courting death!


    ¦§


    ¡°You!¡± Marina¡¯s eyes were suddenly filled with anger. She secretly gritted her teeth. ¡°I was just asking


    out of kindness. Now it seems unnecessary.¡±


    Warren raised his hand and dusted off the non-existent dust on his body. He said casually, ¡°It¡¯s quite


    unnecessary.¡±


    Marina¡¯s expression darkened in an instant, but she couldn¡¯t lose her temper.


    Seeing her embarrass herself, Warren smiled coldly and nced at the person beside him. ¡°What are


    you waiting for? Take her away!¡±

 Chapter 643

    Chapter 643


    Chapter 643


    At this moment, Olivia¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    It was Bertha.


    Rachel gave Warren a look. Warren instantly understood. ¡°Answer the call.¡±


    Olivia was a little surprised. Would they be so kind?


    After the call was picked up, Bertha¡¯s panicked voice came from the phone. ¡°Olivia, what exactly


    happened? Why are there so many police officers breaking into the house?¡±


    The background noise on the other end of the phone was a little noisy. It was not difficult to imagine the


    chaotic scene when this group of people barged into the Cruise family.


    ¡°Olivia, they¡¯re going to seize our house. What¡¯s going on?¡± Bertha could not hear Olivia¡¯s voice. She


    barely managed to keep calm and said in shock, ¡°Contact Marina now. You¡¯re her godd aughter. She


    won¡¯t sit back and do nothing!¡±


    When everyone heard this, many intriguing gazesnded on Marina.


    Before Marina could speak, Warren gestured for his subordinates to take Olivia¡¯s phone away.


    Olivia gritted her teeth and red at Rachel. ¡°Rachel, you bi tch. I curse you to die a horrible death!¡±


    Her voice was trembling uncontrobly, but it did not affect her hatred for Rachel.


    Rachel curled her lips into a smile. Her clear almond-shaped eyes contained a faintyer of mockery.


    ¡°Rather than cursing me to die a horrible death, why don¡¯t you spend more effort to n for the Cruise


    family?¡±


    She was still as calm as ever, not aggressive at all. She was elegant as if she was watching from the


    sidelines, coldly looking down at the fish struggling in the mud.


    At this moment, Olivia finally understood.


    She had fallen into Rachel¡¯s trap.


    From the beginning, Rachel had nned everything. Her main goal was to deal with the Cruise family!


    Everything was linked together. It was impossible for the Cruise family to escape responsibility.


    If Rachel sued Eric, Mike, and the other six people for attempted murder, those people would definitely


    reveal the entire story. Richard could not protect himself at all.


    Even if Richard was lucky enough to escape, the smuggling and illegal transaction were enough to


    ruin. the entire Cruise family.


    Olivia did not dare to imagine what kind of oue awaited them once what the Cruise family had


    done over the years was exposed.


    If she was really involved, the Smith family would definitely abandon her in order not to be implicated.


    At that time, she would be the biggest joke in the entire Seaxas.


    She had only been married for a week before she was abandoned by her husband¡­


    No! She could not be abandoned by Louis!


    Olivia¡¯s eyes were red as she looked at Marina with an aggrieved expression. ¡°Marina¡­¡±


    Marina did not have much affection for Olivia, her godd aughter.


    Since there was no love, there would naturally not be any reluctance or feelings.


    If not for the fact that she wanted to slowly nibble away at the Cruise Group, she would not have


    wasted her time talking nonsense with Olivia.


    Now that the Cruise family would be ruined, her previous ns and efforts would be in vain.


    After pondering for a long time, Marina moved her lips.


    Before she could speak, she heard David¡¯s deep voice. ¡°It¡¯s not a small matter to be suspected of


    smuggling illegal transactions.¡±


    His cold tone was like ice, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet.


    Every word was filled with a tant warning.


    As long as Marina dared to say another word, the Cruise family would not be the only one who would


    be taken away for investigation tonight.


    If she really had something to do with illegal smuggling, not only would the Jones family not lend at


    helping hand, but he would also wait to see her make a fool of herself.


    On the surface, the entire family was harmonious, but they were scheming against each other behind


    the scenes. If something really happened, they couldn¡¯t wait tough at Marina.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Marina¡¯s expression did not change, but her heart was filled with hatred.


    She had nned so much for the Cruise Group in the past just to slowly nibble away at the Cruise


    Group and rece it.


    Now that the Cruise family was in trouble, she had no choice but to watch her money go down the


    drain.


    Marina¡¯s nails dug into the flesh of her palm. ¡°David, you let me down!¡±


    She originally thought she could use this incident to send Rachel to jail and let David experience


    heartache. She did not expect that in the end, she would suffer a double loss!


    David¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°You have to be careful when acknowledging a godd aughter, lest you


    suffer a loss one day.¡±


    Marina was so angry that her eyes turned red. Before she lost control of her emotions, she snorted and


    stood up to leave.


    She had been so glorious before she came, but now she was in such a sorry state.


    As she left, she brushed past Olivia. ¡°Marina¡­¡±


    Before Olivia could finish speaking, Marina nced at Olivia sharply. ¡°Miss Cruise, please be careful


    with your words and actions.¡±


    The Cruise family was finished now. Her previous money had all gone down the drain. She was full of


    anger, but Olivia was an idiot who couldn¡¯t closely watch her expression.


    No wonder Olivia had been defeated by Rachel time and time again.


    Olivia stood rooted to the ground in a daze as she watched Marina leave. She knew that she had no


    backing now.


    In the conference room, Alfredo looked at the people around him who were in cahoots with Rachel and


    felt uneasy.


    He could not help but wonder if he had done anything bad just now.


    Outside the police station.


    The golden sunlight shone on everyone¡¯s bodies as if they were ted with a faintyer of golden light.


    Warren learned about the cause and effect of the matter through Lucas. He was instantly furious and


    promised solemnly, ¡°Rae-Rae, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t stop until Richard goes to jail!¡±


    Rachel nodded. Her cold voice was mixed with a hint of fatigue. ¡°(Uncle Tom), I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Warren happily sent Rachel to the car.


    After watching her leave, Tom nced at Warren and said meaningfully, ¡°Alfredo will be a disaster


    sooner orter if he stays here.¡±


    Since Alfredo was Marina¡¯sckey, he could not be left here!


    ¡°I already have a n in mind. His punishment letter will be here tomorrow at thetest,¡± Warren said.


    Tom nodded. ¡°Find out who¡¯s behind him.¡±


    They had been in the official circles for so long that they knew each other well.


    Alfredo was tyrannical in the police station because he had someone backing him up.


    Regardless of whether it was Marina or other people, he had decided to hurt Rachel this time. That was


    to offend the most powerful person. From now on, he would live uneasily in Seaxas.


    At this moment, Don walked over. ¡°Mr. Henry, what should we do with the family members who caused


    trouble?¡±


    ¡°Handle it ording tow and regtions!¡± Warren returned to his usual serious attitude. ¡°Some


    should be warned, and some should be detained!¡±


    Tom frowned slightly and said coldly, ¡°You can do whatever you want with this matter. I¡¯ll handle the


    report.¡±


    Don, who had not gone far, was shocked when he heard this.


    He was secretly d that he was smart and didn¡¯t choose to collude with Alfredo.

 Chapter 644

    Chapter 644


    Chapter 644


    In just an hour, the news of the Cruise Group being seized and Richard and Olivia being taken away for


    investigation and interrogation overwhelmed the Inte.


    Mrs. Smith was drinking coffee with the other madams in the afternoon. The butler rushed to her side.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mrs. Smith looked at the butler who suddenly barged in with a hint of displeasure in


    her


    eyes.


    The butler pursed her lips and nced at the other madams around Mrs. Smith.


    Seeing that she was hesitating, Mrs. Smith patiently greeted the other madams and followed the butler


    to a quiet corner. ¡°Tell me. What happened?¡±


    Ever since Jane was sent overseas, she had been cking off


    It was also possible that she was embarrassed enough and slowly stopped taking it to heart.


    The butler sized up the expression on Mrs. Smith¡¯s face. After hesitating for a while, she said carefully,


    ¡°The Cruise Group has been closed down. Richard and Olivia have been taken away for investigation.


    It¡¯s now a hot topic on the Inte.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Mrs. Smith¡¯s voice suddenly rose.


    She frowned hard and her eyes were filled with disbelief. ¡°Are you mistaken? No matter what, the


    Cruise fantily has Marina¡¯s support. How can it be¡­¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, it¡¯s absolutely true!¡± The butler was afraid that Mrs. Smith would not believe her. She


    handed the phone to Mrs. Smith. ¡°Take a good look at it yourself.¡±


    The scandal of the Cruise Group was all over the Inte.


    Tax evasion, power sex trade, and smuggling trade caught Mrs. Smith¡¯s eye and made her mind


    All of these were not trivial matters. The Cruise family was doomed this time!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mrs. Smith¡¯s face gradually turned pale.


    go


    nk.


    Yesterday, Olivia hade to see her with ck truffles that had just been delivered from overseas.


    How could the Cruise family be finished overnight?


    The butler said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? It was fine yesterday, but it became like this overnight. I wonder how Mr.


    Louis is doing.¡±


    Hearing this, Mrs. Smith¡¯s heart sk ip ped a beat. Her fingertips trembled as she dialed Louis¡¯s number.


    At this moment, Louis was watching the report on the television in his office.


    It happened to be the scene of the vi the Cruise family being sealed, and Richard and Olivia being


    taken away for investigation.


    His handsome face was cold as if ayer of ice had condensed on it. His eyes were filled with cold


    hostility.


    The assistant standing at the side was so frightened that he did not even dare to breathe.


    When Louis¡¯s phone suddenly rang, Louis saw that it was a call from Mrs. Smith. He hesitated for a


    moment before answering the call.


    ¡°Son, something happened to the Cruise family. Olivia has been taken away!¡±


    ¡°I saw it,¡± Louis said indifferently.


    Compared to his calmness, Mrs. Smith was panicking on the other end of the phone. She was even


    desperate. ¡°The Cruise family has been ruined. Will our family be implicated? Will Olivia take the


    opportunity to get us involved? What should we do now? We have to think of a way to do something,


    right?¡±


    ¡°The Cruise family¡¯s matter doesn¡¯t involve the Smith family.¡± Louis picked up the remote control and


    turned off the television: After lighting a cigarette, he turned around and walked to the French window.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call the police station to ask. Let¡¯s find out first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up, Louis called his friend at the police station.


    He thought that even if he couldn¡¯t get any valuable clues, he could at least get some information.


    However, he did not expect his friend to not answer the call.


    This attitude also meant that the Cruise family¡¯s matter was no small matter. Anyone involved in it


    would not be able to escape.


    Louis¡¯s expression was cold as he smoked silently.


    The assistant standing at the side secretly sized up the expression on his face. After hesitating for a


    long time, the assistant mustered his courage and said cautiously. ¡°Mr. Smith, the directors are waiting


    for your in the conference room¡­¡±


    Ever since the Cruise family was closed down and Olivia was taken away for investigation, the


    directors seemed to have discussed it and all rushed to the meeting room.


    After all, not long ago, the news of Olivia and Louis¡¯s engagement was still being widely reported


    online. In the blink of an eye, something happened to Olivia. Not to mention the directors, even the


    entirepany was in a state of panic.


    Louis remained silent, silently smoking the cigarette in his hand.


    At this moment, the office door was pushed open.


    Harrison walked in from outside. ¡°Louis, did you get the information?¡±


    Louis put out the cigarette in his hand and responded indifferently.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ve also heard that Richard hired someone to kill Rachel, right?¡± Harrison asked.


    Louis frowned. ¡°Did Richard hire someone to kill Rachel?¡±


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t you know this?¡± Harrison looked at the expression on Louis¡¯s face. After pondering for


    half a second, he told Louis everything he had found out.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t provoke Rachel, why do you think the Cruise family suddenly became like this? Do know


    what kind of big shots are surrounding Rachel now?¡± Harrison asked again.


    you


    How could Louis not know about the group of big shots surrounding Rachel?


    Seeing that he was silent, Harrison continued, ¡°I heard that not only did the three people from the


    Johnson family but also Warren helped Rachel. In short, the Cruise family lost this time. We¡¯ll take it as


    a lesson learned. From now on, you have to be politer when you see Rachel¡­¡±


    Harrison paused for a moment and patted Louis¡¯s shoulder. He said earnestly, ¡°I think you need to


    reconsider your marriage with Olivia.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With that, Harrison turned around and left.


    Louis sat on the sofa in a daze, unable toe back to his senses for a long time.


    In the Grey family, Pollister.


    ¡°The tides have changed. A while ago, we were humble in front of the Cruise family.¡± When Hans saw


    the report online, he sighed, but he couldn¡¯t help but sneer in his heart.


    Back then, Olivia used Lily to deal with Rachel. In the end, the Grey family suffered a loss and did not


    get any benefits.


    Now that Olivia had gone bankrupt, he had vented his anger.


    Seeing Olivia being taken away for investigation, Lily felt much better. ¡°Dad, I heard that this matter


    seems to have something to do with Rachel. It seems that the Cruise family wanted to deal with her, so


    the Cruise family ended up like this.¡±


    Hans¡¯s pupils constricted when he heard this. ¡°Do you mean that the Cruise family¡¯s current fate is all


    because of Rachel?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lily said unhurriedly, ¡°Think about it. It¡¯s not that the Cruise family didn¡¯t have a scandal


    before, but in the end, it was left unsettled. But this time, all the evidence isid out. It is obvious that


    they want to ruin the Cruise family. Don¡¯t forget, Olivia stole Rachel¡¯s fiance. With Rachel¡¯s temper, she


    won¡¯t let it go.


    ¡°Moreover, I heard from Olivia that the reason why Rachel is living a rich life in Seaxas is because of


    the man around her.¡±


    Hans¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and his turbid eyes flickered with a scheming glint. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect


    Rachel to be so capable!¡±


    Sandalwood Hills.

 Chapter 645

    Chapter 645


    Chapter 645


    Jimmy and Landon were discussing the Cruise family with David.


    ¡°In all my life, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone courting death so eagerly.¡±


    He also rushed back after hearing about what had happened to Rachel.


    To be honest, Olivia didn¡¯t worth his sympathy at all,


    Fortunately, Rachel had some self-defense skills. Otherwise, the consequences would be


    unimaginable.


    ¡°Speaking of which, Rachel¡¯s performance this time is quite surprising.¡±


    The few of them had suffered a lot before they inherited their families. Being softhearted had never had


    anything to do with them. It was their style to eliminate the root of the problem.


    He originally thought that the Cruise family¡¯s incident was caused by David. He did not expect that all of


    this was actually Rachel¡¯s doing.


    Rachel directly ruined the Cruise family, leaving no way out.


    Landon watched the video of Rachel fighting against the eight men. His eyes narrowed slightly, and at


    dark light flickered in his eyes.


    Jimmy looked at his unfathomable expression and leaned forward curiously. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Following his line of sight, he happened to see the scene of Rachel knocking someone to the ground.


    He curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared silly by Rachel¡¯sbat ability.¡±


    Landon came back to his senses and nced at Jimmy indifferently.


    His calm gaze was as if he was caring for a fool.


    He paused the video and yed it on a loop. ¡°Look carefully at her moves.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to see?¡± Although Jimmy did not know what Landon was up to, he still watched with all


    his


    attention.


    Seeing that he did not discover anything, Landon suddenly felt powerless.


    He lit a cigarette and ced his elbow on the armrest of the sofa. He puffed out a cloud of smoke and


    said unhurriedly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you realize that Rachel¡¯s every move is evolved from the form and will


    boxing?¡±


    ¡°Form and will boxing?¡± Jimmy frowned slightly. ¡°You mean Rachel is Mr. Cook¡¯s disciple?¡±


    The Cook family in Aureliana was the most proficient in such boxing in Crucsia.


    At this moment, David, who had been silent all this while, said coldly, ¡°Mr. Cook went into seclusion 25


    years ago. Rachel shouldn¡¯t be his disciple.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.


    Jimmy broke the oppressive atmosphere. ¡°Why do you care so much? In short, Rachel didn¡¯t suffer any


    losses.¡±


    He paused for a moment and smiled meaningfully. ¡°David, our people just said that Marina went to


    Trinisia garden. Aren¡¯t you worried that the old vicious woman wouldin to Old Mrs. Jones?¡±


    David did not say anything. He only gave Jimmy a meaningful look.


    Trinisia garden.


    Old Mrs. Jones was trimming the flowers and nts. Rosie stood behind her. ¡°At four in the morning


    today, Miss Jones returned to Seaxas.¡±


    ¡°Since she has left, why is she back?¡± Old Mrs. Jones had just put down the scissors in her hand.


    Rosie handed Old Mrs. Jones the handkerchief she had prepared. She nced at Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s


    expression and said calmly, ¡°I heard that something happened to the Cruise family.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones walked to the table and picked up her phone. She turned on her Whatsapp and saw


    Rachel¡¯s name at the top..


    She first took a photo of the flowers and nts she had just trimmed and sent it over. Then, she said in


    a voice message, ¡°Rae-Rae, today is Friday. Do you want toe to me for dinner after work? I have


    prepared steak and spi cy beef for you. These are all your favorites.¡±


    After sending the message, she nced at Rosie. ¡°What does this have to do with her?¡±


    Rosie helped Old Mrs. Jones to the living room and handed the coffee to her. ¡°Rumor has it that Miss


    Jones is the godmother of that person in the Cruise family.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s eyes revealed a trace of mockery. ¡°Would she be so kind?¡±


    A mother knew her daughter best.


    She knew her daughter the best. Although Marina was a woman, she was more ambitious than any


    other person in the family.


    Otherwise, Marina would not have left Aureliana and tried to take over (Sea x a s¡¯s) market.


    Sometimes, she was secretly d that Marina was a woman. Otherwise, who knew what kind of


    terrible atmosphere her family would be in?


    ¡°This morning, it was revealed that the Cruise family was closed down. It was said that thepany


    was suspected of tax evasion and illegal smuggling transactions,¡± Rosie said casually, but she would


    nce at Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s expression from time to time. ¡°It¡¯s strange. I¡¯ve never heard of the


    investigation of the Cruise family before, but this time, it happened suddenly, and the evidence was


    conclusive. If it wasn¡¯t for more than half a year of in-depth investigation, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have


    been able to produce suchplete evidence.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that the Cruise family hadn¡¯t been exposed in the past, but in the end, it was left unsettled.


    This was enough to show that the Cruise family had someone backing them up. However, now that the


    Cruise family had ended up like this, it was obvious that they had offended a big shot that even their


    backer did not dare to offend.


    There were only a handful of people in the entire Seaxas who had such ability.


    Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Jones looked up at Rosie. Rosie was hiding something. Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s


    gaze turned cold inch by inch, and her eyes were filled with unclear emotions. ¡°If you have something


    to say, just say it.¡±


    There was no change in her tone, but there was a faint sense of oppression.


    Rosie¡¯s heart tightened. She secretly heaved a sigh of relief and said carefully, ¡°I received news that


    Miss Grey fought with someone. She was quite ruthless. Those people are still lying in the hospital.


    After she was taken awayst night, she has been interrogated at the police station.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Jones stood up and hurriedly walked out. ¡°Such a big thing happened. Why


    didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±


    Rosie hurriedly went forward to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Our people said that Mr. David went


    straight to the police station after returning to Seaxas. He has already left with Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°Finish your words in one go next time.¡± Old Mrs. Jones sighed deeply and sat back on the armchair.


    She picked up the cup and took a sip. As if she had thought of something, the corners of her mouth


    curled up involuntarily. ¡°David, this brat is finally enlightened. He knows how to dote on his wife and


    protect her.¡±


    ¡°But Rae-Rae is so obedient and lovable. Why would she suddenly fight with someone?¡± Old Mrs.


    Jones put down the cup in her hand. ¡°Have you found out what¡¯s going on?¡±


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    Rosie said, ¡°I¡¯ve found out. It¡¯s said that the Cruise family hired someone to kill Miss Grey, but Miss


    Grey saw it through. She was too defensive, so she identally injured them severely. After Miss Grey


    called


    the police, the police went to the Cruise family to arrest them overnight. However, Olivia used Miss


    Grey and insisted that the Cruise family be ndered. Later, Miss Jones bailed Richard out¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she looked at the expression on Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s face.


    Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s expression darkened at a speed visible to the naked eye. Ayer of sweat seeped out


    of Rosie¡¯s forehead, and Rosie¡¯s voice gradually became low.


    Mrs. Jones snorted softly. Her voice was calm, but her words were terrifyingly cold. ¡°This daughter of


    mine really doesn¡¯t do anything kind!¡±

 Chapter 646

    Chapter 646


    Chapter 646


    At this moment, a series of noisy footsteps came from afar.


    They could vaguely hear the sounds of an argument. ¡°Miss Jones, Mr. David specially instructed that


    you are not allowed to step into Trinisia garden. Please don¡¯t make things difficult for us.¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Marina shouted coldly. ¡°Trinisia garden is my mother¡¯s house. When did it be


    David¡¯s turn to tell me what to do? All of you, get out of my way! Otherwise, I¡¯ll break your legs!¡±


    In the living room, Old Mrs. Jones heard her voice and frowned imperceptibly. She raised her hand and


    tugged at the corner of her shirt. She said casually, ¡°Let her in.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Rosie.


    After a short while, Marina walked in from outside. ¡°Mother, do you know what David has done?¡±


    ¡°Then tell me. What did he do?¡± Old Mrs. Jones nced at Marina, her eyes flickering with an unknown


    dark light.


    Marina met Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s turbid eyes and her heart tightened as if it was being pinched.


    She took a deep breath and continued, ¡°He actually openly covered up for Rachel and created perjury,


    causing the Cruise Group to be closed down. Richard and his daughter were also taken away for


    investigation. I originally thought that he was just fooling around with Rachel on a whim, but I didn¡¯t


    expect him to be so ridiculous for a woman!


    ¡°David is the Jones family¡¯s head, but his actions are so ridiculous now. If news gets out, won¡¯t it


    embarrass the Jones family? As for Rachel, Mother, don¡¯t be deceived by her obedient and sensible


    appearance. She relies on your doting and does evil with David. If this continues, she will embarrass


    the Jones family sooner orter!¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones picked up the cup and took a sip. When she put it down, she said unhurriedly, ¡°Does


    she do evil with David?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Marina was so anxious to nder Rachel that she did not notice Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s


    meaningful tone at all. ¡°You don¡¯t know how arrogant she was at the police stationst night. She relied


    on David¡¯s support. Not only did she attack the police, but she also used the Cruise family of hiring


    someone to kill her. Now, the Cruise family¡¯s miserable oue is all her doing!¡±


    Hearing this, Rosie looked up at her.


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    Miss Jones had really be more and more ridiculous over the years. No wonder she was not well-


    liked in the family.


    ¡°So


    you returned to Seaxas overnight and went to the police station to uphold justice?¡± Old Mrs. Jones


    asked lightly.


    Her tone was calm and slow, making it impossible to guess her emotions.


    Marina could not help but be stunned. Her eyes flickered slightly.


    Initially, she thought that she would be able to hide her whereabouts after sneaking back. She did not


    expect Old Mrs. Jones to know her whereabouts like the back of her hand.


    Marina picked up the coffee that Rosie handed her and took a sip. After thinking for a moment, she


    said. slowly, ¡°I was just being kind. I thought that Rachel was David¡¯s woman after all, and we would be


    family in the future, but who would have thought that she would look down on me and even mock me? I


    lost all my face!¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones snorted without hiding anything. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯re hiding a vicious heart under


    your kindness!¡±


    ¡°Mom, you¡­¡± Marina looked at her in shock.


    Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s face suddenly darkened, and there seemed to be ayer of ice between her


    eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m old, but I¡¯m not so muddle-headed that I can¡¯t tell right from wrong. I can¡¯t let you distort


    the truth!¡±


    These words were clearly biased toward David and Rachel.


    ¡°Rac-Rae is usually such a docile and obedient girl. But she was forced to severely injure someone. It


    could be seen that she was really forced into a corner. Instead of reflecting on how arrogant the Cruise


    family is. you me Rae-Rae for being ruthless! I¡¯m curious about what benefits the Cruise family gave


    you that made you so biased!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Marina secretly gritted her teeth. ¡°Even if the Cruise family went too far, wasn¡¯t


    Rachel the one who provoked them first? She exposed Olivia¡¯s scandal at the engagement banquet of


    the Cruise family and the Smith family and pushed the Cruise family to the center of attention. The


    Cruise family was criticized and made a fool of themselves. If it weren¡¯t for this, why would the Cruise


    family use such. ¨¤ vicious method to deal with her?


    ¡°Besides, the Cruise family¡¯s scheme didn¡¯t seed. Why can¡¯t we turn a big matter into a small one?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Old Mrs. Jones shouted angrily. She grabbed the cup beside her and smashed it at Marina¡¯s


    feet. ¡°What kind of nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    The


    cup shattered, and hot coffee sshed everywhere. It was so hot that Marina hurriedly bounced up


    from the chair.


    ¡°You want to turn a big matter into a small one just because the Cruise family¡¯s scheme didn¡¯t seed.


    Then I want to ask you. If it seeds, what should we do?¡± Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s eyes were filled with


    anger, and her words were terrifyingly intimidating. ¡°Are you going to p and cheer with them? Don¡¯t


    think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done!¡±


    Marina felt guilty and did not dare to say another word.


    However, since Old Mrs. Jones was angry, she did not intend to let Marina go easily.


    You clearly know that there¡¯s a grudge between Olivia and Rae-Rae, but you became Olivia¡¯s


    godmother. Are you deliberately trying topete with Rae-Rae? You used Olivia to deal with Rae-


    Rae and event used your connections to pave the way for the Cruise Group. You intended to annex the


    Cruise family and enter the market of Seaxas. Your n was really good!¡±


    Every word was like ice to Marina¡¯s heart. The color on her face faded bit by bit, leaving only a pale


    face.


    She thought that no one would know what she had done. She did not expect Old Mrs. Jones to know


    everything.


    ¡°Kneel down!¡± Old Mrs. Jones scolded coldly.


    Upon hearing this, Marina looked up at Old Mrs. Jones in disbelief, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Old Mrs. Jones interrupted her sternly. ¡°Something happened to Rae-Rae. I didn¡¯t expect


    you to help her, but you hit her when she was down because of an outsider. You even dared to cause


    trouble outside! How did I give birth to such a st*pid daughter like you?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Marina¡¯s face darkened. Suddenly, she sneered. ¡°That¡¯s right. You really shouldn¡¯t


    have given birth to me back then! Or rather, you should have strangled me to death after giving birth to


    me! When I was young, because I was a girl, I was always bullied by my brothers and was not liked at


    home. When I grew up, my brothers fought for power and even tried to please the Elders to sacrifice


    me. Have they ever thought about my feelings all these years?


    my heart, ¡°It¡¯s said that a mother knows her daughter best. I thought you could understand the pain in


    but to my surprise, you didn¡¯t understand me or support me! If you were willing to stand by my side and


    protect me back then, would I have been forced to this extent by them and make a living in Seaxas?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s eyes were red as she looked at Marina. Disappointment and pain shed


    across her eyes. Her chest heaved up and down violently as she gritted her teeth and scolded, ¡°Get


    lost! Get out of here!¡±

 Chapter 647

    Chapter 647


    Chapter 647


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now!¡± Marina took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to cry. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t love


    me in the past, but now it seems that you really don¡¯t.¡±


    With that, she turned and left without looking back.


    As she watched her leave, Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s heart felt a growing pain in her chest.


    She frowned and clutched her chest with her right hand.


    Rosie, who was beside her, noticed her action and quickly took out the Cardio Reliever Pill she had


    always carried from her pocket. She pulled Old Mrs. Jones into her arms and fed her the pill.


    As she patted Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s back, sheforted her soothingly. ¡°Miss has always been like this.


    She doesn¡¯t hold back when she speaks. Why are you angry with her? Besides, if anything happens to


    you, Mr. David will be worried again.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones did not say anything. She slowly closed her eyes to calm herself down.


    After a long time, she spoke slowly. Her calm voice was a little (ho ar s e). ¡°I thought she could


    understand. everything I did for her¡­¡±


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    ¡°One day, Miss will understand your good intentions,¡± Rosie said.


    ¡°No,¡± Old Mrs. Jones said. ¡°She¡¯ll never understand.¡±


    If Marina really understood, she would not go against David in every way.


    She even used the Cruise family to scheme against Rachel.


    Old Mrs. Jones sat on the chair for a while when her phone buzzed suddenly.


    She looked downzily. It was a message from Rachel.


    [Mrs. Jones, the flowers you pruned are so beautiful.]


    Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s eyes shone with a smile. She hurried to dial a call. ¡°Rae-Rae.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Jones. Rachel had just woken up and her voice was slightly (ho ar s e).


    Hearing the (hoar seness) in her voice, Old Mrs. Jones frowned slightly. ¡°Were you frightenedst


    night?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel understood.


    It seemed that what happenedst night had reached Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s ears.


    However, this was not surprising. After all, the Inte was in an uproar. It would be strange if she


    hadn¡¯t heard anything.


    Rachel smiled. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Old Mrs. Jones heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°The Cruise family truly went too far this time.


    They have to be punished severely for hiring someone to kill!¡±


    Rachel stuck out her tongue and licked her dry lips. ¡°They¡¯ve already been severely punished.¡±


    Uprooting the Cruise family to prevent future troubles was definitely the most severe punishment for


    them.


    Old Mrs. Jones was slightly relieved. She did not forget to remind her earnestly, ¡°Rae-Rae, we girls


    can¡¯t afford to get injured. So in the future, leave things like fighting to David. You just need to watch


    from the side, understand?¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    She thought that Old Mrs. Jones would me her for being too ruthless. She did not expect her to be


    worried that she would be injured during the fight.


    The sudden favoritism sent a warm current through her heart, wrapping her like a soft and smooth


    ribbon.


    ¡°Got it, Mrs. Jones.¡±


    ¡°By the way, are youing to my ce for dinner tonight? I asked the kitchen to prepare a lot of the


    food you


    like.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Jones, today might be¡­¡±


    Rachel found it hard to utter words of rejection.


    On the other end of the phone, Old Mrs. Jones smiled and said, ¡°If you can¡¯te tonight, we¡¯ll meet


    on another day. Anyway, when you want toe, you are always wee here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel walked into the bathroom to take a shower.


    When she came out, she received an unknown call.


    She picked up the phone and heard Don Cole¡¯s voice. ¡°Miss Grey, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Officer Cole, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Rachel was a little surprised that Don would take the initiative to


    contact her.


    Don said, ¡°Olivia Cruise wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    At the police station, Bertha sat on the steps of the police station in a daze.


    She stared nkly at the phone in front of her.


    It was a message she received. ¡°Bertha, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but I really can¡¯t. You


    offended the Johnson family, the richest family in Seaxas. Even if our families team up, we are no


    match. for the Johnson family. This time, the Johnson family wants to end you. There is no way for you


    to fight.


    back.¡±


    ¡°Recently, there are rumors outside that Rachel Grey is the daughter of the Johnson family with a


    different surname. Actually, when you think about it carefully, this is totally possible. If you didn¡¯t attack


    Rachel, how would things have ended up like this?¡±


    ¡°As the saying goes, only the doer can undo what he has done. If you really want to protect the Cruise


    family, I advise you to start with Rachel. Apologize to her properly and talk aboutpensation. In


    short, I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    Even now, she still felt that the seizure of the Cruise family was like a nightmare.


    Despite having done many illegal things over the years, Richard Cruise had never been caught red-


    handed before.


    However, this time, not only did they track down thepany¡¯s ounts, but they even found the


    evidence Richard regarded as a token to escape death.


    This evidence had always been kept by Richard himself. Even she, his wife, never knew where it was


    hidden.


    However, the people from the Prosecutor¡¯s Office found said evidence in a breeze.


    Now that the Cruise family had been seized and thepany was gone, she had be a pitiful


    person with nowhere to go overnight.


    After all, she was a richdy who was used to living a pampered life. How could she watch her life


    crumble just like that?


    She also begged people everywhere, cing her hopes on the wives she had always been on good


    terms. with.


    Without exception, everyone avoided her like she was a snake.


    It was as if touching her would bring about a cmity to them all.


    After much hesitation. Bertha got up and walked into the police station.


    When Olivia saw Bertha, she stood up instinctively. ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    But just as she had gotten up, someone grabbed her shoulder and pressed her back down.


    Bertha sat opposite her and took a deep breath. ¡°Olivia, no one is willing to help us now, unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless what?¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes flickered with eagerness.


    ¡°Unless you apologize to Rachel and ask for her forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°You want me to apologize to Rachel?¡± Olivia sneered. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize to her even if I die!¡±


    What right did Rachel have?


    She was just relying on David¡¯s support.


    If David abandoned Rachel, what else would she have?


    Bertha knew that Olivia was unwilling to give up. However, in the current situation, only Rachel could


    show mercy and give the Cruise family a chance to survive.


    The humiliation and grievances they suffered now were nothing. If the Cruise family could make a


    comeback one day, they would have plenty of opportunities to take revenge in the future.


    ¡°Olivia, when you were locked up here, didn¡¯t you think carefully about why our family ended up like


    this?¡± Bertha held Olivia¡¯s hand and said earnestly, ¡°The


    vidence has always been kept by your father alone. Now that it was so easily dug out, do you really


    think that all of this is a coincidence?¡±

 Chapter 648

    Chapter 648


    Chapter 648


    ¡°Of course, I know it¡¯s not a coincidence,¡± Olivia said nonchntly. ¡°The reason why she¡¯s so arrogant


    is that she¡¯s cozying up to David Jones.¡±


    Otherwise, if she wanted to kill Rachel, it would be easier than crushing an ant.


    She thought that after being abandoned by Louis, Rachel would have nothing. She did not expect her


    to be so lucky to meet the noble David.


    It was a pity that she did not get to meet David earlier ande into contact with him.


    Otherwise, there would be no ce for someone like Rachel!


    Seeing that Olivia still could not see the situation clearly, Bertha said resentfully, ¡°Since when are you


    so naive? If Rachel did it just because she is with David, would she really dare to act so recklessly and


    commit evil? If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she had someone backing her, how could shey her hands on


    the evidence?


    ¡°Do you know that there are rumors outside that Rachel is the daughter of the Johnson family, the


    richest family of Seaxas?¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia was shocked.


    Actually, she had had this conjecture in her heart for a long time.


    However, she felt that such a coincidence was too unrealistic. Or rather, she did not dare to believe it


    and could not ept the fact that Rachel¡¯s identity was more honorable than hers.


    In her


    eyes, Rachel came from a humble background and should be trampled under her feet for the rest of


    her life.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Bertha could tell what she was thinking based on the expression on her


    face. ¡°Let me ask you, if this conjecture is false, why would the Johnson boy support Rachel? If she¡¯s


    not the daughter of the Johnson family with a different surname, why would the major icons of the


    Johnson family protect her at all times?¡±


    Regardless of whether it was Tom or Adrian Johnson, they were both too high to be reached.


    Why would they be at Rachel¡¯smand so easily?


    The series of questions rendered Olivia speechless.


    She thought about how she had fallen in front of Rachel in the past, and then she thought about the


    cmity that the Cruise family was facing this time.


    Each and every one of them seemed to tell her a bloody truth.


    Rachel was the daughter of the Johnson family, the richest family in Seaxas!


    But if Rachel was really the daughter of the Johnson family, how could the Grey family from Pollister


    not know?


    Bertha saw that she had loosened up and continued to add fuel to the fire. ¡°I know you don¡¯t feel good,


    but why do you have to sacrifice your youth for something that can be resolved with an apology? If you


    really go to jail just like that, what will happen to the Smith family? The Smith family is not to be trifled


    with. Once something happens to you, they will definitely kick you out and choose to protect


    themselves.¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. She bit her lips as if weighing the pros and cons in her


    heart.


    The room fell into dead silence.


    Apanied by a series of nging footsteps, the door opened.


    When Olivia and Bertha saw the two figures standing at the door, their expressions changed slightly.


    Rachel was wearing a white suit and a pair of pzzo pants of the same color. It was clean and


    elegant.


    She was checking messages on her phone with one hand while David held her other hand.


    Even if Rachel looked slightly petite next to David, the two of them had the same aura. Not only did


    they not look out of ce, but they looked so matching unexpectedly.


    The moment she saw Rachel, Olivia¡¯s eyes were filled with undisguised hatred.


    However, when she thought about how she was the one who called her over, she could only forcefully


    suppress her urge to throw things at her.


    She clenched her fists tightly and stared straight at Rachel.


    Bertha changed her usual attitude and greeted them with a smile. She said respectfully, ¡°So Miss Grey


    came.¡±


    ¡°Five minutes,¡± Rachel said as she looked down at the time on her phone.


    Olivia looked at her arrogant attitude and finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Rachel Grey, who are you


    putting on airs for?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Bertha snapped.


    She walked to Olivia¡¯s side and tugged at her arm. She deliberately lowered her voice and said, ¡°What


    are you waiting for? Hurry up and apologize to Miss Grey.¡±


    Olivia looked at her and moved her lips slightly, but she realized that she could not say it at all.


    Sensing the awkwardness in the atmosphere, Bertha quickly smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Miss


    Grey, I¡¯m truly sorry. We are willing to apologize to you for our reckless actions.¡±


    When she bent down slightly, she did not forget to tug at Olivia¡¯s sleeve.


    Rachel looked at Olivia lightly with a faint but taunting smile.


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    Olivia gritted her teeth so hard that they almost shattered.


    Although she was unwilling, in the current situation, she could only lower her head to Rachel and David


    and beg them to let her off.


    She knew Mrs. Smith very well. Once something happened to her, she would definitely urge Louis to


    divorce her.


    After pondering for a long time, Olivia finally gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, seeing that Rachel did not react, Bertha felt uneasy. She pursed her


    lips and smiled apologetically. ¡°Miss Grey, we know that the nature of this matter is bad. Fortunately,


    you¡¯re unharmed, but I also know that this matter has left a certain psychological trauma on you. As


    long as you¡¯re willing to forgive us, we¡¯re willing to pay the correspondingpensation.¡±


    What she meant was, ¡°Since you¡¯re not injured and we¡¯ve apologized to you and are willing to bear all


    thepensation, can this matter end here?¡±


    If Rachel continued to pursue the matter, it would be unreasonable and unforgiving.


    ¡°Now that all of the Cruise family¡¯s businesses have been seized and the Cruise Group is facing


    bankruptcy, how are you going topensate?¡± Rachel¡¯s cold voice rang slowly.


    She had no intention of letting them off this time.


    overseas were also seized.


    Now that the Cruise family had nothing left, what could they stillpensate her with?


    With empty promises?


    Hearing her words, Bertha¡¯s heart tightened.


    Could it be that Rachel did not intend to let Olivia off?


    ¡°If an apology can cancel out all damages, why do we need the police?¡± Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a


    perfect smile. It was bright and ostentatious, like a thorny rose, looking dazzling but dangerous. ¡°I¡¯ve


    said a long time ago that I¡¯m not a magnanimous person. Instead of being magnanimous and lenient, I


    always seek revenge for even the tiniest grievance I suffer.¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia¡¯s expression froze and she looked up suddenly. ¡°Are you nning to pursue the


    matter to the end?¡±


    Seeing that Rachel did not speak, the hatred in her chest burned even more fiercely. ¡°Rachel Grey, I


    advise you not to go too far! I¡¯ve already apologized to you. What right do you have to pursue my


    responsibility? Besides, you¡¯re not injured at all. Even if you sue me in court, you might not get what


    you want!

 Chapter 649

    Chapter 649


    Chapter 649


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    How do your know that I can¡¯t get what I want? Rachel raised her eyebrows. The corners of her lips


    curled up into a smile with unconceble sharpness


    At her words, Olivia¡¯s pupils constricted as she fixed her gaze on Rachel.


    Her gaze gradually changed from shock to uncontainable hatred.


    Finally she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and stood up. She pointed at Rachel and scolded, ¡°Rachel Grey,


    don¡¯t go too far! Ive already apologized to you What else do you want? I¡¯ll give you a piece of good


    advice Don¡¯t go too far, or you¡¯ll suffer retribution!¡±


    David frowned imperceptibly. His cold voice rang unhurriedly. ¡°Why must she forgive you when you


    apologize Miss Cruise, you think too highly of yourself¡±


    His voice was low and slow, rubbing against one¡¯s heart like an ice de, making one shudder.


    Bertha gulped and said with difficulty. ¡°What will it take for you to let us go¡­¡±


    Rachel raised her eyes and nced at her indifferently. She slowly stood up and walked over to


    Olivia


    Ever since she saw the brutal scene of Rachel fighting against eight in the video, Olivia had been


    fearful of her


    Seeing Rachel approach, her body tensed up and her eyes were filled with vignce. Her hand could


    not help but clench into fists


    ¡°Rachel, we¡¯re at the police station! Olivia¡¯s voice was trembling uncontrobly


    However, Rachel only smiled and stretched out her hand to the side with her palm facing up.


    Eddie Brook, who had been keeping a low profile ever since their arrival, immediately went forward and


    handed her thewyer¡¯s letter that he had prepared respectfully.


    Rachel held thewyer¡¯s letter between her index and ring fingers and gently patted it on Olivia¡¯s cheek


    The weight of the paper was very light, but every p seemed to hit her heart. She couldn¡¯t help but


    grimace, and even her breathing was slightly suffocated.


    Although Olivia tried to control her fear of Rachel, she was still unable to face her directly.


    She felt the sharp edges of the paper slowly slide down her face like a knife, making her tense up.


    Olivia gritted her teeth and said coldly. ¡°Rachel, what do you want?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were dark and cold. Her red lips curled into a mboyant smile. ¡°Keep this. I¡¯ll see you


    in court.¡±


    Hearing this, Olivia and Bertha¡¯s expressions suddenly changed. Their eyes were filled with horror.


    ¡°Rachel, you are driving us up a wall!¡± Bertha gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I can tell you clearly that Olivia


    has nothing to do with hiring someone to kill! I advise you to stop thinking about this.¡± Rachel looked at


    her mockingly. Then, she turned to look at Olivia. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it?¡± Olivia¡¯s eyshes fluttered.


    She slowly lowered her eyes and saw the official seal of Adrian Johnson¡¯s Law firm on thewyer¡¯s


    letter.


    It was clearly written in ck and white that Olivia was being prosecuted for kidnapping. Something


    snapped in Olivia¡¯s brain. Her originally haggard face instantly lost its color, leaving her face only even


    paler.


    Rachel actually knew.


    From the moment she nned to return to the country, she had secretly been investigating Louis.


    She knew that Rachel had been by Louis¡¯s side for three whole years, but she did not believe that love.


    would develop over time until she heard that Louis was about to marry Rachel.


    At that time, she waspletely flustered.


    In order to make her entrance less sudden and to regain Louis¡¯s heart, she could only n a


    kidnapping case to destroy Rachel¡¯s innocence.


    Originally, everything was under her control. However, she did not expect Rachel to escape after


    injuring those people.


    Fortunately, she managed to take a few valuable photos,


    She was worried that the truth would be exposed, so she simply gave those people a sum of money


    and sent them overseas.


    She had done the whole thing herself. She thought that no one would know about it, but she could. not


    hide it from Rachel!


    At this moment, she finally realized how terrifying Rachel was.


    Olivia¡¯s finger trembled slightly as she stared at Rachel with red eyes. Her throat was dry and tense.


    ¡°How do you know all this¡­¡±


    ¡°I know far more than that.¡± Rachel smiled.


    Her gaze slowly slid down andnded on Olivia¡¯s abdomen like a knife. The smile on her lips was


    meaningful.


    Panic shed across Olivia¡¯s eyes. She reached out to cover her lower abdomen instinctively.


    Rachel chuckled and turned to leave.


    Watching her leave, Bertha only turned her eyes on Olivia then. ¡°Olivia, what else are you hiding from


    me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask anymore,¡± Olivia said in a low voice. ¡°Even if you know, what can you change now?¡±


    Nothing could be changed now.


    With Adrian¡¯s strength, there was no way she could escape thew.


    Besides, Rachel had never wanted to let her off from the beginning.


    Bertha was still indignant. ¡°If we don¡¯t think of a way, are we just going to stand by and watch the


    Cruise family fall?


    ¡°We can¡¯t beat Rachel,¡± Olivia said.


    Only now did she realize how stupid she was to think she could trample Rachel underfoot.


    After leaving the police station, David took Rachel to Best Fry for dinner.


    He ced peeled prawns on a te and gave Rachel the entire te. ¡°Are you going to the officeter


    or are youing with me?¡±


    ¡°To the office,¡± Rachel said lightly.


    David nodded. He took a tissue and slowly wiped his well-defined fingers.


    At this moment, a message popped up on his phone. It was from Jimmy.


    [David, the cab meeting has been brought forward!]


    David¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened, and there was a faint hostility in his eyes.


    Sensing the change in David¡¯s aura, Rachel asked softly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± David said, ¡°Get ready in the next few days. I¡¯ll take you to Aureliana for vacation for a few


    days.¡±


    Rachel was stunned for a moment before nodding. ¡°Sure.¡±


    After dinner, David took Rachel to thepany and left.


    After returning to her office, Rachel called Linda Galler in and made a series of arrangements for her


    work.


    ¡°Are you going on a long trip?¡± Linda looked at Rachel questioningly.


    Rachel took out a bottle of medicine from the drawer and took out two pills, one red, and one blue. ¡°I


    n to go on a vacation for two days.¡± She swallowed the pills and asked, ¡°When is the auction for the


    Cruise Group?¡±


    Linda said, ¡°Their assets are currently being liquidated. It¡¯ll take at least half a month.¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Remember to keep an eye on it.¡±


    ¡°But the Cruise Group is not very useful to us.¡± Linda had always felt that the Cruise Group was not


    worth acquiring.


    Moreover, considering the current deficit in the Cruise Group¡¯s ounts, the current Cruise Group was


    just an empty shell.

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    Chapter 650


    Chapter 650


    ¡°I can only say that it had some use before, but now that it¡¯s in our hands, it has been abandoned,¡±


    Rachel said.


    Whether Marina Jones was trying to sweeten Olivia up or was helping the Cruise Group out of


    kindness, in the end, she was only using the Cruise Group to enter the business market of Seaxas.


    Over the years, the Four Families of Seaxas supported and bnced each other, resulting in the


    current stable economy of Seaxas.


    Once Marina gained a foothold in the Seaxas market, it would break the current situation.


    At that time, no one could guess what kind of bloodshed it would cause.


    Originally, Rachel had nned to destroy the Cruise Group within a month. This way, she would not


    need to spend much on doing so.


    But she didn¡¯t expect that the Cruise family actually wanted to kill her.


    Since the Cruise family had a death wish, she could only oblige.


    Rachel rubbed her aching forehead. Ayer of frustration gradually appeared between her eyebrows.


    Tll lie down for a while. Call me if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Meanwhile, ever since the Smith family found out that the Cruise family had been seized, Mrs. Smith


    had been using her connections to find out more information.


    However, everyone was advising her not to do anything to help the Cruise family. The Cruise family.


    had offended the Johnson family this time. Wouldn¡¯t she be courting death if she got involved with the


    Cruise family at such a time?


    After hanging up, Mrs. Smith felt uneasy.


    She was afraid that the Smith family would be dragged into Olivia¡¯s mess.


    If she had known that the Cruise family had been involved in so much dirty work behind her back, she


    would never have let Louis get engaged to her.


    Coincidentally, Mr. Smith had juste home and handed her a carefully selected ring. ¡°See if you


    like it.¡±


    In the past, when presented with such small surprises, Mrs. Smith would quickly forget about all her


    unhappiness, but not this time.


    She casually stuffed the box aside and took a sip of the cup.


    Seeing that she was not in a good mood, Mr. Smithforted her. ¡°We¡¯ll cross the bridge when we


    come to it. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    ¡°How can not worry?¡± Mrs. Smith red at him angrily. ¡°If I had known that the Cruise family was like


    this back then, I would never have let Olivia marry into our family!¡±


    ¡°I thought that their family is honest and in consideration of our past rtionship, I arranged for Louis


    and Olivia to be together. Who knew that the Cruise family would actually cause such a huge mess?


    Especially Olivia! She¡¯s truly a born actress. She said that she couldn¡¯t forget Louis all these years and


    was loyal, but in the end, she acted so indecently overseas and even got herself pregnant. When she


    was kicked out, she started thinking about Louis. What does she take Louis for?¡±


    With such a scandal being exposed at the engagement banquet, not only did Olivia¡¯s reputation.


    plummet but even Louis was mocked by all.


    Now that the Cruise family was involved in an illegal transaction, Richard Cruise would surely be


    punished byw.


    Even if Olivia was lucky enough to escape thew, Mrs. Smith would never ept her into the Smith


    family.


    ¡°What do you want to do then?¡± Mr. Smith looked at her.


    ¡°Divorce! They must divorce! The sooner the better!¡± Mrs. Smith blurted out. ¡°No matter what, in the


    eyes of outsiders, they are just engaged. We just need to quietly get a divorce so that no one will


    gossip about us.¡±


    Mr. Smith frowned slightly. ¡°If they get a divorce, it¡¯ll be hard for Louis to find a second wife¡­¡±


    Mrs. Smith said, ¡°So be it. It¡¯s better than keeping a scourge like Olivia at our home!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Louis.¡± The maid¡¯s voice came from the door.


    Mrs. Smith turned and saw Louis walking in.


    She quickly stood up to wee him. ¡°Louis, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. I have to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°You want to persuade me to divorce Olivia?¡± Louis looked at her.


    Mrs. Smith was at a loss when she met his sharp gaze.


    She pursed her lips and carefully reached out to hold Louis¡¯s hand. ¡°Louis, I know you might not feel


    good, but you have to think about our family, don¡¯t you? Are you really nning to sacrifice our entire


    future for the Smith family?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Louis, Old Mr. Smith wants to talk to you in his courtyard.¡± The maid¡¯s voice rang again.


    Louis frowned slightly. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He pushed Mrs. Smith¡¯s hand away. ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡±


    With that, he left without looking back.


    Mrs. Smith stared at his back as he left and then at her own empty hand. She was caught off guard and


    felt bitter.


    Meanwhile, in the backyard, Old Mr. Smith was half-lying on the bed.


    Ever since he was discharged from the hospital, Old Mr. Smith had not been as healthy as before. In


    addition, hearing that something had happened to the Cruise family, he could not sleep or eat well, and


    he looked even older and more haggard.


    ¡°Grandpa.¡± When Louis came to his room, Old Mr. Smith had just taken his medicine.


    Old Mr. Smith nodded and gestured for him to sit by his bed. The two of them chatted about the seizure


    of the Cruise family. ¡°Now that something like this has happened to the Cruise Group, what do you n


    to do next?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see,¡± Louis said. ¡°ording to the process, they are liquidating the assets of the Cruise


    family. The Cruise Group will be auctioned next.¡±


    Old Mr. Smith¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and his turbid eyes shone with a sharp cold gaze. ¡°You want to


    bid for the Cruise Group?¡±


    Louis nodded. ¡°As far as I know, Richard Cruise has a production line. If we can get this production


    line, it will be very beneficial to the future development of Smith Group.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s your consideration, you truly live up to my nurturing and expectations for you,¡± Old Mr. Smith


    said. ¡°Let me ask you again. What are your ns for your marriage with Olivia?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we have to cut ties as soon as possible.¡±


    Louis thought that when he said this, his heart would ache and he would be regretful.


    However, when he said this out loud, not only did he not feel any heartache or pity, but he also felt an


    indescribable joy.


    ¡°Take this.¡± Old Mr. Smith handed him a box. ¡°Your Grandma left this for you. You can decide what to


    do with it yourself.¡±


    Louis recognized the box.


    He also knew what the bracelet within meant.


    On the eve of his marriage to Rachel, Old Mr. Smith gave the bracelet to Rachel.


    He originally thought that bracelet was still with Rachel. He did not expect her to have returned it to Old


    Mr. Smith long ago.


    Old Mr. Smith sighed softly and said meaningfully, ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, I still hope that this bracelet can


    be returned to its original owner.¡±


    Louis¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and his fingers could not help but tighten around the box. ¡°I¡¯ll work


    hard for it.¡±


    After leaving the Smith family, he called his assistant. ¡°Order a bouquet of roses for me.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Grey, there¡¯s a bouquet of roses for you.¡± Linda knocked on Rachel¡¯s door.


    Rachel had just woken up. Her head was still a little dizzy, but the pain had disappearedpletely.


    When she saw the fiery red roses, it took her a minute to process what she was seeing.


    Coincidentally, her phone buzzed. David had just texted her.


    [Shall we go to Trinisia garden for dinner tonight?]


    Rachel Grey didn¡¯t answer. Her fingertips tapped on the keyboard. ¡°Is that from you?¡±


    David had no idea what she was talking about.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

 Chapter 651

    Chapter 651


    Chapter 651


    Reading his reply, Rachel was almost certain that this bouquet of roses had nothing to do with David.


    If it wasn¡¯t from him, who could it be?


    She noticed that there was a card in the shape of a heart on the bouquet. On it was a simple sentence


    of love: ¡°The most beautiful flowers for the most beautiful you.¡±


    It was so cheesy that it gave Rachel goosebumps!


    Rachel could not help but feel a chill down her spine. She threw the card down with a look of disdain.


    and threw the flowers into the trash can.


    At this moment, Linda knocked on her office door again.


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    ¡±


    The office door was pushed open, and arge bouquet of white roses came into her eyes.


    ¡°Ms. Grey, the front desk just received another bouquet of roses.¡± Linda gestured to the behind her to


    carry the 999 roses to Rachel¡¯s desk.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel frowned imperceptibly. ¡°Who sent this?¡±


    Linda shook her head.


    There was no contact information or card on this bouquet of flowers.


    She thought for a moment. ¡°Could it be Mr. Jones?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rachel replied sternly.


    person


    Coincidentally, Lucas walked in with arge bouquet of roses in his arm. ¡°Mr. Jones and you are funny


    enough. The two of you are together every day. Why does he even send you roses anonymously?¡±


    Rachel Grey was speechless.


    Linda didn¡¯t dare to respond.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Lucas could not help but exim when he saw the roses in her office. ¡°What day is it


    today?¡±


    ¡°So where did you get this bouquet?¡± Rachel asked.


    Lucas nced at the 99 roses in his hand. ¡°I happened to bump into the florist, so I brought them up for


    you.¡±


    Rachel sighed helplessly. ¡°Throw it away.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Lucas didn¡¯t hesitate at all and threw the bouquet into the trash


    can nearby ¡°My arm was about to break.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t understand what was the point of giving a woman flowers.


    They had short bloom phases and were heavy to carry.


    Wasn¡¯t it easier to give hernd directly, so that she could nt whatever she wanted?


    He lit a cigarette and sat on the sofa with his legs spread out. ¡°This time, we destroyed the Cruise


    family. Should it be the Smith family¡¯s turn next?¡±


    ¡°Any news from Marina Jones?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s staying at home. I don¡¯t know what evil scheme she is cooking up.¡± Lucas flicked the cigarette-


    between his fingers and said unhurriedly, ¡°Since she wants to control the Seaxas market, she won¡¯t


    give up easily. You¡¯ve made her suffer a huge loss this time. She will make aeback eventually.¡±


    Rachel held her chin with one hand and slowly stirred the coffee in her cup. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m


    afraid?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the daughter of the Johnson family. Of course, you¡¯re not afraid.¡± Lucas¡¯s words were filled with


    confidence and pride.


    Rachel smiled, but the depths of her beautiful eyes flickered with a faint coldness. ¡°She can do


    whatever she wants in Seaxas, but she can never shake the Johnson family¡¯s position!¡±


    Her grandfather had devoted his life to building the Johnson family. It was also the harbor that


    protected her when she was young.


    She would never allow anyone to shake the Johnson family¡¯s position as the richest family in Seaxas!


    While the two of them were talking, Linda knocked on the door again.


    Behind her were two staff members carrying 999 white tulips.


    Rachel was stunned speechless.


    Linda exined. ¡°This was also sent to the front desk anonymously.¡±


    Throw it away,¡± Rachel said without hesitation.


    As soon as she finished speaking, her phone buzzed. She had received a text from David.


    [Did you receive it?]


    Perhaps couples could indeed read each other¡¯s minds, Rachel immediately reacted and called out


    hurriedly. ¡°Wait!¡±


    Linda stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Rachel.


    ¡°Bring the flowers over,¡± Rachel said.


    Her tone was cold and calm as usual, but there was a hint of gentleness in her eyes.


    Linda immediately understood and gestured for the staff to move the flowers over before leaving.


    When Lucas saw Rachel smiling foolishly at therge bouquet of tulips, he could not help but show a


    trace of disdain in his eyes. ¡°Look at how silly you look smiling. Rachel, can¡¯t you be more reserved and


    ladylike?¡±


    ¡°This is not that,¡± Rachel said with a serious expression.


    It was not just because this bouquet was sent by David.


    It was also because everyone was telling her that she was a rose. Only David was telling her with


    actions that she was a tulip to be cherished.


    Seeing that she was immersed in happiness, a hint of contemtion shed across Lucas¡¯s eyes. After


    pondering for a moment, he asked casually, ¡°When are you going?¡±


    Rachel was slightly stunned. She looked up at Lucas instinctively and her eyes flickered slightly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to hide it from me.¡± Lucas did not give Rachel any chance to y dumb. ¡°When are you


    leaving for Aureliana?¡±


    Rachel knew that she could not hide it anymore, so she might as well answer honestly. ¡°In the next two


    days.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re really bold! You even dare to elope with some guy without telling your family?¡± Lucas


    snorted coldly and stubbed out the cigarette in his hand before throwing it into the ashtray.


    ¡°Please watch your words!¡± Rachel said, ¡°I¡¯m only going on vacation for two days. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not


    coming back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll never return!¡±


    Rachel Grey was speechless.


    ¡°Did you tell your father?¡±


    ¡°If I did. would you still be sitting here?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Seriously, Aureliana is no ordinary ce.¡±


    It was said that Aureliana was rich in minerals, so it was not an exaggeration to say that there was gold


    everywhere.


    The local poption was less than one-tenth of the entire poption of Crucsia, but each of them was


    extremely wealthy.


    In order to protect the interests of its residents, the local government imposed extremely strict


    requirements on people entering and exiting Aureliana.


    Only those invited by the government or the Four Families can enter.


    It was because of this strict rule that Aureliana had been known for being mysterious all these years.


    Seeing that Rachel did not speak, Lucas said seriously, ¡°If you really want to go, stick by David at all


    times.¡±


    Without waiting for Rachel to speak, he chuckled. ¡°I almost forgot. David is a sitting duck himself. How


    much safer can you be by his side?¡±


    ¡°Is David really that untrustworthy in your eyes?¡± Rachel looked at Lucas with an eyebrow raised.


    ¡°Besides. I¡¯m not weak either.¡±


    Lucas looked up at her and stared at her for a long time. ¡°Fine. Remember to tell me when you¡¯re


    leaving.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rachel looked at Lucas¡¯s back as he left and suddenly thought of something. ¡°If Grandpa


    asks, remember to cover for me.¡±


    Lucas didn¡¯t say anything. He just raised a hand and made an ¡°OK¡±


    Their minds were in sync after being siblings for all these years.


    The two of them had been covering for each other all these


    years.


    gesture.


    After leaving Rachel¡¯s office, Lucas took out his phone from his pocket and sent a message to David.


    [If Rae-Rac ¨¦ven suffers the slightest injury, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless!]


    After sending the message, he walked out of the elevator.


    When he looked up, he happened to see Zion Summers. ¡°What are you doing here?

 Chapter 652

    Chapter 652


    Chapter 652


    ¡°To have dinner with your sister,¡± Zion replied.


    Lucas stared at him for a moment and could not help but exim, ¡°Fuck, are you serious?¡±


    Back then, he had made a bet with Zion and lost. However, he was unwilling to not get an advantage,


    so he decided to introduce his sister, Rachel, to him.


    He thought that it would be great if he could really get Zion to call him brother-inw respectfully.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect Zion to take his joke seriously!


    ¡°A gentleman never goes back on his word. Are you going back on your word?¡± Zion raised an eyebrow


    slightly.


    Lucas pursed his lips and suddenly had a wicked idea. He patted Zion¡¯s shoulder and said earnestly,


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about the rtionship between Rac-Rae and David Jones. But to be honest,


    compared to him, I think more highly of you. We¡¯ve known each other for so many years and are close


    friends for having gone through life and death together. If I can really entrust my sister to you, I can die


    in peace.¡±


    Zion yed with a lighter with his fingertips. His thin lips curled up into a thought-provoking smile. ¡°You


    say that I¡¯m your close friend on the surface, but are secretly nning to trick me behind my back?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been close friends for so many years. Do you think that lowly of me?¡± Lucas retorted.


    Zion smiled meaningfully. With one hand in his pocket, he walked straight into the elevator.


    Lucas shrugged and left.


    After walking out of Johnson Corporation, he saw Thomas Shain, heir of the Shain family, which was


    one of the Four Families of Seaxas.


    Seeing how well-dressed he was, Lucas raised an eyebrow slightly. The corners of his mouth curled


    into a faint smile that revealed a hint of evilness. ¡°It¡¯s getting interesting today.¡±


    Just as he was thinking about it, a ck Rolls-Royce parked at the door arrogantly.


    As the car door opened, a pair of straight and slender legs came into view.


    The moment the man appeared in front of the car, the surrounding passersby could not help but


    Their eyes were filled with admiration and love.


    gasp.


    ¡°Oh my god, how can anyone be so handsome?¡±


    ¡°I dere he has my heart now!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call my mother and tell her I¡¯m pregnant. I want to marry this man!¡±


    As usual, David was wearing a ck suit.


    His well-tailored suit entuated his tall and straight figure, and his every move exuded an


    unconceble sharpness.


    His facial features were exquisite and well-defined, just like a work of art.


    His noble and indifferent aura carried a strong sense of oppression and intimidation.


    His


    presence contrasted with themon men around him, who looked like clowns next to him. Compared


    to the crazed looks of the women, Lucas was secretly looking forward to the bloodshed that was


    deemed to happen.


    It was not every day for him to see three men fighting for a woman.


    Initially, Lucas wanted to follow them but was interrupted by Tom¡¯s call. ¡°There¡¯s a problem at the


    research institute. Get over there immediately!¡±


    Hearing this, Lucas¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Got it.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, he rushed to the research institute.


    At the same time, David also received a call from Jimmy. ¡°David, there is a new data report for 101


    Institute. I¡¯ll send it to you now.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± David replied in a lukewarm tone.


    ¡°Um¡­ Jimmy hesitated.


    He pursed his lips and thought for a moment. ¡°Are you really nning to bring her back to Aureliana?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. David replied without much change in tone.


    ¡°David, to be honest, I think you need to consider this matter carefully,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°You know better


    than me what it means to bring her back. Let¡¯s not talk about how long you¡¯ve known each other. Can


    she really survive in Aureliana with her ability?¡±


    David was an existence that even the Elders had to be wary of.


    Over the years, the Elders seemed to have been minding their own business as David minded hisN?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Own.


    However, they had been trying to control David behind the scenes.


    Originally, the Elders knew of Rachel¡¯s existence and saw her as a breakthrough point. They tried to


    attack her to achieve their goal of restraining David.


    Once David brought her back, it would be like he had confirmed this in person.


    This would only make the Elders more unscrupulous.


    At that time, what awaited Rachel would be endless assassinations.


    Even with Rachel¡¯s amazing abilities and background, these were nothing in front of the Elders and the


    Jones family.


    Entering the elevator, David looked at the distant sun and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m here for her.¡± His deep


    voice was neither warm nor passionate, without the slightest fluctuation of emotion.


    However, Jimmy could hear the arrogant and unbridled aura that belonged solely to David. Jimmy¡¯s


    heart skipped a beat.


    At that moment, he knew that this man who made the Elders tremble in fear indeed had a weakness.


    Jimmy was speechless. After pondering for a long time, he said, ¡°I hope she¡¯s worth your sacrifice.¡±


    After hanging up, David walked out of the elevator.


    Amidst the adoring discussions, David walked straight toward Rachel¡¯s office.


    When he reached the door, he heard Zion¡¯s voiceing from the room clearly. ¡°Shall we have dinner


    together tonight?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Eddie Brook sensed that the atmosphere around him chilled


    suddenly. The air seemed to have frozen over.


    Thinking about it, anyone would be angry if someone went after one¡¯s lover in front of one¡¯s face. In the


    office, Zion obviously came prepared. Not only did he choose the restaurant opposite Johnson


    Corporation, but he also investigated Rachel¡¯s schedule early. ¡°So I don¡¯t think you have any reason to


    reject me today.¡±


    Rachel rolled her eyes helplessly. ¡°Zion, I know that we¡¯ve only met once, so I can¡¯t understand why


    you like me.¡±


    She felt that all of this was simply inexplicable.


    ¡°I guess you really don¡¯t remember¡­¡±


    Before Zion could finish, a cold voice came from behind him. ¡°Of course, she doesn¡¯t need to


    remember.¡±


    Hearing the familiar voice, Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    She looked up abruptly and was caught off guard when she met David¡¯s dark and deep eyes. Her heart


    seemed to tighten and she held her breath.


    She took a deep breath and adjusted her breathing. She slowly walked forward and took his hand. The


    moment her slightly cold fingertips touched the man¡¯s palm, his wide palm reflexively wrapped


    around hers.


    ¡°So my fianc¨¦e is popr.¡± David lowered his eyes and looked at her. His cold and indifferent could not


    help but soften as heid eyes on her.


    The seemingly teasing words were mixed with unconceble jealousy.


    eyes


    Rachel blinked and scratched his palm with her fingertips. ¡°I have sharp eyes. I don¡¯t like him.¡±


    Zion was speechless.


    What did he do to deserve this?


    ¡°Do you want to have dinner together?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my


    dear.¡±


    Zion¡¯s expression darkened as he listened to their conversation.


    He felt like he had no more business here.


    He gave an exasperated snort. ¡°I¡¯m going!¡±


    With that, he turned and left without looking back.

 Chapter 653

    Chapter 653


    Chapter 653


    When Zion left, he happened to see Thomas Shain standing at the office door in a daze. Although he


    was only there shortly, his eyes were filled with too manyplicated emotions. ¡°Mr. Summers, where


    are we going next?¡± The assistant behind him asked Zion carefully. Zion retracted his gaze indifferently,


    his thin lips opened as he said coldly. ¡°Back to thepany!¡±


    His assistant had a bad feeling instantly


    It seemed like he would have to work overtime again tonight.


    Meanwhile, when Thomas heard the intimate conversation between David and Rachel, it was as if he


    had been struck by lightning. He stood at the door in a daze.


    He didn¡¯t understand when David met Rachel


    Previously, in the Chamber of Commerce of the Four Families, there were a lot of rumors because


    David invited Rachel to visit Graceville Mansion.


    At that time, he only thought that the girls were jealous of her.


    But now it seemed that perhaps everything happened for a reason.


    While he was still deep in his thoughts, Rachel and David walked out of the office with their hands.


    interlocked.


    When she saw Thomas, Rachel was slightly stunned. ¡°Mr. Shain, are you here for me?¡±


    Thomas suddenly came back to his senses and stared at the couple in front of him.


    The man was tall and straight. His every move exuded a noble and indifferent aura. Even if he did not


    say or do anything and was just standing there quietly, his presence made people terrified and submit


    to him instinctively.


    He had to admit that some people were truly God¡¯s better creations ever since they were born.


    He was a natural winner and king. He was destined to stand at the top of the pyramid in this life.


    Meanwhile, Rachel, who was standing beside him, looked petite and cute in contrast to the man¡¯s


    towering presence.


    However, when the couple stood side by side, none of them was outshined by the other. Surprisingly.


    they looked like such a perfect match.


    They were a match made in heaven.


    Thomas, who had always thought highly of himself, finally realized how overconfident he was.


    He gulped and pursed his lips stiffly. ¡°I happened to pass by¡­¡±


    As he spoke, a sudden bitterness surged up, choking the words out of his mouth.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    He took a deep breath and suppressed the aching pain in his heart. He calmed down a little and


    continued, ¡°I have other matters to attend to. I¡¯ll see youter.¡±


    With that, he turned and left in a sorry state.


    Watching him leave, Rachel could almost have guessed who sent the 999 roses.


    But who sent the first bouquet of roses?


    David held Rachel¡¯s hand and walked towards the elevator.


    After waiting for Thomas to leave first, Rachel and David took their private elevator.


    When the employees on this floor saw the couple leave, they could not help but take out their phones


    to snap photos secretly.


    For a moment, the employees¡¯ group chat exploded.


    Earlier, when the bouquets of roses were carried into Rachel¡¯s office, the employees were already


    whispering among themselves. Then, one after another, good-looking men came to thepany.


    They had long guessed that these people were pursuing their elusive Ms. Grey.


    There were even people who were secretly betting in the group chat, guessing who would be able to


    win the heart of the beauty tonight.


    Some people betted on Zion, while others put their guesses on Thomas, but no one dared to bet on


    David.


    After all, in their eyes, David, who was always in a ck suit, was cold and abstinent. He was like a


    holy immortal who could not be vited. No matter how they looked at it, he looked like he could never


    be troubled by secr love.


    Therefore, when everyone saw Rachel and David leaving hand in hand, they all agreed that Ms. Grey,


    could be considered a model among women for making such a godlike figure submit to her.


    In the underground parking lot, Billy Jones stood guard in front of the car.


    When he saw Rachel and David, he stepped forward and opened the door. Then, he got into the car


    and took the initiative to be their driver.


    Rachel and David got into the car one after another.


    She had just tucked a strand of hair behind her shoulder when David suddenly picked her up to pull her


    onto hisp. Then, she felt a pair of warm lips against hers.


    His kiss was urgent and restrained.


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips curled up slightly. She tried her best to cooperate, but she was still unable to keep.


    1.


    His kiss was as fierce and domineering as a gale, plundering her breath crazily, as though trying to


    swallow her whole.


    Billy, who was sitting in the front row, raised the small partition silently.


    ¡°Good lord, it is rumored that Mr. Jones never gets close to women. Why does it seem like the


    opposite?¡±


    It was not until Rachel¡¯s tongue went numb that David finally released her reluctantly.


    He looked down at Rachel, who was panting heavily.


    Those pitch-ck eyes shone with unconceble dominance and passion.


    He held Rachel¡¯s chin between his thumb and index finger. His fingers gently wiped away the stains


    at the corners of her mouth, and uncontroble emotions surged in his dark eyes.


    Just then, Rachel¡¯s phone rang suddenly.


    It was Linda.


    ¡°Ms. Grey, there¡¯s a bouquet of roses for you at the front desk¡­¡±


    Rachel sighed helplessly and said without any hesitation, Throw it away.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, she met David¡¯s half-smile.


    ¡°Miss Grey¡¯s luck with the opposite sex is truly enviable.¡±


    It sounded like a simple joke, but she could clearly hear the jealousy in his words.


    Rachel smiled. There was a hint ofttery in her smile. ¡°That just shows that Mr. Jones has sharp ?????


    Later in the evening at Sandalwood Hills, Rachel walked into the cloakroom for clothes to change into


    as she prepared for her shower


    At this moment, her phone buzzed on the cab.


    Then came the second and third buzzes.


    She walked to the bed and picked up her phone. The messages came from a number she did not


    recognize.


    However, after reading the texts, Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and an unknown cold light flickered


    in the depths of her beautiful eyes.


    I know you hate me in your heart, but you and I are still rted. You will never be able to sever the


    blood rtionship between us in this lifetime. You can continue to refuse to see me or answer my calls,


    but can you really bear to see your mother¡¯s belongings thrown away?!


    Those were all her favorite things when she was alive. They would at least count as a memory, right?]


    Rae-Rae, my good child, because of what happened back then, we¡¯ve missed too many opportunities


    to get along. I hope you can forgive me and let me spend the rest of my life making it up to you.]


    The next second, another text came in.


    [Rae-Rac, I¡¯ve let you down in the past, but we¡¯re father and daughter after all. Are you really going to


    fall out with me? If your mother sees that we¡¯ve turned against each other, she¡¯ll definitely be so


    heartbroken that she won¡¯t be able to rest in peace.1


    David had juste out of the study. He had his phone in his hand and said in a deep voice with his


    usual coldness, ¡°Is Chris finished with all the arrangements?¡±


    On the other end of the line, Landon Walker replied, ¡°Yes. Our people are already arranged to be


    stationed in the old residence and other courtyards. They will protect Rachel round the clock.¡±


    He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°The technical department has already locked onto


    Rachels¡¯s location. They will monitor her round the clock to ensure that we know about her


    whereabouts at all times.¡±


    Hearing this, David lowered his eyes and grunted indifferently.


    Suddenly, a loud bang came from the bedroom.

 Chapter 654

    Chapter 654


    Chapter 654


    David¡¯s expression changed. He hung up the phone and rushed to the bedroom.


    He pushed open the door and saw Rachel kneeling on the ground. He frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong?¡±


    Rachel knelt on the ground and picked up the phone methodically.


    Hearing David¡¯s voice, the coldness between her eyebrows faded a little. ¡°My hand slipped just now


    and I identally dropped my phone.¡±


    A meaningful dark glint shed across David¡¯s eyes.


    What a poor excuse.


    Did she truly consider him to be that foolish?


    In spite of his disdain, he yed along and asked. ¡°Can you still use it? If you can¡¯t use it, I¡¯ll get you a


    new one.¡±


    He did not expose Rachel¡¯s poorly made-up excuse.


    ¡°It should still be alright.¡± Rachel picked up the phone and tapped on its screen.


    Seeing that the phone was unharmed, she smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be so sturdy.¡±


    ¡°It just looks sturdy on the outside.¡± David walked forward and gently stroked her hair. He said


    meaningfully. ¡°It¡¯s also very fragile on the inside.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes shed slightly. She looked at David¡¯s gentle ck eyes and finally gave up on


    pretending that everything was alright.


    She sighed softly and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his chest and said


    gloomily, ¡°I¡¯m so angry.¡±


    That someone could be so shameless.


    Back then, he regarded Rachel as a burden and abandoned her. Now that he realized that she still had


    some value, he tried to reconcile with her. He even used his mother as an excuse to persuade her and


    even used his mother¡¯s belongings to threaten her.


    David was used to Rachel pretending to be strong. He was also used to her keeping everything to


    herself.


    He could wait.


    He was also patient enough to wait for Rachel to slowly open up to him. However, he did not expect


    Rachel to suddenly open up to him so suddenly. He pursed his lips and reached out to caress her back.


    ¡°So¡­ Would a kiss help?¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Rachel tiptoed and kissed him on the


    lips.


    David¡¯s body stiffened slightly, and his arms involuntarily tightened.


    Their lips touched, and the soft touch made him greedy. If he was not careful, he would be


    addicted.


    Their breathing was ragged. David¡¯s forehead was pressed against hers. They could feel their breaths


    on each other¡¯s faces. The ambiguous feeling spread silently from the two of them.


    ¡°Want to take a shower together?¡±


    Rachel Grey didn¡¯t answer.


    She struggled free from David¡¯s hold, hurriedly grabbed her clothes, and locked herself in the


    bathroom.


    Looking at her fleeing back, David¡¯s eyes were filled with a faint smile.


    As the bathroom door closed, the smile in his eyes disappeared and was reced by a deep darkness.


    At the Grey family in Pollister, ever since he found out that Rachel was the one who bankrupted the


    Cruise Group, Hans Grey had been trying to contact Rachel in an attempt to rope her and her


    benefactor in.


    However, he had greatly underestimated Rachel¡¯s heartlessness.


    Not only did she refuse to answer the call, but she also blocked his number.


    It was as if she wanted nothing to do with him for the rest of her life.


    Although Hans hated Rachel¡¯s ruthlessness, he did not dare to re


    1.


    After all, his daughter was no longer the little girl he could control before.


    Moreover, from what he knew about Rachel, if he really drive her up the wall, he would not be able to


    gain any benefits. If she asked her benefactor to attack the Grey family, the Grey family would not be


    able to fight back.


    Thinking about all this gave him a headache.


    He thought about it and realized that the only weakness that he could use against Rachel was some of


    Sophia Johnson¡¯s belongings that he had hidden back then.


    Hans yed with a pendant in his hand.


    Back then, when he saw how much Sophia treasured this pendant, he thought that it would be a


    priceless treasure. Therefore, he secretly hid it and nned to sell it when he would one day be short


    of money. However, he did not expect it to be worthless.


    The reason why he did not throw it away was not that he still had feelings for Sophia. He simply felt that


    this pendant might be of great use in the future.


    It turned out that he was right.


    His daughter was good at everything, but she was too stubborn, just like her mother.


    He could only make her submit with her Achilles¡¯ heel.


    Coincidentally, this pendant was exactly what he could use to control Rachel.


    He casually threw the pendant on the table and tapped the table rhythmically with his fingertips.


    The few messages that he had sent previously elicited no response whatsoever.


    Just as he thought that Rachel would not reply, his phone suddenly lit up.


    [How do you think the Grey family survived until now?]


    It was a simple sentence, but the words were filled with arrogance,


    Hans narrowed his eyes and mmed his phone on the table. He gritted his teeth and spat. ¡°This


    heartless little bastard!¡±


    How dare she threaten him?


    Why didn¡¯t he beat her to death back then?


    If he really killed her, wouldn¡¯t it be the end of his problem?


    Although he was gritting his teeth in anger, Hans still patiently sent the photo of the pendant over.


    [You should be familiar with this!]


    Upon seeing Hans¡¯s message, Rachel¡¯s eyes seemed to freeze.


    Of course, she was familiar with this pendant.


    1


    Even after so many years, she still remembered how her mother had touched this pendant with care.


    Her expression was gentle and affectionate as if she was touching the face of a lover.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping yet?¡± David pulled Rachel into his arms.


    Her back was pressed against his warm chest, and Rachel¡¯s body stiffened slightly, ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep


    now.¡±


    After turning off her phone, she froze and did not move.


    In the darkness, there was no other sound other than David¡¯s even breathing.


    Rachel secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    However, before she could let out her breath, David had already flipped her over and was pressing


    against her.


    She suddenly opened her eyes and was caught off guard as she looked into David¡¯s dark and deep


    eyes.


    The dim light made his facial features look deep and well-defined. His dark eyes were so bright that


    they seemed to be looking into her soul.


    Her gaze slowly moved down, and she could vaguely see his clean jawline and his Adam¡¯s apple.


    No matter how slow Rachel was, she could tell what was about to happen next.


    Her hands curled up nervously. ¡°Can you be gentler¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


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    Under the gentle moonlight, the room was filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.


    On the next day, Rachel woke up as usual, but her limbs were exhausted.


    Shey on the bed for a long time before slowly sitting up.


    She looked at the contents of the trash can.


    1, 2, 3, 4¡­


    She couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue and sigh silently. It was true that a man who had just had his first


    taste didn¡¯t know how to control himself.

 Chapter 655

    Chapter 655


    Chapter 655


    When David walked in, Rachel was standing in front of the mirror, examining the hickeys on her


    corbone.


    Hearing the sound at the door, Rachel looked up.


    She was wearing pink pajamas, which made her fair skin look wless and fair, revealing her exquisite


    corbone.


    Seeing the ambiguous marks on her corbone, David¡¯s eyes darkened.


    When Rachel saw his expression, she sensed trouble brewing and quickly turned to pick up an outfit.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick one for you.¡± David walked forward and wrapped his arms around her slender waist. His warm


    chest was pressed tightly against her back.


    His current posture reminded Rachel of their crazy indulgencest night.


    A faint blush appeared on her fair cheeks.


    David Jones picked a flounced shirt for Rachel and paired it with a light-colored silk scarf, just enough


    to cover the marks on her neck.


    ¡°Get changed ande down for breakfast?¡± David handed her the outfit and kissed her forehead.


    lightly.


    Rachel grunted indifferently.


    Seeing that she was not in a good mood, David frowned slightly. ¡°Are you very tired?¡±


    He was afraid that he would hurt her, and was even more afraid of leaving a terrifying impression on


    her, so he had been restraining himselfst night.


    Rachel cleared her throat and yed it cool. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±


    ¡°That means you¡¯re not tired.¡± David raised an eyebrow slightly, and his eyes flickered with at


    meaningful smile.


    Rachel was speechless.


    Knowing that she had been tricked by David, she pushed him away angrily. ¡°Hurry up and get out. I¡¯m


    going to change.¡±


    David obliged and turned to leave. When he reached the door, he whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve seen every inch of


    you.


    Rachel grabbed her slippers and threw them at David¡¯s back. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    After breakfast, Rachel returned to the bedroom and packed briefly.


    For some reason, she suddenly remembered Lucas saying that she was going to elope with David. Her


    lips could not help but curl up slightly.


    Didn¡¯t it feel like eloping when she was packing her luggage in secret now?


    Just as she was thinking about it, Lucas suddenly called.


    ¡°Come to the research institute.¡± Lucas¡¯s voice rang in Rachel¡¯s ears through the phone.


    Hearing this, Rachel was slightly stunned. She closed the suitcase. ¡°Has there been any progress?¡±


    ¡°We are currently conducting the second stage of the experiment.¡± Lucas paused for a moment. His


    deep and cool voice was mixed with a hint of dryness. ¡°We might need to use you as a test subject in


    the next stage¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel left her bedroom and walked towards David¡¯s study.


    In the study, Jimmy Shain and Landon Walker were talking to David.


    Their conversation was very simple. They wanted David to reconsider taking Rachel to Aureliana.


    They were not against Rachel staying by David¡¯s side.


    Instead, exposing Rachel¡¯s existence too early would only make the covetous see Rachel as a


    weakness to manipte David.


    The Jones family was arge family with a long history and intertwined roots.


    It was also because of its scale that everyone in the Jones family seemed to be obsessed with the


    internal strife over the past few years.


    Even in the face of familial love, they would not be soft-hearted.


    Even though Landon and Jimmy had been by David¡¯s side for many years, their understanding of the


    Jones family was only the tip of the iceberg.


    A family that controlled more than half of the mineral resources in Aureliana was not an ordinary family.


    The Johnson family, which was the richest family in Seaxas, was no match to it at all.


    ¡°Even if you put Chris to stay by her side, it might not be foolproof,¡± said Landon.


    David frowned slightly and looked up at him. ¡°She has me to rely on.¡±


    In other words, if Chris could not do it, he would protect her personally.


    With him around, he would die to keep her safe.


    Landon wanted to say something else, but Jimmy stopped him. ¡°The technical department just reported


    that someone has been secretly investigating Rachel. They¡¯ve been intercepted.¡±


    Without waiting for David to speak, Jimmy continued, ¡°The Elders racked their brains to deal with. you.


    Now that they¡¯ve discovered the existence of Rachel, they won¡¯t let it go easily.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re not afraid of death, let them try,¡± said David.


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    His tone was calm and indifferent, and there was a terrifying sense of oppression in his words that


    made one shudder.


    Outside the study, Rachel heard every word of their conversation.


    She had thought that her appearance would cause trouble for David, but things seemed to be far worse


    than she had imagined.


    She did not expect David to secretly deploy so many people to protect her.


    At this moment, Mrs. Brown walked over. When she saw Rachel standing at the door, she called out


    without thinking.


    Rachel quickly raised her index finger to her lips and gestured for her to keep quiet.


    Mrs. Brown nodded wisely and swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.


    ¡°Mrs. Brown, I have something to attend to. I¡¯m going out for a while.¡± Rachel led Mrs. Brown to the


    stairs. ¡°If he asks, please let him know.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Half an hourter, at the research institute, Rachel followed Lucas into theboratory.


    Professor Ethan Bowes handed thetest drug analysis report to Lucas and Rachel. ¡°Until now, we


    have only identified three substances from Miss Grey¡¯s blood sample, but there are still two or more


    unknown substances.¡±


    In order to extract these substances and cook up an antidote, their team had studied them for decades


    and spent good money on their research.


    If not for the fact that the Johnson family was the richest family in Seaxas, they would never be able to


    work on such a drug research project so costly.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there were four? Why are there two or more now?!¡± Lucas¡¯s brows showed a hint of


    impatience. He threw the document in his hand on the table with a bang.


    The sound was neither loud nor soft, but it was enough to make Ethan tremble. He swallowed and


    exined carefully, ¡°There were originally four, but we failed to extract thest substance repeatedly,


    so I believe that thest substance is most likely to be synthesized from two substances.¡±


    ¡°What I want is results! Not some wild guess of yours!¡± Lucas was extremely irritated as if he was on


    the verge of losing his temper.


    He would never forget how sick Rachel got when she was 18.


    It was as if she was dying.


    They sought the help of world-famous experts from all over the country, but none of them were of any


    help.


    They conducted a series of detailed tests on Rachel and found that Rachel was suffering from a


    gic disease that could not be fully cured. Drugs could only be used to relieve and suppress the


    onset of the disease.


    It was even predicted that Rachel would not live past the age of 25.


    From that day onwards, the Johnson family secretly established the Pharmaceutical Research Institute.


    It was used to study the gic disease Rachel had.

 Chapter 656

    Chapter 656


    Chapter 656


    However, over the years, there had been no progress.


    The antidote developed could suppress the onset of Rachel¡¯s disease, but it would also bring certain


    side effects.


    They had changed Rachel¡¯s medicines more than ten times and finally settled with the pills that Rachel


    was currently taking.


    Ethan looked at Rachel with a troubled expression. ¡°Miss Grey, actually, we have been thinking¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Rachel took off her jacket. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    She had just taken a step toward Ethan when Lucas grabbed her wrist. ¡°Rae-Rae, the experimental


    data is still being tested. I think you don¡¯t have to take the risk. If anything happens¡­¡±


    ¡°Be more optimistic.¡± Rachel smiled. ¡°What if I hit the jackpot this time?¡±


    As she spoke, she gently patted Lucas¡¯s hand and walked into the experiment module.


    After she entered the experiment module, Lucas grabbed Ethan¡¯s cor. ¡°Bowes, I¡¯m warning you. If


    anything happens to Rae-Rae, I¡¯ll bury you with her!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Johnson, you¡¯re the heir to the Johnson family. Why do you look like a bandit?¡± Ethan pushed his


    hand away and looked at him helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re always threatening me with these same words. I¡¯m so


    tired of it.¡±


    As he spoke, he walked to the main controller and began the experiment.


    ¡°Miss Grey, if you feel ufortable, give me a heads-up.¡±


    Inside the experiment module, Rachel made an ¡°OK¡± gesture with her hand.


    Under Ethan¡¯s precise control, needles as thin as hair pierced through Rachel¡¯s skin and started


    feeding medicine into her body.


    Lucas, who was waiting outside the experiment module, did not show much emotion on his face.


    However, his teeth were gritted and his hands were tightly clenched into fists. The bulging veins on his


    arms showed how tense he was at this moment.


    Finally, the door of the experimental module opened.


    With a puff of white smoke, Rachel slowly walked out.


    Lucas immediately rushed forward and held her. ¡°How is it? How are you feeling?¡±


    Rachel stared at him for a moment and suddenly smiled. ¡°I feel great now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lucas secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Ethan walked forward and handed the report to Lucas. ¡°This is the report of Miss Grey¡¯s treatment just


    now. Her biographical data is stable. We are one step closer to sess!¡±


    Originally, the various stats in Rachel¡¯s body were all increasing, but when they reached a certain level,


    they would start to decrease.


    If they continued to decrease without medical control, Rachel would die eventually.


    Lucas flipped through the report and took out his phone to call Tom.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Rachel was having a nosebleed.


    Then, she seemed to have lost all her strength and toppled backward. ¡°Rae-Rael¡± Lucas grabbed her


    quickly.


    However, at this moment, Rachel¡¯s vision turned ck. She had fallen unconsciouspletely.


    Her body temperature continued to drop. Her skin was sickly pale that it was almost transparent, and


    the blood vessels under her skin were vaguely visible.


    Meanwhile, David called Rachel¡¯s number, but no one picked up.


    He started to have a bad feeling about this.


    He suddenly stood up, grabbed his jacket, and strode out.


    When Mrs. Brown saw David hurrying around, she exined quickly, ¡°Sir, Miss Grey said that she had


    to go out for a while. She might not be back tonight.¡±


    ¡°When did she leave?¡± David asked.


    His cold tone formed a thinyer of ice in the air as he threw Mrs. Brown the question.


    Mrs. Brown panicked and answered. ¡°About three hours ago.¡±


    David frowned slightly. A terrifying aura surrounded him.


    ¡°Is¡­ Is something wrong with Miss Grey?¡± Mrs. Brown deliberated for a while and asked carefully.


    David shot her a nce before striding towards the door.


    When Rachel woke up, she found that she was in bed and surrounded by people.


    Even Old Mr. Johnson was there.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Rae-Rae¡­ Can you hear Grandpa?¡± Old Mr. Johnson looked at Rachel, who had finally woken. up.


    and his muddy eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±


    Seeing that Rachel did not speak for a long time, those standing behind Old Mr. Johnson immediately


    panicked. They swarmed forward to surround Rachel¡¯s bed.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, I¡¯m your uncle.¡±


    ¡°Me too, Rae-Rae!¡±


    ¡°Kiddo, I¡¯m Lucas.¡±


    Looking at everyone¡¯s nervous expressions, Rachel could not help butugh. ¡°I just fainted. It¡¯s not like


    I lost my memory.¡±


    ¡°Go to hell. How dare you¡­ Ow!¡± Before Lucas could finish his sentence, the double attack of Tom¡¯s


    kick and Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s crutch made him howl in pain.


    Before he could seek justice for himself, Old Mr. Johnson and Adrian spoke in unison, ¡°What nonsense


    are you talking about!¡±


    It was not easy for Rachel to finally regain consciousness. At this moment, they couldn¡¯t bring


    themselves to hear anything rted to ¡°death¡± right now.


    ¡°Rac-Rae, are you hungry?¡± Old Mr. Johnson changed his serious attitude and turned to look at Rachel


    lovingly.


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°How long have I been unconscious?¡±


    Hearing this, the few people in front of her fell silent.


    Probably because of how their minds were always in sync, Tom¡¯s voice cracked a little as he answered.


    Three days.


    To them, these three days felt like years.


    Especially when the doctor told them to be mentally prepared, it was very likely that Rachel would-


    never wake up. They felt like it was the end of the world.


    Fortunately, Rachel managed to turn the situation around and woke up sessfully.


    Rachel looked at the dark sky outside the window. David¡¯s face involuntarily appeared in her mind.


    Three days¡­


    She wondered how he was doing now.


    Lucas seemed to have seen through Rachel¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Well, there are so many of us here. Rae-Rae


    definitely won¡¯t be able to rest well. Why don¡¯t you guys go back first? I¡¯ll stay here tonight to keep her


    company.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Tom nodded. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll take you home to rest first.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson was already old. If he continued to stress himself out, he would fall sick sooner or


    later.


    Old Mr. Johnson pursed his lips and pondered for a moment. ¡°Alright.¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you off!¡± Lucas volunteered and led everyone away.


    The huge ward suddenly became empty, leaving only Rachel alone.


    After a while, the door of the ward suddenly opened.


    ¡°How did you manage to¡­¡± She looked up and saw David¡¯s figure. Her words stopped abruptly as she


    looked at him in disbelief. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, David bent down and hugged her tightly.


    His hold was so strong as if he would never let go.


    Sensing how he was trembling slightly, Rachel slowly raised her hand and patted his back softly. She


    said gently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry.¡±

 Chapter 657

    Chapter 657


    Chapter 657


    ¡°Let me hug you for a while.¡± David said.


    He buried his head in Rachel¡¯s neck, his warm breath tickling her skin. But Rachel did not dodge. and


    she just let him hug her.


    She caressed David¡¯s back and asked gently. ¡°Can you hug me for the rest of your life?¡±


    David looked down at her unblinkingly. ¡°You said it yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Before Rachel could finish speaking, she sensed a chilling from her fingertip.


    In the dim light, a diamond ring the size of a pigeon¡¯s egg was shining brightly.


    On the tinum ring holder was a square diamond of high purity, as crystal clear as rock candy. It was


    emitting a dazzling light, like a perfect piece of art.


    What Rachel looked at the huge diamond on her ring finger, having no idea what to say.


    Tve been preparing for it for a long time. I wanted to propose to you tonight, but¡­ David paused for


    a moment before he continued. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s fine as long as the ring is on your finger.¡±


    Rachel stared at the diamond ring with mixed feelings.


    After a long while, she asked in a low voice, ¡°What if What if I didn¡¯t wake up tonight?¡±


    Did that mean the ring no longer belonged to her?


    If she missed the proposal and the ring tonight, it would be the biggest regret of her life..


    After all, she had been looking forward to David proposing to her for a long time. Like any other girl.


    she looked forward to the ritual of marriage.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t woken up, you wouldn¡¯t have given the ring to me, right?¡± Rachel asked.


    David held her hand and kissed it gently. ¡°I thought if you woke up, I would ask for your permission, and


    if you didn¡¯t wake up, I would put it on your finger directly¡±


    He had thought it over. If Rachel was in aa for the rest of her life, he would put the ring on her


    finger and take her as his wife.


    ¡°I love you¡± David gazed at her with a serious expression, his eyes full of affection that would make any


    girl¡¯s heart flip ¡°The first time I saw you. I had a feeling that you would be my wife.¡±


    Rachel was stunned, her long eyshes fluttering slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn¡±


    A second ago, David was confessing his love to her gently, but now, he seemed to be a boss giving


    orders.


    Rachel blurted out, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You should tell me that you love me in return..


    Before David could finish his sentence, Rachel grabbed his tie and sealed his lips with hers.


    She pecked David on the lips and let go of him quickly. Though her kiss was like a dragonfly skimming


    the surface of the water, it made David more excited than a passionate one did.


    Rachel looked at him and curved up her rosy lips into a smile, her beautiful eyes shining brightly.


    I prefer to express myself with actions rather than words.¡±


    ¡°So do I.¡±


    With that, David leaned over and kissed her on the lips again.


    At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door. Lucas¡¯s voice sounded from outside, ¡°Hey, you


    guys. You¡¯d better restrain yourselves. You¡¯re still in the hospital now.¡±


    ¡°Why are you back?¡± Rachel asked, looking at him.


    Lucas shot her a re. ¡°You heartless girl. If I hadn¡¯t sent the old man away, he would still be waiting


    outside now!¡±


    Even though there was a marriage agreement between David and Rachel, Old Mr. Johnson clearly. did


    not want Rachel to marry this man. Of course, he would not let David see her.


    During the three days when Rachel was in aa, David had been waiting outside the hospital.


    Lucas didn¡¯t want to help him in the beginning. If it weren¡¯t for the sake of experts in the research base,


    he wouldn¡¯t have ¡°betrayed¡± Old Mr. Johnson.


    Rachel reached out and gently stroked David¡¯s cheek. When she noticed the dark circles under his


    eyes, she asked, ¡°Have you been waiting outside these few days?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± David responded.


    He moved Rachel¡¯s hand to his lips and kissed it.


    ¡°Duh!¡± Lucas cursed angrily in his heart when he saw them making out.


    ¡°After Rachel had a boyfriend, she seemed to havepletely forgotten about me. Maybe in her heart.


    David is her family, and her brother, I, is only an outsider!¡±


    Lucas thought resentfully.


    Not wanting to see the two lovebirds showing their affection for each other anymore, he turned to


    leave.


    David left at dawn. Not long after, Mary, Jessica, and Linda walked into the ward.


    Rachel had been keeping the news of her hospitalization under wraps.


    However, Mary and Jessica suddenly went to her office, causing Linda to slip the beans.


    Mary and Jessica put a lot of pressure on her. Linda had no choice but to bring the two of them to


    Rachel¡¯s ward.


    When the three of them saw the ring on Rachel¡¯s finger, they instantly became curious.


    Mary, who was sitting on the sofa, rushed up to Rachel, carefully held her hand, and said, ¡°Gosh!


    Sweetie, you¡¯re wearing a vi in the Oaks on your hand!¡±


    Jessica joked with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t even dare to buy such a big piece of rock candy,¡±


    Even though she was a regr in the major shows and had seen all kinds of luxurious jewelry over


    these years, Jessica was still shocked by the ring on Rachel¡¯s finger.


    She kept touching the ring and said, ¡°Do you want me to hire a security team for you?¡±


    She was afraid that Rachel might lose her hand if some gangsters found out that she had such a huge


    diamond ring on her finger.


    Jessica peeled an orange and handed it to Rachel. ¡°So¡­ he¡¯s done with the proposal?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rachel answered with a hint of a smile in her eyes.


    Upon hearing that, Mary could not help but roll her eyes. ¡°No matter what, you¡¯re a Johnson. How could


    you agree to marry him simply because of a big piece of rock candy?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that she was trying to sow discord, but she just thought that David wasn¡¯t sincere enough. It


    was just a ring. There was no ceremony.


    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t hospitalized, you would see the surprise he prepared for me.¡± As she spoke, a hint of


    disappointment appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Have you ever heard of this saying?¡± Jessica suddenly said, ¡°My love for you weighs 21 grams.¡±


    Hearing that, Linda said slowly, ¡°21 grams is the weight of the soul. Every person who loves someone


    deeply will lose 21 grams of weight after death. Even if he is dead, his love will not fade away. The 21


    grams he lost will be with his beloved forever. So it represents the purest love in the world.¡±


    105 carats is exactly 21 grams, Jessica said. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Jones to put so much effort into it.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Obviously, she did not expect David to put so much thought into the ring either.


    She stroked the tinum ring holder and was lost in deep thought.


    On the day Rachel was discharged from the hospital, she did not see David. Instead, she returned to


    Johnson¡¯s Mansion at the repeated request of the men from the Johnson family.


    After she returned to her room, she took out her phone and sent a message to David,


    [Hey! Your beloved girl is online!]


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door.


    The servant outside said respectfully, ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a package for you.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

 Chapter 658

    Chapter 658


    Chapter 658


    Rachel got out of bed and opened the door.


    The ser vant respectfully handed the package over. ¡°It was ced in front of the door of the vi. The


    butler saw your name on it and got someone to bring it in.¡±


    Rachel took the package and weighed it quietly.


    It was pretty light.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Rachel took the package and returned to her room.


    She shook it from side to side, then cut open the package with a small knife.


    Inside was a palm-sized wooden box.


    She opened the box and saw a ss bottle containing a light blue liquid.


    There was a pink card under the ss bottle, saying, ¡°Ask someone to apply the potion to your body


    and gave you a massage. It can ease your illness.¡±


    The handwriting on the card was the same as that on the card attached to the bouquet of roses she


    received in the office the other day.


    It suggested that these two things came from the same person.


    Rachel frowned lightly. She carefully took out the ss bottle and examined the liquid in it facing the


    sun.


    Other than the Johnson family, no one else knew about her illness.


    She wondered how this person found out about it.


    To cure her disease, the Johnson family had spent a lot of money over the years, but after so many


    experiments, the experts hadn¡¯t developed an efficient antidote yet. They could only use the special


    medicine with mild side effects to ease her illness.


    At this moment, a message suddenly popped up on her phone. [I will never hurt you.]


    Rachel picked up her phone and texted back. [?]


    After a while, the other party sent another message. [No matter what, I once gave you a ride. Miss


    Grey haspletely forgotten about me. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too heartless?]


    Seeing this message, Ronnie¡¯s face popped into Rachel¡¯s mind.


    ¡°So, the flowers and the package were all delivered by Ronnie?


    ¡°But how did he know I was ill?


    ¡°How did he know that the potion could ease my illness?¡±


    So many questions flooded Rachel¡¯s mind. She seemed to figure something out, but it disappeared


    when she tried to catch it.


    She stared thoughtfully at the medicine bottle in her hand.


    At this moment, her phone suddenly rang. It was David.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± His deep, maic voice rang out on the other end of the line.


    Rachel put the ss bottle back into the box and said casually, ¡°I was locked in the room to recuperate.


    I¡¯m so bored.¡±


    David said something in whispers, but Rachel did not hear it clearly.


    A momentter, David¡¯s deep voice sounded again. ¡°Do you want to go with me?¡±


    Hearing that, Rachel immediately perked up. She quickly got up and looked out of the window.


    Unfortunately, she saw nothing more than the carefully trimmed flowers and trees in the yard. The man


    she wanted to see was not there.


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you outside.¡±


    This simple sentence was especially tempting for Rachel.


    After hanging up the phone, she changed her clothes and rushed out of her room.


    Just as Rachel opened the door, she suddenly thought of something and returned. She picked up the


    box and walked out again.


    When Lucas saw her in such a hurry, he frowned slightly. ¡°Are you going out?¡±


    Rachel hurriedly pressed her fingers against her lips to gesture for him to keep quiet.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± She stuffed the box into Luc a s¡¯s arms. ¡°Let Mr. Bowes test the potion.¡±


    Lucas opened the box with his fingers with distinct knuckles and looked thoughtfully at the light blue


    liquid in the ss bottle. ¡°Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Someone gave it to me.¡±


    After saying that, Rachel left without looking back.


    As soon as she walked out of Johnson¡¯s Mansion, Rachel immediately saw a ck Rolls-Royce parked


    by the roadside.


    Eddie stood upright in front of the car. It was obvious that he had been waiting for a long time.


    Seeing Rachel walk over, he opened the car door respectfully. ¡°Miss Grey, please get into the car.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly and bent down to slip into the car.


    David closed the document and opened his arms to her.


    Rachel immediately threw herself into his embrace.


    David wrapped his arm around her slender waist and his palm identally touched the wound on her


    back. Rachel could not help but frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± David asked worriedly.


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Nothing. I got a lower back strain by ident.¡±


    The previous experiment had failed. Due to the side effects of the medicine, a massive bruises


    appeared on her waist and abdomen.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked, deftly changing the topic.


    David held her hand and said mysteriously, ¡°You¡¯ll know in a while.¡±


    In the meanwhile, Lucas took the box to the research institute.


    Coincidentally, he met Landon.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Landon asked.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    He looked down and saw the box in (Luc a s¡¯s) hands.


    Lucas flicked the cigarette ash with his fingertips and said casually, ¡°I have something to give the


    expert. I¡¯m going in.¡±


    When he walked into theboratory, Lucas handed the box to Professor Bowes.


    ¡°Test it to see if this thing is toxic and if it has any side effects.¡±


    When Professor Ethan Bowes saw what was in the box, a light shed across his sharp eyes. ¡°Where


    did


    you get it?¡±


    Seeing his serious look, Lucas could not help but frown. ¡°You know about it?¡±


    Hearing that, Ethan regained some calm.


    He lowered his eyes and said stiffly, ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I just¡­ just felt a little surprised.¡±


    Sensing (Luc a s¡¯s) sharp gaze on him, hepressed his lips and continued, ¡°You know that the


    machines here are worth a lot of money. I¡¯m so busy every day. I don¡¯t have time to waste on such


    trifles.¡±


    ¡°Cut the (c r a p)! Just do what I tell you to do,¡± Lucas said coldly, pulled a chair over, and sat down.


    Professor Bowes looked at him for quite a while before he took the box from him and began working on


    the test.


    With the detailed analysis of every ingredient in the potioning out one by one, Professor Bowes¡¯


    expression became more and more solemn. After a while, his back was soaked in sweat. No one could


    tell if it was because he was too nervous or something else.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Seeing him stand where he was in a daze, Lucas stood up and walked over.


    Professor Bowes suddenly came back to his senses and looked up at Lucas, saying calmly, ¡°The


    potion can suppress Miss Grey¡¯s disease effectively without any side effects.¡±


    When he heard that, (Lu ca s¡¯s ) face lit up. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Professor Bowes nodded. He flipped through the data reports in his hand and looked up at Lucas


    thoughtfully, pretending to say in a casual manner, ¡°If you had taken it out earlier, Miss Grey wouldn¡¯t


    have been in danger a few days ago, and the Johnson family wouldn¡¯t have to spend so much money


    every year.¡±


    ¡°How long does the effectst?¡± Lucas asked.


    Professor Bowes looked up at him, saying, ¡°One year.¡±


    ¡°Only one year?¡±


    ¡°One year


    is not bad.¡± Professor Bowes threw the folder in his hand on the table. ¡°Think about it. Miss Grey had to


    take the special medicine every six months before. Moreover, those special medicines had certain side


    effects.¡±


    ¡°Can you produce the same thing ording to the ingredients in the potion?¡±

 Chapter 659

    Chapter 659


    Chapter 659


    Professor Bowes shook his head. ¡°ording to the data analysis, the structure of a substance in the


    potion is quite simr to that of an unknown substance we tested before.¡±


    ¡°Continue your research then,¡± Lucas said coldly. ¡°Start with the molecr form.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound so easy!¡± Professor Bowes picked up the cup and took a sip of the thick coffee. His


    mustache moved as he spoke. ¡°In order to analyze the two substances before, the entire research and


    development team spent three whole years. Hundreds of people went through thousands of extraction


    experiments. How can we get the data so easily as you said? You should put yourself in our shoes.¡±


    Lucas looked up at him, saying, ¡°Tell me, how much money do you want this time?¡±


    Every time Professor Bowesined about how many difficulties he was facing in his research, he


    was about to ask for a huge amount of money.


    ¡°Well, you know that this kind of test cost a lot. Without money, we can¡¯t get any data. As for the


    research and development fee¡­ the more, the better.¡± Professor Bowes chuckled and stretched out a


    finger. ¡°How about you give us 10 million dors first?¡±


    Lucas nced at him and then took out his phone to call the bank. ¡°It¡¯s me. Help me transfer 20 million


    dors. Yes, to the same ount as thest time.¡±


    Hearing that, Professor Bowes was super pumped.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    However, there was a trace of regret amidst his excitement.


    If he had known that Lucas would agree so easily, he would have asked more earlier.


    Lucas casually spun the phone on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll give yo¨´ enough funds. But you¡¯ll have to figure out


    what the unknown substances are.¡±


    Professor Bowes poured a cup of coffee for him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll do our best.¡±


    There were still two substances that they hadn¡¯t had the analytical data yet.


    Every time, the extraction experiment ended in failure. Having no choice, they could only use the


    st*pidest method, which was to screen andpare tens of thousands of herbal medicines.


    This method was also the most expensive.


    Lucas nced at him and said in a cold voice, ¡°Report to me at any time if there¡¯s any progress.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Professor Bowes replied.


    Standing on where he was, Professor Bowes watched Lucas leave, the ttering smile on his face


    fading


    away.


    He lowered his head and stared at the box that Lucas had just given him, his eyes flickered with an


    unfathomable light.


    Lucas walked out of the research institute and said to his henchman, ¡°Bring all the experts from the


    blood institute here.¡±


    Previously, they had no idea where to start, and could only conduct experiments on Rachel¡¯s blood.


    Now that they had the potion as a reference, he was certain that the experts would find out something


    soon.


    After a long drive, David¡¯s car finally stopped at a dock.


    The wind from the sea ruffled Rachel¡¯s long hair. She unwittingly reached out to tuck her it behind her


    ears. She looked around and asked, ¡°What are we doing here?¡±


    ¡°Toplete the ritual, of course,¡± David said as he took out a soft ribbon from his pocket. ¡°You want


    me to help you with it?¡±


    As the ribbon fell, everything in front of her was reced by darkness.


    David held her hand and walked forward slowly.


    Rachel could not see her destination, but she vaguely smelled a strong floral fragrance.


    She had her spections about where they were going.


    However, when the ribbon that blocked her vision was untied and she saw the flowers all over the


    mountain, her beautiful eyes widened in shock..


    The roses of various colors looked especially charming and bright under the sunlight.


    Set off by the roses, the dull rocky crags showed a hint of tenderness.


    The road in front of Rachel was carpeted with fresh flowers.


    Before the shock that lingered in her heart faded away, she was filled with joy, and it took her a long


    time


    to calm down.


    It felt so good to receive a surprise from her beloved!


    Rachel had thought that David¡¯s proposal was finished the moment he put the ring on her finger. She


    did not expect him to prepare such a big surprise for her.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± David held her hand and interlocked their fingers.


    Rachel turned to him, tears shimmering in her eyes. She nodded hard and said, ¡°Yes, I like it.¡±


    As if she thought it was not enough to express her feelings, she added, ¡°I like it very much.¡±


    David gently wiped the tears off the corners of her eyes. He slowly bent down and knelt on one knee.


    ¡°Dear Miss Rachel, will you marry me?¡±


    It was a simple sentence without any fancy words, but it made Rachel¡¯s heart thump wildly as if


    someone had just given it a squeeze.


    A sentence suddenly popped into her mind: ¡°What you suffered will bring you happiness in the end.¡±


    Rachel alwaysined about her bad luck, and she even suspected that she was cursed.


    She had been abandoned so many times.


    She had just been dumped even the day she met David.


    Rachel¡¯s beautifully, limpid eyes were full of tenderness.


    Seeing them be misty with tears, David frowned, feeling a twinge in his heart. ¡°Why are you


    crying?¡±


    He wondered, ¡°Could it be that she doesn¡¯t want to marry me?


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not good enough for her.¡±


    Rachel sniffled and buried her head in his neck, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. ¡°I thought


    you wouldn¡¯t prepare any ritual for me. It¡¯s such a wonderful surprise!¡±


    ¡°You little fool!¡± David¡¯s palm gently caressed her back. ¡°I¡¯ll give you everything the other girls have.¡±


    Hearing that, Rachel felt like her heart was melting.


    She stood on tiptoe and kissed David on the lips.


    Then she quickly distanced herself from him. The kiss was like a dragonfly touching the surface of the


    water, but it was full of tenderness.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She wanted to thank David for appearing in her life, caring about her so much, and giving her so many


    surprises.


    David grabbed her chin and said, ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t ept verbal thanks.¡±


    ??


    ??¡±?


    ¡°Then, how about I marry you?¡± Rachel looked at him gently, her sparkling eyes even more dazzling


    than the stars in the sky.


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    David held the back of her head and leaned over to cover her lips with his.


    The gentle, sticky kiss made Rachel so moved that a crystal-clear tear rolled down from the corner of


    her


    eye.


    When her beloved man proposed to her, she felt like she owned the entire world.


    Rachel thought that was all the surprise David prepared for her until she saw a yacht covered in


    flowers.


    It looked so funny as if a big guy was wearing a flowery dress.


    ¡°Do you want to go up and take a look?¡±


    Rachel nodded and took David¡¯s hand as they walked onto the deck.


    They went through the sunken resting area, bypa ssed the resting cabin, and walked straight to the


    dining


    area.


    On the white dining table were exquisite food and gorgeous, huge candlesticks.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Candlelight dinner?¡±

 Chapter 660

    Chapter 660


    Chapter 660


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± David asked.


    This was the first time he had ever proposed to a woman, so he was inevitably a little nervous.


    He specially asked for Jimmy¡¯s opinion.


    But he thought that Jimmy¡¯s idea was too exaggerated, so he prepared a candlelight dinner himself.


    Rachel walked up to the table and picked up a red rose. She moved it under her nose, sniffed it, and


    then tugged it behind her ear. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to prepare these.¡±


    In her impression, David was cold and abstinent, not seemed to be someone who would create


    romance and surprises.


    David¡¯s eyebrows shot up slightly. He walked over, pulled out a chair, and gestured for Rachel to sit


    down.


    His deep, maic voice sounded in Rachel¡¯s car, ¡°Everything is possible.¡±


    Rachel looked up at him.


    She figured out the profound meaning behind David¡¯s words.


    He was hinting that people would change for their beloved.


    If a person refused to make any changes for you, then he must not love you so much.


    The evening glow reddened the sky. The sun gradually sank below the h o ri zon.


    The surface of the sea rippled with light, like silver ribbons swaying in the wind.


    Candlelight flickered in the yacht, making the atmosphere be ambiguous.


    Rachel slowly cut her steak and looked up at the man sitting opposite her.


    The dim light entuated his well-defined face.


    The shadow of the flickering candlelight reflected on his face, softening his strong aura.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly proposing to me?¡± Rachel had always thought that the proposal would only


    happen after her grandfather epted him.


    David looked up at her, curving his lips into a smile. ¡°Since I¡¯m bringing you back to Aureliana, I should


    let the others know who you are.¡±


    In this way, he wanted to tell everyone that Rachel had him backing her up.


    More importantly, he hoped that Rachel wouldn¡¯t have to envy others when she was with him.


    He wanted her to feel that every day she spent with him was wonderful and meaningful.


    A trace of surprise shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s so sweet! What should I do to show


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. I want nothing but you,¡± said David.


    When Rachel heard this, some R-rated images suddenly appeared in her mind.


    my thanks?¡±


    Blushing, she quickly lowered her head to continue eating.


    ¡°When will you go to Aureliana with me?¡± David asked.


    Rachel tilted her head and pondered for a moment. ¡°How about tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that urgent,¡± David said. ¡°If you¡¯re not ready, I can wait for a few more days.¡±


    ¡°No need. I will go with you tomorrow at thetest.¡±


    Actually, everything was ready, but Rachel didn¡¯t expect herself to suddenly fall ill and end up in the


    hospital.


    David put down his cutlery, took the napkin, and slowly wiped his mouth. ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick you up


    tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After they finished eating, Rachel suggested going for a spin on the sea.


    However, considering that she had just been discharged from the hospital and might still be weak,


    David decided to send her home.


    The car stopped. Rachel looked at David, not wanting to part from him. ¡°I¡¯m leaving then?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± David said, ¡°Take a good rest.¡±


    Rachel did not respond. She opened the car door and was about to get out of the car when she


    repeated, ¡°I¡¯m leaving?¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡± David responded emotionlessly.


    ¡°I¡¯m really leaving!¡± Rachel could not help but repeat again.


    Hearing no response from David, she felt a little disappointed. She turned around in a huff and was


    about to get out of the car.


    Just as she stepped on the ground, David suddenly reached out to her waist and pulled her into his


    arms.


    Before Rachel could react, he leaned over and kissed her on the lips.


    After a passionate, sticky French kiss, Rachel panted in David¡¯s arms, her clear, misty eyes shining


    brightly.


    David looked down at her and gently wiped the water off her lips with his fingertips. ¡°Do you know how


    hard I¡¯ve been restraining myself?¡±


    Rachel had just recovered from a serious illness. David was worried that she would be too exhausted


    after their intimacy, so he had been struggling to depress his desire. But this little girl didn¡¯t understand


    it and kept on seducing him!


    Rachel sighed lightly. ¡°Are you ming me?¡±


    ¡°How can I bear to me you?¡± David said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for being vulnerable to


    temptation.¡±


    Rachel chuckled at his words.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    She cupped David¡¯s face and pecked on it before hopping out of the car decisively. ¡°I¡¯ll get going. Good


    night.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    After watching Rachel leave, David returned to his usual aloof self. ¡°Drive me to the 101 Institute.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    As the car sped along, David¡¯s phone suddenly rang. It was Landon.


    ¡°I ran into Lucas at the research institute today and discovered that the research institute was


    conducting a highly confidential experiment. They kept it a secret even from our people.¡±


    Back then, David convinced Tom by coborating with the government to create aboratory.


    Apart from the elites from various research institutes, experts from David¡¯s research institute joined the


    laboratory as well.


    In the past, expert groups or research and development teams would share all the results of each


    other¡¯s experiments. However, the Johnson family always kept some experiments they were


    conducting highly confidential. Clearly, there were some things that they did not want to reveal to


    outsiders.


    ¡°And this evening, another group of people came to the research institute and talked to Ethan.¡± Landon


    said, ¡°An hour ago, our men reported that Tom joined hands with the governments of 10 states and


    established a research team.¡±


    Back then, when David offered to cooperate with him, Tom talked a lot about his research and


    development team.


    ¡°Why would Tom make it so big?¡± David thought with a frown, his cold, thoughtful eyes as deep as two


    bottomless pools. No one could tell what was on his mind.


    ¡°Have you got any clue about what I asked you to investigate?¡±


    Landon lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. With the white smoke slowlying out of his mouth, his


    deep, cold voice sounded, ¡°Ethan is an old fox. After so many years, he¡¯s even more cun ning than


    before. You can¡¯t believe anything he says.¡±


    Even coercion wouldn¡¯t work on Ethan.


    Now that he had someone backing him up, he was much more confident than before.


    David said meaningfully, ¡°Don¡¯t forget what Ethan¡¯s old job is.¡±


    Landon¡¯s pupils constricted at his words. ¡°Are you suspecting that the Johnson family is using Ethan to


    make the poison?¡±


    David adjusted his tie and said coldly, ¡°Ethan is the most well-known poison maker in Aureliana. Since


    he can make poison, he can detoxify it, of course.¡±


    After hanging up, he urged Billy to go to the research institute as soon as possible.


    By this time, Rachel had returned to Johnson¡¯s Mansion. As soon as she entered the room, she saw


    Old Mr. Johnson sitting on the sofa.


    Her heart ski pped a beat and she reflexively nced at Lucas.


    Seeing Lucas pouting at her helplessly, she became a little nervous.


    ¡°Could it be that Lucas sold me out? This da mned traitor!¡± she thought.


    While Rachel was in a trance, Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s voice sounded.

 Chapter 661

    Chapter 661


    Chapter 661


    ¡°Tell me, where did you go sote at night!¡± Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s deep voice was filled with intimidation.


    After all, he used to be the overlord of the business world when he was young. Even though he was old


    now, he was still as imposing as before.


    Hearing this, Rachel secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    She had thought that her date with David had been exposed.


    She calmed her inner panic and walked forward with a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t go anywhere. I just went out and


    rxed.¡±


    ¡°Rxed?¡± Old Mr. Johnson snorted angrily. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that you went on a date behind


    my back?


    Rachel pouted and muttered in a low voice, ¡°Why did you still ask me when you already knew?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Old Mr. Johnson red at her while he was anxious for Rachel to improve.


    He knew that it was impossible to persuade Rachel to take the initiative to give up this marriage.


    Last time, Rachel would rather take a hit from his walking stick than take a step back. This was enough


    to show her determination.


    He took a deep breath and rubbed the watch in his hand with his fingertips. ¡°Are you feeling better


    recently?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know my health?¡± Rachel leaned on his shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ruthlessly let me and Tom join


    the army to keep us fit and healthy? I have a strong body! Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    ¡°I heard from Lucas that you got a bottle of medicine?¡± Old Mr. Johnson gave her a meaningful look.


    Rachel nodded.


    She did not hide this matter and she gave a brief ount of it.


    However, she did not confess that Darcy and Ronnie were old acquaintances.


    ¡°Mr. Diekens?¡± Old Mr. Johnson frowned slightly and looked up at Lucas. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of it


    before?¡±


    Seeing Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s sharp gaze, Lucas changed hiszy and casual attitude and sat upright. He


    answered honestly, ¡°This person is elusive, but his business has always been in Seaxas. But during


    this period of time, he seems to have the intention to develop steadily in Seaxas.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like to show his face in public, nor does he like to have social engagements. I¡¯ve only met


    him once.¡±


    That was the first time he met Ronnie at the casino.


    Though so much time had passed, Lucas still remembered Ronnie¡¯s delicate and beautiful face.


    It was no exaggeration to say that Ronnie wasn¡¯t less beautiful than Rachel.


    He was at least as pretty as Rachel.


    When Old Mr. Johnson heard this, his lips curled into a faint smile that carried a hint of thought-


    provoking meaning. ¡°In that case, this Mr. Diekens is a man of great power.¡±


    He stayed at home, but he knew everything about Rachel.


    He also sent over an antidote that could help Rachel suppress her illness at the time of onset.


    Even for the special medicine that Rachel was taking now, they had spent decades reducing its side


    effects.


    But Ronnie did all these things effortlessly.


    It was really worth thinking about, not only for Old Mr. Johnson, but also for others in the Johnson


    family.


    Rachel felt that it was necessary to ask Ronnie out for a private chat.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go to bed early,¡± Old Mr. Johnson suddenly said.


    Rachel nodded. When she reached the stairs, she pursed her lips. ¡°Grandpa, I might have to go on a


    trip in a few days. But I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson nodded slightly.


    After Rachel left, Old Mr. Johnson slowly stood up with his walking stick.


    He sighed faintly and said in a low voice, ¡°In the end, I couldn¡¯t stop her. Perhaps it has been


    predestined.¡±


    These words seemed to be addressed to Mr. Chadwick, who was beside him, or to himself.


    Mr. Chadwick said, ¡°The children will have their own happiness and fortunes. Miss Sophia¡¯s soul in


    Heaven will definitely protect Miss Rachel.¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Johnson nced at him and then turned to look up at the night sky. ¡°I hope she


    won¡¯t regret the choice she made back then.¡±


    Not long after Rachel returned to her bedroom, Lucas knocked on the door.


    ¡°The case of the Cruise family goes to trial tomorrow. Do you want to go over and take a look?¡± Lucas


    stood at the door of Rachel¡¯s bedroom.


    Rachel was slightly stunned. Clearly, she hadn¡¯t expected things to happen so quickly.


    She looked at Lucas indifferently. ¡°I only care about the result.¡±


    After all, due to the evidence provided by her and Lucas, the Cruise family had no way to quibble.


    And the fact was just as Rachel had guessed.


    The result of the next day¡¯s trial was as follows: The court found Richard Cruise of the Cruise Group


    guilty of 15 charges, including tax evasion and illegal trading.


    Richard Cruise was held criminally responsible for all the crimes he hadmitted and was sentenced


    to life imprisonment.


    Next was the case of Olivia Cruise.


    Olivia had repeatedly plotted against Rachel and was incorrigible, so Adrian showed her no mercy.


    Olivia Cruise was sentenced to five years in prison.


    The court¡¯s decisions on the Cruise Group were made too fast for many people to react. The Cruise


    Group, which had developed for decades in Seaxas, was gone just like that.


    David, who had not been well known, suddenly became very famous.


    People also knew how terrifying Aureliana¡¯s influence was.


    The Smith Group.


    Louis hadn¡¯t expected the man who had been by Rachel¡¯s side to be from the Jones family in


    Aureliana. No wonder Rachel had gotten to know so many powerful big shots since she left Louis.


    Even people from the richest Johnson family acted upon whatever she said, too.


    Just as he was thinking about it, Mrs. Smith rushed in from outside. ¡°Louis, quick! Come with me!¡±


    While Louis was sitting on the chair in a daze, Mrs. Smith, without another word, dragged him away.


    ¡°Mom, what do you want now?¡± Louis was frustrated. When he saw Mrs. Smith, he could not help but


    feel impatient.


    He shook off Mrs. Smith¡¯s hand and adjusted his cuffs.


    Chapter 661


    Mrs. Smith did not notice the impatience on Louis¡¯s face. Instead, she took out a divorce agreement


    from her bag. ¡°This is the divorce agreement I asked thewyer to draft. If there¡¯s no problem, you sign


    it now!¡±


    Louis frowned slightly and took the divorce agreement. There were many unreasonable rules and


    restrictions in it. But in the end, there was only one request, that is, all the assets belonged to the Smith


    family and were Louis¡¯s premarital assets, so Olivia did not have the right to share the assets.


    Furthermore, Olivia was requested topensate the Smith family.


    Seeing that Louis was looking at the divorce agreement with a serious expression, Mrs. Smith said


    earnestly, ¡°The decision on the Cruise family has been made. Richard Cruise has been punished for all


    the crimes hemitted, and he seems unable to get out of prison in his life. However, Olivia Cruise


    has only been sentenced to five years in prison. If she behaves well inside the prison, she might get out


    early.


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    ¡°But she has a criminal record after all. How can such a person enter the Smith family? Besides, with


    her current status, how can she be a match for you?


    ¡°Moreover, I heard that it is mainly because of Mr. Jones from Aureliana that the Cruise family has been


    in such big trouble this time. Now, everyone is avoiding the Cruise family as if it were a snake or a


    scorpion, afraid that they would get involved. Therefore, we have to cut ties with the Cruise family as


    soon as possible!¡±

 Chapter 662

    Chapter 662


    Chapter 662


    After finishing speaking, Mrs. Smith found that Louis still looked indifferent, so she grabbed his wrist


    and said, ¡°Son, I know you can¡¯t bear to part with Olivia, and that you can¡¯t forget your rtionship with


    her all these years, but sometimes we have to consider the interest of the Smith family!¡±


    Hearing this, Louis slowly raised his eyelids and looked at her.


    Then, he turned around and threw the divorce agreement on the table. ¡°If I sign the divorce agreement,


    I will have nothing to do with Olivia anymore. If I don¡¯t, I can take over the Cruise Group as the Cruise


    family¡¯s son-inw and Olivia¡¯s legal husband.¡±


    He lit a cigarette slowly and took a puff. He held the cigarette between his fingers and asked casually,


    ¡°If it were you, what would choose?¡±


    you


    ¡°I¡­¡± Mrs. Smith looked into Louis¡¯s cold and indifferent eyes. Her heart ski pped a beat, and suddenly


    she couldn¡¯t say what she had wanted to say.


    She instantly realized that Louis might not love Olivia that much.


    Or rather, after being trained by Harrison all these years, he had long regarded love as an essory


    that was dispensable.


    Mrs. Smith swallowed her saliva and calmed herself down. She tried her best to control her tone. ¡°You


    want to take over the Cruise Group, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a takeover.¡± Louis rested his arms on the armrests, and his clean and slender fingers held the


    cigarette. His indifferent eyes did not move at all. ¡°It¡¯s annexation!¡±


    Although Mrs. Smith did not know much about business, she knew the difference between taking over


    and annexing.


    She took a deep breath. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere in your annexation of the Cruise Group. I only want to know


    how you will n to deal with the matters between you and Olivia?¡±


    Mrs. Smith would never allow Olivia to marry into the Smith family!


    Previously, Olivia had kept saying how much she loved Louis, but all these years, she had done all


    sorts of dirty things behind their backs. If not for the fact that Marina supported Olivia, Mrs. Smith would


    never have agreed to this marriage.


    Now the Cruise family had gone bankrupt. If Marina had intervened, Richard would not have been


    sentenced to life imprisonment.


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    After what happened to the Cruise family, Marina also seemed unwilling to get involved in such an


    awful


    mess.


    Since Marina wouldn¡¯t give any support to the Cruise family, the Smith family naturally had nothing to


    worry about.


    In the past, Mrs. Smith felt that Rachel came from a humble family and was not a match for Louis. But


    now, she realized that Olivia was actually not evenparable to Rachel.


    ¡°I will ask her for a divorce, but not now.¡± Louis took a puff of his cigarette and slowly exhaled white


    smoke from his thin lips. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡±


    Mrs. Smith understood the underlying meaning of his words and snorted angrily. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up for


    independent life. Now, you¡¯re ming me for being a busybody!¡±


    In terms of harassing people with unreasonable demands, if Mrs. Smith said that she was the second,


    no one would dare to say that he or she was the first.


    Louis frowned a little and stubbed out the cigarette in his hand. ¡°When did I me you for being nosy?


    I¡¯m just telling you that you don¡¯t have to worry about these things.¡±


    ¡°Is there any difference?¡± Mrs. Smith red at him. ¡°Who am I doing all this for? It¡¯s all for you! I did my


    best to pave the way for you and n for your future. However, instead of appreciating my kindness,


    you even med me for being a busybody!¡±


    After Louis heard her words, the impatience on his face became even more obvious. ¡°If you think so,


    then I have nothing to say.¡±


    With that, he got up and left.


    Mrs. Smith chased after him at a steady pace.


    Louis walked ahead, and Mrs. Smith followed him. Coincidentally, they bumped into the assistant


    holding an express parcel.


    When the assistant saw Louis and Mrs. Smith, he was in a trance. Then, he said respectfully, ¡°Mr.


    Smith, and Madam.¡±


    Mrs. Smith replied indifferently. When she saw the parcel in his hand, her eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°What


    is this?¡±


    ¡°An anonymous express parcel.¡± The assistant handed the parcel to Louis. ¡°The recipient of the parcel


    is Mr. Smith.¡±


    Louis frowned slightly and reached out to take the package. ¡°Has the meeting been arranged?¡±


    The assistant nodded. ¡°Yes, it has.¡±


    Louis nodded and walked toward the conference room.


    As he walked, he opened the parcel in his hand.


    Apart from a CD, there was nothing else of value.


    He gestured for his assistant to bring over theptop and ced the CD into the CD-ROM. While Louis


    watched the video on the CD, his expression darkened.


    At the same time, Lucas was looking at Rachel. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why did you send the CD containing that


    video to Louis?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, I want to stir up a conflict between Louis and Olivia,¡± Rachel said. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it


    interesting that the two former lovers will turn against each other?¡±


    Back then, Olivia was able to sna tch Louis away from Rachel easily. On one hand, Mrs. Smith was


    behind the scenes, and on the other hand, Olivia risked her life to protect Louis.


    This made Louis very touched.


    Even on the day of Louis and Rachel¡¯s wedding, when Louis knew that Olivia was dying due to a


    massive hemorrhage, he did not hesitate to leave Rachel at the wedding venue, letting Rachel suffer


    the disdain and ridicule of the people around her.


    If Louis knew that Olivia had nned all of this to let Louis return to her side, who knew how Louis


    would feel?


    Rachel picked up the cup in her hand and took a sip. The corners of her mouth curled into a faint smile.


    ¡°Now the Cruise family has fallen. Olivia has been imprisoned and lost all her backers, and the only


    person on whom she can rely is Louis. If Louis asks for a divorce at this time, what do you think Olivia


    will do?¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Lucas raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°It will probably be a dog-eat-dog


    situation.¡± At this moment, Rachel¡¯s phone rang.


    When she saw the caller, she put down the cup in her hand and stood up unhurriedly. ¡°I should go


    now.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡± Lucas looked at her seriously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Rachel said.


    The midday sunshine was bright and the breeze was warm. Rachel and David were officially on their


    way to Aureliana.


    It would take about six hours to fly from Seaxas to Aureliana.


    The special logo of Aureliana was printed on the exclusive ne.


    On the logo, the lines like floating clouds and running streams formed the shape of a mountain peak,


    which meant that Aureliana existed like a mountaintop. It was a height that everyone could only dream


    of in their lives and would always be a highly regarded and admired presence.


    Aureliana owned countless minerals, so it was reasonable to use such a logo to highlight its status.


    Rachel supported her chin with one hand. Looking at the city that was getting smaller and smaller


    outside the window, she could not help but yawn.


    Ever since she took the special medicine, Rachel had be especially sleepy these two days.


    It was caused by the side effects of the special medicine.


    David, who was sitting beside her, sensed that she was not in good spirits. He raised his hand and


    touched her cheek. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Rachel replied. At this moment, her upper and lower eyelids were already touching each


    other uncontrobly.


    Looking at her sleepy appearance, David frowned slightly. He bent down and carried her (horiz ontally).


    ¡°Sleep now. I¡¯ll wake you up when we reach our destination.¡±


    But Rachel, who was in his arms, didn¡¯t reply at all.


    David lowered his head and found that Rachel had already fallen asleep.

 Chapter 663

    Chapter 663


    Chapter 663


    Six hourster, the ne sessfully arrived at the airport of Aureliana.


    The cabin door opened, and a group of people slowly descended the gangway.


    Aureliana was surrounded by the sea on three sides. The scenery was pleasant.


    It was summer now in Aureliana. The moment people stepped out of the cabin, they felt a hot, humid


    wind blowing against their faces, making them feel a little irritable for no reason.


    Not far away, a row of Rolls-Royces stood neatly like motionless guards.


    On one side of the gangway stood a special receptionist.


    The receptionist wore a blue suit, had slicked-back hair, and had a pair of rimless sses on the bridge


    of his nose. He looked like a refined rascal.


    Yann Jones saw David¡¯s and Rachel¡¯s hands sped tightly together, and his eyes were filled with


    shock.


    Though Billy had given him a heads-up before, Yann still found it unbelievable when he saw it with his


    own eyes.


    ording to the rumors about David in Aureliana, either David did not like women, or he liked men.


    Some brave youngdies from noble families climbed into David¡¯s bed. However, without exception,


    they were all thrown out and given a fierce warning.


    Not only did they feel shame, but their entire families also lost face.


    David¡¯s subordinates, though they had worked for him for a long time, also suspected that David had


    some physiological problems.


    Now the rumors had copsed, but the subordinates found it hard to ept the truth.


    Sensing David¡¯s sharp gaze. Yann immediatelyposed himself and greeted David and Rachel


    respectfully. Mr. Jones, Miss Grey¡±


    David nodded slightly. He held Rachel¡¯s hand and bent down to get into the car.


    After getting into the car, Yann, who was serving as the driver, asked, ¡°Mr. Jones, are we going back to


    the old residence?¡±


    ¡°Return to the vi residence!¡± David ordered in a deep voice.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Yann, but he nced at Rachel through the rearview mirror.


    Old Mr. Jones had long heard of the existence of this Miss Grey.


    He repeatedly sent some people to investigate her in detail, but without exception, they returned.


    empty-handed.


    Even the people sent by the Elders to go deep into Seaxas were eliminated by David.


    Now, David even brought Rachel back to the vi residence. It could be seen how important Rachel


    was to David.


    When their car arrived at the airport exit, a group of people in uniforms were checking the relevant cars


    routinely.


    However, when seeing the license te number of David¡¯s car, these people immediately stood still


    and let the car pass without any inspection.


    While Rachel was seeing this scene, a meaningful smile appeared on her face.


    That David¡¯s car had received such special treatment was enough to show that the Jones family was


    Chapter on


    quite important in Aureliana.


    On the way to the vi residence, Rachel quietly leaned on David¡¯s shoulder and looked out of the car


    window at the rapidly retreating scenery.


    The skyscrapers towered into the clouds. Under the neon lights, they were filled with the sense of


    technology of the future


    There were all kinds of luxury cars on the streets. Even those limited edition sports cars looked


    ordinary here


    Just before eleven o¡¯clock, the Rolls-Royces drove in an orderly manner into the Peckham Pce


    halfway up the mountain.


    The entire Wetanean pce-styled building was brightly lit, like a pearl embedded halfway up the


    mountain. It was dazzling, gorgeous, and noble.


    Yann walked forward and opened the car door respectfully


    Rachel got out of the car and looked around. She vaguely noticed a simr building not far away.


    However, that building was not as dazzling as the Peckham Pce in front of her.


    While looking up, Yann noticed the direction in which Rachel was looking at. He exined. That¡¯s the


    building for the Elders Miss Grey, you¡¯d better not get close to it.¡±


    There was no ambiguity in his words. He was just kindly reminding her.


    After all, those people from the Elders were trying their best to meet Rachel.


    If Rachel took the initiative to go to the building for the Elders, it would be no different from walking into


    a trap.


    Rachel retracted her gaze and slowly walked toward the stairs.


    After entering the vi residence, she saw a huge fountain made of white marble.


    ncing at Rachel, who had walked away, Yann asked David respectfully. ¡°Mr. Jones, what time shall I


    come to pick you up tomorrow morning?¡±


    David adjusted his cuffs and said casually, ¡°Nine o¡¯clock.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    After watching David leave, Yann finally feltpletely relieved.


    However, he could not help but look at Rachel again.


    ¡°If the people in the old residence know that Mr. Jones has brought a woman back this time and that


    this woman is Miss Grey, on whom they have always looked down, what would they think?¡±


    At this moment, Billy walked to his side and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Stop sighing. After so many


    years, it¡¯s time for Aureliana to change.¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Yann red at him angrily. ¡°There will be a cab meeting in a few days, and


    countless people are watching us in the dark now!¡±


    If anything went wrong at this time, they couldn¡¯t afford the consequences!


    Thinking of this, Yann could not help but sigh again.


    Meanwhile, Rachel walked into the magnificent living room and looked around.


    The crystal chandeliers reflected bright light. The Wetanean-style wall cloth and champagne-colored


    furniture matched each other, giving off an extravagant and luxurious aura.


    She suddenly noticed the oil painting hanging at the staircase. She raised her eyebrows a little,


    Chapter 663


    walked over, and reached out to touch it gently.


    As a masterpiece from the Baroque era, ¡°The ss Bottle Flowers in a Stone Niche¡± was an


    outstanding example of the golden age of floral still-life paintings. It was said that very few people. had


    ever kept it. Now, it was hung on the wall of a corridor for decoration. It was really a waste of rare


    treasures.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± David walked to her side and naturally wrapped his arm around her slender waist.


    Rachel nced sideways at him. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I like it. I just don¡¯t know what to do after seeing the


    inhumane side of Mr. Jones.¡±


    David hugged her waist and walked toward the sofa in the living room. ¡°There are still many. paintings


    in the rooms upstairs. Do you want to take a look?¡±


    ¡°Maybe some other time,¡± Rachel said. She couldn¡¯t help but yawn.


    David frowned a little. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. Rachel¡¯s eyes shed slightly. She worried that David would notice something amiss, so


    she casually made up an excuse. ¡°Maybe I haven¡¯t rested well for the past two days.¡±


    ¡°Go back to your room and rest now.¡± David raised his hand and touched her cheek.


    Rachel agreed. She was assigned to a bedroom on the third floor.


    After washing her face and rinsing her mouth, shey on the bed. She forced herself to stay awake so


    that she could make notes in her journal.


    The notes were as follows: ¡°October 25th. It was a day with sunny and genial weather. I followed David


    to Aureliana. But I was especially sleepy today probably because of the side effects of the special


    medicine.¡±


    Afterpleting the full stop under her fingertips, Rachel finally could not resist the intense fatigue. and


    fell into a deep sleep.


    After she fell asleep, the door was quietly pushed open.


    A tall figure slowly approached.


    The man lowered his head and looked at her gently as if he had an inexhaustible affection for her.


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    He leaned down and nted a soft kiss between her eyebrows.


    As he turned to leave, he stepped on Rachel¡¯s cell phone.

 Chapter 664

    Chapter 664


    Chapter 664


    It was already nine when Rachel woke up the next morning.


    It took her a moment to realize where she was, as she stared nkly at the ceiling.


    After washing up, she hurriedly packed her things.


    She realized that her phone was on the bedside table.


    However, she didn¡¯t give it much thought and exited the bedroom quickly.


    When she walked down the spiral staircase, she saw three men sitting in the living room. They were


    Jimmy Shain, Landon Walker, and an unfamiliar man.


    The man, who donned a striped suit, had distinct facial features that hinted at his mixed-race


    background.


    He had his legs crossed and leaned back in the seat with one arm draped over the backrest, holding a


    cigar with his well-defined fingers.


    From the corner of his eye, he noticed Rachel¡¯s skirt. He narrowed his eyes and stared straight at her.


    His gray-blue eyes showed a hint of surprise.


    Rachel stood before the grand staircase in a double-cored gown. With each step she took, the slit in


    the hem revealed her long, slender legs.


    Yet, it was her face that stood out the most,


    Unlike a pure, delicate white flower, Rachel looked alluring and stunning, exuding her assertive beauty.


    Aureliana wasn¡¯t arge city. Its poption wasn¡¯t as vast as Crucsia¡¯s, but it certainly wasn¡¯tcking in


    beauties.


    However,pared to Rachel, those beautiescked uniqueness.


    Facing the man¡¯s scrutiny, Rachel didn¡¯t panic at all. Instead, she met his gaze fearlessly.


    Sheid her hand gently on the handrail and slowly made her way down the spiral staircase. She was


    like a Persian cat walking on a soft carpet, her posturenguid and noble. Hearing the sound of her


    footsteps, David turned his head slightly and nced at her. In that moment, the coldness in his eyes


    disappeared. He said with a gentle smile, ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± As Rachel approached him, David extended


    his hand.


    She ced her hand on his and took the opportunity to sit beside him.


    ¡°This is Thomas Bowes.¡±


    Thomas Bowes was the heir of the Bowes family in Aureliana. He was also an expert in cardiovascr


    surgery in an international medical organization.


    A meaningful look shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes as she smiled at Thomas. ¡°Greetings, Rachel Grey.¡±


    ¡°Bowes¡­¡± Rachel pondered.


    ¡°Bowes is a rare surname. Could he be rted to Ethan Bowes?¡±


    Thomas continued to introduce himself. ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Thomas Bowes.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, did you sleep wellst night?¡± At that moment, Jimmy Shain interrupted. Hearing how he


    addressed Rachel, Thomas raised his brows.


    Chapter 664


    Thomas looked at David and said, ¡°Are you really not going to reconsider?¡±


    Casually picking up a ss of warm water from the table. David handed it to Rachel and remarked, ¡°I


    never make choices that I regret.¡±


    Understanding the implication behind his words, Thomas smiled meaningfully and replied, ¡°I just


    wonder if others would allow you the freedom to choose.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back to the old residence?¡± Thomas asked and slowly stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to


    enjoy the show.¡±


    David looked at him with a nk expression, standing on his feet to send him off.


    Thomas couldn¡¯t help but scan Rachel.


    David and Thomas walked out of the entrance one after another. Thomas pursed his lips and raised his


    chin slightly in the direction of Rachel. ¡°Why don¡¯t you reconsider? An ornamental vase doesn¡¯t suit


    you.


    In his impression, David wasn¡¯t someone who was easily charmed by women.


    However, Rachel was too stunning to resist.


    Over the years, he had seen countless beauties and had developed a systematic concept of women.


    But when Rachel appeared, his eyes sparkled with newfound appreciation.


    It was like her presence defied traditional understanding.


    However, the Jones family was far from ordinary. They had been engaged in power struggles, both


    publicly and secretly, for many years. Theplex branches of the family had even conspired with.


    each other and coveted the main family¡¯s power.


    If they teamed up against the main family, it would be a fight to the death.


    This situation would happen sooner orter.


    Meanwhile, Rachel¡¯s existence was simply a burden to David.


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    ¡°You can¡¯t protect her all the time.¡±


    When Jimmy heard those words, the corners of his lips curled into a disdainful smile.


    He was certain that David wouldn¡¯t listen to Thomas¡¯ advice.


    ¡°I mean whoever catches David¡¯s eye must be exceptional.¡±


    Thomas was just about to respond when he caught a meaningful nce from Jimmy. It made him


    pause and swallow the words that were about to leave his mouth.


    After a moment of silence, Thomas said, ¡°I¡¯ll get going now.¡±


    As he walked down the steps, he recalled something. ¡°Let¡¯s have a gathering tonight. Everyone wants


    to meet you.¡±


    David agreed with a vacant expression.


    Deep down, everyone wanted to meet Rachel.


    Half an hourter, Rachel and David set off for the old residence after having a meal.


    Rachel seemed a little nervous.


    After all, this was the first time she would be meeting David¡¯s parents,


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± David curled his thin lips into a faint smile.


    Chapter 664


    Rachel nodded. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m meeting your parents and I didn¡¯t prepare anything. Isn¡¯t it


    rude of me to go empty-handed?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve prepared everything for you.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes glinted. She feigned a troubled expression and said, ¡°My boyfriend is so thoughtful. I¡¯m a


    little embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be embarrassed,¡± David said as he slid his hand down to her waist and pulled her


    into his arms. ¡°You will have to repay the favor sooner orter.¡±


    Rachel gasped.


    She looked up at David.


    When she met the man¡¯s deep, dark eyes, she raised her brows.


    ¡°What did he mean? He wasn¡¯t referring to that, right?¡± Rachel mentally eximed.


    The car drove at high speed. After half an hour, they finally arrived at the old residence.


    The old residence, situated by theke, exuded an ancient vibe that differed from the grandeur of the


    Peckham Pce. It seemed like a precious gem, polished and refined over time by the river of history.


    The car entered the manor as the lion-carved doors opened slowly on either side.


    The 1270-acre manor had everything one could need, including a recreational area, a golf course, and


    a racetrack. It was fully equipped with all necessary amenities.


    The car stopped in front of a five-story bungalow.


    A white-haired butler stood in front of the stairs to wee them.


    When he saw David get off the car, he immediately put on a respectful smile and said, ¡°Mr. David, Old


    Mr. Jones is waiting for you in the Water Cloud Courtyard.¡±


    The butler told David that Old Mr. Jones was waiting for him, but didn¡¯t mention Rachel at all. It was


    clear that he had ignored her presence.


    David easily understood the straightforward statement.


    He turned around and extended his hand to Rachel. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Mr. David¡­¡± Before the butler finished his words. David red at him.


    The butler felt the pressure and quickly held his breath, stopping himself from speaking the words. he


    had intended to say.

 Chapter 665

    Chapter 665


    Chapter 665


    Led by the butler, Rachel and David arrived at the Water Cloud Courtyard in the southeast corner.


    There was a clear pond in front of lush vegetation. The irises looked delicate and fish could be seen


    swimming under the leaves.


    Old Mr. Jones sat under a nearby pavilion, dressed casually and ying a game of chess.


    The chess board was an 8-by-8 grid, and the game was still ongoing with no clear winner between the


    ck and white pieces. The ck pieces seemed to be dominating, but their strength was dwindling.


    while the white pieces were in a disadvantageous position but remained in control.


    All it took was a slight change in strategy and the ck pieces would lose the entire game.


    Old Mr. Jones was clearly aware of the situation. He fiddled with the chess piece using his fingertips.


    and didn¡¯t ce it down for a while.


    Hearing footsteps, he slowly widened his eyes and nced at Rachel. A subtle cold glint shed in his


    eyes.


    David took a step forward and ced a chess piece on the chess board.


    Old Mr. Jones frowned and said in a deep voice, ¡°You¡¯ve been away for so long that you¡¯ve forgotten


    the rules.¡±


    ¡°The oue has been decided. Even if you don¡¯t make a move, there¡¯s nothing you can do to change


    the result,¡± said David as he gazed at Old Mr. Jones.


    ¡°Nothing is absolute.¡± Old Mr. Jones took a sip from the cup next to him and said in a kind tone that


    also had a hint of seriousness, ¡°Despite my age, I can still discipline you if necessary.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey you,¡± replied David. He was hesitant to follow Old Mr. Jones¡¯ teachings, but


    he still had some respect for him. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    If he didn¡¯t want to follow the Old Mr. Jones¡¯ rules, he wouldn¡¯t have brought Rachel to the old


    residence.


    ¡°Do you know how to y chess?¡± Old Mr. Jones changed the topic and pointed at Rachel.


    The astonished Rachel replied, ¡°I know just a little.¡±


    Old Mr. Jones chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s humble of you.¡±


    He put down the cup in his hand and gestured for Rachel to sit opposite him. ¡°Fancy a game with me?¡±


    Rachel replied calmly, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s better to obey than to be polite.¡±


    She sat in front of the chess board and ced a white chess piece on it.


    At that moment, Billy Jones entered from the outside. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve brought everything.¡±


    David shot Billy a look.


    Thetter went ahead and opened the leather suitcases that he had prepared.


    The suitcases contained a pair of ceramic vases, andscape art, and a painting from the 1800s.


    ¡°Rae-Rae prepared all of these for you,¡± David said without changing his expression.


    Although Old Mr. Jones yed his chess pieces aggressively, his face remained calm and emotionless.


    He said to Rachel with a meaningful tone. ¡°Miss Grey, you sure are thoughtful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s


    my first time here. It¡¯s just a small token of my appreciation,¡± Rachel replied, calm andposed.


    Faced with Old Mr. Jones¡¯s showy moves. Rachel found a way to break out of the situation.


    As she sealed off the path of the ck pieces, Old Mr. Jones¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly A faint cold glint


    shed in his eyes.


    Despite finding an opening, he remained calm andposed, demonstrating a level of


    temperament and strategy that was notmonly found in ordinary people.


    As Old Mr. Jones started to fall behind in the final stages of the game, the butler stepped forward to


    pour him a cup of coffee.


    Just as the butler ced the cup on the table, his hand suddenly trembled.


    The cup of coffee toppled and sshed all over the chessboard.


    Old Mr. Jones was aware that the butler was assisting him, but the former put on a show of annoyance


    and berated, ¡°You¡¯ve ruined a thrilling game of chess!¡±


    Tm sorry for being careless,¡± exined the butler.


    Old Mr. Jones dismissed the situation with a wave of his hand. ¡°Never mind. Clean it up quickly. We


    have embarrassed ourselves in front of our guest.¡±


    The butler replied respectfully, ¡°Right away.¡±


    While the servants were cleaning up the ce, Old Mr. Jones looked at Rachel again.


    If he were ying a game of chess against someone else, the other party would have deliberately lost


    to him. At worst, they would try to maintain their dignity and settle for a tie.


    But Rachel went against the norm and refused to hold back her prowess. On the contrary, she fought


    even harder when faced with a strong opponent, leaving no room for mercy.


    She wasn¡¯t acting on impulse. She merely wanted to use this game of chess to gain his approval.


    ¡°It¡¯s Miss Grey¡¯s first time here. Show her around and don¡¯t neglect her,¡± Old Mr. Jortes instructed the


    butler beside him.


    The butler bowed slightly and looked at Rachel with a polite smile. ¡°Miss Grey, please follow me.¡±


    Rachel was well aware of Old Mr. Jones¡¯s intentions. He probably had something to say to David


    alone.


    After bidding goodbye, she left with the butler.


    David frowned, staring at Rachel as she departed.


    He shot Billy a look.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Thetter quickly caught on to his intentions and followed her.


    Old Mr. Jones noticed David¡¯s actions and snorted disapprovingly. ¡°Is this ce really that dangerous.


    to you?!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t deny that.¡±


    As soon as he spoke, Old Mr. Jones ced the cup on the table.


    With a dull thud, the ce instantly fell silent.


    Other than the rustling of the wind in the forest, it was as if everything in the world had turned into


    nothingness.


    After some time, Old Mr. Jones spoke again, ¡°As long as you marry Clifford family¡¯s daughter, I won¡¯t


    interfere with the affairs between you and this woman.¡±


    David¡¯s eyes widened with hostility as he spoke slowly and deliberately, ¡°Rachel is going to be your


    future granddaughter-inw and the next matriarch of the Jones family!¡±


    Although his tone was casual, the way he spoke made it seem like he had already made a decision.


    ¡°How dare you go against me!¡± Old Mr. Jones said in a t voice.


    However, David clearly sensed the tense atmosphere in the air.


    In an instant, he couldn¡¯t help but remain silent.


    Meanwhile, the butler guided Rachel to visit the old residence under Billy¡¯s protection.


    The butler gave asional introductions to the priceless, exotic nts in the garden, among which the


    most abundant were orchids.


    Rachel hypothesized that these flowers were rted to Mrs. Jones.


    She casually chatted with the butler while ncing around the ce every now and then.


    There were people covertly stationed in every corner of the area. They should be tasked with protecting


    Old Mr. Jones.


    Is there a need for him to be so careful even in his own home?


    Rachel looked away and pondered as she followed the butler.


    ¡°Can we take a look at the greenhouse?¡± She turned to the butler.


    The butler nodded. ¡°Of course, Miss Grey, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll get the servants to tidy up ce


    first.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m sorry to trouble you.¡±


    After the butler left, Rachel asked in a lowered voice. ¡°Did something happen here recently?¡±


    She pressed for an answer when Billy remained silent. ¡°Could you tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±


    the


    After a moment of hesitation, Billy spoke carefully, ¡°It¡¯s mainly because Sir brought you back with him.¡±

 Chapter 666

    Chapter 666


    Chapter 666


    Rachel dodges slightly, and a faint smile appeared on her red lips.


    I was indeed because of her


    Just as Rachel was about to speak again, the butler walked over from not far away. ¡°Miss Grey,


    everything has been arranged¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly and followed the butler towards the greenhouse absent-mindedly.


    At hist, Rachel had thought that David would face more dangers outside. Rachel did not expect


    lerous threats to be lurking around David as well.


    It seemed that the only person David could rely on all these years was himself.


    On the other side, after David heard what Old Mr. Jones said, he looked up at Old Mr. Jones. ¡°I


    wouldn¡¯t dare. Everything is predestined¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Jones frowned slightly.


    People from the Jones family never believed inte, especially David.


    ¡°Since when did David believe in the notion that everything was predestined?¡± Old Mr. Jones thought.


    David rubbed the cup with his fingertips and said meaningfully, ¡°Aren¡¯t you always the clearest about


    my engagement?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Old Mr. Jones¡¯s pupils constricted. Although there was no reaction on his face, his


    hand involuntarily tightened on the cup he was holding.


    After pondering for a long time, Old Mr. Jones said in a slightly tense voice. ¡°You¡¯re saying that she¡¯s


    from the Johnson family?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, David answered without hesitation.


    Old Mr. Jones lowered his eyes and remained silent. It was unclear as to what was going on in his


    mind.


    ¡°Your coffee is cold. I¡¯ll refill it for you,¡± said David.


    As he watched the coffee being poured slowly into the cup. Old Mr. Jones said meaningfully. ¡°This


    coffee has always been your grandma¡¯s favorite. I don¡¯t know if it has been too long, but the taste of


    this coffee has changed a little. If you don¡¯t like it, you don¡¯t have to suit her taste.¡±


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    David narrowed his eyes slightly and changed the topic without batting an eyelid. ¡°I¡¯ll leave after the


    cab meeting


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving in such a hurry?¡± Old Mr. Jones was a little surprised.


    David put down the coffee pot in his hand and said unhurriedly, ¡°You¡¯re old. It¡¯s inappropriate for me to


    stay here and cause you trouble.¡±


    Old Mr. Jones snorted unabashedly. ¡°Haven¡¯t you caused me enough trouble? Don¡¯t assume I don¡¯t


    know that you want to take her to the cab meeting!¡±


    David did not take Old Mr. Jones¡¯ words to heart at all. ¡°It¡¯s all Grandma¡¯s arrangements. As her


    grandson, I¡¯m just following her arrangements.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Old Mr. Jones was so angry that his face turned red, but he had nowhere to vent his


    anger.


    Billy, who was standing at the side, saw Old Mr. Jones flush with anger. Billy pursed his lips and slowly


    lowered his head.


    He did not dare to overstep his bounds in front of the old patriarch, let alone watch themotion


    tantly, as this might get him into trouble.


    Old Mr. Jones might be unting his power all day, but he was an out-and-out henpecked man.


    Whatever Old Mrs. Jones had decided on, Old Mr. Jones dared not say a word despite his


    unwillingness in every possible way.


    Just like this moment, despite knowing that David taking Rachel to the cab meeting was against the


    rules, Old Mr. Jones did not dare to stop David at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m old, so It¡¯s inevitable that I¡¯m a little powerless, but your father probably will stop you from messing


    around,¡± said Old Mr. Jones.


    Upon hearing this, an indistinct coldness appeared in David¡¯s eyes. ¡°You know I never cared about. the


    so-called father-son rtionship.¡±


    Old Mr. Jones frowned imperceptibly and looked up at the sky not far away. ¡°Recently, the weather has


    gradually be unpredictable. It was sunny a moment ago, but now it¡¯s windy.¡±


    When it was almost noon, Rachel and David stayed at the old residence for lunch.


    In the dining room, a simple octagonal table looked out of ce with therge dining room.


    If the table were reced, it would not be a problem for the entire dining room to amodate a


    hundred people.


    But at this moment, there were only three of them.


    Rachel thought, ¡°Could it be that the others aren¡¯t usually here?¡±


    Just as Rachel was thinking about it, the servants served the prepared dishes one after another.


    Several of the dishes had been eaten at Mrs. Jones¡¯ Trinisia garden.


    ¡°Since you¡¯vee to Aureliana, you must abide by the rules here. Don¡¯t go out at night unless


    necessary,¡± said Old Mr. Jones calmly. ¡°Aureliana is not an ordinary ce. I¡¯d advise you not to be


    blinded by the splendor and wealth here.¡±


    Rachel was slightly taken aback. ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡±


    After eating, David and Rachel left.


    After walking out of the old residence, Rachel could not help but sigh deeply.


    ¡°Were you nervous?¡± David held Rachel¡¯s hand.


    David¡¯s fingertips could feel that Rachel¡¯s palm was drenched in sweat.


    Rachel looked at their interlocked hands and thought for a moment. ¡°Old Mr. Jones doesn¡¯t like me.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he likes you or not.¡± David held her hand to his lips and kissed it. ¡°The point is that I


    like you, and that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Rachel and David walked forward. ¡°Are there many rules in Aureliana?¡±


    Rachel could understand all the other rules, but not the one in which she was not allowed to go out at


    will at night.


    Rachel thought, ¡°Could it be that the security in Aureliana was poor?


    ¡°There¡¯s a total of five major families in Aureliana, namely the Jones family, the Clifford family, the


    Shain family, the Bowes family, and the Olson family. The Elders check and bnce with the five major


    families.¡±


    While they were talking, David opened the car door and signaled Rachel to get in.


    The car started slowly. David¡¯s deep and maic voice sounded in an unhurried manner, ¡°More


    boo


    than 20 years ago, there was turmoil in Aureliana. After the turmoil subsided, the Elders issued at


    decree, prohibiting anyone from going out at will after the curfew.¡±


    Rachel nodded thoughtfully.


    Rachel once heard David mention that in the earliest days, there was only one prosperous and


    powerful family in Aureliana, the Aries family.


    Unfortunately, something unexpected happened subsequently, causing all members of the Aries family


    to disappear without a trace overnight.


    Rachel¡¯s intuition told her that maybe the turmoil more than 20 years ago was inseparably rted to


    the disappearance of the Aries family.


    However, these were just her guesses. After all, this matter did not have much to do with her.


    After leaving the old residence, Yann¡¯s convoy drove toward the Peckham Pce at a constant speed.


    Due to the remote location of the Peckham Pce, the number of cars passing by gradually


    decreased.


    Just as the cars drove past the intersection one after another, three modified heavy-duty SUVs.


    suddenly rushed out.


    The sharp protrusions in front of the bumpers were very aggressive and were clearly aimed at Yann¡¯s


    convoy.


    Yann and Billy looked at each other, and a mocking smile shed across their eyes.


    Every time this happened, there would always be a few unfortunate fools who would meet their doom.


    The car suddenly sped up, which made Rachel, who was a little sleepy, suddenly alert.


    She turned to nce at the SUV following behind. ¡°Who are they?¡±


    Yann nced at Rachel through the rearview mirror and suddenly came up with a wicked idea. Yann.


    wanted to scare Rachel intentionally. ¡°They¡¯re a group of desperadoes who probably won¡¯t let us go.¡±


    Actually, Yann wanted Rachel to realize that staying by David¡¯s side was very dangerous so that she


    would have the intention to leave.


    Unexpectedly, when Rachel heard Yann¡¯s words, she replied expressionlessly, ¡°Oh,¡± and thenzily


    leaned on David¡¯s shoulder.


    Yann was stunned.


    Yann thought, ¡°Why do I feel insulted?¡±

 Chapter 667

    Chapter 667


    Chapter 667


    As Rachel casually leaned on David¡¯s shoulder, her nonchnt demeanor suggested she wasn¡¯t


    concerned about the three heavy-duty SUVs at all.


    Yann. persistent as ever, inquired, ¡°Miss Grey, feel free to cry out if you¡¯re scared¡­¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me a demonstration first?¡± Rachel teasingly raised an eyebrow, giving him at


    yful smile.


    Yann was speechless.


    ¡°These vehicles have merely been upgraded for speed after modifications; they¡¯re not as ferocious as


    they appear, Rachel remarked indifferently. ¡°If you lose your cool now, wouldn¡¯t I have a legitimate


    reason to question your capabilities?¡±


    From the passenger seat, Billy nearly burst into apuse!


    This was the woman his boss had taken a liking to. Even in moments like these, she managed to


    remain incredibly level-headed.


    Yann was somewhat persistent but lost his previous mischievous intent, asking genuinely, ¡°Miss Grey,


    are you well-versed in modified cars?¡±


    ¡°Just a random interest during my downtime,¡± she replied nonchntly.


    In the midst of their conversation, one of the SUVs suddenly elerated, cutting the convoy in half.


    Another car, seemingly out of control, charged toward the one carrying David and Rachel.


    The intense collision caused the passengers to lose their bnce.


    Instinctively, David pulled Rachel into his arms for protection.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, Miss Grey, hold on tight!¡± Yann eximed, aggressively turning the steering wheel. As the


    SUV hit once more, he managed to swing the rear end out of the way.


    Simultaneously, the car trailing behind kept pace. Both vehicles worked in tandem, forcing the


    aggressive SUV to flip over onto the ground.


    Yann did not ease up, continuing to press hard on the gas pedal, pushing the car a few yards forward.


    until it finally collided head-on with the massive boulders. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    At this moment, the car came to a stop and the convoy halted in an orderly fashion. The doors opened


    simultaneously, and the well-trained bodyguards in ck exited the vehicles, forming at circle around


    the three SUVs.


    Yann and Billy unbuckled their seatbelts and stepped out of the car together to assess the situation.


    Inside the car, David¡¯s arm was wrapped tightly around Rachel¡¯s waist, while his other arm rested on


    the door frame, appearing bothnguid and casual.


    He gazed down at Rachel in his arms.


    Their eyes met unexpectedly.


    David slightly raised his eyebrows, a faint smile ying on his lips. ¡°Are you scared now?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rachel said, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she nestled her head into his arms and feigned


    a frightened voice. ¡°I¡¯m really terrified.¡±


    David yed along,forting her, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡±


    At this moment, Billy and Yann returned to the front of the car and knocked on the ss window.


    David slowly rolled down the window, and Billy reported, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no one in the car.¡±


    Hearing this, David¡¯s face remained expressionless, impossible to discern his emotions.


    He nced indifferently at the overturned off-road vehicle. Leave arge group of people to handle the


    scene. The rest can return¡±


    Yann furrowed his brow, clearly wanting to speak up, but upon noticing Rachel in the car, he swallowed


    his words.


    The group readied themselves and headed towards Peckham Pce once more.


    However, this time, Yann was noticeably less lively than before, preupied and nearly colliding with


    other vehicles. Thankfully, Billy quickly grabbed the steering wheel.


    Sweating nervously, Billy nced at David and Rachel in the backseat and scolded in a low voice,


    ¡°What the hell are you thinking!


    Yann snapped back to reality, ncing at David and Rachel in the backseat through the rearview


    mirror.


    He pursed his lips, ultimately unable to resist asking, ¡°Sir, aside from the old residence, who else


    knows about your return to Aureliana?¡±


    Yann had always been careful to keep David¡¯s whereabouts a secret, as there were far too many


    people lurking in the shadows, watching their every move.


    The three cars that suddenly appeared clearly came prepared.


    David heard Yann¡¯s question and lifted his indifferent gaze.


    He didn¡¯t say anything, but his eyes pierced straight into Yann¡¯s soul like a sharp knife.


    Yann shuddered and quickly exined, ¡°L.. I just feel that this situation is too strange. Those three cars


    clearly came prepared. They calcted the time we left the old residence and deliberately ambushed


    us on our only route. Moreover, there was no one in those three cars¡­¡±


    That was the strangest part.


    They had brought people to surround the vehicles, yet found them empty..


    Furthermore, no human traces had been left behind.


    At this moment, Rachel, who waszily leaning on David¡¯s shoulder, chuckled. ¡°Autonomous driving


    technology.¡±


    Yann¡¯s brows furrowed with annoyance.


    He thought that Miss Grey was utterlycking in perception, causing trouble at such an inopportune.


    time!


    David tenderly held Rachel¡¯s delicate hand in his, his fingers gently caressing the protruding bones. on


    the back of her hand. He looked deeply into Rachel¡¯s eyes, the corners of his mouth curving into a


    faint, yet affectionate smile, before asking with genuine curiosity, ¡°Did you find anything?¡±


    Rachel took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s an assembled car. It shouldn¡¯t be surprising to have autonomous


    driving technology.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± David asked in a doting tone.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows and nced at him. ¡°Aside from the exterior, the rest of that car is custom-


    built. I bet you won¡¯t be able to track down the owner at all.¡±


    Upon hearing this, a contemptuous smile shed across Yann. ¡°Miss Grey, you might not be aware, but


    even a custom-built car leaves traces. The frame and the engine each have unique codes. As long as


    we follow those codes, we won¡¯te up empty-handed.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Rachel looked at Yann with an enigmatic smile.


    The smile on her face was non-threatening, but it revealed an undeniable edge.


    Yann telt a lump in hus throat. The words he wanted to say lodged there.


    Just then. Yanny¡¯s phone rang


    Instinctively, he picked up the call and spoke with a hint of unidentifiable irritation, ¡°What is it!¡±


    The person on the other end of the phone happened to be the bodyguard who had stayed at the


    Tjunction to deal with the ident.


    The bodyguard quickly reported everything.


    The words fell upon Yann¡¯s ears, and he abruptly mmed the brakes, halting the car.


    Yann¡¯s eyes grew wider with each passing moment, staring at Rachel in absolute terror.


    It wasn¡¯t until the phone call ended that he began to regain hisposure, his gaze fixated on Rachel.


    his voice strained and h o ar se. ¡°You¡­ Could you be the mastermind behind all this?¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Billy, seated in the passenger¡¯s side, smacked him on the back of


    the head. ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spouting!¡±


    Was this kid tired of living?


    How dare he use Miss Grey in front of Mr. Jones!


    Why was he in such a hurry to impress the King of Hell?


    Yann btedly realized his mistake, blurting out his suspicions, and found himself at a loss,


    overwhelmed by embarrassment.

 Chapter 668

    Chapter 668


    Chapter 668


    Yann pressed his lips together. ¡°Miss Grey, if I may be so bold, how did you manage to figure it out?¡±


    Only moments ago, one of his subordinates had called to inform him that the codes on both the car


    frame and engine had been tampered with, rendering them impossible to trace.


    If Rachel wasn¡¯t the mastermind behind it all, how had she managed to deduce the truth?


    Rachel was not at all perturbed by Yann¡¯s audacity.


    She replied nonchntly. ¡°Just a stroke of luck.¡±


    Yann was speechless.


    He inhaled deeply,posing himself, and adopted an earnest demeanor as he sought her insight. His


    manner of addressing her grew exceedingly respectful. ¡°In that case, what do you believe was the


    purpose behind the culprit¡¯s actions?¡±


    The primary motive, of course, was to target David.


    However, he couldn¡¯t fathom why the perpetrator would take such a roundabout approach.


    He knew that disassembling and reassembling a car was an intricate process,


    particrly when incorporating an autonomous driving system.


    Noticing his baffled demeanor, Rachel patiently exined, ¡°The purpose was to ensure that when the


    truth came to light, you wouldn¡¯t be able to trace them. Preserving the appearance of the off-road


    vehicle was meant to mislead you. As you mentioned, both the car frame and the engine have unique


    codes. The perpetrator destroyed those codes to leave you with nothing to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Once you can¡¯t trace them, you¡¯ll broaden your search, suspecting those who lurk in the shadows. The


    real perpetrator can then easily blend in with your imagined adversaries.¡±


    At her words, David¡¯s eyes filled with affection and indulgence that no one had ever witnessed before.


    His Rae-Rae was truly brilliant.


    Her words, however, exposed the true power she had been concealing all along.


    At the very least, to everyone present, Rachel¡¯s expertise in car modifications went far beyond just idle


    tinke ring.


    Her knowledge of automobiles had already surpassed that of both Billy and Yann.


    At this moment, Yann¡¯s impression of Rachel shifted significantly. He didn¡¯t hold back, saying, ¡°It¡¯s a


    shame the adversary¡¯s well-intended n couldn¡¯te to fruition.¡±


    Each word dripped with sarcasm aimed at the mastermind behind the scenes.


    Rachel responded co olly, ¡°Do you really think those three cars showing up at the T-junction was just a


    coincidence?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it to wait for us there?¡± Yann inquired.


    Rachel nced at him and sighed softly. ¡°Those three vehicles were equipped with 4.0-liter


    twin-turbocharged engines, capable of reaching up to 585 horsepower. If we hadn¡¯t evaded in time,


    even our modified Rolls-Royce wouldn¡¯t have saved us from a fatal crash.¡±


    Thus, the appearance of the SUVs at the T-junction was no coincidence; it was a meticulously nned


    assassination attempt.


    Upon hearing this, a wave of lingering fear welled up within Yann.


    He had considered the oue of the three cars colliding simultaneously, but never anticipated such a


    devastating and fatal result.


    In previous assassination attempts, their enemies would typically only inflict injuries on their men, but


    now their audacity had grown bolder.


    Their thoughts of taking down David became more and more unabashed.


    On their return journey to Peckham Pce, with numerous pauses along the way, they finally reached


    the pce after a painstaking twenty minutes.


    Yann opened the car door, watching Rachel and David walk away, still reeling from the shock.


    He had initially believed her to be a decorative but useless ornament, yet now, it seemed Miss Grey


    was far from an ordinary young socialite.


    Billy lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, exhaled a perfect smoke ring, and said nonchntly, ¡°Don¡¯t lump.


    Miss Grey in withmon, mundane women.¡±


    She was, without a doubt, a fierce, unyielding force to be reckoned with!


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she was just Miss Grey from the wealthiest family in Seaxas, the Johnson family?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Billy nodded. ¡°I warned you before not to underestimate someone our master takes interest in.¡±


    As Yann was about to speak, Billy checked the time. ¡°We should get going. Let¡¯s get in the car and


    leave!¡±


    ¡°Almost forgot the main issue at hand!¡± With that, Yann opened the door and hopped into the car.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    At the other end, upon returning to Peckham Pce, Rachel instinctively slipped out of her high heels


    and padded barefoot to the sofa, flinging herself into the plush cush ions.


    David removed his suit jacket and unfastened his diamond cufflinks, leisurely rolling up his sleeves.


    ¡°Did you modify the Mercedes-Benz G636X6?¡±


    This was the same off-road vehicle that had charged at them back at the T-junction.


    Rachel casually picked up a pillow, propping it under her head as she observed David head towards


    the open kitchen. ¡°Lucas Johnson was the one who made the modifications.¡±


    ¡°Were you involved?¡± David approached Rachel, offering her a ss of freshly squeezed orange juice.


    ¡°No,¡± Rachel replied. ¡°I only modified a G-Wagon, using his design as a guide.¡±


    David arched an eyebrow, hardly surprised by her response.


    After all, his Rae-Rae was far from the delicate, traditional youngdy like Miss Grey; she was a strong-


    willed, independent woman.


    Rachel epted the juice, taking a sip. The sweetness was perfectly bnced.


    She narrowed her eyes contentedly. ¡°You don¡¯t appear to be shocked by this incident.¡±


    David cast his eyes downward, the corners of his lips lifting ever so slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve grown ustomed to


    such things. It¡¯s hardly worth mentioning.¡±


    His casual remark encapsted the perils he¡¯d encountered throughout the years.


    Still, it caused an inexplicable tightening in Rachel¡¯s chest.


    When she first chose to be with David, Lucas had mentioned that David had innumerable adversaries,


    with an unknown number of individuals plotting against him, both openly and in secret.


    Yet, throughout her time with David, they had never faced an assassination attempt that was genuinely


    perilous.


    No ce was more opportune for an attack than Seaxas.


    What could be their motive forunching an attack in Aureliana instead?


    Were they aiming to challenge David¡¯s authority, or merely to send a message?


    David had only just returned, and it appeared that their hidden foe could no longer contain themselves.


    What would unfold next?


    Rachel cradled the cup, her fingertips gently tracing its surface. ¡°Do you have any potential suspects?¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of suspects,¡± David answered.


    2/3


    His answer appeared to address her inquiry, but at the same time, it felt as though he hadn¡¯t truly


    revealed anything.


    Nevertheless, this statement was sufficient to indicate that, for now, David was unable to definitively


    identify the culprit.


    The three modified SUVs had meticulously removed all identifying marks, clearly not wishing to leave


    any evidence of their involvement.


    Just then, the sound of footsteps reached them from outside.


    Rachelnguidly pushed herself up and nced over, her gaze falling on a woman who had just


    entered


    the room.


    The woman donned a ck leather jacket that entuated her sultry curves, ck Martin boots


    adorning her feet. Her fiery red curly hair was truly attention-grabbing.


    With a pair of seductive eyes, the corners emphasized by white eyeliner, she exuded an air of


    irresistible allure.


    Rachel quirked an eyebrow, ncing at David.


    David exined, ¡°Her name is Chris Jones. She¡¯ll be following you from this point forward.¡±


    ¡°Follow me?¡±

 Chapter 669

    Chapter 669


    Chapter 669


    Rachel turned around and sized up the tall and slender woman in front of her again.


    ¡°Miss Grey, my name is Chris Jones, and I will be your personal bodyguard starting today,¡± Chris said


    expressionlessly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a bodyguard,¡± Rachel replied.


    Her words were not meant for Chris, but rather to convey her thoughts to David.


    David handed the fruit sd to Rachel. ¡°Chris is a person of few words. She will not disturb you. She


    will only appear by your side when necessary. You won¡¯t feel ufortable with her presence at other


    times.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Rachel said as she reached out and took the sd bowl.


    She didn¡¯t mind Chris¡¯ presence affecting her. It was just that she was used to being on her own for all


    these years, and having someone around meant she would have to divert some of her attention.


    She picked up a piece of strawberry and put it in her mouth, only to be caught off guard by its


    unexpected. sourness, causing her eyebrows to furrow.


    Seeing this, David hurriedly pulled out a tissue, gesturing for her to spit the strawberry out.


    Standing nearby, Chris witnessed the scene. She looked as if she had been struck by lightning and


    stared at David in disbelief.


    She wondered, ¡°What on earth happened to Mr. Jones during his time away from Aureliana?


    ¡°He is the head of the Jones family, the master of the secret chamber, and a person even the Elders


    would fear!


    ¡°Why would he be doing such menial tasks for a woman?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let her be your driver?¡± David suggested again.


    Rachel looked at David, hesitated, and finally reluctantly agreed. ¡°Fine.¡±


    David had already gone this far. She would seem like an ingrate if she continued to refuse at this point.


    However, the role of a driver did not sit well with Chris.


    After all, she was the top candidate selected through multipleyers of screening and annual


    evaluations. Yet now, she was reduced to being a driver for Miss Grey, who never had to work in her


    life?


    Wouldn¡¯t the other trainees she had worked withugh their heads off if they found out?


    Moreover, the five members of their team-Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth-had always had clear


    roles, and all their tasks were done with the purpose of serving David.


    Yet now, she had been summoned overnight just to be a driver for this woman!


    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to stoop to that level if you don¡¯t want to do it,¡± Rachel said.


    She didn¡¯t miss the fleeting emotions in Chris¡¯ eyes.


    Chris was momentarily stunned. She was just about to say she could find someone else to take the job


    ¨C when she noticed David¡¯s knife-like gaze aimed directly at her.


    Her throat tightened, and she swallowed her words, saying respectfully, ¡°It¡¯s my honor to serve you,


    Miss Grey.¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t respond, only giving Chris a faintly amused look.


    Before long, David waved his hand, and Chris got the hint and walked away.


    After she stepped out of the foyer, Chris leaned against the wall, crossed her arms, and looked


    gloomily at Billy, who was approaching from a distance.


    ¡°You just got back. What¡¯s with the bitter and resentful look on your face?¡± Billy asked.


    Chris frowned. ¡°The boss abandoned me in the south for years, but now I¡¯m summoned overnight just


    to be a driver for that wontan in there! Has he been bewitched by that enchantress?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve been abroad for too long and have forgotten even the most basic rules!¡± Billy scolded


    sternly.


    Hearing his reprimand, Chris pursed her lips, feeling somewhat indignant. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand what


    charm Miss Grey has that would make our boss personally attend to her.


    ¡°If the boss was only the president of Ster Corporation, I wouldn¡¯t say anything even if he had a


    woman in each arm. But you and I both know how cruel reality and the situation can be! Right now,


    many people in the state are eyeing the boss¡¯s position, and people from the main and coteral


    branches of the family can¡¯t wait to find something on him to pull him down!


    ¡°Tell me. Do you think Miss Grey, a pampered youngdy who has never dirtied her hands, ever


    experienced a life-and-death situation? I¡¯m afraid she would faint at the sight of blood, let alone kill


    someone. How can such a person stay by the boss¡¯s side?¡±


    In short, Chris¡¯s impression of Rachel was just that she was a pretty but useless ornament.


    An intriguing smile shed in Billy¡¯s eyes when he heard what Chris said. ¡°Although you and Yann don¡¯t


    get along, your thoughts always seem to coincide.¡±


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    Chris had an undisguisable look of disgust when she heard this. Her words were filled with intense


    arrogance. ¡°He¡¯s thoughts aren¡¯t worthy of coinciding with mine!¡±


    ¡°In my experience, Miss Grey is not just a pretty but useless one,¡± Billy analyzed calmly. ¡°You must


    have heard about the attack we encountered on our way back today. Miss Grey was not only able to


    calmly analyze the situation, but she also knew far more about car modifications than both Yann and


    me.¡±


    He sighed softly, patted her shoulder, and said earnestly, ¡°If she were just a weak and useless person,


    how could she have caught our boss¡¯s eye?¡±


    Chris could not help but frown when she heard how Billy was defending Rachel. She asked, ¡°What


    benefit did you receive from her? Why are you speaking up for her?¡±


    Billy smiled and said, ¡°Have a guess?¡±


    Chris could not help but roll her eyes as she watched Billy brush past her in retreat.


    A dark glint passed through David¡¯s eyes when he saw Billy.


    As he got up, he said to Rachel, who was sitting on the sofa, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a bit. Feel free to look


    around.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Rachel answered with a nod.


    After he left, Rachel¡¯s fingers rapidly tapped on the keyboard, entering a URL..


    However, just before logging in, she couldn¡¯t help but hesitate.


    Her brow furrowed, her serious and conflicted expression was like making a choice between life and


    death.


    Finally, her remaining rationality was defeated by her inner bias.


    She logged into her ount and opened a chat window in her contact list.


    [Can you help me?]


    The person on the other end was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open. He could not help


    but feel dazed when he saw the sudden pop-up chat window.


    At this time, the chat window shook and another message popped up. [Reply when you see this.]¡±


    ¡°D*mn!¡± The man sat up abruptly, knocking over the cup of water on the table and sweeping all kinds of


    comic books on the table to the floor.


    The man could not believe it. He stared at the shaking chat window in front of theputer and rubbed


    his eyes hard.


    He might have rubbed them a little too hard. His eyes became slightly red, and tears gradually welled


    up in his eyes.


    Suppressing his excitement, he quickly typed with trembling fingers. [After four years, you finally


    decided to contact me!]


    [Help me look up three Mercedes-Benz G636X6 cars.]


    [Four years without contact, and you¡¯re ordering me around as soon as youe back?]


    Rachel saw the message from the other side. Her eyebrows raised slightly, and the corners of her


    mouth. curled into an almost imperceptible smile. [You have a problem?]


    [You should be called Heartless!]


    Rachel smiled, closed her phone, got up, and aimlessly wandered around the house.

 Chapter 670

    Chapter 670


    Chapter 670


    Rachel walked along the corridor, intending to head to the room where David had mentioned many


    treasures were hidden. However, she was unintentionally drawn to a painting hanging on the wall.


    The painting depicted a beautiful manor, but its presence resembled a sky garden from a fairy tale


    story. The castle-like house was surrounded by countless blooming flowers.


    The manor seemed to be coated in a faintyer of golden light under the setting sun, creating a


    mysterious and hazy atmosphere.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine that the actual ce would be even more magnificent than the Peckham


    Pce.


    As she stood there, she heard footsteps approaching from behind.


    She turned and saw a group of people entering from the doorway.


    David was leading the way, followed by Jimmy, Landon, and an unfamiliar woman.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± David approached, noticing the painting behind her. His brow furrowed


    imperceptibly as he asked. ¡°Are you interested in this?¡±


    Rachel slowly descended the staircase. ¡°Just casually looking since I¡¯m bored.¡±


    Her gaze passed David as she sized up the two unfamiliar faces.


    The unfamiliar woman seemed to be rted to Landon. Their beautiful faces bore a striking simrity.


    The bright eyes on the woman¡¯s face, however, added a touch of charm.


    Sensing Rachel¡¯s scrutiny, the woman also unabashedly looked her over.


    However, there was a barely perceptible trace of hostility in her eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s exceptionally eye-catching appearance undoubtedly made her the most conspicuous


    presence in any crowd.


    Even the eldest daughter of the prestigious Clifford family, renowned for her unparalleled beauty in


    Aureliana, would likely pale inparison to Rachel.


    At that moment, David wrapped his arm around Rachel¡¯s waist, and his deep, maic voice slowly


    rang out, ¡°My fianc¨¦e, Rachel Grey.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, filled with astonishment and shock.


    Without waiting for her to speak, David introduced the woman to Rachel, ¡°This is Georgia Walker,


    Landon¡¯s younger sister.¡±


    Rachel nodded, then looked at the woman and greeted, ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± Georgia recovered from her shock, and forced a smile. ¡°I heard you used to live in Seaxas,


    where the air is quite humid. Are you getting used to living here?¡±


    Rachel sat down next to David and replied indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s alright¡±


    Unlike Georgia¡¯s extroverted personality, Rachel tended to warm up slowly.


    This was especially so with strangers.


    However, she had no choice but to patiently converse with Georgia since Georgia was Landon¡¯s sister


    and David¡¯s guest.


    At this point, Georgia took out a cigarette from her pocket and was about to light it when Landon snat


    ched it away from her.


    Seeing his exaggerated reaction, Georgia looked at him, puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? You startled


    me.¡±


    ¡°Mind your manners,¡± Landon said.


    Georgia blinked and then chuckled. ¡°I smoked quite a bit when we were together before. Why can¡¯t I


    smoke now?


    ¡°Oops, I forgot to ask Miss Grey¡¯s opinion.¡± Georgia suddenly seemed to remember Rachel. ¡°We¡¯ll


    have many more opportunities to meet in the future. You wouldn¡¯t mind, would you, Miss Grey?¡±


    She seemed like she was asking for Rachel¡¯s opinion, but she was giving Rachel no chance to speak


    at all. Instead, it gave a pressing and unpleasant feeling, making Rachel very ufortable.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    However, she wasn¡¯t so squeamish as to be unable to tolerate the smell of smoke.


    Rachel put on a faint smile and said, ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Georgia took out another cigarette, lit it, and slowly exhaled the smoke after taking a puff. ¡°Miss Grey,


    would you mind telling us how you two met?¡±


    At this point, Landon once again scolded, ¡°Have I been too lenient with you?¡±


    Georgia flicked the cigarette with her fingertips and scoffed. ¡°David hasn¡¯t said anything yet. You¡¯re the


    one with the many rules.¡±


    However, David seemed to not have heard her. He simply lowered his head and handed Rachel an


    orange he peeled.


    Seeing this, Georgia¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as she took a deep drag from her cigarette.


    At this moment, Jimmy asked, ¡°David, I heard that you were attacked on your way back this afternoon.


    Did you find out who did it?¡±


    A hint of surprise shed in Georgia¡¯s eyes when she heard those words.


    She did not expect Jimmy to mention this matter directly in front of Rachel.


    Could it be that David trusted Rachel so much that he did not guard against her?


    Beside them, Landon timely intervened, ¡°The Mercedes-Benz G636X6 is notmon in Aureliana. It


    shouldn¡¯t be too difficult if we really want to investigate the matter.¡±


    David¡¯s indifferent eyes did not move at all as he coldly said, ¡°No need.¡±


    ¡°David said it¡¯s not necessary, so you guys shouldn¡¯t worry,¡± Georgia leaned forward and crushed her


    cigarette in the ashtray. ¡°Besides, if you have the time and energy, it would be better to assign some


    people to protect Miss Grey. After all, she¡¯s new here and unfamiliar with Aureliana. It¡¯s not as peaceful


    here as it is in Seaxas.¡±


    These words seemed like a kind reminder, but they were also a provocative spear pointed toward


    Rachel.


    Rachel did not think this was a coincidence.


    However, she did not know why Georgia, upon their first meeting, harbored such hostility toward her.


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it,¡± Jimmy said as he nced at Rachel, who was quietly eating the orange. He


    then looked at Georgia. ¡°Besides, with David around, there¡¯s no need for us to worry.¡±


    Georgia smirked. ¡°I guess I was being nosy.¡±


    At this point, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    Rachel got one notification after another, without interruption. The notifications drew everyone¡¯s


    inquisitive and scrutinizing gaze toward her.


    Feeling embarrassed, Rachel switched her phone to vibrate mode. ¡°Sorry, I have some personal


    matters to deal with.¡±


    Saying this, she hurriedly left with her phone.


    Watching her leave, Georgia¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Haven¡¯t any of you ever suspected her?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Landon fiercely elbowed her in response.


    However, Georgia remained indifferent to Landon¡¯s warning and continued on her own, ¡°It¡¯s too much


    of a coincidence that David was attacked right after returning to Aureliana!


    ¡°David has tantly brought her back to Aureliana this time, attracting the attention of so many people.


    The Jones family has always harbored ill intentions. If they find out about your rtionship, there¡¯s no


    guarantee they won¡¯t make a move on her!¡±


    The Jones family wasrge, with numerous members all eyeing the position of the head of the family


    like hungry tigers.


    Everything might appear calm on the surface, but in reality, their schemes were endless and


    unscrupulous.


    How could those who had wanted to make a move on David but didn¡¯t know how to let go of this once-


    in-a-lifetime opportunity now that they know about Rachel¡¯s existence?


    Therefore, Rachel must not be allowed to stay by David¡¯s side!

 Chapter 671

    Chapter 671


    Chapter 671


    Rachel walked over to a quiet corner of the garden with her phone.


    A series of messages appeared as she swiped the screen.


    Each message contained the same few words. ¡°Are you there?¡±


    Her eyebrows twitched.


    Just at that moment, her phone rang.


    The man whom she had contacted after logging into her ount was on the other end of the call.


    The man was a core member of the Alliance, known as Lone Wolf.


    The members of the Alliance had always been sca*****ered and lurking in various parts of the world.


    They wandered in the gray areas of society, yet they held high positions all around the world.


    In their organization, anyone, be it experienced politicians or roadside vendors, could know everything


    they wanted to know as long as they could afford the corresponding remuneration.


    No one knew when the Alliance was founded, but the organization was already active in the ck


    markets of various countries and regions and had established an irreceable position when people


    first became aware of it.


    Rachel took a deep breath. She slid her finger across the screen and answered the phone. The first


    thing she said was, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lone Wolf on the other end of the phone forcefully retorted, ¡°Why did you take so


    long to reply to my messages? I thought you hadn¡¯t seen them yet.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    ¡°By the way, why did you ask me to look up the Mercedes-Benz G636X6?¡± Lone Wolf seemed to have


    deduced something through his series of investigations. ¡°I received news recently that there was a


    traffic ident in Aureliana, and the vehicle involved was precisely a Mercedes-Benz G636X6. So you


    must be in Aureliana!¡±


    Although it was a result of a series of deductions, his words were filled with confidence.


    Rachel did not answer him and instead asked, ¡°What did you find out?¡±


    ¡°I already sent it to your email. Lone Wolf was more confident of his assumption from her evasive


    response. ¡°Add me on Whatsappter. It¡¯s more convenient to send any information directly through


    there in the future.¡±


    Rachel casually responded, ¡°Can you trace the owner of the car?¡±


    Lone Wolf quickly flew over the keyboard with his clean and slender fingers. A list popped up on the


    screen after he keyed in a series ofplex codes.


    He held the mouse and scrolled through the list. ¡°The Mercedes-Benz G636X6 is not a limited edition,


    so I can only narrow down the scope of the investigation through the purchase records in the database


    in the past year. There are six cars without any maintenance records in the past year, and three of


    them have been resold to the second-hand market. The remaining three should be the ones you saw.¡±


    In other words, the owner of those three cars was from Aureliana.


    ¡°I investigated the owner of those three cars. The owner happens to be in Aureliana and thest name


    is Jones,¡± said Lone Wolf.


    ¡°What is the full name?¡± Rachel asked with a hint of coldness in her eyes.


    ¡°The other party¡¯s system has been upgraded, so I can only see thest name ¡®Jones. The person¡¯s


    first


    name has been forcefully encrypted,¡± Lone Wolf said with a hint of frustration. ¡°But the name is of


    medium length, so you can narrow down the search and focus on that.¡±


    Rachel smiled faintly and said, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Just as Rachel was about to hang up, Lone Wolf warned in a hurry, ¡°Though, how did you get


    implicated with Aureliana¡¯s Jones family? Let me tell you, the Jones family might look like a peaceful


    family, but there has been infighting for many years. This is especially so for the branch families, which


    have had their fair share of ups and downs. However, the branch families have started to band together


    to fight against the main family. Anyway, the Jones family is a chaotic ce. It¡¯s best you don¡¯t get


    implicated with them so that trouble doesn¡¯te to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rachel was not surprised by what Lone Wolf had said. She had more or less guessed the situation.


    If the Jones family really were as peaceful as they appeared on the surface, they wouldn¡¯t have acted


    so eagerly on the first day of David¡¯s return to Aureliana.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said everything that needs to be said. Just be careful in Aureliana! Contact me if anything


    happens!¡± Lone Wolf said. He then suddenly remembered something and repeated with a serious tone,


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to add me on Whatsapp! Make sure you add me!


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Rachel hung up the phone after finishing her conversation.


    She and Lone Wolf met each other during the turmoil in Phareborough.


    At that time, Rachel was searching for survivors on the dpidated street and passed by an alleyway


    where she faintly heard a weak voice.


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    At that time, Lone Wolf¡¯s left shoulder was injured and the bullet was stuck in his shoulder de. He


    had fortunately managed to temporarily control the bleeding, but he would have died from excessive


    blood loss if he hadn¡¯t received timely help.


    Rachel felt that fate was at work, being able to find a survivor in a street filled with corpses.


    She remembered that Lone Wolf was going unconscious due to blood loss, but forcefully stayed awake


    by cursing aloud.


    She took Lone Wolf to the hospital after she administered emergency treatment.


    Gradually, the two of them became familiar with each other.


    After adding each other on Whatsapp, Lone Wolf instantly sent her a message. [Don¡¯t you dare try to


    ditch me again!]


    Rachel tapped her fingers on the screen. [I¡¯ll try my best,] she replied.


    She walked to the wicker chair in the hallway and opened the message sent by Lone Wolf.


    What caught her eye was a list, with one entry marked with a red line denoting the car¡¯s chassis


    number and the owner¡¯s basic information.


    Rachel gazed thoughtfully at the column with the car owner¡¯s name.


    She thought, ¡°Could the person responsible for this ident really be someone from the Jones family?


    ¡°If that is so, is the culprit a member of the main family or a side branch?¡±


    She had a feeling that something about this incident didn¡¯t quite add up.


    She wondered, ¡°How could the other party be so daring as to send three cars to deal with David? Also,


    how are they so confident that David would die in the crash?


    ¡°They would have alerted David if their n failed.


    ¡°However, the other party was apparently aware of this. That was why they chose the Mercedes-Benz


    G636X6.


    ¡°Yet, they also chose a car that was not somon in Aureliana, which makes it extremely easy to


    trace it back to them.


    ¡°It¡¯s akin to a thief thinking they had cleared all the clues, only to leave a trail behind.


    ¡°In any case, the other party¡¯s assassination operation is full of contradictions.¡±


    Just as Rachel was pondering, Lone Wolf sent over another list.


    It was the Jones family¡¯s family tree.


    As the outside world had said, the Jones family was massive. It was like a big tree with intertwined


    roots, spanning the main family to the various branch families.


    Old Mr. Jones and Old Mrs. Jones had five sons and one daughter.


    Their only daughter was Marina Jones. Interestingly, the car owner¡¯s name of the Mercedes-Benz


    G636X6 was also of medium length.


    ¡°Could it be Marina Jones?¡± Rachel thought.


    Just as she was thinking, a tall figure loomed over her.


    Before Rachel could look up, that unique and familiar woody fragrance surrounded her.


    David stood behind the wicker chair. He leaned down and put his head close to her temple. ¡°What are


    you thinking about so deeply?¡±


    His warm breath sprayed on her ear, and swept past her temples, causing her to unconsciously shrink


    her neck back. ¡°I just found information on the owner of the Mercedes-Benz G636X6.¡±


    Rachel handed her phone over to David.


    David¡¯s eyes shed slightly as he gasped. ¡°So quickly?¡±

 Chapter 672

    Chapter 672


    Chapter 672


    Yann and the others were investigating this matter and were currently screening the leads one by one.


    Rachel¡¯s gaze flickered slightly as she said, ¡°I casually asked a friend.¡±


    David lifted his eyebrows slightly when he heard her exnation. His thin lips curled into a faint smile


    as he said meaningfully, ¡°You really are impressing me more and more.¡±


    David caressed Rachel¡¯s earlobes with his fingers, rubbing them lightly with his rough fingertips. His


    deep and maic voice slowly drifted into Rachel¡¯s ears. ¡°You¡¯ve done me such arge favor. How


    can I repay you?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s body could not help but tense up when she felt the man¡¯s long and flexible fingers caress her


    sensitive ears. She replied, ¡°I don¡¯t need repayment for small favors like that.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a saying in Aureliana that says to repay small favors with many times the gratitude.¡±


    ¡°If you really want to thank me, then please protect me well.¡± Rachel pushed David¡¯s hand away and


    said, sounding unhappy. ¡°After all, I am new here and I am not familiar with the people and ces of


    Aureliana. It¡¯s not as peaceful here as in Seaxas either.¡±


    She was deliberately teasing David with the words Georgia said earlier.


    Rachel didn¡¯t consider herself a magnanimous person. She was very petty and had a strong sense of


    revenge.


    Moreover, she could also sense Georgia¡¯s hostility toward her from her words.


    Since that was the case, she didn¡¯t need to pretend to be a respectable and magnanimous woman.


    David looked at her with a doting and indulgent gaze. ¡°Why care about what a stranger said?¡±


    He pulled up her chin with his fingertips and leaned down to ce a gentle kiss on her lips.


    ¡°Stranger?¡± Rachel looked at him with a fake smile.


    ¡°There are only two types of women in my eyes. David stood up, circled the rattan chair, and stopped in


    front of Rachel. He continued, ¡°The first is Rachel Grey, and the other is a total stranger.¡±


    ¡°Were you always so wise?¡±


    ¡°Every man has to go through a lesson in masculine virtue.¡±


    Rachel smiled when she heard those words.


    David held her hand. ¡°There¡¯s a party tonight. Shall we go together?¡±


    Rachel looked at their entwined fingers. She did not respond to David¡¯s question.


    She knew that she would have to meet David¡¯s family and friends before she came.


    However, both Thomas Bowes and Georgia Walker had made it clear that they were testing and


    probing her.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Georgia even had an added hostility that Thomas didn¡¯t have.


    -She probably felt that Rachel wasn¡¯t good enough for David.


    Seeing that Rachel remained silent, David looked up and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Rachel replied with a faint smile. ¡°After all, they¡¯re your friends.¡±


    If they weren¡¯t David¡¯s friends, Rachel wouldn¡¯t have cared about them.


    In the evening, six Rolls-Royces and two limited-edition sports cars drove out of the Peckham Pce.


    Jimmy drove a pink sports car and, after honking at Landon, suddenly sped up like a runaway horse.


    Landon followed the Rolls-Royce motorcade at a leisurely pace,


    He nced nonchntly at Georgia, who was sitting in the passenger seat. ¡°You went too far today.¡±


    Georgia didn¡¯t say anything. However, she blinked her eyes, looking puzzled.


    Landon did not give her a chance to feign ignorance and warned her in a cold tone, ¡°I don¡¯t care where


    your hostility toward Racheles from, but I advise you not to constantly find faults with her.¡±


    ¡°Am I constantly finding faults with her?¡± Georgia chuckled. ¡°I just chatted with her for a bit. Besides, I


    was just giving her some advice based on facts.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see how much David cares about her?¡± Landon¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t care what


    you n to do, but you¡¯d better not think about doing anything to her. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be the one who


    suffers in the end!¡±


    He had seen firsthand how much David valued Rachel during his time in Seaxas.


    However, Georgia didn¡¯t take his advice seriously at all. ¡°It¡¯s because he values her that I need to help


    him at this crucial moment! Others don¡¯t know what David has been through these years, but you


    should know. You and David have been good friends for many years, yet you just let him walk down the


    road to ruin like this!


    ¡°Rumors of David having a woman outside had already spread a month ago. The Elders sent people to


    investigate, but there was always no news. Isn¡¯t he proving the rumors true and giving people a chance


    to harm him by openly bringing the woman back?


    ¡°I admit that in terms of looks, Rachel is far superior to thedy from the Clifford family. But what¡¯s the


    use of beauty? She¡¯s just an ornament that¡¯s only good for decoration and not practical for anything


    else. There¡¯s no way that she can go through thick and thin with David!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Landon let out a lightugh. His eyes narrowed and his gaze was sharp as a knife


    as he looked directly at Georgia. ¡°Are you sure that what you just said is a calm analysis and not


    something to hide your personal motives?¡±


    Georgia¡¯s heart tightened, her eyshes trembling slightly as she looked down at her fingernails. She


    said, ¡°It¡¯s not strange for me to like a man as excellent as David.


    ¡°And besides, even if I have feelings for David, it¡¯spletely separate from any hostility I may have


    toward Rachel.¡±


    She admitted to being slightly jealous of Rachel, but she wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to use such


    underhanded tactics.


    David wouldn¡¯t even give her the time of day if her intentions were impure, even if she was Landon¡¯s


    sister.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re telling the truth,¡± Landon said, his coldness receding slightly.


    Georgia raised her chin, looking at him with a frank expression.


    ¡°Of course I am.¡±


    As Georgia had said, it wasn¡¯t surprising for any woman to be drawn to a man as outstanding as David.


    However, since David had chosen Rachel, Landon wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to harm her, not even


    Georgia.


    As her older brother, Landon had said all that needed to be said. The rest was up to Georgia.


    -Hopefully, she would make a wise decision.


    The lights of the Entertainment Center shone brightly in the night.


    Rachel, David, Jimmy, and the Walker siblings walked into the restaurant together.


    The observatory restaurant was located on the 32nd floor of the Entertainment Center. Standing by the


    window, one could overlook the most bustling area of the city.


    As the owner of the Entertainment Center, Jimmy was very generous. He had booked the entire


    restaurant for tonight.


    A waiter in uniform walked up respectfully and asked, ¡°Mr. Shain, would you like to ce your order


    now?¡±


    Jimmy nced at his watch. ¡°Tell the kitchen to start preparation.¡±


    He handed the menu to Rachel. ¡°Rachel, take a look and see if there¡¯s anything you like.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any dietary restrictions.¡± Rachel politely declined Jimmy¡¯s offer.


    David poured her a ss of warm water and leaned in close to her car as he handed it to her. ¡°No


    dietary restrictions?¡± he whispered.

 Chapter 673

    Chapter 673


    Chapter 673


    Rachel took the ss of water and took a sip. She blinked at him.


    Her kind and innocent gaze seemed to be saying, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    When David saw her like this, the smile in his eyes involuntarily deepened.


    His dark and deep eyes were filled with endless love and indulgence.


    Rachel held the ss of water and slowly drank it.


    Even if she didn¡¯t look up, she could feel David looking at her.


    It was impossible for her to ignore his sharp and scorching gaze.


    She put down her ss of water and picked up her fork to try a slice of cake. It tasted sweet but not


    cloying.


    Then, she brought a small piece of cake to David¡¯s lips.


    David opened his mouth and ate it. The moment the sweet taste met his taste buds, his brow furrowed


    imperceptibly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Rachel took a bite of the cake with ayer of cream on her red lips.


    David¡¯s eyes darkened. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down. Perhaps her lips were more delicious


    than the cake and more suited his taste.


    He reached out and gently wiped the cream from her lips before putting his finger into his mouth to


    suck.


    When Rachel saw his actions, her cheeks turned slightly red. She lowered her eyes and ate the cake


    silently.


    Georgia, who was sitting opposite them, saw their interaction.


    She had followed Landon since she was young and could be considered to have grown up with David.


    In her impression, David had always been cold and indifferent, as if he was not interested in anyone or


    anything.


    However, she had personally seen the doting and indulgent look in David¡¯s eyes just now.


    At that moment, she finally understood that this man was not cold and heartless at all.


    Georgia¡¯s eyes flickered. She took a deep puff of her cigarette and used the thick white smoke to hide


    the disappointment on her face.


    She liked David, and she had liked him since she was very young.


    If the person she liked was an unknown person, there was no need to mention it. However, she liked


    David. She felt that there was nothing to be ashamed of


    The entire Aureliana was filled with women who liked David. Even the eldest daughter of the Clifford


    family, who was arrogant, did the same.


    -Seeing the eldest daughter of the Clifford family lowering her status and acting obsequiously, Georgia


    only felt that it was ridiculous.


    In front of the strong, even the most arrogant woman would swallow her pride.


    Unfortunately, even so, David never even looked at the eldest daughter of the Clifford family once.


    However, Rachel was different.


    Especially when Georgia saw how the two of them were showing off their love as if no one was around,


    she realized that not only was she unable to smile, but she was also unable to control her jealousy.


    Only by smoking and using nicotine to numb her aching heart would she be able to awaken her sanity.


    She watched as one of her cigarettes was finished and the door to the restaurant was pushed open.


    Thomas, who was wearing a striped suit, walked in with another man behind him.


    Jimmy looked up and nced at Thomas. ¡°Well, Mr. Bowes, you¡¯re so arrogant to keep so many of us


    waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Are you waiting for me or my vintage wine?¡± Thomas gestured for the person following behind to bring


    the wine over. ¡°I just got this from my father¡¯s wine cer. It¡¯s said to be 30 to 50 years old. You guys


    are lucky today.¡±


    Jimmy said, ¡°That¡¯s very generous of you, Mr. Bowes.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m being generous, not arrogant?¡± Thomas looked at Jimmy with a faint smile.


    Jimmy chuckled. ¡°An awesome person shows up in an awesome way.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re ttering me.¡±


    As he spoke, Thomas sat on David¡¯s right. From the corner of his eye, he saw the person who was still


    standing there. ¡°Grayson, what are you waiting for?¡±


    Grayson Bowes suddenly came back to his senses, but his gaze was still fixed on Rachel, as if he


    wanted to see something on her face. ¡°Oh, I-I¡¯ve never seen thisdly before. I feel that she looks a


    little familiar.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere froze for a moment.


    Landon got up and poured a ss of coffee, temporarily blocking Grayson¡¯s sight. ¡°You¡¯re a good


    talker,


    man.¡±


    David turned sideways toward Rachel. He wrapped his arm around her waist and said possessively,


    ¡°This


    is Rachel, my fianc¨¦e.¡±


    Grayson narrowed his eyes. He suppressed the shock in his heart and took a step forward. ¡°Nice to


    meet you. My name is Grayson Bowes.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Looking at Grayson¡¯s outstretchednd, Rachel hesitated for a moment before


    reaching out to touch it lightly.


    However, when she was about to pull back her hand, Grayson suddenly tightened his grip.


    This action made Rachel frown. A thinyer of coldness condensed in the depths of her eyes.


    When people present saw this, they could not help but gasp.


    Grayson had always been humble and polite. He had never done anything improper.


    Why did he do something so impolite today? He was openly sn atching her from David.


    They all thought Grayson was out of his mind.


    David narrowed his eyes and stared at Grayson¡¯s hand that was holding Rachel.


    Although he didn¡¯t say anything and didn¡¯t show his feelings.


    However, judging from his gaze, it seemed like he had already devised a hundred ways to cut off


    Grayson¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Miss Grey, have we met somewhere before?¡± Grayson asked.


    Hearing this, David raised his eyebrows, but his eyes were terrifyingly cold.


    Everyone present secretly broke out in a cold sweat.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Rachel replied, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Grayson frowned as he stared at Rachel¡¯s face. He seemed to be thinking hard. ¡°But I¡­ I feel


    that I have indeed seen you before.¡±


    Rachel searched for the memories of Grayson in her mind, but she did not have any impression.


    She pulled her hand back forcefully, but Grayson held it tightly,


    Rachel took a deep breath and suppressed the impatience and frustration in her heart. She said


    patiently, Tim just an average-looking woman. Perhaps you have mistaken me for someone else, Mr.


    Bowes.¡± Seeing that the atmosphere between the three of them was getting stranger and stranger,


    Jimmy was really worried that David¡¯s anger would cause the death of Grayson.


    After all, no man could tolerate a man trying to sn atch his fianc¨¦e from him in front of others.


    Jimmy walked forward with a ss of wine in his hand and ced one hand on Grayson¡¯s shoulder. He


    shook it tightly as if he was warning him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯ve met before. We¡¯re friends from now


    on.¡±


    As he spoke, he forcefully pulled Grayson¡¯s hand and made him sit beside him. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time


    since we¡¯ve gathered together. Come on. Let¡¯s raise our sses and drink.¡±


    Grayson raised his wine ss absent-mindedly. When he raised his head to drink, his sight lowered to


    the corner of his eyes and his gazended on Rachel¡¯s face again.


    Under the light, Rachel raised her head and drank.


    The curve of her neck was seductive, and her chin was thir. She looked beautiful and charming.


    Even if it was just a profile of hers, it was enough to charm everyone.


    It was right at this moment that Grayson¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Oh, now I remember!¡±

 Chapter 674

    Chapter 674


    Chapter 674


    Before Jimmy could gulp down the wine in his mouth, he choked on Grayson¡¯s words and coughed


    repeatedly.


    His foot, which was hidden under the table, kicked him angrily. Then, he deliberately lowered his voice.


    ¡°Are you f**king done?¡±


    They had been good friends for many years, which was why he was trying hard to get Grayson out of


    trouble at the moment.


    However, this stubborn man was out of his mind. He insisted on finding a shortcut on the path to death!


    Grayson looked innocent after being kicked, but he ignored Jimmy. Instead, he stared straight at


    Rachel as if he was confirming something.


    Seeing him like this. Thomas put down the wine ss in his hand. When he took a warm handkerchief


    to wipe his hands, he deliberately lowered his voice and warned, ¡°Stop, for G*d¡¯s sake!¡±


    He was tantly coveting David¡¯s woman, which made people present wonder if he was courting


    death. On the other hand, Georgia looked at Rachel with a gossipy expression. A meaningful smile


    shed across her eyes.


    Under everyone¡¯s confused gaze, Grayson said with a serious expression, ¡°Miss Grey, have you


    participated in the international militarypetition before?¡±


    Rachel paused for a moment.


    She raised her eyes and looked at Grayson, holding the wine ss between her fingers and shook it


    slightly. She said in a dignified manner, ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    ¡°I told you I wouldn¡¯t get it wrong!¡± Grayson pped his thigh excitedly, a relieved smile appearing on


    his face. ¡°I saw you in the qualifier a few years ago.¡±


    In an instant, everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Rachel.


    The international militarypetition?


    Qualifier?


    Everyone knew that thispetition had extremely high requirements for military literacy, as well as


    extremely high requirements for one¡¯s physical fitness and professionalism.


    Most of the participants were men. Even if a woman obtained the qualification to participate, she would


    often be eliminated in the third round of the selection


    However, Rachel made it to the qualifier?


    Everyone looked at Rachel¡¯s thin arms and legs. It was hard for them to imagine how she faced such


    torturous training.


    ¡°Grayson, did you get the wrong person?¡± Georgia managed to regain some rationality in her shock.


    She tore her gaze away from Rachel with difficulty and looked at Grayson. She pursed her lips stiffly.


    ¡°Miss Grey just said that she is average-looking. You¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Grayson said firmly, interrupting Georgia. ¡°A few years ago, I was invited to visit the selection


    camp. Miss Grey was indeed present at that time.¡±


    Among the burly group of men, Rachel¡¯s existence was indeed eye-catching.


    Her attractive face was like a white rose that stood out from the mud, pure and beautiful.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Bowes to remember the past so clearly.¡± Rachel looked at Grayson with a faint


    smile.


    She did not want others to know about what happened during that period of time.


    When she participated in that match, she was still angry with Lucas. She waspletely deceived in a


    fit of pique.


    She had thought that this matter would not be known by outsiders, but now, it was exposed by


    Grayson.


    Grayson did not seem to understand the deeper meaning of her words. He only thought that Rachel¡¯s


    words were really praising his good memory. ¡°It¡¯s not that I have a good memory, but Miss Grey¡¯s


    results were really outstanding. It¡¯s also because you¡¯re the first to reject the invitation from the head of


    state and the only person to reject the exceptional admission qualification.¡±


    Grayson still remembered Rachel proudly and confidently saying ¡°I don¡¯t care¡± in front of everyone.


    This was the reason why he could remember it so clearly.


    Rachel still had an elegant smile on her lips, but her eyes could not hide her intention to tear him apart.


    ¡°This guy just can¡¯t understand what I mean, can he?¡± she wondered.


    She held the knife in her hand. As the light shed past, it reflected a cold light.


    Landon interjected in time, ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s eat, okay?¡±


    The others nodded and agreed.


    Rachel ate silently, but there was a hint of impatience in her eyes.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on her from time to time, which was really difficult to ignore.


    She was about to get up and leave, but David brought the cut steak to her and even thoughtfully picked


    up the side dishes.


    Now, Rachel had no choice but to eat.


    When Georgia saw this, she felt ufortable again. She held the knife and fork tightly with both


    hands


    and cut her food hard in secret.


    After eating, Rachel pulled off her napkin and stood up to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the restroom. You guys just


    keep eating.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡± David put down the knife and fork in his hand. Just as he was about to get up,


    Rachel ced a hand on his shoulder. ¡°No need. Besides, Chris¡¯s apanying me, right?¡±


    With that, she turned around and left.


    After Rachel left, Georgia couldn¡¯t help but ask Grayson curiously, ¡°Have you really seen her in the


    international militarypetition?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss Grey admit it herself?!¡± Grayson said.


    At this moment, David raised the ss of wine in his hand and took a sip. He ced the ss on the


    table and made a clear sound, which was like a silent warning.


    Georgia¡¯s heart tightened. She pursed her lips stiffly. ¡°I just think that it¡¯s unbelievable¡­¡±


    She thought that Rachel was just a pretty but worthless woman.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    If Rachel had participated in the international militarypetition, however, it would be different.


    Compared to Georgia¡¯s surprise, Jimmy and Landon were much calmer.


    After all, they had seen Rachel fight eight at the same time.


    Initially, they thought that Rachel had Lucas as her ¡°private coach¡±, so it was natural for her to know


    something about militarybat skills. Now, they realized how naive they were in the past.


    At this moment, Thomas was slowly cutting the steak. He looked up at David and said casually, ¡°Your


    fianc¨¦e just taught us a lesson. You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡±


    When he first saw Rachel, he was indeed stunned by her eye-catching face.


    Her attractive face made it easy for people to ignore the abilities she had.


    David shook the wine ss as he looked at the rose-colored liquid sliding in the ss like a blooming


    rose. ¡°As the granddaughter of the richest family in Seaxas, the Johnson family, she¡¯s not to be


    underestimated,¡±


    Every word of his was filled with pride.


    However, everyone present knew very well that even if the Johnson family, the richest family in Seaxas.


    was rich enough to rival a country, to David, their wealth was not even worth mentioning


    He was now looking up to the Johnson family, the richest family in Seaxas, because he loved Rachel


    ¡°Yeah, a real princess of the Johnson family.¡± Thomas said


    There was no disdain in his words, only indescribable admiration


    At the same time. Rachel was led to the sky garden by the staff.


    The garden matched the night well.


    Amidst the flowers, flying fireflies could be seen.


    Rachel sat on the swing and stared at the nearby building. ¡°What is that ce?¡±


    ¡°The Olson family¡¯s property,¡± Chris said.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°The Olson family, one of the Five Great Families in Aureliana?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Chris replied. At the same time, she noticed that the surrounding lights were gradually


    dimming, making Rachel stand out under the lights.


    An ominous feeling rose in her heart. ¡°Miss Grey, it¡¯s cold at night. Let¡¯s go back now.¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    The moment she got up, however, a bullet cut through the air and headed for Rachel¡¯s head

 Chapter 675

    Chapter 675


    Chapter 675


    Rachel felt a burning pain on her cheek.


    She reached out to brush her check with her fingertips. Sensing the moisture on her fingertips, she


    narrowed her eyes and a cold glint appeared in her eyes.


    She rubbed her fingertips and twisted the bright red blood.


    Her gaze slowly moved down the shattered flower pot and focused on the bullet nailed to the flower


    bed.


    Spider web-like cra cks gradually extended around the bullet on the flower bed, which was enough to


    show how lethal the bullet was.


    If there had not been a deviation just now, then it wouldn¡¯t have been the flowerpot that broke, but her


    head.


    Chris¡¯s pupils constricted as she looked at Rachel, who was standing rooted to the ground in shock. An


    imperceptible look of disdain shed across her eyes.


    In Chris¡¯s mind, Rachel was just a rich youngdy who only knew how to indulge in pleasure after all.


    That was why she was scared silly only by such a little scene.


    And she thought Rachel would be so frightened that she would faint on the spot if she encountered an


    even bigger and more bl**dy scene in the future.


    Chris took a deep breath and restrained the disdain in her eyes. She rushed forward quickly and


    escorted Rachel away. ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯ll cover you. We¡¯ll leave now,


    No matter what, she was now Rachel¡¯s personal bodyguard.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    If anything happened to Rachel, it would be her negligence.


    However, she did not expect that group of people to be so eager and assassinate them so openly.


    Chris used her body as a cover to escort Rachel away.


    However, just as the two of them took a step forward, a bullet pierced the floor straight in front of their


    feet.


    It was only 0.5 inches away from their feet.


    Rachel immediately stopped.


    At the same time, Chris immediately used her Bluetooth headphones to inform Billy and the others.


    Rachel stared at the bullet in front of her. The caliber was 7.62x51mm. It was a high-precision sni per


    rifle. She looked at the office building of the Olson family industry and narrowed her eyes. A cold glint


    appeared in her eyes.


    At this moment, after drinking a few sses of wine in the restaurant, Grayson suddenly became


    happy and told the exciting scenes he had seen in the international militarypetition back then


    vividly.


    He spoke enthusiastically, but the expressions on Jimmy and Landon¡¯s faces became even more


    intriguing.


    At first, they thought that Rachel knew some martial arts thanks to Lucas¡¯ military background.


    But now it seemed that Rachel¡¯s real strength was not inferior to Lucas¡¯ strength, and it was very likely


    to be above his.


    However, that was not Georgia¡¯s focus. She lit a cigarette and took a puff. She held the cigarette


    between her fingers and said casually. ¡°The head of state has broken his principles for her several


    times?¡±


    Such words would mislead people easily.


    Especially to Georgia, who was already jealous of Rachel.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Grayson said. ¡°Her results are still on the honor roll. Although she rejected the invitation of


    the head of state, the exceptional admission quota was still reserved for her.¡±


    *ording to what you said, you met her six years ago. At that time, she wasn¡¯t even 20 years old,


    right?¡± Georgia narrowed her eyes, which flickered with a meaningful dark light. ¡°She was not even 20


    years old, but she could achieve such outstanding results. It¡¯s really impressive.¡±


    Hearing this, Landon frowned imperceptibly.


    He looked up indifferently and took a deep look at Georgia.


    No one present was a fool. How could they not understand what she meant?


    It was nothing more than an implication that Rachel¡¯s results were obtained through improper trades.


    Actually, even if Georgia didn¡¯t say it directly. Thomas still had many doubts in his heart.


    However, they had known each other for many years. Even if it was for David¡¯s sake, there were some


    things that could not be made clear.


    Everyone looked at the expression on David¡¯s face with different thoughts.


    There was a stifling silence in the private room for a moment.


    At this moment, the door of the restaurant was broken open. Billy and Yann rushed in. ¡°Sir, something


    happened at the sky garden!¡±


    David¡¯s face suddenly darkened. As he pulled off his napkin, he quickly stood up and strode toward the


    sky garden.


    Watching him leave, Jimmy and Landon immediately realized that something had happened to Rachel,


    The only person who could make the usually calm David panic was Rachel.


    If something really happened to Rachel, the world would changepletely.


    ¡°You guys eat first. I¡¯ll follow and take a look.¡± Jimmy stood up and chased after them.


    After all, something had happened in his territory. No matter how he thought about it, he could not


    escape the me.


    Georgia put the cigarette out and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look too.¡±


    She followed them because she wanted to watch the show.


    For a moment, everyone in the restaurant followed in unison and rushed toward the sky garden.


    Billy, who was at the front, reported to David in detail. ording to Chris¡¯s report, the other party has a


    high-precision sni per rifle. Our preliminary judgment is that the other party is hiding in the Olson


    family¡¯s office building. Our people are currently leading a team to search.¡±


    David walked forward without saying a word.


    His well-defined face seemed to be covered with ayer of ice, and the aura around him was no longer


    as indifferent and cold as before. Instead, it was bloodthirsty and ruthless. He was like a demon that


    had walked out of the depths of hell.


    At this moment, Rachel was forced to stand on the spot and wait for help under the urate shots of


    the other party.


    As long as she took a step, the other party¡¯s bullet would urately shoot exactly in front of the tip of


    her


    toes.


    This was to force her to give up on the idea of escaping.


    However, Rachel couldn¡¯t help but feel a little angry.


    Because she sensed from the other party¡¯s intentions that he was ying with her.


    Rachel narrowed her eyes and stared at the office building opposite. There was a terrifying coldness in


    the depths of her almond-shaped eyes.


    With a whoosh, the grappling h**k of the grappling anchoruncher was firmly nailed to the wall.


    Immediately after, a figure glided over along the rope.


    At the same time, Rachel grabbed Chris¡¯s gun that was hidden behind her waist and fired mercilessly.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! A few gunshots rang out. The person with the high-precision sn*per rifle did not


    even have the chance to curse. He rolled on the ground awkwardly and hid behind the flower bed in


    panic.


    He thought to himself, ¡°F**k! Did she have to be so fussy?


    ¡°I was just ying with her, but she was trying to kill me!¡±


    David, who had rushed to the door, broke the door and rushed out without any hesitation after he heard


    at few gunshots.


    He saw Rachel holding a gun with both hands and aiming in a certain direction. He frowned slightly and


    gave Billy a look.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± David pulled Rachel into his arms nervously. His deep voice sounded a little tense.


    Rachel looked at him and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    At the same time, Billy had already surrounded the person hiding behind the flower bed.


    Moreover, a row of armed men stood in unison in the garden, waiting for the person on the rope to


    throw himself at them.


    Hence, as soon as the person on the ropended, he was forcefully detained. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, hey, be


    gentler. Don¡¯t hurt my handsome face.¡±


    The man raised his hands in surrender and looked around for hispanion. ¡°Vulture,e out!¡±


    He imagined he would appear in the most shy manner, but in the end, he was surrounded as soon


    as he appeared.


    How unlucky!


    The man looked to be in his twenties.

 Chapter 676

    Chapter 676


    Chapter 676


    He was wearing a leather jacket and a white T-shirt. His wolf-tail hairstyle made his handsome face


    look more unrestrained.


    Georgia and the others, who were following behind, could not help but narrow their eyes when they


    saw the captured man.


    The looks in Georgia¡¯s eyes changed rapidly as she muttered thoughtfully, ¡°Why is he here?¡±


    Thomas, who was standing beside her, nced sideways. ¡°You know him?¡±


    Georgia nodded and quickly walked to David¡¯s side. When she saw Rachel in his arms, she looked


    down to hide the jealousy in her eyes. ¡°David, I know this man. He¡¯s from the Red me Action Team.¡±


    David nced at her indifferently. His thin lips parted slightly as if they were covered in thin ice. ¡°You


    called him over?¡±


    It was a simple sentence, but it was shocking.


    Georgia was instantly certain that if it was really her who called the man over, David would definitely


    not care about their past rtionship and immediately break her neck.


    She did not understand why David cared about Rachel so much just after he had known Rachel for a


    few months.


    Georgia took a deep breath and suppressed the unwillingness and jealousy in her heart. ¡°No, I¡¯ve just


    heard of him before.¡±


    However, the people from the Red me Action Team had always been mysterious. Why were their


    actions so exposed this time?


    However, since the Red me Action Team had appeared here, it meant that someone had already


    anonymously issued a kill order to them.


    Anyone who was targeted by the Red me Action Team had nowhere to run.


    This was not something that could be resolved with the protection of David.


    Georgia wanted to see how Rachel would deal with it.


    Everyone looked at Rachel with pity when they heard the famous name ¡°Red me¡±.


    Rachel was so young, yet she was already hated and targeted.


    Clearly, David also realized the severity of the matter.


    He held Rachel tightly in his arms. His well-defined face seemed to be covered with ayer of ice. His


    entire body emitted a terrifying pressure that made people shudder.


    ¡°David, you¡¯re hurting me¡­¡± Rachel struggled in his arms.


    She felt that if David continued to hold her that way, her waist would be broken.


    David looked down and noticed her slightly furrowed brows. He could not help but loosen his grip.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Rachel nodded pitifully.


    Seeing the intimate interaction between the two of them, Georgia felt her heart sk*p a beat, and she


    almost couldn¡¯t breathe.


    If not for the special circumstances, she would have suspected that Rachel was showing off David¡¯s


    love for her deliberately.


    ¡°David, as long as the people of Red me make a move, they must have a target.¡± As Georgia spoke,


    she nced at Rachel meaningfully. There was no pity in her eyes. Instead, there was a hint of


    gloating. ¡°How about I go check the situation first¡±


    David did not say anything. Instead, Landon said, ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    There¡¯s no need.¡± Georgia said confidently. ¡°I¡¯ve met them a few times before and can be considered


    an old acquaintance to them. They won¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    As soon as she finished saying that, she looked at David again.


    She tried to get David¡¯s attention through what she had just said, hoping to make David realize that she


    was different from Rachel, who was hiding in his arms.


    Georgia wanted David to realize that Rachel was just a woman with a beautiful face who would only


    cower inside his arms to seek protection when something happened, while she was the woman who


    deserved him.


    However, David did not seem to hear her at all. He was so stingy that he refused to even look at her.


    There was no change in his expression as he treated her as air.


    Georgia suddenly felt like she was humiliating herself.


    She gritted her teeth secretly and clenched her fists tightly.


    She took a deep breath and stepped forward.


    At this moment, the man hiding in the bushes rushed out at a fast speed and dealt with the people


    surrounding him in a few moves.


    He attacked them quickly and cleanly as if he was a killing weapon personally forged by G*d.


    Before Billy could react, he was held hostage by the man. Sensing the coldness from the muzzle on his


    temple, a certain nerve in his head instantly tensed up.


    Vulture, take it easy,¡± Georgia eximed. ¡°We¡¯re all on the same side.¡±


    Vulture, the head of the Red me Action Team.


    Hisbat strength was off the charts, and his attacks were ruthless and merciless.


    When Vulture saw Georgia, his lips curled into a smile that did not reach his eyes. ¡°So it¡¯s Miss Walker.¡±


    Hearing his words, Georgia secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I thought you had disowned me as a


    friend. I wonder why you suddenly came to Aureliana this time?


    ¡°This seems to have nothing to do with you.¡± Vulture¡¯s answer showed he had no respect for her.


    Georgia¡¯s face turned blushed and pale after being humiliated in public. The smile on her lips stiffened.


    ¡°Vulture, on ount that we¡¯re old acquaintances, let me give you a reminder. If you make a big


    scene¡­¡± When Vulture saw this nagging woman in front of him, a hint of impatience appeared in his


    eyes.


    His eyes crossed over Georgia to David and Rachel not far away. He pulled the trigger with his fingertip


    and said slowly, ¡°Give me the girl in your hand!¡±


    Ever since David and his men appeared, David had been holding Rachel tightly in his arms.


    The people next to David could not even see Rachel¡¯s face.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    David looked at the other man who was being controlled with a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯re not qualified to


    negotiate with me now.¡±


    Vulture nced at ckhawk and smiled. ¡°Kill him or torture him as your please.¡±


    ¡°F**k you!¡± ckhawk cursed angrily. ¡°You heartless man! I saved your lifest month. Aren¡¯t you afraid


    of being punished by G*d for repaying kindness with ingratitude?¡±


    Vulture turned a deaf ear to ckhawk¡¯s words and only looked at David. ¡°Mr. Jones, we know that this


    is your territory and we have no intention of bing enemies with you. As long as you give her to


    me, we¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened tonight.¡±


    ¡°But why should I hand my woman over to you?¡± David asked.


    Vulture stared at the back of Rachel¡¯s head and his lips curled into an intriguing smile. ¡°Because she


    and I,


    We go way back.


    Everyone was so shocked with their eyes widened.


    Miss Grey and the person from Red me were old acquaintances?


    Georgia was even in a daze and her eyes were filled with disbelief.


    She calmed herself down and walked to Vulture¡¯s side. ¡°Vulture, tell me the truth. Did someone ask you


    to kill her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill anyone who dares to kill her!¡± Vulture said.


    Georgia was shocked and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Vulture cared about Rachel so much?


    David looked down to look at Rachel who was leaning in his arms. He raised his eyebrows slightly and


    there was a yful smile in his eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes tw*nkled slightly.


    She slowly tidied her hair and red at Vulture. ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to kill me, why did you shoot me?¡±


    Vulture was not angry at all. Instead, there was a hint of pampering in his eyes. ¡°I was just joking with


    you.¡±


    ¡°Will it still be a joke if I shoot your head off identally?¡± Rachel looked at him with a faint smile.

 Chapter 677

    Chapter 677


    Chapter 677


    When everyone heard this, they could not help but gasp.


    Even Jimmy and Landon, who had seen Rachel¡¯s astonishingbat power, could not help but worry


    for her after hearing her words.


    They would not worry for her if Vulture were an ordinary person.


    However, Vulture was the top one of the Red me Action Team!


    His power could be said to beparable to David¡¯s.


    However, Rachel¡¯s words showed that she clearly did not take Vulture seriously.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    If someone was targeted by the people from Red me, it could be imagined how tragic and terrifying


    this person¡¯s life would be for the rest of his life.


    However, just as everyone was looking at Rachel with different thoughts, ckhawk curled his lips and


    smiled. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time, so we wanted to give you a surprise. We also


    wanted to test if you¡¯ve regressed.¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± Facing their ¡°kindness test¡±, Rachel did not appreciate it at all. She rolled her eyes angrily. ¡°Then


    did you get the test result? Are you satisfied with it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m satisfied,¡± Vulture said quickly before ckhawk could say anything. ¡°What could we possibly


    be dissatisfied with about you?¡±


    His words carried a bottomless and unprincipled¡­ favoritism and indulgence for Rachel!


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s mind was in a mess. Their eyes were filled with disbelief as they looked at


    Rachel and Vulture.


    What happened? What was the situation?


    It was rumored that Vulture was a temperamental person. He could be chatting andughing with one


    at the previous second, and in the next second, he could mercilessly cut one¡¯s throat. But at this


    moment, he was actually so indulgent toward Rachel!


    Looking at how familiar the two of them were when they chatted, everyone realized that it might be true


    that they were old acquaintances.


    But they had never heard that there was any female member in the Red me Action Team before!


    What was going on?


    Georgia was the one who wanted to know the answer the most.


    She originally wanted to take the opportunity to get close to Vulture since she had met him a few times.


    so that she could get everyone¡¯s attention and confirm to them that her connections were powerful.


    Unexpectedly, Vulture actually refuted her in public and kept trying to get close to Rachel.


    When she thought of her words and actions just now, she felt like she was being treated coldly.


    A strong sense of shame instantly welled up in her heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± With that, she turned and left.


    However, no one present cared about her leaving, nor did they have the mood to guess why she left.


    They just looked at Rachel in confusion.


    Five minutester, the group returned to the restaurant


    At the dining table, everyone was no longer in the mood to taste the delicious food on the table.


    Jimmy nudged Landon¡¯s arm with his elbow and asked in a gossipy voice, ¡°Hey, how do you think


    Rachel knows the people from the Red me Action Team?¡±


    ¡°If you want to know it so much, go ask her yourself,¡± said Landon.


    Jimmy nced at him. If I had the guts to ask, I wouldn¡¯t need to discuss it with you¡±


    Hearing this, a smile shed across Landon¡¯s eyes.


    He turned to look at Georgia, who was smoking in her seat. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you knew the people


    from Red me?¡±


    What? Georgia was a little out of sorts by the sudden question. She cleared her throat and exined


    unhurriedly. ¡°We¡¯ve met a few times. Vulture is the man with the scar on his face. He¡¯s the head of the


    Red me Action Team. I don¡¯t know much about ckhawk, but judging from his shooting, skills, he


    should be the legendary sharpshooter.


    ¡°This group of people has always been mysterious and has never easily exposed their identities. Now


    that they¡¯ve called out so many people, I¡¯m afraid Miss Grey has caused quite a bit of trouble.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone fell silent.


    They knew very well whether Rachel had provoked anyone from Red me.


    If the Red me Action Team was really there to kill Rachel, they would not be sitting there calmly with


    them together.


    From Vulture¡¯s words and actions, it was not difficult to tell that he doted on Rachel.


    On the other side, David crossed his legs and looked at Vulture calmly.


    Vulture held a cigar between his fingers, but he was not in a hurry to light it. His eyes darted between


    Rachel and David. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°What¡­ is your rtionship?¡±


    His deep and cold voice sounded suddenly.


    ¡°He¡¯s my fianc¨¦.¡± Rachel held David¡¯s hand. Her fair-skinned fingertips intertwined with his fingers.


    She deliberately slowed down her movements with a hint of provocation.


    Vulture licked his lips with the tip of his tongue, and a thought-provoking smile tw*nkled in his eyes. ¡°I


    see.¡±


    He toyed with the lighter between his fingers. ¡°Do you mind if I smoke here?¡±


    ¡°Do as you like,¡± Rachel said casually.


    Vulture looked at her with a faint smile on his lips, mixed with an indescribable doting. He put the cigar


    back into the box.


    The way he looked at Rachel was captured by David.


    Only men could truly understand men. David could tell that Vulture clearly had some other intentions


    toward Rachel!


    ¡°How do you know each other?¡± David suddenly asked. A strong sense of oppression instantly


    enveloped everyone present.


    Vulture was ying with the lighter with his fingertips. He looked up at David and smiled provocatively.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her?¡±


    David did not intend to make things difficult for Rachel. He threw the question to Vulture again. ¡°I want


    to hear your answer.¡±


    Vulture said vaguely, ¡°Naturally, everything is as you think.¡±


    Before he could finish his words, Rachel kicked his call from under the table.


    The heel of her high heels kicked against his calf, and a wave of sore pain hit him, causing Vulture¡¯s


    expression to change slightly.


    However, he was not angry at all. Instead, he put on a fawning smile. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for


    so many years, but your temper is still so bad.¡±


    Rachel looked at him expressionlessly. Her gaze seemed to be saying, ¡°Try saying another word.¡±


    Vulture looked at her and was instantly defeated. He raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Alright, nlright,


    alright. I won¡¯t say anything else.¡±


    His every word and action exined what it was to paper someone without a bottom line or principle


    perfectly.


    Who would have thought that Vulture, who had always been merciless, would bow down to a woman


    one day?


    At this moment, everyone clearly realized that Vulture¡¯s previous words of ¡°I¡¯ll kill anyone who dares to


    kill her¡± were not just words.


    Initially, Jimmy and Landon only thought that Rachel was arrogant and domineering because she relied


    entirely on the richest family in Seaxas behind her, the Johnson family.


    But now, they suddenly realized that they didn¡¯t know much about Rachel.


    The person who could be favored by the head of the Red me Action Team was definitely not


    someone with only a beautiful face.


    Among them. Georgia was the one who had suffered the greatest blow.


    Just now, she had imed that she had a good rtionship with Vulture in front of everyone. But in the


    blink of an eye, Vulture was talking happily with Rachel andpletely ignored her existence.


    Vulture treated Rachel as if she was his sweetheart.


    Georgia could not understand how things had turned out like this.

 Chapter 678

    Chapter 678


    Chapter 678


    Her brother, Landon, had told her before that Rachel was just thedy of the Johnson family, the richest


    family in Seaxas.


    Since that was the case, how could Rachel be rted to the people from the Red me Action Team?


    Could it be that there was a secret past between her and Vulture?


    In the resting area, Vulture crossed his legs andyzily on the sofa, but his gaze was fixed on


    Rachel.


    David narrowed his eyes and suddenly stood up. ¡°Sorry, excuse me for a moment.¡±


    With that, he held Rachel¡¯s hand and turned to leave.


    ¡°If you have something to do, just leave by yourself.¡± Vulture looked at Rachel who was taken away by


    David and could not help but sneer. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a petty man.¡±


    After the two of them left, Vulture rubbed the gears of the lighter with his fingertips to light a cigarette.


    White smoke was slowly blown out, covering the dark andplicated expression in Vulture¡¯s eyes.


    After finding traces of Rachel at Lone Wolf¡¯s ce, he immediately came there with the ckhawk. He


    had originally nned to save Rachel from danger, but he did not expect Rachel and David to be


    engaged.


    Rachel could be with anyone, but she chose David.


    What a f**king truth!


    Rachel¡¯s wrist was grabbed by David, and she followed his footsteps in her high heels.


    They walked into the room arranged by the hotel.


    Just as the door closed, before Rachel could see the furnishings in the room clearly, a ck shadow


    suddenly pressed down in front of her.


    Immediately after, the man kissed her anxiously.


    His aura was like a huge that enveloped Rachel. The tightened, not giving her a chance to


    break free.


    The rapid and passionate kiss was like a gust of wind as if it wanted to chew her up and swallow her.


    Rachel was pressed against the door. There was no way out. She was like a delicate rose in a storm,


    enduring everything passively.


    After the kiss, Rachel¡¯s red and swollen lips looked pitiful under the contrast of the smudged lipstick.


    Her clear almond-shaped eyes were pure ck and white, and they were covered with ayer of wet


    mist. The corners of her eyes were curled up in an unknowingly charming manner.


    David stretched out his fingers and gently wiped the lipstick stains on Rachel¡¯s chin and lips.


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed and his eyes darkened.


    ¡°L¡­¡±


    Before Rachel could finish her words, David blocked her lips with his lips again.


    Why was he more likely to be jealous after proposing to her?


    Their rtionship was the only thing Davidcked confidence in!


    Based on her past experience, Rachel knew the more she struggled and resisted, the more aggressive


    and crazy David would be.


    So instead of struggling and resisting, she chose to appease him.


    She wrapped her arms around David¡¯s waist and gently rubbed his back with her palm.


    Her movements were gentle as if she was stroking the fur of an angry dog.


    David let Rachel go only when she found it difficult to breathe and her tongue went numb. She raised


    her head and looked at him pitifully. ¡°David, my mouth hurts.¡±


    She rubbed her head against his chest coquettishly, and the anger in David¡¯s chest dissipated. ¡°Does it


    hurt?¡± David¡¯s deep voice suddenly softened. His fingers gently caressed her swollen lips.


    Rachel nodded and snuggled into his arms coquettishly. ¡°It hurts.¡±


    ¡°How long have you known each other?¡± David grabbed her chin and stared at her with his ck eyes.


    Rachel was forced to raise her head. Her eyes tw*nkled slightly. ¡°We met at Phareborough previously.


    Including him, there were a total of twelve of us.¡±


    Hearing this, David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a dark andplicated light flickered in his eyes.


    ¡°The legendary Twelve Heavenly Kings of the Red me Action Team?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with astonishment.


    ¡°The legend of the Twelve Heavenly Kings has been circting in Phareborough.¡± David looked down


    at the woman in front of him with a tw*nkle of interest in his eyes. ¡°Where do you rank out of the


    twelve?¡±


    Rachel smacked her lips. ¡°Twelfth.¡±


    In terms of strength, she was not the weakest, but she was the youngest.


    Almost everyone in Phareborough had heard of the legend of the Twelve Heavenly Kings.


    No one saw their faces. People only knew that there were men and women in this group.


    Although there were many terrifyingly powerful local forces in Phareborough, they were unable to


    the Twelve Heavenly Kings.


    stop


    There were twelve people in total in Twelve Heavenly Kings, and they were powerful and unstoppable.


    However, what surprised David was that Rachel was actually one of the Twelve Heavenly Kings.


    ¡°You showed up in Pharcborough because of them?¡±


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°Meeting them was an ident.¡±


    She had once lived a carefree life but suddenly felt that such a life was meaningless. It was as if


    something was missing.


    Until she identally discovered Louis¡¯s whereabouts.


    At that moment, she made up her mind to abandon everything and look for Louis.


    Unfortunately, after three years ofpanionship, she was abandoned and finally realized that Louis


    was not the person she had been searching for.


    Seeing that she was a little depressed, David hugged her in his arms and caressed her thin back with


    his broad palm. ¡°Why did Vulture suddenlye to you?¡±


    All these years, Rachel had been able to live an ordinary life without anyone disturbing her. David


    guessed that Lucas had contributed greatly behind the scenes to this.


    However, Vulture¡¯s sudden appearance could only mean that someone had leaked Rachel¡¯s


    whereabouts.


    ¡°He probably got the information about me from Lone Wolf.¡± Rachel pursed her lips and did not hide


    anything. ¡°Lone Wolf is good at obtaining information. As long as he wants to know something, there is


    almost nothing that can be hidden from him. Originally, I just wanted Lone Wolf to help me investigate


    the information about the three SUVs. I didn¡¯t expect Vulture and ckhawk toe.¡± She was even


    more surprised by the two of them making such a mess the moment they appeared. David raised his


    hand and touched the top of her head. ¡°In that case, I almost misunderstood my fianc¨¦e.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that serious.¡± Rachel pushed David gently and distanced herself from him. Her almond-shaped


    eyes flickered with a small smile that revealed a mischievous glint. ¡°It¡¯s just that could you be less


    be less prone to jealousy? You can easily get jealoustely.¡±


    David held the back of her head with his palm and leaned over to bite her lips. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I couldn¡¯t!¡±


    His fianc¨¦e was so adorable.


    As her fianc¨¦, he felt a sense of crisis.


    In the restaurant, after Rachel and David left, Vulture asked for some food.


    At that moment, he was sitting on the sofa in a negligent pose, holding a piece of steak in his hand and


    eating it heartily.


    After he had finished his dinner quickly, he did not see Rachel and David return, and ayer of


    impatience appeared between his brows.


    ckhawk was not in the mood to eat at all. He acted like a mother waiting for her young daughter to


    return home from a date. He kept looking at the door. ¡°Where do you think David took Twelve? Our


    Twelve is thin, she¡¯ll definitely be at a disadvantage if they fight!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Vulture could not sit still anymore.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    He put out the cigarette in his hand and was about to stand up when the door of the restaurant was


    pushed open.


    David and Rachel walked in with their fingers interlocked.

 Chapter 679

    Chapter 679


    Chapter 679


    Vulture grunted jealously at the sight of their interlocked fingers.


    way.


    After ckhawk saw the two of them, he whispered in Vulture¡¯s ear, ¡°Boss, Twelve is back.¡±


    Vulture didn¡¯t say anything. He just waved his hand to signal ckhawk to get out of the


    But when he saw Rachel¡¯s smudged lipstick and swollen lips, his face darkened immediately.


    David held Rachel¡¯s hand and returned to their seats. He said with a noble and indifferent posture, ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry to have kept you waiting.¡±


    ¡°Heh, Mr. Jones. That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Vulture stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and threw it into


    the ashtray. He picked up a cup of water beside him and took a big gulp.


    After that, he cleared his throat and looked at Rachel. ¡°Where am I staying tonight?¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°You want to stay?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Vulture mmed the cup in his hand on the table. ¡°I came all the way here and you can¡¯t


    wait to kick me out?¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you toe.¡±


    Vulture was speechless.


    Twelve was indeed heartless.


    She was even more heartless than back then!


    The smile on Rachel¡¯s lips gradually reached the end of her eyes when she saw the looked helpless.


    way Vulture


    Even though she was tired of her life without a goal, it didn¡¯t mean that she hated her partners who had


    fought side by side with her.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Just as Rachel was about to speak, David said, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you can stay in the Peckham


    Pce. There are guest rooms.¡±


    As soon as he said this, Rachel looked at him in surprise.


    Considering David might be jealous, Rachel originally nned to let Vulture and ckhawk stay at


    the hotel.


    She did not expect David to be so generous as to invite them to stay in the Peckham Pce.


    In fact, David¡¯s purpose was very simple. Instead of leaving Vulture and ckhawk somewhere else. to


    stir up trouble, it was better for him to leave them under his nose.


    This


    way, they could not escape his control.


    However, Vulture was clearly shocked by David¡¯s sudden generosity.


    He thought that David was eager to expel him and ckhawk.


    ¡°You¡¯re heartless, Twelve. I really doted on you for nothing back then!¡± Vulture rolled his eyes at


    Rachel. ¡°Look at your man. He¡¯s so much more generous than you!¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s been many years since west met.


    Your bootlicking skills have really improved.¡±


    Vulture red at her and kicked her angrily.


    He did not use much strength, but Rachel let out a cry and fell into David¡¯s arms.


    David held her slender waist with his arm. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°He kicked me.¡± Rachel lowered her head, looking pitiful.


    As soon as she finished saying that, David¡¯s sharp gaze pierced straight at Vulture.


    Even though Vulture¡¯s strength was not inferior to David, in the face of David¡¯s oppressive gaze, he


    could not help but feel a trace of fear and dread.


    He cleared his throat in embarrassment and looked down, trying to ease the fear and dread he felt.


    Rachel, who was sitting opposite him, had a gloating expression on her face. She looked down to hide


    the sly smile in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Shall we go back?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Say goodbye to them,¡± said David.


    After Rachel and David said goodbye to the other people, they took Vulture and ckhawk out of the


    restaurant.


    In the restaurant, the others stood up and escorted David out.


    Jimmy was the first to speak. ¡°David, when did Rachel be so amazing?¡±


    ¡°What kind of description is that?¡± Landon looked at him with disgust.


    Jimmy didn¡¯t think much of it.


    He was still in shock.


    He admitted Rachel was very outstanding before, but Vulture¡¯s obedience to Rachel hadpletely


    overturned his previous understanding of Rachel.


    Firstly, he knew Rachel participated in the international militarypetition, and now she was chatting


    happily with Vulture of the Red me Action Team. How many more shocking things about Rachel


    were there that they did not know about?


    Everyone saw how Vulture pampered and indulged Rachel.


    No one would believe that the two of them had just met by chance.


    Based on the degree of familiarity between the two of them, they were definitely good friends who had


    known each other for many years.


    Compared to their shock, David remained calm andposed from the beginning to the end.


    He raised his hand and slowly adjusted his diamond-studded cuffs. His eyes swept across the people


    in front of him calmly. His thin lips curled up slightly with a faint smile. ¡°She has always been very


    outstanding. It¡¯s just that you guys have underestimated her.¡±


    As soon as he finished saying that, his cold and indifferent gazended on Georgia.


    Georgia¡¯s pupils constricted and her heart tightened.


    Flustered, she looked down, not daring to meet his gaze.


    David¡¯s gaze paused on her for a moment before he looked away. After saying goodbye to the people


    in front of him, he turned around and left the restaurant.


    Thomas looked at his back as he left and suddenly chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the woman David brought


    back to have so many surprises hidden in her. Such an eye-opener.¡±


    The others around him looked at each other and smiled.


    Landon noticed Georgia standing rooted to the ground as he turned to leave. His thin lips parted.


    slightly. ¡°Why do you have to vie for the limelight all the time? In the end, you only embarrass yourself.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean that I only embarrass myself!¡± Georgia¡¯s eyes were filled with unwillingness.


    ¡°Obviously, that woman is good at tricks!¡±


    Since Rachel knew the people from the Red me Action Team, why didn¡¯t she stand out and


    acknowledge them earlier?


    Hearing this. Landon frowned slightly and stared at her for a moment. He sighed helplessly and turned


    to leave.


    At eight o¡¯clock in the evening, the group sessfully arrived at Peckham Pce.


    Vulture and ckhawk opened the car door and got out of the car. They looked at the Peckham Pce


    in front of them and could not help but exim in their hearts.


    How f**king rich!


    ¡°Twelve is sessful now.¡± ckhawk was holding his weapon in his arms. Suddenly, he had an idea.


    He leaned over and whispered in Vulture¡¯s ear, ¡°They¡¯re engaged. If we kill David, can Twelve inherit all


    the inheritance legally?¡±


    Vulture nced at him and his eyes flickered with a meaningful smile. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? It¡¯s not too


    late to kill him after they get married! Only then can Rachel sessfully inherit all the inheritance!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make the n first,¡± ckhawk immediately started a discussion in the Whatsapp group about


    how to kill for money legally.


    Including Rachel, there were a total of 12 people in that everyone was discussing intensely.


    group. Other than Rachel,


    Especially after knowing that Rachel and David were together, the other people in that group all came


    to Rachel to verify it at the same time as if they had discussed it.


    When Rachel saw the messages in the group, she silently muted the group and turned off her phone.

 Chapter 680

    Chapter 680


    Chapter 680


    The car door opened and David got out first, followed by Rachel.


    However, David did not hold Rachel¡¯s hand this time. Instead, he walked forward with one hand in his


    pocket.


    Looking at his back as he left, Rachel knew that he was deliberately leaving enough space for her to


    have a talk with Vulture.


    Vulture nced at David¡¯s leaving figure and then walked to Rachel¡¯s side. ¡°You two quarreled?¡±


    There was an unconceble sense of gloating in his words.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°You seem to be looking


    forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Do I?¡± Suddenly meeting Rachel¡¯s gaze, Vulture looked down guiltily.


    Rachel did not say anything. She just raised her head in the direction of the garden. ¡°Let¡¯s talk over


    there.¡±


    ¡°Why do we have to be so secretive? We can¡¯t talk in front of your man?¡± Vulture lowered his head and


    toyed with the lighter in his fingers.


    However, Rachel did not seem to hear him. She took the lead and walked toward the garden.


    Vulture snorted softly but followed obediently.


    ckhawk walked side by side with him. The two of them clearly sensed that although the


    surroundings looked quiet, there were many people hiding in the corners.


    The two of them looked at each other with meaningful smiles in their eyes.


    They had long heard that the other branches of the Jones family were eyeing the main branch of the


    Jones family covetously. Now, it seemed that the rumors outside were not groundless.


    After they sat down one after another, Vulture ignored the surveince around him and went straight to


    the point. ¡°Jones family¡¯s interpersonal rtionships areplicated. You should listen to my advice.


    Don¡¯t get involved in this mess.¡±


    There were no selfish motives in his words. He only hoped that Rachel could stay out of trouble.


    Rachel¡¯s fair-skin fingers sped the cup as she took a sip. ¡°But I have a reason to get involved.¡±


    Hearing this, Vulture could not help but fall silent.


    He looked at Rachel with a focused and serious expression as if he was afraid of missing the subtle


    change in her expression.


    After a long time, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°Have you really decided? You¡¯re not going to think about it


    twice anymore?¡±


    Rachel


    put down the cup in her hand and said calmly, ¡°I will never regret what I have decided.¡±


    There was a hint of determination in her nonchnt tone.


    In a daze, Vulture recalled the early morning when Rachel decided to leave.


    They had thought that it was just a sudden impulse from the young girl and she would perhaps change


    her mind after a nap.


    However, when everyone woke up. the little girl only left a farewell letter.


    There were only a few simple words summarizing the days they had spent together on the letter. After


    that, she disappeared without a trace as if she had never appeared.


    After an unknown period of time, Vulture suppressed the thousands of thoughts in his heart and


    chuckled. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re the boss. Since you¡¯ve decided, I won¡¯t say anything else. But, let me remind


    you that the situation inside the Jones family is far worse than you think. You¡¯d better be fully


    prepared.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± ckhawk said. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate our Twelve. If anyone has to be


    afraid, it will never be her. At most, we¡¯ll clear the way for her!¡±.


    Although he said that in a joking tone, it could still show their unconditional support for Rachel. Rachel


    looked up at the two people in front of her with a gentle smile.


    After parting ways with Rachel, Vulture and ckhawk returned to their respective guest rooms.


    After washing up, the two of them leaned against the headboard and chatted with each other on their


    phones in private. They discussed the car ident they encountered when they were with Rachel and


    the others at the T-junction.


    [Do you think this car ident was targeted at David or our Twelve?] With the current situation of the


    Jones family, ckhawk had to doubt what the motive of the mastermind behind the car ident was.


    If it was to deal with David, shouldn¡¯t they do it secretly?


    Moreover, after so many years, there was no reason for them to be so eager to make a move to target


    David as soon as David returned to Aureliana.


    Vulture had a cigarette in the corner of his mouth. [Lone Wolf said that the Jones family¡¯s power is


    complicated. No matter who they are targeting, I bet that no one can get any benefits from the Jones


    family.]


    Not to mention that David¡¯s forces had developed unfathomably over the years.


    Even Rachel alone was definitely not one who could be underestimated by those people.


    When ckhawk saw the message from Vulture, he could not help but feel emotional. He sent another


    message. [I wonder what Twelve likes about David.]


    At the mention of this, Vulture felt angry. He had doted on and protected Rachel for so many years. He


    wanted her to be carefree all the time but David, the damn man made her get involved in such a


    mess.


    Just thinking about it made him angry!


    He quickly typed on the screen with his fingertips indignantly. [David is a man full of tricks. Our Twelve


    is most likely bewitched by his looks.]


    With that, he threw the phone aside and got up to walk to the window,


    He looked up at the crescent moon in the night sky and sighed deeply.


    The next morning, Vulture and ckhawk walked down the stairs and saw Rachel and David eating in


    the dining room.


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s listless look, Vulture and ckhawk looked at each other and silently chose to stay


    away from Rachel.


    213


    They had some understanding of Rachel¡¯s grumpy temper when she just got up.


    If she got angry, she would really flip the table and make others at the table have no food.


    After the two of them sat down, they quietly waited for Rachel to vent her anger on David. However,


    they realized that Rachel was as obedient as a cat in front of David and seemed to have no intention.


    to vent her anger on him.


    What the hell was going on?


    Rachel changed her personality so quickly?


    ¡°Are you here to watch me?¡± Rachel looked up at the two of them.


    It was a casual sentence, but it was filled with a cold aura.


    Vulture and ckhawk suddenly came back to their senses and quickly lowered their heads to eat


    silently.


    Women were indeed good at pretending!


    After eating, Rachel went upstairs to change her clothes.


    In the dining room, David took a sip of ck coffee. ¡°Do you have other ns for this trip?¡±


    ¡°Does Mr. Jones have a favor to ask of us?¡± Vulture casually threw the piece of toast on the te in


    front of him. He leanedzily against the seat and looked at David with a faint smile. ¡°You need to pay a


    lot to hire us. I¡¯m just afraid that you can¡¯t afford to hire us.¡±


    David did not say anything. He just looked at Vulture indifferently.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    The two men¡¯s gazes met in the air, and a battle without smoke officially began.


    A few secondster. Vulture was defeated. He took a sip of milk to hide his embarrassment. ¡°What is


    it?¡±


    He suddenly felt lucky that they had been well-behaved all these years and did not be enemies


    with David.


    Just his gaze alone was already so oppressive. If they really fought, who knew what kind of painful


    price they would have to pay?


    ¡°If


    you don¡¯t mind, let¡¯s go out for a walkter,¡± David said.


    It seemed to be an invitation, but every word was filled with a sense ofinand.


    Upon hearing this, Vulture¡¯s eyes were filled with interest. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°The surrounding ind.¡±

 Chapter 681

    Chapter 681


    Chapter 681


    Forty minutester, a helicopternded smoothly on the tarmac.


    This attached ind was developed into a resort.


    The resort was about 150 kilometers away from the main ind. Every hotel was built separately and


    had absolute privacy.


    The ind had all the necessary facilities, and the scenery was even more magnificent than the main.


    ind.


    The turquoise sea connected with the distant h orizon, creating a beautiful painting of the sea and sky.


    After Rachel got off the ne, she looked around. There were a few yachts docked on the shore and


    also a few seanes at the distant berth.


    There were not many tourists on the ind, and there was a sense of seclusion andfort.


    A gentle breeze blew past, causing her hair to flutter behind her head.


    She casually raised her hand and reached out to h**k her hair.


    As she turned around, she saw two figures not far away from her.


    The middle-aged man looked to be in his early fifties. His hair was neatlybed, and one could


    vaguely sense the rigor in his bones.


    He was wearing a suit, and his every move exuded an unfathomable depth.


    At this moment, he was surrounded by others. The person beside him whispered something.


    The man¡¯s cold gazended on David without batting an eyelid. Then, he lowered his gaze to hide the


    emotions in his eyes.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    He waved his hand at the person beside him, indicating that he should leave first.


    ¡°I wonder what day it is today,¡± the young man standing behind the middle-aged man said meaningfully.


    His gaze swept past David in a hurry. Then, he stared at Rachel without blinking.


    His malicious and venomous gaze was like a snake lying dormant in the grass, having found delicious.


    prey. It was sticky and disgusting.


    Rachel frowned imperceptibly. She turned around without batting an eyelid and turned her back to


    the man.


    At this moment, the middle-aged man walked toward David and nodded slightly. His attitude was


    humble and respectful. ¡°Mr. David.¡±


    With one hand in his pocket, David stood tall and straight in front of the middle-aged man. He


    responded with an indifferent expression, neither cold nor warm.


    Seeing that his attitude was so indifferent and cold, Noah Jones didn¡¯t show any anger on his face. He


    was still respectful and humble.


    ording to seniority, he was the nominal second uncle of David, but ording to the rules of the


    Jones family, seniority was nothingpared to power.


    The Jones family had always followed a system of hierarchy based on power instead of seniority.


    Now that David was the Jones family¡¯s leader, even as David¡¯s second uncle in name, Noah had to


    humble himself and greet David respectfully.


    ¡°Mr. David, since you have guests, we won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± The corners of Noah¡¯s mouth curled


    up slightly, and his gaze was slightly lowered. After taking a step back, he left with the young man


    behind him.


    Rachel watched as the two left. She narrowed her eyes and was deep in thought.


    She had seen Noah¡¯s face in the family tree of the Jones family sent by Lone Wolf.


    It was rumored that in the past disputes of the Jones family, Noah was the most dutiful and had never


    participated in any power struggle.


    However, after the meeting just now and the short conversation, Rachel could clearly sense Noah¡¯s


    shrewdness.


    Perhaps this second son, who was content with his lot and didn¡¯t participate in any power struggles,


    didn¡¯t have the honest and straightforward appearance he seemed to have on the surface.


    Such people were often the most terrifying and easily made people let their guard down.


    The young man looked at the departing figures of Rachel and David. His eyes narrowed slightly as he


    stared thoughtfully at Rachel¡¯s graceful figure.


    Julian Jones admitted that he had seen countless beauties in Aureliana. In the past, he did not think


    much of it. Now that he had Rachel as aparison, he only felt that those beauties he saw in the past


    were all vulgar.


    Rachel exuded an innate coldness.


    It was like the moon in the water, something that one could only look at but not obtain.


    It was precisely this feeling of distance that was the most unforgettable.


    Julian reluctantly retracted his gaze and said casually, ¡°We¡¯ve been respectful to him all these years,


    making him even more arrogant! But no matter what, you¡¯re still his second uncle, right?¡±


    Upon hearing Julian¡¯s words, Noah, who was walking in front, stopped in his tracks. He looked


    sideways and nced at his son coldly. ¡°The Jones family had always followed a system of hierarchy


    based on power instead of seniority! Our power is weak, so we should know our ce!¡±


    ¡°We should know our ce?¡± Julian¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°Haven¡¯t we been living with our


    tails between our legs enough all these years?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough!¡± Noah shouted coldly. He calmed down a little, let out a meaningful sigh, and said.


    meaningfully. ¡°If you want to protect yourself in a ce like the Jones family, you¡¯re far from enough!


    Julian, I¡¯m warning you. Put away those thoughts in your heart. David is not someone you can provoke


    casually. If you really anger him, don¡¯t me me for not disregarding our many years of father-son


    rtionship!¡±


    What he meant was that if Julian caused trouble, he would definitely not take the lives of the hundred


    or so people in his family to fight head-on with David. He would only make a prompt decision to cut ties


    with Julian.


    After he heard this, Julian¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    He stared at his father in disbelief. He clenched his fists tightly by his side and suppressed the


    unwillingness and hatred in his heart. ¡°Is it necessary? No matter what, you¡¯re still his second uncle in


    name. How can you reallye to the point of a life-and-death struggle?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a wolf cub personally trained by your grandfather. He can eveny his hands on his own father.


    Why can¡¯t hey his hands on us?¡± Noah said calmly.


    His casual tone was bone-chilling.


    At the mention of this, Julian couldn¡¯t help but recall his uncle¡¯s sorry state when he was taken. A trace


    of fear involuntarily appeared in his eyes.


    away.


    When Noah saw him like this, a trace of imperceptible disgust shed across the depths of his eyes.


    He raised his hand and patted Julian¡¯s shoulder, saying earnestly, ¡°Enduring is painful. If you want to


    be above others, the first thing you have to do is to endure!¡±


    With that, he gave Julian¡¯s shoulder a firm squeeze as a warning, then turned and left.


    As he turned around, Noah saw two people walking down from a seane.


    The man in the lead was wearing sunsses, which made his strong facial features look a little cold.


    His gaze followed the back of Vulture and the ck shadow as they walked away. His eyes were filled


    with deep thought.


    Meanwhile, Rachel and David were led to the presidential suite by the butler.


    Billy, Yann, and Chris stood not far away like emotionless sculptures.


    The butler respectfully sent them fresh fruits and desserts.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, the surroundings of the resort have beenpletely sealed off as per your instructions. If


    there¡¯s anything else you need, feel free to let me know.¡±


    David nodded slightly. ¡°You may leave first.¡±


    After the butler left, Rachel casually picked up a grape and put it in her mouth. She looked at David


    casually. ¡°How many people did you bring back this time?¡±

 Chapter 682

    Chapter 682


    Chapter 682


    David casually took a piece of apple from the te and tasted it. It was moderately sweet and sour.


    Then, he handed it to Rachel. His dark eyes stared at her with a gentle light. ¡°Why are you suddenly


    asking this?¡±


    Rachel took the fruit te from David and put down the cup in her hand. ¡°I saw a few familiar faces.


    when I came in just now.¡±


    If she remembered correctly, those people had appeared in Sandalwood Hills.


    ¡°It¡¯s them.¡± David¡¯s thin lips curled into a faint smile, and his eyes were filled with love.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°It looks like I¡¯m holding you back.¡±


    David always had Billy by his side before, and now Yann joined the team. Chris had be Rachel¡¯s.


    personal bodyguard, and David had also brought back the people who were guarding Sandalwood


    Hills. He had done everything that he should and could.


    However, the enemy was in the dark, and they were in the open. If the other party really attacked, they


    could not defend against it.


    ¡°Just in case of emergencies.¡± David did not want to give Rachel any psychological burden.


    Moreover, he disagreed with Rachel¡¯s idea that she was a burden.


    After a while, Vulture swaggered in while ckhawk stayed outside and patrolled the surroundings


    with the other three.


    He pushed the sses on the bridge of his nose to the top of his head and stretched his arm. Just as


    he was about to flip into the sofa, David¡¯s sharp gaze casually swept over.


    Vulture lowered his gaze guiltily and casually patted the back of the sofa. He muttered to hide his


    embarrassment, ¡°This sofa is really clean.¡±


    Rachel did not speak, but a hidden smile appeared in her eyes.


    ¡°Is this ind also the Jones family¡¯s property?¡± Vulture picked up an apple and took a bite before


    realizing he had asked a stup*d question.


    Since David was sitting here, it was naturally the Jones family¡¯s property.


    The atmosphere was a little awkward for a moment before Vulture¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    It was unknown what he saw, but his expression changed subtly.


    Especially when he looked at David, his gaze was even more intriguing.


    Vulture put away his phone and weighed the apple in his hand. He suddenly felt bored. ¡°Mr. Jones,


    there¡¯s something I want to ask you alone.¡±


    He controlled his emotions, but he could not help but grit his teeth.


    David narrowed his eyes. Then, he stood up and walked out.


    Rachel did not say anything but just watched with interest as the two talked in riddles before her.


    Although she did not know what message Vulture had just received, she guessed that it must be


    rted to her or¡­ it was rted to the car ident at the T-junction.


    Otherwise, with Vulture¡¯s personality, there was no need to hide it from her like this.


    After they walked out, Vulture lit a cigarette and looked at David with a solemn expression. ¡°Did you


    find out about the car ident?¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± David lowered his gaze. No one could see the expression in his eyes, nor


    could they guess his emotions.


    Vulture pursed his lips and took a puff of his cigarette. ¡°I know from the Red me that you and Twelve


    are engaged, but this engagement was agreed by Old Mrs. Jones against all odds. Not every one of


    the Jones family acknowledges it.¡±


    David did not say anything, but his eyebrows moved slightly, indicating for Vulture to continue.


    Meeting his gaze, Vulture found it inexplicably difficult to say what was on the tip of his tongue.


    David was like an existence above everyone else. No matter who stood in front of him, no matter how


    arrogant the other party was, he had no choice but to admit defeat in front of David.


    ¡°You can take a horse to the water, but you can¡¯t make him drink. Since Old Mr. Jones disapproves of


    her, why do you have to force her to stay?¡± Vulture hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up,


    ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, but your Jones family is not a ce where people can live a peaceful life.


    Do you want to watch Twelve die before your eyes?¡±


    Over the years, Vulture had seen all kinds of strange things.


    It was not umon to hear of people killing their own siblings or parents to inherit their family¡¯s


    wealth.


    However, he admired Old Mr. Jones the most regarding cu**ing and scheming.


    In order to avoid getting involved, he even used his own daughter.


    If Lone Wolf had not found out through the clues, this fire would have probably burned Marina Jones.


    It was said that the love between a father and daughter ran deep, but Old Mr. Jones was cruel enough.


    to make Marina Jones the scapegoat.


    Howughable and pathetic!


    ¡°You know very well what he¡¯s capable of. If he really wants to do it, she might not be able to escape


    unscathed.¡± David¡¯s tone was calm, and there was no emotion on his face.


    All signs indicated that he already had an answer in his heart before this ident.


    Vulture frowned and stared at David.


    He really did not understand the twists and turns in the big families and didn¡¯t bother to get involved.


    He took a deep drag on his cigarette, then threw the butt on the ground and crushed it with his foot.


    ¡°What does he mean by doing that?¡±


    ¡°To test,¡± David said.


    He wanted to test Rachel¡¯s temperament and courage, as well as David¡¯s attitude.


    Of course, they could not rule out the possibility that he wanted to use David to beat up the branch


    families.


    Old Mr. Jones had always been like this.


    It was fine if he did not make a move. But once he did, he would scheme against everyone to


    maximize the effect.


    The frustrated Vulture took out another cigarette and lit it. He said mockingly, ¡°He raised you up. and


    you¡¯re the sessor he¡¯s most satisfied with. If anything happens to you, isn¡¯t he afraid that he¡¯ll regret


    it for the rest of his life?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± David looked at Vulture. ¡°Besides, if something really happens, she will be fine.¡±


    His deep voice was not emotional, and it was so calm that one could not detect the fluctuations of his.


    emotions. However, Vulture could sense the arrogant and resolute spirit and the unwavering


    determination.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Vulture¡¯s heart could not help but tremble involuntarily.


    In the past, he had never understood what kind of appeal David had that could make so many people


    willingly work for him.


    Now, he understood a little.


    David¡¯s confidence and methods would indeed convince countless people.


    As the saying went, the most dangerous ce was also safest. This was the most suitable saying for


    David Jones.


    Beforeing out, he wanted to warn David, but now it seemed that his previous n was ridiculous.


    However, Vulture still had to say what he needed to say. ¡°Remember what you said today. If you betray


    Twelve, I will definitely bring the Red me Army to tten the entire Aureliana!¡±


    David looked at him indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have the chance.¡±


    Meeting David¡¯s gaze again, Vulture tried his best not to let his aura falter, but his inherent fear and


    awe of the strong gradually caused his aura to wane.


    However, he refused to show weakness. He snorted arrogantly and turned to leave.

 Chapter 683

    Chapter 683


    Chapter 683


    After much hesitation, Chris thought of Billy¡¯s warning and ultimately followed along.


    However, she maintained a distance and silently followed behind Rachel.


    She stared thoughtfully at Rachel¡¯s back.


    Ever since she found out about the rtionship between Rachel and Vulture, her attitude toward


    Rachel had improved a little.


    However, this did not mean that she acknowledged Rachel from the bottom of her heart.


    In her eyes, Rachel was still not worthy of David.


    A woman who could appear by David¡¯s side had to add to his glory when he was sessful and stand


    on her own when facing adversity.


    As Chris was thinking, Rachel suddenly stopped her strides.


    She stood elegantly on the shore as if she was waiting for someone.


    .


    Chris narrowed her eyes and pondered for a moment before walking forward. ¡°Miss Grey, what can I do


    for you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed veryfortable to interact with smart people.¡± Rachel looked at Chris and smiled. ¡°Is your


    Boss in a difficult situation here?¡±


    Chris¡¯ pupils constricted. She clearly did not expect Rachel to ask such a question.


    She pursed her lips and didn¡¯t reply.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and asked emotionlessly, ¡°You couldn¡¯t tell me, or you wouldn¡¯t. tell


    me?¡±


    These two sentences seemed to be only one word different, but the meaning waspletely different.


    If she wouldn¡¯t say it, it was only her own choice.


    If she couldn¡¯t say it, it meant that David had already instructed her to hide something.


    After pondering for a long time, Chris raised her gaze and looked at Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey, ask when you


    already know the answer?¡±


    This seemed to be an answer, but in fact, she threw the question back to Rachel.


    The corners of her lips curled up into a yful smile.


    Why do you


    Chris looked at Rachel and thought for a moment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you call the people of Red me over as a


    precaution?¡±


    ¡°If I were the one who called them over, they wouldn¡¯t have appeared in such a manner.¡± Rachel looked


    at Chris. ¡°But I can¡¯t deny that I did deliberately expose my whereabouts.¡±


    The reason why she could live an ordinary life all these years was because of Lucas Johnson.


    She knew very well that as long as she contacted Lone Wolf, her whereabouts would naturally be


    exposed.


    However, the appearance of Vulture and ckhawk was much faster than she had imagined.


    From this, it could be seen how quickly the Red me Army¡¯s positioning system had developed in just


    a few years.


    Chris was a straightforward person. She could not hide anything. After hesitating for a long time, she


    could not help but ask, ¡°Are you a good fighter?¡±


    From an objective point of view, anyone who could enter the Red me Army was definitely not. showy


    eye candy.


    Therefore, she was very curious about how strong Rachel was.


    She could actually make the leader of the Red me Action Team dote on her so much.


    Rachel raised her hand and casually tidied up the loose hair by her ear. She said meaningfully,


    ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t screw up at the critical moment and drag him down.¡±


    Chris hurriedly nodded. ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re being too serious. I don¡¯t dare to make wild guesses.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s what you think.¡± Rachel put her hands behind her back and leaned toward Chris¡¯ face. She


    smiled mockingly and said, ¡°And the answer is written on your face.¡±


    Looking at Rachel¡¯s face that was so close to hers, Chris couldn¡¯t help but swallow her saliva, and her


    ears turned a slightly unnatural shade of red.


    She had to admit that Rachel¡¯s face was breathtakingly beautiful.


    Not only men but even women would also be fascinated when they saw it.


    While she was still immersed in the shock on Rachel¡¯s face, Rachel had already turned around and


    paced forward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t drag him down.¡±


    These words were not only for Chris but also for herself.


    As the daughter of the Johnson family, the wealthiest family in Seaxas, her status didn¡¯t even rate at


    mention in Aureliana.


    Moreover, she was unfamiliar with Aureliana. Even if David wanted to protect her, he might not be able


    to do anything at the same time.


    She didn¡¯t want David to be distracted by her at the critical moment, nor did she want to hide under


    David¡¯s wings and be unable to do anything.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    She wasn¡¯t afraid of violence.


    She was afraid that she would be a burden to David.


    ¡°Actually, Boss hasn¡¯t been doing well these past few years.¡± Chris had somehow caught up with


    Rachel. She followed behind her step by step and said in a low voice, ¡°The Jones family is


    complicated, with constant conflicts between the main branch and the sub-branches. Even though


    Boss has taken over as the head of the family in recent years, there are still those who are eager to


    seize


    power.


    ¡°On the surface, that group of people looks respectful and obedient to Boss, but they¡¯ve used all kinds


    of dirty tricks in secret. For example, the car ident yesterday has long be amon


    urrence over the years,¡± Chris said.


    There was a hint of mockery in her words. She did not take the people from the branch families.


    seriously at all.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t feel at ease being stepped on by Boss. They even used the excuse of Boss being ruthless


    and disregarding kinship to ask the Elders to force Boss to step aside. Isn¡¯t the Elders¡¯ fear of Boss


    also a kind of calm before the storm?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel felt a sharp pain in her heart.


    She had never heard David mention this before.


    He had always used the simplest words to describe the ups and downs he had experienced over the


    years.


    Hence, Rachel never knew that he had been attacked from both sides all these years and had never


    enjoyed a moment of peace.


    However, David¡¯s intentional concealment was understandable.


    How could a man¡¯s pride allow him to easily reveal the dangers and deaths he had escaped many


    times over the years?


    Seeing that Rachel was silent, Chris thought that she was afraid. An imperceptible mock shed.


    across her eyes.


    ¡°As expected of Miss Grey, who only knew how to indulge in pleasure. Did she really think that the


    position of the Young Mistress of the Jones family is so easy to sit on?¡± she said inwardly.


    ¡°Especially after Boss brought you back, the branch families kept making secret moves. It¡¯s obvious


    that you¡¯ve be their target. If this car ident doesn¡¯t work, there will be all kinds of sinister and


    dirty moves in the future. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to guard against them. Miss Grey.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel chuckled and said, ¡°They ttered me by putting so much effort on me.¡±


    Chris looked at Rachel in surprise.


    This was different from the oue she had imagined.


    ¡°Right now, Boss was surrounded by danger. If it were an ordinary person, escaping would be


    instinctive.


    ¡°How could Rachel Grey not be afraid at all?¡± she wondered.


    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid at all?¡± Chris blurted out.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? I¡¯ll deal with whateveres my way.¡± Rachel looked at her with a calm.


    and indifferent expression. ¡°Besides, Will they let me off if I am afraid?¡±


    Hearing this, Chris stopped talking.


    She knew very well that if Rachel were really afraid, not only would those people not let her off, but


    they would also be worse and push their luck.


    However, she was getting more and more confused about the woman in front of her.


    In the past, every woman who was close to Boss dreamed of bing rich and famous overnight. In


    her eyes, Rachel was the same.


    Therefore, Chris believed Rachel¡¯s unwavering attitude toward David was just to cover up ambition!


    her greater

 Chapter 684

    Chapter 684


    Chapter 684


    The most significant advantage of having the entire ind sealed off was that they could move around


    freely and not be noticed by anyone.


    Rachel looked at the blue seawater and suddenly became yful. She took off her high heels, grabbed


    the front of her gown, and stepped into the water.


    The cold seawater and fine sand wrapped around the soles of her feet. Theplex sensation spread


    from the soles of her feet to her heart, making her heart shake uncontrobly.


    ¡°You like it here?¡± David¡¯s voice came from behind.


    Rachel turned around and saw David standing in the sunlight.


    He was tall and straight. His body enveloped the top of her head, covering the dazzling and bright light


    for her.


    He looked at her gently, his dark eyes filled with unspeakable affection.


    ???


    He slowly extended his hand to Rachel as if inviting her to spend the rest of her life with him.


    Rachel stretched out her hand without hesitation and handed it to his dry and warm palm. ¡°What if I say


    I like it?¡±


    ¡°It will be your private ind,¡± David replied calmly.


    It was a casual sentence, as well as a promise that left no room for negotiation.


    Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°A good scenery needs to be shared with everyone. Only then will it be


    interesting. Moreover, I¡¯m not greedy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough to have you by my side.¡± She didn¡¯t speak thest sentence.


    ¡°But I¡¯m greedy.¡± David slowly squatted down and held Rachel¡¯s slender ankle. He took out at


    handkerchief he always carried and gently wiped the sand under her feet. ¡°In the past, I thought that it


    was enough to see you once a day. Later, I thought that it was enough to be with you every day. Now, I


    want to say forever.¡±


    Chris, who was standing not far away, was confused by this sudden confession.


    She was overwhelmed and at a loss.


    Why was this public disy of affection so sudden?


    Rachel lowered her gaze and looked at David. Her big clear eyes flickered with specks of light, and her


    smile reached her eyes.


    Vulture walked out of the bedroom and stretched his back. From the corner of his eye, he saw the two


    in the distance.


    He squinted his eyes slightly, displeasure appearing in the depths of his eyes. Then, he muttered a


    curse and took out a cigarette from his pocket to light it up.


    At this moment, his phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Lone Wolf.


    As soon as he picked up the call, Lone Wolf¡¯s young voice sounded through the phone. ¡°Good news


    and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?¡±


    Vulture had just been provoked by Rachel and David¡¯s public disy of affection. He needed


    psychologicalfort now. ¡°Cut the crap. Tell me the good news first!¡±


    Lone Wolf said, ¡°Someone just ced an anonymous order with a reward of 100 million dors.¡±


    For some reason, Vulture¡¯s right eyelid twitched when he heard this. An ominous feeling rose in his


    heart.


    The next second, Lone Wolf said the bad news. ¡°The other party asked for Twelve¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Vulture could not help but curse. ¡°Which fucking idiot ced the order!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s anonymous. We can¡¯t find out.¡± The sound of fingers typing on the keyboard came from Lone Wolf.


    ¡°But ording to the location, it should be from Aureliana.¡±


    It was obvious that Rachel had be everyone¡¯s target.


    No matter why they wanted Rachel dead, Rachel was already at the center of the storm, given the


    current situation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it!¡± Vulture took a deep drag on his cigarette. White smoke shrouded his face, hiding the


    ruthlessness in his eyes. ¡°Investigate! I want to see who has the guts to mess with me!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lone Wolf replied.


    114


    Just as he was about to hang up the phone, he suddenly thought of something and quickly asked, ¡°By


    the way, how exactly are Twelve and David rted?¡±


    Vulture snorted softly. ¡°He¡¯s most likely bewitched by her beauty.¡±


    There was a hint of jealousy in his casual tone.


    He sighed faintly. ¡°In short, Twelve is now determined to go all the way.¡±


    ¡°This girl has always been like this.¡± Lone Wolf chuckled softly, his tone doting and indulgent.


    ¡°Whatever she sets her mind to, she would go for it unless she changes the idea herself.¡±


    On the other side, Rachel and David were walking along the coast hand in hand.


    Bluewater, golden beaches, and seagulls flew across the sky asionally, making an ethereal hiss.


    Looking at the two shadows on the beach under the sunlight, Rachel could not help but smile.


    ¡°In a few days, do you want to join in the fun for the cab meeting?¡± David looked at Rachel. They


    subconsciously walked in sync. Even their steps were surprisingly consistent.


    Rachel held David¡¯s hand and shook it slightly. ¡°As an outsider, how can I attend the cab meeting?¡±


    ¡°As long as you want to.¡± David stared at her without blinking. His well-defined fingers caressed the ring


    on her ring finger. ¡°Whether you¡¯re an outsider or not, you¡¯re my fianc¨¦e. It¡¯s legitimate and reasonable


    for you to attend the cab meeting.


    ¡°Of course, if you find it troublesome and can¡¯t be bothered to socialize, you can choose not to go.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Unknowingly, the choice was handed over to Rachel.


    If Rachel wanted to participate, he would clear all obstacles for her. If she did not want to participate, he


    would definitely not force her.


    Rachel held his hand tightly and smiled. ¡°Why not? You said it yourself. I¡¯m your fianc¨¦e. It¡¯s legitimate


    and reasonable. Besides, it¡¯s rare for me to call dibs on grand asions. How can I let this once-in-a-


    lifetime opportunity?¡±


    go of


    ¡°There are still many opportunities to call dibs.¡± David extended his fingertips and gently stroked her


    cheek. ¡°The other families will also participate in the cab meeting. There are too many people. Are


    you sure you don¡¯t want to consider it?¡±


    At the cab meeting, not only were there people from other families but there were also people from


    the Elders. Once Rachel stepped in, she would bepletely exposed to everyone, and danger would


    follow.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled yfully. ¡°You¡¯re so worried about me participating.


    Could it be that some family¡¯s daughter has a crush on you?¡±


    David¡¯s arm wrapped around her slender waist. He bent down slightly and pressed his thin lips. against


    her ear. His low and maic voice entered her ear. ¡°Miss Grey, you are wee to have a check at


    any time.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Rachel leaned back slightly and stared at him with her clear round eyes. ¡°As for the validity


    time¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, David held the back of her head with his palm and kissed her.


    Rachel was stunned for a moment. Then, she wrapped her arms around David¡¯s neck and responded


    naturally.


    Vulture, who was not far away, could not help but curse in his heart when he saw this scene.


    ¡°Fuck, couldn¡¯t they just stop showing off for one day?¡± he thought.

 Chapter 685

    Chapter 685


    Chapter 685


    Vulture standing nearby watched as the two kissed passionately, getting more and more unpleasant.


    Finally unable to bear it any longer, he said coldly, ¡°Stop it! You¡¯re going to chew her lips raw!¡±


    Rachel was left speechless by his sudden interruption.


    She pushed David away. The coquettishness in her eyes had yet to fade. Her cold voice was mixed


    with inexplicable anger. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Vulture put on a fake smile. ¡°Otherwise, would I be here to watch you show off willingly?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you would,¡± David said indifferently.


    Vulture was speechless.


    ¡°Fuck! This man was really annoying!


    ¡°I swore that I never hated anyone as much as I hate him now!¡± Vulture said inwardly.


    Looking at Vulture¡¯s unhappy expression, David revealed a faint smile on his face. He held Rachel¡¯s


    hand and walked toward the room.


    Vulture could clearly see Rachel¡¯s slightly bloodshot red lips as he passed by.


    He couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth, and the fists in his pockets were clenched more tightly.


    Night arrived as scheduled.


    Stars were sparkling in the sky, adding some color to the dark night.


    In the room, Rachel and the others sat in front of the sunken bar counter and chatted.


    ckhawk¡¯s fingertips quickly tapped on the keyboard, bringing up a page. ¡°Everyone, please take at


    look at this.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Rachel was drinking her orange juice as she looked down at the anonymous order list on her phone.


    She could not help but raise her eyebrows. ¡°They want to buy my head?¡±


    Vulture nodded and looked at David. His eyes flickered with a meaningful dark light. ¡°Now, everyone is


    targeting you. Red me doesn¡¯t take the order, but it doesn¡¯t mean that the Demon Sect won¡¯t take it.¡±


    As an assassination organization, the Red me and the Demon Sect could be said to share the


    world. equally.


    Usually, when Red me rejected an order, the rejected person would go to the Demon Sect. Those


    who the Demon Sect rejected would also go to Red me.


    Vulture leanedzily on the sofa and picked up the cocktail beside him. He took a sip and said, ¡°I just


    received news that after Red me refused to take the order, the other party did not give up. Instead,


    they continued to increase the price. Now, they have already raised the reward to 60 million


    dors.¡±


    Rachel held a straw between her fingers and stirred the ice cubes in her ss in boredom. ¡°Have you


    found the other party¡¯s IP?¡±


    ¡°Aureliana.¡± Vulture looked up at David meaningfully. ¡°Thanks to someone, you¡¯re now a walking target.


    However, I haven¡¯t heard any news from the Demon Sect yet.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel and Vulture looked at each other.


    Then, they looked at David at the same time.


    David sat with his legs crossed. His posture waszy and casual, and he exuded a natural noble and


    indifferent aura, making people fear.


    ¡°The Demon Sect will not ept the order.¡± David raised his gaze and looked at Rachel. His deep and


    maic voice slowly sounded.


    Upon hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and a faint, cold smile appeared on her red lips.


    ¡°My fianc¨¦ had quite a lot of secrets,¡± she wondered.


    Vulture stared at David without blinking. His pupils trembled, and Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. His voice was


    strained and unnatural. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re the Demon King of the Demon Sect?¡±


    The establishment time showed that the Red me had existed longer than the Demon Sect.


    Before this, the Red me Army had always been a supreme existence. They roamed the gray area.


    and even obtained a group of believers.


    Five years ago, the Demon Sect suddenly appeared.


    It only took them one night to calm down the chaos at the border. After that, they became legendary


    existences.


    Within half a year, this organization sessfully entered the mercenary group rankings and took turns


    to be first with the Red me Army.


    Their core member, Demon King, had once been the investigation target of countless people, but they


    had all returned empty-handed.


    It was also because the identity of the core member Demon King was too mysterious that he was


    called the uncrowned king of the gray area.


    David did not say anything. He simply picked up a green apple and peeled it silently.


    However, his silence was equivalent to tacit agreement in Vulture¡¯s eyes.


    Vulture seemed to have lost all his strength as he copsed weakly on the sofa, feeling inexplicably


    frustrated.


    He had led his men to fight openly and covertly with the Demon Sect for many years. For the title of the


    uncrowned king in the gray area, he had repeatedly challenged the other. party.


    But now, the other party had be a ¡°family member¡±.


    What the fuck was going on!


    There was ayer of frustration in his eyes. He turned his head to nce at Rachel.


    Originally, he thought he was amazing as a member of the Red me Army. Now, he felt that he was


    just a clown.


    Not long after, the butler brought over drinks and fresh fruits.


    Vulture casually grabbed a handful of ice cubes and threw them into the cup. He raised his head and


    gulped them down.


    The spicy feeling slid down his throat and into his stomach, relieving the frustration and depression in


    his heart for a moment.


    After several rounds of drinking, Vulture and ckhawk returned to their rooms with their arms around


    each other¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so sad ckhawk looked at Vulture¡¯s depressed face andforted him ¡°Think about it.


    With the rtionship between Twelve and David Jones, she has sessfully infiltrated the enemy. In


    the future, if we think of a way to kill David Jones, won¡¯t we be able to annex the Demon Sect openly?*


    Hearing his words, Vulture immediately perked up. That¡¯s right. Why didn¡¯t I think of that before?¡±


    ckhawk said seriously. ¡°So our top priority is to do some ideological work for Twelve.


    Originally, they thought that David had some money at best, but unexpectedly he turned out to be the


    Demon Sect¡¯s Demon King.


    What a coincidence!


    On the other side.


    Rachel and David returned to the bedroom.


    As soon as the door closed, they couldn¡¯t wait to kiss. They pressed against the door, hugging each


    other in arms,


    Rachel ced her hand on David¡¯s shoulder and her other hand on his chest. Her big clear eyes


    sparkled like the stars in the night sky


    ¡°Demon King of the Demon Sect? Rachel extended her fingertip and gently tapped on David¡¯s lips. Her


    fingertip slowly moved down his jawline and finallynded on his corbone. Her nails curled up


    slightly. ¡°You hid it quite well¡±


    David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as he held her hand. ¡°We are all the same¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and held David¡¯s chin with her palm. She tiptoed and kissed his


    lips again.


    The gentle kiss was like sparks sshing onto a haystack, instantly burning arge sea of fire.


    It was so menacing that they couldn¡¯t break free.


    Their fingers were intertwined as their breaths intertwined.


    As they stumbled, they fell onto the soft bed.


    The moment they fell, the rose petals scattered on the bedsheets flew into the air.


    The


    petals fluttered in the air. Somended on the bedside table, some on David¡¯s back, and some on


    Rachel¡¯s hair and chest.


    David knelt on the bedsheets. The rose petals under her knees oozed juice.


    The ambiguous and hot atmosphere gradually spread from them to every corner of the room.


    There was a hint of warmth in the air that inadvertently burned away one¡¯s rationality.

 Chapter 686

    Chapter 686


    Chapter 686


    However, they quickly noticed the abnormality.


    The air was mixed with nitrous oxide, also known asugh gas, a colorless and sweet gas.


    The erotic in Rachel¡¯s eyes dissipated a little as she looked down at David.


    Clearly, David also sensed the abnormal smell in the air.


    His fingertips wrapped around a strand of hair hanging down from Rachel¡¯s chest. He narrowed his


    eyes, and an unknown coldness flickered in the depths of his eyes.


    When their eyes met, a thought-provoking dark glint shed across each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It looks like we have guests tonight.¡± Rachel covered her mouth and nose with her clothes and


    wrapped her long hair behind her shoulders. Then, she turned around and sat by the bed. Her red lips


    curled into a cold smile. ¡°It¡¯s quite a unique thought to mix such a thing into the venttion


    system.¡±


    Mixing nitrous oxide into the venttion system and transmitting it to their room through the outlet ? was


    really impossible for them to guard against.


    Behind Rachel, David stretched out his arm and hooked her frail waist, pulling her into his arms. ¡°Just


    some lowly tactics,¡± he said.


    Rachel broke free from his embrace and walked toward the window.


    After seeing through her intentions, David said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡±


    However, Rachel had a glimmer of hope.


    Until she realized the window was locked from the inside. She couldn¡¯t help but curse under her breath.


    With some resentment, she sat down on the sofa and grabbed a pillow to cover her mouth and nose.


    She said in a low voice, ¡°Let me guess who the mastermind is.¡±


    David did not say anything but only supported his head with one hand andy on the bed, looking at


    Rachel lovingly.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be Noah Jones,¡± Rachel said.


    Based on conventional thinking, the first person everyone suspected was Noah Jones.


    But from her impression of Noah Jones, she knew this person was quite cunning and very patient.


    They had just met Noah in the morning, and at night, they were drugged and schemed against. This


    was not something Noah Jones could do.


    Moreover, they had just met today. If he made a move tonight, wasn¡¯t he clearly trying to light a fire on


    himself?


    David slowly sat up and pulled off his tie. His deep and cold voice was slightly hoarse. ¡°It¡¯s not him.¡±


    But the tie tightened. He crooked a finger at Rachel.


    Rachel understood what he meant. She stood up and walked forward. Her slender fingers slowly untied


    his tie and asked suddenly, ¡°Where¡¯s Yann Jones?¡±


    At night, Yann Jones suddenly left with his team, leaving only Billy and Chris.


    ording to Aureliana¡¯s rules, unnecessary going out was not allowed after twelve o¡¯clock.


    In addition, it took at least forty minutes to travel by seane between the attached ind and the main


    ind.


    If anything happened to them, Yann would not be able to rush over immediately.


    A thought suddenly appeared in Rachel¡¯s mind.


    She lowered her gaze and looked at David in front of her. Her eyes flickered with a meaningful dark


    light.


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    David¡¯s palm slid down her back andnded on her waist. He pulled her into his arms tightly and


    caressed the soft flesh at her waist, saying softly, ¡°He won¡¯t appear for the time being.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly.


    She reached out to hold David¡¯s face and slowly bent down. Her beautiful big eyes stared at his dark


    eyes without blinking, and her eyes flickered with excitement. ¡°It looks like you are nning to wee


    the ¡®guests¡¯ personally tonight?¡±


    She had known David for so long but had never seen him fight.


    In his words, dealing with these small fries did not require him to do it himself. He only needed to stand


    at the side and instruct others to do it.


    Actually, she was still looking forward to seeing David fight.


    David curled his fingertips and lightly brushed them against Rachel¡¯s nose, ¡°Are you not afraid?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Rachel looked at him with a slight smile on her face. Her gorgeous face


    looked even more beautiful. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s rare to see my powerful fianc¨¦ show off his skills. I should be


    filled with joy and anticipation.¡±


    Seeing the excitement in her eyes, David chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know how capable I am?¡±


    Rachel blinked and recalled seriously when she had seen him fight.


    Sensing David¡¯s ambiguous and evil smile, she immediately understood.


    Meanwhile, Billy and Chris, who were eavesdropping in the next room, were speechless.


    ¡°If we were guilty, we could have been struck by a bolt of lightning from the heavens. Why did they


    have to force us to witness their disys of affection?¡± they thought in frustration.


    They looked at each other speechlessly.


    ¡°Why was it that ever since Boss got together with Miss Grey, he had be more and more


    flirtatious?¡± They couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    As the night grew darker and darker, the entire ind fell into a dead silence.


    Other than the waves crashing on the beach, there was no other sound.


    It was as if everything had fallen into a deep sleep.


    Rachel leanedfortably in David¡¯s arms. Her eyes were slightly closed, and her fingertips were


    tapping rhythmically.


    David didn¡¯t say anything but just rubbed her forehead with his chin.


    Although they did not talk, there was a warm atmosphere around them.


    Just as Rachel was about to fall asleep, a series of footsteps quietly approached the vi.


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly, and the corners of her lips curled up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt. Don¡¯t do anything risky.¡± David knew that Rachel was skilled, but he still could not help


    to remind her.


    Rachel opened her eyes and raised her head to nt a gentle kiss on David¡¯s lips. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t his


    match, remember to provide some support, my fianc¨¦.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the vi was already surrounded by people. Let alone a person,


    even a fly could not escape from them.


    This


    group of men in ck were well-trained. They were burly and held various knives in their


    hands.


    The moment they barged into the room, Billy and Chris appeared as if out of nowhere.


    After all, the two had been promoted through all kinds of selection and assessment. As David¡¯s trusted


    aide, they were naturally not to be trifled with.


    However, they were greatly outnumbered. In addition, the group of people whounched the surprise


    attack tonight were well-trained. They were equally skilled in both footwork and fighting techniques as


    Billy and Chris.


    Moreover, the intruders had an advantage in numbers and took turns in fighting to tire them out. Billy


    and Chris¡¯ stamina was being consumed bit by bit.


    As a result, they were unable to protect Rachel and David.


    They looked at David and Rachel worriedly, afraid that something would happen to them.


    As for Rachel and David, one of them was drinking coffee while watching the show. The other was


    watching the chaotic battle in front of him indifferently.


    Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that they were just bystanders.


    ¡°These people are deliberately exhausting their stamina,¡± Rachel said indifferently.


    David responded casually and slowly took off the diamond cufflinks. ¡°Do you want to go for a practice?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Rachel said as she tied her long hair with the rubber band on her wrist. From the corner of her


    eye, she saw the cufflinks on the table. ¡°Is that the pair I gave you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± David said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of it.¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, a group of people broke in through the window.

 Chapter 687

    Chapter 687


    Chapter 687


    David pulled Rachel into his arms. At the same time, he lifted the curtains. The curtains were instantly


    given life. They swept up the ss that sttered everywhere and stabbed toward the intruders


    fiercely.


    ¡°It looks like I owe my fianc¨¦ another favor.¡± Rachel leaned into David¡¯s arms and looked at him gently.


    David¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. He leaned over and gently pecked her lips. ¡°You owe me this.


    Remember to repay me with interest next time.¡±


    His deep and cold tone was mixed with an ambiguous aura, making one¡¯s imagination run wild. Being


    pestered by a group of intruders, Chris rolled her eyes speechlessly.


    ¡°They were still in the mood to flirt at this critical moment!¡± she thought indignantly.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± As soon as Rachel finished the sentence, a long saber reflected an icy cold light in the


    darkness and shed down steadily, urately, and ruthlessly at David.


    Rachel grabbed David¡¯s arm with both hands and used the momentum to deliver a beautiful


    roundhouse kick to the attacker¡¯s neck.


    She raised her eyebrows slightly, and the smile on her lips became more provocative. ¡°Now we¡¯re


    even.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to have a match?¡± David rolled up the sleeves of his shirt slowly.


    Even though the situation was critical, he still maintained an indifferent attitude. Every move he made


    exuded a naturally noble aura as if he was an existence above everyone else.


    ¡°Of what?¡± As she spoke, Rachel saw the man in ck attacking from behind through the ss.


    She suddenly pushed David away. Then, she tilted her head and grabbed the opponent¡¯s wrist. It


    seemed to be a casual move, but she cleverly grabbed the opponent¡¯s joint.


    The smile on her face did not diminish, but there was a frightening coldness in her eyes.


    There was a click.


    The opponent¡¯s arm was bent outward in a strange posture.


    The person was stunned for a moment before he wailed in pain.


    David raised his eyebrows, and a thought-provoking smile appeared in his


    ¡°She was performing form and will boxing again.


    ¡°The first time was a coincidence, so what was this now?


    ¡°Rachel had far more secrets than I had imagined,¡± he thought.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    eyes.


    ¡°As a youngdy from a wealthy family, it¡¯s better for you to stay here obediently.¡± David stood up and


    reached out his fingertips to push away a strand of hair hanging down from Rachel¡¯s forehead.


    Rachel wanted to watch the show, but these people would not let her have her


    way.


    Looking at the man in ck who was attacking her again, she revealed a trace of helplessness


    between her eyebrows. She exerted a little strength on her toes and picked up a long saber in front of


    her feet.


    When the attacker stabbed toward her, she raised the long saber in her hand to block.


    Sparks flew as the des shed against each other.


    She held the hilt of the saber and smashed it hard against the man¡¯s temple.


    Soon, as wave after wave of men in ck attacked, the four of them were surrounded.


    The originally warm andfortable vacation vi was now in a mess.


    There was a faint smell of blood in the air. Rachel looked around vigntly. When she saw that David


    was not injured, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    In the blink of an eye, she saw Chris fighting against around ten people. It was obvious that she was


    outnumbered and at a disadvantage.


    Rachel threw the long saber to her. ¡°Take this!¡±


    Chris was stunned for a moment, but her body instinctively grabbed the long saber. Her eyes flickered


    slightly as she said indifferently, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Then, she stroked the de of the long saber with her fingertips. Her long and narrow eyes narrowed


    slightly as she raised her eyebrows provocatively. ¡°Do you go together or take turns?¡±


    The people on the other side looked at each other and suddenly changed their formation.


    Every three of them formed a team and took turns fighting. It was an effective tactic to tire the enemy


    out.


    Rachel found a breakthrough in the encirclement. Just as she was about to approach David, she was


    once again entangled by the people attacking.


    A hint of impatience appeared in her eyes, and her attacks were even more ruthless than before.


    Not far away, Billy was dumbfounded.


    Especially when Rachel hit the opponent¡¯s waist and abdomen with an elbow strike, the immediately


    looked painful andy on the ground like a loser.


    He even felt the pain in his waist for a moment.


    He could not help but sigh inwardly. Indeed, he could not casually provoke women!


    opponent


    After Rachel knocked the opponent down, she subconsciously searched for David in the crowd.


    David looked indifferently at the man in ck kneeling on the ground.


    Without any hesitation or pity, he grabbed the man¡¯s chin with one hand and twisted his wrist forcefully.


    The pupils of the man in ck dted. Like a puppet that had lost its support, hey limp on the


    ground.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    This was the first time she had seen such a David Jones.


    He was ruthless and bloodthirsty, like a demon that had walked out of hell.


    While she was in a daze, she noticed the man in ck who was ambushing David from behind.


    Without hesitation, she immediately threw the short knife in her hand and stabbed it straight into the


    opponent¡¯s wrist.


    Just as she secretly heaved a sigh of relief, a ck muzzle was pressed against her temple.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want her to die, you¡¯d better stop!¡± The man¡¯s deep voice sounded from behind. In an


    instant, everyone stopped what they were doing.


    Of the 50 to 60 men in ck, only a dozen or so were barely holding on. The rest were all lying on the


    ground, either unconscious or dead.


    David stood not far away, with a mess under his feet and ck-d people lying around in disarray. He


    narrowed his eyes, his pitch-ck eyes flickering with coldness and hostility.


    Billy and Chris¡¯ clothes were slightly messy, and they looked a little disheveled. The moment they saw


    Rachel being held hostage, their hearts tightened.


    ¡°What the fuck should we do!¡± they thought.


    They silently looked at David who was standing not far away.


    David raised his hand and dusted off the non-existent dust on his clothes. Then, he raised his and


    nced at Rachel. ¡°I didn¡¯t perform well today.¡±


    gaze


    Usually, he could handle eight people at once, but today he was easily threatened.


    Rachel curled her lips. ¡°Even the most vignt people would be careless sometimes.¡± Before she could


    finish speaking, she suddenly dodged.


    Before the opponent could see her move clearly, he felt a piercing pain in his wrist.


    Immediately after, the muzzle of the gun that was pressed against Rachel¡¯s temple a second ago was


    now aimed at him.


    ¡°Take a look. It was an unintentional mistake, but we identally gained more. This deal is not a loss,¡±


    Rachel said.


    The attacker had been hiding in the dark, waiting for an opportunity to make a move.


    He knew that Rachel had extraordinary skills, but he did not expect her to be so evil.


    She was as fast as a ghost.


    The cold muzzle of the gun was pressed against his temple. The man tensed up nervously and stared


    at Rachel¡¯s finger warily, afraid that she would pull the trigger in the next second.


    David slowly walked forward and took out a handkerchief to carefully wipe the blood on Rachel¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise me not to take risks?¡±


    ¡°You can only gain if you give up something,¡± Rachel replied.


    As soon as she finished speaking, a muffled gunshot sounded. A bloody hole appeared in the center of


    the man¡¯s forehead, and he fell to the ground.


    Rachel frowned slightly. Just as she was about to take a closer look, her vision suddenly darkened.

 Chapter 688

    Chapter 688


    Chapter 688


    David¡¯s warm and dry palm blocked her vision.


    David wrapped his other hand around Rachel¡¯s waist and pulled her into his arms. ¡°These are dead


    bodies. It¡¯s bad luck to see too much.¡±


    When David turned around and left with Rachel in his arms, Yann broke in with his men and attacked


    swiftly. The remaining dozen or so people died on the spot.


    David nced indifferently at the bodies on the ground. David had an indifferent and cold gaze as if he


    was looking at something not worth mentioning.


    If it was just a small trick, David did not mind ying games with the other party patiently. However, the


    other party should never have attacked Rachel.


    ¡°Clean it up.¡± David¡¯s thin lips were as cold as ice.


    Yann replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    When Rachel brushed past Yann, a meaningful dark glint shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    Yann was able to arrive so quickly and clean up the remaining obstacles neatly, which meant that he


    had been lurking on the ind for a long time.


    It had to be said Yann was quite something to be David¡¯s trusted aide.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    After the two left, Chris secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Fortunately, nothing happened to Miss Grey. Otherwise, even if Chris killed himself, he wouldn¡¯t be able


    to atone for it.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a few years. You¡¯ve improved a lot.¡± Yann looked at the people on the ground


    and then at Chris with admiration in his eyes.


    Chris pursed his lips. ¡°Boss and Miss Grey also took action tonight.¡±


    It was just a simple sentence, but it shocked Yann.


    David did not make a move easily, but he went on a killing spree tonight. It was obvious that David was


    angry.


    ¡°How is it next door?¡± Billy squatted down and searched the men in ck one by one to see if there


    was anything that could verify their identities.


    Yann ced the gun behind his waist and signaled to the people beside him with his eyes, instructing


    them toe in and clean up the battlefield. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    Before Yann could finish his sentence, Vulture walked to the balcony and roared, ¡°Are all the people


    next door dead?¡±


    Yann nced at Billy, then walked through the messy living room to the balcony.


    The two of them shouted like they were singing loudly to each other. ¡°How¡¯s the situation on your side?¡±


    Vulture took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. He ced the cigarette in the corner of his mouth


    and said, ¡°There are six of them here. We left one alive. Take him away quickly!¡±


    With that, Vulture turned around and returned to the room without looking back.


    On the other side, Rachel was brought to another vacation vi by David.


    Rachel staggered after David. Before she could steady herself, Rachel was pressed down on the sofa


    by David for a kiss.


    The man¡¯s kiss was hurried and passionate, leaving no space for Rachel to catch her breath.


    Rachel¡¯s tongue was numb, and she was running out of air in her chest.


    Just as Rachel felt that she was about to suffocate, David let go of her.


    Rachel grabbed the cor of David¡¯s shirt with both hands. Rachel opened her mouth and breathed


    heavily.


    David pinched Rachel¡¯s cheek with his fingertips and caressed her swollen lips. David¡¯s deep and cold


    voice was filled with unknown anger. ¡°You can only gain if you give up something? Huh?¡±


    Oh dear, Rachel¡¯s fianc¨¦ was angry again.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes trembled slightly. ¡°Since the other party wanted to hold me hostage, why would


    he¡­Oh!¡±


    Before Rachel could finish speaking, her lips were sealed again.


    This time, the kiss was even more ferocious than before. David kissed Rachel deeper and deeper,


    biting her lips angrily as if he wanted to swallow her whole.


    Rachel frowned. She took a deep breath.


    David only stopped when a fishy and sweet taste spread in his mouth.


    David ced his hand on the back of Rachel¡¯s neck and pressed his head against Rachel¡¯s forehead.


    David¡¯s deep voice was filled with a hint of passion and hoarseness. ¡°Don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Rachel smiled and leaned forward to kiss David on the lips.


    David didn¡¯t say anything. He pursed his lips, got up, and walked into the bathroom.


    Rachel secretly heaved a sigh of relief when she heard the sound of running water. Rachel looked up


    at the ceiling above her.


    Suddenly, a ck shadow enveloped Rachel.


    Rachel looked at David in surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to take a shower?¡±


    David nced at Rachel and bent down to carry her horizontally. Then, David strode towards the


    bathroom.


    When Rachel saw the bathtub filled with water, she suddenly thought of the scene where a couple


    bathed together.


    However, in reality, Rachel was wrong. After David put Rachel down, he left the clean clothes he had


    prepared by the bathtub and turned to leave.


    Rachel¡¯s fianc¨¦ was gentle and considerate. Rachel could not help but feel a hint of sweetness in her


    heart.


    When Rachel came out of the bathroom, she found that David was not in the bedroom.


    As Rachel dried her hair, she could faintly hear voicesing from the living room.


    Rachel quickly put on her pajamas, opened the bedroom door, and walked out.


    In the living room, Vulture sat on the sofa and looked at David with a serious expression. ¡°Do you know


    who was responsible for what happened tonight?¡±


    This group of people came aggressively and took action in an orderly manner. It was obvious that they


    had been nning for a long time.


    Other than Noah, who was from the second branch of the Jones family and was known for his


    cautiousness, Vulture couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who had such a hidden and meticulous. drug


    someone through the venttion duct.


    At this moment, Yann walked in from outside. ¡°Sir, the scene has been cleaned up.¡±


    David replied indifferently, ¡°Find out how these people came in.¡±


    way to


    ¡°Through the drainage system under construction.¡± Yann said, ¡°What happened tonight has nothing to


    do with Noah from the side branch, but it was somewhat rted to Marina. She revealed the news. of


    your return half a month ago. As for the exclusive butler, he received an anonymous call in the evening.


    The lives of his family are in the hands of the other party, so he had no choice but to listen. to them.¡±


    David nced at Yann expressionlessly, indicating for Yann to continue.


    ¡°ording to the current clues and the only survivor at the scene, it was done by someone from the


    side branch. These people were all death warriors bought from the ck market, and they were trained


    for nearly a year. ording to the survivor¡¯s confession, this time¡­¡±.


    Yann paused for a moment, but before he could speak, a cold voice suddenly came from behind him.


    ¡°It was for me.¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Rachel in unison.


    Rachel was wearing champagne-colored silk pajamas with ck hair and red lips.


    Although Rahel didn¡¯t wear makeup, her stunning face could be admired more directly.


    As Rachel got closer, Yann gradually came back to his senses. ¡°Indeed, the purpose of this group of


    people is Miss Grey.¡±


    There were countless people in the Jones family who wanted to kill David. But there were too many


    failed precedents, so they did not dare to act rashly.


    The appearance of Rachel happened to be their breakthrough point.


    Whether it was Rachel¡¯s whereabouts or the map of the ind, Marina had ¡°inadvertently leaked it.


    Marina¡¯s original intention was to get someone else to do the dirty work.


    If Marina could put the me on Noah, it would be killing two birds with one stone for her.


    Unfortunately, Marina underestimated Rachel¡¯s ability.

 Chapter 689

    Chapter 689


    Chapter 689


    David waved his hand at Rachel.


    Rachel immediately understood. She walked forward and sat beside David.


    As soon as Rachel sat down, David grabbed her slightly cold hand and said unhurriedly, ¡°Since we¡¯ve


    investigated it thoroughly, we¡¯ll get them uprooted.¡±


    David didn¡¯t hide his murderous and decisive hostility under his casual tone.


    Originally, David did not intend to deal with this group of people.


    In David¡¯s eyes, these people were no different from lowlives struggling at death¡¯s door.


    However, whatever they did, they should never have targeted Rachel.


    Since they had targeted David¡¯s woman, they should be prepared to be at death¡¯s door.


    Yann¡¯s eyes shed slightly. Yann observed David¡¯s expression and hesitated for a moment. Yann


    enunciated each word tentatively, ¡°Sir, the ninth branch has many important businesses under its


    name. Maybe we can¡­¡±


    David poured a cup of hot water and handed it to Rachel. ¡°Spare their lives. The rest is


    up to you.¡± David¡¯s nonchnt voice was like a spring breaking through ice. His voice was cold and


    thin, making one¡¯s heart turn cold for no reason.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Yann replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yann couldn¡¯t help but nce at Rachel, and he silently prayed for the people from the ninth branch.


    The ninth branch already had a good life. Why did they have to do it and court death?


    When they returned to Peckham Pce, Rachel had already fallen asleep on David¡¯s shoulder.


    Rachel had a dreamless night and slept soundly.


    However, a family in the city had changed overnight.


    First, there was an inexplicable fire at home. Fortunately, the servants at home discovered it in time, so


    there were no casualties.


    However, the family suffered heavy losses.


    The entire vi was burned to ashes, and there were many antiques and artworks.


    However, that was not the end of their suffering. Before the family could find the source of the fire, the


    officers from the Supervision Bureau came and took them away for investigation.


    Everything happened suddenly and fast. The family was caught off guard.


    When people saw the Jones family¡¯s ninth branch go bankrupt overnight, they all felt that life was


    unpredictable.


    However, there were also smart people who noticed that it was not that simple.


    With the Jones family¡¯s power and status in Aureliana, even the ninth branch would not fall overnight.


    apart


    Unless their own family members did it.


    Before people could figure out why, the other eight branches of the Jones family branch also had


    problems.


    For a moment, the entire Jones family was in a state of panic, and the outside world had differing


    opinions.


    Some people said that the Jones family was about to change, while others spected that the


    competition for the new family head was about to start¡­


    In the study of the Peckham Pce.


    David was sitting in a chair with a ck, gilded invitation letter in his hand.


    In the middle of the paper was a redbud flower. As the angle changed, one could vaguely see the


    redbud flower blooming bit by bit.


    ¡°You suddenly attacked the side branches. People are saying all kinds of things.¡± Thomas¡¯s voice came


    from the phone. ¡°In the past, you turned a blind eye to them. Now, you¡¯re willing to kill for a woman.


    Aren¡¯t you a little too impulsive?¡±


    Thomas did not feel pity for the people from the side branches.


    Instead, Thomas analyzed this matter objectively.


    The Jones family was no ordinary family.


    The Jones family was ruthless. The more David cared about Rachel, the more guns were aimed at


    Rachel.


    Now that David had directly wiped out the ninth branch for Rachel, this matter probably wouldn¡¯t be


    hidden for long.


    Once it was exposed, Rachel would face a new round of assassinations.


    There were many people in the Jones family who hated David to the core. Even David¡¯s biological


    father was the same.


    They wanted to kill David, but they were afraid of David¡¯s force, so they had no choice but to suppress


    their restless hearts.


    However, Rachel was the only woman by David¡¯s side, and David loved Rachel very much. Naturally,


    Rachel would be everyone¡¯s target.


    ¡°I advise you don¡¯t care about Rachel too much. Even if you care, please try your best to restrain


    yourself,¡± Thomas advised earnestly. ¡°This time, you can take down the ninth branch for her, but what


    about the future? You can¡¯t possibly foresee every assassination attempt, right?¡±/


    David put down the invitation card in his hand and tapped it lightly with his well-defined fingers. He said


    casually, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Thomas was speechless.


    It turned out that Thomas¡¯ earnest persuasion just now was useless!


    ¡°Forget it, forget it.¡± Thomas knew that it would be a waste of breath to continue persuading David.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lively event at Moon Pavilion tonight. Do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, David nced at the invitation letter on the table. After hesitating for a


    moment, David took the invitation letter and walked out of the study.


    In the kitchen.


    Rachel was making some coffee when she heard familiar footsteps behind her. Rachel picked up the


    freshly cooked coffee and handed it to David. ¡°Try it and see how it tastes.¡±


    David looked at the clear liquid in the cup and frowned imperceptibly.


    Holding Rachel¡¯s hand, David brought the cup to his lips and took a sip.


    The faint coffee scent was mixed with a fresh fruit fragrance. The taste of the coffee was very unique.


    However, David had never liked sweetness, so he didn¡¯t like the taste, but he didn¡¯t hate it either.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Rachel carefully observed the expression on David¡¯s face, afraid that she would miss any


    emotional changes. ¡°Is the taste too sweet?¡±


    As she spoke, Rachel picked up the cup in her hand and took a sip.


    The taste of the coffee beanbined with the taste of the lime. The taste was sweet but not too


    sweet.


    The next second, David suddenly pressed himself down on Rachel.


    With his palm on the back of Rachel¡¯s head, David leaned over and kissed Rachel¡¯s lips.


    The liquid in Rachel¡¯s cup sshed out and sttered on her chest, soaking her blouse wet.


    David stared at Rachel without blinking. When David saw her stunned expression, a smile appeared in


    his eyes.


    David wrapped his arms around Rachel¡¯s waist and pressed his forehead against hers. His deep voice


    was hoarse. ¡°It¡¯s indeed very sweet.¡±


    Before Rachel could speak, a mocking voice came from the side. ¡°Can the two of you restrain


    yourselves in public? If not, remember to be more discreet.¡±


    Rachel was embarrassed.


    Seeing that Rachel did not speak, Vulture became more excited. ¡°If I came outter, you probably


    already have children running around¡­¡±


    Before Vulture could finish his sentence, a cold light shed.


    A sharp knife flew straight at the Vulture.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Vulture cursed in a low voice. He suddenly dodged and narrowly avoided it.


    The knife was nailed to the door frame, only 0.5 inches away from ckhawk¡¯s face.¡±


    If ckhawk came in a little earlier, the knife would have been stuck in his head by now.


    ¡°You¡¯re ying with knives in the room?¡± ckhawk pulled out the knife and gently stroked the de


    with his fingers. ¡°This house is so good. If you destroy something, won¡¯t it be a waste?¡±


    Besides, this would be Twelve¡¯s inheritance in the future.


    If Twelve didn¡¯t feel aggrieved, ckhawk would.

 Chapter 690

    Chapter 690


    Chapter 690


    ¡°It¡¯s his fault for saying those stupid things,¡± Rachel said.


    ckhawk walked to Rachel¡¯s side. He noticed there was coffee by Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°Wow, looks like


    we¡¯re in for a treat today,¡± ckhawk said.


    ckhawk remembered that Twelve had always liked these fancy things.


    Just as ckhawk was about to pour a cup of coffee, Rachel pped his hand away. ¡°You¡¯re not


    allowed to drink!¡±


    ckhawk touched his hand that had been pped with an innocent look on his face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you make


    the coffee so that we can drink it? Besides, Vulture was the one who pissed you off, not me.¡±


    ¡°The two of you are the same!¡± Rachel snorted angrily and turned to go upstairs.


    ckhawk was speechless.


    ckhawk felt that he was coteral damage.


    Rachel returned to her room and tidied her clothes.


    At this moment, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    Rachel picked it up and took a look. It was her uncle, Tom, calling.


    Upon seeing this call, Rachel felt guilty for no reason.


    Other than Lucas, no one else knew that Rachel hade to Aureliana.


    However, Rachel¡¯s uncle called at this time. Could it be that her uncle had heard the news?


    Rachel took a deep breath and hesitated for a moment. She braced herself and picked up the phone.


    As soon as the call connected, Tom¡¯s cold voice entered Rachel¡¯s ears through the phone. ¡°Where are


    you?¡±


    Tom¡¯s tone was calm, without any fluctuations, but it made one¡¯s heart tighten for some reason.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but tighten her grip on the phone. She cleared her throat and struggled for a


    moment. ¡°I¡¯m out.¡±


    It was not that Rachel wanted to hide it, but she really did not have the courage to confess everything.


    ¡°Where¡¯s out?¡± Tom asked with an ambiguous attitude.


    Hearing this, Rachel had some guesses in her mind.


    Rachel pursed her lips, no longer hiding anything. ¡°I¡¯m in Aureliana.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Tom sneered without hiding anything. Tom gritted his teeth. ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re getting bolder and


    bolder! How dare you hide such a thing from me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it. I just didn¡¯t want you to worry,¡± Rachel exined.


    ¡°So


    you


    know that we¡¯re worried about you!¡± Tom¡¯s cold voice was mixed with a hint of unconceble anger.


    Tom took a deep breath and nced at Lucas who was squatting with two sandbags in his hands. Tom


    said with a gloomy face, ¡°Tell me, when will you be back!¡±


    Rachel thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡±


    Tom raised his hand and massaged his temples. Tom closed his eyes and took another deep breath.


    After calming down, Tom spoke again, ¡°Be careful. When you return to Seaxas, remember toe.


    back and report to the Johnson family.¡±


    With that, Tom hung up.


    Listening to the beeping sound on the phone, Rachel frowned with a serious expression.


    Go back and report to the Johnson family¡­


    Could it be that Rachel¡¯s Grandpa knew?


    It had to be!


    Otherwise, why would Tom ask Rachel to go back and report to the Johnson family when Rachel


    went back?


    Rachel held her phone. She looked like she was dealing with a big problem. Just as Rachel was


    wondering if she should call Lucas to find out what was going on, a ck shadow appeared behind her.


    Before Rachel could look back, she felt the unique and familiar wood fragrance envelop her.


    In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, David slowly leaned down on Rachel¡¯s shoulder. David¡¯s lips were


    pressed against Rachel¡¯s temple, and his low and maic voice slowly sounded in Rachel¡¯s ear.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡°


    David¡¯s warm breath sprayed on the side of Rachel¡¯s head, sweeping the loose hair at her temples.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but shrink her neck and look at David. ¡°Some family matters.¡±


    ¡°Do


    you want to go out for a walk tonight?¡± David wrapped his arms around Rachel¡¯s slender waist and


    rubbed her slightly cold hand with his palm.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°You still want to go out?¡±


    ¡°Afraid?¡± David grabbed Rachel¡¯s waist and turned Rachel around to face him. David lifted Rachel¡¯s


    chin with his well-defined fingers and caressed Rachel¡¯s lips with his fingertips. ¡°There¡¯s an auction at


    Moon Pavilion tonight. Do you want to go and y?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with interest. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Rachel had always liked to watch the show at auctions, but this was the first time she had seen an


    auction in Aureliana.


    Rachel thought it was good to enrich her experience.


    Twenty minutester, Rachel walked out of the fitting room after changing into a gown.


    This gown would not be too eye-catching or too casual.


    The well-tailored gown entuated Rachel¡¯s graceful figure.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    The slit at the hem of her dress was just in the right ce. As Rachel walked, her straight and slender


    legs could be vaguely seen, making one¡¯s imagination run wild.


    The coldness of the green gown revealed indifference, keeping people away. However, when Rachel


    wore it, there was a hint of charm. Rachel was like a noble and elegant saintess. People could only


    admire her but not dare to approach her.


    David was sitting on the sofa. When he saw Rachel walking out of the changing room, David narrowed


    his eyes which flickered with a dark light.


    ¡°Is this okay?¡± Rachel adjusted her cor.


    As Rachel raised her head, her chest naturally puffed up.


    David¡¯s dark eyes darkened. He stood up and walked straight to Rachel. ¡°Change into something else.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look good?¡± Rachel subconsciously lowered her head to check her gown.


    David wrapped his arm around Rachel¡¯s waist. ¡°I don¡¯t feel secure.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°What kind of reason is that?¡±


    ¡°Be good.¡± David bent down slightly and kissed Rachel¡¯s temple. David coaxed Rachel in a low voice,


    ¡°The cold wind in Moon Pavilion is very strong. This gown is too thin. Can you change into another


    one?¡±


    Ten minutester, under David¡¯s coaxing and pestering, Rachel changed her clothes.


    Moon Pavilion sounded like a name of a pavilion, but that was not the case.


    Moon Pavilion consisted of 6 buildings, each of which was connected to the other.


    If one looked down from the sky, it was like 6 stars in a row.


    Today¡¯s auction happened to be held in the main building.


    As soon as Rachel and David entered, a staff led them into the private room.


    Rachel looked around at the ancient decorations and felt like she was dreaming.


    ¡°What¡¯s the good stuff today?¡±


    ¡°Moon Pavilion isn¡¯t like other auction houses. There¡¯s no specific item, only a core theme.¡± David down


    the coffee cups in his hand. ¡°And today¡¯s theme is blindness.¡±


    ¡°Blindness?¡± Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with interest.


    This was the first time Rachel had heard of such a rule. Rachel was even more curious and looked


    forward to tonight¡¯s auction.


    As the auction slowly began, Rachel stood at the wooden railing and looked down.


    There was a round table in the middle.


    Stones of different sizes were ced on the table, and every stone was marked with an orderly


    number.


    At the same time, the butler sent the pamphlet to the private room,beling each stone with a base


    price and the amount of the increase.


    Seeing the situation, Rachel understood.


    It was stone gambling.


    However, this was the first time Rachel had seen such a scene in stone gambling.


    David saw Rachel¡¯s curiosity and asked, ¡°Do you want to go down and y?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±

 Chapter 691

    Chapter 691


    Chapter 691


    When Rachel and David were about to go down, someone had already chosen a stone they liked from


    the many stones.


    That stone looked pretty good.


    However, the stone was not worth the high price offered by the wealthy young man.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± David whispered to Rachel.


    Rachel nced at David and hooked her finger at him. Rachel whispered into David¡¯s ear, ¡°I guess


    that stone is fake.¡±


    Hearing this. David became interested. His thin lips curled into a faint smile, and his eyes were filled


    with unknowingly doting and indulgence. ¡°Why do you think so?¡±


    As he spoke, David turned to look at the stone that the staff was cutting.


    Under the shlight, the stone had a white base color tinged with green. It looked like the stone was


    quite good.


    Rachel looked at David, who was in front of her. Rachel¡¯s clear almond-shaped eyes flickered with a sly


    smile. ¡°Because everyone thinks that this stone is real.¡±


    At the end of the day, it required a strong mind in stone gambling.


    Rachel nced at the stone that was being cut, and she thought for a moment. She managed to


    exin in an understandable way. ¡°Stone gambling is utterly unpredictable. Either you be rich


    overnight, or you go bankrupt. Those with weak minds might even take their own lives because of the


    loss. How many people have you heard be rich overnight by stone gambling? Instead, there are


    countless people who go bankrupt because of it. Emptying the stone and filling it with color, faking the


    outer edge of the stone, and faking the window on the stone. These aremonly used methods to


    fake a stone.


    ¡°The boss of Moon Pavilion is not a fool. Tonight¡¯s show is just a means to attract customers. Moreover,


    if the boss really has a good piece of stone in his hands, why would he put it here if he¡¯s not stupid?¡±


    Thomas, who was far away in the surveince room, could not help but twitch his lips when he heard


    this.


    As expected of David¡¯s woman. Rachel had sharp insights and even sharperments!


    At the same time, the stone in the staff¡¯s hand had already been cut open.


    Just as Rachel had expected, when the stone was cut open, other than the line of green on the edge,


    the rest were all worthless grey stone.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± The buyer of this stone could not help but curse softly. He turned his head and spat to the side.


    ¡°How fucking unlucky!¡±


    The buyer spent 200 thousand dors to buy a lousy stone!


    When the surrounding people saw this, they were all aggrieved.


    They sighed sorrowly as if they had also lost a lot of money.


    ¡°You know quite a lot.¡± David stretched out his arm and held Rachel¡¯s waist. David pinched Rachel¡¯s


    soft waist with his hand, and he leaned over slightly to whisper, ¡°Do you want to have a try? If you win,


    the money is yours. If you lose, I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    Chapter 691


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll make you bankrupt?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and nced at David.


    Rachel had a beautiful pair of eyes. Even if she gave a casual nce, it inadvertently revealed a trace


    of seductive charm.


    David could not help but tighten his grip on Rachel¡¯s waist. David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his gaze


    became deeper and hotter. ¡°If it can make you smile, it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    Rachel smiled.


    When Rachel was young, under her grandfather¡¯s influence, she gained some knowledge about


    antiques and gemstones.


    In addition, Rachel¡¯s grandfather never hid anything from her. Seeing that Rachel was interested in


    these things, her grandfather often brought her to major auction houses and other professional ces.


    Rachel¡¯s grandfather had taught her some tricks in blind auctions and stone gambling.


    Today, Rachel would try to see if the trick she learned in the past still worked.


    ¡°Give me a moment,¡± Rachel said and left the private room.


    Rachel walked to the round table and casually looked at the stones ced on the table. Finally, Rachel


    chose the most inconspicuous stone in the corner. ¡°Number 1050, 20 thousand dors.¡±


    This price was much cheaper than the other stones.


    At the very least, Rachel was confident that she wouldn¡¯t lose anything by buying this stone at this


    price.


    However, as soon as Rachel finished speaking, someone immediately followed up. ¡°1050, 40 thousand


    dors.¡±


    Rachel was surprised. She looked over and vaguely saw the man standing in front of the wooden.


    railing.


    The man was about 30 years old. He was wearing a standard white shirt and ck suit. The man did


    not look like a wealthy young man, but a bodyguard or a butler.


    ¡°That man is from the Clifford family,¡± Chris whispered.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°The Clifford family?¡±


    Seeing that Rachel didn¡¯t know much, Chris pursed his lips and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Everyone in Aureliana knew that the Clifford family¡¯s daughter had a close rtionship with David. It


    could be said that they were childhood sweethearts.


    Most importantly, because of the rtionship between the two families, the Jones family and the


    Clifford family had already regarded each other as inws.


    Almost everyone thought that the daughter of the Clifford family would marry into the Jones family


    in the future.


    No one expected that David would bring back a woman from outside.


    As a subordinate, Chris knew very well what he should and shouldn¡¯t say. After pondering for a


    moment, Chris said earnestly, ¡°The Clifford family and the Jones family are old friends.¡±


    Rachel was no fool.


    Naturally, Rachel understood the deeper meaning behind Chris¡¯s words.


    Since the two families were old friends, the rtionship between the two families was surely close.


    Then, David must be close to the Clifford girl as well.


    Rachel didn¡¯t look at the private room for too long. Instead, she continued bidding.


    Rachel raised the price a few times, but the other party did not hesitate to follow raised to 200 thousand


    dors.


    Rachel frowned slightly. The other party was clearly targeting her.


    1.


    The price was


    Just as Rachel was about to continue bidding, a familiar voice suddenly came from the private room.


    upstairs. ¡°400 thousand dors.¡±


    In an instant, the entire ce fell silent.


    Everyone looked up to the private room upstairs, their eyes filled with curiosity.


    Upstairs, the private rooms had always been open only to the big families in Aureliana. Although the


    others had some money to spare, they were not qualified to be in the private rooms based on their


    social status.


    ¡°Which family is that person from? That was outrageous! He didn¡¯t even take a look and doubled the


    price?¡±


    ¡°No matter which family it is, we can¡¯t afford to offend them. Now that two wealthy people are


    competing, we can just enjoy the show tonight.¡±


    ¡°The voice came from the Heavenly Private Room. Other than him, I¡¯m afraid no one else can use the


    Heavenly Private Room.¡±


    When everyone heard this, their expressions changed slightly. They all showed a trace of fear.


    At this moment, someone in the crowd said, ¡°The bidder from the Earthly Private Room is also quite


    good. He¡¯s determined to get this stone.¡±


    At this time, the person in the Earthly Private Room shook the silver bell in his hand. ¡°600 thousand.


    dors.¡±


    Hearing this, excitement appeared on everyone¡¯s faces.


    The people had always enjoyed watching the show. Now that the people saw the people from the


    Heavenly Private Room and Earthly Private Room challenging each other, they were all excited with


    their eyes lit up.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    The people could not wait for the two of them to start fighting on the spot so that they could have more


    fun to watch.


    Rachel didn¡¯t say anything. She just took out her phone and quickly typed with his fingertips. Rachel


    sent a message to David.

 Chapter 692

    Chapter 692


    Chapter 692


    The moment he saw Rachel pick up her phone, David paused for a moment.


    With a tremor, David¡¯s thin lips curled into a faint smile.


    David lowered his eyes and looked at the message from Rachel. [It¡¯s just a stone. Is it worth it?]


    The butler, who was standing in front of the railing, checked David¡¯s expression. After hesitating for a


    while, the butler took a step forward and said respectfully, ¡°Sir, do you want to continue?¡±


    David didn¡¯t say anything. David quickly tapped on the keyboard as he replied to Rachel, [I have to find


    a way to give you what you want.]


    Seeing David¡¯s reply, Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered. Rachel felt warmth appear in her heart like a soft


    and smooth piece of satin.


    When the surrounding people saw that the person from the Heavenly Private Room did not speak for a


    long time, they became agitated.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on in the Heavenly Private Room?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the person in that room is him¡­¡±


    Before that person could finish speaking, the man¡¯s cold voice sounded again. ¡°Double!¡±


    The simple word stunned everyone.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Even the auctioneer, who had seen all kinds of things, had aplicated expression on his face.


    Although the auctioneer did not know anything about stone gambling, he had seen all kinds of rare


    treasures in the Moon Pavilion over the years. This lousy stone was not worth 1.2 million dors!


    Moreover, this was stone gambling. Nine out of ten gamblers would lose!


    It was nothing but throwing money away!


    In his shock, the professional auctioneer regained his senses. The auctioneer cleared his throat, but his


    voice was mixed with an uncontroble tremble. ¡°The Heavenly Private Room has bid 1.2 million. Does


    anyone else want to follow up?¡±


    As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.


    When the person in the Earthly Private Room heard David¡¯s offer, his heart could not help but sink.


    The woman lowered her head and stroked the cat in her arms. Her red lips parted slightly as she said.


    ambiguously, ¡°It¡¯s just an inconspicuous stone. Is it worth his effort?¡±


    When the man standing at the side heard this, his eyebrows twitched slightly. ¡°Should we continue?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that he thinks highly of it.¡± The woman sighed softly. ¡°The thing that one doesn¡¯t have is


    always the best. Why don¡¯t we fulfill his wish for now? Otherwise, he will think about it for the rest of his


    life. When he finds out that the stone is nothing special, he will naturally let go.¡±


    As the woman spoke, the auctioneer below the stage repeated the bid. ¡°1.2 million going once, 1.2


    million going twice, 1.2 million going thrice!¡±


    With the final decision, the stone became David¡¯s.


    After bidding, the staff asked David for instructions, ¡°Sir, should we cut this stone open now, or do you


    want to take it away directly?¡±


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s hearts could not help but skip a beat as they stared at the Heavenly Private


    Room.


    They were all eager to see the stone that David spent 1.2 million dors on.


    If David were to take the stone away, the people would not be able to enjoy the show.


    In the long silence, everyone¡¯s hearts were in their throats.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut it open. David¡¯s voice was cold as usual, but it made everyone present heave a sigh of relief.


    David stood up.


    lifted the curtain in front of him, and walked out of the private room.


    David had one hand in his pocket and the other casually ced on the wooden fence. His posture was


    casual.


    David¡¯s presence was impossible to ignore. Even though David was standing quietly at this moment,


    his entire body emitted a soul-stirring pressure that was enough to shock everyone.


    As the cutter cut the stone, the inconspicuous stone revealed its unique beauty.


    ¡°Fuck! It¡¯s green!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s attention was instantly diverted by the exmation.


    Everyone rushed forward. When they saw the green color, they were instantly intrigued.


    ¡°If it¡¯s full of green, he will be getting his money back!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to say that. It¡¯s only the first cut. If you want to know if he can get back the money, you


    have to see the second cut.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Many stones look great with the first cut. but turned into trash with the second.¡±


    People discussed it openly, but David did not care at all. David said casually, ¡°Continue.¡±


    The cutter understood. He held the stone with both hands and cut it again.


    Under everyone¡¯s expectant gazes, the second cut was made.


    As soon as the lights were turned on, the entire ce fell silent.


    The outeryer was green. Although it was only a thinyer, the inside of the stone was different.


    It was ss gemstone inside. It was pure and wless, and there were even snowkes floating.


    The most amazing thing about the stone was the impable purple color.¡±


    It was a pure violet color.


    In this industry, the price of gemstone depended on the color. There were red, green, and purple.


    Purple ones were the most expensive. Clearly, the stone in front of them was the purple one with the


    highest value!


    The expression of an insider changed slightly. His pupils trembled as he said with difficulty, ¡°Is this the


    legendary ¡®Pink Sappire¡±?¡±


    Usually, a pure purple raw stone would be called Spring Stone. Due to the low production and beautiful


    color, Spring Stones were naturally expensive.


    The Pink Sappire referred to the violet gemstone that was transparent with green flowers in it. It was


    the best among the purple gemstones.


    Someone in the crowd grabbed the cor of the person beside him excitedly. He was so excited that


    Chapter 692


    appraiserr


    his face turned red, and sweat appeared on his forehead. ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry, call the appraiser!¡±


    This was Pink Sappire!


    Pink Sappire was priceless, and one had to be extremely lucky to find one.


    The appraiser came and did a careful appraisal. After that, everybody was astonished.


    The people who were still dozing off all became excited at this moment.


    There were also people whomented, secretly feeling vexed. If they had known earlier, they would


    have fought for it even if they had to go bankrupt!


    ¡°David, your fianc¨¦e is getting more and more interesting.¡± Thomas came to the private room.


    Thomas held a cigarette between his fingers and looked down at the people below. The crowd was all


    anxious and agitated. But David looked indifferent.


    It was as if all of this had nothing to do with David.


    Even if he lost 12 million dors, David might not even frown, let alone 1.2 million.


    The stone was worth more than 10 times the money David paid. However, David still looked neither


    sad nor happy. He was difficult to understand.


    To David, it did not matter if this stone could turn into something good.


    The important thing was that Rachel had taken a fancy to it.


    Thomas saw David staring at Rachel thoughtfully and suddenly had a guess. ¡°Could it be that even you


    didn¡¯t know that Rachel had such an ability before this?¡±


    David chuckled. ¡°Indeed, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Thomas was speechless.


    Thomas took a drag on his cigarette to calm himself down. ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more like a


    fatuous ruler now.¡±


    At this moment, the butler asked David, ¡°Sir, should I send it back to you now?¡±


    ¡°Leave it to her.¡± David¡¯s gaze fell on Rachel in the crowd.


    Thomas saw David¡¯s gentle gaze and could not help but click his tongue. ¡°Could it be possible that your


    fianc¨¦e put a spell on you?¡±

 Chapter 693

    Chapter 693


    Chapter 693


    ¡°What?¡± David raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Thomas.


    Thomas took a puff of his cigarette and sized David up with a serious expression. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been


    bewitched.¡±


    In Thomas¡¯ impression, David had always been very rational. No matter what happened, David could


    remain sober and calm.


    However, ever since David met Rachel, David seemed to have been bewitched.


    First, David wiped out the ninth branch of the Jones family for Rachel. David did not care if he had to


    break the peace on the surface. Then, David spent 1.2 million dors to sna tch. something from the


    Cliffords just to make Rachel smile.


    David looked at Rachel with unknowing infatuation. His thin lips parted slightly as David said


    indifferently, ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    David had long been sure that Rachel had a significant influence on him.


    Later on, when they interacted, David remained calm and restrained, thinking that he could control


    everything, including his feelings for Rachel.


    However, the fact was that David couldn¡¯t control everything in reality.


    Rachel was the most colorful swatch in David¡¯s life, and also the most powerful surprise.


    Because of what David said, the surrounding people swarmed Rachel¡¯s side.


    ¡°Youngdy, I¡¯ll pay 6 million dors. How about you give me this stone?¡±


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This stone is worth more than 6 million dors. Miss, don¡¯t be fooled by him. I¡¯ll pay 12 million


    dors¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget about them. Sell it to me for 18 million dors! This stone was bought for 1.2 million, and I offer


    18 million dors. My offer is over 10 times more.¡±


    Everyone spoke one after another in exaggerated ways.


    However, Rachel remained indifferent, as if she did not hear what the people said.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness. However, since this is a gift from someone, how can I sell it so easily?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s voice was cold, giving off an insurmountable sense of distance. ¡°If I were to sell it just like that,


    wouldn¡¯t I be letting down the gentleman who bought it just now?¡±


    Everyone finally understood that Rachel was showing off their love.


    However, there had long been rumors that the girl from the Clifford family was going to marry into the


    Jones family and be the next mistress of the Jones family.


    But now, David had spent 1.2 million and handed what he bought to this youngdy. David was clearly


    interested in her.


    Could it be that the previous rumors were wrong?


    Rachel was not in the mood to guess what everyone was thinking.


    Rachel tilted her head slightly and instructed Chris, ¡°Get the thing and let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Chris responded and took a step forward. Chris wrapped the stone in red satin and tucked it under his


    arm. Then, Chris turned around and left in a cool manner.


    ¡°Wait.¡± An experienced but deep voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Miss, if you don¡¯t mind, how about we make


    a bet?¡±


    Rachel paused her footsteps slightly. Rachel slowly turned around, and her gaze met with the old man


    who walked out of the crowd. The old man was in a light grey suit, and he was holding a wine ss in


    his hand. The old man had a lean figure. Although he was an elder, his eyes were bright like an


    eagle¡¯s. } The old man looked at Rachel with a faint distance in his eyes. ¡°Miss, are you willing to make


    a bet with me?¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡­¡± Before Rachel could finish, the old man spoke again. ¡°If you lose, it¡¯s on


    me. If you win, you can take it.¡± Rachel was suspicious. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± There was no such


    thing as a free lunch in this world. Moreover, it was in such a ce. As long as it was about a gamble,


    everyone here was no different from those people in the casino. Hearing Rachel¡¯s words, the


    surrounding people were so angry that theyughed.


    It was such a good deal, and Rachel actually asked why. The people wondered if there was something


    wrong with Rachel.


    ¡°Miss, do you know who he is?¡± Someone in the crowd said, ¡°That¡¯s Mr. Davies. Since he said it, he


    won¡¯t go back on his word!¡±


    The surrounding people urged Rachel to agree quickly.


    Rachel might miss out on this opportunity.


    Mr. Davies, who had always been proud and arrogant, suddenly


    calmed down. His tone was gentle, and a faint smile appeared on his face. ¡°Because you look a lot like


    a friend of mine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a very convincing reason.¡± Rachel remained calm the whole time. Rachel


    was not tempted and lost her mind. Instead, she seemed to be on guard against something. ¡°I do have


    a presumptuous request.¡± Sensing the wariness in Rachel¡¯s heart, Mr. Davies slowly turned the ss in


    his hand. ¡°If you lose,e with me tonight.¡± As soon as Mr. Davies finished speaking, everyone


    couldn¡¯t help but look intrigued. Who would have thought that Mr. Davies, who had always been aloof,


    would one day be blinded by women? However, no one knew if the man in the Heavenly Private Room


    would agree. At this point, Rachel had no choice but to agree. Moreover, Rachel felt that she might not


    lose. ¡°How do you want to bet?¡± Rachel asked. ¡°Blind Bet, of course.¡± Blind Bets were the riskiest and


    most exciting in stone gambling because there was no prediction of the stone at all.


    The only thing one could rely on was experience and feelings to determine the value of a stone.


    Therefore, other than those who were extremely experienced, ordinary people did not dare to do Blind


    Bets.


    After all, nine out of ten gamblers lost. Not everyone had a strong mind and could face losing


    everything.


    ¡°Rachel seems to have been targeted.¡± Thomas was a typical


    spectator. Thomas raised his eyebrows slightly, and a gloating


    smile appeared in his eyes. ¡°Mr. Davies is shameless. He¡¯s already so old, but he still tries to get young


    girls.¡±


    When David heard this, he nced at Thomas indifferently and said expressionlessly, ¡°Do you think


    she will lose?¡±


    ¡°Is she going to win?¡± Thomas asked.


    It was not that Thomas looked down on Rachel, but Rachel¡¯s opponent was too powerful.


    Mr. Davies was the head of the Davies family. In the early years, the Davies family made a fortune out


    of antiques. Later, the Davies family traded gemstones.


    The Davies family had many precious gemstone mines, all thanks to Mr. Davies¡¯s ability to appraise


    treasures.


    Thomas thought that Rachel picked a Pink Sappire mostly because of luck.


    At this moment, Tho m as ¡®s trusted aide walked forward and said respectfully, ¡°Master, the people


    below have started a bet.¡±


    Thomas put out the cigarette in his hand and asked casually, ¡°What kind of bet?¡±


    The aide quickly nced at David. Then, he lowered his eyes. ¡°Miss Grey¡¯s odds are 1 to 10. Mr.


    Davies¡¯s odds are 1 to 2.¡±


    Now, everyone expected Rachel to lose.


    Hearing this result, Thomas was not surprised. He looked at David. ¡°Why don¡¯t we join in the fun?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet on Rachel.¡±


    Nice!


    Thomas liked how David was obsessed!


    Tho ma s¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement as he hurriedly urged. his aide beside him, ¡°Quick, quick,


    quick, bet on Mr. Davies!¡±


    Thomas¡¯ tone was anxious as if Thomas was afraid that David


    would regret it in the next second

 Chapter 694

    Chapter 694


    There was a lot of discussion around them. People even set up a gambling table in front of Rachel.


    Rachel did not show much emotion on her face. She only took a deep breath.


    Just as Rachel was about to agree, Chris, who was standing behind her, grabbed Rachel¡¯s hand and


    squeezed it tightly in a warning. ¡°Miss Grey, Boss is still waiting for you.¡±


    Chris did not say it explicitly, but her eyes were filled with deep meaning, indicating Rachel not to be


    rash.


    Chris had never gambled on stones before and did not understand the rules. However, Chris knew that


    gambling on stones was more about luck than experience.


    Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be called a gamble.


    Although Chris did not know what Mr. Davies¡¯ goal was, Mr. Davies had never lost.


    As a subordinate, Chris knew that she had crossed the line.


    However, due to her selfishness, Chris did not want Rachel to be in danger.


    Rachel looked down at Chris¡¯s hand. Rachel curled her lips a little and smiled. ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t


    wait to see me make a fool of myself.¡±


    Chris was a straightforward person. She made it clear when it came to her likes and dislikes. Chris


    wouldn¡¯t hide her thoughts.


    Rachel knew that Chris didn¡¯t like her, but she was a little surprised that Chris stood up for her now.


    Chris pursed her lips. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Rachel held Chris¡¯ hand and patted it gently.


    Rachel leaned over and whispered into Chris¡¯s ear, ¡°Be good. Remember to buy a portion for me when


    you ce your bet.¡±


    Chris was speechless.


    Chris wondered if Rachel had be arrogant.


    That was Mr. Davies Rachel was dealing with. Why was Rachel so confident about winning?


    Did Rachel really think that she could do whatever she wanted with David backing her up?


    Seeing Rachel turn around and leave, Chris subconsciously turned to look at Heavenly Private Room


    upstairs.


    ¡°This woman is really¡­¡± Thomas thought for a while. He wanted to say that Rachel overestimated


    herself. But considering that David was present, Thomas said tactfully, ¡°She¡¯s really bold.¡±


    Putting aside whether Rachel could win or not, her courage and calmness in the face of danger were


    enough to impress people.


    ¡°I hope that she is lucky enough this time.¡±


    Hearing this, David moved his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Her luck has always been good.¡±


    Thomas raised his eyebrows and said meaningfully, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Everyone looked at Rachel with sympathy in their hearts.


    Mr. Davies was a big shot in the stone gambling world and had never lost in the past few years.


    On the other hand, Rachel was just a newbie. She had overestimated herself by agreeing to this bet.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll let you choose first. I don¡¯t want you to think that I¡¯m bullying you because of my


    qualifications.¡± Mr. Davies ced one hand behind his back and held a wine ss with the other hand


    in front of his chest. Mr. Davies¡¯ every move revealed a hint of


    arrogance.


    Rachel looked up at Mr. Davies and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a virtue to respect the elders. You¡¯re an elder, please


    go ahead first.¡± Upon hearing this, Mr. Davies¡¯ expression changed slightly. Mr. Davies¡¯ gaze changed


    rapidly, but he quickly regained hisposure. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony then.¡± ¡°Please go


    ahead,¡± Rachel said. When Mr. Davies walked past Rachel, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a


    complicated and dark light shed across his eyes. Walking to the round table, Mr. Davies¡¯ sharp gaze


    swept across the stones on the table. After careful spection, he finally chose the stone with the


    number 405. ¡°Youngdy, your turn.¡± Rachel ced her hands behind her back and observed every


    stone. Rachel¡¯s eyes were lowered, and her curly and thick eyshes were like butterfly wings,


    imprinting a faint shadow under her eyes.


    After careful selection, Rachel chose the stone with the number


    1123.


    It was a stone the size of an adult man¡¯s palm. The surface of the stone was uneven, and the patterns


    were extremely messy.


    When people saw Rachel¡¯s choice, they immediately lost interest in watching the show.


    ¡°This is definitely a loss.¡±


    ¡°After ying for so many years, anyone with a little experience knows that stone is not a good choice.¡±


    ¡°How dare youpete with Mr. Davies? You¡¯re asking for


    trouble!¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, I bet on Mr. Davies. Otherwise, I would have lost everything tonight.¡± ¡°No matter what, she


    was the one who picked the Pink Sappire just now. However, the stone she picked this time is really a


    bad choice.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? Maybe it¡¯s just blind luck!¡± Everyone spoke one after


    another, not hiding their mockery of Rachel. However, Rachel acted as if she did not hear the people.


    Rachel looked at Mr. Davies and said in a polite yet equal manner, ¡°After you.¡± Mr. Davies looked at the


    stone in Rachel¡¯s hand and narrowed his eyes. There was aplicated dark glint in his eyes. It was a


    typical Mohertha secondary gemstone with a few visible. color bands on the surface. However, the


    more obvious the characteristics, the higher the risk.


    Mr. Davies didn¡¯t say anything. He just gave the person beside.


    him a look.


    That person instantly understood.


    After the first cut, everyone cried out in surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s green! As expected of Mr. Davies!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a sure win!¡±


    Amidst everyone¡¯s exmations, the second cut was made.


    Mr. Davies didn¡¯t show any joy when he saw that the stone was full of green and without any


    blemishes. It seemed like everything was within Mr. Davies¡¯ expectations. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Mr. Davies swang the ss in his hand calmly. He turned to look


    at Rachel and said with a faint smile, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rachel said as she handed the stone in her hand to the cutter in charge. ¡°Cut it from


    here.¡±


    The cutter frowned when he saw where Rachel was pointing. ¡°Have you thought it through? If the cut is


    not done well, the entire stone might be destroyed.¡±


    Stones were usually wrapped in a shell, so no one knew if it was good or bad inside. Therefore, most


    people would carefully cut open a thin lid from the side.


    This way, not only would the risk be reduced, but it could also allow people to decide how to cut it


    ording to the transparency inside.


    But Rachel pointed to precisely the waistline of the stone, the most critical ce.


    If crac ks appeared during the cutting, the value of this stone. would be greatly reduced.


    Rachel said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Seeing that Rachel had ignored the cutter¡¯s kind reminder, everyone was disdainful. They looked at


    Rachel as if she was a joke.


    People did not have much hope for Rachel. In fact, they had already imagined what would happen to


    Rachel.


    ¡°Miss, I think you should stoppeting. Just admit that you are no equal opponent to Mr. Davies.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Davies¡¯ position is irreceable. If you sincerely ask for forgiveness, I believe he won¡¯t pursue


    your mistake.¡±


    ¡°Previously, when you opened the Pink Sappire, we thought you were an expert. But now, your mistake


    is getting more and more ridiculous.¡±


    Seeing that Rachel was a young girl, the cutter guessed that it was inevitable for young people to be


    arrogant. The cutter patiently and kindly persuaded Rachel, ¡°Miss, if you ask me, let¡¯s cut a small


    window ording to the usual practice. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°No, cut it from here!¡± Rachel insisted on cutting it from the middle.


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s stubborn attitude, the cutter shook his head helplessly and sighed. He could only


    follow her instructions and cut it from the middle.

 Chapter 695

    Chapter 695


    Chapter 695


    When Mr. Davies¡¯s assistant saw this, he had a gloating smile. ¡°Mr. Davies, after tonight, I¡¯m afraid the


    thing about how invincible you are will be out for a while.¡±


    Every time Mr. Davies made a move, the news of him never losing would be brought up again and


    spread by word of mouth for a long time. Only when something new appeared would people forget


    about it.


    ¡°No.¡± Mr. Davies sighed softly and narrowed his eyes. There was a dark glint in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not


    invincible.¡±


    Mr. Davies had lost before.


    Mr. Davies had lost to a young woman.


    That woman was extremely simr to the girl in front of Mr. Davies.


    Their expressions, their subconscious reactions, and even their taste in picking something were


    surprisingly simr.


    Just as Mr. Davies was in a daze, the cutter made the first cut on the stone.


    As the incision became clearer, everyone could clearly see a thick swatch of green color through the


    light.


    It was also green!


    ¡°Continue.¡± Mr. Davies narrowed his eyes and stared at the stone.


    With the second cut, the wless nature of the stone was revealed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ss gemstone!¡±


    ¡°F**k! This woman is really amazing!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s abination of ss gemstone and pure green. It¡¯s an


    extremely rare treasure!¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the woman can see through things with her eyes? The stones she chose are all


    treasures without exception!¡±


    Although Rachel¡¯s stone was not as big as Mr. Davies¡¯s, the value of her gemstone was not inferior to


    Mr. Davies¡¯s.


    The quality of Rachel¡¯s stone outvalued Mr. Davies, even Mr. Davies¡¯ stone was bigger.


    ¡°Miss, can you tell me who your teacher is?¡± Mr. Davies stared at Rachel with his dark eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. Even though she had won, Rachel had no arrogance or


    impudence. Rachel still maintained a polite and humble attitude. ¡°I just casually learned it when I was


    bored.¡±


    When people heard this, they couldn¡¯t help but twitch their lips.


    These people were just bad at stone gambling, but they were not stu pid.


    Rachel was no inferior to Mr. Davies. In fact, she was even better. How was it possible that Rachel


    obtained this ability by learning casually when she was bored?


    This was f**king pure lie through one¡¯s teeth!


    People thought that Mr. Davies would be angry because of Rachel¡¯s words, but they did not expect Mr.


    Davies tough. instead. ¡°You really look like an old friend of mine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m average-looking,¡± Rachel said.


    Mr. Davies looked at Rachel with a hint of affection in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen


    someone as talented and smart as you.¡±


    As he spoke, Mr. Davies took off a watch from his wrist. ¡°Take this. With this, the door of the Davies


    family will always be open ¡±


    When everyone heard this, they were shocked.


    This was not an ordinary invitation. This was the goodwill of the head of the Davies family!


    Seeing that Mr. Davies¡¯s attitude was so gentle, Thomas could not help but exim as if he had seen


    something utterly unusual, ¡°David, does your fianc¨¦e have a superpower?¡±


    Everyone knew that the head of the Davies family had always been arrogant.


    Sometimes, when Mr. Davies¡¯ temper red up, he wouldn¡¯t even look at his own grandchildren at all.


    Now, Mr. Davies was actually so polite to Rachel!


    Could it be that this old man really had some ill intentions. toward Rachel?


    Thomas looked at David and realized that David was still unfathomable. There were no changes in


    David¡¯s expression, making it difficult to guess his thoughts.


    *


    However, David¡¯s gaze was fixed on Rachel the entire time. There was a hint of gentleness in his eyes.


    Rachel lowered her eyes and looked at the small namete on the watch. When Rachel saw the word


    ¡®Davies¡¯ engraved on the watch, she hesitated for a moment before epting it. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Seeing that Rachel had epted the watch, Mr. Davies smiled in satisfaction. ¡°May I know yourst


    name?¡±


    Rachel pondered for a moment and said calmly, ¡°Myst name is Grey.¡±


    Grey?


    Hearing this, Mr. Davies subconsciously made a list in his mind. Finally, he looked at his trusted aide


    beside him with an inquiring expression. The aide shook his head awkwardly. There was no such thing


    as the Grey family in Aureliana. However, the woman in front of Mr. Davies was so eye-catching that


    she was in correspondence with the rumors out there. The aide thought for a moment. Then, he took a


    step forward and whispered into Mr. Davies¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that this youngdy is somewhat rted


    to the sir above.¡± As he spoke, the aide nced at a certain spot. Mr. Davies followed the aide¡¯s gaze


    and saw David standing in front of the viewing tform of the Heavenly Private Room. David had one


    hand in his pocket and the other hand on the wooden railing. David¡¯s posture was indifferent and


    casual, but it could not hide his natural noble aura. Even though Mr. Davies was an experienced and


    knowledgeable old man, when he faced David, he could not help but feel unprecedented reverence


    and fear. Mr. Davies lowered his eyes and nodded slightly, his posture. respectful and humble. The


    aide behind Mr. Davies bowed in greeting. David, who was in the private room, looked at Rachel


    downstairs. But David said to Thomas. ¡°1 to 10. Remember to transfer the


    money to my ount.¡±


    Thomas was wordless.


    David really touched Thomas¡¯ sore spot!


    Thomas sighed and looked at the attendant beside him. ¡°Go!


    Transfer the money to Mr. Jones!¡±


    After all, Thomas was the next head of the Bowes family. He had all the money he needed.


    When the attendant heard this, he was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, the attendant gave Thomas an


    indescribable look.


    Seeing his expression, Thomas had a bad feeling.


    The attendant stammered, ¡°Mr. Bowes. ording to the odds, you have to pay 36 million dors¡­¡±


    ¡°Say that again?¡± Thomas suddenly raised his voice like he had been struck by lightning.


    The attendant pursed his lips and carefully spoke again, ¡°36 million dors¡­¡±


    Thomas squeezed the cigarette between his fingers. The cigarette that he had yet to smoke almost


    broke into two.


    Thomas secretly gritted his teeth and put on a fake smile. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s really good.¡±


    Thomas didn¡¯t make any profit tonight. Instead, he even lost a month¡¯s profit with interest!


    Thomas looked at David with resentment, like he was looking at someone who had wronged him.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly and said faintly, ¡°Can¡¯t you afford it?¡±


    ¡°Who said I can¡¯t afford it!¡± Thomas snorted arrogantly. ¡°I have nothing else but money!¡±


    Hearing Thomas¡¯ resentful tone, David curled his lips and smiled faintly. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    With that, David turned around and left.


    Thomas stood where he was and watched David leave. Thomas


    could not help but curse in his heart.


    Thomas now seriously suspected that David and Rachel had colluded.


    David and Rachel ruined his night and stole his money!


    With the two stones that Rachel had chosen and the 36 million he had to pay, Thomas really could not


    make ends meet this month! Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    However, this woman Rachel was really strange!


    How could Thomas have believed the rumors and believed that Rachel was a pampered rich girl?

 Chapter 696

    Chapter 696


    Chapter 696


    The moment he saw David walk down, Mr. Davies stepped forward and nodded slightly at David. Mr.


    Davies greeted David humbly and respectfully, ¡°Mr. Jones.¡±


    The man in front of Mr. Davies was the family head of the Jones family. David was on par with the


    Elders. Even the Elders would be polite to David.


    Not to mention the Davies family, who was in the second tier.


    David walked to Rachel¡¯s side and turned slightly towards her.


    From afar, it looked like David was holding Rachel in his arms.


    ¡°Mr. Davies, long time no see,¡± David said calmly.


    Mr. Davies lowered his eyes to hide the gloominess in them. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed


    been a while, but the rumors about you have never ceased.¡±


    Hearing this, David¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor.¡± Mr. Davies said, ¡°If you¡¯re really interested, why don¡¯t you bring Miss Grey to the


    Davies¡¯ house for coffee?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll go and see the Royal Gemstone in the Davies family¡¯s collection.¡±


    ¡°I still have something on. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    Mr. Davies walked out of Moon Pavilion and heaved a sigh of relief.


    It had been many years since David and Mr. Daviesst met. And the young family head of the Jones


    family got more and more oppressive and dominant.


    No wonder that five years ago, David could suppress the internal strife of the family alone.


    ¡°Mr. Davies, should we send someone to investigate the background of Miss Grey?¡± The aide secretly


    sized up the


    expression on Mr. Davies¡¯s face and thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this Miss Grey¡¯s background is


    not simple. It would be best if she can be used by us. If¡­¡±


    Mr. Davies snorted and interrupted the aide. ¡°She has David Jones supporting her.¡±


    Not to mention whether they could find out anything, even if they did, the Davies family could not do


    anything to Rachel.


    Mr. Davies took a deep breath and leaned against the back of the chair tiredly. Mr. Davies slowly


    yed with the wine ss. ¡°Do you think there are people in this world that look exactly the same?¡±


    A quick nce from the crowd was like a dream.


    However, after what happened just now, Mr. Davies could not help but have crazy thoughts.


    The aide, who was sitting in the front row, checked on Mr. Davies¡¯ expression through the rearview


    mirror. Although the aide could not figure out Mr. Davies¡¯ thoughts, the aide answered Mr. Davies


    carefully, ¡°How can there be so many coincidences in this world? It¡¯s just a deliberate arrangement.¡±


    ¡°Deliberate arrangement,¡± Mr. Davies narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.


    At this moment, Mr. Davies¡¯ phone suddenly vibrated.


    Mr. Davies lowered his eyes and saw the message that popped up on the screen. [Did you see her?]


    It was just a few simple words, but it shocked Mr. Davies.


    Mr. Davies tightened his grip on the ss he was ying with. His pupils trembled as he stared at the


    words on the phone


    screen.


    Before Mr. Davies could reply, a text message popped up. [Don¡¯t forget your promise.] Mr. Davies didn¡¯t


    say anything. He just stared at the phone screen. It was only when the phone screen dimmed and


    finally went ck that Mr. Davies slowly came back to his senses. ¡°Mr. Davies?¡± The aide saw that Mr.


    Davies¡¯ expression was not good, and a trace of worry appeared in the aide¡¯s eyes. Mr. Davies slowly


    looked up at the aide. Suddenly, Mr. Davies chuckled. ¡°This is all written in the stars.¡± When Rachel


    and David left the Moon Pavilion, Thomas forced a smile and came out to send them off.


    After getting into the car, Rachel looked at David. ¡°Mr. Bowest doesn¡¯t look too good.¡±


    ¡°He deserved it,¡± David said.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, her almond-shaped eyes filled with curiosity.


    At this moment, Chris, who was sitting in the front row, exined, ¡°Mr. Bowes bet 2 million dors on


    Mr. Davies.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel had a mischievous smile sh across her eyes. She looked at Chris. ¡°What about


    you? How much did you bet?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Chris subconsciously nced at David.


    Seeing that David¡¯s expression did not change much, Chris said, ¡°I bought 20 thousand dors.¡±


    Rachel said, ¡°You still have doubts about me.¡±


    Without waiting for Chris to exin, Rachel continued, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can understand. After all, in your


    eyes, I¡¯m just a delicate rich girl.¡± Hearing this, Chris looked even more ashamed. Actually, Chris¡¯s


    impression of Rachel had changed a long time. ago. Chris saw Rachel talking with the people from the


    Red me Action Team. And Chris also saw Rachel¡¯s clean and efficient skills. the night at the


    vacation vi. After that, Chris and Billy reviewed the battle that night.


    To be fair, if they really fought, Chris might not be Rachel¡¯s match.


    The moment Chris saw Rachel grab the gun so quickly and remained intact, she really admired Rachel.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Rachel yawned andzily leaned on David¡¯s shoulder.


    The sun was bright and the wind was gentle.


    asionally, white birds would fly past the blue sky, creating a peaceful atmosphere.


    Jimmy and Landon sat on a wicker chair in the back garden and chatted with David.


    ¡°Did Rachel show off at the Moon Pavilionst night?¡± Jimmy was excited and gossipy. ¡°I heard that


    Thomas lost 40 million dors. Tell me what happened.¡±


    David said expressionlessly, ¡°You can ask Thomas.¡±


    Seeing David¡¯s cold attitude, the excitement on Jimmy¡¯s face could not help but fade a little. ¡°If Thomas


    was willing to tell me, why would I drag Landon to you so early in the morning?¡±


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At this moment, the serv ant walked to David¡¯s side and said respectfully, ¡°Sir, Miss Grey is awake.¡±


    David nodded slightly, put down the cup in his hand, and stood up to leave.


    When he left, David bumped into Thomas, who had just entered.


    Seeing David leave in a hurry, Thomas walked up to Jimmy and Landon. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Jimmy followed his gaze and said calmly, ¡°Oh, his princess is up.¡±


    Thomas was speechless.


    After the three of them sat down, Jimmy brought up the bet at the Moon Pavilionst night.


    Thomas didn¡¯t say anything, but when he thought of the money he had lost, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a


    heartache. ¡°The more I think about it, the stranger I feel about the whole thing. Think about it. Did David


    collude with Miss Grey to cheat me?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°Rachel is omnipotent. You can only me yourself for being stu pid.¡±


    Thomas clicked his tongue and put on a fake smile. ¡°I¡¯m curious. how much money did she give you?


    Why do you stand up for her time and time again?¡±


    Landon took the cigarette from Thomas and sniffed it. Landon said casually, ¡°It¡¯s not much. I just


    earned a few valuable pieces ofnd when I raced horses with Miss Grey.¡±


    Thomas didn¡¯t know what to say.


    After a round of questioning, Thomas was filled with regret.


    Seeing Thomas¡¯ face turn ashy, Landon said earnestly, ¡°Remember, no matter what happens in the


    future, it¡¯s never wrong to stand on Miss Grey¡¯s side.¡±

 Chapter 697

    Chapter 697


    Chapter 697


    ¡°Ha!¡± Thomas let out a lowugh. He yed with the lighter with his fingertips. Thomas curled his long


    and narrow eyes slightly, revealing a hint of flirtatiousness. ¡°ording to what you said, Miss Grey is


    such a capable person.¡±


    Landon lit the cigarette and took a puff. He said casually, ¡°She¡¯s very capable.¡±


    To be able to make David, who had always been calm and steady, go crazy like this, Rachel must be


    really capable.


    Judging from all the things that had happened, Rachel was nothing like a pampered and useless rich


    girl.


    ¡°The person from the Clifford family met Rachel yesterday?¡± Jimmy changed the topic at the right time.


    ¡°That person is famous for her difficult personality. Did she not y any tricks?¡±


    When Thomas heard this, he curled his lips and put on a meaningful smile. ¡°Although she didn¡¯t y


    any tricks now, there¡¯s no guarantee that she won¡¯t go behind our backs.¡±


    Among the big families in Aureliana, the most special one was the Clifford family.


    It was not that the Clifford family had a prominent status, but that the Clifford family was the only family


    with a female. lineage.


    Moreover, every head of the Clifford family was a woman.


    The Clifford family girl that they were talking about was the sessor of the family head that Old Ms.


    Clifford had personally designated.


    Due to the rtionship between the Jones family and the Clifford family, there had always been rumors


    that Jennifer Clifford would be the future mistress of the Jones family.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    The rumors had be more and more vivid over the years. However, David suddenly came back


    with Rachel by his side.


    The rumors broke instantly. For a moment, there were all kinds of sayings.


    Coupled with the fact that David had openly snat ched Jennifer¡¯s thingsst night to help Rachel vent


    her anger, the gossip was going crazy.


    ¡°To be honest, with the Clifford girl¡¯s temper, she will definitely find a way to seek revenge after David


    made her unhappy and the topic of discussionst night.¡± Jimmy held a watch and wipedthe dial


    repeatedly. ¡°At Old Mr. Jones¡¯ birthday banquetst year, she even dared to attack the daughter of an


    aristocratic family that was close to the Clifford family. I heard that that woman has gone crazy and has


    been in a men tal hospital all year round.


    ¡°No one knows what she did. The Clifford family only paid a sum of money aspensation in the


    end.¡± When they talked about this, the three of them didn¡¯t show any emotional fluctuations.


    They had fought their way up to get the position of family heir. To be in their positions, they no longer


    knew what it was like to feel pity.


    ¡°In your opinion¡­¡± Thomas looked up at Jimmy.


    ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m giving you this good opportunity to redeem. yourself.¡± Jimmy smiled. ¡°With the Clifford


    family¡¯s previous deeds, she might not let it go easily. She might attack Rachel. If you discover


    anything, that¡¯s your opportunity to contribute.¡±


    Thomas raised his eyebrows slightly. Seeing the watch in Jimmy¡¯s hand, Thomas frowned slightly.


    ¡°When did your taste be so vulgar?¡±


    ¡°That watch of his is also a limited edition,¡± Landon said meaningfully.


    As they spoke, Rachel and David came downstairs.


    A few people chatted. Rachel was more like a loyal listener. However, Rachel drooped her eyeszily.


    She looked listless and uninterested in anything. At this moment, Yann walked over and bent down


    slightly. Yann leaned over to David and whispered, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s news from the old residence. They said


    that they¡¯re holding a family banquet and specially invited you to go with Miss Grey.¡± As soon as Yann


    finished speaking, the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces changed slightly. They looked at David with


    intriguing gazes. David lowered his eyes and responded indifferently. After Yann left, the impatient


    Jimmy spoke first. ¡°David, are you really nning to bring Rachel to the banquet?¡± The Jones family


    was not an ordinary family. The so-called family banquet was more like a trap. Although Rachel was not


    weak, in order to avoid any idents, it was safest to expose Rachel¡¯s existenceter.


    After all, the Jones family had all kinds of ruthless means. They would find a way to get Rachel


    eventually.


    Rachel, who had been silent all this while, suddenly asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t I go?¡±


    Rachel sat up slightly and perked up. ¡°This is a good opportunity to introduce me to them


    openly.¡±Hearing this, the three people sitting opposite fell silent. A hint of contempt shed across Tho


    ma s¡¯s eyes. Rachel was getting more and more arrogant. Rachel should know better.


    The Jones family was basically a wolf¡¯s den. The way Rachel was rushing into the Jones family was no


    different than courting death. ¡°Rachel, it¡¯s actually¡­¡± Jimmy wanted to talk Rachel out of it, but before


    Jimmy could finish, David suddenly said, ¡°If you want to go, we will go. I will protect you no matter


    what.¡± Hearing this, Jimmy could not help but curse in his heart. F**k! They had lost their da mn minds!


    Jimmy pursed his lips and wanted to say something, but he was stopped by Landon. They had known


    David for many years and knew David¡¯s temper very well. No one could change David¡¯s decision


    except himself. Thirty minutester, Rachel returned to her room and changed her clothes. Rachel


    chose a well-tailored suit. Rachel wore a striped two-piece zer with a pair of ck wide-legged


    pants.


    Rachel¡¯s outfit was neither rigid nor too casual.


    Rachel tied her soft long hair behind her head, and a wisp of hair hung down from her forehead. Rachel


    looked elegant and gentle.


    ¡°I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s go.¡± Rachel walked out of the changing room and stood in front of David confidently.


    David hung up the phone and turned around. The moment David saw Rachel, the coldness in David¡¯s


    eyes disappeared and was reced by gentleness.


    When David and Rachel walked down the stairs, Billy and Chris


    turned their heads in unison.


    The two of them were slightly stunned.


    The woman¡¯s slender and tall figure was slightly thin, but when


    she walked with David, she looked no inferior. They surprisingly matched each other.


    When Vulture, who was standing upstairs, saw this scene, an indescribable bitterness surged in his


    heart.¡±


    Indeed, the things he missed were no longer his.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Vulture looked at Rachel¡¯s departing figure and suddenly called out to her.


    Rachel stopped in her tracks and turned around.


    Vulture threw something at Rachel.


    Before Rachel could see clearly, she caught it instinctively.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift I prepared for you. It¡¯s the most suitable gift for you now.¡± Vulture looked at Rachel, and his


    eyes revealed a hint of gentleness. ¡°Take it for self-defense. The Jones family is not a good or safe


    ce. Be more careful.¡±


    It was a golden version of the Desert¡¯s Eagle.


    Rachel looked down at the gun Vulture handed her and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    With that, Rachel turned around and left.

 Chapter 698

    Chapter 698


    Chapter 698


    This family banquet was personally organized by Old Mr. Jones, so everyone from the Jones family


    n was present.


    As a result, this so-called family banquet was even grander than ordinary banquets.


    When Rachel and David arrived, the butler weed them into the living room. ¡°Mr. Louis, Miss Grey,


    please wait a moment.¡±


    David nodded at the butler. After the butler left, David pushed the coffee beside him to Rachel. ¡°Try it


    and see how it tastes.¡±


    Rachel was slightly stunned.


    David was worried that someone would tamper with Rachel¡¯s coffee, so David especially gave Rachel


    his cup of coffee.


    Rachel pursed her lips and took a sip of the coffee. ¡°Will the people from the side branches be here


    tonight?¡±


    ¡°They will.¡± David said, ¡°ording to the Jones family¡¯s rules, they are not allowed to approach the


    main family or enter the old residence unless the main family gives instructions.¡±


    This rule raised the status of the main family.


    Rachel rubbed the cup with her fingertips and said insincerely, ¡°There are quite a lot of rules.¡±


    As the richest family in Seaxas, the Johnson family had many rules. Butpared to the Jones family,


    the Johnson family¡¯s rules were nothing.


    Hearing this, David raised his eyebrows slightly. His dark eyes were filled with a faint gentle light. ¡°My


    people don¡¯t need to follow the rules.¡±


    There was an unquestionable determination in David¡¯s casual


    tone.


    Not long after, the sound of unhurried footsteps came from the door.


    Rachel subconsciously looked up and saw Old Mr. Jones, who was dressed in a silver-gray suit,


    walking steadily against the light.


    Although Old Mr. Jones did not say anything, Rachel sensed a hint of unconceble anger in his words


    and actions.


    It seemed that the banquet tonight was indeed a trap.


    Rachel thought about it in her heart. Out of courtesy, Rachel was about to stand up and greet Old Mr.


    Jones when David grabbed her hand. ¡°We¡¯re family, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    Rachel was slightly stunned and subconsciously turned to look at Old Mr. Jones.


    Old Mr. Jones narrowed his eyes and stared at David without. saying a word. Old Mr. Jones snorted


    and walked to the armchair in the middle and sat down.


    Rachel pursed her lips and did not say anything. She sat quietly on the chair.


    After the butler served Old Mr. Jones a cup of coffee, the butler left the living room with the others.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who did it to the ninth branch.¡± Old Mr. Jones stared at David with his dark eyes.


    David reached out and picked up the coffee cup. David smelled the scent of the coffee deeply. He said


    casually, ¡°Why are you asking me if you already know?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Old Mr. Jones was instantly furious.


    At first, Old Mr. Jones thought that his subordinates were spouting nonsense. Old Mr. Jones wanted to


    get information out of David.


    David was honest and did not quibble or hide anything. He admitted it directly.


    David had made a big fuss over a woman. He hadpletely forgotten about Old Mr. Jones¡¯


    teachings!


    ¡°Do you really think that I can¡¯t deal with you now that you¡¯ve grown up?¡± Old Mr. Jones was very


    dissatisfied with David¡¯s arrogant attitude. Old Mr. Jones narrowed his eyes, and his words were filled


    with unconceble threats and warnings. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that everything you have now is given by me. I


    can give it to you, and I can naturally take it back!¡±


    However, Old Mr. Jones¡¯ words meant nothing to David. David was not affected at all.


    David blew on the hot coffee and took a sip. ¡°Unless you want to see the Jones family fall into chaos


    again.¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Jones choked.


    David continued, ¡°Other than me, who else in the Jones family can quell the chaos?¡±


    David¡¯s casual tone was filled with arrogance and dominance.


    As soon as David finished speaking, the living room fell into dead silence.


    After some time, Old Mr. Jones spoke again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that the Elders will punish you for being


    so impudent?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly.


    Through the information provided by Lone Wolf during this period of time, Rachel more or less got to


    know the Jones family and the Elders.


    Currently, there were three tiers in Aureliana. The Jones family, the Clifford family, the Shain family, the


    Bowes family, and the Cook families were the first tier.


    The Walker family, the Olson family, the Davies family, and the Lendow family were in the second tier.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Among them, the Jones family¡¯s position in Aureliana was irreceable and unshakeable.


    The Elders, on the other hand, was above the Jones family.


    The original reason for their existence was to supervise the heads. of the families. The Elders had the


    right to punish the heads of each family.


    However, over the years, the Elders had long been unsatisfied. They tried to interfere in the business of


    each family and even controlled the variousrge families. The Elders had be the big boss.


    If the Elders obtained evidence of what David did to the ninth branch, the people of the Elders would


    not let it slide.


    Old Mr. Jones¡¯s words just now were enough to show his fear of the Elders.


    David put down the cup in his hand and said with his usual cold voice, ¡°If they want to settle scores,


    let¡¯s do it properly. They tried. to murder the future mistress of the Jones family. I¡¯m curious how should


    they be punished for this crime?¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Old Mr. Jones frowned. His expression changed rapidly.


    Old Mr. Jones was shocked by David¡¯s current attitude.


    Old Mr. Jones stared at David intently. His turbid eyes flickered with a dark andplicated


    expression. Old Mr. Jones vaguely had a bold guess in his mind.


    ¡°You know me.¡± David crossed his legs elegantly. David crossed his hands naturally and ced them


    on hisp. ¡°Those who hurt my people always pay a heavy price. I¡¯m already being merciful by not


    ending their lives on the spot.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, she was stunned.


    My people.


    Rachel had a strong sense of belonging when she heard the phrase.


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Old Mr. Jones¡¯s turbid eyes revealed a hint of viciousness.


    Old Mr. Jones clenched the corner of the table tightly and tried his best to suppress the anger. ¡°You¡¯re


    willing to make the Elders your enemy for a woman. Do you really think that the Elders can¡¯t do


    anything to you?¡±


    When someone or something became too powerful, they would always be coveted by others. This was


    the case for the current Jones family.


    The Jones family owned many rare and precious metals and countless assets.


    The main family had internal conflicts. The side branches were eyeing the main family¡¯s assets


    covetously. The main family was already faced with internal and external problems. If the main family


    was questioned by the Elders, there will be serious


    consequences.


    David knew better than anyone else about the Jones family¡¯s current situation.


    However, even though David knew this, he still stood up for a woman and caused such a fuss.


    David was simply muddle-headed!


    ¡°I think you¡¯re ignoring everything I¡¯ve taught you all these years!¡± Old Mr. Jones was furious when he


    saw David¡¯s stubborn attitude. ¡°You didn¡¯t hesitate to sacrifice the Jones family¡¯s future for this!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my wife, my only partner in this life. She¡¯s also the Jones


    family¡¯s future mistress!¡± The man¡¯s voice was usually low and cold, but it carried an irrefutable tone.


    For a moment, no one dared to say the opposite.

 Chapter 699

    Chapter 699


    Chapter 699


    Rachel did not expect David to be so protective of her.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise as she looked at the man in front of her in a daze.


    Rachel was still thinking about David¡¯s words. ¡°She¡¯s my wife, my only partner in this life, and the future


    mistress of the family!¡±


    David didn¡¯t show obvious emotional fluctuations when he said it. But his words made Rachel


    emotional, and she couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time.


    When Old Mr. Jones heard David¡¯s words, Old Mr. Jones¡¯ eyes narrowed slightly. A trace of anger


    appeared on Old Mr. Jones¡¯ usually expressionless face. Then, Old Mr. Jones turned to look at Rachel


    with a trace of disdain and ridicule in his eyes. ¡°That depends on whether she is qualified!¡±


    Not anyone was qualified to take the position of the mistress of the Jones family.


    David lifted the lid of the coffee cup and removed the coffee grounds with his well-defined fingers. He


    said casually, ¡°The mistress of the Jones family has to be her.¡±


    Hearing David¡¯s confident words, Old Mr. Jones was more certain about the guess in his heart.


    Old Mr. Jones stared at David for a moment.


    Finally, Old Mr. Jones couldn¡¯t take it anymore and got up to leave angrily.


    Looking at Old Mr. Jones¡¯ back as he left, David lowered his eyes to hide the secretive expression in


    his eyes.


    Old Mr. Jones walked out of the living room and instructed the butler, ¡°Bring me the family tree! Don¡¯t


    let anyone know!¡±


    butler was stunned for a moment before replying, ¡°Yes.¡±


    A momentter, the butler handed a wooden box to Old Mr. Jones.


    Old Mr. Jones took out the family tree and saw Rachel¡¯s name beside David¡¯s.


    No wonder David was so confident!


    When the butler saw this, his eyes were filled with chaos. ¡°Why is Miss Grey¡¯s name here?¡±


    Not to mention the Jones family¡¯s rules, even ording to the rules of other families, the partner¡¯s


    name couldn¡¯t be written on the family tree before officially getting married.


    Not only did David not take the rules of the Jones family seriously, but he also looked down on the


    elders of the Jones. family!


    ¡°Could it be that Mr. Louis¡­¡± The butler looked at Old Mr. Jones¡¯s expression and said carefully, ¡°But


    Mr. Louis has always been polite and followed the rules. How could he do such a thing?¡±


    In other words, the butler was implying that Rachel must have seduced David and talked him into doing


    it. That was why David, who had always beenpliant, lost his mind and did such a thing.


    Old Mr. Jones closed the family tree in his hand and casually threw it on the table. He let out a low


    laugh and looked up at the butler meaningfully. ¡°He¡¯s not the only one who doesn¡¯t take the Jones-


    family n seriously.¡±


    Hearing this, the butler¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°You are saying that¡­¡±


    It was Mrs. Jones?


    Old Mr. Jones sighed softly. ¡°She¡¯s forcing me to ept that girl.¡±


    Over the years, the side branches and the main family had beenpeting nonstop. The Jones family


    seemed to be harmonious, but there was a lot of tension. A lot of people wanted to be the mistress of


    the Jones family. Marriage was a good way to consolidate the status and power of the main family. If


    the Jones family could get the Clifford family¡¯s support, it would undoubtedly be the icing on the cake,


    But now, all the hard work and nning of Mrs. Jones had been ruined when Rachel¡¯s name was


    written into the family tree. The butler observed Old Mr. Jones¡¯s unfathomable expression. After


    hesitating for a while, the butler carefully asked, ¡°But why does Mrs. Jones insist on choosing this Miss


    Grey?¡± ording to the current situation, if the Jones family could get the Clifford family¡¯s help, then


    the main family would be much stronger than before. As a ser vant, the butler could see the pros and


    cons, so Mrs. Jones naturally could.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Therefore, the butler really could not figure out why Mrs. Jones would give up on the Clifford family and


    choose the woman brought back from outside by David.


    Now, David had even secretly written Rachel¡¯s name on the family tree.


    ¡°She has always been unreasonable. She only cares about her mood.¡± Old Mr. Jones said, ¡°I just don¡¯t


    know if this girl can live up to Mrs. Jones¡¯ good intentions.¡± At the same time, Pollister, Trinisia garden.


    Old Mrs. Jones woke up from her sleep with a violent cough. Rosie hurriedly walked in and poured a


    cup of warm water for Old Mrs. Jones. Old Mrs. Jones took a sip of water and looked up at the sky


    outside the window. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even 11 o¡¯clock yet,¡± Rosie said. Old Mrs. Jones took a


    deep breath. ¡°Help me up and take a walk outside.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When the two of them walked to the


    courtyard, Rosie told Old Mrs. Jones about the news she just got. ¡°Our people said that Mr. Johnson


    sent the butler to retrieve the family tree. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t hide what we did.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t n to hide it from him.¡± Old Mrs. Jones raised her hand and adjusted the thin jacket on her


    shoulder. She looked up at the moonlight. ¡°If he¡¯s smart, he should know the right choice.¡± Rosie


    lowered her eyes and thought for a while. ¡°But if the elders find out about it, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t ept


    it.¡±


    Those people had always hoped that David could marry the Clifford girl so that they could have more


    benefits.


    When Old Mrs. Jones heard this, she slightly smiled. There was a hint of coldness in her eyes. ¡°The


    main family and the branches don¡¯t get along. But the main family has not fallen to the point of relying


    on marriage to maintain our status!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rosie stopped talking.


    ¡°Since he has read the family tree, let¡¯s remove the names of the nine branches of the family tree,¡± Old


    Mrs. Jones looked up at the lonely night and said indifferently.


    Rosie¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Mrs. Jones, I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t do this.¡±


    Once the nine side branches were removed from the family tree, the side branches would definitely


    take action. At that time, the painstakingly maintained bnce between the main family and


    Chapter 690


    side branches would be broken.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Old Mrs. Jones looked at Rosie calmly. ¡°Although she has David backing her,


    it¡¯s always good to have more support.¡±


    Hearing this, Rosie didn¡¯t say anything else. She lowered her eyes and said respectfully, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do it


    now.¡±


    Rosie knew Old Mrs. Jones liked Rachel, but she did not expect Old Mrs. Jones to be so biased. It was


    really unexpected.


    Old Mrs. Jones took out her phone and looked at the time. She found Rachel at the top of her


    Whatsapp chat list. Old Mrs. Jones typed and sent a message: [Rae-Rae, with me backing you, no one


    can bully you.]


    When Rachel saw the message from Old Mrs. Jones, a hint of gentleness appeared in her eyes.


    Rachel quickly tapped on the keyboard with her fingertips. [Grandma, it¡¯s already sote. Why aren¡¯t


    you resting?]


    Old Mrs. Jones quickly replied, [I¡¯ll go to bedter. If you suffer any grievances over there, feel free to


    tell me. I will stand up for you and avenge you!]


    Rachel felt warmth in her heart. [Alright, good night.]


    Rachel had just put the phone down when it rang again.


    Rachel originally thought that it was a message from Mrs. Jones. But it was a call from Vulture.


    As soon as Rachel picked up the phone, Vulture¡¯s voice entered her ears through the phone. ¡°Twelve,


    we¡¯re leaving.¡±

 Chapter 700

    Chapter 700


    Chapter 700


    The news was so sudden that when Rachel heard it, she froze.


    ¡°Why so sudden?¡±


    From the other side of the line, Vulture pressed his lips together and briefly summarized the call he¡¯d


    had with Lone Wolf earlier. ¡°There¡¯s some unrest at the border. We need to go over and control the


    situation urgently.¡±


    When Vulture finished, he added, ¡°By the way, Lone Wolf asked me to ask you something. Do you


    have family in Aureliana?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Rachel frowned slightly, a hint of contemtion shing in her eyes.


    ¡°Maybe Lone Wolf got the wrong information.¡± Since there was an emergent situation, Vulture didn¡¯t


    exin much but repeatedly reminded Rachel, ¡°The Jones family¡¯s situation isplicated. You have


    to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel frowned slightly, her eyes filled with contemtion.


    Why did they say that she had family in Aureliana?


    For some reason, what Mr. Davies had said about her looking like a friend of his resounded again in


    Rachel¡¯s mind.


    Could this so-called family be the friend that Mr. Davies had mentioned?


    Just as she was feeling baffled, David approached Rachel, bringing with him a crisp woody fragrance.


    David reached out his finger and tucked Rachel¡¯s hair behind her ear. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Rachel looked up and suddenly met David¡¯s deep ck eyes.


    Rachel pursed her lips. ¡°Nothing. Vulture called just now and said that something urgent came up and


    he had to leave early.¡±


    ¡°So urgently?¡± David asked.


    Rachel responded affirmatively as she looked at David, her lips moving slightly.


    ¡°You want to send him off?¡± David watched as Rachel lowered her eyes and figured out what she was


    thinking. David ced his palm on the top of her head and caressed it gently and lovingly. ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°Go where?¡± Rachel looked up at him.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Perhaps it was because of the tacit understanding that they had developed after interacting with each


    other for so long but the moment their eyes met, Rachel immediately understood what David was


    saying.


    ¡°Then you¡­¡±


    11


    Before Rachel could finish her sentence, the butler¡¯s voice came from behind them. ¡°Mr. David!¡±


    Rachel turned and saw the butler who was hurrying towards them. The butler nodded slightly at Rachel


    and said, ¡°Mr. David, Mr. Jones, the heads of the other branches, and the Elders have been waiting in


    the meeting hall for a long time.¡±


    The banquet prepared by Old Mr. Jones was coined a family banquet, but it was actually a family


    meeting before the cab meeting.


    As the head of the family, David naturally could not leave.


    Moreover, now that the Elders were here, it was all the more reason David couldn¡¯t leave.


    The Elders had already picked up on the fact that David had dealt with the nine branches in a swift and


    decisive manner a few days ago. If David left at this juncture, the Elders would probably be dissatisfied


    and take the opportunity to get a hold of his weaknesses.


    Rachel tugged at the corner of David¡¯s shirt. ¡°Quickly go. Don¡¯t worry about me. Chris will apany


    me.¡±


    Rachel wasn¡¯t officially married to David yet so strictly speaking, she wasn¡¯t considered part of the


    Jones family.


    As such, it didn¡¯t matter if Rachel participated in this so-called family banquet.


    Just as Vulture had said, as the only female around David, Rachel was like a walking target.


    In that case, regardless of whether Rachel wanted to see those people or not, they would always find a


    way and reason to see her.


    David pursed his thin lips.


    The butler sized up the expression on David¡¯s face and spoke at just the right moment, ¡°Mr. David,


    since Miss Grey has to leave, why don¡¯t I arrange for her to take Mr. Jones¡¯ car? No one will dare to


    crash into Mr. Jones¡¯ cars.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Rachel said. ¡°A car is a car.¡±


    Rachel figured that based on the Jones family¡¯s status in¡¯ Aureliana, no one would carelessly crash into


    a car leaving the Jones family¡¯s estate.


    David waved his hand to dismiss the butler, taking Rachel¡¯s hand and walking towards the old


    residence¡¯s exit.


    When he reached the door, David was still holding Rachel¡¯s hand tightly. David turned to look at Yann


    and Billy behind him. ¡°You guys escort her personally.¡±


    In unison, they both cried, ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    After Rachel had said goodbye to David, she leaned forward and


    climbed into the car.


    Rachel lowered the window and waved at David before the car was started and they left.


    ¡°Is this the legendary loyal husband who watches his wife until he turns to stone?¡± Yann nced at


    David, who was still standing by the door, through the rearview mirror.


    When Rachel heard this, she turned around and looked behind her.


    David was still standing at the exit where they¡¯d said goodbye and even though they were far away


    from each other now, Rachel could clearly sense his worried expression.


    Rachel pursed her lips helplessly and sighed softly.


    Ever since Rachel came to Aureliana, she could feel that David was in a highly tense state, as if


    something bad would happen to her at any time.


    As the car slowly moved out of sight, David turned around with a cold expression and walked into the


    old residence, heading straight for the meeting hall.


    On the other side, Vulture and ckhawk quickly packed their things and prepared to leave.


    However, since they had received Rachel¡¯s call, they deliberately waited for a while.


    A de of grass stuck out from the corner of ckhawk¡¯s mouth as he looked out at the gradually


    sinking sun in the distance. ckhawk couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°To be honest, before I saw Twelve, it


    didn¡¯t bother me. After seeing her, I suddenly don¡¯t want to leave.¡±


    ckhawk couldn¡¯t help but miss those days when they had gone through tough times together.


    ¡°Since we know where she is, she won¡¯t be able to run away from


    us.¡± Vulture nced at the time on his phone. ¡°With Lone Wolf¡¯s navigation system, I¡¯ll be able to find


    her even if she runs to the ends of the earth.¡±


    As he spoke, a message from Lone Wolf popped up.


    Vulture clicked on the picture.


    The picture was a blurry side profile and although it was blurry, one could tell from the facial outline that


    it was Rachel.


    No!


    To be precise, it was someone who looked a lot like Rachel.


    ¡°Who is this woman?¡± Vulture muttered thoughtfully.


    ¡°Let me see.¡± ckhawk spat out the grass in his mouth and took the phone to have a look. ¡°Isn¡¯t this


    Twelve?¡±


    The moment the words were out of his mouth, ckhawk added, ¡°Looking closely, it doesn¡¯t seem like


    it either. Who is this woman?¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to know?¡± Vulture rolled his eyes at ckhawk, figuring they would know more


    once Rachel arrived.


    Vulture looked down at the time. It was now the time that he and Rachel had agreed upon, but there


    was no sign of her. Vulture frowned slightly. ¡°She should be back by now.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. Women have so many things to do before they leave,¡± ckhawk said.


    However, after 20 minutes, Rachel was still nowhere to be seen.


    Vulture had a bad feeling about this.


    Twelve had always delivered what she promised. She would never promise anything she could not do.


    Since Rachel had said that she would send Vulture and ckhawk off, she would definitely be here.


    Could it be that she was in trouble?


    With that in mind, Vulture took out his phone and dialed Rachel¡¯s number.


    A mechanical voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the number you¡¯ve dialed is


    temporarily unavable¡­¡±

 Chapter 701

    Chapter 701


    Chapter 701


    Upon hearing this, the ominous feeling in Vulture¡¯s heart intensified.


    ¡°Call Twelve!¡±


    ckhawk noticed Vulture¡¯s serious expression and changed his casual attitude from just a second


    ago, quickly taking out his phone and dialing Rachel¡¯s number.


    It was the same as when Vulture had tried earlier. The call couldn¡¯t be connected.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get through,¡± ckhawk said.


    ckhawk raised his eyes and nced at Vulture. As they exchanged looks, they reached a clear


    understanding.


    ww


    Barely speaking, both of them stood up at the same time and left, taking big strides as they rushed


    toward Peckham Pce.


    ckhawk started the car, and Vulture threw the equipment in before opening the window and sliding


    in, his movements. smooth.


    The moment the car dashed out, Vulture took out his phone and called David.


    In the meeting hall, many different kinds of people sat around the huge conference table.


    Old Mr. Jones and David were leading the meeting at the head of the table.


    Next were the Elders, followed by David¡¯s uncles and the heads of the family branches.


    The meeting was graduallying to an end.


    David sat in his chair, his gaze asionallynding on his phone.


    Rachel usually would send him a message to inform him that she was safely home.


    He should have received a message by now.


    Could it be that when Rachel saw Vulture and ckhawk, she¡¯d forgotten about her actual fianc¨¦?


    Just as the thought entered his mind, his brows furrowed a little, and a terrifying low pressure


    surrounded him.


    At this moment, Harley Willis, the Head of the Elders, looked at David. ¡°Mr. David, ording to our


    current investigation, the Jones family¡¯s development in the past six months is more focused on


    external development than the local industry. Therefore, I think we need to discuss the future


    development direction of the Jones family¡­¡±


    A buzzing sound filled the room.


    The phone on the table continued to vibrate, interrupting Harley Willis.


    Harley Willis frowned and looked at David with eyes full of displeasure.


    As soon as Harley opened his mouth, he said in an using tone, ¡°Mr. David, the use of phones is


    prohibited during the meeting. As the head of the family, have you forgotten the rules?!¡±


    David did not seem to hear him, taking his phone before he got up and left.


    Seeing that David did not respect Harley, intriguing smiles shed across the eyes of the heads of the


    branches of the family.


    They all felt that David was getting more and more arrogant.


    David did not take rtionships into ount when he did things and was decisive and ruthless. Now,


    he was so bold that he did not even respect the Elders.


    At this moment, Ryan Jones from the fourth branch said unhurriedly, ¡°Mr. Willis, do you think we can


    add another use to the main point of our discussion for the cab meeting?¡±


    Harley put down the folder in his hand and looked up at Ryan.


    Ryan continued, ¡°The head of the main family instructed his subordinates to destroy the branches¡¯


    business and maliciously upied it for himself. If he can¡¯t even dissuade his own.


    subordinates, how is he worthy of continuing to sit in his current position?¡±


    Harley looked at Ryan and narrowed his eyes, a shrewd and calcting glint passing through them.


    Harley picked up the cup beside him and held it up to his nose to sniff it. With no hurry in his voice,


    Harley spoke, ¡°Although Mr. David is the head of the family in name now, Mr. Jones has high


    qualifications and experience. Why don¡¯t we listen to him?¡± Harley¡¯s words seemed to be giving Old Mr.


    Jones some respect but he was actually gradually intensifying internal conflicts in the family. Back then,


    the Jones family had been in constant conflict over the position of the sessor, and at one point,


    there was a situation where the siblings were fighting with each other.


    To avoid a tragedy, at a critical moment, Old Mr. Jones put David into his current position.


    David did not disappoint Old Mr. Jones, using only six months to settle the internal strife. However, his


    rise to power made the others feel indignant.


    Especially David¡¯s uncles who¡¯d been born into the main family.


    While they hated David, they also resented Old Mr. Jones.


    They thought that he was old and muddle-headed to overstep his sons and give away the Jones family


    to his grandson!


    Harley¡¯s words had undoubtedly reignited the resentment in their hearts. Before Old Mr. Jones could


    speak, the butler suddenly ran in from outside. Sensing everyone¡¯s gaze on him, the butler adjusted his


    expression and quickly walked over to Old Mr. Jones¡¯s side. The butler bent down and deliberately


    lowered his voice. ¡°Mr. Jones, Mr. David has left!¡± No matter how soft the butler¡¯s voice was, his words


    were still picked up by Harley, who had ulterior motives. Harley ced his cup down on the table. The


    sound was neither loud nor soft but it instantly attracted everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°As the head of the


    family, he just left without saying anything. Isn¡¯t he disrespecting all of us?¡± Harley¡¯s faint words


    instantly caused chatter in the room.


    Seeing that the situation was getting more out of hand, Old Mr. Jones raised his hand to signal


    everyone to be quiet.


    These people had been resentful towards David for a long time. Now that they had found an


    opportunity to condemn him, they wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    In just a short moment, like spilled beans that sc at tered across the floor, everyone began toin


    about David¡¯s past evil deeds. in front of the Elders.


    As night fell, a ck Bugatti Veyron sped through the streets like a bolt of ck lightning.


    David¡¯s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, the veins on his arm clearly visible.


    David¡¯s exquisite and well-defined facial features looked even


    more profound in the dim light, entuating the murderous. aura and ruthlessness in his eyes.


    At this time, Jimmy¡¯s call came through, ¡°David, we lost contact with Rachel after they entered the


    tunnel.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I need people over there, now!¡±


    After hanging up, David stepped harder on the elerator.


    The car that Rachel was sitting in drove as usual until they entered the tunnel.


    Just as the car was about to drive out of the tunnel, a heavy truck suddenly crashed towards them.


    After crashing into the car in the lead and pushing it out a few yards, the truck drove straight toward the


    car that Rachel was in.


    Chris started the car and skillfully dodged it but another car blocked their retreat.


    With no other choice, Rachel and Chris could only escape out of the car.


    At the same time, the entrance of the tunnel copsed.


    Yann pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth and smiled. mockingly. ¡°This is getting f**king


    interesting.¡±


    Yann and Billy looked at each other, both of them opening the car doors at the same time and getting


    out together.


    Billy and Yann quickly joined Chris and Rachel.


    ¡°Why is the signal here getting weaker and weaker¡­¡± Chris had originally nned to call David to let


    him know their current situation, but the phone signal was very weak and she could not make any calls.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡± Rachel¡¯s expression was so calm that it was almost chilling. Rachel watched as the


    heavy truck slowly opened its


    hatch, a group of well-trained men in ck gradually


    approaching them. Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly, and a cold light appeared in the depths of her


    eyes. ¡°They attacked us here to iste us from the outside world. Why would they leave us a chance to


    ask for help from someone else?¡±

 Chapter 702

    Chapter 702


    Chapter 702


    ¡°Miss Grey, Boss installed an anti-jamming chip in your phone¡­¡±


    Before Chris could finish her sentence, Rachel threw her phone toward Chris.


    Looking at the intermittent signal on the phone, it was obvious that the other party had calcted all the


    possibilities.


    Even if Rachel¡¯s phone was equipped with an anti-jamming chip, it was impossible for them to guard


    against the other party who hade prepared.


    ¡°This is Aureliana. You guys are more familiar with this ce than me. Take a look and see if there¡¯s an


    exit.¡± Rachel pulled the band off her wrist and slowly tied her long hair into a low ponytail.


    Rachel looked down at her outfit and was suddenly d that she was wearing a suit today.


    If Rachel had changed into a dress, it would really hinder her.


    ¡°The exit is blocked. We have no way out now.¡± Chris looked around calmly. ¡°The only exit is in front of


    us.¡±


    However, the other party¡¯s heavy truck was blocking off the road and there were nearly a hundred hired


    men in front of the truck.


    If they wanted to escape, they could only go head-on with the other party and fight their way through.


    Chapter 702


    With a nk expression, Rachel said, ¡°Since they¡¯re blocking


    us off, they must be doing it for me, so they probably won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    When the three people beside Rachel heard this, aplicated expression passed over their faces.


    As expected of the woman David had taken a fancy to, Rachel was indeed extraordinary.


    Rachel was still so calm at this juncture.


    Rachel¡¯s calm tone almost made it seem like this matter had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°Putting all his trusted subordinates with a woman? So much for the rumor that David Jones doesn¡¯t get


    close to women!¡± A hoarse voice echoed in the silent tunnel. ¡°I know that as David¡¯s trusted


    subordinates, you are very good at fighting, but I want to know if you can fight a hundred people.¡±


    As the voice spoke, the group of men in ck split into two groups, opening up a path in the middle.


    A man in a white suit sitting in an electric wheelchair appeared. His face was sickly pale, and his thin


    face made his eyes look slightly sunken as eyes full of malice stared fixedly at Rachel. ¡°As expected of


    David¡¯s woman. An outstanding appearance. I¡¯m afraid even thedy from the Clifford family is inferior.¡±


    Rachel was hearing about the Clifford family again.


    Everyone said that the Clifford family¡¯s youngdy was gorgeous, which made Rachel curious about


    what kind of beauty she was.


    Chapter 702


    However, at this moment, Rachel had more pressing questions.


    Rachel looked at the man sitting in the wheelchair not far away and asked indifferently, ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°Nathan Jones, the sessor of the ninth branch,¡± Chris said in a low voice. ¡°But he¡¯s nothing now.¡±


    David had given the order to get rid of the nine branches, so the ninth branch was thus abolished.


    There was no more


    need for a sessor.


    However, ording to the original order, the ninth branch. should have been taken care of. There was


    no reason for a sickly person to have escaped.


    With that in mind, Chris turned her gaze toward Yann.


    David had given Yann full responsibility for this matter.


    Sensing Chris¡¯ gaze, Yann suddenly felt guilty. Yann touched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Even the most


    careful can make mistakes. Who would have thought that this sick person. would escape?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Nathan¡¯s face filled with anger as they continued to treat him as if he didn¡¯t exist and referred


    to him as a sick person. ¡°Since David ruined my family, I¡¯ll let him have a good taste of what it feels like


    to suffer!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Nathan waved his hand, and hundreds of men in ck rushed


    forward.


    ¡°Miss Grey, you¡­¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Before Chris could finish speaking, with a sudden movement, Rachel suddenly stepped onto the hood


    of the


    car, jumping into the air and kicking the person who had rushed up.


    The huge impact caused the man to fall to the ground, crashing into the people rushing up behind him.


    Yann was dumbfounded.


    While they¡¯d been cleaning up the vi, Yann had heard from Chris that Rachel¡¯sbat power was off


    the charts. He did not expect it to be so incredible.


    However, the men in front of them were not useless either.


    Nathan looked at Rachel and narrowed his eyes, a hint of . interest appearing in them.


    Rachel had indeed given him a huge surprise.


    Nathan had thought that Rachel was just pretty like a flower in a vase, but he did not expect her to be a


    rose with thorns.


    Sharp thorns.


    If Nathan wasn¡¯t careful, these thorns could hurt him.


    At this rate, the hundreds of people he had brought with him would not be enough for the four people in


    front of him.


    Fortunately, he had other countermeasures.


    ¡°Go and bring her to me!¡± Nathan coldly ordered the man standing right behind him.


    The man replied, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Not long after, the man returned with a sack.


    Throwing the sack on the ground, the man pulled Mary


    Green out of the sack up by the back of her neck, almost as if she was a little chick.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want her to die, I advise you not to move.¡± As Nathan finished speaking, a gunshot ran out


    in the tunnel. Rachel and the others stopped what they were doing.


    The moment Rachel saw Mary, the look in her eyes changed.


    Rachel had not expected that Nathan would kidnap Mary.


    Unused to the light in front of her, Mary closed her eyes.


    After a moment, Mary slowly opened her eyes again. The moment she saw Rachel, her eyes instantly


    filled with tears.


    However, when Mary noticed Rachel¡¯s nervous and worried expression, Mary tried her best to


    suppress her fear and forced out a smile.


    However, Mary¡¯s mouth was sealed with tape and she could not smile at all.


    As a result, this reassuring smile looked even uglier than if she was crying.


    ¡°Tell me, what do you want?¡± Rachel went straight to the point.


    Nathan didn¡¯t expect Rachel to be so direct. However, it helped him save his breath. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I want


    you to help me kill David Jones!¡±


    Hearing this, the expressions of Billy and the others. immediately changed.


    Countless people wanted to kill David, but not anyone could.


    Rachel, however, was different.


    Rachel was the only person in the world that David was not wary of


    If Rachel wanted to kill David, it would be easy.


    David was so blinded by love that he might give his life to her.


    Rachel smiled slightly, but the depths of her eyes were cold. ¡°I asked the question to give you a


    chance, not for you to sit here and daydream.¡±


    ¡°In that case, please witness how your best friend is torn apart,¡± Nathan said as he pulled off Mary¡¯s


    jacket.


    There were bombs tied to Mary¡¯s abdomen.


    Moreover, these bombs would kill more than one person.


    Nathan was nning to kill everyone along with himself if the negotiation didn¡¯t work!


    Rachel narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists by her side. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a good idea to perish


    together, but if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    As Rachel spoke, she took a deep breath and stepped forward.


    Chris grabbed her hand. ¡°Miss Grey!¡±

 Chapter 703

    Chapter 703


    Chapter 703


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    The explosive power of this bomb should not be underestimated.


    If they approached rashly and he suddenly pressed the control switch, the only thing waiting for Rachel


    would be death.


    Rachel nced at Chris, signaling her to be at ease.


    Rachel then shrugged off Chris¡¯s hand and walked towards Nathan.


    Nathan held the remote control in his right hand and smiled disdainfully. ¡°I knew that David¡¯s woman


    would be a smart person.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s slender and graceful figure made one¡¯s imagination run wild with her vivid and beautiful face


    like a work of art.


    However, the most eye-catching thing was Rachel¡¯s perfect waist-to-hip ratio.


    Such a woman was simply a natural beauty.


    If David could die at the hands of his woman, it wouldn¡¯t be a loss.


    After all, if one dies at the hands of a pretty woman, he¡¯d still be a happy ghost.


    Rachel looked at Nathan, her red lips curving into a cold smile. I allowed you to tell me what you


    wanted, but it¡¯s not to fulfill your wishful thinking¡±


    ¡°You tricked me? Nathan narrowed his eyes, and a sinister and vicious cold light appeared in them.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to perish together Rachel nced at the remote control in his hand. Just press it. If


    we¡¯re going to die, we¡¯ll die together. It doesn¡¯t matter if I die. David will continue living freely in this


    world alone¡±


    ¡°Your parents fought for an opportunity for you to escape I don¡¯t know how they would feel if they knew


    that you couldn¡¯t take revenge and even lost your life in the process. It¡¯s a pity for them to outlive their


    children¡±


    Every word Rachel spoke was like a knife that mercilessly stabbed into Nathan¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Nathan gritted his teeth and red at Rachel Nathan gripped the remote control tightly, but


    he¡¯d unconsciously loosened the finger that had been resting on the red button earlier.


    It wasn¡¯t that Nathan hadn¡¯t thought about dying, but he couldn¡¯t ept dying while David continued to


    live freely and unharmed.


    While Nathan¡¯s mind had wandered off. Rachel quietly moved her feet wanting to try and sn*tch the


    remote control from his hand.


    However, just as she moved, Nathan warily sensed her intentions.


    Nathan stared at Rachel and a strange smile suddenly appeared on his lips. ¡°No, for such a cold-


    blooded and heartless person like David to put his trusted subordinates by your side, it means he must


    value you very much. If you die, he¡¯ll definitely be in so much pain that he¡¯ll wish he was dead¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel felt her heart squeeze, but her face was still calm, betraying no emotion. ¡°For


    men, there will always be another woman.¡±


    Is that so Nathan stared at Rachel with a faint smile, still skeptical of her words. ¡°But it¡¯s good enough


    to make him suffer for a while.


    At this point, his eyes flickered with determination, as if he was prepared to die.


    Nathan stared at Rachel¡¯s beautiful face, the smile on his lips looking even stranger now


    If he died with a beauty like Rachel at least he wouldn¡¯t be lonely.


    The moment Nathan finished speaking Rachel¡¯s expression changed as if she d decided on something


    Jaster than she¡¯d ever been, Rachel pounced on him.


    pter 703


    At the same time, a gunshot sounded from behind.


    Before Nathan could react, a bl**dy hole appeared in his hand.


    Nathan¡¯s face was pale, and his hands trembled uncontrobly. He was stunned for a second before he


    let out a hysterical wail.


    Taking advantage of the moment that the remote control fell, Rachel kicked it away.


    Seeing this, Nathan stared at the remote control in the distance with bloodshot eyes. Frustrated, he fell


    off his wheelchair, crawling on the ground in a sorry state like an animal.


    In order to avoid being caught by David, Nathan had hidden out of sight like a rat hiding in a tunnel.


    Nathan had secretly prepared for three days and three nights just for today.


    How could he be satisfied without killing David Jones?


    Seeing through his intentions, Rachel blocked his way in a sh. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy.¡±


    Nathan looked at the exquisite high heels in front of him and slowly looked up, his eyes filled with


    anger. ¡°I curse you and David Jones to die a horrible death!¡±


    Rachel looked down at him and replied expressionlessly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    At this moment, a ck Bugatti drove in from the direction of the exit.


    With a roar, it finally stopped close by.


    The car door opened, and David, dressed in a ck suit, appeared.


    David¡¯s straight and slender legs strode forward with ringing and sharp steps, a cold murderous aura


    surrounding him.


    David¡¯s chiseled face seemed to be covered in ayer of ice, and his dark eyes were as cold as ice,


    immersed in a destructive aura.


    The short distance of 30 feet was the longest journey David had ever taken in his life.


    When he stood in front of Rachel, he did not say anything, pulling Rachel tightly into his arms and


    hugging her.


    When Vulture and ckhawk rushed over and saw the two of them hugging, they rolled their eyes.


    D*mn it, David beat them to it again!


    When Nathan saw David get out of his car, David¡¯s bloodshot eyes were filled with intense frustration


    and hatred.


    Nathan was unwilling to ept this!


    Nathan was frustrated to see the n he had painstakinglye up with destroyed just like that!.


    Nathan was even more upset that the branches of the family were so easily taken over by David Jones!


    However, Nathan¡¯s body which was always filled with hatred could not do anything.


    Nathan could only lie on the ground and look up at David.


    Jimmy and Landon arrivedte.


    They nced at the men in ck who were being controlled by Nathan and walked over to David and


    Rachel.


    Rachel was held tightly in David¡¯s arms, David¡¯s hand pressing onto the back of Rachel¡¯s head so that


    her head was buried in his chest.


    Rachel struggled a little and said gloomily, ¡°I¡¯m about to suffocate to death¡­¡±


    Rachel¡¯s cold voice was mixed with a hint of coyness as if she was whining to him.


    David took a deep breath and calmed himself down before gradually letting go of Rachel.


    David¡¯s dark eyes stared at her without blinking, resisting the urge to kiss her before he pulled her


    behind him protectively.


    David walked up to Nathan and everyone looked at David in confusion.


    David suddenly raised his leg and kicked Nathan¡¯s chest ruthlessly.


    Nathan flew a few yards away, hitting the side of the wheel of a car.


    The pain in his chest and the smell of blood in his throat made him cough continuously.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you just be a good patient?¡± Jimmy lowered his eyes and nced at Nathan. A hint of


    mockery shed across his eyes. ¡°You have the cheek toe out and embarrass yourself like this?¡±


    Nathan coughed non-stop, his face flushed red. He clutched his chest in pain and reached out with


    difficulty to support himself into getting up. However, Nathan could not support himself with just one


    hand and could only re fiercely at Jimmy.


    Seeing how weak he was, Jimmy clucked his tongue and stretched out his long legs to step over him.


    To Nathan, this action was extremely humiliating.


    Nathan¡¯s hands were tightly clenched into fists, his furious gaze following Jimmy¡¯s movements before it


    finallynded on David.

 Chapter 704

    Chapter 704


    Chapter 704


    Jimmy noticed Mary hiding in the corner and frowned. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­¡± Mary¡¯s voice choked, and she could not speak, tears flowing out of her eyes.


    At this moment, all her feelings up to this point seemed to burst forth.


    Jimmy was most afraid of women crying.


    Seeing Mary wailing like a helpless child, Jimmy¡¯s heart inexplicably tightened.


    Jimmy quickly walked forward, but Mary hurriedly stepped backward and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯te over!


    They tied a bomb to me!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Jimmy continued to walk forward, a hint of frustration in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m not blind.¡±


    How could he not see the explosives tied to Mary¡¯s body?


    Moreover, the bomb would go off in three minutes.


    ¡°Who did this?¡± Jimmy looked at theplicated bomb on Mary¡¯s body and his eyes darkened.


    Mary didn¡¯t say anything, only looking at Nathan with a resentful gaze.


    Following her line of sight to Nathan. Jimmy cursed softly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Rachel walked up to Jimmy.


    Jimmy was stunned for a moment but when he saw Rachel roll up her sleeves, he hurriedly said, ¡°No


    need, no need. It¡¯s such a small matter, I can do it myself.¡±


    Rachel looked at him indifferently. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    Jimmy was left speechless.


    To be honest, it wasn¡¯t a good feeling being doubted in front of everyone.


    Jimmy admitted that he was usually fooling around and looked unreliable, but he wouldn¡¯t drop the ball.


    at such a critical moment.


    It seemed that Jimmy would need to work hard in the future to correct Rachel¡¯s impression of him.


    As Jimmy was pushed to the side by Rachel, he felt the damage to his self-esteem.


    Jimmy pursed his lips and squeezed himself back in. ¡°Rachel, let me do this.¡±


    Rachel frowned and was about to speak when a figure walked over.


    David took Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°When a hero is saving a damsel in distress, you have to give him a


    chance.¡°


    As David spoke, he held Rachel¡¯s waist and led her to the side.


    As soon as they walked off, Jimmy took a big stride forward. He studied the bomb tied to Mary


    seriously, and a solemn look shed across his eyes.


    However, when Jimmy looked up again, he had his usual cheeky smile on his face. ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    Mary stared at the mole at the corner of Jimmy¡¯s eye in a daze. She nodded before she quickly shook


    her


    head.


    Mary swallowed and said firmly, ¡°Do it. I trust you!¡±


    Mary was clearly trembling in fear, but she was very stubborn.


    ¡°Silly girl.¡± A gentle look appeared in Jimmy¡¯s eyes, apanied with a soft smile, as he reached out


    and patted her head gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡±


    Mary nodded solemnly.


    Landon handed the toolkit to Jimmy.


    The bomb had now entered the two-minute countdown.


    There wasn¡¯t much time left for Jimmy.


    Carefully, Jimmy checked the wires on the bomb. A thinyer of sweat appeared on his forehead and


    the tip of his nose, and the hair on his forehead was also drenched in sweat.


    Usually, a minute felt like it was crawling by.


    However, every second now seemed to have been deliberately elerated. In the blink of an eye, they


    were down to a one-minute countdown.


    Mary looked at the countdown and clenched her fists tightly from where they were pulled behind her.


    ¡°Jimmy, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Mary stared at Jimmy, who was right in front of her. Mary¡¯s eyes could


    not help but reveal a trace of reluctance. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t me you.¡±


    Jimmy didn¡¯t say anything, only raising his eyes and giving her a meaningful look.


    At the same time, Jimmy used the scissors in his hand to cut the yellow line.


    Everyone around could not help but hold their breath nervously.


    The moment it was cut, the countdown stopped and everyone heaved a sigh of relief.


    Seeing the situation, Mary quietly heaved a sigh of relief, looking at Jimmy and smiling through her


    tears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Jimmy¡¯s fingertip touched an extremely thin line. It was almost like a fishing line and if


    one wasn¡¯t meticulous, they wouldn¡¯t be able to notice it.


    This line wrapped around Mary¡¯s neck and was hidden in her hair. If they were not careful, the thread


    would snap and the bomb would go off.


    The timer was a smokescreen. This line was what would actually detonate the bomb.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I¡¯m lucky? Then I¡¯ll give you half of my luck.¡± Jimmy said, ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll share


    it.¡±


    As Jimmy spoke, he took a pair of small scissors from his tool bag, following the line with his fingertips.


    before he cut the line.


    Seeing this, a hint of defeat appeared on Nathan¡¯s face.


    Nathan had thought that the bomb he had designed was ingenious enough so that no one would


    discover anything.


    Nathan did not expect that all his efforts would be wasted.


    Jimmy walked behind Mary and untied her hands before he pulled her into his arms in a hug and


    whispered in her ear, ¡°You were very brave.¡±


    ¡°Since there¡¯s there¡¯s nothing else, shouldn¡¯t we go?¡± Vulture suddenly said.


    Initially, Vulture had wanted to save the damsel in distress, but who would have thought that he would.


    only be in the background? Vulture was skilled, but somehow there was nowhere for him to use these


    skills.


    ¡°Can you walk?¡± Jimmy looked at Mary.


    Mary nodded. However, just as she took a step forward, her knees went weak and she almost fell to


    the ground.


    Fortunately, Jimmy reacted quickly and grabbed her arm.


    Mary smiled awkwardly. Without waiting for her to speak, Jimmy bent down and picked her up into his


    arms, carrying her with big strides toward the car.


    As he passed by Rachel and David, he didn¡¯t forget to say, ¡°David, Rachel, we¡¯ll leave first. See you


    later.¡±


    Everyone left in twos and threes. Nathan who couldn¡¯t get up on his own was forced by someone into a


    15.13


    car.


    When Nathan got into the car, his gazended on Rachel and David, his lips curling into an unfriendly


    smile.


    Nathan had worked so hard and long on this n. How could he let them get away with this so easily?


    Through the rearview mirror, Nathan watched Rachel and David get into their car, and his eyes glinted


    with ruthless coldness.


    Seeing his expression, Yann, who was sitting beside him, felt a little uneasy.


    Subconsciously. Yann tried to recall if he had overlooked any important clues.


    At this moment, ckhawk suddenly waved and stopped the car.


    Yann rolled down the window. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Returning something.¡± ckhawk said, pulling a string of bombs out from behind him.


    The long string was tied up like a firecracker.


    Seeing this string of bombs. Nathan¡¯s eyebrows twitched furiously.


    Unwilling to give up, Nathan secretly pressed the remote control hidden in his palm.


    As expected, nothing happened.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nathan sat there with a pale face. They¡¯d seen through every one of his schemes.


    Yann¡¯s expression changed and he asked, ¡°Where was it?¡±


    Based on the explosive power of these bombs, if they detonated, they would all die here in the tunnel!


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask him.¡± ckhawk¡¯s gaze passed Yann andnded on Nathan. ¡°I¡¯ve returned it to its


    rightful owner, no need to thank me.¡±


    Yann¡¯s gaze naturallynded on Nathan, and his lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°I underestimated


    you previously.¡±

 Chapter 705

    Chapter 705


    Chapter 705


    In Peckham Pce, the huge living room was already filled with people.


    Rachel and Mary sat on the sofa, and Rachel poured a ss of hot water and handed it to Mary. ¡°Drink


    some water first.¡±


    Mary slowly reached out to take the ss of water and stiffly took a sip.


    Although Mary was used to being spoiled, this was the first time in her life that she had been


    kidnapped.


    Mary had even had a bomb tied to her body by the kidnappers. It would be impossible for her to not


    have any trauma from this incident.


    Rachel could tell that Mary was behaving stiffly and reached out to touch her cheek. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take


    you back to your room to change your clothes first.¡±


    Mary was still wearing dirty clothes.


    After the two of them left, Landon watched them disappear before he turned to look at Jimmy. ¡°What do


    you n to do?¡±


    Jimmy was smoking as he sat on the sofa sullenly. Smoke swirled in front of him. ¡°We¡¯ll cross that


    bridge when wee to it. Why are you thinking so much now?¡±


    Seeing that he was frustrated, Landon changed the topic, raising his eyebrows at David. ¡°By the way,


    what happened today?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jimmy dusted off the cigarette ash from his fingertips. ¡°Why did that bas*ard Nathan


    kidnap Mary of all people?¡±


    If it were someone else, Jimmy wouldn¡¯t be sighing with worry now.


    Usually, no matter how Jimmy yed the fool outside, the main family would turn a blind eye.


    After all, although no one said it aloud, everyone knew very well that as the next head of the Shain


    family, Jimmy had no say in his marriage.


    But now, Mary had suddenly ¡®descended upon Aureliana. The family would think that Jimmy had done


    this on purpose.


    It was not beneficial to him or Mary!


    With this in mind, Jimmy put out the cigarette in his hand, ced the cigarette in the ashtray, and


    cursed softly.


    Looking at his troubled face, Landon was no longer in the mood to tease him.


    Landon turned to look at Vulture and ckhawk, who were in the dining room, with a faint smile on his


    lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you two have anything to say?¡±


    Vulture and ckhawk were stunned as the attention moved toward them, and they looked at each


    other..


    Vulture fiddled with his phone and walked towards them. ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    Landon took out a cigarette and threw it toward him. ¡°Of course, everything you know.¡±


    Vulture nimbly caught the cigarette and sniffed it, looking up at Landon with an intriguing smile.


    In the second-floor bedroom, Mary followed behind Rachel closely like she was Rachel¡¯s tail.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Rachel sighed softly but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Rachel filled the bathtub and tested the water temperature before she turned to look at Mary following


    behind her. ¡°The water is ready. Take a good bath, and I¡¯ll find you a change of clothes.¡±


    Mary nodded.


    However, when Rachel turned to leave, Mary instinctively grabbed Rache¡¯s wrist. ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡±


    Rachel saw through her immediately and held Mary¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mary nodded heavily, took a deep breath, and walked towards the bathroom.


    Mary was the Green family¡¯s only daughter. She was loved by everyone and had always been the


    apple of Kyle¡¯s eye. This was her first time experiencing a kidnapping.


    Rachel didn¡¯t know how Mary had even survived the kidnapping.


    At this thought, Rachel sighed deeply, a sense of guilt instantly engulfing her.


    If it wasn¡¯t for her, Mary wouldn¡¯t have been kidnapped and brought here, let alone encounter such a


    terrifying experience.


    Rachel collected her thoughts and walked into the cloakroom to choose a suitable outfit for Mary. After


    getting everything ready, Rachel headed out to the kitchen to prepare some food for Mary. As Rachel


    walked out, she turned and bumped into a firm and warm chest.


    Before Rachel could react, the man wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed her against the


    wall. However, his hand protected Rachel¡¯s back, afraid she would bump into the wall.


    The warm light in the corridor fell on him, making it look as if he was surrounded by a faintyer of


    golden light that warmed the sharpness and indifference around him.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Rachel looked at the man in front of her with gentle eyes. Her fair fingers gently


    brushed past his chin and unbuttoned the first button of his shirt.


    David held her hand and stepped forward, pressing his chest against her. His dark eyes were like a


    bottomless coldke, and his cold voice was slightly hoarse. ¡°Why did you act on your own?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to be distracted.¡± Rachel looked up at him and ced her arms naturally across his


    shoulders. ¡°This family banquet was very important to you. I can¡¯t disturb you for a small matter.¡±


    Rachel did not want to be a burden to David.


    Rachel also couldn¡¯t ept that she had be David¡¯s weakness that others used against him.


    Such an answer was uneptable to David.


    David frowned slightly and stared at her with his dark eyes, his tone serious. ¡°Rachel Grey, you¡¯re far


    more important than anything else to me¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Rachel said. ¡°But I¡¯ve already caused you trouble just by being here. I¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, David leaned over and pressed his lips onto hers with a kiss,


    forcing her to swallow the unfinished words.


    David held the back of her head with his palm, his other hand holding her chin, not giving her any way


    to escape.


    David¡¯s kiss was domineering and aggressive, robbing her of her breath.


    Rachel¡¯s hands were curled up slightly as her fingers wrapped around the cor of his shirt tightly.


    Just as Rachel¡¯s tongue was almost numb, David suddenly changed his domineering attitude and


    kissed her gently.


    It was like the gentle caress of flowing water.


    However, there seemed to be a small h**k that h**ked her sensitive heartstrings.


    After the kiss, Rachel leaned against his shoulder, breathing heavily.


    Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks had a delicate blush, and the corners of her eyes glistened. It was easy to sink


    into her eyes with just one look.


    David raised his hand and gently stroked Rachel¡¯s face, his fingers gently caressing the corners of her


    eyes. ¡°Let her leave with Jimmy tonight.¡±


    It was just a suggestion, but Rachel understood what David was trying to say.


    Rachel pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    Based on how Mary was, Rachel wasn¡¯t sure that Jimmy could take good care of Mary.


    Rachel looked at David and reached out to gently stroke his eyebrows with her fingertips, speaking


    slowly, ¡°Mary was kidnapped because of me. She¡¯s unfamiliar with this ce. I shouldn¡¯t be letting


    anyone else. take care of her.¡±


    Even if Mary didn¡¯t say anything and tried her best to act normal, Rachel knew Mary must be extremely


    scared.


    ¡°I think I need to apany her and counsel her,¡± Rachel said.


    Hearing her reasonable analysis, David¡¯s lips curled into a helpless smile.


    David pressed Rachel¡¯s earlobe between his fingertips. ¡°Don¡¯t fianc¨¦s need psychological counseling


    too?¡±

 Chapter 706

    Chapter 706


    Chapter 706


    David¡¯s dark eyes stared at Rachel without blinking and he bent down, his lips grazing the side of her


    ear as he spoke in a low voice. ¡°My fianc¨¦e suddenly disappeared, I got really scared.¡±


    David¡¯s deep voice was filled with coaxing gentleness, making Rachel¡¯s heart beat wildly.


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips curled up slightly, but she pretended not to understand. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Am I not making myself clear enough?¡± David raised his eyebrows slightly, and his hand on her waist


    tightened a little, almost like he was looming over her.


    Rachel blinked, her clear eyes pure and innocent.


    It was as if Rachel was saying, ¡°What are you talking about? Why don¡¯t I understand a word?¡±


    David narrowed his eyes slightly and pulled Rachel into his arms forcefully. Their two bodies pressed.


    against each other tightly, and he slowly bent down, his lips touching the side of her ear lightly as he


    whispered. ¡°I also need psychological counseling. You know, the kind which aligns the depths of our


    souls together.¡±


    David¡¯s warm breath blew against her temples and swept away the stray hairs by her ears.


    David¡¯s deep and maic voice was s**y and low, making Rachel¡¯s ears tingle.


    Rachel looked up at David¡¯s deep bottomless ck eyes, and her heart ski pped a beat.


    They were both adults, so of course she knew what David was hinting at.


    Rachel lowered her eyes and cleared her throat, pushing David away slightly. ¡°I¡¯m going to the kitchen


    to get Mary something to eat.¡±


    With that, she nimbly crawled out of David¡¯s embrace and left in a hurry without looking back.


    Looking at her fleeing figure, the corners of David¡¯s lips suddenly curled up into a smile that carried a


    hint of pretentiousness.


    She could hide now, but she couldn¡¯t hide forever.


    In the living room downstairs, Landon sat on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other. He held a


    cigarette between his fingers and rested his arm on the armrest. ¡°Speaking of which, we¡¯re considered


    family from now on. Can we share information?¡±


    It was not just a coincidence that Red me was famous. It was also because of their superior


    information system.


    If Red me could share their information with Landon, it would save him a lot of trouble in the future.


    When Vulture heard this, he looked up, ncing at Landon.


    Share information?


    Landon was indeed just like David. He made smart ns.


    Although Vulture was unhappy, he did not show it.


    Vulture held a green apple in his hand and frowned slightly, his eyes looked like he was deep in thought


    as -if he was seriously considering Landon¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°I can give you a discount,¡± Vulture said.


    Landon raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°How much discount?¡±


    Vulture pondered for a moment and took a bite out of the apple in his hand before saying seriously,


    ¡°15%


    off.


    Hearing this, Jimmy¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    Jimmy stuck out his tongue and pressed it against the roof of his mouth, smiling faintly as he spoke.


    ¡°Rachel is definitely going to marry David. As Rachel¡¯s friends, you¡¯re considered her family. For


    Rachel


    15:13


    to live herefortably and not be bullied by her inws, shouldn¡¯t you give a bigger discount and then


    knock off another half-price?¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Vulture raised his eyebrows at Jimmy, giving a faint smile that held a hint of


    provocation.


    Right at this moment, Rachel came down the stairs.


    Rachel¡¯s gaze swept across the group andnded on Vulture. ¡°When are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave when it¡¯s peaceful here. When Vulture saw Rachel, he immediately changed his arrogant


    sitting posture. ¡°If it¡¯s convenient, can we talkter?¡±


    Vulture felt that it was necessary to tell Rachel about the photo.


    Rachel stared at him for a moment and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rachel estimated that Mary was about to finish her bath, so she turned around and walked into the


    kitchen.


    After preparing everything, Rachel returned to the bedroom, and Mary emerged from the bathroom


    after a short while.


    After Rachel had coaxed Mary to eat the food she¡¯d prepared, they crawled into bed and started


    talking. Just like when they were young, they talked about everything for a long time.


    When Mary stopped talking and fell asleep, Rachel rolled over and yawned. She pulled the nket


    over herself and turned, closing her eyes and drifting off into a deep sleep.


    Perhaps it was because she had not slept with Mary for too long, but Rachel did not sleep well that


    night. As a result, when Rachel woke up the next day, she was listless.


    Rachel turned to look at Mary, who was sleeping beside her.


    Then, Rachel gently lifted the nket off herself and climbed out of bed.


    After washing up and getting dressed, Rachel walked out of the bedroom.


    Rachel had nned to go downstairs for breakfast, but for some reason, she found herself in David¡¯s


    bedroom.


    By the time she realized where she was, Rachel was already at David¡¯s bedside.


    Upon seeing Rachel, David was slightly stunned before he noticed Rachel¡¯s slightly bloodshot eyes.


    David frowned slightly. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep well?¡±


    Rachel felt lethargic and there was a throbbing pain in her temple. She didn¡¯t really feel like talking.


    Rachel just nodded.


    ¡°Then sleep with me for a while longer.¡± David held Rachel¡¯s hand and pulled her onto the bed and right


    into his arms.


    The familiar crisp wooden fragrance lingered in her nose, dissipating some of Rachel¡¯s frustrations.


    Rachel looped her arms around David¡¯s lean waist and leaned into his embrace. She arched her head


    slightly before she fell asleep again.


    As the sun rose higher, everyone was slowly waking up and gathering in the living room.


    Mary was not familiar with this group of people, but their arrogant and domineering appearances had


    made an impression on her.


    Mary knew very well that these people were big shots that she could not afford to offend. She simply


    sat quietly in the corner of the sofa and waited for Rachel.


    Vulture and ckhawk were quite polite to Mary because of Rachel.


    After greeting her, they sat on the sofa opposite Mary.


    15131


    Chapter 706


    Vulture kept looking upstairs. ¡°What time is it? Why isn¡¯t Twelve awake yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Twelve. Didn¡¯t you notice that David hasn¡¯te down either?¡± ckhawk said quietly.


    When the Vulture heard this, his expression changed.


    Vulture snorted in annoyance. ¡°Shameless.¡±


    It was broad daylight and David was leading Twelve to do naughty things!


    Mary didn¡¯t say anything, merely blinking and ncing at Vulture.


    Mary had a gut feeling that the man in front of her was definitely interested in Rac-Rae.


    As that thought crossed her mind, Mary heard footstepsing from upstairs.


    Everyone turned and saw Rachel and David walking down.


    ¡°If you were still not going toe down, I was about to leave!¡± Vulture raised his chin proudly, but his


    gaze kept bouncing back towards Rachel from time to time, sizing up the expression on her face..


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Vulture said. ¡°Anyter and I¡¯m afraid the situation will get out of control.¡±


    North Traca had always been an unregted area.


    Riots urred frequently and if it dragged on, Vulture was worried that the situation would worsen. As


    Vulture spoke, he gave Rachel a look.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Rachel immediately understood and turned to look at David. ¡°I¡¯m stepping out for a while.¡±

 Chapter 707

    Chapter 707


    Chapter 707


    The two of them walked out of the living room and into the garden.


    ¡°What did you want to talk to me about alone?¡± Rachel was the first to speak.


    Vulture pulled up the photo he had saved in his phone and handed it to Rachel. ¡°Take a look. Do you


    know this person?¡±


    Rachel lowered her gaze and looked at Vulture¡¯s phone.


    The moment Rachel saw the photo, her pupils constricted and she felt the shock hit her.


    This was¡­ her mother?!


    Even though Rachel tried her best to control her emotions, there was still a look of surprise in her eyes.


    ¡°Where did you get this from?¡±


    ¡°Lone Wolf received an anonymous order a few days ago,¡± Vulture told Rachel everything he knew.


    ¡°The other party provided the photo and asked to investigate the rtionship between the woman in


    the photo and you.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered with an ambiguous dark light. ¡°What have you found out?¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t find anything but even if we did, we can¡¯t tell him.¡± Vulture¡¯s lips curled into a teasing


    smile, but his tone was unusually serious. ¡°Red me has always held tight to the values of helping


    our own people.¡±


    How could a mere 20 million dors be worth them betraying Twelve?


    Although the people of Red me valued money. Twelve was more important than anything else.


    Rachel sent the photo to her own phone and returned Vulture his phone. ¡°Can you find out anything


    about the other party?¡±


    Vulture shook his head. ¡°Since it was an anonymous order, he obviously doesn¡¯t want us to find any of


    his information. However, based on Lone Wolf¡¯s investigation into the IP address location, we can


    confirm that the person is from Aureliana.¡±


    Aureliana¡­


    Aureliana again.


    The people who had investigated Rachel previously and were now secretly investigating her mother


    were all from Aureliana.


    Rachel slowly lowered her eyes to hide the darkness in them.


    Ever since Rachel came to Aureliana, it felt as if an invisible hand had been pushing her forward.


    Rachel could not help but wonder if the encounter with Mr. Davies at the Moon Pavilion was a


    coincidental urrence or if it had been nned for a long time.


    Aureliana had always been wary of letting strangers in. Why was her mother here?


    At this moment, questions came one after another, and Rachel¡¯s mind was in a mess, with no


    additional clues for her.


    Seeing that Rachel was frowning and deep in thought, Vulture reached out and patted her thin


    shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t spend too much effort on this matter. We¡¯ll help you keep a lookout. If there¡¯s any


    news, we¡¯ll contact you immediately.¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll go, but I¡¯ll leave ckhawk here with you.¡±


    Rachel was surprised that ckhawk was staying but when she thought of the current situation, she


    did not decline and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    A few minutester, Rachel and the others sent Vulture to the helicopter.


    15.13


    On the helicopter, Vulture looked at the crowd below who were getting smaller, and could not help but


    reveal a trace of reluctance in his eyes.


    After so many years, they had still missed out on each other.


    Vulture took a deep breath, looked away, and turned to look up at the clouds in the sky.


    After sending off Vulture and ckhawk, the group returned to the living room.


    Mary now became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Tell me, how did you get kidnapped?¡± Jimmy looked up at Mary.


    Although Mary was the daughter of the Green family, she was not an ignorant girl. She would definitely


    have noticed a standard kidnapping method.


    Mary did not expect this question to be suddenly brought up.


    Mary¡¯s eyshes fluttered in panic as she lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in her eyes. Mary


    pursed her lips and said calmly. ¡°I just got kidnapped. There aren¡¯t that many whys.¡±


    Hearing her low tone, everyone thought that Mary was still affected by the anxiety of the kidnapping, so


    they stopped asking.


    The living room fell back into silence until there was the sound of footsteps at the door.


    Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Thomas walking in.


    Seeing the people gathered in the living room, Thomas smiled, his long and narrow eyes curled into a


    natural arc, revealing a hint of flirtatiousness. ¡°Hey, everyone is here today.¡±


    Thomas noticed Mary sitting beside Rachel and guessed that the hugemotion yesterday was most


    likely rted to this woman in front of him.


    The stranger¡¯s arrival made Mary¡¯s already tense body tense up even more, like a startled rabbit.


    Rachel was worried that she was overly nervous and took Mary¡¯s hand, making a suggestion. ¡°Do you


    want to go outside with me for some fresh air?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mary nodded repeatedly.


    Watching the two of them leave, Thomas lit a cigarette. ¡°I heard that you suddenly left the meetingst


    night and even sent a team of fully armed personnel. Why did you make such a big scene for a


    kidnapping?¡±


    To them, kidnapping was the most inconspicuous trick.


    Jimmy responded, ¡°That son of a b*tch even thought of blowing up the tunnel. Naturally, we had to go


    big


    too.¡±


    After hearing Yann¡¯s reportst night, they all felt some residual nervousness.


    Personal feelings did mess things up.


    That¡¯s why they¡¯d neglected to check the surroundings.


    Fortunately, ckhawk had removed the bomb. Otherwise, the consequences would have been


    unimaginable.


    ¡°Who did it?¡± Thomas asked with a serious expression.


    Biowing up a tunnel? This person was already prepared to die with David.


    David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down, and his eyes showed a thinyer of hostility. ¡°Someone


    from the ninth branch.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we take care of all of them?¡± Thomas subconsciously blurted out, obviously forgetting about


    Nathan Jones who was physically impaired.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, there¡¯s still Nathan Jones, Jimmy said.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    After this reminder, Thomas thought for a moment and suddenly remembered something. He


    eximed in realization, and there was even a hint of mockery in the corners of his eyes. ¡°So it¡¯s him.¡±


    Rachel and Mary sat on wicker chairs in the garden, drinking coffee and admiring the flowers.


    Rachel looked at Mary and suggested, ¡°Do you want to call home?¡±


    Mary had lost contact with the outside world during the period that she¡¯d been kidnapped. The Green


    family in Seaxas must have been plunged into chaos as well.


    Hearing this, a hint of mockery shed across Mary¡¯s eyes. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have time to bother with me


    now.¡± ¡°Did you get into a fight with Kyle?¡± Rachel sensed Mary¡¯s low spirits.


    Mary pursed her lips and quickly changed the topic. ¡°By the way, do you know the person from


    yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Rachel said. ¡°He¡¯s the sessor of the ninth branch. They were cut off a few days ago


    because of something they had done, and he held a grudge so he wanted to use me to deal with


    David. That¡¯s why you got implicated in this.¡±


    Mary, however, did not me Rachel for dragging her into this.


    Instead, Mary felt that Nathan was pitiful and pathetic.


    Nathan clearly knew what the oue would be, but he still wanted to go up against David. He was


    really courting death.


    Mary held the cup in her hand and suddenly thought of something. ¡°By the way, I vaguely heard him


    talking to someone on the phone yesterday. I thought the name was a little familiar, but I can¡¯t


    remember where I heard it from. Help me figure it out.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly.

 Chapter 708

    Chapter 708


    Chapter 708


    ¡°Marina.¡±


    When Rachel heard this name, a cold glint suddenly appeared in


    her eyes.


    Seeing the expression on her face, Mary guessed that Rachel must know this person.


    Mary continued, ¡°Marina has been secretly helping Nathan. The items he needed to make the bomb


    were provided by Marina, so I guess she must have been involved in this kidnapping. Even if she didn¡¯t


    do anything, she must have been plotting behind the scenes!¡±


    A hint of mockery shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°As an aunt, she quite adores Nathan after all.¡±


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    No wonder Nathan, who could not move freely, could avoid the search from David¡¯s men.


    When David attacked the eight branches of the coteral family, he was worried that news would leak


    out, and he took action overnight.


    This was why the eight branches were caught off guard and did not even have the strength to retaliate.


    Rachel originally thought that Nathan had sessfully escaped because he was lucky. Rachel did not


    expect that it was actually


    of Marina¡¯s help behind this.


    because was


    Rachel remembered that it was Marina who unintentionally leaked the news that the eight branches


    had plotted against them in the vacation vi.


    Then, obviously, the reason why Nathan took revenge on them now was that he was used by Marina.


    To be able to create such an exquisite bomb, it could be seen that


    Chapter 708


    Nathan was ingenious and smart.


    Unfortunately, Nathan was blinded by hatred and was used by Marina.


    However, if Marina was still in the Jones family, it would be a hidden danger sooner orter.


    ¡°Aunt? You mean¡­ she¡¯s David¡¯s aunt¡­¡± Mary murmured thoughtfully. Suddenly, she thought of


    something and pped her thigh. Mary almost jumped in excitement. ¡°I remember now! She is the


    Auntie Marina you mentioned. Previously, she took Olivia as her g*d daughter, right?¡±


    Rachel looked at the excited Mary with doting eyes. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mary snorted angrily. ¡°This old woman is really persistent. She¡¯s causing trouble everywhere!¡±


    Previously, Marina had used Olivia to target Rachel by all means. Now, Marina was using Nathan to


    deal with David and Rachel. Marina was simply a vicious old woman.


    Seeing Mary¡¯s angry look, Rachelughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll avenge you.¡±


    When Mary heard this, excitement appeared in her eyes. ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Rachel blinked, and the corners of her mouth curled into a meaningful smile. Her red lips parted


    slightly, and she said word by word, ¡°Naturally, I want her to suffer a life worse than death.¡±


    Marina was most proud of her identity as the fifth daughter of the Jones family. If the Jones family


    abandoned her, how could she continue to maintain her high and mighty attitude?


    There was nothing more painful than that a person who had always enjoyed being the center of


    attention one day fell into hell from heaven.


    Thinking of this, Rachel took out her phone and sent a message


    Chapter 7008


    to Lone Wolf. She tapped her fingers rhythmically and waited patiently.


    About an hourter, a conversation came from the porch.


    Rachel and Mary turned around and saw Jimmy and the others. walking out.


    David followed behind. His footsteps were light and casual. He had one hand in his pocket and his aura


    was intimidating.


    Even if it was just a casual nce, David could attract everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over as well.¡± Rachel looked at Mary.


    Mary nodded.


    When the two of them got up and walked over, Jimmy waved at Mary.


    Mary hesitated for half a second before walking forward.


    ¡°Are youing with me tonight?¡± Jimmy whispered into Mary¡¯s


    ear.


    Mary was stunned for a moment. She looked up and saw the mole under the corner of Jimmy¡¯s eye.


    Mary lowered her eyes and nodded slightly.


    ¡°Rachel, leave Mary to me for the time being.¡± After Jimmy received Mary¡¯s approval, he held Mary¡¯s


    hand and looked at Rachel. ¡°I¡¯ll personally send Mary back to Seaxas in two days.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at David. A meaningful smile shed across her eyes.


    In the wee hours of the morning, Jimmy was still very jealous and angry. But now he was in a hurry to


    take Mary away.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious.


    However, David looked at Rachel calmly. His eyes seemed to be


    Chapter 708


    silently saying, ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. I did nothing.¡±


    It made Rachel as if she wronged David.


    However, since Mary had agreed, Rachel could not continue to stop Jimmy. Rachel could only nod in


    agreement.


    It was almost ten o¡¯clock when they sent this group of people off.


    At this moment, David¡¯s phone rang.


    The person on the other end of the line said something. David just responded expressionlessly and


    hung up.


    Rachel studied the expression on David¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The cab meeting is about to begin,¡± David said calmly.


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her hand and pped her forehead. ¡°I forgot.¡±


    When David saw that Rachel was rarely confused, his eyes were filled with a hint of doting. ¡°It¡¯s fine.


    There¡¯s still time.¡±


    As David spoke, he held Rachel¡¯s hand and left the backyard, walking toward the car.


    After they got into the car, Rachel took out her phone and sent a message to ckhawk.


    After receiving the message from Rachel, ckhawk, who had been tailing them all the way, turned


    around at the next intersection.


    David, who was sitting at the side, observed Rachel¡¯s every move. There was a faint smile on his lips


    that carried an unfathomable meaning.


    Rachel put down her phone. When Rachel looked up, she was caught off guard and met David¡¯s eyes.


    Rachel felt a chill down her spine. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    David raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°You are going to deal with


    Chapter 708


    Marina?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Rachel agreed calmly. When Rachel saw David in a suit and leather shoes with an noble


    and aloof posture, a mischievous smile shed across her clear charming eyes. ¡°I wonder if you want


    to share any information with me, Mr. Jones?¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t know much about Marina.


    But David definitely knew.


    David lowered his eyes to look at Rachel. When David saw that her soft hand was h**ked around his


    tie, a smile appeared at the corner of his eyes. ¡°Miss Grey, are you nning to seduce me?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s red lips curved into a beautiful smile. She was like a beautiful red rose, wantonly unting her


    unique charm. ¡°Then, will you agree, Mr. Jones?¡±


    Rachel h**ked her fingers around David¡¯s tie and pulled him toward her. Her gaze lingered between


    David¡¯s eyebrows and his Adam¡¯s apple, looking especially seductive.


    David¡¯s ck eyes fixed on Rachel without blinking. He wrapped his arm around Rachel¡¯s waist and


    lifted her up forcefully, letting her sit on him. David¡¯s palm slowly moved along Rachel¡¯s back. ¡°Marina


    has been ostracized by the Jones family over the years. There aren¡¯t many substantive industries


    under her name. You can focus on investigating precious metals and virtual currency transactions. You


    should be able to gain something.¡±


    David caressed Rachel¡¯s face with his well-defined fingers and rubbed her lips suggestively. His low


    and maic voice


    sounded. ¡°I¡¯ve said everything that needs to be said. How will you repay me now?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°What a pity. I¡¯ve found out about this myself, so the deal failed.¡±


    As Rachel spoke, she nted a gentle kiss on the corner of


    Chapter 208


    David¡¯s lips and turned around to return to her seat.


    David chuckled helplessly. He rubbed his fingertips against the corner of his lips as if he was


    reminiscing about the feeling of having Rachel in his arms.


    ¡°What about Nathan?¡± Rachel asked

 Chapter 709

    Chapter 709


    Chapter 709


    Chris, who sat in the front row, said, ¡°He is in the dungeon.¡±


    Rachel nodded. Then, she turned to look at David. ¡°Mary told me that she heard Nathan contact Marina


    during the kidnapping. Nathan can¡¯t move freely. In addition, he needs sufficient. materials to make


    bombs. This might be rted to Marina.¡±


    ¡°Did Yann really not cause any casualties when he led the men to the houses of the eight branches?¡±


    If it was just because the eight branches were caught, it should not have caused such a huge hatred in


    Nathan¡¯s heart. Nathan was even prepared to die with David.


    It was obvious that Nathan did not intend to continue living in this world.


    David raised his eyes and nced at Rachel. His tone was indifferent and cold. ¡°The head and


    mistress of the eight branches of the coteral familymitted suicide by taking poison during their


    detention and interrogation. ording to the police autopsy report, they died of potassium cyanide


    poisoning.¡±


    The toxicity of potassium cyanide acted up quickly. Once one ate 0.1 grams of potassium cyanide,


    there was a slim chance of survival.


    This poison was undoubtedly the most lethal.


    If they had died on the way to the police station, they could be considered to havemitted suicide to


    avoid punishment. However, they had died during the custody and interrogation. This could not help but


    make people wonder if they hadmitted suicide to avoid punishment or if someone had nned to


    silence them.


    Rachel pursed her lips slightly, and the depths of her charming


    18:13


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Chapter 700


    eyes flickered with a clear coldness.


    ¡°Why would they be given the chance tomit suicide during the custody and interrogation?¡±


    ¡°ording to an internal police investigation, it¡¯s mainly because of the inaction of twow enforcement


    officers.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, her lips curled into a mocking smile.


    This reason was really perfunctory.


    This made Rachel even more certain that there was more to the death of Nathan¡¯s parents.


    Not long after, the car entered the range of the old residence.


    The car door opened, and the two of them got out of the car one after another.


    Rachel naturally reached out her arm and h***ked it around David¡¯s arm. Her eyes flickered with an


    ambiguous dark light. ¡°Will all the heads of the major families arrive today?¡±


    David raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You want to act?¡±


    ¡°Can I?¡± Rachel looked at David.


    David nced at Rachel and did not ask anything. He turned his head slightly and instructed Yann,


    ¡°Send Nathan to the old


    residence!¡±


    Yann said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The two of them continued to walk into the old residence. David¡¯s arm wrapped around Rachel¡¯s


    slender waist. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, ¡°Those wearing armbands are all on our side.¡±


    ¡°Darling, you are thoughtful enough.¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, her eyes sparkling with a


    smile.


    Chapter 709


    David¡¯s thin lips curled up into a faint smile. His eyes were filled with infatuation which he was not even


    aware of. ¡°How can I bear to disappoint you, my baby?¡±


    David¡¯s tone was filled with pampering and indulgence. ¡°All of the main family are sitting in the


    meditation hall to rest.¡±


    Obviously, this included Marina.


    The two of them crossed the threshold of the inner residence. The butler weed them at the right


    time. He nodded slightly at David and said respectfully, ¡°Greetings, Mr. David, Miss Grey.¡±


    David nodded slightly.


    The butler continued, ¡°The heads of the major families and the three elders of the Elders have been


    waiting at Gentlemen Pavilion for a long time. Mr. Johnson asks you to go over first.¡±


    David frowned imperceptibly. His hand on Rachel¡¯s waist could not help but tighten. ¡°Remember what I


    said.¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Got it. Go quickly.¡±


    After watching David leave, Rachel prepared to go elsewhere for a stroll and familiarize herself with the


    environment of the meditation hall.


    Unexpectedly, the butler suddenly called out to Rachel, ¡°Miss Grey, please wait.¡±


    Rachel paused slightly and turned to look at butler.


    The butler walked forward with a smile. ¡°Mr. Jones wants to chat with you, Miss Grey.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, a look of contemtion shed across her eyes.


    Old Mr. Jones¡¯s invitation had indeed exceeded Rachel¡¯s expectations.


    Chapter 709


    Since Rachel had already been here, there was nothing to be worried about. She nodded and agreed.


    ¡°Please lead the way.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s attitude slightly surprised the butler.


    With the Jones family¡¯s status and power in Aureliana, anyone would have to show some respect to the


    butler.


    As the Jones family¡¯s butler, his identity was naturally high.


    Considering the Jones family¡¯s status, very few people dared to neglect the butler.


    The butler knew very well that those people were only polite to him on the surface because of the


    Jones family and Old Mr. Jones.


    However, Rachel was polite to him not due to it. Rachel was only showing the minimum respect to


    others.


    The butlerposed himself and said calmly, ¡°Miss Grey, please!¡±


    The two of them passed through a quiet path and finally arrived at the moderate hall hidden in the


    bamboo forest.


    The butler pushed open the exquisitely carved wooden door in front of Rachel.


    Rachel immediately saw Old Mr. Jones sitting at the table.


    Old Mr. Jones was wearing a silver-gray suit, and his white hair was meticulously styled. He held a


    chess piece in one hand and studied the chess manual carefully.


    Hearing footsteps, Old Mr. Jones slowly looked up. ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rachel replied and walked in.


    Under Old Mr. Jones¡¯s signal, Rachel sat opposite him.


    ¡°y chess with me again.¡± As he spoke, Old Mr. Jones pushed the ck chess piece beside him to


    Rachel.


    Chapter 709


    Rachel took the chess piece and ced the first chess piece in the upper right corner on her side.


    As the two¡¯s chess pieces fought, Old Mr. Jones¡¯s gazended on Rachel from time to time. It was as if


    Old Mr. Jones was looking at someone else through Rachel.


    ¡°Your chess moves are very simr to that of an old friend of mine.¡± Old Mr. Jones¡¯s gaze slowlynded


    on the chessboard in front of him. There seemed to be some memories in his eyes. Suddenly, he said


    slowly, ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence that this chessboard was given to me by that old friend back then.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, she frowned imperceptibly.


    An old friend again¡­


    Ever since Rachel came to Aureliana, everyone seemed to be reminding her that there was a certain


    rtionship between her and Aureliana.


    Seeing that Rachel was silent, Old Mr. Jones asked, ¡°Do you believe in fate?¡±


    Rachel said in neither servile nor overbearing manner, ¡°When I was very young, I felt that my fate was


    up to me and not the heavens. Later on, I felt that the cmity I experienced was all arranged by the


    heavens.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s nonchnt tone had a hint of casualness.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Rachel ced a ck piece on the chessboard, causing arge


    number of white pieces on the right side of the chessboard to die.


    Such a fierce attack caught Old Mr. Jones off guard. When he looked at the entire situation, he


    suddenly realized that he had been negligent.


    Old Mr. Jones let out a lowugh and said meaningfully, ¡°Miss Grey, you are quite good.¡±


    5/6


    Chapter 709


    Rachel slowly raised her eyes and looked at Old Mr. Jones. ¡°May I know what you¡¯re referring to?¡±


    ¡°Of course, everything.¡± Old Mr. Jones picked up the cup beside him and took a sip. ¡°One who can


    order the Red me Army around at will is definitely not an ordinary person.¡±


    Rachel was slightly stunned, but the surprise in her eyes disappeared in an instant.


    ¡°This is Aureliana. If I want to know, nothing can hide from me,¡± Old Mr. Jones said.

 Chapter 710

    Chapter 710


    Chapter 710


    By saying so, Old Mr. Jones seemed to be answering the doubts in Rachel¡¯s heart, but he was also


    giving a disguised warning.


    Rachel took a deep breath slightly and picked up the cup with her fingertips. She slowly stirred the


    spoon. ¡°I think the ident at the T-junction did not escape your eyes.¡±


    There was nothing wrong with this sentence at first nce, but it was actually a word trap.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    If Old Mr. Jones answered yes, then Rachel had reason to suspect. that Old Mr. Jones was involved in


    the ident.


    Old Mr. Jones nced at Rachel with a faint smile.


    Clearly, Old Mr. Jones had seen through Rachel¡¯s little trick.


    This gaze made Rachel feel a deep sense of defeat.


    Rachel felt that all her schemes were useless in front of Old Mr. Jones.


    ¡°David is the head of the Jones family, and there will always be a lot of pressure around him. Today


    may be a car ident, and tomorrow may be a dangerous assassination operation. Such days will


    inevitably give people the illusion that they are always in danger, but it¡¯s the daily life you will have to


    face in the future.¡± Old Mr. Jones said, ¡°A woman who can stand by David¡¯s side must have the ability


    to protect herself and the talent to add icing on the cake.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, a smile appeared at the corners of her lips. ¡°Then what ability do you think I


    have now?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go.¡± Old Mr. Jones¡¯s lips curled into a meaningful smile. He said unhurriedly,


    ¡°Some things will be meaningless if one made a conclusion too early.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and lowered her eyes to hide the emotions.


    Chapter 710


    in her eyes. ¡°I thought the test of the car ident and the vacation vi would have changed your


    impression of me.¡±


    ¡°These are two different things,¡± Old Mr. Jones rarely exined.


    Although it was just a simple sentence, Rachel already had an answer in her heart.


    The car ident was rted to Old Mr. Jones, but the


    assassination of the vacation vi was indeed done by the eight branches of the coteral family.


    ¡°You have the backing of the Red me Army, but the others of the Jones family are not ordinary.¡± As


    Old Mr. Jones spoke, he put down the cup in his hand and slowly stood up. ¡°For the sake of that old


    friend, I¡¯ll give you a word of advice. If one¡¯s too


    eye-catching, one will suffer a bacsh.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, a hint of contemtion shed across her eyes.


    The old friend again¡­


    Rachel could not help but be curious about who this old friend was to be able to make Old Mr. Jones,


    who had initially disliked her, change his attitude.


    Now, Old Mr. Jones was even persuading Rachel nicely.


    Rachel¡¯s intuition told her that it might be time to make a trip to the Davies family.


    Rachel finally could not suppress the curiosity in her heart. ¡°I wonder if you can tell me whether this old


    friend looks a little simr to me?¡±


    Rachel believed that it was no coincidence that her mother¡¯s photo appeared at this time.


    Whether it was Mr. Davies or Old Mr. Jones, they seemed to be pushing Rachel forward from behind.


    Chapar 10


    At this moment, Rachel was like a chess piece in a chess game, moving forward passively. Other than


    moving forward bravely, there was no other way.


    Old Mr. Jones stared at Rachel for a moment. He rubbed his fingertips slightly, and his tone revealed


    the gentleness of an elder. ¡°Miss Grey, you are extremely smart. You already have an answer in your


    heart. Why do you still ask me?¡±


    Rachel lowered her eyes and a hint of frustration shed across. her eyes.


    As expected, with her current shrewdness, Rachel was no match for Old Mr. Jones.


    Rachel¡¯s little tricks were nothing in front of Old Mr. Jones.


    ¡°Everything has already been predetermined. Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Old Mr. Jones said


    mysteriously, ¡°You¡¯ll know when it¡¯s time.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart trembled.


    This was a disguised admission that there was a rtionship between Rachel and Aureliana.


    Rachel lowered her eyes and thought to herself.


    At this moment, Old Mr. Jones spoke again, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. It¡¯s time to go to Gentlemen Pavilion to


    meet them.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, her expression suddenly changed.


    Obviously, Rachel did not expect Old Mr. Jones to bring her along.


    The butler watched as the two of them walked out one after another. His eyes changed rapidly.


    Old Mr. Jones brought Rachel over. There was too much meaning behind this.


    18:14


    Chupler 210


    Not only did this show that Old Mr. Jones acknowledged Rachel¡¯s identity, but it also was a kind of


    protection for Rachel.


    After all, Rachel had been by Old Mr. Jones¡¯s side for a long time and experienced many things. After a


    while, Rachel¡¯s expression returned to normal.


    As the two of them arrived at Gentlemen Pavilion, they clearly sensed the solemn atmosphere around


    them.


    Although Old Mr. Jones had elected David as the current family head, he was still an existence like an


    overlord in the eyes of the other family heads.


    When everyone heard the approaching footsteps, their gazes converged in the direction of the door.


    The door of Gentlemen Pavilion opened, and Old Mr. Jones, who was dressed in a silver-gray suit,


    walked in calmly with one hand behind his back.


    Everyone stood up and said respectfully, ¡°Greetings, Mr. Jones.¡±


    Old Mr. Jones nodded slightly and walked toward everyone.


    Meanwhile, Rachel followed behind Old Mr. Jones and walked forward without looking sideways.


    The entire Gentlemen Pavilion was about more than 500 square feet and could amodate more


    than 100 people.


    Not only were the heads of the major families present but there were also the people of the main


    branch and side branches of the Jones family.


    Everyone¡¯s seats were arranged ording to their family¡¯s status and position. Everyone stood in front


    of their chairs, except for three chairs that were empty.


    As Rachel walked, she could vaguely see the namete on it.


    They were someone from the Olson family and the Cook family.


    While Rachel was silently observing them, the group of people in front of her was also observing her


    with ulterior motives.


    After David¡¯s long absence from Secaxas, many rumors began to spread.


    A few days ago, David had brought Rachel into Aureliana without permission, causing an uproar.


    Now that Old Mr. Jones had personally brought Rachel to attend the cab meeting, it was really


    thought-provoking.


    ¡°Everyone, take a seat.¡± Old Mr. Jones walked to the main seat and looked at the people in front of him.


    Following the spa rse voices, everyone took their seats.


    Rachel sat beside David. She faced everyone and calmly epted their scrutiny.


    However,pared to everyone¡¯s obscure sizing up, there was one gaze that was really too hot on


    Rachel.


    Rachel looked up and coincidentally met Marina¡¯s gaze.


    Marina met Rachel¡¯s gaze and the corners of his mouth curled into a mocking smile. Marina¡¯s eyes


    were filled with provocation.


    Rachel slowly lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in them.


    At this moment, Old Mr. Jones suddenly said, ¡°I believe everyone has seen a new person in this


    meeting.¡±


    As he spoke, Old Mr. Jones looked at David. ¡°David, why aren¡¯t you introducing her to everyone?¡±


    Upon hearing this, David held Rachel¡¯s hand and stood up. She introduced Rachel to the Jones family


    and the heads of the other families. ¡°She¡¯s Rachel Grey, my fianc¨¦e. She¡¯s also the Jones family¡¯s


    mistress!¡±


    Every word was sonorous and enlightening.


    181


    Stopar 710


    David¡¯s words were not only an open introduction of Rachel to the crowd but also a disguised warning


    to the people here.


    Anyone who offended Rachel in the future was equal to look down on the Jones family.


    Everyone looked at Rachel withplicated and intriguing


    gazes.


    Everyone knew that Old Mr. Jones wanted to unite the Clifford family by marriage, but now that the


    Jones family¡¯s title as the mistress was going to fall on this unknown youngdy in front of them, there


    would be a lot of things in the future.

 Chapter 711

    Chapter 711


    Chapter 711


    As time passed, it was mealtime in the blink of an eye.


    Old Mr. Jones nced at everyone indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s time for lunch. Please move to the dining room to


    eat.¡±


    Old Mr. Jones stood up first, and the others followed suit.


    In the dining room, the ser vants served the dishes in an orderly


    manner.


    It was just a simple lunch, and there was nothing special about it. But because of Rachel, the


    atmosphere was subtle and strange.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Especially when they saw David personally helping Rachel peel the prawns and help her pick the


    coriander in the soup, their shocked expression was no less than when they saw the top ten scenic


    spots in the world.


    Not only were the heads of the other families dumbfounded, but even the people from the Jones


    family¡¯s main and side branches were the same.


    After all, David was personally trained by Old Mr. Jones.


    Ever since David was little, he had been influenced by Old Mr. Jones and had long regarded love as a


    burden. Over the years, many people had tried their best to send women to David¡¯s side, but David had


    never been moved.


    This made everyone¡¯s impression of David not getting close to women even more profound.


    However, in the blink of an eye, they saw David treating Rachel so gently.


    That doting and indulgent gaze was like a gentle vortex. Anyone who saw it would fall into it and be


    unable to extricate


    themselves.


    Chapter 711


    However, it was also through this lunch that everyone¡¯s impression of Rachel changed greatly.


    The people from the branches of the Jones family did not dare to show any disrespect.


    After lunch, everyone returned to the lounge in twos and threes


    to rest.


    However, the moment the door closed, Rachel became


    everyone¡¯s topic of conversation after meals.


    ¡°Who do you think Rachel is to be able to convince Old Mr. Jones to personally bring her to the cab


    meeting?¡±


    Old Mr. Jones was such a big figure.


    In terms of cruelty, hypocrisy, and cu**ingness, no one in Aureliana would dare to im to be number


    one if Old Mr. Jones imed to be number two.


    Such a person was too scheming. The hostility in his bones was too strong. Even someone of the


    Elders¡¯s had to restrain their sharpness in front of Old Mr. Jones.


    Old Mr. Jones used to be an influential figure in Aureliana. Anyone who heard about him would be


    shocked.


    ¡°She is just from a small family.¡± Marina, who was sitting on the sofa, sneered coldly. The depths of her


    beautiful eyes were filled with disdain and ridicule. ¡°I think you guys have lost your minds. You¡¯re


    actually frightened by a youngdy!¡±


    When they heard this, they looked at each other.


    One of them was the first to speak. ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re the fifth daughter of the Jones family. Naturally,


    we can¡¯tpare to you. However, the eight branches of the coteral family were


    destroyed overnight. This is a tant warning. We naturally have to be careful.¡±


    Marina did not hide her sneer. ¡°Wealthes from danger. On


    Chapter 711


    the contrary, I feel that the eight branches are a hundred times. better than everyone here!¡±


    As Marina spoke, she put down the cup in her hand and stood up to leave.


    After walking out of the room, Marina headed straight for the meditation hall.


    Just as Marina walked into the courtyard, her phone suddenly rang.


    Marina picked up the call. The person on the other end of the line said something. Marina expression


    changed and her voice suddenly rose. ¡°What did you say? Say it again!¡±


    The person on the other end of the line stammered for a long time before repeating what he had just


    said. ¡°A review team came over this morning to investigate and found a loophole in our virtual currency.


    Currently, our trading tform has been locked down.¡±


    When Marina heard this, her eyes shed with anger. ¡°Go and find out who¡¯s targeting me behind my


    back!¡±


    Litecoin Virtual Currency was one of the important industries under Marina¡¯s management.


    All these years, nothing had gone wrong with the transactions. Why did something happen at this


    juncture?


    Someone was definitely targeting Marina behind her back.


    The person on the other end of the line looked at the chaos on the trading tform and could not help


    but look troubled. ¡°Miss Jones, why don¡¯t youe back? We don¡¯t know how to deal with such a


    thing¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of me hiring you guys!¡± Marina interrupted the person in a low voice. ¡°I hire you guys


    with a high sry to help me solve the problem! I don¡¯t hire you as the one who¡¯ll do


    Chapter 711


    nothing when there¡¯s a problem! Listen up! I don¡¯t care what method you will use, but you have to find a


    way to resume the transaction!¡±


    With that, Marina directly hung up.


    Marina gripped her phone tightly, her exquisite and beautiful facial features filled with ferocity.


    Of course, Marina wanted to hurry back to the exchange.


    But now, Marina could not leave at all.


    Originally, Marina¡¯s brothers at home could not tolerate her. If Marina left now, it would be equal to


    indirectly tell everyone that she had no ce in the Jones family.


    Therefore, at this critical juncture, Marina could not leave just like that.


    Otherwise, Marina could not stop others from speaking gossip about her in the future.


    As Marina was thinking, her phone rang again.


    When Marina saw the call from her subordinate, she hung up the phone angrily.


    In order to avoid being distracted during the uing meeting, Marina simply turned off her phone.


    Marina stood under the crabapple tree in frustration. She took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions,


    and turned around slightly.


    When Marina saw Noah standing behind her at some point, her eyes narrowed slightly, and a trace of


    vignce and defense appeared between her eyebrows. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Noah must have overheard their conversation just now.


    Noah slowly walked forward and reached out to gently brush away the crabapple flower on her


    shoulder. His tone was gentle as


    18:14


    Chapter 711


    he said, ¡°Now that you are so cold to me?¡±


    Marina watched Noah¡¯s actions coldly. Her red lips held a mocking and cold smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of


    living with a mask on every day?¡±


    Marina was the youngest and only daughter in the family.


    There were four sons in the Jones family. Compared to the other three brothers who had been in the


    limelight for a long time, Marina only liked Noah, her second brother, who had always been quiet and


    moderate.


    At that time, Marina liked Noah so much that she even wanted to sleep with Noah.


    However,ter on, the other three brothers got into trouble one after another. Only Noah who was


    always moderate stayed out of trouble.


    At first, Marina simply thought that it was a coincidence. Later on, as Marina grew up, she gradually


    realized that Noah was very scheming.


    Compared to the other three brothers, the calm and forbearing Noah was the most terrifying.


    In terms of ruthlessness, Noah was not inferior to Old Mr. Jones. In terms of cruelty and hypocrisy,


    Noah was not inferior to Marina¡¯s nephew, David.


    Marina had not been plotted against all these years. It was not because Noah was benevolent to


    Marina. It was just because Noah felt that she was a woman and would not affect Noah.


    Noah was not angry at all. He still said in a doting tone, ¡°Marina, don¡¯t tell me you really think that the


    family doesn¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    Marina did not say anything. She just looked at Noah warily.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who knows. Even Dad knows very well.¡±


    -Noah did not care about Marina¡¯s vignt gaze at all. He said unhurriedly, ¡°It has always been fine in


    the past. But why did something happen this time, and it¡¯s on such a special day?¡±

 Chapter 712

    Chapter 712


    Chapter 712


    Marina frowned slightly, but she pursed her lips and said nothing.


    Noah seemed to be the most honest, but he was actually the most scheming and unpredictable.


    Marina knew very well that she was no match for Noah.


    Instead of giving herself away, it was better to not say anything and wait and see.


    Noah raised his eyes and nced at Marina indifferently. The corners of his lips curled up slightly as if


    he had seen through the little trick in her heart.


    There was no change in his expression. He maintained a neutral attitude. ¡°Why did something happen


    to you as soon as David returned with his fianc¨¦e? Isn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence?¡±


    When Marina heard this, her expression changed slightly. ¡°Are you trying to say that David is targeting


    me behind my back?¡±


    Noah only smiled meaningfully and did not say anything.


    Marina couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly as she watched Noah leave.


    Marina knew very well that Noah was very scheming and was best at psychological strategy.


    But even though Marina knew this, after she calmed down, the words that Noah said still lingered in her


    mind.


    Could it be that David was really targeting Marina behind her back?


    As soon as this thought appeared, Marina quickly rejected it in her mind.


    Marina understood David¡¯s methods. If David really did it, her


    Chapter 712


    subordinate might not have had the chance to call her. The


    oue of the eight branches of the coteral family would also be Marina¡¯s ending.


    But if it wasn¡¯t David, what did Noah mean by those words just now?


    Marina took a deep breath, supported her forehead with one hand, and stared at the limestone floor


    under her feet in a daze.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door.


    Marina snapped back to her senses and immediately regained her usual high and mighty attitude.


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    The person outside the door walked in quickly. ¡°Miss Grey, greetings.¡±


    Seeing the person, Marina frowned imperceptibly. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    The person in front of Marina was a spy, who she had nted by Nathan¡¯s side to monitor him.


    Seeing the man appear, Marina already had some guesses in her heart.


    ¡°Is he defeated?¡± Marina raised her eyebrows slightly. She picked up a ss of coffee and took a sip,


    but her sharp gaze was fixed on the person.


    After all, Marina was the daughter of the Jones family. Even her gaze was filled with intimidation.


    There was ayer of sweat on the man¡¯s forehead. After hesitating for a while, he said carefully, ¡°We


    lost contact with Mr. Nathan yesterday. I went to the tunnel to take a look. There¡¯s no sign of anyone


    moving. He¡¯s most likely defeated¡­¡±


    Hearing that, Marina sneered, ¡°Useless trash!¡±


    Marina had spent so much manpower and resources during this


    Chapter 712


    period of time. She had thought that Nathan would surprise her, but she did not expect him to be a


    useless person just like his useless father!


    Marina raised her eyes and looked at the man in front of her coldly. When Marina saw his trembling


    appearance, a trace of imperceptible disgust shed across her eyes. ¡°Has the scene been settled?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all settled,¡± the man quickly said. ¡°The lives of those people are in our hands. They naturally know


    what to say and what not to say.¡±


    When Marina heard this, her gloomy expression finally


    improved a little. ¡°You can leave first. Don¡¯t let anyone notice


    you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At the same time, Rachel sat on the chair and drank coffee. asionally, she would look up at the


    three elders who were standing in the side hall and surrounding David. Rachel slowly lowered her


    eyes, and a faint cold smile appeared on her lips.


    Rachel¡¯s appearance not only surprised the heads of the other families but even the high and mighty


    elders of the Elders felt an inexplicable sense of danger.


    Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have dragged David to the side hall for a meeting in front of Rachel.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Although David had been listening to the suggestions of the people of the Elders, he had been silently


    observing Rachel from the corner of his eye.


    The Elders¡¯ people naturally noticed that David was distracted.


    Harley frowned slightly. A trace of dissatisfaction arose in his heart, but he did not show it on his face.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, I wonder if it¡¯s convenient for us to move to the meeting hall now?¡±


    Chapter 712


    David lowered his eyes. Her expression was unfathomable.


    David had never been patient with the group of people in front of him.


    However, these people were quite dissatisfied with Rachel. If David refused them now, it was hard to


    guarantee that there would not be other troubles.


    Seeing that David did not reply for a long time, the three people in front of him could not help but


    specte in their hearts.


    After an unknown period of time, David¡¯s thin lips opened slightly, and he said indifferently, ¡°Wait a


    moment.¡±


    With that, David turned around and walked toward Rachel.


    When Rachel heard familiar footsteps, she slowly opened her eyes. The moment when their gazes


    intersected, it was more than a thousand words. ¡°Go to deal with it. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Hearing this, David frowned imperceptibly.


    When would Rachel be a clingy woman?


    If Rachel was always so magnanimous, it would instead make David persistently investigate how much


    Rachel loved him.


    However, David knew that now was not the time to discuss this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. I¡¯ll leave Billy and the others to you.¡± David raised his hand and touched the top of


    Rachel¡¯s head. ¡°Contact me if anything happens.¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Okay.¡±


    David looked at Rachel reluctantly. ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving?¡±


    ¡°Go.¡± Rachel reached out and gently pushed David¡¯s shoulder. ¡°When did you be so long-


    winded?¡±


    After watching David leave, Rachel turned to look at Chris behind her. ¡°You brought him here?¡±


    Chapov 712


    ¡°He is in a room in the backyard.¡± Chris did not forget to add meaningfully in the end, ¡°It¡¯s only a wall


    away from the meditation hall.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, and a hint of interest appeared in her eyes.


    It was only a wall away from the meditation hall. It would be interesting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Rachel stood up and smoothed the creases on her clothes before walking toward


    the door.


    The room in the backyard was said to be separated from the meditation hall by a wall, but this wall was


    really a little thin. If there was amotion here, it would definitely attract the attention of people in the


    meditation hall.


    But that was what made it interesting, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Are these all your men?¡± Rachel noticed that ck-clothed people with armbands could be seen


    everywhere in the courtyard.


    Chris said, ¡°They are sir¡¯s men.¡±


    In other words, these people were different from the five of them.


    Rachel nodded thoughtfully.


    Rachel pushed open the door of the room and saw Nathan tied to a chair.


    Nathan¡¯s hair was disheveled, and his eyes were scarlet under the sses. Nathan was like a wild


    beast that had been imprisoned in a cage and had lost its fangs and ws. His entire body exuded a


    lifeless aura.


    Hearing footstepsing from the door, Nathan looked up but did not say anything.


    Chapter 712


    At this moment, Nathan was like a stray dog that had long lost all


    ability to resist.


    Yann wisely helped Rachel move a chair. ¡°Miss Grey, please.¡±


    Rachel pulled the chair over and sat opposite Nathan.

 Chapter 713

    Chapter 713


    Chapter 713


    ¡°Speaking of which, you¡¯ve been under Marina¡¯s care for the past few days. Why isn¡¯t she here to save


    you now?¡± Rachel crossed her legs. Her posture was casual, but her every move revealed an


    undisguised sharpness.


    Nathan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his voice was a little hoarse. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking


    about.¡±


    Rachel smiled.


    At this moment, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was a call from ckhawk, Rachel


    swiped her fingertip and picked it up.


    ¡°Marina¡¯s trading tform for virtual currency has copsed. What do you n to do next?¡±


    ckhawk¡¯s voice entered Rachel¡¯s ears through the phone receiver. ¡°As far as I know, she is


    ostracized by the Jones family. There are not many industries involved in the business here. Now that


    you have destroyed the virtual currency transaction that she values the most, aren¡¯t you afraid that she


    will do something extreme?¡±


    ckhawk wasn¡¯t worried about Rachel¡¯s safety but about David¡¯s.


    No matter what, Marina was David¡¯s aunt.


    If David knew that Rachel had been targeting Marina and even destroyed all her businesses,


    ckhawk was worried that David would be dissatisfied with Rachel.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. There was a hint of evilness in the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just


    afraid that she won¡¯t do anything¡±


    Rachel paused for a moment and said coldly. ¡°Ruin all her business in Aureliana.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel fiddled with the tassel on the phone cover with her fingertips and


    said casually, ¡°I¡¯ve always liked happy reunions. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do my best to help you


    reunite in prison.¡±


    As soon as Rachel finished speaking, a visible panic shed across Nathan¡¯s face. ¡°What exactly do


    you want? Come at me if you want anything. Don¡¯t hurt innocent people!¡± ¡°Innocent people?¡± A


    mocking smile appeared on Rachel¡¯s lips, and her eyes were terrifyingly cold. ¡°Mary, who was


    kidnapped by you, is the most innocent person! She has no enmity with you, and she doesn¡¯t know


    anything about the eight branches of the coteral family. She didn¡¯t do anything, but you kidnapped


    her and implicated her for your own selfish reasons. What right do you have to say in front of me that I


    shouldn¡¯t hurt innocent people?¡±


    Looking at the woman in front of him, Nathan was suddenly speechless.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Before meeting Rachel, Nathan had always thought that Rachel was just a woman with outstanding


    looks as the rumors said.


    However,st night, Nathan suddenly realized that what the woman with outstanding looks had shown


    was only the tip of the iceberg.


    The cold-blooded and ruthless one in front of Nathan now might be her true colors.


    Come to think of it, birds of a feather flocked together. If Marina was just a weak and helpless woman,


    how could she deserve David¡¯s special treatment?


    As far as I know, the side branches and the main branch are not on good terms. Why is your


    rtionship with Marina so deep? Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with a meaningful smile. Her fingertips


    were on the armrest of the armchair as she tapped rhythmically.


    The frequency and heartbeat were synchronized, one beat at a time, grinding one¡¯s nerves.


    Nathan¡¯s pupils trembled. He swallowed his saliva and pursed his lips tightly without saying a wond


    Did Marina tell you the cause of your parents¡¯ deaths? Rachel supported her forehead with one hand


    and sized up Nathan with interest. Her posture was elegant, and no one could detect any aggression,


    laut her eyes were cold as if she was looking at a fish struggling in a Quagmire Those who can make


    precision bombs are smart. Why would you believe. Marina so easily?


    You did whatever Marina said You quite have the potential to be ackey for others.¡±


    As Rachel spoke, her gaze swept past Nathan¡¯s legs and she let out a low cry. ¡°Ah, I forgot. Your own


    conditions don¡¯t allow it¡±


    This casual sentence was like a knife stabbing into Nathan¡¯s heart.


    His eyes were red under his sses, and his tied hands struggled hard twice. Veins could be vaguely


    seen on his neck as Nathan gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re just a bitch who relied. on your good


    looks to get to where you are! What right do you have to mock me! Do you really know David? He can


    even imprison his own father. Do you think you can end up well. with him?¡±


    When Chris and Yann heard this, their expressions changed.


    The two of them subconsciously looked at Rachel.


    However, Rachel¡¯s expression was calm, as if she did not hear Nathan at all.


    Seeing the situation, the two of them secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Yann pped Nathan on the back of his head hard and warned fiercely, ¡°It¡¯s a big taboo to talk about


    the head of the family. Have you lived enough?¡±


    Before Yann could finish his sentence, Rachel¡¯s cold voice came out faintly. ¡°I guess that person


    deserves to die as a father.¡±


    Hearing this, Yann and Chris looked at each other and secretly gave Rachel a thumbs-up in their


    hearts.


    Rachel was as expected of the woman of David. The two of them were a perfect match from their looks


    to their values.


    Anyone who heard about someone imprisoning his biological father would think that it was the most


    treasonous thing to do. However, Rachel stood by David¡¯s side without hesitation and supported his


    actions.


    Maybe from the moment when Rachel fell in love with David, the scale in her heart had already leaned


    toward David.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her time on Nathan. ¡°Watch him. I¡¯m going out to take a breather


    Chris and Yann exchanged nces and hurriedly chased after Rachel.


    Chapter 713


    The moment Rachel stepped out of the door, a breeze blew over, carrying a faint fragrance.


    Rachel could faintly smell the faint fragrance of crabapple flowers. She subconsciously looked around.


    However, there were no crabapples nted in this courtyard.


    Rachel asked casually, ¡°Where did this flower smelle from?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from the meditation hall,¡± said Chris


    Rachel looked along the wall and vaguely saw a crabapple tree.


    Logically speaking, the flowers on the sunny side should be growing more vigorously, but its center of


    gravity was always toward the area of the meditation hall, not crossing the courtyard wall at all.


    It must have been interfered with by someone.


    Looking in the direction where Rachel was looking, Chris exined at the right time, ¡°The Jones family


    has an unwritten rule that the flowers and trees in each courtyard are not allowed to cross the line.¡±


    Even flowers and trees were like this, let alone humans.


    It seemed to be establishing unwritten rule for the flowers, nts, and trees in their respective


    courtyards, but it was also a warning to the people in the courtyard to always remember the order of


    seniority and not cross the line.


    ¡°The crabapple flowers are blooming well. Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Rachel said and walked toward the


    courtyard.


    Chris followed behind Rachel and cursed silently. Was Rachel sure she was going to admire the


    flowers and not cause trouble for others?


    The two of them were neither fast nor slow. Soon, they arrived near the meditation hall,


    Not only was there Marina in this courtyard, but there were also people from the second, third, and


    fourth branches.


    Rachel¡¯s sudden appearance in front of everyone was equivalent to exposing herself to all danger.


    Therefore, from the moment Rachel stepped into the meditation hall, a certain string in Chris¡¯s mind


    was tense, and she was prepared to fight at any time.


    Sensing Chris¡¯s nervousness, Rachel smiled faintly. ¡°Rx. Don¡¯t be nervous.¡±

 Chapter 714

    Chapter 714


    Chapter 714


    Chris looked at Rachel¡¯s leisurely posture and the corners of her mouth could not help but


    twitch.


    Whether to say it or not, Rachel¡¯s mentality was off the charts.


    This was the first time Chris had seen someone who came to provoke others so at ease.


    ¡°The scenery here is really good,¡± Rachel said seriously.


    Chris looked at Rachel speechlessly.


    This courtyard was far inferior to the front courtyard in terms ofyout and decoration. Hence, the


    people in this courtyard tried their best to enter the front courtyard.


    This was the first time Chris had heard someone praise the beautiful scenery in this courtyard.


    Rachel walked in front of the crabapple tree and broke off a branch.


    Rachel picked up a crabapple flower with her fingertip and sniffed it.


    At this moment, there was the sound of a door opening behind Rachel, followed by the sound of high


    heels tapping on the floor.


    Rachel acted as if she did not hear it. She continued to admire the crabapple flower in her hand, and


    the corners of her mouth curled into an intriguing smile.


    Through the


    gaps between the flowers and trees, Marina vaguely saw Rachel¡¯s figure.


    At first, Marina thought that she had seen it wrongly, but when she walked around the bushes in front of


    her and saw Rachel¡¯s figure clearly, a strong sense of disgust surfaced in her eyes.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I saw the gate of this courtyard open and walked in.¡± Rachel turned around and looked at Marina with


    a kind expression. ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s a taboo in this courtyard that I can¡¯t


    Marina lowered her eyes to hide the disgust in them. She smiled. ¡°You¡¯re David¡¯s fianc¨¦e now. You¡¯ll be


    the Jones family¡¯s future mistress. As long as you want to, you can even enter other courtyards


    unimpeded, let alone this one.¡±


    ¡°Auntie Marina, it¡¯s good that you know it,¡± Rachel said calmly.


    Of course, someone as smart as Rachel could hear the sarcasm in Marina¡¯s words.


    However, Rachel had always known how to anger people.


    Instead of flying into a rage out of humiliation, it was better to appear calm and make Marina anger.


    Seeing that Rachel hadn¡¯t gotten angry, Marina felt a deep sense of failure.


    Her expression changed slightly. Rachel took a deep breath and said mockingly, ¡°Don¡¯t think that


    everything will be fine just because David is willing to marry you. With your background, it won¡¯t be


    easy for you to marry into the Jones family. Even the elders of the Jones family might not agree. Your


    real test is still ahead.¡±


    Chapter 714


    Rachel twirled the petals of the crabapple flower with her fingertips. Her voice was so calm that no


    emotional fluctuations could be detected. ¡°Auntie Marina, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m used to knowing how to back


    off. If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll just change to someone else to marry. Anyway, there are many men in this


    world¡±


    With David¡¯s status, forget about the other women in Aureliana, even the usually arrogant and reserved


    daughter of the Clifford family would lower her attitude when she saw David.


    No daughter of aristocratic families did not want to marry David. However, this was the first time Marina


    had heard someone describe David so badly.


    There were many men in this world.


    How could those men bepared to David?


    Marina secretly gritted her teeth and put on a fake smile. ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re really arrogant! I think you


    don¡¯tck male friends around you!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s gaze casually swept past the bodyguards behind Marina. Then, Rachel lowered her eyes and


    curled her lips into an intriguing smile. ¡°There are some things that everyone knows very well. It¡¯s really


    not appropriate to say.¡±


    Seeing Marina speak, Rachel hurriedly spoke again. ¡°My bad. Auntie Marina, you should be thirsty


    after talking for so long. Why don¡¯t youe back to the courtyard with me to drink coffee and admire


    the scenery there? There might be beautiful scenery that you won¡¯t expect!¡±


    Marina thought that Rachel was showing off to her. Marina snorted angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to y


    with you!¡±


    With that, Marina raised her chin slightly and turned to leave in her high heels.


    All Marina could think about now was the exchange¡¯s trouble.


    There was a problem with the virtual currency, and now the exchange was being targeted by the


    regtory department. If the relevant departments were to get involved in the


    investigation, there would probably be trouble.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but smile as she watched Marina leave in a hurry. ¡°Looks like something is


    wrong.¡±


    Otherwise, Marina could have heard the hidden meaning in Rachel¡¯s words.


    Rachel gave a hint, but Marina did not understand. Then, Marina could not be med for what would


    happenter.


    Rachel dropped the flower she was ying with. When she turned to leave, a tall figure enveloped her.


    The man¡¯s cold wooden fragrance filled the tip of Rachel¡¯s nose, easily recing the fragrance of the


    crabapple flowers.


    His deep voice was mixed with a hint of maism, like the bass chord of a cello. ¡°Tell me about the


    male friends around you.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    Rachel did not expect that the words she used to provoke Marina would be heard by David. Seeing


    Rachel¡¯s guilty silence, David took a step forward and reached out to hold her waist,


    Chapter 714


    pulling her into his arms. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Hmm?¡±


    Chris, who was standing at the side, turned around and quietly walked to a corner.


    ¡°I just said it casually.¡± Rachel blinked and looked at David innocently. With a fawning smile, Rachel


    cleverly changed the topic. ¡°Why are you suddenly here? Are you done with it?¡±


    Her charming eyes were ck and bright, pure ck and white, revealing an indistinguishable


    innocence. In an instant, David was defeated.


    With his palm on the back of Rachel¡¯s head, David bent down and kissed her hard. ¡°Why are you


    here?¡±


    ¡°The crabapple flowers here are blooming quite well,¡± Rachel said as she handed the broken branch to


    David. ¡°Smell it.¡±


    David sniffed lightly and an ambiguous smile shed across his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve smelled better


    ones.¡±


    ¡°There are other crabapple trees here?¡± Rachel looked around curiously.


    David held Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°Follow me!¡±


    The two of them passed through a secluded path and walked through a bamboo forest. The narrow


    road ahead suddenly opened up.


    An independent courtyard appeared in front of them.


    It was a three-story single-family building with white walls, ck tiles, and redttice windows.


    Outside the courtyard was a one-meter-wide cobblestone path with a small stream dug on the inside.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Because of this stream, there was an arched bridge in the front. The clear stream under the bridge


    showed clusters of aquatic nts dancing with the slowly flowing stream. One could vaguely see


    groups of goldfish swimming among the aquatic nts.


    Rachel walked into the courtyard and looked at the ancient and quiet building in front of her. She


    looked at David and asked, ¡°What is this ce?¡±


    David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. He lowered his eyes to hide the emotions in his eyes and said calmly,


    ¡°It¡¯s my courtyard.¡±


    Rachel guessed that it should be where David grew up.


    Although this courtyard looked a little too secluded, it did match David¡¯s noble and


    indifferent temperament.


    Walking into the courtyard, Rachel looked around and found many rare and precious flowers and


    nts.


    No wonder David brought Rachel here.


    There were many more good things here than in Old Mr. Jones¡¯s courtyard.

 Chapter 715

    Chapter 715


    Chapter 715


    David held her hand, pushed open the wooden rhombus door in front of her, and walked into the small,


    detached house.


    No one had stepped into this ce for a long time, and the house was cold.


    Rachel looked around. An oil painting was hung at the entrance as a decoration.


    There was a faint smile on her lips as Rachel looked at David with a deep meaning in her


    eyes.


    Rachel remembered that this painting had been bought by a mysterious person at the auction for 720


    million dors. Rachel thought that the painting had met someone who admired it, but she hadn¡¯t


    expected that David bought it as a decorative painting.


    David was really rich and willful.


    ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± Rachel asked,


    Sensing her gaze, David looked away. The moment their gazes met, David held the back of Rachel¡¯s


    head with his palm and leaned over to kiss her lips fiercely.


    This kiss carried David¡¯s usual domin:


    Although the two of them had kissed many times, Rachel was still powerless to resist his strong desire


    to devour her every time.


    The strong


    and fierce kiss made Rachel retreat step by step.


    Rachel¡¯s breathing was mercilessly plundered. Her hands instinctively clung to David¡¯s shoulders, like a


    person floating in the vast sea grabbing onto a piece of driftwood to survive.


    Rachel¡¯s unconscious actions made David gradually soften.


    After the kiss, Rachel panted as she leaned into David¡¯s arms.


    David¡¯s palm gently caressed her back while his other hand lifted her chin. His fingertips. gently


    caressed her slightly swollen lips. ¡°The taste of the crabapple flower is not even one ten-thousandth of


    yours.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Rachel was speechless.


    No wonder David brought Rachel here without any exnation.


    So, it was to find a reason to take advantage of Rachel.


    ¡°There¡¯s a hot spring at the back of the mountain. Do you want to try it tonight?¡± David held Rachel¡¯s


    hand and sat on the sofa. His fingertips rubbed the protruding bones on the back of her hand.


    Rachel looked at David in surprise. ¡°We¡¯re staying here tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± David replied indifferently.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered with a sly light. ¡°Then can I go up and choose a room?¡±


    David raised his eyebrows slightly. Of course, David knew what Rachel was thinking However, he


    cooperated and pretended not to know. His eyes were filled with indulgence.


    ¡°Go.


    Rachel quickly went upstairs. There were three rooms on both sides.


    One of the three rooms on the right was converted into a boxing room, leaving the other two guest


    rooms.


    The left-hand side should be David¡¯s private area. The study and the personal activity room. were all


    set up here, including the master bedroom.


    Seeing theyout of the three rooms on the left, Rachel had an answer in her heart. She chose the


    room on the right without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep here tonight.¡±


    David, who was following behind Rachel, smiled meaningfully. ¡°Have you made up your mind? Will you


    regret it?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to regret?¡± Rachel did not notice the smile on David¡¯s lips.


    Her reason for choosing this room was very simple. It was sunny and quiet. It was very suitable for a


    light sleeper like her.


    David ced one hand on the door frame and looked down at Rachel. His deep and cold voice was


    mixed with a hint of gentleness. ¡°This is my room.¡±


    Rachel was totally shocked.


    Heavens! Rachel thought that she was cautious enough. She did not expect to still fall into David¡¯s


    trick.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll sleep in the room on the opposite side.¡± Rachel turned around and walked toward the master


    bedroom.


    Rachel secretly criticized David for his surprising choice.


    The master bedroom was spacious and tidy. Why did David choose to stay in the bedroom?


    As Rachel was thinking, David grabbed Rachel¡¯s waist from behind.


    David bent down, making Rachel¡¯s back even closer to his firm and warm chest.


    guest


    ¡°Are you


    that afraid of me?¡± David¡¯s deep voice softened. It was like a thin hook that hooked a certain string in


    Rachel¡¯s heart. It was soft and itchy.


    The warmth of David¡¯s breath on her neck made Rachel instinctively wince and swallow. ¡°What do you


    have to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Since you aren¡¯t afraid of me, why you keep avoiding you?¡± David pulled Rachel¡¯s body over and


    forced her to face him. David¡¯s dark and deep eyes stared at Rachel without blinking. ¡°Are you not


    satisfied with me?¡±


    Rachel was quite smart and understood the deeper meaning in David¡¯s words at once. No matter how


    Rachel answered this question, she would step into David¡¯s trick.


    Rachel bit her lip slightly and thought about how to answer.


    At this moment, David¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    When David saw the caller ID on his phone, a hint of impatience appeared in his eyes. After hanging


    up, David took a deep breath. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, go back to the room and rest. No


    715


    outsiders will disturb you here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Rachel nodded excitedly. At the same time, Rachel urged David, ¡°Hurry up there. Don¡¯t let


    them wait too long.


    and


    go


    Seeing the excitement in Rachel¡¯s eyes, David sighed helplessly and turned to leave.


    When David came to Gentlemen Pavilion, he happened to meet Marina, who was deep in thought.


    No one knew what Marina was thinking. She actually did not notice David¡¯s existence at all and walked


    in front of David.


    When everyone saw this scene, they could not help but gloat.


    Fortunately, the bodyguard beside Marina stretched out his leg at the right time and tripped her. Only


    then did Marina suddenlye back to her senses.


    When Marina saw David standing behind her, she held her breath and lowered her eyes to hide the


    emotions in her eyes. She said lightly, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    David did not speak. He had one hand in his pocket. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, he was the first to enter


    Gentlemen Pavilion¡¯s threshold.


    After everyone entered Gentlemen Pavilion in twos and threes, Marina tilted her head and asked her


    trusted subordinate. ¡°Go out and inquire about the exchange.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Jones.


    Watching her trusted subordinate leave, Marina took a deep breath and walked into Gentlemen


    Pavilion.


    However, the ominous feeling in Marina¡¯s heart grew stronger.


    This caused Marina to be distracted throughout the entire meeting.


    Noah saw Marina¡¯s every move.


    Noah lowered his eyes to hide the faint, cold smile in them.


    Marina had yet to learn how to hide her true emotions until now.


    Compared to the worried Marina, Rachel who eased to victory was drinking coffee and eating snacks


    rxedly.


    Chris stood beside Rachel and silently looked at the red line on the phone.


    It was the rise of the stock market.


    ¡°Twelve, isn¡¯t it too risky to use all the funds to buy gold?¡± ckhawk¡¯s voice came from the Bluetooth


    headphones. ¡°I know you want to disrupt Marina¡¯s market, but we can¡¯t put all our eggs in the same


    basket, right?¡±


    When Rachel heard this, her expression did not change at all. ¡°Now, sell all stocks in hand.¡±


    your


    ckhawk on the other end of the phone obviously couldn¡¯t keep up with Rachel¡¯s train of thought.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Upon hearing his surprised voice, Rachel raised her eyebrows. There was a sharp glint in her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t trust me?¡±

 Chapter 716

    Chapter 716


    Chapter 716


    ¡°Not really,¡± ckhawk said. He sold all the stocks he held and bought the stocks Rachel had


    mentioned.


    Rachel looked at the fluctuation of the stock price on the phone screen with a satisfied expression. Until


    she saw the straight line rise, a bright smile appeared on her red lips. ¡°Now, buy gold shares.


    Remember not to own a stock for more than ten minutes.¡±


    ckhawk looked at lots of money flowing into his ount and became extremely excited. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Nathan, who was tied to the chair, looked at Rachel with aplicated expression.


    Who exactly was this woman in front of Nathan?


    Was Rachel really just a rich youngdy from a small family?


    Nathan knew very well that Rachel¡¯s ability and talent had already far exceeded young socialites from


    the other families in Aureliana. Rachel even surpassed the Clifford family¡¯s sessor, Jennifer.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mess!¡± ckhawk¡¯s excited voice reached Rachel¡¯s ears through the Bluetooth headphones.


    ¡°Marina¡¯s men can¡¯t sit still anymore. They¡¯re taking action!¡±


    Rachel replied indifferently, ¡°Feel free to sell as long as they buy!¡±


    Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, it was 3:30 pm. The time for the trading tform to close was


    getting closer and closer.


    Rachel exited the stock trading tform and stretched her shoulders. ¡°How¡¯s the battle going?¡±


    ¡°Marina¡¯s men lost at least 20 million dors in order to close the stock market!¡± Even though


    ckhawk was excited, he was more or less tired after sitting in front of theputer for more than


    two hours. ¡°Now that the stock market is closed, shall we continue tomorrow morning?¡±


    ¡°Continue tomorrow morning. Remember not to own a stock for more than ten minutes. You¡¯ll sell


    whatever they buy.¡±


    At this rate, Rachel did not believe that Marina could still sit still.


    ckhawk also realized something at this moment. ¡°Are you trying to use short-term transactions to


    disrupt Marina¡¯s market?¡±


    ckhawk forced himself to stay awake and looked at the red line on the screen. ¡°You deliberately


    made the stocks of precious metals rise to their upper limit and sold them inrge quantities to force


    her men to take action. This way, we will get lots of money!¡±


    Rachel held the cup and gently blew away the hot mist. She said casually, ¡°Didn¡¯t Vulture say that we


    need a batch of good stuff? Isn¡¯t the fund here now?¡±


    ckhawk was not stingy with his praise. ¡°Great!¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel took off her Bluetooth headphones and dug her ears. When Rachel looked


    up, she happened to meet Nathan¡¯s sizing up and probing gaze.


    A faint smile appeared on her lips. ¡°You seem to have something to ask me.¡±


    Chapter 716


    ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Nathan¡¯s hands were tied to the chair. A simple knot was a disguised


    humiliation to him.


    Rachel picked up a chestnut cake and ced it in her mouth. Her eyes were cold as she said casually,


    ¡°Destroy everything she has.¡±


    Nathan had thought that Rachel was too arrogant before, but he could not help but scrutinize her after


    hearing her words.


    After Rachel¡¯s series of actions just now, Nathan knew very well that Rachel in front of him was


    definitely not a woman only with pretty looks.


    ¡°What¡¯s your purpose?¡± Nathan stared at Rachel with a burning gaze.


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of cold blood. ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s to fulfill


    you and her deep feelings.¡±


    When Nathan heard this, a mocking smile shed across his eyes under his sses. He sat on the


    chair calmly. ¡°No matter what, she¡¯s still one of the Jones family. She¡¯s the Jones family¡¯s fifth daughter.


    As long as the Jones family doesn¡¯t give up on her, you can¡¯t touch


    her at all!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Rachel¡¯s voice was filled with indifference, but there was a terrifying coldness that could hit


    one¡¯s bones. ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait and sec.¡±


    Looking at Rachel¡¯s confident attitude, Nathan¡¯suddenly did not know how to figure out her intentions.


    However, Rachel no longer nned to talk with Nathan. She turned to look at Chris. ¡°Is the -meeting


    over there over?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Chris said. ¡°I¡¯ve sent the message ording to your instructions, Miss Grey.¡±


    Rachel replied indifferently, ¡°Go get ready. We should go and wee her.¡±


    Rachel leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to rest. Her fingertips tapped the armrest


    rhythmically.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    The rhythm gradually ovepped with one¡¯s heartbeat, one beat after another, grinding


    one¡¯s nerves.


    Not long after, the faint sound of high heels tapping on the ground could be heard outside the door.


    Rachel did not open her eyes. If one looked at her carefully, one would not notice the faint smile on her


    lips.


    Bam!


    With a loud bang, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.


    Marina walked in from outside and questioned coldly, ¡°Rachel, what tricks are you up to now?¡±


    As soon as the meeting ended, Marina turned on her phone and an anonymous message popped up.


    [I know the cause of death of the eight branches of the coteral family. I also know your other secrets!]


    It was just a simple sentence, but it shocked Marina very much.


    Marina immediately sent someone to track the person¡¯s signal source and found Rachel.


    Marina, who had always been called a prettydy, had a ferocious expression on her face. She wished


    she could swallow Rachel alive.


    ¡°Auntie Marina, don¡¯t be angry Rachel smiled faintly. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen Nathan for a long time, right?


    Don¡¯t you have anything to say to each other?¡±


    As she spoke, Rachel raised her chin and gestured for Marina to look behind her.


    Marina followed Rachel¡¯s line of sight and saw Nathan tied to a chair and dragged out of the entrance


    by Yann.


    The moment Marina saw Nathan, her pupils constricted Marina lowered her eyes to hide the panic in


    them.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Rachel¡¯s cold gaze lingered between them. Could it be that you¡¯ve


    be distant after not seeing each other for a few days? Why don¡¯t I introduce you?¡±


    Upon hearing this. Marina immediately flew into a rage out of humiliation ¡°Rachel, do you really think


    that you can do whatever you want just because you have David backing you? I¡¯m warning you This is


    the Jones family¡¯s old residence¡¯ It¡¯s not a ce where you can do whatever you want!


    Rachel raised her hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°You¡¯ll only know if I can after I do it.¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± Marina sneered and narrowed her eyes. A sinister look shed across her eyes. ¡°Then I¡¯ll help


    David teach you a lesson!¡±


    As Marina spoke, her fierce palm wind attacked Rachel.


    Rachel tilted her head and dodged Marina¡¯s attack At the same time, Rachel looked up at Chris, who


    was watching from the side. ¡°What are you waiting for? Go¡±


    Chris suddenly came back to her senses. She took a big stride forward and blocked Rachel. The Jones


    family had never raised trash, let alone Marina, who had grown up among a group of scheming people.


    Even if it was for self-preservation, Marina would not allow herself to be a woman who knew nothing


    but only had pretty looks.


    Rachel watched the match between Chris and Marina with interest. She gave a timely suggestion. Her


    lower body is unstable.¡±


    Chris instantly understood and focused on attacking Marina¡¯s lower body.


    Seeing the two of them fighting fiercely, Rachel vaguely heard noisy footsteps Rachel quickly stood up


    and rushed forward.


    outside.

 Chapter 717

    Chapter 717


    Chapter 717


    Chris had yet to see what had happened.


    Rachel was already in front of Marina.


    ¡°Miss Grey!¡± Chris looked at Rachel in panic.


    Was Rachel crazy?


    It was fine if Rachel did not help, but she was actually rushing to die.


    On the other hand, Marina did not think too much about it. Marina only felt that Rachel was trying to


    provoke her by rushing forward.


    Marina grabbed Rachel¡¯s neck and pressed her against the octagonal table. ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re courting


    death!¡±


    As she spoke, Marina felt that holding Rachel¡¯s neck with only one hand was not enough to vent her


    anger. She grabbed Rachel¡¯s neck with both hands and wished she could break it.


    At the same time, the door was kicked open from the outside.


    Everyone could not help but gasp when they saw Marina grabbing Rachel¡¯s neck with both


    hands.


    In this morning¡¯s cab meeting, David announced Rachel¡¯s identity in public and even directly said


    that Rachel would be the Jones family¡¯s mistress. Not only did this break the unbearable rumors from


    the outsiders, but it was also a disguised warning to everyone. If they saw Rachel in the future, they


    had to be respectful.


    However, in the blink of an eye, everyone saw Marina grabbing Rachel¡¯s neck. The thought of wanting


    to strangle Rachel to death was written very bluntly on Marina¡¯s face.


    Not to mention the consequences of Marina ignoring David¡¯s warning, just the crime of murdering the


    future mistress of the Jones family was enough for Marina to suffer.


    Rachel¡¯s face turned red. Her hand instinctively grabbed Marina¡¯s wrist. Physical tears seeped out of


    the corners of her eyes. Her lips opened and closed as she said with difficulty, ¡°Auntie Marina¡­


    There¡¯s no enmity between us. Why are you always targeting me¡­¡±


    At this moment, Marina¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts of killing Rachel. She did not notice the noisy


    footsteps outside at all.


    Everyone restrained the gloating smile in their eyes and looked at Old Mr. Jones, secretly sizing up the


    expression on his face.


    There was no emotion on Old Mr. Jones¡¯s face, but there was a terrifying aura lingering around him.


    ¡°Marina, let go!¡± Old Mr. Jones¡¯s deep voice carried a deterrent force.


    However, Marina was blinded by hatred and turned a deaf ear to Old Mr. Jones¡¯s words.


    Marina tightened her grip on Rachel¡¯s neck. Her beautiful eyes were filled with hatred and excitement.


    ¡°Rachel, since you want to destroy me, go to hell with me!¡±


    When everyone heard this, they could not help but worry about Marina.


    Bam!


    With a gunshot, a bloody hole appeared on Marina¡¯s shoulder.


    Everyone turned around stiffly and saw David walking past them expressionlessly.


    The intense pain made Marina suddenly let go. She held her shoulder with one hand and staggered


    back a few steps.


    David grabbed Marina¡¯s neck with a faint hostility in his eyes. ¡°How dare you touch my woman? You¡¯re


    really tired of living!¡±


    David¡¯s voice was nonchnt and cold, making everyone extremely scared.


    Everyone had long heard of how ruthless David was. After all, David was a person who could even


    take action against his family. Now that they saw David holding Marina¡¯s neck with one hand, they held


    their breaths.


    In front of David, Marina was like a helpless little chick. Marina¡¯s life and death were both in David¡¯s


    hands.


    The strong suffocation made Marina feel unprecedented panic. She turned her head with difficulty to


    look at Old Mr. Jones, who was standing not far away. Her lips moved as she said with difficulty, ¡°Dad,


    save, save me¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Jones frowned slightly. Finally, he could not bear it anymore and took a step forward. ¡°David, let


    go!¡±


    However, David did not let go. He even tightened his grip on Marina¡¯s neck.


    David looked at Old Mr. Jones and raised his eyebrows slightly, revealing a provocative look.


    Not only did this move make everyone realize that the current David was no longer the young man who


    needed Old Mr. Jones¡¯s support when he first took over the position, but it also made everyone realize


    that the consequences of angering David would be even worse than Marina¡¯s current situation.


    Facing his blood-rted aunt, David could even be so ruthless, let alone so-called rtives. who were


    not rted by blood.


    However, Noah, who was in the crowd, realized that the woman called Rachel was David¡¯s bottom line.


    She could not be touched easily.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Unless one was prepared to die.


    Seeing that David refused to let go, Old Mr. Jones sighed helplessly and gave the butler a meaningful


    look.


    The butler instantly understood and left in a hurry.


    When the butler turned back again, he was followed by a group of uniformed police officers.


    ¡°Everyone, pleasee in.¡± The butler looked at the police officers. ¡°The person inside is the one


    you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    One police officer firstpared the photo, then walked to Old Mr. Jones¡¯s side and said respectfully,


    ¡°Mr. Jones, we¡¯re taking her away for an investigation now. I wonder if you can do us a favor?¡±


    Old Mr. Jones nced at Marina indifferently as if he was facing a stranger. He waved his hand and


    said, ¡°Take her away.¡±


    The moment Marina saw this group of people walking over, her eyes were filled with chaos.


    It was unknown if it was due to panic or her survival instinct, but Marina endured the pain in her arm


    and sped her hands together. She gathered all her strength and mmed it into the crook of David¡¯s


    arm.


    After Marina broke free, she took deep breaths.


    At the same time, the police officers walked up to Marina. ¡°Marina Jones, we suspect that you¡¯re


    involved in a fraud case. Pleasee with us and cooperate with our investigation.¡±


    The moment the cold handcuffs were pressed against her skin, Marina¡¯s dizzy mind instantly sobered


    up.


    ¡°Without concrete evidence, what right do you have to arrest me?¡±


    Marina was confident enough that everything she¡¯d done over the years had gone unnoticed.


    Therefore, Marina was certain that the group of people in front of her had no evidence. Originally, on


    ount of Old Mr. Jones, the people from the supervisory bureau nned not to show the evidence.


    After all, they were in the Jones family now.


    However, at this moment, Marina looked like she would not give up resistance until she saw the


    evidence. A hint of mockery shed across the face of the person from the supervisory bureau.


    ording to our investigation, you are suspected of illegally trading virtual currency. During the


    transaction, you are suspected of fraud and moneyundering. We have investigated the information of


    the exchange. As a legal person, you should be investigated. This is an arrest warrant. Please


    cooperate!¡±


    Marina¡¯s heart sank uncontrobly when she saw the words on the arrest warrant.


    A year ago, in Aureliana, regtions prohibiting the trading of virtual currencies had been issued, but


    Marina had always known that this group of people was bluffing.


    They issued all kinds of regtions and imed to implement severe punishment, but they had never


    really taken action.


    However, not only did they suddenly take action this time, but they also caught Marina off guard.


    Seeing that Marina was no longer quibbling, the people from the supervisory bureau put handcuffs on


    her slender wrists.


    Two uniformed police officers stood on either side of Marina and carried her out.


    When Marina brushed past Rachel, she stopped in her tracks and red at Rachel. ¡°It¡¯s you! Rachel


    you framed me behind my back, right?¡±

 Chapter 718

    Chapter 718


    Chapter 718


    Rachel was protected in David¡¯s arms. When Rachel suddenly heard Marina¡¯s usation, she was so


    frightened that her entire body trembled.


    Rachel grabbed David¡¯s cor tightly with both hands and turned to look at Marina timidly. Her eyes


    were innocent and pitiful, and she was like a weak little white flower that could not protect itself. ¡°Auntie


    Marina, I don¡¯t have the ability¡­¡±


    Yann and Chris couldn¡¯t help but exim in their hearts when they witnessed Rachel¡¯s perfect acting


    skills.


    They had really seen the scene of Rachel breaking a person¡¯s wrist. At that time, Rachel was ruthless


    andpletely different from the soft and weak woman in front of them.


    However, when Marina saw Rachel¡¯s pitiful look, she was so angry that she almost couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Rachel was indeed good at acting.


    Her eyes were filled with intense hatred as Marina red fiercely at Rachel. ¡°Stop pretending to be


    innocent! David is blinded by you, but I am not! Do you dare to say that you didn¡¯t secretly n


    everything today? Then why is Nathan here? Do you dare to say that you don¡¯t know anything?¡±


    Facing Marina¡¯s usation, Rachel bit her lips and whispered with tears in her eyes, ¡°Auntie Marina,


    since you have said so, I have nothing to say¡­¡±


    With apromised posture, Rachel vividly acted as a weak


    woman.


    Looking at Rachel¡¯s attitude, everyone would only think that Marina was bullying Rachel and imposing


    false charges on Rachel.


    For a time, everyone looked at Marina with intriguing gazes.


    Sensing the slight change in everyone¡¯s expression, Marina knew


    Chapter 718


    that no one would believe her words.


    If Marina continued, it would only make things worse.


    Marina gritted her teeth tightly, wishing she could crush them. ¡°Rachel, when Ie out, we¡¯ll settle the


    score!¡±


    Sooner orter, Marina would make this bitch Rachel pay double for the humiliation she had suffered


    today.


    When Rachel heard this, a thought-provoking smile shed across her eyes.


    Rachel had thought that Marina was a smart person, but she did not expect that she had overestimated


    Marina.


    Marina was suspected of fraud and moneyundering, which involved a huge amount of money.


    ording to the localw, it was possible that Marina would be jailed for a decade or two. If others took


    the opportunity to avenge Marina to add a decade or two to her sentence, Marina¡¯s life would be


    wasted.


    Even if Marina managed to make it through with much difficulty, the situation outside had already


    changed drastically. She might not have the capital to make aeback.


    Moreover, Marina¡¯s two charges had a huge impact on the Jones family.


    As long as Marina was still the fifth daughter of the Jones family, then the Jones family would forever


    be a topic of gossip. The only way to leave the Jones family well alone was to cut ties with Marina.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Old Mr. Jones had always valued the family¡¯s reputation. He would never let the Jones family be


    embarrassed in order to protect Marina.


    Then the Jones family severing ties with Marina would be a fact.


    Without the Jones family¡¯s protection, the enemy Marina had gotten in the past would naturallye


    again. Although Marina would waste her youth in prison for 20 to 30 years and her life


    Chapter 718


    would be a little bitter, at least she could keep her life.


    After all, it was better to live than to die.


    With this thought in mind, Rachel suddenly felt that she had done a good deed.


    After Marina was taken away, everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Nathan.


    Everyone knew that the eight branches of the coteral family had done something foolish some time


    ago.


    Later on, when they heard that the head and the mistress of the eight branches hadmitted suicide


    while being interrogated, everyone could not help but sigh.


    Originally, the eight branches of the coteral family had a bright future. However, because of a wrong


    choice, they finally walked into a situation where they were all destroyed.


    However, the most worrying person was the heir of the eight branches, Nathan.


    They were curious about how Nathan, who couldn¡¯t move freely, had avoided the search when David¡¯s


    men entered the houses of the eight branches. At the same time, they were worried that Nathan would


    take revenge suddenly.


    After all, once the eight branches fell, everyone here took the opportunity to take over the businesses


    of the eight branches.


    In order to eliminate potential threats, they all secretly investigated Nathan¡¯s whereabouts.


    However, no one expected Nathan to appear here. It seemed like Nathan was rted to Marina.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Old Mr. Jones frowned slightly when he saw Nathan. A hint of displeasure


    appeared in his eyes.


    Old Mr. Jones had always followed thew of the jungle for the Jones family¡¯s children.


    Back then, Old Mr. Jones had watched Nathan grow up. Nathan was


    Chapter 718


    meticulous and revealed his intelligence at a young age.


    Unfortunately, the heavens were jealous of talented people. On the way home, Nathan encountered an


    ident. Although Nathan narrowly escaped death, he became a cripple who could not make great


    achievements.


    Yann pulled off the ck tape covering Nathan¡¯s mouth.


    Nathan turned his head and spat. He looked at Old Mr. Jones with a malicious gaze. ¡°As expected of


    an old fool! You would rather believe an outsider than your daughter!¡±


    Others might not know what Rachel had done, but as an audience, Nathan saw it clearly.


    Nathan watched helplessly as Rachel disrupted Marina¡¯s market and lured Marina into a trap step by


    step. In the end, Marina ended up like this.


    As for the chief plotter, Rachel, this evil woman with ulterior motives acted as a weak and helpless


    woman.


    Not only did Rachel fool everyone, but she also yed with David.


    ¡°Nathan, have you forgotten the rules now either?¡± Noah spoke at the right time. His expression was


    serious, and he looked like a stern and loving parent. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and answer


    your grandpa.¡±


    Nathan sneered. ¡°I have nothing to say. You can kill me or torture me if you want!¡±


    From the moment Nathan learned that his parents had been killed in custody and interrogation, he was


    determined to make David pay with his life.


    When his n failed, Nathan was like a walking corpse.


    However, when Nathan thought of Marina, he could not bear it.


    Back then, when Nathan encountered the ident, everyone wasughing at him. Only Marina


    apanied Nathan and encouraged him to get back on his feet.


    Chapter 718


    When the eight branches of the coteral family were confiscated, Marina appeared by Nathan¡¯s side


    as quickly as before.


    This kindness was something that Nathan could never forget.


    Nathan took a deep breath, and determination shed across his eyes. ¡°I did everything. It has nothing


    to do with Marina.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out if you did it or not.¡± At this moment, a deep voice came from the door.


    Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw another wave of police officers in uniforms


    walking in.


    The man first showed his identification photo in front of everyone, then showed the arrest warrant.


    ¡°Nathan, we¡¯ve received a report that you¡¯re suspected of kidnapping and murder. Please cooperate


    with our investigation now.¡±


    As the man spoke, he looked at Old Mr. Jones. ¡°You see¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Jones waved his hand expressionlessly, indicating that they could do whatever they wanted.


    After receiving the order, the man looked at the two police officers behind him and said bluntly, ¡°Carry


    him away!¡±


    Seeing Nathan being carried away, Rachel suddenly said, ¡°Can I have a word with him alone?¡±

 Chapter 719

    Chapter 719


    Chapter 719


    The police officer was slightly stunned.


    The two of them looked at each other and looked at their captain.


    A trace of conflict shed across the man¡¯s eyes. He instinctively looked at David.


    The Jones family was just like the top of the pyramid in Aureliana. There was no one in their group who


    dared to neglect them.


    David nodded slightly.


    The man quickly said, ¡°Please go ahead.¡±


    Although the man did not know Rachel¡¯s identity, based on their intimate actions just now, it was not


    difficult to guess that the eye-catching and beautiful woman in front of him was the woman rumored to


    be brought back by Mr. Jones.


    Rachel nodded and walked toward Nathan.


    The people standing outside the door could only observe Rachel from afar. Now that Rachel had


    walked out, they could finally observe Rachel up close.


    The woman in front of them could be said to be devastatingly beautiful.


    Her facial features were stunningly beautiful, and the corners of her upturned eyes were cold and


    charming. The corners of her mouth were curled into a faint arc, revealing an unconceble


    sharpness.


    Jennifer of the Clifford family was the number one beautiful youngdy. But in front of Rachel, Jennifer


    had to hand over this title.


    The sunlight shone on Rachel¡¯s body, outlining her wless face.


    Everyone had a deep impression of the cold and beautiful Rachel. However, Mr. Davies slightly


    narrowed his eyes in the crowd and


    Chapter 719


    stared at Rachel with a burning gaze. There was a hint of


    disappointment in his eyes as if he was looking at another person. through Rachel.


    Rachel did not ignore Mr. Davies¡¯s gaze. However, now was not the best time to chat with Mr. Davies.


    Rachel walked in front of Nathan with a faint smile on her lips, but her eyes were terrifyingly cold. ¡°After


    we parted today, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to see you again, Mr. Jones, so I think there are some


    things I should say clearly.¡±


    ¡°What do you want!¡± Nathan looked at Rachel warily.


    Nathan had always thought that Rachel was just a useless woman only with pretty looks. However,


    when Nathan saw with his own eyes how Rachel lured Marina into a trap step by step, causing Marina


    to end up like this, he could not understand Rachel more and more. Nathan could not help but feel


    afraid in his heart.


    This fear was an instinct.


    It was a natural urrence when one encountered a powerful


    enemy or expert.


    In his previous n, Nathan believed the rumors easily. Not dealing with Rachel was the worst mistake


    Nathan had ever made.


    Seeing that Nathan¡¯s eyes were filled with vignce, Rachel smiled. ¡°Logically speaking, we¡¯ve only


    met by chance, and there are no feelings between us. But people have to die knowingly, right?


    ¡°You only ended up like this because you wanted to take revenge. Unfortunately, you took revenge


    wrongly. It was your first mistake to mistakenly treat the person who killed your parents as your


    benefactor. It was your second mistake to not investigate clearly and push all the me on David. As


    for the third mistake¡­¡±


    Rachel paused for a moment. There was a hint of mockery in the smile on her lips. She said


    unhurriedly, ¡°You should never have brought disaster upon yourself and made yourself be self-


    righteous scapegoat!¡±


    hapter 719


    Bringing disaster upon himself¡­


    These words were enough to crush all the strength in Nathan¡¯s heart.


    His pupils trembled slightly as Nathan secretly gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡±


    Everyone said that Nathan, born into the Jones family, did not have to worry about food and clothes in


    this life and could enjoy endless wealth and glory. However, only Nathan himself knew that the Jones


    family that everyone envied and yearned for was just a tomb with a gorgeous coat.


    The Jones family was thriving now because they stepped on countless white bones by gaining their


    current position.


    It was normal for the Jones family to fight openly and covertly, and Nathan¡¯s leg was the oue of


    failure.


    From a young man who was praised by everyone and had a bright future, Nathan had be a


    useless person who apanied a wheelchair. No one understood his pain and unwillingness.


    Only Marina!


    All these years, Nathan had always regarded Marina as the only light in his dark life.


    Nathan had never doubted Marina, but now, Rachel said that the real murderer of his parents was


    Marina.


    Rachel¡¯s words were undoubtedly killing Nathan¡¯s heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s only right for you to have your doubts. After all, no one would be willing to admit that the tragic


    annihtion of his family was his own fault?¡± Rachel¡¯s cold tone was mixed with a hint of gentleness.


    However, at this moment, Rachel¡¯s gentleness was like a knife that cut open Nathan¡¯s heart.


    The heart-piercing pain made Nathan¡¯s face gradually lose its color, leaving only a pale one.


    *


    Chapter 719


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been a man of my word. Since I¡¯m determined to help you, I won¡¯t leave you with any


    regrets,¡± Rachel said. ¡°When your verdict is out, I¡¯ll send the relevant report to you. I guarantee that I


    won¡¯t leave you with any regrets.¡±


    With that, Rachel gestured to the two police officers and stood there to watch Nathan being carried


    away.


    Born in a big family like the Jones family, one had to either do everything possible to protect oneself or


    do everything possible to be stronger and prove one¡¯s worth.


    It was obvious that Nathan did not understand the logic behind this.


    However, with Nathan¡¯s meticulous mind, it was impossible for him not to understand.


    The only reason was that Nathan hated the Jones family. He hated everyone in the Jones family for


    being so heartless.


    When Nathan was stuffed into the car, he turned his head and nced at the old residence of the


    Jones family.


    Suddenly, Nathan¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile.


    Nathan hated the wrong person, took revenge wrongly, and brought disaster upon himself¡­


    These few words were simple, but it was as ifyers of shackles were binding Nathan, making his heart


    feel like it was being cooked in a pot of oil. Nathan could not feel at ease in this life and would spend


    his days in regret forever.


    Rachel seemed to be helping Nathan out of kindness, but in fact, she was punishing him with the truth.


    What a heartless woman.


    In terms of torturing methods, Rachel was even better than David.


    With Marina and Nathan taken away, the farce in the old residence finally came to an end.


    Chapter 719


    While everyone was sighing in their hearts, they had also lost a


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    worry.


    With Marina and Nathan in jail, the Jones family could eat away at their businesses without worry.


    However, they did not know how Old Mr. Jones nned to deal with Marina.


    When the group returned to Gentlemen Pavilion, Old Mr. Jones suddenly said, ¡°Marina made a huge


    mistake because of her own. selfish desires. She brought this upon herself. ording to the Jones


    family rules, anyone who humiliates the family will be expelled. Now that the three elders are here, I


    specially request you¡¯ to bear witness. From today onwards, Marina will be expelled from the Jones


    family. The eight branches of the coteral family where Nathan is will bepletely removed from the


    Jones family. Besides, they will never be allowed to step into the Jones family!¡±


    As soon as Old Mr. Jones finished speaking, everyone¡¯s expressions changed.


    They had imagined how Old Mr. Jones would punish Marina and Nathan, but they did not dare to think


    of Old Mr. Jones expelling Marina from the Jones family.


    No matter what, Marina was Old Mr. Jones¡¯s biological daughter, the Jones family¡¯s youngest daughter,


    and the Jones family¡¯s iparably noble fifth youngdy.


    No matter how ruthless Old Mr. Jones was, they didn¡¯t think he could kick his biological daughter out of


    the family.


    Upon hearing this, Harley from the Elders narrowed his eyes slightly, and a shrewd dark light flickered


    in his turbid eyes.

 Chapter 720

    Chapter 720


    Chapter 720


    ¡°The eight branches of the coteral family should indeed be severely punished for harming David. Not


    to mention confiscating all their assets, even if all of them are removed from the family tree now, they


    deserve it. But¡­¡± Harley sized up the expression on Old Mr. Jones¡¯s face and rubbed the thumb ring


    on his thumb with his fingers. ¡°Although Miss Marina¡¯s mistake implicated and humiliated the entire


    Jones family, it¡¯s not a heinous crime. You publicly expelled her from the Jones family. Isn¡¯t this


    punishment a little too much?¡±


    By saying these words, Harley seemed to be persuading Old Mr. Jones to be lenient, but in fact, he


    was hinting to everyone that Old Mr. Jones was cold-blooded and heartless. For the benefit of the


    family, Old Mr. Jones could even abandon his biological daughter.


    The people present were extremely smart. Of course, they could understand Harley¡¯s meaning.


    For a moment, everyone¡¯s expressions were intriguing.


    Upon hearing this, Old Mr. Jones turned to look at Harley of the Elders. His eyes narrowed slightly, and


    a dark andplicated look flickered in his eyes.


    Old Mr. Jones¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°The Jones family¡¯s rules. have always been strict. I¡¯m just


    following the family rules. After all, she¡¯s my biological daughter. How can I not dote on her? As her


    father, I have the responsibility of not teaching her well. Now that Marina has been expelled from the


    Jones family, she naturally can¡¯t be considered one of the Jones family. As her biological father, I


    should be punished.


    ¡°From today onwards, I will stay at home and reflect on my mistakes. If you have anything to discuss,


    feel free to look for David.¡±


    With that, Old Mr. Jones stood up and excused himself to the crowd before turning to leave.


    Chapter 720


    Harley narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched Old Mr. Jones leave.


    In order not to be criticized by others, Old Mr. Jones was even willing to let go of his biological


    daughter.


    By saying that now that Marina had been expelled from the Jones family, she naturally couldn¡¯t be


    considered one of the Jones family, Old Mr. Jones cut off the others¡¯ thoughts of seeking revenge on


    Marina.


    It seemed like Old Mr. Jones ruthlessly punished Marina, but it was actually a cover-up to protect her.


    Marina was removed from the Jones family, and she would no longer be targeted by the Jones family¡¯s


    enemies.


    Old Mr. Jones was getting more and more cunning as he got older.


    However, it was unknown if Marina could live up to Old Mr. Jones¡¯s painstaking nning.


    It was not until Old Mr. Jones¡¯s figurepletely disappeared from his sight that Harley slowly


    retracted his gaze. ¡°Today¡¯s incident was sudden and everyone must have already been mentally and


    physically exhausted. Let¡¯s end the meeting here.¡±


    Everyone couldn¡¯t wait to leave the Jones family long before,


    Hearing this, they immediately stood up and left as if they had been pardoned.


    After Noah left Gentlemen Pavilion, he brought his trusted subordinate back to the meditation hall.


    Noah¡¯s trusted subordinate brewed a cup of coffee for Noah. When he offered it with both hands, he


    secretly sized up the expression on Noah¡¯s face. After thinking for a while, he carefully said, ¡°Sir, Miss


    Marina has fallen now. Should we take the opportunity¡­¡±


    As the man spoke, he ced his fingers on his neck and made a throat-slitting gesture.


    The meaning was self-evident.


    Chapter 720


    Noah picked up the cup on the table. With his other hand, he lifted the lid and stirred the spoon. ¡°It


    seems that you haven¡¯tprehended the words of my dad.¡±


    The trusted subordinate was confused, but he said humbly and respectfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I trouble you to


    exin, sir.¡±


    ¡°Dad kicked her out of the Jones family. It looks like a severe punishment, but it¡¯s actually protection.¡±


    Noah put down the cup in his hand and said unhurriedly, ¡°As Dad said that he would kick Marina out of


    the family, he repeatedly emphasized that Marina would not be counted as one of the Jones family


    from now on. He¡¯s warning everyone. If they want revenge, feel free to take revenge. on the Jones


    family. It has nothing to do with Marina.


    ¡°On the other hand, Dad mentioned that it¡¯s his fault for not teaching Marina well. This means that he


    still admits that Marina carries his blood and is his biological daughter. Even if Marina is no longer the


    Jones family¡¯s fifth daughter, she is still his daughter. If anyone dares to hurt Marina, he will avenge


    them in the name of her father.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s words are watertight. Not only did he stop others from speaking gossip, but he also stopped the


    Elders from seeking at chance to control the Jones family due to this matter in the future. He also used


    Marina as a living example to hit everyone. From now on, if anyone humiliated the Jones family, their


    oue would only be worse than Marina¡¯s. It could be said to be killing three birds with one stone.¡±


    When his trusted subordinate heard this, he felt a lingering fear in his heart.


    If he hadn¡¯tprehended Old Mr. Jones¡¯s meaning, he would have fallen into Old Mr. Jones¡¯s trap.


    Noah sighed faintly. ¡°A parent¡¯s love for their child is far-reaching. Dad has done his best for her.¡±


    ¡°Poor Miss Marina. She was smart all her life, but she was muddle-headed for a moment. She actually


    stepped into a youngdy¡¯s trick.¡± The trusted subordinate shook his head and smiled


    Chapter 720


    bitterly. An imperceptible mocking look shed in his eyes.


    When Noah heard this, his eyebrows moved slightly. He raised his indifferent eyes and muttered softly,


    ¡°She was indeed


    muddle-headed.¡±


    However, Noah knew very well that Marina had suffered such a huge setback this time, definitely not


    because that woman called Rachel was lucky.


    From the first moment Noah saw Rachel, he sensed that Rachel was not as simple as she looked.


    Later on, the eight branches of the coteral family suffered. Now, Marina suffered a huge setback too.


    All of these were rted to Rachel.


    However, after Noah thought about it, it made sense. A woman who could be fancied by David could


    not be a useless woman only with good looks.


    When Noah thought of this, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a clear coldness flickered in his eyes. ¡°Go


    and investigate the background of this woman called Rachel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    After everyone dispersed, David returned to his courtyard.


    As soon as David entered, he saw Rachel sitting in front of the mirror.


    Hearing footsteps, Rachel quickly stuffed the mirror under the pillow and tucked her long hair behind


    her neck. ¡°You¡¯re back so soon?¡±


    David didn¡¯t say anything. He just stared at Rachel with dark eyes.


    David¡¯s scorching and sharp gaze seemed to shoot two holes in Rachel¡¯s body.


    ¡°Miss Grey¡­¡± Chris rushed in with the ointment. When Chris noticed David, she stopped talking.


    Chris had just turned around to go out to take the ointment, but


    Chapter 720


    when she returned, she suddenly stepped into such a tense atmosphere.


    For a moment, Chris did not know if she should feel sorry for herself or mourn for Rachel for three


    seconds.


    Rachel stood up and walked over. She took the ointment from Chris¡¯s hand and gave her a look,


    indicating for her to leave first.


    Chris was immediately full of gratitude. She turned around and left without looking back.


    The door closed again. Rachel approached David. ¡°Who provoked you to be so angry?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± David asked.


    The smile on Rachel¡¯s lips froze. She held David¡¯s hand and walked toward the bed under the window.


    ¡°When did I not trust you?¡±


    David¡¯s dark eyes were bottomless, making it impossible for anyone to see through his emotions. ¡°You


    don¡¯t believe that I will abandon my blood ties to stand on your side, and you don¡¯t believe that I will put


    you before family.¡±


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    If Rachel really believed David, she would not have chosen to put on such a show in front of everyone


    and even him./


    Rachel ced herself in the position of the weak to gain sympathy and to force the Jones family to deal


    with Marina in order to stop the public from speaking gossip.

 Chapter 721

    Chapter 721


    Chapter 721


    ¡°Today¡¯s show was indeed directed and acted by me, but I¡¯m not doing it just for my own selfish


    motives.¡± Rachel was worried that the two of them would have a grudge because of this matter, so she


    exined patiently. ¡°If I asked you toe forward, you naturally wouldn¡¯t hesitate. It¡¯s just that the


    timing today and the venue are not right. If you take action, not only will you bebeled as heartless,


    but the people of the Elders will also hold against you because of this.¡±


    Therefore, this matter was most suitable for Rachel to do.


    David stared at Rachel with his ck eyes. ¡°Do you think I care about this?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t care.¡± Rachel held David¡¯s hand, her charming eyes sparkling. ¡°But I do care. I can¡¯t change


    the past, but now that I¡¯m right in front of you, how can I watch you bear the infamy?


    ¡°This time, when you brought me back to Aureliana, everyone saw me as a thorn in their side. They


    even saw me as a weakness that they could use to manipte you at will. However, not only can I be


    your weakness, but I can also be your armor.¡±


    When things were going well, Rachel could snuggle up to David. In times of adversity, she could


    be the sharpest de in David¡¯s hand and fight side by side with him, ensuring that he would be


    invincible.


    Rachel saw that David¡¯s well-defined face seemed to be covered in ayer of ice. His dark eyes were


    like a bottomless coldke. ¡°You should trust me.¡±


    David never cared about infamy, nor did he care about the opinions of others. Nothing in the world


    couldpare to Rachel.


    Rachel pursed her lips. She reached out and gently tugged at David¡¯s hand. ¡°I promise it won¡¯t happen


    again¡­¡±


    Before Rachel could finish speaking, David¡¯s arm suddenly pulled her into his arms. His arm grabbed


    her slender waist, and his other


    Chapter 721


    hand grabbed her chin, forcing her to raise her head to face him.


    The man¡¯s unique cold aura instantly enveloped her. Rachel held her breath slightly.


    It was still the familiar cold wood fragrance, but at this moment, Rachel¡¯s heart could not help but


    tighten.


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a dangerous dark light flickered in them. He bent down slightly and


    pressed his cold face against hers. His cold breath sprayed on her face. ¡°Do you want to do it again?¡±


    There were so many ways to take down Marina, but Rachel chose to hurt herself.


    What did Rachel treat her life for?


    If not for the arrival of the police officers, David could guarantee that the shot would not have hit


    Marina¡¯s arm.


    Sensing the terrifying aura around David, Rachel realized that David was indeed angry this time.


    Different from his previous anger, his eyes were filled with a world-destroying viciousness, as if he was


    a Rakshasa who had walked out of the depths of hell on a pile of bones.


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips curled up slightly. ¡°This is forced by the situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± David let out a coldugh. The shortugh gave people the illusion that they were going to be


    killed. ¡°You always have countless reasons to absolve yourself. Rachel, you really disappoint me.¡±


    With that, David left.


    Rachel subconsciously wanted to grab his hand, but before her fingertips could touch the corner of his


    clothes, David had already left quickly.


    Rachel stood where she was and sighed wistfully.


    Chapter 721


    It seemed like David was really angry.


    Since Rachel had done it, she must be 100% confident.


    Otherwise, Rachel would not risk her life.


    Rachel knew that David didn¡¯t care about being infamous, but her heart would ache.


    In the past, David had no choice. Now that Rachel was by his side, how could she bear to let David be


    criticized?


    At this moment, Chris walked in from outside.


    Although David had left, Chris could still sense the tense atmosphere in the huge side hall that had yet


    to dissipate.


    ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    Rachel looked at Chris.


    Chris handed Rachel a blue and white porcin rouge box. ¡°This is for blood cirction and stasis.


    The effect is very obvious.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Who gave it to you?¡±


    Chris subconsciously blurted out, but when she thought of David¡¯s instructions, she could only swallow


    the words that were about toe out of her mouth.


    Seeing Chris¡¯s hesitant look, Rachel understood.


    Knowing that it was sent by David, Rachel did not hesitate.


    Although Rachel was angry, she had no reason to not apply the ointment.


    ¡°Where did he go?¡± Rachel asked casually.


    Chris was worried about what to say next. When Chris heard this, she hurriedly said, ¡°Sir has gone out


    and won¡¯t being back for the time being.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel stopped applying the ointment. ¡°He won¡¯t being back for the time being?¡±


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Chapter 721


    Chris did not dare to look up and size up the expression on Rachel¡¯s face. She only lowered her eyes


    and nodded.


    Rachel frowned slightly.


    David actually left just like that?


    David left Rachel here alone?


    Rachel took a deep breath and threw the cotton swab in her hand into the trash can. ¡°Then let¡¯s pack


    up and leave.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s still a family banquetter,¡± Chris said. ¡°Just now, Mr. Jones specially sent someone to ask


    you to attend, Miss Grey.¡±


    Chris sized up the expression on Rachel¡¯s face. When Chris saw that Rachel was frowning slightly, she


    quickly exined, ¡°Sir just left for something at thest minute. He might be back from the family


    banquet. If he sees that you¡¯re not around, he¡¯ll inevitably be worried.¡±


    When Rachel heard Chris¡¯s words, her gloomy expression improved a little. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Hearing this, Chris secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    The two of them falling out with each other was really hard on them as subordinates.


    Not only did they have to work, but they also have to help David and Rachel to mediate the conflict.


    The next second, Rachel stood up and left.


    Chris quickly came back to her senses and asked subconsciously, ¡°Miss Grey, are you going out?¡±


    ¡°I want to get some fresh air,¡± Rachel said. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Do you know what¡¯s so fun around here?¡±


    If Rachel stayed in her room alone, it was inevitable that she would let her imagination run wild.


    Rachel might as well find something for herself to do.


    Chapter 721


    Chris frowned slightly and pondered seriously for a moment, ¡°There¡¯s a hot spring at the back of the


    mountain. I heard that it has. been hundred years and is drawn down from the dragon vein. behind the


    old residence. It¡¯s said to have the effect of curing all diseases.¡±


    David had also mentioned the hot spring to Rachel, but he did not mention that it had the effect of


    curing all diseases.


    Now that Chris mentioned it, Rachel was indeed interested.


    However, Rachel had more important things to do now.


    ¡°Prepare a car for me,¡± Rachel said calmly.


    Chris was stunned for a moment before replying, ¡°Yes!¡±


    The two of them walked out of the courtyard and went straight to the weeping flower door.


    Coincidentally, they bumped into Noah, who was walking over from the corridor.


    ¡°Miss Grey.¡± When Noah saw Rachel, his attitude was as humble and respectful as when he saw


    Rachel at the resort vi on the affiliated ind.


    Noah did not show any disrespect just because Rachel did not have David by her side.


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, are you going out?¡± Noah asked.


    Rachel said in neither servile nor overbearing manner, ¡°I have nothing to do and want to go out to take


    a breather.¡±


    Noah nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I have something important to do and have to go out. Otherwise, I would


    have brought you around to familiarize myself with the surroundings, Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rachel said. ¡°Since you have something important to do, I won¡¯t dy your time any


    further.¡±


    ¡°Okay.

 Chapter 722

    Chapter 722


    Chapter 722


    After Noah got into the car, he looked out of the window. The car Rachel drove further and further


    away, and his eyes flickered with a dark andplicated light.


    At this moment, his trusted subordinate could not help but


    chuckle. There was unconceble mockery in his eyes. ¡°Miss Grey really doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for


    her.¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Noah¡¯s eyes were lowered, and no one could see the look in his eyes.


    His trusted subordinate nced at Noah through the rearview mirror and said unhurriedly, ¡°Now, so


    many people are staring at her openly and covertly. The reason why they didn¡¯t take action. was only


    that they were afraid of David. But she actually went out alone at this time and wasn¡¯t afraid that others


    took the chance to attack her. Isn¡¯t she courting death?¡±


    It could only be said that Rachel was young and rash. She was short-sighted and thought that she


    would win every time because she was in the ascendant once.


    When Noah heard this, the corners of his mouth curled into an intriguing smile. ¡°You underestimated


    her too much.¡±


    The trusted subordinate looked at Noah in confusion.


    Noah said, ¡°David has just brought her here for a few days, and she took down the eight branches of


    the coteral family and Marina. Naturally, she is great.¡±


    After all, Marina was the daughter of the Jones family. Even if she was unruly and arrogant, she was


    definitely not a useless piece of trash. All these years, Marina had been ostracized by the Jones family,


    but she could still upy a ce in the market in Aureliana, which meant that she was capable.


    However, this time, Marina was defeated by Rachel.


    It could be said that Marina was careless for a moment, but Noah


    Chapter 722


    had to admit that Rachel¡¯s methods were impressive.


    When Noah thought of this, the smile on his lips became more and more obvious, but the smile did not


    reach his eyes. ¡°How do you know that this is not a trap set by her?¡±


    Hearing this, the trusted subordinate was stunned. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    Was Rachel risking her life to lure the enemy to take action?


    The words that were about toe out of his mouth were swallowed back under Noah¡¯s warning gaze.


    ¡°The current situation is like a pool of muddy water. It¡¯s inevitable that someone won¡¯t take the


    opportunity to cause trouble. We just need to wait and see,¡± Noah said calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s go ande back


    quickly so as not to dy the family banquetter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    On the other side, Rachel was sitting in the car, ying with the diamond that Mr. Davies had given her.


    Its texture was warm, and its color was transparent. It was obvious that it was expensive.


    However, in Mr. Davies¡¯s eyes, such an expensive piece of diamond could only be used as something


    for a rmendation. One could imagine how rich the Davies family was.


    ¡°Miss Grey, there¡¯s someone behind us.¡± Chris¡¯s voice was a little tense because of her vignce.


    Rachel took a look through the rearview mirror and narrowed her eyes slightly. A cold glint shed in


    her eyes.


    Rachel didn¡¯t expect to be targeted so quickly on her first solo trip.


    Were they Marina¡¯s trusted subordinates? Or were they someone from the Jones family?


    Rachel put the diamond in her pocket and said coldly, ¡°Go around the city and see if we can shake


    them off.¡±


    Chapter 722


    Chris nodded. As she gripped the steering wheel tightly, she suddenly stepped on the elerator.


    The modified ck Rolls-Royce shot out like an arrow.


    The car behind them suddenly sped up and followed closely behind them. No matter how hard they


    tried, they could not shake it off.


    ¡°Miss Grey, sit¡­¡±


    Before Chris could finish her sentence, Rachel suddenly grabbed the steering wheel and said, ¡°Let¡¯s


    change positions.¡±


    Although Chris was a little surprised, her body had already moved first.


    After the two of them switched positions, Rachel pouted at Chris. ¡°ce the safety belt.¡±


    Chris pursed her lips and was about to say no need when the car suddenly suffered a violent collision.


    Her expression turned serious as Chris quickly fastened her seatbelt.


    Half an hourter, their car stopped in front of the coastal road.


    At this moment, the night was gradually falling. Rachel sat in front of the roof of the car, ced her


    hands on her sides, and closed her eyes. She raised her head slightly and felt the gentle sea breeze


    caressing her face.


    Meanwhile, Chris held onto the rock behind her and vomited non-stop.


    As one of David¡¯s five assistants, Chris actually had motion sickness.


    How embarrassing.


    After some time, Chris took out a bottle of mineral water from the trunk. After rinsing her mouth, she


    walked toward Rachel.


    However, because Chris had vomited too much, her legs were a


    Chapter 722


    little weak now. It was as if she was stepping on cotton.


    ¡°Miss Grey, it¡¯s gettingte. We should head back,¡± said Chris.


    Rachel raised her eyeszily and looked at Chris casually. Noticing Chris¡¯s pale face, Rachel frowned


    slightly. ¡°Feeling better?¡±


    Chris looked ufortable for a moment. ¡°Much better.¡±


    Rachel nodded and jumped out of the car. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    On the way back, their car drove straight through the mountain-piercing tunnel on the cliff. However,


    just as they were about to drive out of the tunnel, they encountered a truck.


    The car¡¯s lights were as bright as day, blinding Rachel and Chris.


    Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to see the tunnel.


    However, the dazzling lights made Rachel dizzy. She could only vaguely see the truck speeding toward


    them.


    -Relying on her sharp instincts, Rachel turned the steering wheel fiercely and barely dodged the


    oing collision of the truck.


    However, the back of the car was still hit.


    Under the violent impact, the car spun 360 degrees and crashed into the stone wall of the tunnel.


    The airbag opened instantly and wrapped Rachel tightly.


    ¡°Miss Grey, are you okay?¡± Chris¡¯s voice was filled with


    nervousness.


    Rachel frowned slightly and shook her dizzy head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine too,¡± said Chris.


    As the two of them spoke, therge truck actually retreated and attacked them again.


    Chris¡¯s pupils constricted, and her eyes were filled with panic.


    Chapter 722


    Chris did not have time to think too much and quickly unbuckled Rachel¡¯s seatbelt. ¡°Quick! Get out of


    the car!¡±


    However, the door on Rachel¡¯s side was blocked and could not be opened.


    Helpless, Rachel could only jump out of the front passenger seat.


    Just as Rachel was about to jump out, the truck was already rushing toward Rachel.


    At this critical moment, a ck Rolls-Royce suddenly appeared and sped past like ck lightning.


    Just as the truck was about to hit Rachel, the ck Rolls-Royce blocked in front of Rachel and


    protected her.


    The moment the car rushed over, she seemed to see David¡¯s handsome face through the dazzling


    light.


    Rachel¡¯s pupils dted. Her face became paler and paler. Her heart felt like it was being held tightly by


    a pair of hands, and her


    breathing stopped at this moment.


    Although the speed of the Rolls-Royce was shocking, it was nothing in front of the huge truck.


    The violent impact knocked Rachel to the ground, causing the light bulbs in the entire tunnel to


    explode. In an instant, the entire tunnel fell into endless darkness.


    The smell of gasoline mixed with the faint smell of blood in the


    air.


    Rachel got up from the ground and stared at the other end of the darkness. ¡°David¡­¡±

 Chapter 723

    Chapter 723


    Chapter 723


    Rachel tried her best to get up from the ground, but her limbs could not help but go limp.


    Still, Rachel kept moving forward, trying to reach the impacted Rolls-Royce as fast as she could.


    Suddenly, her legs went soft, and Rachel fell forward uncontrobly.


    Rachel was prepared to ept the pain, but what awaited her was a warm and firm chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± A deep and maic voice suddenly sounded beside Rachel¡¯s ear, making her tremble as if


    she had been electrocuted.


    Rachel subconsciously followed the sound and pounced over.


    Rachel hugged the man tightly, feeling his warm body temperature, listening to his strong heartbeat,


    and breathing in the unique cold wood fragrance on his body.


    At this moment, Rachel could no longer control her tears.


    Rachel bit her lips with her teeth and tried her best to control her low whimpering, like an injured little


    beast.


    Sensing that the woman in his arms was trembling uncontrobly, David felt as if his heart had been cut


    by a blunt knife.


    David¡¯s palm caressed Rachel¡¯s back gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡±


    David¡¯s deep voice suddenly became soft, like the spring water in a mountain stream, cold and gentle.


    When Rachel heard this, her back stiffened.


    Rachel slowly raised her head from David¡¯s arms and tried her best to see him from the darkness,


    trying to see his eyes and eyebrows.


    The man¡¯s dark and deep eyes were like a bright star in the darkness.


    Although it was not as eye-catching, it was unforgettable.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips curled up slightly, and her throat was dry and


    tense.


    Was that him?


    The man who protected Rachel all night in Phareborough was David?


    Rachel opened her mouth and mustered up the courage to ask.


    At this moment, Billy and Yann rushed over from afar. ¡°Sir, the gasoline is spreading. We have to


    evacuate quickly.¡±


    Otherwise, if there was an explosion, none of them present could be unharmed.


    Without any hesitation, David bent down and carried Rachel


    h o riz ontally. Then, with his straight and slender legs, he quickly left with sonorous steps.


    A team brought by Yann was responsible for tidying up the scene and controlling the driver.


    Billy led a team to send Rachel and David safely away.


    After getting into the car, Rachel stared at David without blinking.


    Rachel swallowed her saliva and asked in a dry and tense voice, ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°Positioning.¡± David looked at Rachel¡¯s pale face. There was ayer of anger in his eyes, but David had


    nowhere to re up and could only endure it. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    As David spoke, his well-defined fingers gently parted Rachel¡¯s hair.


    Rachel had been nervous just now, so she did not notice the pain at all.


    At this moment, David¡¯s light touch made her feel unbearable pain.


    Rachel nodded and looked at David with an aggrieved expression. ¡°It hurts so much.¡±


    Looking at Rachel¡¯s expression, David only felt a dull pain in his heart, but all the anger and me in


    his chest finally turned into a helpless


    sigh. ¡°When will you learn to protect yourself properly?¡± Rachel had been injured time and time again.


    Did she really think that she had an indestructible body? ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± There was a hint of softness in


    Rachel¡¯s voice. Rachel was so pitiful that no one could bear to continue ming her. ¡°It won¡¯t happen


    again.¡± ¡°You should apologize to yourself.¡± David hugged Rachel in his arms. His movements were


    careful and gentle as if he was holding a fragile rare treasure. ¡°You¡¯ve been injured time and time


    again. You¡¯re being irresponsible to yourself. You don¡¯t know how to cherish your life at all.¡±


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t,¡± said Rachel.


    In the end, David¡¯s heart softened.


    Perhaps David could not leave Rachel alone from the beginning.


    Otherwise, David wouldn¡¯t have been silently paying attention to Rachel¡¯s every move after knowing


    that after she left the old residence.


    David sighed slightly and kissed Rachel¡¯s forehead gently. ¡°Rae-Rae, do you know how much my heart


    aches?¡±


    Whether Rachel¡¯s injuries were serious or light, David could not bear to see her get hurt at all.


    In David¡¯s eyes, Rachel was born in a wealthy family and always bred in good environment. She was


    as dazzling as the stars in the sky and as graceful as a rose. She should be perfect and should not be


    hurt at all.


    Tears welled up in Rachel¡¯s eyes as she leaned against David¡¯s chest.


    However, David dodged without leaving a trace.


    Although it was just a small action, it made Rachel suspicious.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Rachel frowned slightly and reached out to hold David¡¯s wrist.


    David lowered his eyes. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    There seemed to be ayer of coldness in Rachel¡¯s eyes. She had clearly smelled a faint smell of


    blood from David just now. To make sure of it, Rachel leaned toward David and sniffed. ¡°You¡¯re hurt,¡±


    she said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury,¡± David said lightly. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Rachel red at David angrily. ¡°If


    it¡¯s a small injury, why are you hiding and not letting me see it?¡±


    Seeing that David was trying to pull Rachel into his arms to smooth the matter, Rachel pushed her


    hand away quickly. ¡°Billy, hurry up and go back to the old residence!¡±


    The reason why Rachel didn¡¯t go to the hospital was that she was worried that once the news of


    David¡¯s injury spread, there would be unnecessary trouble.


    Moreover, the others were eyeing David covetously. Rachel was really worried about the people in the


    hospital having bad intentions.


    The car sped all the way and soon arrived at the old residence.


    The private doctor had already been in the courtyard, fully prepared.


    When they entered the room, the private doctor conducted a series of examinations on David¡¯s body.


    The scar on David¡¯s right chest was about 2 inches long, and the wound was from deep to shallow. It


    was probably caused by a broken ss piercing the flesh.


    The private doctor said, ¡°I¡¯ll suture you first.¡±


    David, who was sitting on the sofa, responded indifferently.


    Immediately after, the private doctor held a needle and thread and sutured David without injecting


    anesthesia.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Rachel, who had treated the wound on her forehead, could not help but feel a little


    frightened when she saw this scene.


    Rachel hurried in. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inject the anesthetic for him?¡±


    How could an ordinary person withstand a suture without injecting anesthesia?


    Upon hearing this, the private doctor looked at Rachel with a troubled expression. His gaze lingered


    between David and Rachel.


    After hesitating for a while, the private doctor carefully exined, ¡°Miss Grey, you don¡¯t know.


    Regardless of the severity of the injury, sir has never injected anesthesia.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel frowned slightly.


    David had never injected anesthesia.


    It meant that David was either allergic to anesthesia or worried that something would happen during the


    anesthesia.


    ¡°Inject it. I¡¯ll guard him,¡± Rachel said.


    The private doctor did not say anything. He only looked up and sized up the expression on David¡¯s


    face.


    Seeing that David did not refuse, the doctor injected a certain amount of anesthesia.


    The entire suture surgery took less than half an hour from suturing to bandaging.


    Rachel held David¡¯s hand. ¡°Sleep for a while if you¡¯re tired.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep together.¡± David grabbed Rachel¡¯s wrist and pulled her onto the bed.

 Chapter 724

    Chapter 724


    Chapter 724


    Rachel could not help but exim.


    After a moment of dizziness, Rachel was trapped in David¡¯s arms.


    Worried that she would press down on his wound, Rachel did not dare to move. She could only


    obediently snuggle in David¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Go to sleep,¡± David said lightly.


    Rachel looked at David who was right in front of him. His words ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here¡± kept


    reying in Rachel¡¯s mind.


    His cold and gentle tone was exactly the same as that of the man in Phareborough back then.


    And his eyes¡­


    From the first time Rachel saw David, she felt that he was familiar, but she could not remember where


    she had seen him before.


    Until Rachel saw the way David looked at her in the pitch-ck tunnel.


    Was that him?


    Was David the person who protected Rachel all night in Phareborough?


    Rachel had originally nned to wait for David to fall asleep before getting up to prepare something


    digestible to eat. Unexpectedly, as Rachel snuggled in his arms, she unknowingly fell into a deep sleep.


    However, Rachel did not sleep well.


    In her dream, Rachel had once again returned to that rainy night. Corpses littered the ground, and


    blood slowly flowed down the drain under the rain, forming a bright red river.


    The strong smell of blood mixed with the humidity of the rain swept through everyone¡¯s noses.


    The drug addict was like a rat hiding in the sewers. Under the catalysis


    of the drugs, his expression was dazed, and his eyes flickered with excitement and greed. Painful


    moans, panicked shouts, and helpless eyes appeared in front of Rachel¡¯s eyes. At that moment,


    Rachel realized that there was no savior in this world. Even if she had extremely high professionalism,


    she was still not worthy of being a savior. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here,¡± the man¡¯s voice said in Rachel¡¯s


    ear. Rachel tried her best to open her eyes to see the man¡¯s face clearly, but she could only vaguely


    see the outline of his face and those bottomless ck eyes. The scene changed. In a daze, Rachel


    returned to the tunnel where the incident happened tonight. The tanker truck charged at her crazily, but


    David¡¯s car shot toward the tanker truck like an arrow. Rachel rushed over desperately, wanting to stop


    it, but the road in front of her seemed to have no end. No matter how hard Rachel ran, she could not


    cross the unreachable distance. The moment when the car and the truck collided, mes soared into


    the sky. The scarlet mes reflected in her eyes. For a moment, Rachel couldn¡¯t tell if it was because


    her heart ached so much that her eyes. turned red.


    Rachel did not even see David clearly. She could only see the merciless fire engulf and devour him.


    Scarlet blood flowed in front of her feet, and Rachel was so afraid that she suddenly opened her eyes.


    What greeted her eyes was David¡¯s face, which was so close to her. David¡¯s unique cold wooden


    fragrance lingered in her nose. Rachel heaved a long sigh of relief with lingering fear. She raised her


    hand to wipe the cold sweat on her forehead and temples. So it was just a dream. Fortunately, it was


    just a dream. Rachel looked up at David, who was lying beside her. David slept soundly. The coldness


    in his eyes was gone, and his exquisite facial features looked even deeper under the dim light.


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips gently traced his eyebrows. Her fingertipsnded on his thin lips, and for some


    reason, Rachel actually leaned forward and kissed him.


    The kiss left the moment itnded, light and soft.


    Just as Rachel stood up to leave, the man who was originally in a deep sleep suddenly opened his


    eyes. The hand around her waist suddenly tightened, and David held Rachel in his arms.


    The two of them were very close to each other, and their breaths. mingled.


    Rachel was caught off guard and met David¡¯s dark eyes.


    Uncontroble surprise appeared in her eyes. ¡°When did you wake


    up?¡± ¡°I was woken up by your kiss.¡± David¡¯s deep voice was mixed with a hint of h o arseness, which


    was like the texture of gravel, causing ripples to appear in Rachel¡¯s heart.


    An unnatural blush appeared on Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks.


    It was rare for Rachel to kiss David secretly, but she was caught red-handed.


    There was nothing more embarrassing than this.


    Rachel cleared her throat to suppress the ripples in her heart. ¡°Does the wound hurt?¡± she asked co


    olly.


    David¡¯s dark eyes fixed on Rachel without blinking. His well-defined fingers gently caressed her


    eyebrows. ¡°Are you worried?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Rachel deliberately pulled a long face.


    Rachel really wanted to pry open David¡¯s brain to see what he was thinking.


    What kind of strange brain did David have to ask such a stu pid question?


    When David heard this, his hand on her waist tightened, making Rachel even closer to his chest.


    Rachel did not dare to struggle, afraid that she would touch his wound. ¡°Don¡¯t move. What if your


    wound opens, and it causes a second injury?¡±


    ¡°You only worry about me now?¡± David asked.


    Rachel rolled her eyes helplessly. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying? What do you mean by I only


    worry about you now? I¡¯ve always been worried about you!¡±


    Rachel agreed that David was calm and restrained. No matter what, David could maintain a rational


    and clear state. He would not do anything inappropriate, let alone do anything that did not match his


    image.


    Rachel did not expect that this man would be as unreasonable as now.


    ¡°Me too.¡± David looked at Rachel with an unknowing gentleness in her eyes. ¡°No matter what happens,


    protecting yourself is the first priority.¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips and suppressed the tears in her eyes. She said in a low voice, ¡°I know.¡±


    Rachel knew that David cared about her and could not bear for her to be hurt slightly.


    Rachel was not doing all this because she was pampered. She did not deliberately ignore David¡¯s


    words.


    It was just that sometimes, after being alone for a long time, Rachel had gotten used to shouldering


    everything on her own. Rachel left the Grey family and returned to the Johnson family. Even though the


    Johnson family treated her sincerely, due to being abandoned time and time again, she was already


    prepared to be abandoned again.


    Rachel also realized that anyone¡¯spany was short-lived. The only person who could apany


    her from beginning to end was herself.


    Rachel worked hard to be stronger. She was used to having herself hold up even if the sky


    copsed. Even if she was injured, she could continue living after resting for a while.


    Rachel took a deep breath and crawled into David¡¯s arms like a cat.


    Rachel buried her face in his chest, unwilling to allow her vulnerable side toe into view.


    David¡¯s hand on her waist slowly slid down her back. Sensing that her clothes were drenched in a cold


    sweat, David frowned slightly. ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rachel replied gloomily. She suppressed the tears in her eyes and slowly raised her eyes to look


    at him. ¡°I dreamed of some bad things.¡±


    David did not ask her what she had dreamed of. He changed the topic at the right time. ¡°Do you want to


    eat something before you sleep?¡±


    ¡°Shall I get you a te of pasta?¡± Rachel said and was about to lift the nket and get out of bed.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 725

    Chapter 725


    Chapter 725


    However, Rachel was pulled back by David. ¡°Be good and lie down.¡±


    It was a simple sentence, but it contained an unquestionablemand that made it impossible for


    Rachel to resist.


    Immediately after, David used the internal phone to call the serv ants and asked them to prepare food


    and bring it in.


    While Rachel and David waited, Rachel simply talked about the question that had always been on her


    mind. ¡°Have you been to Phareborough?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± David said. ¡°You¡¯ve asked this question before.¡±


    At that time, David¡¯s answer was the same as now.


    What was different was that back then, Rachel only felt that it was a coincidence and thought that it


    was fate. However, after tonight¡¯s incident, a new answer appeared in her heart.


    Rachel¡¯s heart sped up uncontrobly. Her fingertips curled up slightly as she deliberately controlled


    the frequency of her breathing. ¡°Five years ago, when I participated in the training camp, I identally


    barged into Phareborough and participated in a chaotic battle. The man who protected me for the entire


    night was you, right?¡±


    Rachel tried her best to control the frequency of her breathing, but her nervous voice was still mixed


    with an uncontroble tremble.


    When David heard this, the corners of his lips curled up slightly. A faint smile appeared on his face, and


    his eyes flickered with an intriguing expression.


    It seemed that Rachel had not really forgotten. She just did not expect that they would meet again, let


    alone know that the person back then was David.


    David held her hand. His well-defined fingers intertwined with hers, and his deep voice was neither fast


    nor slow. ¡°At that time, the local government¡¯s inaction caused Phareborough to belong to an area


    without administer. A mixed environment was the best ce for me. to hide. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect


    my whereabouts to be exposed so quickly.


    ¡°At that time, the battle was intense. I fled all the way. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you there.¡±


    David would always remember the first time he saw Rachel.


    In the flickering light, the youngdy had short, car-length hair and a candy-colored rubber band tied


    around her wrist.


    Under her bangs was a pair of clear charming eyes. They were pure ck and white as if they


    contained all the beauty in the world. Rachel was like a deer that had barged into the battlefield. She


    was so helpless. To be honest, David had never possessed kindness, but for some reason, he had


    saved the youngdy at that time. Perhaps it was because Rachel was beautiful? But now, David


    thought this was probably fate. na No one would have thought that the youngdy David had saved on


    a whim would one day be his wife. Rachel was not too surprised to hear David¡¯s answer. Rachel


    looked at the man in front of her with sparkling eyes and a smile on her red lips. The smile reached her


    eyes. It was really David! At that time, the light was dim, and Rachel could not see the man¡¯s face


    clearly, but she could clearly see the outline of his face and those bottomless ck eyes. At that time,


    Rachel was vignt and thought that the man had ulterior motives when he approached her. She held a


    dagger in her hand for self-defense. Once the man made a move, she would end him with her own


    hands.


    Later, at dawn, Rachel realized that her body was stained with blood. Only then did she know that the


    man was injured. It wasughable that Rachel had searched for so many years and wasted three years


    on Louis. It turned out that the person she was really looking for had long appeared by her side. ¡°In


    other words, you recognized me the first time we met?¡± Rachel looked at David with a probing gaze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that all your gentleness and consideration were fake when you saw me?¡± If that was the


    case, it could only be said that David had been nning this for a long time. David reached out and


    pinched Rachel¡¯s earlobe. ¡°That¡¯s true, but my gentleness and consideration aren¡¯t faked.¡± Worried that


    Rachel would not believe him, David analyzed logically, ¡°You were in such a sorry state back then. It¡¯s


    too ungentlemanly to leave you there. Besides, you were injured because of me. Logically speaking, I


    shouldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°After recognizing you, I did pay a lot more attention to you. After meeting you again and again, I


    became interested in you. Coincidentally, Grandma was very satisfied with you, so I had many more


    legitimate opportunities to get close to you.


    ¡°But what I didn¡¯t expect was that you¡¯re actually the Johnson family¡¯s mysterious granddaughter, who


    is also my legitimate fianc¨¦e. Perhaps this is fate?¡±


    In the past, David did not believe in fate at all.


    David felt that, in this world, he had to fight for it if he wanted something.


    Until Rachel appeared. It was as if Rachel was an ident that escaped from David¡¯s grasp.


    Rachel waspletely out of David¡¯s control, but she affected him at all times.


    The topic of their engagement once again piqued Rachel¡¯s curiosity. ¡°So do you know the origin of our


    engagement?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± David said. ¡°Apart from Grandma, I don¡¯t think anyone else knows the origin of our


    engagement.¡±


    Old Mr. Jones was extremely opposed to this engagement. So when David offered to go to Seaxas to


    break off the engagement, Old Mr. Jones was the first person to stand up and agree. ¡°When we get


    back to Seaxas, can we go visit Grandma?¡± Sometimes, the more one did not know the truth, the more


    one wanted to dig and try to get close to the truth.


    The more Old Mr. Johnson avoided the origin of the engagement, the more Rachel wanted to find out


    the reason.


    Of course, David knew what Rachel was thinking. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to put in a lot of effort.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­¡± Before Rachel could finish her sentence, she sensed David¡¯s restless hand and pped it


    away angrily. ¡°What are you doing¡­ Ugh!¡±


    David bent down and kissed Rachel¡¯s lips. His palm took the opportunity to enter her clothes. His dark


    eyes became deeper and deeper. ¡°Don¡¯t struggle. Otherwise, if you touch my wound, it will cause a


    second injury.¡±


    Rachel froze.


    Rachel would never have thought that her concern would be the reason for David to push his


    luck.


    ¡°You¡¯re injured. Can you behave yourself?¡±


    ¡°Even if I¡¯m injured, it won¡¯t stop me from performing normally.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ about the dinner¡­ Dinner will be served soon.¡±


    ¡°Pre-dinner exercise is good for the appetite.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    Excuses! They were all excuses!


    However, Rachel was ultimately defeated by David¡¯s gentle teasing.


    David kissed her eyes and eyebrows gently. His deep voice was tinged with passion and h oarseness.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, Rae-Rae¡­¡±


    David called her name over and over again, causing Rachel to sink into a gentle whirlpool, deeper and


    deeper.


    Rachel felt like a lonely boat floating on the sea. Huge waves came at her wave after wave. Her arms


    instinctively clung to David¡¯s back.


    The light in the room was dim, and the thick night sky became ambiguous with low panting. The moon


    hanging in the night sky did. not look at the charming scenery and hid behind the clouds shyly.

 Chapter 726

    Chapter 726


    Chapter 726


    Early in the morning, everything was silent. The sky was bright, and the night was about to fade. The


    morning light slowly woke up the sleeping creatures.


    The old residence was filled with silence and peace.


    There was a small gap in the curtains of the guest bedroom, giving the sunlight a chance to pour in.


    The mottled sunlight spread through the gaps and spread all the way to the soft and sp ac ious bed.


    Rachel¡¯s ck hair covered the pillow. The corners of her eyes were red, revealing an unknowing


    charm. Her fair skin was filled with ambiguous marks.


    Rachel was originally worried that David would hurt again, but she wouldn¡¯t have thought that it would


    give a certain someone a chance to push his luck.


    After the ambiguous night, Rachel felt like a traveler walking in the desert. She was exhausted and had


    no strength at all.


    Until her phone rang, Rachel closed her eyes and searched for it.


    Unexpectedly, before her hand could touch the phone, Rachel was pulled back by the hand at her


    waist. ¡°Sleep a little longer.¡±


    Rachel was not in a hurry to get up. She closed her eyes and fell asleep again.


    When Rachel woke up again, it was already nine in the morning.


    Rachel opened her eyes. David was no longer beside her.


    Rachel reached out and touched the position beside her.


    It was already cold.


    It seemed like David had been away for a while.


    Rachel slowly sat up and looked at the mess in the room. The air


    smelled ambiguous, and an unnatural blush appeared on her fair face.


    Rachel casually pulled the nket over herself and prepared to go to the cloakroom to change.


    However, just as Rachel stood up, she was caught off guard and fell back.


    Her legs were so weak that they were trembling. Rachel could not stand up at all.


    Rachel fell onto the bed and stared at the ceiling with a look of despair.


    After a few seconds of silence, Rachel stood up angrily. However, the soreness at her waist not only


    slowed her movements but also made. her as soft as cotton and difficult to support.


    Rachel held onto the wall with one hand as if she was a child who had just started to learn to walk.


    From time to time, she would gasp.


    It was said that the first time to make love was the most painful.


    Why was Rachel still powerless to resist this kind of thing even after so many times?


    Rachel went into the bathroom and took a hot bath.


    The temperature of the water was just right, and the water wrapped around her tired and sore body


    was like a piece of soft silk.


    Rachel was ying with the water in boredom. When she noticed the marks on her body, she could not


    help but sigh again. A man with sexual behaviour was really scary.


    Rachel thought that she would feel better after dispelling the fatigue in her body, but she did not expect


    her body to be even more sore and weak.


    When Rachel came to the cloakroom to choose clothes, her waist went limp, and she fell to the side. In


    a panic, she reached out to hold the jewelry cab beside her.


    However, Rachel fell into a firm and warm chest.


    David¡¯s arm was wrapped around her waist. ¡°You¡¯re already an adult. Why aren¡¯t you being careful?¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Hearing his sarcastic words, Rachel could not help but feel angry. In addition, when Rachel looked up


    and saw the man¡¯s refreshed expression, she immediately felt angrier. Why did Rachel be like


    this? Didn¡¯t this bas tar d know? Without thinking, Rachel threw all the clothes in her hand at David¡¯s


    face. ¡°Then why wasn¡¯t yours smallst night?¡± ¡°The size is not something I can control.¡± David looked


    at the woman¡¯s flirtatious look in the corner of her eyes, which she wasn¡¯t even aware of. His Adam¡¯s


    apple bobbed, and his thin lips curled up slightly, forming a gentle smile. David pulled Rachel into his


    arms and leaned over to give her a light kiss on the lips. His deep tone was filled with ambiguous


    thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you weren¡¯t feeling wellst night?¡± Rachel red at David angrily. ¡°Shut up!¡± If


    this continued, Rachel would be squeezed dry by David sooner orter.


    Looking at Rachel¡¯s angry expression, David smiled. ¡°Do you want to eat something to replenish your


    strength?¡±


    Rachel put on a fake smile. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    With that, Rachel snorted in dissatisfaction and turned her head to the side, ignoring David.


    Why didn¡¯t Rachel realize that this man was so evil in his bones. before?


    David clearly knew why she had be so weak, but he still came tough at her.


    Seeing that Rachel was obviously angry, David knew that if he


    continued to tease her, he would have to bear the consequences.


    His eyes were filled with love and indulgence as David bent down to carry Rachel h orizontally. ¡°What


    are you doing?¡± A visible panic appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your wound hasn¡¯t healed yet. What if it


    pulls your wound?¡± When David heard this, the smile in his eyes deepened. ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury.¡±


    Ever since he was little, David had been injured countless times. As long as it was not life-threatening,


    he had always treated it hastily. No one had ever remembered David¡¯s injuries at all times. In the dining


    room. Rachel sat on the chair and gently massaged her sore waist with one hand. Rachel had soup


    slowly, exuding an unconceble elegance and nobility. ¡°Try this.¡± David brought a prawn to Rachel¡¯s


    mouth.


    Rachel raised her eyes and looked at David. Then, Rachel opened her mouth and took a bite. She


    looked like a princess who had


    condescended.


    Meanwhile, Billy and Chris who were standing not far away even wanted to poke their own eyes out.


    At this moment, footstepsing from the entrance of the courtyard were heard.


    The two of them looked up and saw Old Mr. Jones walking in with a gloomy expression.


    The moment they saw him, Billy and Chris looked at each other with a thought-provoking dark glint in


    their eyes.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, greetings.¡± The two of them greeted respectfully and took a step forward to block the door


    quietly.


    Their voice was neither loud nor soft. It seemed like they were


    greeting Old Mr. Jones, but in fact, they were secretly informing David.


    Old Mr. Jones saw their little trick and his eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°Move!¡±


    Hearing this, the two of them did not move at all.


    The five assistants had always only listened to David¡¯s orders.


    It wasn¡¯t until they heard David¡¯s signal from behind that the two of them retreated to the sides.


    Old Mr. Jones did not hide his cold voice as he walked in.


    When Old Mr. Jones saw the two people sitting in the dining room, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a


    ripple shed across his eyes.


    Old Mr. Jones took a deep breath, but there was still a hint of anger in his voice. ¡°Come with me!¡±


    David gave Rachel a look. Then, he put down the cutlery in his hand and stood up to follow Old Mr.


    Jones.


    The two of them arrived at the garden one after another.


    As soon as Old Mr. Jones stood still, he turned to look at David. His muddy eyes were filled with


    scrutiny.


    David¡¯s expression was indifferent and cold, and there were no emotions on his face. The cor of his


    shirt was slightly open, and he was no longer his usual cold and noble self. Instead, he showed a hint


    of wildness, and his entire body exuded extremely oppressive intimidation.


    Even if he just stood there without saying a word, he gave off a feeling that he needed to be looked up


    to.


    He was cold-blooded and decisive. He never did things dtorily.


    This was the basic condition that the head of the Jones family should have.


    However, Old Mr. Jones did not expect David to be so cold to the


    point that he did not even show mercy to his blood rtives.

 Chapter 727

    Chapter 727


    Chapter 727


    In the past, Old Mr. Jones could keep David in check, but now he knew that the little wolf cubs of the


    past had grown up. But if his methods of dealing with them were too extreme, David would definitely


    suffer a bacsh.


    Old Mr. Jones took a deep breath and suppressed the anger swirling in his heart. There was still a hint


    of anger in his deep voice. ¡°Did you do it?¡±


    This morning, Old Mr. Jones received news that Marina and Nathan had been attacked to varying


    degrees during the transfer.


    The police officers were not injured. It could even be said that the bullets that came in from outside


    deliberately avoided them.


    However, Marina and Nathan were injured to varying degrees.


    Among them, Marina had the most serious injuries.


    It was said that the bullet hit Marina¡¯s chest and was only 1.2 inches. away from her heart. Fortunately,


    Marina was lucky enough to be saved and was now in the ICU for observation.


    However, Old Mr. Jones knew very well that the 1.2-inch deviation was not because Marina was lucky.


    Clearly, the person behind it was deliberately torturing Marina.


    David looked at Old Mr. Jones expressionlessly and said indifferently, ¡°Isn¡¯t she still alive?¡±


    David¡¯s calm tone was like a knife pressing against one¡¯s heart, making one¡¯s heart sk ip a beat.


    Old Mr. Jones looked at David with a serious expression. ¡°Since she was taken away, she will naturally


    be punished by thew. What¡¯s the benefit of doing this?¡±


    ¡°A cornered man will do anything. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t understand such a simple logic!¡±.


    Hearing this, David chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill her.¡±


    ¡°She has already received the corresponding punishment and was taken away by the police. Shouldn¡¯t


    you be lenient?¡± Old Mr. Jones asked.


    David¡¯s expression was still indifferent, and there was an


    unconceble hostility in his eyes. ¡°Give her a chance to catch her breath so that she can bite meOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.


    again?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Old Mr. Jones choked.


    As a parent, Old Mr. Jones knew Marina¡¯s personality the best.


    In the past, Marina was just a little arrogant andpetitive. However, Old Mr. Jones never expected


    Marina to participate in thepetition for the heir. Old Mr. Jones thought that Marina had learned a


    lesson from that failure, but he did not expect her to be more ambitious. Marina actually hinted to


    her trusted subordinate to take revenge on Rachel. To be fair, Marina had brought this upon herself.


    Perhaps it was because Old Mr. Jones became old, and his heart had softened. Old Mr. Jones was no


    longer as cold-hearted as before. He only hoped that his children would be safe and avoid a tragedy.


    However, the more Old Mr. Jones tried his best to avoid creating a fragmented situation, the more he


    could not control it. At this moment, David raised his indifferent eyes and nced at Old Mr. Jones


    indifferently. ¡°As long as she can learn to behave herself, I won¡¯t take her life. Don¡¯t worry.¡± When Old


    Mr. Jones heard this, he did not say anything and only sighed faintly. Old Mr. Jones nced at Rachel,


    who was eating in the dining room. His eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Do you really love her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already brought her here. Do I look like I¡¯m ying around?¡± David raised his eyebrows slightly,


    and there was a hint of determination in the corners of his eyes. ¡°But you haven¡¯t given her a status


    yet.¡± Old Mr. Jones looked at David. His eyes flickered with a meaningful dark light as he said vaguely,


    ¡°There are some things that you should avoid doing too much. If it identally involves someone¡¯s life,


    it will be dishonorable both for you and her.¡± With one hand in his pocket, David stood in front of the


    wooden railing and looked down at the goldfish ying in the pool. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± David


    would never give anyone a chance to criticize Rachel. David paused for a moment and looked up at


    Old Mr. Jones. ¡°Grandpa, I have something to ask you. Why did my engagement with here


    about?¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± Old Mr. Jones smiled insincerely. Although he did not say anything, his face was filled with


    disapproval of this engagement. ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to ask your grandma.¡±


    David was not surprised to hear such an answer.


    Back then, arge part of the reason why Old Mrs. Jones ran away from home in a fit of anger and


    resolutely moved to Seaxas was due to this engagement. Old Mr. Jones strongly opposed the


    engagement, but Old Mrs. Jones refused to break off it no matter what. When Old Mr. Jones asked for


    the reason, Old Mrs. Jones refused to say anything. However, when Old Mr. Jones learned that Rachel


    was the person who was engaged to David, his attitude changed subtly. This subtle shift is enough to


    be explored. ¡°Are you saying nothing because you don¡¯t know anything, or are you unwilling to talk


    about it?¡± The corners of David¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. There was a faint smile on his face, and his


    eyes flickered with a sharp dark light.


    Old Mr. Jones raised his eyes and looked at David. After pondering for a long time, he stretched out a


    hand and ced it in front of the wooden railing. Old Mr. Jones held it heavily. ¡°The engagement


    involved both families. Naturally, your engagement with her has been approved by her parents.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s parents¡­ Sophia, the youngdy of the Johnson family who had passed away, and Hans of


    the Grey family in Pollister? David did not probe too much. Instead, he changed the topic at the right


    time. ¡°In that case, I believe you approve of this engagement too.¡± Hearing this, Old Mr. Jones


    suppressed the urge to curse. Old Mr. Jones raised both hands to object, but Rachel¡¯s name had


    already been added to the family tree without anyone knowing. How could Old Mr. Jones continue to


    object?


    ¡°You and your grandma will regret your current choice sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything I regret,¡± David said. ¡°It was like this in the past, and it will be like this in the


    future.¡±


    In other words, Rachel must be David¡¯s wife.


    Old Mr. Jones nced at David and left with his men.


    After watching Old Mr. Jones leave, Rachel turned to look at David. ¡°You took action on Marina?¡±


    ¡°Sure enough, I can¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± David looked at Rachel lovingly.


    Rachel¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°I really can¡¯t think of any other reason why Old Mr. Jones came to you in anger


    so early in the morning other than the fact that it has something to do with Marina.¡±


    Besides, what happenedst night had something to do with Marina.


    Based on David¡¯s personality, he would definitely not let this matter


    rest.


    Even without David¡¯s help, Rachel would still think of ways to take


    revenge.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far. Won¡¯t you give others something to use against you?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes revealed a


    hint of worry.


    Not only were the people from the main branch and the side branches staring at David, but the people


    from the Elders were also staring at him.


    If David went overboard, Rachel was worried that others would have something on David.


    The reason why Rachel came forward to scheme against Marina and Nathan was that she didn¡¯t want


    others to have something on David.


    David pulled Rachel into his arms and leaned over to kiss her brow. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    They wouldn¡¯t dare?


    Rachel knew very well that everything had its limit. Whether it was ambition or hatred, once it reached


    a critical point, it would erupt.


    At the same time, in the Elders.


    At this moment, Harley was holding the painter¡¯s brush in his hand as he drew a powerful stroke on the


    white paper. When Harley heard the news from his trusted subordinate, the tip of the brush paused,


    causing the stroke on the paper to reveal a w.

 Chapter 729

    Chapter 729


    hapter 729


    ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re a gifted and intelligent woman. You already have an answer, right?¡± Mr. Davies


    yed with the cup in his hand and nced at Rachel. ¡°All the coincidences are just deliberately


    made.¡±


    He threw the question back to Rachel.


    Mr. Davies¡¯s attitude right now indirectly confirmed Rachel¡¯s guess.


    Her mother¡¯s photo, the old friend that Mr. Davies had mentioned repeatedly, and Mr. Davies¡¯s current


    attitude seemed to be guiding Rachel in a certain direction.


    As a yer in this ¡°game¡±, she did not know where she was heading or what she was going to be faced


    with.


    It was as if she had been forcefully given a mission and pushed forward passively by a pair of hands


    behind her back. This gave her a deep sense of powerlessness.


    ¡°Mr. Davies, what you said to me in Moon Pavilion left a deep impression on me. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m gifted


    and intelligent, but it¡¯s all thanks to Mr. Davies¡¯s advice.¡± Rachel shifted the topic to Mr. Davies again.


    She looked up at Mr. Davies with a calm gaze. ¡°To be honest, I came here today to ask you something¡±


    When Mr. Davies heard this, he smiled slightly. ¡°There are some things in this world that need to be


    dug out by yourself instead of letting other people tell you what they are.¡±


    Rachel frowned and coldness mounted up in the depths of her eyes.


    Back then, he was kind enough to give the diamond to her and he only asked her toe here to have


    coffee with him so that she could have an excuse toe and talk to him.


    However, she did not expect that Mr. Davies would not talk about that ¡®old friend¡¯ even when she came


    to visit. Since that was the case, why did he give her the excuse toe to his house back then?!


    ¡°Everyone says that the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. I think that no matter how


    great the ability is, everyone has their own responsibility. Mr. Davies¡¯s words carried the gentleness of


    an elder. He said slowly, ¡°Everything in the world has its own fate. When it¡¯s time to know the truth, it


    will naturally surface. Instead of insisting on investigating, it¡¯s better to let nature take its course.¡±


    Rachel curled her lips and lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in them. ¡°It¡¯s better to face the


    difficulties head-on than to let nature take its course.¡±


    She didn¡¯t like the feeling of being controlled by others.


    Since she had entered the game, instead of being yed by others, it was better to break the rules and


    create her own rules. Mr. Davies¡¯s eyes shed slightly as he looked at Rachel with aplicated


    expression on his face.


    Soon, he calmed himself down, and in the blink of an eye, he smiled gently towards her. ¡°Everything is


    about opportunities. Not telling you the truth now is actually a way of protecting you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, just remember that no matter what happens, the Davies family will never stand against


    you.¡±


    His casual words were powerful and carried great meanings.


    Rachel¡¯s heart sk ip ped a beat. She suddenly looked up at Mr. Davies, her eyes filled with probing.


    If they easily made such a heavy promise to a stranger, the Davies family would not be worthy of being


    one of the most prestigious families.


    Therefore, all of this was ultimately because of her rtionship with Aureliana.


    Or perhaps it was because of the ¡®old friend¡¯ that Mr. Davies mentioned.


    Rachel thought that she would be able to find the answer here, but now, it made her even more


    uneasy.


    When she left, there was a deep frown between her eyebrows, like a cloud that could not be dispelled.


    Mr. Davies took a deep breath as he watched the two of them leave.


    He took out an empty cup and made another cup of coffee. He said casually, ¡°She¡¯s already gone Why


    aren¡¯t youing


    out?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a person slowly walked out from behind the gold-embedded screen


    behind Mr. Davies. The man was wearing a ck suit. His snow-white hair was meticulously styled,


    and his sun-kissed skin perfectly matched his overwhelming aura.


    Although he was almost 80 years old, his gaze was like an eagle¡¯s and he was quite energetic One


    could vaguely see the sharpness of his youth.


    The man was the head of the Cook family, Andrew Cook, who had not appeared in public for a long


    time.


    Unlike the other families, the Cook family was a martial family. As the head of the family, Mr. Cook was


    the inheritor of ancientbat skills.


    Mr. Davies yed with the cup in his hand as he looked up at the man. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Andrew looked in the direction where Rachel left. When he heard this, his eyes met Mr. Davies¡¯s.


    ¡°Have you heard of a saying?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The man walked to the window and looked up at the trees that were rustling in the wind. He sighed


    slightly and said slowly. ¡°One day, when the tiger returns to the mountain, blood will definitely be shed


    and stain the sky red.¡±


    His deep and hoa rse voice was powerful and intimidating.


    Mr. Davies was a bit stunned.


    He nced at the man beside him with a meaningful smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve heard you


    speak so highly of


    someone.


    ¡°This girl might really be able to break the current bnce,¡± Andrew said. ¡°It¡¯s just that her existence


    must have made people want to get rid of her.¡±


    A hint of mockery appeared in Mr. Davies¡¯s eyes. ¡°Some people have been messing around recklessly


    with no consequences for so long over the years. It¡¯s time to let them have a taste of what it feels like to


    have a sword hanging above their heads.¡± Hearing this, Andrew nced at Mr. Davies.


    They both smiled significantly as their eyes met.


    At the same time, the car drove towards the Peckham Pce.


    David¡¯s palmnded on Rachel¡¯s sore waist and massaged it with moderate strength.


    He lowered his eyes and looked at the woman leaning on his shoulder. Noticing theziness in her


    eyes, he felt guilty. He had indeed pushed his luckst night because he was injured,


    ¡°Do you want to sleep for a while since you¡¯re tired?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rachel replied gloomily.


    He was a little bit rough on herst night and she fell asleep immediately.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    The car drove into the Peckham Pce. David was not in a hurry to get out of the car. Instead, he


    gently ced Rachel on hisp to let her sleep morefortably.


    Sitting in the front row, Billy and Chris felt like they had been forced to witness this.


    David was getting more and more carried away in front of Miss Grey.


    In the past, David had no interest in romantic rtionships and didn¡¯t want to have a girlfriend at all.


    However, ever since he met Miss Grey, he had no bottom line. Now, he was actually willing to be her


    pillow.


    Sure enough, everything had its weakness.


    Just as the two of them were eximing, they quietly opened the car door and got out.


    But then they ran into Jimmy.


    He looked past Billy and Chris, his eyes shing with a malicious smile. ¡°I was just wondering what¡¯s


    going on in the car. No matter how h or ny you are, you have to consider the timing.¡±


    As he spoke, he walked forward and was about to knock on the car window.


    Just as he walked over, the car window in front of him slowly rolled down, and the well-defined face of


    David appeared in front of him..

 Chapter 730

    Chapter 730


    Chapter 730


    David didn¡¯t say anything, but his cold and calm eyes seemed to have said everything.


    Jimmy was caught off guard when he met David¡¯s gaze. He had even thought of where to bury his own


    body.


    ¡°David¡­ Jimmy forced a smile and waved at David.


    David¡¯s gorgeous face seemed to be gloomy. He was staring at Jinimy coldly as if he was looking at a


    dead person.


    Just as Jimmy was saying to himself, ¡°It¡¯s over, I¡¯ll be dead, Rachel slowly woke up. She opened her


    eyes and subconsciously looked around. She muttered in a low voice, ¡°We¡¯re here? Why didn¡¯t you


    wake me up?¡±


    As she spoke, she took a look around and noticed the few people standing in front of the car. ¡°Why are


    you all here?¡±


    Did something happen again?


    Even though they were a few yards away from each other, Rachel and Georgia coincidentally locked


    eyes.


    Her eyes were filled with envy and jealousy toward Rachel.


    The even stronger hostility came from the woman beside Georgia, Jennifer.


    The Clifford family¡¯s heir.


    Previously, Rachel had heard that Miss Clifford was an incredibly beautiful woman and now that she


    finally got to meet her today, she figured that Jennifer really lived up to her reputation.


    The woman was wearing a red dress with her long hair tied up behind her head with a diamond hairpin


    and she looked. noble and graceful.


    People would normally think that red was too intense and very few people could be able to pull this


    color off. At this moment, when they saw that Jennifer was wearing a red dress, they were all amazed


    by her beauty because she looked just like a beautiful and luxurious sunflower.


    Rachel smiled at them. She clearly did not show much aggression, but she gave off a provocative


    feeling.


    ¡°Before we leave, they arranged a farewell banquet for us.¡± David¡¯s palm caressed the top of her head


    fondly as his deep voice was mixed with a hint of gentleness. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go if you don¡¯t want


    to.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Well, why not?


    Moreover, even if she did not go, would Jennifer let her off?


    Obviously not.


    She had to meet Jennifer in person, who was rumored to almost be the mistress of the family.


    David rubbed her waist with moderate strength. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Do you want to take a rest for a while?¡±


    ¡°Yeah Rachel nodded.


    Before her feet could touch the ground, David suddenly picked her up and carried her out of the car.


    Rachel did not y coy. She just h oo ked her arm around her neck and leaned into David¡¯s embrace.


    When she looked up, she inadvertently saw the stunned expression on Georgia¡¯s face.


    A woman¡¯s instinct was always right.


    Even though Georgia restrained her emotions, Rachel could still sense Georgia¡¯s feelings for David


    She was a young girl yearning for love. All her thoughts were written all over her eyes.


    Moreover, Rachel couldn¡¯t deny the fact that David was such a wonderful man.


    After Rachel returned to the bedroom, she suddenly didn¡¯t feel sleepy anymore.


    Especially when she thought ofst night¡¯s crazy indulgence, she could not help but take a deep


    breath.


    Shey down for a while and took out her phone to check the messages.


    There were no less than twenty messages on Whatsapp.


    Among them, Linda sent her a link.


    Rachel clicked on the screen with her fingertip and was shocked to see that the head of the Smith


    Group, Louis Smith, had won the project to renovate the old district.


    This news somewhat surprised Rachel.


    She took out her phone and dialed Linda¡¯s number.


    On the other side. David came down the stairs. The others were already sitting on the sofa.


    When they heard his footsteps, they all turned to look at David.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, David sat in the armchair. He raised his hand and unbuttoned one of the


    buttons on his shirt.


    Unlike his usual cold and abstinent look, his slightly open cor revealed a hint of unruly wildness.


    However, the most eye-catching thing was the bite mark on his m¡¯s apple.


    The people present were all adults. How could they not know wh it this bite mark represented?


    Jimmy and the others looked at each other and giggled.


    However, Georgia was stunned.


    She tightened her grip on the cup and her knuckles turned pale, and it was obvious that she was trying


    very hard to control her emotions.


    Even so, she still could not suppress the bitterness that surged in her chest.


    In the entire Aureliana, no one was worthy ofpeting with David, not even Jimmy, Landon, or


    Thomas.


    In terms of looks, no one in the entire Aureliana could match David.


    There were countless women who adored David. Even though there were a lot of rumors about David,


    so many women still wanted to be with him.


    At that time, when she saw those women who came from noble families being rejected by David, she


    felt more disdain in her


    heart.


    Even if those women were the daughters of prestigious families, how could their status be good


    enough for David?


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    At the same time, she knew very well that people like David, who came from such a noble family, were


    born with a silver


    spoon.


    He was born to look down on all living beings. Nothing in this world couldpare to him. Such a man


    would not easily fall in love.


    However, when she saw that David was willing to be Rachel¡¯s pillow, she knew that this man was finally


    in love.


    All his gentleness and patience were for the woman called Rachel


    Not only was Georgia jealous, but she also felt defiant.


    But there was no use in feeling this way.


    She knew very well that ording to David¡¯s temperament, he had given all his gentleness and


    patience to Rachel. He was so stingy with others that he did not even want to look at them.


    Perhaps sensing that her gaze was too obvious, Landon, who was sitting beside her, quietly poked her


    arm.


    Georgia came back to her senses and subconsciously looked up at Landon.


    Landon looked at her meaningfully. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Georgia pursed her lips and lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in her eyes.


    Jennifer, who was sitting opposite her, saw the changes in Georgia¡¯s eyes. She looked down and


    smiled coldly.


    Indeed, no woman could resist the charm of David.


    ¡°I heard that you and Miss Grey are leaving. This is the first time we met and I only prepared this.


    Please give this to her. 1 hope she¡¯ll like it.¡± Jennifer looked at the person beside her and gestured for


    that person to give a delicate box to David.


    David raised his indifferent eyes and nced at it. Inside was a beautiful bracelet.


    Based on its rity and color, it was a top-notch bracelet.


    He didn¡¯t say if he would ept this, nor did he say that he didn¡¯t want it. For a moment, it was difficult


    to understand what he meant


    Jennifer secretly observed the expression on David¡¯s face. However, the man¡¯s calm expression was


    really difficult to read. She hesitated for a while and exined gently, ¡°When Miss Grey and I met in


    Moon Pavilion, I thought that Miss Grey was interested in things like jewelry, so I chose this bracelet.¡±

 Chapter 731

    Chapter 731


    Chapter 731


    Everyone in the living room became silent and they vaguely felt that the atmosphere in the room was a


    little cold, but no one dared to make a sound.


    No one dared to think little of Jennifer because nobody was bold enough to underestimate the woman


    of the Clifford family. Especially Jennifer, who had been taught and guided by Old Ms. Clifford all these


    years and was appointed to be the


    Sessor.


    Back then, the news of David and Jennifer¡¯s engagement spread like wildfire. Even Jimmy and Landon,


    who were always. hanging out with David, almost believed this rumor.


    Otherwise, the two of them would not have been so shocked when they found out that David and


    Rachel were actually together.


    Now that Rachel really thought about it, Jennifer might be the actual reason why the scandal between


    David and her got out


    like that.


    But now, Jennifer was kind enough to give the bracelet to Rachel, which made people think.


    Was it really just a bracelet or handcuffs?


    After all, Jennifer was famous for being a beauty with an evil soul,


    Logically speaking, when Jennifer saw David and Rachel together she should have given her a knife.


    Giving her blessings like this wasn¡¯t Jennifer¡¯s style.


    Just as everyone was trying to figure out what exactly was going on right now, David said indifferently,


    ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you.¡±


    Hearing this, Jennifer heaved a sigh of relief.


    If David refused to ept it and made her look bad, she would really lose face.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you guys talk. I still have something else to do and I gotta go now,¡± Jennifer said as she


    stood up and left. When she left, she vaguely heard Thomas ask, ¡°When are youing back this


    time?¡±


    Before David could answer, Jimmy spoke first. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Are you worried that you won¡¯t be


    invited to the wedding?¡±


    Jennifer did not hear what they said after that. She just walked out of the Peckham Pce calmly.


    After getting into the car, her confidant could not help butin, ¡°Miss Clifford, that beautiful


    bracelet is too good for her and she doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    Jennifer lowered her head to admire her manicure. ¡°It¡¯s just a bracelet. I was just making the best use


    of it.¡±


    ¡°But he clearly doesn¡¯t appreciate it,¡± her confidant said.


    If David appreciated it, he wouldn¡¯t have thought about whether to ept it or not for so long.


    Jennifer looked up at her and said meaningfully. ¡°That¡¯s not important.¡±


    She gave the bracelet today only to test the waters.


    She wanted to see if David would fall out with the Clifford family for a woman.


    ¡°Miss Clifford, don¡¯t you mind that woman called Rachel at all? After saying that, the confidant


    immediately regretted it.


    Miss Clifford had clearly heard the conversation between those people.


    Seeing that Jennifer did not speak for a long time, the confidant could not help but feel a little afraid.


    She raised her eyes and secretly observed the expression on Jennifer¡¯s face through the rearview


    mirror. After hesitating for a while, she carefully said again. ¡°With Mr. David¡¯s status, who else in the


    entire Aureliana is worthy of him other than you, Miss Clifford? Moreover, Mrs. Clifford has long


    reached a consensus with Mr. Jones regarding your engagement with Mr. David. However, Mr. David


    did not care about your feelings at all and brought back an unknown woman with him. He simply


    doesn¡¯t respect Mrs. Clifford and you¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Jennifer asked.


    She didn¡¯t say much, but it made her confidant¡¯s heart sk ip a beat and gave her shivers


    The confidant held her breath and nodded stiftly. ¡°I-I¡¯m done¡­¡±


    ¡°You can only say that in front of me. If other people hear about it, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Clifford.¡±


    Jennifer supported her forehead with one hand and turned to look at the beautiful scenery outside the


    window. A cold light


    flickered in the depths of her beautiful eyes.


    The Clifford family¡¯s background was different from the Walker family¡¯s Moreover, the Clifford family¡¯s


    daughters had always been taught to be reserved and graceful. Therefore, she would not act like


    Georgia, who followed a bunch of ment around all day.


    However, this did not stop people from linking her to David.


    In the entire Aureliana, other than her, it was probably difficult to find another woman who could match


    David¡¯s status. In addition, the Clifford family had the intention to bond with the Jones family through


    marriage, so she had long determined that she would be the mistress of the Jones family.


    Whether it was ttery or rumors, she could not be bothered to make any exnations.


    However, now that David had brought Rachel back, the rumors had fallen out overnight, but there was


    nothing Jennifer could do.


    She knew very well that when a man was most interested in a woman, he would easily lose his mind.


    At this time,ying fingers on Rachel was no different from provoking him directly.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Therefore, all she could do was tolerate it.


    She would tolerate it until David¡¯s interest in Rachel waned and he abandoned her himself, until the


    Jones family could not stand the rumors and do it themselves.


    Moreover, Old Mr. Jones was such a smart person. She did not believe that Old Mr. Jones would watch


    David marry Rachel. However, she still needed to find out more.


    Thinking of this, she took out her phone and dialed Old Ms. Clifford¡¯s number. ¡°Grandma¡­¡±


    On the other side, the Peckham Pce.


    After Jennifer left, David was still the focus of everyone¡¯s discussion.


    In particr, Jimmy had just mentioned their wedding.


    In the eyes of Jimmy and Landon, it was already a fact that Rachel would definitely be David¡¯s


    wife.


    Unless David changed his mind, nothing could be changed.


    Of course, David would never change his mind either.


    ¡°Since you n to marry Miss Grey, how do you n to deal with the engagement?¡± Thomas crossed


    his legszily and casually, raising his beautiful and seductive eyes.


    They had long heard about David¡¯s engagement.


    Georgia¡¯s face lit up at the sudden mention of this topic.


    Could it be that Rachel did not know that David was engaged when they got together?


    Or could it be that David¡¯s desire to marry Rachel was just lip service?


    At this moment, Jimmy gave Thomas a meaningful look. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about this, do you?¡±


    Thomas looked at him with interest in his eyes. He leaned forward and shook the cigarette ash in his


    hand. ¡°Look at you. There must be a story behind this.¡±


    ¡°Rachel is the daughter of the Johnson family and she is the womin David should marry ording to


    the engagement. Therefore, the two of them are destined to be together,¡± Jimmy sid


    For some reason, Georgia¡¯s face went pale when she heard those words.


    How could there be such a coincidence in this world?


    For a moment, she did not know if she should be envious of Rachel¡¯s good luck or jealous of G o d¡¯s


    favor towards Rachel. Thomas did not expect to hear that. He was slightly stunned and aid sincerely,


    ¡°In that case, no one can say anything bad about this marriage¡±


    Hearing this, Georgia took a deep breath and forced a smile. ¡°Then Miss Grey and David are a perfect


    match


    Before the others could say anything, she spoke again. ¡°I just hope that Miss Grey won¡¯t let David


    down in the future.¡± Hearing this, the smiles on everyone¡¯s faces froze,

 Chapter 732

    Chapter 732


    Chapter 732


    Although men tended to be a bit more careless, they could still guess a thing or two from the clues.


    Hearing what Georgia had just said, everyone smiled helplessly.


    She was indeed falling for the wrong person.


    However, love was never about who came first and who came second and had never been reasonable


    or logical.


    In the past, they used to think that Georgia was not pretentious, so when they hung out together, they


    would often bring her with them. Now, it seemed that Georgia was a little confused about what was


    going on here.


    Even if she was not happy with it, she should not have said all those things and spoken ill of Rachel in


    front of David.


    After all, Rachel was the person David loved the most in the world.


    For the sake of Rachel, David didn¡¯t even show any mercy to Marina.


    Landon¡¯s eyes under the sses were filled with coldness and he was warning her with his eyes right


    now.


    However, Georgia did not think much of it and ignored him.


    She lifted a strand of hair by her car and exined seriously, ¡°With Miss Grey¡¯s background, if she


    wants to establish herself in Aureliana, she¡¯ll probably have to suffer a little. Even if David is really into


    her in every way possible, he can¡¯t be by her side all the time, right?¡±


    Hearing this, Jimmy¡¯s lips curled into a smile, but his eyes were still as cold as ice. ¡°She¡¯s capable


    enough to be ranked in the Red me Army and you think she¡¯s so weak that she would still need


    David to protect her?¡±


    She was hopelessly dumb and stu pid. She actually forgot about the rtionship between Rachel and


    the Red me Army in such a short amount of time.


    The Red me Army¡¯s boss listened to Rachel¡¯s every word. It was obvious that Rachel¡¯s strength was


    extraordinary. When Georgia heard that Jimmy was defending Rachel, she could not help but feel a


    little hurt.


    She wondered what kind of sweet talks Rachel gave them to make them all take Rachel¡¯s side and


    speak up for her.


    They had been friends for all these years and when Rachel came into the picture, she meant nothing to


    them now.


    She took a deep breath and tried her best to suppress the frustration in her heart. ¡°I just feel that it¡¯s a


    little unbelievable that David can get married so easily. I don¡¯t mean anything else.¡±


    Georgia and everyone here knew exactly what she meant.


    However, since she had already said so much, they didn¡¯t want to argue with her anymore. Moreover,


    they could not let Landon be stuck in the middle.


    At this moment, David, who had been silent all this while, spoke. His thin lips were as cold as ice as he


    spoke frigidly, ¡°Marriage isn¡¯t as easy as you think.¡±


    Although his words were filled with helplessness, his deep eyes were flickering with love and


    indulgence that no one had ever


    seen before.


    Hearing this, Thomas was slightly stunned. He nced at Jimmy and Landon, then said with a teasing


    smile. ¡°This is rare. Since when did our youngest leader of the Jones family lose confidence?¡±


    As the Jones family¡¯s head, David was the youngest one in the history of the Jones family. In the early


    stages of his ascension, the Jones family had endless internal strife. He only used less than a year to


    calm all the internal feuds. At the same time, he managed to make those who relied on their seniority in


    the Jones family return home and retire in peace.


    No one present was as scheming as him.


    ¡°At worst, you can just take it by force. Thomas smiled mischievously. ¡°There are always more


    solutions than difficulties.¡± The few of them had been together since middle school and were all too


    familiar with each other¡¯s personalities. They were not good people after all.


    They did things without a bottom line. As long as they wanted something, they would naturally try their


    best to sna tch it. David supported herself with one hand on the armrest of the sofa with his sleeves


    rolled up to his arms, revealing a muscr forearm. His well-defined fingers supported her forehead. I


    can do that to other people but I can¡¯t do that to her.¡±


    Thomas could not help but snort. ¡°That¡¯s so double-standard.¡±


    ¡°She was born with a silver spoon and grew up in love so I can let anything bad happen to her


    Speaking of Rachel, David¡¯s eyes were filled with gentleness. ¡°Besides, she deserves to have what


    other women have.¡±


    Every word was like a knife stabbing into Georgia¡¯s heart.


    She thought that she could ept her fate and pretend not to care, but she had overestimated herself.


    She secretly gritted her teeth and dug her nails into her palms, but it still could not ease the pain in her


    heart.


    Finally, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and stood up abruptly. ¡°I need to use the restroom.¡±


    Seeing her leave, a subtle expression appeared on their faces.


    In the face of an outstanding man like David, there were very few women who wouldn¡¯t fall for him.


    Therefore, they weren¡¯t surprised that Georgia would have a crush on him.


    However, David¡¯s attitude towards Rachel somewhat surprised Thomas.


    He did not expect that this man who came from such a noble fairly would try to court a woman like this.


    Indeed, love could make the proudest humble.


    Georgia walked to the restroom and looked at herself in the mirror in a daze.


    She knew very well that with her background and status, she was not worthy of David. However, she


    was also looking forward to that illusory miracle happening to lier.


    All these years, she had tried her best to suppress her feelings for David, afraid that someone would


    find out.


    She thought that she would be willing to look at David silently and not disturb him.


    However, when she heard what David had just said, jealousy grew wildly in her chest like poisonous


    vines, tightly wrapping.


    around her heart.


    She took a deep breath, turned on the tap, and sshed water on her face.


    The cold water made her pale face even more pasty and she looked fragile like a flower in the wind.


    Georgia looked at herself in a trance. Suddenly, her lips curled into a self-deprecating smile.


    After freshening herself up, she turned around and wanted to leave but then she vaguely heard a


    conversationing from the balcony.


    Was that Rachel¡¯s voice?


    Georgia pursed her lips and looked around. Finally, driven by curiosity, she slowly leaned against the


    wall.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it ridiculous? Olivia actually got pregnant!¡± On the phone screen was Mary¡¯s indignant face. ¡°Now,


    not only did Olivia,e out unscathed, I heard that the entire Smith family dotes on her and puts her


    on a pedestal, especially Louis¡¯s mother!¡±


    ¡°In terms of flexibility, no one does it better than the Smith family.¡±


    Back then, when Olivia was imprisoned, the Cruise familypletely ignored her. Even the Smith


    family didn¡¯t care about their reputation at all and directly proposed a divorce, afraid that they would be


    dragged down by the Cruise family.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Now that they heard that Olivia was pregnant, the Smith family couldn¡¯t wait to butter her up.


    Rachel leaned against the white marble railing, her red lips curled up slightly, and there was a mocking


    smile in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Smith is too old now and the Smith family is falling apart. With a huge amount of


    assets, one more person means morepetitiveness.¡±


    ¡°I see, Mary said calmly. ¡°But I remember that when you and Louis got married, didn¡¯t Mr. Smith give


    you all the shares


    under his name?¡±


    Before Rachel could speak, something behind her was suddenly shattered.

 Chapter 733

    Chapter 733


    Chapter 733


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    The look on Rachel¡¯s face immediately turned cold. She turned around and quickly walked out to check


    what just happened. But there was no one in the corridor except for the broken pieces of china on the


    floor.


    She slowly raised her eyes and stared at the other side of the corridor.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± In the video, Mary noticed the coldness on Rachel¡¯s face and could not help but worry.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Everything is alright.¡± The expression on Rachel¡¯s face softened a little. She pursed her lips and


    exined, ¡°Maybe a servant passed by identally knocked over a vase.¡±


    She continued chatting with Mary until she heard footsteps behind her.


    ¡°I gotta go now. We¡¯ll talk more about it when I go back to Seaxas.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up the video call, Rachel looked at the man walking over.


    ckhawk walked over with one hand in his pocket and pouted at her. ¡°Wanna go out for a walk?¡±


    Rachel nodded and walked side by side with ckhawk to the back garden. ¡°Have you found out what


    I asked you to search?¡±


    Ever since Vulture showed her a photo of Sophia, Rachel started investigating.


    She did not know if the other party was worried that she would find any clues. After the photo was


    leaked, the other party quickly withdrew their request for an investigation, so much so that the direction


    of her investigation was suddenly cut off.


    ckhawk took a piece of gum from his pocket and flicked it right into his mouth.


    ¡°The other party exposed their IP address for a few seconds. Although it was only a few seconds, with


    Lone Wolf¡¯s technical skills, it¡¯s enough for him to locate and track them down.¡± ckhawk looked at


    Rachel. He knew that she was anxious, but this kind of thing could not be done so fast.


    They didn¡¯t even know what the other party¡¯s intentions were.


    He raised his hand and grabbed Rachel¡¯s skinny shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. It¡¯lle out soon.¡±


    Rachel lowered her head and kicked the pebbles in front of her feet. ¡°I hope I can get the results as


    soon as possible.¡±


    There were too many things troubling her when she came to Aureliana this time. She desperately


    hoped to get an answer.


    As she was thinking, she heard the voices of a few people talking behind her.


    ¡°hel looked in the direction of the voice and saw David walking at the front.


    The man was wearing a ck shirt and a pair of ck suit pants. He had one hand in his pocket and


    his footsteps were slow and casual, but his overwhelming aura was captive enough to attract


    everyone¡¯s attention.


    David sensed something and looked up.


    Then they suddenly locked eyes.


    He took out his hand from his pocket and opened his palm to Rachel.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but smile when she saw him do that with no words being said. Without any


    hesitation, she walked- towards David.


    She hadpletely forgotten about ckhawk, who was standing beside her.


    ckhawk watched as she leaned forward, her eyes rolling so hard that they almost reached the back


    of her head. ¡°Love over friendship!¡±


    And she said that they were best mates who had gone through hell together.


    Phew!


    It was all bullshit when it came to that man!


    When Rachel walked to David¡¯s side, he instantly held her hand.


    Georgia, who was following behind, had a subtle look on her face,


    The conversation between Rachel and Mary was still echoing in her head.


    Seeing how Jimmy defended Kachel, she thought that this woman was extraordinary. It turned out that


    Rachel had been married before.


    She was already married, but she still shamelessly seduced David.


    How could such a person be worthy of being with David and bing the Jones family¡¯s mistress?


    Georgia¡¯s eyes narrowed as she watched David and Rachel holding hands. A ruthless and cold glint


    flickered in her eyes. There must be nothing more satisfying in this world than revealing Rachel¡¯s true


    self in front of them, right?


    Although tonight¡¯s farewell banquet was called a banquet, it was just a gathering of some good friends


    chatting and having a drink together.


    The few of them sat around the bonfire, drinking and chatting. There was amb roasting on the rack.


    The fragrance of the roasted meat filled the air, building up the cozy atmosphere.


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually show this craft to other people.¡± Jimmy rolled up his sleeves and cut the meat into thin


    and even pieces. ¡°Rachel, try it and see how it tastes.¡±


    Rachel took the te and tasted a slice of the meat. The taste was just right and the seasoning didn¡¯t


    cover the deliciousness of the mutton at all. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like this.¡± ckhawk looked at Rachel with a bottle of beer in his hand.


    In the past, Rachel could not stand the smell of mutton. She could not even tolerate the smell of it, let


    alone eat it.


    Rachel put down the te in her hand and said calmly, ¡°I can barely eat a slice or two.¡±


    ckhawk frowned slightly and put down the beer in his hand. He casually took the te in front of


    Rachel and said with a serious expression, ¡°Don¡¯t eat it if you don¡¯t it. Since when did you suffer for


    others?¡±


    Back then, they had treated Twelve like a treasure and could not bear to see her suffer even the


    slightest grievance. Knowing that she did not like the smell of mutton, they stopped eating mutton for


    more than a year for Twelve.


    Now, Twelve forced herself to eat it for the sake of other people.


    How could ckhawk tolerate this?


    ckhawk didn¡¯t think much when he said that but someone overthought it. Moreover, Georgia already


    didn¡¯t like Rachel to begin with.


    At this moment, seeing that ckhawk was so indulgent towards Rachel, Georgia picked up her beer


    and took a sip. She looked at Rachel with disdain and mockery.


    She was such a vixen.


    Vulture from the Red me Army favored her, and now it was ckhawk. Perhaps everyone in the


    Red me Army had slept with her.


    Actually, now that Georgia thought about it, she assumed that a woman with such good looks must


    have nothing to offer but being the social butterfly if she only hung out with a bunch of men.


    As Georgia thought of this, a crazy thought crossed her mind.


    Under the influence of alcohol, Georgia couldn¡¯t give a damn about staying calm anymore.


    Her mind was filled with thoughts of tearing apart Rachel¡¯s fake mask so that David could see her true


    colors!


    Georgia chugged the beer in the can and threw it on the table.


    The crisp sound instantly attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    She cleared her throat. ¡°Let¡¯s not just sit around. How about we y some games?¡±


    ¡°What game do you want to y?¡± Jimmy was quite bored right now. Hearing her words, he


    immediately perked up. ¡°Tell me, do you want to drink or roll the dice?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Georgia smiled faintly. ¡°We used to y that all the time and it¡¯ll be a bummer if we


    y that again.¡±


    It sounded like she was trying to show off.


    ¡°Miss Grey, speaking of which, this is your first time visiting Aureliana. Why don¡¯t youe up with a


    game to y?¡± Georgia looked at Rachel.


    Rachel looked her in the eye and vaguely sensed a hint of provocation.

 Chapter 734

    Chapter 734


    Chapter 734


    The moment Rachel met her eyes and sensed her hostility, she vaguely guessed something.


    Suddenly, Rachel¡¯s red lips curled into a bright smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t we y the simplest game of dice?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Georgia couldn¡¯t hide the joy in her eyes.


    Then Thomas said, ¡°That¡¯s Georgia¡¯s game. She has never lost in this game since she was young. It¡¯s


    definitely not good for you to y this with her.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, and a meaningful smile shed across her eyes.


    Never lost since she was young?


    Coincidentally, Rachel had never lost at this game before either.


    Seeing that Rachel was silent, Georgia was afraid that she would regret it. She quickly said, ¡°Thomas,


    this is Miss Grey¡¯s first timeing to our Aureliana as a guest. Shouldn¡¯t we show our hospitality?


    Since she has decided to roll the dice, we¡¯re happy to cooperate¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Landon¡¯s eyes under his sses were filled with warning as he looked at her.


    As her elder brother, how could he not know what Georgia was thinking?


    He thought that he had already made his words clear enough. He had no idea what was wrong with her


    today. She actually dared to set Rachel up.


    Landon was not worried that his sister would defeat Rachel, but he was worried that Georgia would


    regret it in the end.


    Ever since he met Rachel, no one who targeted Rachel had benefited.


    He was worried that his own sister would suffer.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a game.¡± Sensing Landon¡¯s warning gaze, Georgia seemed to be speaking to him. ¡°It¡¯s rare for


    everyone to gather here together. I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll meet again, but we can still y a game


    before parting. Whether we win or lose, it¡¯s just for fun. Besides, Miss Grey doesn¡¯t look like a sore


    loser.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, she gave her a cold and subtle smile.


    Originally, Rachel was just going with the flow. However, when she saw how Georgia was afraid that


    she would regret it, Rachel could not help but feel intrigued.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±


    Georgia heaved a sigh of relief when she heard Rachel say yes.


    She took a deep breath and tried to suppress the excitement in her heart.


    Georgia had been ying at the gambling table with the elders of her family since she was young. To


    her, the dice were even more obedient than her dog.


    Between the drinking game and the dice, Rachel chose thetter. Georgia felt like even God was on


    her side.


    Thinking of this, Georgia lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in them.


    Even though she tried her best to suppress her excitement, Jimmy and Landon still noticed the subtle


    expression on her face.


    They wondered if they should call Georgia overconfident or stupid,


    Had she never heard that there was always someone better than her?


    As she was thinking, Thomas looked at Rachel and could not help but ask, ¡°Have you really thought it


    through?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel looked up at him. ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡±


    Seeing her ignorant look, Thomas really couldn¡¯t bear to see her being kept in the dark.


    Just as he was about to tell her all the games Georgia had won since she was young, Georgia spoke


    first, ¡°Thomas, Miss Grey agreed to y this game. I think she has a chance of winning. Besides, we¡¯re


    just having fun. Why do you have to persuade Miss Crey out of this like that?¡±


    Fine, it was his fault for talking too much.


    Thomas couldn¡¯t say anything more when it came to this.


    He took a puff of his cigarette and crushed it in the mud on thewn. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the punishment if


    one of you loses?¡±


    He only hoped that Georgia would be considerate enough and give some points to Rachelter so that


    the situation would not be too embarrassing.


    Georgia pondered for a moment. ¡°How about truth or dare? The winner asks the loser a question. If he


    refuses to answer, he¡¯ll drink three sses. How about that?¡±


    Hearing this, Thomas secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡±


    He looked up at Jimmy and Landon and they didn¡¯t have any problems with that either.


    ¡°What about ckhawk?¡± Thomas looked at ckhawk who was sitting cross-legged beside Rachel.


    ¡°Are you interested in ying this game?¡±


    Hearing this, ckhawk looked at Rachel. ¡°I¡¯ll y if she wants to.¡±


    He knew what Twelve was capable of. He had also been taught a lesson by her before, so he would


    not lose too badly.


    However, when Georgia heard this, she automatically misinterpreted his words.


    Especially when she saw ckhawk looking at Rachel, a hint of mockery shed in the depths of


    Georgia¡¯s eyes.


    These two were definitely not just friends!


    ¡°Miss Grey?¡± Georgia raised her eyes and looked at her. The smile on her lips revealed a hint of


    provocation.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s y.¡± Rachel smiled. ¡°Maybe my luck is better than Miss Walker¡¯s, right?¡±


    Her nonchnt gaze was filled with mockery. It was as if she had seen through Georgia¡¯s thoughts.


    Georgia¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she was suddenly speechless.


    She calmed herself down a little. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±


    A few minutester, Billy and Yann brought in a table and prepared the dice cup and three dice.


    The seven of them sat around the table and threw the dice into the dice cup, shaking it casually.


    The dice made a crisp sound when they hit the dice cup.


    Compared to the others, Georgia was in a good mood. She shook the dice cup in her hand with


    confidence.


    A few secondster, she ced the dice cup on the table and looked around confidently.


    However, she noticed that Rachel only shook it a few times like she was new to this and had never


    yed this game before.


    Georgia lowered her eyes to hide the mocking smile in her eyes.


    Could it be that Rachel was really dumb? Did she only rely on luck to y dice?!


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to open first?¡± Georgia looked around and pretended to be polite.


    Seeing that everyone was looking at each other, she said again, ¡°Since none of you are saying


    anything, I¡¯ll open it first.¡±


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    With that, she opened the dice cup.


    Thomas¡¯s expression turned gloomy when he saw that all three dice had sixes facing up. ¡°Three sixes.


    No wonder you¡¯re smiling so happily.¡±


    ¡°Thomas, if I let you win, I¡¯m afraid you guys won¡¯t be able to enjoy yourselves, right?¡± Georgia pouted


    at him. ¡°Open it and take a look.¡±


    Thomas opened the dice cup. One was five points, two were four points, a total of thirteen points.


    He opened it counterclockwise, followed by Landon and Jimmy. Fourteen and eleven o¡¯clock,


    respectively.


    Following closely behind was the ckhawk.


    He opened up a bottle of beer with one hand and opened the dice cup. Everyone focused their eyes on


    his dice and saw that it was 17 points.


    This number was only inferior to Georgia¡¯s 18 points. At the very least, she could avoid the punishment


    of Truth or Dare.


    ¡°David, it¡¯s your turn.¡± Georgia looked at David and Rachel with a smile.


    David nced at Rachel. The two of them smiled and opened the dice cup in front of them at the same


    time.

 Chapter 735

    Chapter 735


    Chapter 735


    When the dice cup was opened, the two of them had exactly 17 points.


    ¡°Damn it! You two must have discussed this beforehand, right?¡± Thomas looked at the two of them in


    disbelief.


    Seeing the dice in the dice cup, Georgia¡¯s brows furrowed imperceptibly.


    She raised her eyes and looked at Rachel with a deep andplicated gaze.


    It was nothing but just a casual throw and it was actually 17 points!


    How could she be so lucky?


    As she was thinking, the others had already started to focus on Jimmy, who had the smallest number of


    points.


    ¡°Come on, Mr. Shain.¡± Thomas smiled maliciously at Jimmy. ¡°Truth or Dare?¡±


    ¡°Even if I tell you the truth, you might not believe me.¡± Jimmy took three small bottles of beer from the


    table beside him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll drink first to show you guys some respect.¡±


    Seeing him drink three bottles in one go, Georgia¡¯s expression was a little intriguing. ¡°Mr. Shain. I¡¯m


    sorry.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be sorry about?¡± Jimmy raised his hand to wipe off the wine stains at the corner of his


    mouth and looked at Georgia meaningfully. ¡°You have to admit your defeat if you lose. It¡¯s a bet after


    all.¡±


    For some reason, Georgia had a bad feeling when she heard his words.


    However, she did not believe that Rachel could be so lucky every single time!


    With that in mind, Georgia started the second round.


    What she found unbelievable was that Rachel still got 17 points this time.


    David and ckhawk did the same.


    When Thomas saw this strange scene, he could not help but pick up their dice cups and dice to check


    if they were ying tricks. ¡°Everyone is gathered together for fun. It will be a shame if you guys cheat.¡±


    David did not say anything. Instead, he crossed his arms and let them examine his dice carefully.


    The winner of this round was still Georgia, who had never lost before, but the loser was Landon this


    time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s drink.¡± Landon ignored the excitement in Georgia¡¯s eyes. He stood up and gulped down three


    bottles of beer.


    Georgia looked disappointed. ¡°What¡¯s the point of drinking if everyone chooses to drink?¡±


    She had nned to get some useful information from Landon.


    ¡°You were the one who initiated the game and set the rules and now you wanna change your mind,¡±


    Landon¡¯s eyes under the lenses were faintly cold. His tone was filled with a gloominess that was


    difficult to ignore. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡±


    He did not know what was wrong with Georgia tonight that she wanted to target Rachel.


    However, he knew that if he did not stop her, this girl would be doomed!


    Faced with Landon¡¯s sudden scolding, Georgia looked very aggrieved. ¡°We¡¯re just ying together.


    Landon, why are you being so serious? Besides, I specially asked Miss Grey for her opinion at the


    beginning of the game. I didn¡¯t force her.¡±


    With just a few words, she actually dragged Rachel down with her.


    ckhawk had never liked Georgia. Moreover, she was using Rachel as a shield now. He was not


    going to let her get away with it. He retorted, ¡°It¡¯s one thing for the two of you to quarrel, but don¡¯t


    implicate innocent people.¡±


    Seeing that the atmosphere was a little tense, Thomas acted as the peacemaker. ¡°How about this?


    Everyone only has two chances to drink. After using the two chances, you have to cooperate and


    answer the questions regardless of whether you like it or not. How about that?¡±


    Hearing this, everyone had no choice but to agree with Thomas.


    In the third round, Georgia won as usual. This time, it was Thomas¡¯s turn to lose.


    Thomas didn¡¯t want everyone to be disappointed, so he decided to choose the truth.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Upon hearing this, Georgia¡¯s eyes lit up. It was obvious that she had got what she wanted.


    ¡°Thomas, what do you think of the rtionship between ckhawk and Miss Grey?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the room fell into a strange atmosphere.


    When Rachel heard this, she raised his eyes and looked at Georgia calmly, smiling grimly at her.


    It turned out Georgia was setting her up.


    With a de of grass in his mouth, ckhawk nced at Georgia and sneered. ¡°Miss Walker, you


    seem to have asked the wrong person. It¡¯s best to ask me, the person involved, about rtionships.¡±


    ¡°As the saying goes, the onlooker sees the bigger picture. It¡¯s inevitable that your own evaluation is not


    comprehensive enough,¡± Georgia exined seriously. ¡°You still need to listen to the opinions of the


    onlookers asionally.¡±


    Everyone present was extremely smart. She did not believe that they could not see the strange


    rtionship between


    ckhawk and Rachel.


    Thomas was originally a little sleepy, but when he heard Georgia¡¯s question, he felt as if a bucket of


    cold water had been poured over his head and immediately sobered up.


    If he had known that Georgia was nning to set them up, he would not have chosen the truth no


    matter what. It didn¡¯t matter if she was asking for death, but she shouldn¡¯t drag him down with her.


    At this moment, Thomas¡¯s eyes were filled with displeasure. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be something I


    should answer.¡± Georgia did not want to make the atmosphere too tense, so she changed the topic.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s change the topic.¡± She pondered for a moment. ¡°I heard that a woman from the Bowes


    family married two husbands at the same time. I wonder how the Bowes family dealt with her?¡±


    ¡°Of course, they punished her ording to the Bowes family¡¯s rules.¡± Thomas¡¯s face still looked


    gloomy and angered. When they heard Georgia¡¯s question, they did not think too much about it.


    However, when Jimmy and Landon heard it, the two of them could not help but look at each other.


    They now suspected that Georgia knew something.


    Compared to their guesses, Rachel was certain that Georgia must have eavesdropped on her


    conversation with Mary, which was why she yed the trick of truth or dare.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in ying like this. Why don¡¯t we y something bolder instead?¡± Rachel put down


    the beer can in her hand and looked at Georgia with a faint smile. ¡°I wonder if Miss Walker is


    interested.¡±


    Georgia shivered a little in panic when she met Rachel¡¯s calm gaze. For a moment, she felt as if her


    thoughts had been seen through.


    However, she quickly calmed herself down.


    As long as she was still shaking the dice, she was sure that Rachel was definitely not her match!


    No matter what, she had to tear off Rachel¡¯s disguise in front of everyone today.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Georgia took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°I wonder what game Miss Grey wants to y.¡±


    Rachel thought for a moment and nced at everyone¡¯s faces one by one. ¡°Since Miss Walker always


    wins at the gambling table, it¡¯s too much of a waste of talent to count points. So let¡¯s guess. How about


    that?¡±


    The so-called guess didn¡¯t just rely on the technique of shaking the dice in one¡¯s hand. It also


    depended on one¡¯s hearing.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Georgia still looked calm andposed as always.


    She wasn¡¯t being blindly confident. She was certain that Rachel was not her match at all!


    The smile on Rachel¡¯s face deepened when she saw how calm Georgia was. Rachel felt like she was


    the hunter pretending to be the prey, watching the actual prey slowly walk into her trap.

 Chapter 736

    Chapter 736


    Chapter 736


    Seeing that the two of them had made a bet, the men were all greatly intrigued.


    That kind of excitement and joy was like seeing them fighting on the street.


    Only Landon looked at David worriedly with a heavy heart.


    However, he found out that David was busy looking at Rachel fondly. It seemed that no matter what


    kind of big trouble Rachel caused, he would think of a way to help Rachel out without anyints.


    Seeing this, Landon could do nothing but pray silently that Georgia would not look too miserableter.


    ¡°Before we begin, shouldn¡¯t we talk about what happens if we win and what happens if we lose?¡±


    Georgia looked at Rachel with a provocative smile.


    She seemed to be quite sure that she could definitely be the winner and defeat Rachel.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Rachel yed with the dice with her fingertips, making a crisp sound. ¡°The winner can do anything to


    the loser. How about that?¡±


    This condition was extremely tempting.


    It was equivalent to putting her own life in the other person¡¯s hands.


    The others looked at Georgia with interest.


    ¡°David, aren¡¯t you going to talk them out of this?¡± Thomas kindly reminded David.


    Among the people present, only Thomas did not know much about Rachel.


    Therefore, he naturally thought that Rachel would lose.


    David nced at him but did not say anything.


    ¡°The onlooker was more worried than the yer.¡± Jimmy looked at Thomas with disdain. ¡°Even David


    isn¡¯t even worried about his own wife. What are you worried about?¡±


    Thomas was speechless.


    He was just worried that Rachel would be taken advantage of!


    When he came back to his senses, he red at Jimmy. ¡°Just shut up already!¡±


    Jimmy grinned. ¡°Guess that offended you.¡±


    Previously, they had yed a few rounds with Rachel at Seaxas. Anyone with a brain should know that


    Rachel¡¯s ¡°good luck¡± was just an excuse.


    No matter how lucky a person was, they couldn¡¯t win every single time, right?


    Therefore, it was still uncertain who would win!


    Georgia was not in the mood to care about the men¡¯s conversation. Her mind was filled with the


    tempting conditions that Rachel had just offered.


    She was so excited that she felt her blood rushing in her veins as her eyes sparkled with excitement.


    ¡°You mean you¡¯ll agree to anything I ask you to do?¡±


    Including getting her to admit the fact that she had once married another man before David?


    If that was really the case, it would save her a lot of trouble.


    How could a proud person like David tolerate being fooled by a woman?


    If he knew that Rachel was once married before, how would he continue to be with her?


    How would he marry her after knowing that?


    By then, Rachel would havepletely offended David. They would never be able to be together in


    this lifetime!


    Even if Georgia couldn¡¯t be with David, she wouldn¡¯t allow Rachel to be with him either!


    Although Georgia tried her best to suppress the joy in her heart, Rachel could still tell what she was


    thinking from her


    words.


    She raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled meaningfully. ¡°That¡¯s right, as long as you defeat me.¡±


    Defeat her¡­


    To Georgia, this request was not difficult at all.


    She lowered her eyes to hide the smugness in them.


    When she was three years old, she started ying at the gambling table with her mother. When she


    was four years old, she started ying the dice. When she was five years old, she was familiar with the


    various ways of gambling in the casino. She had practiced rolling the dice for three years.


    All the dice in her hands had always been her puppet in strings. There was no such thing as bad luck to


    her.


    If she wanted one point, she would never get two points. The dice all listened to her and she was a


    master at rolling the dice.


    It was not difficult at all to win against Rachel.


    Although Georgia was confident that she would win, she had to be polite in front of everyone.


    Especially when she saw David sitting opposite her. He was lowering his eyes and he looked quite


    calm and indifferent. She had no idea what was on his mind.


    She could not figure out what he was thinking for a moment, but her fear of him made her hesitate


    again. She could not help but ask, ¡°Miss Grey, do you wanna think twice about it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to be able topete with Miss Walker. What else do I need to consider?¡± Rachel


    ced the dice in her hand into the dice cup and borrowed three from David to make a total of six.


    She threw the six dice into the dice cup and said unhurriedly, ¡°Besides, even if I really lose, I wouldn¡¯t


    lose to a newbie so it¡¯s not that embarrassing.¡±


    Hearing this, Georgia¡¯s smile deepened.


    Since she had already said so much, if Rachel really lost, she deserved it. It had nothing to do with her!


    Thinking of this, Georgia¡¯s eyes flickered with confidence. ¡°Deal!¡±


    In her mind, she had already imagined Rachel losing to her.


    Rachel stared at her silently and smiled. ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ shall I go first?¡± Georgia ced a hand on the dice cup and looked up at Rachel.


    Rachel nodded and said casually, ¡°It¡¯s all up to you.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Georgia grabbed the dice cup. She seemed to be shaking the cup


    randomly but there was actually a hidden intention behind every move.


    Her strength and the frequency of the shaking were all calcted.


    Half a minuteter, she ced the dice cup on the table.


    Her red lips curled up confidently. ¡°Miss Grey, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    There was indeed no more exciting gamey than guessing the numbers based on hearing.


    Moreover, Rachel had offered such tempting conditions.


    Rachel held the dice cup and weighed it quietly. Then, she picked it up.


    Georgia, who was sitting opposite her, looked at Rachel with a frown. She tilted her head slightly and


    pricked up her ears to listen carefully to the sound of the dice.


    Six dice weren¡¯t as easy as three.


    After listening for a long time, Georgia still could not figure it out. Rachel suddenly ced the dice cup


    on the table. ¡°Who¡¯s going to guess first?¡±


    Georgia¡¯s eyes turned gloomy.


    She did not know if Rachel did it on purpose, which greatly shortened the time she had to tell the


    number by sound, but she vaguely heard the sound of a few dice falling.


    She took a deep breath and stared at the dice cup in Rachel¡¯s hand. She calcted in her heart. ¡°Thirty


    points.¡±


    ¡°Wrong.¡± Rachel looked at her, shrugging. She picked up the dice cup in her hand and disyed the


    dice on the table one by one. ¡°It¡¯s 36 points, just like yours.¡±


    Her face was full of regret, which made Georgia feel humiliated.


    Georgia¡¯s pupils constricted.


    This did not seem to be as simple as she had imagined.


    She clenched her fists tightly under the table but still managed to maintain a calm expression. ¡°Miss


    Grey, your performance is really beyond my expectation. I wonder if you¡¯re interested in ying


    another round?¡±


    Previously, Rachel kept saying that she was just lucky, but now, it seemed that everything was not as


    simple as Rachel said.

 Chapter 737

    Chapter 737


    Chapter 737


    Even though she knew that she was in this too deep, Georgia could not control the desire to win this


    game in her heart.


    Especially when she heard the tempting conditions that Rachel had just offered, her sanity had long


    been burned away by her impulse. How could she be willing to give up just like that?


    Life was limited but greed wasn¡¯t. Greed was the root of all evil.


    Constantly believing that their expected goal would be achieved was precisely the wishful thinking that


    every gambler had.


    At this moment, Georgia was acting just like those gamblers at the casinos.


    Since Rachel wanted to teach Georgia a lesson, she naturally wouldn¡¯t let her off so easily.


    Moreover, even if she let it slide now, Georgia might not let it go.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rachel gave her an innocent smile and didn¡¯t seem aggressive at all. ¡°Looks like Miss Walker


    is having a lot of fun right now, and I¡¯m d to y this game with you. Including the draw just now,


    how about two wins out of three?¡±


    Georgia had long been overwhelmed by the strong desire to win. ¡°Alright!¡±


    Two wins out of three. She still had a chance!


    After that, Rachel still remained calm and collected. However, Georgia didn¡¯t seem casual at all and


    became extremely cautious.


    Underestimating the enemy was a huge taboo.


    Before, she had underestimated Rachel, but she wouldn¡¯t do that anymore.


    It wasn¡¯t until Rachel ced the dice cup on the table that Georgia¡¯s heart finally calmed down a little.


    ¡°One point.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel sighed regretfully. ¡°Miss Walker, you¡¯re wrong again. You¡¯re one point, and I¡¯m


    five.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she opened the dice cup under everyone¡¯s gaze.


    The five dice fell neatly together, and beside them was a shattered dice.


    Everyone looked at Rachel in disbelief.


    Rachel shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I identally used too much strength just now.¡±


    She did not say much to brag about her skills and only proved her ability by actions.


    She had actually used the dice cup to shatter the dice. This was definitely not something that could be


    done with so-called ¡°too much strength¡±.


    At first, Georgia was still hoping that she would get lucky and win this time. But now, all her fantasies


    were shattered. She started sweating uncontrobly.


    She sat on the chair in a daze and stared at the dice on the table for a long time.


    Everyone looked at Georgia withplicated expressions on their faces.


    She was the one who brought herself to this. What was she gonna do about this now?


    At this moment, ckhawk chuckled and looked at Georgia mockingly. ¡°Miss Walker, why aren¡¯t you


    saying anything?¡±


    Georgia¡¯s eyshes trembled as she slowly came back to her senses.


    She looked up at Rachel, who was sitting opposite her.


    ¡°A bet is a bet.¡± David, who had been silent all this while, suddenly spoke. He held Rachel¡¯s hand, his


    well-defined fingers rubbing the skin on the back of her hand. ¡°Tell me, what punishment do you have in


    mind?¡±


    His casual tone was filled with unconceble doting and indulgence.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Everyone could tell that something from his attitude and silently mourned for Georgia in their hearts for


    a second.


    Hearing this, Georgia¡¯s heart turned cold. Her eyes flickered with a dark andplicated light as she


    looked at David.


    She thought that their friendship over the years could make David take her side even just for a little.


    But this man was far more heartless than she had imagined.


    He did not want to save her face at all.


    Jimmy gave Landon a look, indicating for him to wait and see.


    No one could me David for being merciless. Georgia had brought this upon herself.


    Of all people, she had to provoke Rachel.


    She could gossip about anyone else in the world, but she had to target Rachel.


    Rachel brushed away David¡¯s hand and raised her hand to fix the loose hair by her ear. ¡°Miss Walker,


    can you do a dare as your punishment?¡±


    Georgia looked at her.


    The woman¡¯s gaze was so calm as if everything was within her expectations.


    Including the fact that Georgia would lose.


    The moment she realized that, she suddenly felt shivers down her spine and trembled uncontrobly.


    She bit her lip and dug her nails into her palms. She stared at Rachel without blinking, her eyes filled


    with unwillingness.


    ¡°A bet is a bet.¡± Landon looked at Georgia, who had already lost her mind. Fearing that she would do


    something bad, he said, ¡°No matter what the punishment is, she deserves it.¡±


    It was all Georgia¡¯s fault and even if she was humiliated, she deserved it and only had herself to me.


    Hearing this, Rachel was slightly relieved.


    Just then she was worried that Landon would plead for Georgia.


    She supported her forehead with one hand and pondered for a moment. ¡°Then let¡¯s take this to


    somewhere else, is that okay? It doesn¡¯t seem very convenient here.¡±


    With that, she stood up.


    The others followed closely behind.


    Georgia sat still, unwilling to get up for a long time. However, Landon refused to give her a chance to


    get away with it. He warned her in a low voice, ¡°You were the one who refused to listen to me and


    insisted on making thingse to this. Now that you¡¯ve lost, go and ept your punishment. No


    matter what punishment it is, you have to ept it and soldier through!¡±


    Hearing that, Georgia red at Landon. ¡°Even you won¡¯t help me!¡±


    Landon sneered. ¡°You¡¯ve brought this on yourself. You only have yourself to me!¡±


    Georgia snorted coldly. She shook off Landon¡¯s hand and chased after the others.


    In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the nearby shooting range.


    As everyone arrived, the lights in the shooting range lit up.


    The dazzling lights formed a sharp contrast with the darkness in the depths of the forest.


    ¡°Miss Walker, please.¡± Rachel raised her chin at Georgia and gestured for her to stand in front of the


    bullseye target.


    Seeing that, Georgia felt a lingering fear in her heart. She secretly gritted her teeth and pretended to be


    calm as she asked, ¡°Rachel, what exactly do you want from me?¡±


    Rachel nced at Georgia¡¯s pale face and looked at her with a hint of mockery in her eyes. ¡°So you¡¯re


    not fearless.¡±


    Georgia clenched her fists and stared at Rachel without saying a word.


    At this moment, Chris walked forward and respectfully handed the bow and arrow to Rachel. ¡°Miss


    Grey, this is what you asked for earlier.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ? ? ? ? ??


    ¡°You¡¯re very wee.¡± Chris walked to Georgia¡¯s side and handed her a red apple. ¡°Miss Walker, this


    is for you.¡±


    At this moment, everyone realized what was going on here.


    Georgia looked down at the red apple and then at the bow in Rachel¡¯s hand, and she snapped.


    ¡°Rachel, do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing right now?¡±


    How was this a punishment? Rachel was clearly trying to take her life!


    It was already dark outside and the vision was blocked. If Rachel missed the target, the consequences


    would be beyond her imagination!

 Chapter 738

    Chapter 738


    Chapter 738


    Rachel hooked her fingers around the bowstring. Abruptly, she swung around and pointed the arrow


    straight at Georgia. ¡°Miss Walker, you have to ept your loss. Stand over there!¡±


    Despite her casual tone, her words held a threatening quality.


    She had never been patient with strangers, especially people she had no affinity with.


    It had taken her a lot of patience to sit at the same table as Georgia and y her games.


    However, not only did this woman maliciously specte about her, but she also made up rumors about


    Rachel¡¯s rtionship with ckhawk. She should be prepared to pay the price for enraging Rachel!


    Georgia looked at the bow in Rachel¡¯s hand. She felt as though her heart had been plunged into bone-


    chilling water. Her entire body was so cold that she was almost trembling. The color had long faded


    from her face, leaving her looking white as a sheet.


    She knew that Rachel would not let her off. Since that was the case, she might as well go all out and


    bring Rachel down!


    ¡°Rachel Grey, do you think I¡¯m a fool? You¡¯re taking this opportunity to take revenge!¡± Georgia spat,


    repeating all that she had heard. ¡°You realized I overheard that you used to be married to another man


    and decided to take this chance to kill me and silence me forever. But walls have ears, you know! How


    long did you think you could keep your dirty little secret from everyone?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re nothing more than a used good. Do you seriously think you can be the female head of the


    Jones family? Why don¡¯t you look at yourself and see if you¡¯re worthy of that position?¡±


    Among the people present, only Thomas had been kept in the dark.


    He initially thought that David had been blinded by love. He had been blindsided enough by David¡¯s


    announcement of his fianc¨¦e.


    But to think that Rachel had been married before?


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to you or me to decide that. Only David can make that decision.¡± Rachel raised an eyebrow.


    Lowering the bow, she gazed deeply at David and asked, ¡°David, am I worthy?¡±


    Her voice was very soft, but her tone clearly belied her belief, ¡°I am worthy!¡±


    David¡¯s Adam apple bobbed. Looking at the peculiar expression on Rachel¡¯s face, he felt a jolt in his


    heart. ¡°Of course you are! You¡¯re amazingly, extremely, perfectly worthy!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Rachel slowly turned her head and raised her eyebrows slightly. She looked at David and


    continued casually, ¡°You¡¯re of high birth, Mr. Jones. Don¡¯t torture yourself because of me.¡±


    No one present was more familiar with Rachel¡¯s temperament than Jimmy and Landon.


    Miss Grey was usually easy-going, but not everyone could withstand the heat of her fury.


    Frankly, however, Rachel¡¯s status as the Johnson family¡¯s oldest daughter meant someone like David


    was out of her league.


    Even though the Johnson family was as wealthy as a small nation, it was nothingpared to the


    Jones family¡¯s wealth.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    However, as long as David did not deny her, Rachel was the most worthy woman on earth for him.


    Looking at the expression on Rachel¡¯s face, David felt inexplicably guilty.


    His eyebrows twitched slightly. He reached for Rachel¡¯s hand and tried to appease her carefully. ¡°It¡¯s


    not torturous for me.¡±


    His deep voice became gentle, with a hint of coaxing.


    Rachel did not say anything and merely nced at him.


    David¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Sizing up the expression on Rachel¡¯s face, he suddenly assumed the role


    of the henpecked husband again. Hurriedly, he said, ¡°You¡¯re the one who will suffer if you stay with


    me.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Georgia and Thomas looked like they had been struck by lightning. They stood


    rooted to the ground and stared at David and Rachel.


    Was David crazy?


    He knew that Rachel had been married before. How could he remain so indulgent instead of ring up


    at her?


    It wasn¡¯t as though all the women on earth had died. Why did it have to be Rachel?


    Besides, all Rachel had was a pretty face. What else was she good for?


    How was she worthy of David Jones?


    David who had such an impressive background!


    He had won the gic lottery by being born into the right family. Since he was a child, David had been


    raised by Old Mr. Jones¡¯s side and personally taught by the man himself. Now, he had finally be


    the youngest head of the family in history.


    It had only taken him one year since his ascension to calm the internal strife in the family. He even


    dealt brutally with the elders of the family who opposed him.


    Even the Elders, who lorded over the major families, felt a little frightened of David.


    With his background, a curl of his finger would send countless young socialites pouncing on him like


    moths drawn towards a me.


    Why did it have to be Rachel Grey?


    ¡°David, are you crazy?¡± Georgia stared daggers at Rachel¡¯s face. Unable to bear it any longer, she


    finally spilled the words she had longed to say. ¡°Please snap out of it! This woman has been married


    before. Let¡¯s not even go into her dubious rtionship with her ex-husband. On the sole basis of her


    past marriage, Old Mr. Jones would never let her marry into the family!¡±


    The Jones family had a formidable reputation to keep up. How could they allow a once-married woman


    into the family?


    Rachel¡¯s low birth meant she could not enter Aureliana in this lifetime. If it wasn¡¯t due to David¡¯s


    protection, did she think the rest of them would even deign to look at her?


    ¡°Where did you hear that she was married to someone before?¡± David raised his eyes to look at


    Georgia. His gaze was cold, with a distinctively frosty quality. His voice was just as icy, like the wind in


    early spring that cut like a knife.


    Georgia met his eyes. She felt as though a hand had been mped over her heart, suffocating her.


    She couldn¡¯t find her voice at all.


    Jimmy/sighed softly and looked at Landon, signaling him not to be soft-hearted and do something


    stupid.


    Landon had followed David for many years. He knew thetter¡¯s temperament very well.


    This man would only show his gentle side when facing Rachel.


    Apart from that, he had never shown mercy to anyone else.


    Rumor had it that David was cold, noble, and abstinent. He bewitched everyone with his soul-stirring


    appearance.


    No one knew that under his perfect mask, he had ruthlessness, stubbornness, and cruelty engraved in


    his bones.


    David stared at Georgia with a vicious look in his eyes. ¡°Let me ask you again. Where did you hear that


    from?¡±


    His voice was casual and cold, making one shudder.


    Georgia thought she heard a few strings snap in her mind. Struggling to hold onto herst thread of


    sanity, she stammered, ¡°She said it herself! I heard her admit to being married before with her own


    mouth!¡±


    Seeing that she had turned her attention back to Rachel, David frowned. His eyes darkened slightly


    with rage.


    ¡°You sure know how to take things out of context, Miss Walker.¡± The corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth curled


    into a gentle smile. She looked innocent and harmless, making it impossible to detect the anger


    swirling in her. However, her eyes were cold, like she was looking at a fish struggling in the mud. ¡°It¡¯s a


    pity that you walked off too quickly. Otherwise, you would have heard the rest of our conversation.¡±


    When Georgia heard this, her heart sank. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Rachel looked at her indifferently. ¡°It means that I did indeed wear a wedding dress and walk into the


    church. Unfortunately, the groom died on the way that day, and the wedding did not take ce.


    Naturally, it can¡¯t be considered a marriage.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Georgia cried instinctively. ¡°I definitely heard the person say that you were married


    before. If you have nothing to hide, call them over to settle this right now!¡±

 Chapter 739

    Chapter 739


    Chapter 739


    Obviously, she was insinuating that Rachel¡¯s words had no basis.


    Rachel was quibbling and lying!


    Landon could not stand watching Georgia make a bigger fool of herself because of her ignorance.


    Finally, he sighed softly and said, ¡°Miss Grey is telling the truth. Not only can I testify to that, but so can


    Jimmy.¡±


    Hearing this, Georgia turned to look at Landon in disbelief.


    She could not understand what sort of charm Rachel had that Georgia¡¯s brother, Landon, would speak


    up for her.


    She bit her lips, her reddened eyes gradually bing wet with tears.


    Jimmy coughed softly and nced ndly at Georgia. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such a big misunderstanding to


    happen just because of one sentence. However, Georgia, you were indeed in the wrong this time for


    taking things out of context before figuring out the actual situation. Besides, how could David not know


    if Rachel has been married before?¡±


    If he wanted to learn the truth, a man of David¡¯s abilities and cunning would discover it eventually.


    At this point, the dumbfounded Thomas also figured out the whole story in his mind.


    Georgia had identally overheard Rachel¡¯s conversation with the rest. Upon hearing the word


    ¡®married¡¯, she erroneously concluded that Rachel was hiding a past marriage and had deliberately


    seduced David in an attempt to rise above her station in life.


    Unexpectedly, Rachel had only been almost married once. Not only did Jimmy and Landon know about


    this, but even David was aware.


    She had nothing to hide at all.


    Georgia looked as if she had been struck by lightning. She was in a daze.


    Her throat felt dry and tense. She opened her mouth and said with difficulty, ¡°All¡­ all of you already


    knew that she almost married someone?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jimmy replied, extinguishing thest bit of hope in Georgia¡¯s heart. ¡°There¡¯s still a


    difference between marrying someone and almost marrying someone. Besides, regardless of whether


    she has been married before, as long as both parties are willing to move past that, even the heavens


    couldn¡¯t stop them, right?¡±


    His words implied that Georgia had broken the rules tonight and said something she should not have.


    Even worse, she had schemed against Rachel and humiliated her in public.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Since the situation had been cleared up, Rachel no longer had the patience to continue putting up with


    Georgia.


    She plucked the bowstring with her fingertips. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to our conversation, Miss Walker. It¡¯s time


    for you to face your punishment.¡±


    Georgia came to her senses and looked at the bow and arrow in Rachel¡¯s hand. A hint of panic


    appeared in her eyes. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ David, I might have erred in this matter, but you shouldn¡¯t indulge her like


    this¡­¡±


    David stood beside Rachel and held her hand tightly. When he heard Georgia¡¯s words, he frowned and


    said impatiently, ¡°What are you waiting for? Bring her over!¡±


    At hismand, Billy and Chris stepped forward at the same time. They grabbed hold of Georgia and


    steered her towards the bullseye in the distance.


    This time, Georgia lost herposurepletely. Giving no thought to her elegance, she struggled


    with all her might and yelled, ¡°Let go of me! Let go of me!¡±


    However, her strength was nothingpared to that of the two martial artists.


    Seeing that she was about to be dragged away, Georgia grabbed Landon¡¯s sleeve when she passed


    by him as if she was holding onto herst hope. ¡°Landon! Landon! Save me!¡±


    It would be a lie to say that she was not afraid.


    She thought she could easily win against Rachel but lost utterly instead.


    Even if she lost, Georgia had hoped that with Landon protecting her, and his years of interaction with


    David, Rachel would not dare to punish her.


    However, things weren¡¯t as simple as she thought.


    Not only did David disregard his years of friendship with Landon, but he also refused to give the Walker


    family any face. Even her brother, who had always doted on her, chose to watch coldly from the


    sidelines.


    How could Georgia ept this?


    The bow and arrows were under Rachel¡¯s control. Georgia prayed that the other woman was somehow


    a skilled archer. Otherwise, an ident might happen, and she might lose her life!


    Tears welled up in Georgia¡¯s eyes as she tugged at Landon¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Landon, please try and persuade


    David. As long as you speak¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Walker!¡± Rachel interrupted her coldly. She ced an arm on David¡¯s shoulder and leaned


    against himzily. ¡°If you agree to bet, you must be willing to ept defeat. Don¡¯t embarrass the


    Walker family if you can¡¯t afford to y.¡±


    These words were not only a reminder, but also a warning to Georgia.


    If Georgia continued to beg, it would only put Landon in a dilemma.


    Moreover, they had ced a bet beforehand. Now that Georgia had lost, she wanted to back out. If this


    matter spread, it would only embarrass the Walker family.


    Looking at Rachel lying in David¡¯s arms and openly enjoying his attention, Georgia was once again


    overwhelmed by jealousy. ¡°Shut up! Who are you to educate me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who should shut up!¡± Landon reprimanded coldly.


    His eyes flickered with a terrifying coldness under his sses. He forcefully pushed Georgia¡¯s hand


    away and said frostily, ¡°Take her away!¡±


    At that, Billy and Chris dragged Georgia straight to the bullseye without any hesitation.


    ¡°Let go of me! Billy Jones, Chris Jones! You two are just David¡¯spdogs. What right do you have to¡­¡±


    Before Georgia could finish her sentence, she heard a swoosh.


    An arrow was shot through the air tond 0.5 inches away from her.


    She could even hear the sharp arrowhead piercing through the bullseye.


    Georgia felt as though her heart was leaping out of her chest.


    The cirction in her body seemed to have stopped, and her breath seemed to have slowed down


    tremendously. All she could hear in her ears was her drum-like heartbeat.


    Georgia stood rooted to the ground in a daze, swallowing her saliva and breathing heavily. She wanted


    to struggle, but her entire body was so stiff that she could not move.


    Seeing her pale face, Chris¡¯s eyes shed with mockery. He weighed the red apple in his hand and


    gently ced it on Georgia¡¯s head. Unable to resist the chance to tease her, he said, ¡°Miss Walker,


    make sure to keep still. You can¡¯t me anyone else if the arrow identally pierces your vital


    organs.¡±


    Georgia slowly came back to her senses and red at him fiercely. She gritted her teeth and spat,


    ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?¡±


    The night second, another arrow shot through the air like lightning and flew straight at her.


    Georgia¡¯s pupils constricted, her breathing and heartbeat slowing to a halt. When the arrow brushed


    past her hair and struck the bullseye behind her head, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her limbs went limp uncontrobly.


    Another two arrows grazed Georgia¡¯s neck and ears, but neither hit her. However, she had utterly lost


    her mind by then.


    ¡°R¡­ Rachel Grey¡­¡± Georgia¡¯s breathing was shallow, as though she was a survivor who had wed


    her way back from the brink of death.


    She took a deep breath and gathered all her strength, then shouted at Rachel, ¡°If you dare to hurt me


    in the slightest, the Walker family will not let you off!¡±

 Chapter 740

    Chapter 740


    Chapter 740


    The next moment, another arrow was released from the bow. It pierced through the air and shot toward


    Georgia with


    murderous intent.


    The arrownded urately on the bullseye behind Georgia¡¯s head again. The only difference was


    that the arrowhead dripped red this time.


    Jimmy watched the scene in front of him and sighed helplessly. ¡°Of all people, why did you have to


    provoke Rachel?¡±


    Great.


    Georgia was in for the suffering of her lifetime.


    He nced at David, who stood beside Rachel with a quiver in his arms. Jimmy could not help but click


    his tongue. From the looks of it, David clearly did not intend to stop her.


    Standing next to the bullseye, Chris noticed the blood on the arrowhead. He was slightly stunned for a


    moment before he lowered his eyes to hide the joy in his eyes.


    He truly admired Miss Grey¡¯s predilection for taking revenge on the spot.


    Georgia couldn¡¯t tell what Chris was thinking. She felt a sharp pain in her neck and reached for the


    spot. When her fingertips touched sticky blood, her constricted pupils trembled slightly.


    She gritted her teeth darkly, her eyes filled with intense hatred. ¡°Rachel Grey, what exactly do you


    want?¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, the fourth arrow was already flying toward her.


    This time, it brushed past her ear.


    Georgia immediately felt a burning pain in her ear. She reached out to paw at it and realized it was


    covered in blood. She was trembling all over. It was hard to tell if she was angry or afraid.


    ¡°If this continues, I think your sister will go crazy,¡± Thomas whispered to Landon. ¡°Your family has


    status and prestige. Logically, her parents can¡¯t have raised such a reckless, impudent daughter. In the


    end, one¡¯s position within the family decides everything, eh?¡±


    When Jimmy heard this, he could not help but sigh. ¡°Who can she me but herself for her


    predicament? I only feel sorry that Landon invested so much time and effort in her all these years.¡±


    Like other noble families in Aureliana, the Walker family had always maintained a distinction between


    children of the legitimate wife and concubines.


    The legitimate heir would never make friends with the children of concubines, let alone integrate into


    the same circles. Landon, however, was special.


    Back then, the Walker family had caused a stir because the legitimate son and the eldest concubine-


    born son had fought each other for the position of the family head.


    Eventually, Landon won the bloody struggle, which resulted in his current identity and status.


    He had probably kept Georgia by his side all these years because he felt sorry for the girl, a


    concubine¡¯s daughter.


    For the sake of Landon Walker, the other Walker family members did not say anything. However, they


    did not expect her to be so ungrateful.


    She really knew how to push her luck!


    Did she think that they had treated her well all these years because of her status as a concubine¡¯s


    daughter?


    If not for Landon standing beside her, the few of them would not even have looked at her, let alone


    yed with her.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Landon pursed his thin lips slightly and did not say anything.


    However, his eyes flickered with an inexplicable expression under his sses. He stared at Georgia,


    who was still standing in front of the bullseye.


    ¡°Rachel Grey, what the hell are you trying to do?¡± Georgia did not expect that Rachel would dare to hurt


    her. She did not care about the Walker family¡¯s reputation at all.


    It was her fearlessness that made Georgia feel an indescribable fear in her heart.


    Upon hearing Georgia¡¯s hysterical questioning, Rachel smiled. ¡°Miss Walker, what a fright you gave me


    just now! My hands can¡¯t stop shaking.¡±


    In other words, she was warning Georgia that it was her fault that she got injured. After all, she


    should¡¯ve minded her words in the first ce.


    Georgia felt a lump in her throat. Just as she was about to say something, she heard Rachel raise her


    voice. ¡°Miss Walker, please hold on for a while longer. I¡¯m almost done.¡±


    As she spoke, she picked up two arrows, nocked them, and drew the bow in one shot.


    Her movements were so smooth that it was as though she had practiced this thousands of times


    before.


    Before the crowd could draw their breaths, the arrows in Rachel¡¯s hand had already left the bow. They


    tore through the air and shot toward Georgia with demonic vengeance.


    The two arrows brushed past the hair on Georgia¡¯s head, nailing strands of her hair to the bullseye.


    Billy and Chris¡¯s eyes could not help but flicker with excitement as they watched the two arrows fly


    through the air together.


    They wondered how many surprises Miss Grey had been keeping from them.


    Finally, ast arrow flew toward Georgia¡¯s head, whizzing through the air with murderous intent.


    Fear finally took over Georgia¡¯s heart. She slid to the floor andnded on her knees with a loud thud.


    At the same time, the ck-feather arrow pierced through the red apple and nailed it firmly to the


    bullseye.


    Georgia¡¯s face was pale as a sheet, and her gaze was unfocused. She looked extremely dazed.


    The juice of the apple slid down the arrow bit by bit andnded on her head.


    At this moment, however, she could not care less about how pathetic she looked. There was only


    endless fear in her heart. This bet was the craziest one she had ever epted, and it was enough to


    leave an unforgettable memory in her mind. She felt as if she had just taken a stroll by the gates of hell.


    Landon could not help but frown when he saw Georgia¡¯s terrified expression.


    Who else could be med for today¡¯s incident but Georgia herself? It was nobody¡¯s fault that she was


    so reckless and ignorant.


    Rachel threw the bow and arrow onto the table and walked towards Georgia.


    She squatted down and lifted Georgia¡¯s chin with her finger. ¡°Miss Walker, people in love hate it when


    others make assumptions about their rtionship. I won¡¯t me you if you can¡¯t give me your best


    wishes. However, if you take things out of context and stir up trouble again, I guarantee you¡¯ll end up


    like that apple.¡±


    Her casual tone was filled with chilling calmness and indifference.


    Georgia looked at Rachel in a daze, her eyes filled with fear that had yet to dissipate.


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled up into a smile. Brushing her fingertips past Georgia¡¯s cheek and


    tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, Rachel said unhurriedly, ¡°I believe you won¡¯t want to


    experience tonight a second time. I¡¯ll also give you a good piece of advice. To the profane mind,


    everything is profane. Don¡¯t see others through your messed up worldview.¡±


    She was reminding Georgia not to specte about her rtionship with the Red me Action Team


    members.


    But this was also a warning.


    If Georgia ignored her words, the consequences would be dire.


    Georgia looked at Rachel in a daze, her gaze following her retreating figure.


    When her gazended on David¡¯s figure, tears of grievance and fear could no longer be controlled.


    She thought she could at least exchange a gaze with David for a second, even if it was just a second.


    However, she had underestimated David¡¯s coldness and heartlessness.


    The man did not look at her from the beginning to the end. He maintained an indifferent expression the


    whole time like he was facing a stranger he had never met.


    Georgia finally realized that she was wrong.


    She had made a big, ridiculous mistake!


    All these years, she had carefully blended in with them and hid her admiration for David well so she


    could be closer to him. However, her years of hard work had been in vain.


    Landon walked to her side and handed Georgia his handkerchief. ¡°I told you long ago that you


    shouldn¡¯t even think about things that don¡¯t belong to you.¡±

 Chapter 741

    Chapter 741


    Chapter 741


    Hearing this, Georgia slowly raised her eyes to look at Landon. Her unfocused eyes revealed a hint of


    panic, and the corners of her mouth curled into a self-deprecating smile. ¡°Even you are here tough at


    me now?¡±


    ¡°You brought this upon yourself.¡± Seeing that she was still unrepentant, Landon brusquely retracted his


    outstretched hand. ¡°I warned you not to provoke her previously, but you ignored my words. Who can


    you me for your current situation?¡±


    With one hand in his pocket, he looked down at Georgia, who had crumpled to the floor. His eyes were


    filled with disgust and disappointment. ¡°You should be thankful that David didn¡¯t punish you personally.


    Otherwise, you might not have left the Peckham Pce alive tonight.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Georgia¡¯s pupils constricted. She felt a vice-like grip around her heart as her


    breathing slowed almost to a halt.


    ¡°I used to think you were pretty smart, Georgia, but your performance tonight has been disappointing.¡±


    Landon had fought a bloody battle to stand out among his father¡¯s numerous potential sessors. He


    knew how difficult life was for a concubine¡¯s child, especiallypared to a legitimate child.


    Therefore, he had always chosen to turn a blind eye to his step-sister¡¯s ttery and schemes.


    Gradually, he had even agreed to Georgia calling herself his sister.


    With her intelligence, Landon thought Georgia would know how to behave appropriately in such a


    setting. However, her performance tonight had let him down utterly.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Therefore, he no longer had his usual patience and gentleness towards her.


    ¡°Rachel was able to participate in the international military selection and even received a personal


    invitation from the head of state. Vulture, leader of the Red me Army, could never bring himself to


    say a harsh word to her. Even the arrogant ckhawk willingly became her loyal retainer. So many


    signs indicated she was not normal like you thought.


    ¡°Even Jimmy and I knew to keep our heads down when we saw her, but what about you? Not only did


    you maliciously specte about her rtionship with the Red me Army, but you even stirred up


    trouble in front of everyone. Do you think that a mere rumor of Rachel¡¯s past marriage could change


    David¡¯s mind?


    ¡°Besides, so what if Rachel has married before? Even Mr. Johnson cannot stop David from marrying


    her so long as David likes her. I¡¯m warning you onest time, give up on recing her as soon as


    possible. Even if something happens to their rtionship, there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll be the head of the


    Jones family!


    ¡°If we were to talk about appearance, your looks can barely hold a candle to Rachel¡¯s. In terms of


    background, you¡¯re just a mistress¡¯s daughter. By following me around and calling me your brother, did


    you think you would be a legitimate daughter of the Grey family?¡±


    Here, Landon¡¯s lips curled into a cold and mocking smile. ¡°To think you even threatened Rachel with


    our family¡¯s status! What would happen to you if the n elders knew you behaved so impudently


    before David? Do you have any idea?¡±.


    Hearing this, a terrified look appeared on Georgia¡¯s face.


    She swallowed her saliva but could not say anything.


    ¡°Back then, I allowed you to stay by my side because you were aware of your limits, but you must have


    lost your self-awareness. You don¡¯t have to stay by my side in the future.¡±


    Landon did not spare another nce at Georgia. As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to leave


    with a cold and determined expression.


    Georgia, who was still rooted to her spot, began to panic. She pounced on Landon and grabbed his


    pant legs tightly. ¡°Landon, I was wrong. I¡­ I will never make such a mistake again. I will never fight


    with Rachel again!¡±


    ¡°Georgia, some mistakes can¡¯t be erased by a single apology. In fact, some of them have lifelong


    consequences.¡± Landon lowered his eyes and looked at her coldly. ¡°From now on, you will stay in your


    room quietly until you get married. Don¡¯t me the heavens for your predicament or even think of


    taking out your anger on innocent people. If there¡¯s anyone you should me, it would be yourself for


    being such a smart mouth.¡±


    This was not only a reminder to Georgia, but also a warning.


    She would be making a huge mistake if she chose to me Rachel for the incident today.


    From now on, there would be no blood rtionship between himself and Georgia. She was effectively


    disowned.


    After such an incident, Landon was too embarrassed to remain. He found an excuse and left hurriedly.


    Seeing him leave, Thomas and Jimmy took their leave too.


    After everyone had left, Rachel and David finally turned to leave.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel spotted ckhawk leaning against a Roman pir with his arms


    crossed.


    The man¡¯s eyes were narrowed as though he were making secret calctions in his mind.


    Rachel gestured for David to go back first. After he left, she walked over to ckhawk and said quietly,


    ¡°I had to give her some face.¡±


    ¡°Since when did you be so reasonable?¡± ckhawk turned around and leanedzily against the


    pir. He scanned Rachel calctingly from head to toe. ¡°The Twelve I know has always been


    vengeful. Humiliating your enemies has never been a problem for you.¡±


    If it were up to ckhawk, he would have yed Georgia within an inch of her life. Well, if he didn¡¯t kill


    her, that is.


    How dare she make up rumors about Twelve in front of him? Was she tired of living?


    ¡°Probably because her brother is a friend of the man I love?¡± Rachel said self-mockingly.


    Hearing this, ckhawk felt overwhelmed with disgust. Looking at her contemptuously, he said, ¡°Little


    girl, listen to your older brother¡¯s advice. Romance is romance. Don¡¯t take a man too seriously or treat


    him too nicely. Most importantly, don¡¯t let yourself suffer for his sake.¡±


    He unfolded his arms and ced a heavy hand on Rachel¡¯s shoulder. With a serious expression, he


    said earnestly, ¡°Apart from yourself, there¡¯s nothing else in this world that¡¯s worthy of your suffering.¡±


    Everyone in the Red me Army treated Rachel like their younger sister.


    Of course, other than a certain animalistic captain who lusted over her for five or six years.


    Hearing his words, Rachel¡¯s heart was filled with warmth. The corners of her eyes crinkled faintly with a


    smile, and she asked, ¡°When are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave after I send you off,¡± ckhawk said as he took his phone from his pocket. Giving Rachel¡¯s


    neck a little pinch, he said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take a photo before anyone disturbs you. I have to go back


    to report on my assignment!¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­


    Rachel was caught off guard as ckhawk pointed the camera straight at her. She hurriedly reached


    out to block it, but ckhawk managed to snap a photo of her panicked expression.


    After taking the photo, ckhawk left with a satisfied expression.


    Seeing him leave, Rachel could not help but smile helplessly.


    She turned around and looked at the sky above her.


    Perhaps it was because she was in a foreignnd, but she felt the stars here were never as bright as


    those in Seaxas.


    Fortunately, they were about to return home.


    As she was thinking, she heard familiar footsteps behind her.

 Chapter 742

    Chapter 742


    Chapter 742


    Shifting her gaze slightly, Rachel caught a glimpse of a ck shirt from the corner of her eye.


    One secondter, her senses were assaulted by a crisp, wooden fragrance. Her back was pressed


    tightly against a man¡¯s firm, warm chest.


    ¡°Are your injuries better?¡± Rachel shied away, afraid to get too close because of the wound on his


    chest.


    David wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. He bent down slightly and


    whispered, ¡°Of course they are. Haven¡¯t I proved it to you yesterday night?¡±


    Rachel Grey was speechless.


    His low, suggestive tone reminded her instantly of their indulgencest night.


    Her fair cheeks flushed involuntarily.


    She suddenly became ufortably aware of his warm chest and the heat of his breath against her


    face. Feeling awkward, she tried squirming her way out of his grasp.


    David amodated her cheerfully. He loosened his grip on her waist slightly and wrapped his broad


    palm around her cold hand. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go back to our room and rest early.¡±


    It was a perfectly ordinary sentence, but after how they indulged each otherst night, it sounded like


    another disguised invitation to Rachel.


    Her legs felt a little sore. She cleared her throat and replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy yet. Why don¡¯t you


    go back to our room and rest first?¡±


    ¡°Are you really not tired, or trying to avoid me deliberately?¡± David saw through her immediately. He


    bent down and picked Rachel Grey up bridal style. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t do anything else tonight.¡±


    Ever since she realized that ¡®onest time¡¯ meant nothing to David, Rachel no longer believed every


    word he said.


    Seeing that she was struggling to escape, David¡¯s expression became more serious. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Be


    careful not to hurt my wound.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel shot him a look that was filled with a mixture of amusement and resentment.


    A single message was evident in her eyes. ¡°Only now do you think about your wound!¡±


    David did not say anything. He merely walked towards their bedroom with Rachel in his arms.


    Half an hourter, Rachel wasying in David¡¯s arms again.


    Seeing that she was tossing and turning in bed, David thought she was worried about the incident with


    Georgia. Patiently, he exined, ¡°Georgia is not the legitimate daughter of the Walker family. Her


    mother was a concubine.¡±


    Rachel opened her eyes in surprise and looked at the manying so close to her.


    He was trying to reassure Rachel that she did not need to worry about facing Landon or even the


    Walker family because of her punishment towards Georgia.


    The Walker family would never speak up for an illegitimate daughter born to a concubine.


    Besides, Landon was a fair judge of most situations and could separate right from wrong. He knew


    what he had to do.


    Thus, David did not worry that Landon would be biased toward his sister in any way.


    ¡°What era are we in now? There¡¯s still a distinction between legitimate children and children of


    concubines?¡± Rachel could not help but chuckle. ¡°Does the Landon family still practice the tradition of


    taking several concubines?¡±


    It was a casual joke, but when Rachel saw the grim smile on David¡¯s face, the grin on her face couldn¡¯t


    help but fade a little. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. They still do that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the Landon family. The other families also follow that tradition,¡± David said. ¡°Aureliana has


    a small poption, and each family is involved in many industries. Therefore, having several wives is


    still allowed here. Why do you think thepetition for the sessor¡¯s position is so strong in every


    family? It¡¯s because so many children are involved.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel could not help but pout. She poked his chest hard with her fingertips and


    comined in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s just an excuse for you men to satisfy your selfish desires.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tar all of us with the same brush.¡± David took her hand and pulled her into his arms. He held her


    slender waist tightly. ¡°They are them, and I am me.¡±


    Despite understanding his words, Rachel pretended not to. She raised her eyebrows slightly and asked


    provokingly, ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So, the position of the Jones family¡¯s mistress is reserved for you alone.¡±


    It was not because she was entitled to that position. However, nobody else deserved it but her.


    09.141


    She would have been entitled to it if the Jones family had chosen her for the role. Nheless, she


    was the only person who was worthy of it.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with a faint smile. ¡°David, I only agreed to your proposal. I don¡¯t belong to you


    yet.


    ¡°Once you agree to my proposal, you¡¯ll belong to me sooner orter.¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    With that, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips.


    The moment their lips touched, it was as if Pandora¡¯s blind box had been opened. Everything else


    happened naturally.


    Compared to the fiery atmosphere here, the mood was very different somewhere else. When Jennifer


    heard that Georgia had been expelled from the upper-ss circles, disbelief appeared on her face.


    Over the years, Georgia had managed to sneak into David¡¯s orbit by following Landon around like a


    shadow. It would be a lie to say that Jennifer wasn¡¯t jealous.


    However, her Clifford family upbringing meant reservedness was deeply engraved into her bones


    She knew that she was the future mistress of the Clifford family. Being jealous of another girl would not


    do, as it would only lower her status.


    Georgia had risen high above her station as a concubine¡¯s daughter to be a famous socialite in


    the top circles. This was due to Landon¡¯s support and David¡¯s willingness to ept her.


    Otherwise, with Georgia¡¯s background, she would never have qualified to enter the top social circles.


    Seeing Jennifer¡¯s silence, her confidant muttered, ¡°That¡¯s great. This circle is finally clean atst.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t stand how arrogantly Georgia behaved while socializing with those at the top of society.


    Even with the support of the Walker family¡¯s heir, she was still just a concubine¡¯s daughter.


    Previously, she had offended many people while riding on David¡¯s coattails. Now, it was time for her to


    suffer.


    Jennifer saw through her confidant¡¯s thoughts. She put down theb in her hand and casually yed


    with a strand of hair hanging down from her chest. ¡°Georgia¡¯s expulsion from these circles is both a


    punishment for her and a warning to others.¡± David was cautioning those hostile to Rachel that if they


    disrespected her, they would only end up like Georgia.


    When the confidant heard this, she pondered for a moment. ¡°But the head of the Jones family has a


    temper. Isn¡¯t this punishment a little too lightpared to his usual?¡±


    After all, Rachel was his beloved woman.


    Georgia¡¯s punishment for doing something as stupid as provoking Rachel should have been much


    worse than getting removed from her social circles.


    ¡°He had to give some respect to Landon.¡± Jennifer pushed a strand of beautiful hair behind her back


    and looked out the window at the crescent moon. ¡°Someone who can befriend David Jones cannot be


    a benevolent person. Just wait and see. Georgia will suffer in the future.¡±


    Beneath her calm tone, there was a hint of shocking coldness.


    ¡°Is Grandma asleep?¡± Jennifer looked at her confidant.


    The confidant frowned and replied respectfully, ¡°She¡¯s asleep.¡±


    Jennifer nodded. ¡°Send someone to investigate this woman called Rachel Grey. Remember to do it


    quietly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Grey.¡± After the confidant helped Jennifer settle into bed, she turned around and left.

 Chapter 743

    Chapter 743


    Chapter 743


    Chapter 743


    The next morning, Rachel said goodbye to ckhawk and set off for the


    airport.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    As the car drove out of the Peckham Pce, a white Bentley Continental rolled to a stop in front of


    them.


    Rachel looked up instinctively and spotted someone getting out of the front passenger seat.


    That person held a wooden box in his hand as he walked straight towards the car Rachel and David


    were in.


    Billy, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, looked at David as if asking a silent question.


    Seeing David nod slightly, he gestured for his subordinates to let the man approach.


    As the person walked closer, Rachel finally realized she had seen him at the Davies family home.


    She lowered her car window, and the man walked up to her.


    He held the box with both hands and said respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey, my master Mr. Davies instructed me


    to hand this over to you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Rachel looked at the box in front of her and frowned. Her eyes were filled with curiosity.


    The man smiled and said in a politely reserved manner, ¡°Mr. Davies did not say anything to me. He


    merely instructed that this box must be handed over to you at all costs. Miss Grey, please inspect its


    contents after you


    leave.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes darkened with slight suspicion.


    Why did she have to wait until she left before opening it?


    Was there something unspeakable within this box?


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    12:561


    Chapter 743


    She thought for a moment and slowly reached out to take the box. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll take it. Help me pass on


    my good wishes to Mr. Davies.¡±


    ¡°No problem at all, Miss Grey,¡± the man replied. ¡°Mr. Davies also said that the both of you hit it off


    during your first meeting. The both of you will meet again in the future.¡±


    With that, the man left.


    Still sitting in the car, Rachel looked thoughtfully at the man¡¯s back as he left. Suddenly, her lips curled


    into an intriguing smile.


    Mr. Davies was a pretty interesting character too.


    He hardly spoke a word to her but kept giving her hints.


    Well, they weren¡¯t hints, to be exact. It would be more urate to describe his inexplicable behaviors


    as bait. That¡¯s right¨Che was trying to wear her down until she finally took the bait.


    The car set off again, this time driving straight to the airport uneventfully.


    Rachel followed Mr. Davies¡¯s instructions. Despite her intense curiosity, she held herself back from


    lifting the box¡¯s lid to inspect its contents.


    She looked at the shrinking city through the airne window and could not help but sigh deeply.


    She did not expect her first time in Aureliana to leave her with so many deep memories.


    Even more unexpectedly, her time in this city had left her with several unanswered questions.


    After a long flight, the ne arrived at the international airport smoothly.


    Eddie had been waiting for them in front of his Rolls¨CRoyce for a long while.


    Once he saw Rachel and David exiting the airport, he hurried over to greet them immediately. ¡°Sir, Miss


    Grey.¡±


    Rachel nodded at him. Just as she bent down and was about to get into the car, she paused and said


    to Eddie, ¡°Take me to Grand Central Law Firm


    2/7


    47


    immediately¡±


    That was thew firm where her uncle Adrian worked.


    There was something she had to ask him.


    After more than an hour, the car finally stopped in front of Grand Central Law Firm.


    David Jones pressed the back of her head against his palm and pecked her lips lightly. There was a


    hint of gentleness in the depths of his deep eyes. ¡°Remember to call me if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Rachel smiled and kissed the corner of his lips. She opened the car door and got out.


    After watching Rachel leave, David retracted his gaze and returned to his usual cold and indifferent


    expression. ¡°Well? Spit it out.¡±


    Hearing this, Eddie finally revealed the information he had been hiding so far. ¡°Someone has been


    investigating Miss Grey recently.¡±


    He paused and looked at the expression on David¡¯s face through the rearview mirror. Carefully, he


    continued, ¡°Also, the Johnson family has encountered some difficulties in their business recently.¡±


    He suspected the other party might have discovered something and was preparing to bring about the


    Johnson family¡¯s downfall.


    David¡¯s expression was as cold as a sheet of snow. He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze taking on a


    steely glint. ¡°No matter who it is, kill their determination immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Meanwhile, Rachel walked into thew firm. The young receptionist at the front desk asked politely,


    ¡°Hello, Miss, Who are you looking for?¡°.


    Rachel said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Adrian Johnson.¡±


    ¡°Qh,¡± the receptionist drawled. She looked at Rachel with a hint of


    contempt, and her attitude became even more disrespectful. ¡°Do you have


    Chapter 741


    an appointment?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Without an appointment, Mr. Johnson doesn¡¯t ept guests.¡± The smile on the receptionist¡¯s


    face was not as courteous as before. Instead, it looked much more perfunctory now.


    Rachel guessed the receptionist had mistaken her for one of Adrian¡¯s several ardent pursuers. ¡°Please


    help me call and tell him his niece is looking for him.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the receptionist sneered with disdain. ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t mean to be harsh, but at least


    come up with a better excuse. That one over there certainly did.¡±


    She nodded her chin in a certain direction, indicating for Rachel to look


    over.


    ¡°That woman tried to enter by pretending she was Mr. Johnson¡¯s fianc¨¦e. She has been waiting for


    over two hours.¡± As she spoke, the receptionist¡¯s eyes were fixed on her phone screen as she


    steadfastly refused to look at Rachel. ¡°Besides, do you even know who his niece is? How dare you


    impersonate her? Mr. Johnson will take you to task if he finds out.¡±


    Rachel narrowed her eyes and stared at the receptionist coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t know about him taking me to


    task, but I¡¯m sure today will be yourst day working here!¡±


    With that, she walked straight to the elevator.


    Seeing this, the receptionist quickly called for the security guards to stop her.


    Coincidentally, Adrian¡¯s assistant spotted Rachel and quickly went up to her. ¡°Miss Grey, what are you


    doing here?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Adrian?¡± Rachel asked, addressing her uncle by his name.


    Upon hearing this, the assistant subconsciously nced at the closed door of Adrian¡¯s office. Seeming


    to recall an important meeting happening


    inside, his mind short¨Ccircuited for a moment. ¡°Mr. Johnson, he¡­ he went


    4/7


    12:561


    Chapter 743


    out for something¡­¡±


    However, Rachel was able to make a vague guess about the situation from his momentary pause. She


    made a beeline for Adrian¡¯s office.


    ¡°Miss Grey¡­¡± The assistant quickly stopped her.


    He had just taken a step forward when Rachel suddenly turned around. ¡°By the way, I just remembered


    something.¡°.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see the receptionist who received me just now ever again.¡±


    With that, she strode towards Adrian¡¯s office.


    However, when she walked in, she regretted her decision immediately.


    No wonder Adrian¡¯s assistant stopped her froming in previously.


    Why was her uncle, who had never been interested in women, pressing one onto the table and kissing


    her passionately?


    Moreover, if she was not mistaken, that woman seemed to be¡­ Jessica Tower?!


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Rachel coughed softly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a break first?¡±


    Upon hearing Rachel¡¯s voice, Adrian and Jessica¡¯s bodies stiffened.


    ¡°You, why did you suddenlye back?¡± Adrian slowly stood up. He pretended to be calm and raised


    his hand to prod the sses on the bridge. of his nose. He looked at Rachel awkwardly and did not


    forget to take off his suit jacket to protect Jessica¡¯s modesty.


    Rachel looked at Jessica, who was shielded by Adrian, and said meaningfully, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite sudden,


    isn¡¯t it?¡±

 Chapter 744

    Chapter 744


    Chapter 744


    Adrian, who had always been calm no matter what happened in front of him, panicked. when he saw


    Rachel¡¯s half-smile.


    He pursed his lips and nced at Jessica, who he had protected with his clothes. His words were filled


    with ttery. ¡°Rae-Rae, can I trouble you to leave for a while?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rachel nodded and took a deep look at Jessica, who was wrapped in his clothes. She stood


    up and walked out of the office.


    In the office, Jessica suddenly had the strength to push Adrian away. She threw his suit jacket on the


    ground as if she was venting her anger. ¡°Mr. Johnson, are you forcing me now?¡±


    Perhaps it was because it was difficult to breathe under the suit jacket, or perhaps it was because of


    other reasons, Jessica¡¯s fair cheeks were dyed with an alluring blush. Her pair of amorous eyes were


    curled into a perfect arc, and every frown and smile revealed an unknowing charm.


    Even though she was furious, she looked even more lively and moving.


    Adrian looked at her face and could not help but reach out to grab her chin. However, before his hand


    could touch Jessica, she pped it away mercilessly. Her red lips were like ice as she said coldly,


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    These three words reminded Adrian of how after the event ended, she bent down and got into a man¡¯s


    car. The man hugged her, but Jessica did not resist. Instead, she was exceptionallypliant.


    Now, he only wanted to touch her, but was rejected mercilessly.


    The suppressed anger in his chest was instantly ignited. ¡°If I can¡¯t touch you, can those disgusting


    perverts touch you? Jessica Tower, do you have any shame? You¡¯re maintaining a rtionship with


    me, but you¡¯re seeing someone else on the side. Why are you so cheap?¡± This was the first time


    Adrian had been swayed by jealousy and anger, so much so that he did not realize how hurtful the


    words were until they came out of his mouth.


    The man¡¯s tone was light, but every word was like a knife cutting into Jessica¡¯s heart. Every breath she


    took was heart-wrenching.


    She clenched her fists and stared at Adrian.


    Seeing her expression, Adrian felt as if his heart had been pierced by a needle.


    His lips quivered, and he subconsciously wanted to exin.


    Suddenly, Jessica chuckled and raised her hand to wipe away the saliva on her lips. She said


    unhurriedly, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m just that cheap. It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯ve just seen my true colors.¡±


    After saying that, Jessica pushed Adrian away forcefully. She bent down to pick up her bag and turned


    to leave without looking back.


    Watching her leave, Adrian subconsciously chased after her. However, when he thought of the scene


    of Jessica hugging other men, he forcefully suppressed the thought of chasing


    after her.


    Men should notpromise too much with women.


    Every time he gave in, she would push her luck. This time, he had to make her lower her head and


    admit her mistake!


    Thinking of this, Adrian snorted angrily, pulled the chair over, and sat down.


    Outside the office, Rachel had her back to the office and was looking out the window at the


    street.


    When she heard the door open behind her, she turned aroundzily. When she saw Jessica¡¯s swollen


    lips, she frowned imperceptibly.


    Her uncle did not know how to be gentle with women.


    ¡°I still have something to do. I¡¯ll leave first,¡± Jessica said and left without looking back. Seeing her


    leave, Rachel nced at the office again and caught Adrian cavesdropping at the door. Rachel¡¯s frown


    deepened. She did not understand what was going on with these two. She started to wonder if Adrian


    tried to force himself on Jessica.


    Thinking of this, Rachel¡¯s face became more serious. She took a deep breath and walked into the office


    with a straight face.


    As soon as Rachel entered the office, she questioned bluntly, ¡°When did Mr. Johnson, who is known as


    the perfect gentleman, learn to force himself on others?¡±


    Adrian was originally drinking a cup of coffee. When he heard this, he almost spat out the coffee in his


    mouth.


    Although he quickly swallowed it, he choked and coughed.


    The coffee in the cup sshed on his suit.


    He quickly put down the cup in his hand and wiped the coffee stains on his suit. He adjusted his


    breathing and said, ¡°Youngdy, how can you speak so rudely?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Johnson can force a little girl, but he won¡¯t allow anyone to criticize him?¡± Rachel leanedzily on


    the sofa with her arms crossed. She nced at Adrian with a faint smile.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Her


    gaze seemed to be saying, ¡°You dared to touch my folks. You should have thought that this day would


    come!¡±


    Adrian knew that Rachel had misunderstood, so he simply revealed his n. ¡°If nothing goes wrong,


    she¡¯ll be your aunt.¡±


    Rachel had never thought that her bestie would suddenly be her aunt.


    She found it hard to ept.


    However, Rachel was d that Adrian was going to take responsibility and marry Jessica, which meant


    he was not too bad after all.


    But, something still worried her.


    ¡°If nothing goes wrong?¡± Rachel repeated these words meaningfully. She raised her eyebrows slightly


    and the corners of her mouth curled into an intriguing smile. ¡°What if something did go wrong?¡±


    Hearing this, Adrian stopped wiping his clothes and fell into a short silence.


    He had never thought that something would go wrong.


    From the moment he fell in love, he decided to marry Jessica.


    If something indeed went wrong, he thought that thing must be that he was going to die.


    He raised his eyelids and stared deeply at Rachel for a moment. His thin lips parted slightly. ¡°Nothing


    will go wrong.¡±


    It was a short sentence, just a few words, but the words revealed his determination.


    Adrian pondered for a moment and threw the tissue from his hand into the trash can. He picked up the


    cup again. ¡°Why did you suddenlye back from Aureliana?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t n to stay there from the start,¡± Rachel said calmly. ¡°I came here to ask you something.¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, a look of understanding shed across Adrian¡¯s eyes. ¡°You want to


    ask about Olivia Cruise?¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not that nice.¡± Adrian sneered. He opened a drawer and took out a file. It was obvious


    that he was prepared.


    He handed it to Rachel. ¡°Take a look at this.¡±


    When Rachel reached out to take it, Adrian was not in a hurry to let go. Instead, he gripped the file


    tightly. ¡°I¡¯ve helped you so many times. Shouldn¡¯t you help me in return?¡±


    ¡°Adrian, aren¡¯t we families? You¡¯re talking like it¡¯s a trade!¡± Rachel smiled innocently. ¡°Blood is thicker


    than water. You should never ask something of your family when you help them, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    Adrian put on a fake smile. ¡°Blood is thicker than water. So I guess you must be willing to help me in


    case I end up as a lonely old man, right?¡±


    ¡°Adrian, have you ever heard of a saying?¡± Rachel said as she pried Adrian¡¯s fingers apart forcefully.


    ¡°Sisters before misters, so there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll betray my bestie for you!¡±

 Chapter 745

    Chapter 745


    Chapter 745


    Adrian Johnson snorted angrily. Tve doted on you for nothing all these years!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that.¡± Rachel sat back on the sofa. As she opened the file, she said, ¡°Jessica has always


    been cold on the outside but warm on the inside. She doesn¡¯t mean what she The more she shows that


    she doesn¡¯t care, the more she cares in her heart. If you stick to this rule, I guarantee that you will be


    able to get the beauty back.¡±


    says,


    Hearing this, a look of contemtion shed across Adrian¡¯s eyes under the sses. Meanwhile,


    Rachel was focused on reading the information that Adrian handed her.


    She skimmed through the contents and her red lips could not help but curl into a faint and cold smile.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve investigated thoroughly, why didn¡¯t you submit the investigation report to the court?¡±


    As long as this information was submitted, Rachel was certain that Olivia would spend the rest of her


    life in prison.


    Adrian took off his sses and wiped them slowly. ¡°The evidence we have can only prove that Olivia


    can¡¯t get pregnant, but we can¡¯t deny the existence of the child in her belly.


    Upon hearing this, Rachel frowned slightly. She ced the file on the table and pondered, ¡°This indeed


    doesn¡¯t add up. Logically speaking, since Olivia had been diagnosed by the doctor as infertile for life,


    how could she be pregnant? Even if a miracle really happened to her, how did the imprisoned Olivia get


    pregnant?¡±


    ¡°She is now pregnant. ording to the regtions, for those who have been sentenced to fixed-term


    imprisonment or detention and who are pregnant, they may be temporarily released on parole.¡±


    In the current situation, Adrian had no choice but tofort Rachel. ¡°Time can prove everything. After


    ten months of pregnancy, we will eventually know the answer.


    Once the child was born, Olivia could still be brought to justice.


    She could not possibly keep getting pregnant just to avoid punishment.


    Adrian said, ¡°Her mobility has been greatly restricted, so there¡¯s no need to worry too much.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel pursed her lips gently. ¡°I¡¯m not worried. I¡¯m just a little upset. She had many ways


    to punish Olivia, but she would never cross the line.


    It was precisely because of this that she could only watch as Olivia got away with it.


    Adrian seemed to have suddenly thought of something and chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it more interesting with her


    around?¡±


    Upon hearing this, a hint of interest appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    Adrian exined the Smith family¡¯s recent situation to Rachel in detail. ¡°Mr. Smith was hurriedly taken


    to the hospital a while ago and his health had been deteriorating rapidly. The members of the Smith


    family were afraid that if he passed away, their inheritance would be seized by the eldest son¡¯s family.


    They were all fighting with each other like roosters in a cockfight, especially after they found out that


    Olivia was pregnant and it was highly likely that the child would be the legitimate heir, Each one of them


    secretly hoped


    16:55


    for something bad to happen to the baby.


    ¡°So we don¡¯t have to keep an eye on it, and we don¡¯t need to take much effort too. We just have to wait


    and see.¡±


    No matter how members of the Smith family fought and how Olivia struggled, Adrian and Rachel would


    be the ones who had thestugh.


    ¡°By the way, do you want to go home for your birthday this year?¡± Adrian asked as he carefully


    observed the expression on Rache¡¯s face.


    The faint smile on Rachel¡¯s lips instantly disappeared. She lowered her eyes and fell silent for a few


    seconds before saying calmly. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Since her mother Sophia chose tomit suicide on her birthday, Rachel has never celebrated her


    birthday again.


    Because she did not know if she should celebrate her birthday or mourn for her mother.


    Seeing Rachel Grey¡¯s cold attitude, Adrian already had an answer in his mind.


    He gazed upon Rachel with a hesitant expression, the silence stretching on for what seemed like an


    eternity. Finally, he spoke with the utmost caution, ¡°Rae-Rae, she is who she is and you are who you


    are. Why burden yourself with guilt and self-me?¡±


    Rachel did not say anything. She just nced at the time on her phone. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll go back


    first.¡±


    Adrian could not say anything else. He looked at Rachel¡¯s back and did not forget to remind her, ¡°By


    the way, remember to go back and see Mr. Johnson.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    When Rachel walked out of Adrian¡¯s firm, she happened to bump into the receptionist who had been


    fired.


    When the receptionist saw Rachel, she vented all her grievances and resentment on the spot. ¡°Miss


    Grey, right? I know you¡¯re from a noble family and can ruin my job with a word, but please understand


    the suffering of the people at the bottom, okay? It¡¯s Mr. Johnson¡¯s order to refuse to meet guests


    without an appointment. If you feel humiliated, re up at Mr. Johnson, and don¡¯t implicate me!


    ¡°Just because I stopped you ording to the rules, you asked Mr. Johnson to fire me. Isn¡¯t that too


    domineering?!¡±


    She looked at Rachel with tears in her eyes, her words filled with resentment.


    Rachel¡¯s exquisite eyes turned cold. ¡°You keep using the rules and regtions as an excuse. Then I


    want to ask you, first, did you ask Mr. Johnson for instructions immediately after I exined my


    intentions? Second, did you call Mr. Johnson after I revealed my identity? Third, as a receptionist at the


    front desk, you have the obligation to receive everyone whoes to this firm, but you didn¡¯t!¡±


    Upon hearing Rachel¡¯s words, the expression on the receptionist¡¯s face kept changing, showing her


    inner turmoil.


    ¡°You¡¯ve belittled me time and time again, and as a receptionist, you didn¡¯t do your duty well. So I want


    to ask you, what reason does this firm have to continue hiring you?¡±


    From beginning to end, Rachel¡¯s tone was light and nonchnt. She maintained a faint


    smile on her face. There was no obvious aggression, but her words carried an aggressive


    aura.


    The receptionist was rendered speechless. Her eyes were filled with panic as she looked around at a


    loss.


    Seeing that no one was around to help, she pursed her lips and said with difficulty, ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m


    sorry. I know I was wrong. I really need this job.¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If you really need this job, you will never treat it the way you treated me before.¡± Rachel did not want to


    make things difficult for anyone, but she would not allow anyone to be rude to her.


    When she walked out of thew firm, she was slightly stunned to see Chris standing at the door.


    Before she could speak, Chris was the first to speak. ¡°Sir asked me to follow you in the future.¡±


    With that, he walked straight to the car, opened the door, and gestured for Rachel to get in. Rachel


    looked at Chris and raised her eyebrows slightly. There was a meaningful look in her


    eyes.


    Chris¡¯ submissive and obedient appearance did not seem like an act.


    However, Rachel could not help but wonder how David managed to make Chris so obedient and


    subservient in front of her.


    She walked down the steps and bent down to get into the car. She heard Chris ask, ¡°Miss Grey, are


    you going to the office or going back to the Johnson family?¡±


    ¡°Return to the Johnson family first,¡± Rachel said.


    It was not easy for her toe back. She had to visit her grandfather.


    She took a deep breath as if she was mentally preparing herself.

 Chapter 746

    Chapter 746


    hapter 746


    After the car stopped in front of the Johnson¡¯s Mansion, Chris turned to look at Rachel, who was sitting


    motionless in the back seat. Chris kindly reminded her, ¡°Miss Grey, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Rachel responded and turned to look at the imposing door of Johnson¡¯s Mansion. She took a deep


    breath, opened the door, and got out of the car.


    In the living room, the butler Mr. Chadwick was leading the other servants in cleaning.


    When he saw Rachel returning, he smiled so much that his eyes narrowed into a slit. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re


    back.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly. ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa?


    ¡°Mr. Johnson is in the garden,¡± said Mr. Chadwick.


    Upon hearing this, Rachel went to the kitchen and busied herself for a while before carrying a tray and


    walking through the living room, along the corridor, and towards the garden.


    At this moment, Old Mr. Johnson was listening to a little tune while ying with his pet bird, a Major


    Mitchell¡¯s cockatoo perched on a stand.


    Rachel had found the cockatoo to help Old Mr. Johnson pass the time, and it had been keeping him


    company for almost a decade now.


    As if hearing footsteps behind him, Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s movements with the bird paused for a moment.


    In the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal, and he let out a faint sigh. ¡°Eagle, our rtionship


    is still strong. Unlike some heartless people who refuse to even make a phone call for so many days.¡±


    Rachel lowered her eyes in embarrassment.


    She knew that Old Mr. Johnson was actually talking about her.


    She cleared her throat and smiled. ¡°Grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back.¡± Old Mr. Johnson suddenly turned around and his face lit up with a smile. It was a far


    cry from the grumbling old man he had been just moments before when he deliberately embarrassed


    Rachel.


    Rachel walked forward and handed a coffee to Old Mr. Johnson. ¡°Try it.¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson sat on the rattan chair and reached out to take the


    cup. He looked Rachel up and down. ¡°Why do I feel that you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight after going out?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Rachel reached out to touch his face and casually made up an excuse. ¡°Maybe because I


    don¡¯t like those foods there.¡±


    Chapter 746


    She could not say that it was because she had not slept well for the past few days,


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Johnson sighed deeply. ¡°Rae¨CRae, it¡¯s not that I want to criticize you, but why do


    you always work so hard? Even if thepany doesn¡¯t have you. it will still operate. Instead of working


    so hard, it¡¯s better to stay at home and keep mepany. The Johnson family doesn¡¯tck money. It¡¯s


    more than enough to support you!¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, sometimes working hard isn¡¯t all about earning money.¡± Rachel held Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s arm


    and leaned on his shoulder obediently. ¡°Everyone is born with responsibilities and missions. Even if I


    don¡¯t work hard, I will use other ways to realize my value in life. Working hard to earn money is just one


    of the ways to fulfill it.¡±


    When Old Mr. Johnson heard this, he smiled helplessly and said, ¡°You always have so many reasons.¡±


    The two of them leaned against the rattan chair and looked at the sun in the distance until sunset.


    In the evening, Tom¡¯s family came back for dinner with Adrian.


    At the dining table, Lucas was like a shrimp peeler and had ced all the peeled shrimp in front of


    Rachel. He said, ¡°Hurry up and eat. After you finish eating, I will take you out to y.¡±


    ¡°ying, ying, ying! All you ever think about is ying!¡± Eleanor scolded as she kicked Lucas


    with her foot. Her eyes were full of warning. ¡°Rae¨CRae has worked so hard for so long, why won¡¯t you


    let her rest? Taking her out to y at thiste hour is not safe for a young girl like her.¡±


    Lucas pursed his lips and muttered in a low voice, ¡°Have you forgotten who your child is?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all my children,¡± Eleanor said as she handed the bowl of chicken soup to Rachel. ¡°Rae¨CRae,


    quickly try this. I¡¯ve stewed this chicken soup for more than three hours. There¡¯s also a lot of nourishing


    good stuff inside.¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Thank you, Eleanor.¡±


    As everyone ate and chatted, they brought up the topic of the previous generation studying abroad.


    Rachel suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Eleanor, I remember you saying that you were


    ssmates with my mother and did the overseas study. procedures together. Where did you go?¡±


    Eleanor blurted out, ¡°Ausmania.¡±


    Rachel stirred the chicken soup with a spoon and smiled. ¡°So it¡¯s Ausmania. I thought it was Ombrica.¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Johnson and Tom looked at each other secretly.


    Chapter 746


    Tom frowned and said, ¡°Why? Do you want to study abroad?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t n to,¡± Rachel said. ¡°I just happened to see a photo of my mother on this business trip.


    Although the photo is very vague, I guess it should be her.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out the phone and found the photo that Vulture had given her and handed it to


    Tom.


    When Tom saw the photo, he frowned slightly. ¡°They do look a little simr, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s her.¡±


    As he spoke, he handed the photo to Old Mr. Johnson.


    Old Mr. Johnson also thought they just looked a bit simr.


    Rachel took the phone back and said nothing.


    She had observed very carefully just now. Old Mr. Johnson and Tom had some inexplicable resistance


    towards this photo.


    Or rather, the photo made them think of someone else or something. That was why they tried to deny


    the photo.


    It seemed that solving this mystery was not as simple as she had imagined.


    After dinner, Rachel and Lucas went to the gaming room to y games.


    ¡°Where did you get that photo?¡± After ending a game, Lucas picked up a bottle of beer, opened it, and


    handed it to Rachel.


    Rachel took the beer. ¡°Do you think the person in the photo is my mother?¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Lucas asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the expression on my father¡¯s face? He¡¯s clearly lying


    through his teeth.¡±


    Rachel did not say anything, but she agreed very much.


    However, she could not understand what Old Mr. Johnson and Tom were hiding.


    ¡°Actually, I suspect¡­¡± She pondered for a moment and slowly said, ¡°My mother went to Aureliana.¡±


    Hearing this, Lucas was stunned. He immediately denied it. ¡°How is that possible? Aureliana has a


    strict system. Unless you ept an invitation and are allowed to -enter the territory, it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Otherwise, Aureliana would not have been known as ¡°mysterious¡± all these years.


    ¡°This is exactly what I can¡¯t figure out.¡± Rachel drank the beer in frustration. ¡°Forget it, I won¡¯t think


    about it anymore.¡±


    With that, she stood up and left.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Lucas asked subconsciously.


    Chapter 745


    Rachel looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°Going back to sleep, of course.¡±


    She wanted to sleep soundly tonight.


    After she returned to her room to wash up, shey on the bed.


    Her body was clearly very tired and her brain was dizzy, but she could not fall asleep on the bed.


    She knew that she missed someone¡¯s embrace,


    Rachel turned over and faced the ceiling above her head with a faint sigh.


    ¡°Habit is a dreadful thing, she thought to herself.


    She had only spent a few days with him, yet she had be so dependent on


    him.


    As she was thinking, her phone on the table suddenly vibrated.

 Chapter 747

    Chapter 747


    Chapter 747


    Rachel turned around and picked up her phone. The corners of her lips curled up involuntarily when


    she saw David¡¯s message.


    She looked at David¡¯s profile picture in a daze.


    She remembered that David¡¯s original profile picture on WhatsApp was pitch-ck, with nothing able to


    be seen.


    However, a small dot of light appeared in the darkness at some point.


    Although the speck of light was small and unremarkable, it was the most attention-grabbing thing in the


    darkness.


    At this moment, her phone vibrated again.


    It was a message from Mary Green.


    The smile on Rachel¡¯s lips faded a little when she saw the short blessing Mary sent, but she replied to


    her ordingly.


    Then, she opened her chat with David and slowly typed a reply.


    David called as soon as she sent out the message.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± The man¡¯s deep and maic voice slowly traveled from the phone to


    Rachel¡¯s ears.


    The man¡¯s voice was low and maic, making Rachel¡¯s ears itch.


    She raised her hand to dig her ears and turned over to lie on the bed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same, being


    awake thiste?¡±


    There was a hint of fatigue in her voice.


    ¡°I was missing you,¡± David suddenly said.


    Rachel was stunned for a moment, and the smile on her lips grew


    wider. ¡°Me too.¡±


    Previously, she had not felt bored of David when they were stuck


    together all day in Aureliana. Instead, spending time together became a


    habit.


    Because of this, she felt off staying with the Johnson family tonight.


    David, who was sitting in his car, heard her words and a faint smile appeared in the depths of his eyes.


    He turned to look out of the window. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to see me if you miss me?¡±


    ¡°Ladies have to be reserved sometimes¡­¡±


    Before Rachel could finish her sentence, she heard David say, ¡°It¡¯s so


    cold outside Johnson¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    Rachel immediately got up from the bed when she heard that.


    She ran barefoot to the window, but she realized that the bedroom was


    miles away from the manor¡¯s door. She could not see anything at all.


    ¡°Wait for me.¡± Rachel hung up the phone and ran into her walk-in wardrobe to change before leaving in


    a hurry.


    She deliberately slowed down when she passed by Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s study. She tiptoed like a cat that


    had just done something bad behind


    its master¡¯s back.


    Rachel only heaved a deep sigh of relief when she reached the bottom of the stairs.


    She thought that she would be unnoticed. However, little did she know, Old Mr. Johnson had expected


    all of this.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    He had expected this oue from the moment he learned that David had appeared outside


    Johnson¡¯s Mansion.


    Old Mr. Johnson looked at the game of chess in front of him. Then, he carefully ced a chess piece


    down. ¡°Look, isn¡¯t this beyond your expectations?¡±


    Hearing this, Tom, who was sitting opposite him, frowned slightly.


    The chessboard was a battle of ck and white chess pieces. The game state was still unpredictable,


    but there were already signs of who was going to win.


    The ck pieces were in a good situation. They could extinguish any chance of the white king¡¯s


    survival with one move.


    However, Old Mr. Johnson let go of the opportunity to take the white king.


    There was aplicated flicker in Tom¡¯s eyes. His expression was dark as he looked up deeply at Old


    Mr. Johnson. He said meaningfully, ¡°Father, you¡¯re soft-hearted after all.¡±


    ¡°This game of chess has already been decided. It has long exceeded our control.¡± Old Mr. Johnson


    slowly stood up and walked to the window. He looked at the night scene outside the window. ¡°Perhaps


    it has been predetermined by fate. All our hard work over the years has


    been in vain.¡±


    Tom stood up and walked to Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s side when he heard this. ¡°Father, the oue has yet


    to be determined. Anything is possible. It¡¯s still too early to conclude.¡±


    ¡°Although we have both interfered in this game, the oue of this. game is no longer up to us to


    decide.¡± Old Mr. Johnson frowned slightly. His deep voice was low and hoarse. ¡°Moreover, we¡¯ve


    already be pawns in the game. How can we control its oue?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re giving up, Father?¡± Tom looked at Old Mr. Johnson with a sharp glint in his eyes.


    Old Mr. Johnson stared at him for a moment and sighed softly. ¡°How could I bear to?¡±


    Otherwise, he would not have let go of thest chance to strangle the white king just now.


    ¡°It would be best if this situation can be settled. Otherwise¡­¡± Tom


    paused for a moment, and a sharp cold light shone in the depths of his eyes. ¡°Then, we will turn this


    situation around!¡±


    At most, he would fight to the death. In short, he could not watch helplessly as Rachel went all the way.


    Seeing how persistent his eldest son was, Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s eyes revealed a gratified smile.


    To be honest, all these years, he had been worried that Rachel would suffer and not have any


    protection after he died.


    He finally felt more at ease now that he saw Tom¡¯s attitude.


    He took a deep breath and did not speak. He just looked into the distance.


    Rachel walked out of Johnson¡¯s Mansion and immediately saw David standing under the streetmp.


    The man was wearing a ck suit. The warm light shone on him, warming up his sharp and terrifying


    aura.


    His exquisite and well-defined facial features looked even deeper half-submerged in light.


    He had one hand in his pocket and was making a call with his back facing Rachel.


    Sensing that a figure had suddenly appeared around him, the corners of his lips could not help but curl


    into a faint smile.


    He turned around and saw Rachel. A cold glint shed across his eyes. He immediately had a gentle


    smile in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hang up first.¡±


    After saying that, he hung up the phone and extended his hand toward Rachel.


    Rachel quickly walked over and ced her hand in his palm.


    The next second, David tightened his grip and pulled her into his arms.


    Rachel leaned in his arms and greedily sniffed the unique woody fragrance on his body. She could not


    help but smile. ¡°When did youe over?¡±


    ¡°When I sent you the first message.¡± David lifted Rache¡¯s chin with his well-defined fingers, leaned


    over, and pecked her lips. ¡°Do you want to get supper?¡±


    ¡°What are we eating?¡±


    ¡°How about barbeque?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    It waste at night in midsummer. It was a good time for barbeque.


    At the food stall.


    Thete night did not affect people¡¯s enthusiasm for barbeque. The boss was busy.


    However, the people at the stall would asionally look at the group of people at the table in the


    corner.


    The aura of the person sitting at the table was really unique.


    The man sat on the stool in a suit and leather shoes. Not only did he


    not look out of ce, but he also had an intimidating aura. People did not dare to offend him easily.


    Although the woman was dressed simply, she also looked extremely eye-catching. Every move she


    made exuded a noble aura that could not be ignored.


    It was obvious that she was some daughter from a rich family who hade out to experience what


    the masses ate.


    ¡°Where did this big shote from? Why haven¡¯t I seen him before?¡±


    ¡°As expected, birds of the same feather flock together. Good-looking people will only hang out with


    other good-looking people.¡±


    ¡°Oh Lord, there are so many rich and beautiful people in the world. Why can¡¯t I be one of them?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the watch on that man¡¯s wrist is worth more than 200,000 dors!¡±


    ¡°No wonder he¡¯s so eye-catching. It turns out that he¡¯s filthy rich!¡±

 Chapter 748

    Chapter 748


    Chapter 748


    The men sitting on the stools felt a little aggrieved and even looked a littleical.


    ¡°Are we just going to sit here and eat? Aren¡¯t we going to have some beer?¡± Jimmy looked at the coffee


    and milk on the table and could not help but twitch his lips.


    Mary took a bottle of milk and twisted the lid open. ¡°Who said we have to have a beer with barbeque?¡±


    David did not say anything. He chose a cup of warm milk among the drinks.


    ¡°Do you have a problem?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and nced at Jimmy.


    Jimmy immediately corrected himself. ¡°Alright, alright, of course.¡±


    ¡°Come, since you can¡¯t keep your mouth shut, why don¡¯t you do some work?¡± Landon said as he


    handed the skewers that the boss had just served to Jimmy.


    Jimmy rolled up his sleeves and roasted a skewer over the small furnace.


    ¡°David, we won¡¯t be leaving anytime soon, right?¡± Jimmy handed the pork skewers to Mary and


    gestured for her to try them.


    Mary was stunned for a moment and quickly reached out to take it.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± David replied indifferently. He handed Rachel the bottle of coffee that he had ced a straw


    into. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we targeting the plots ofnd around South Valley?¡± Jimmy asked calmly.


    Hearing this, a dark look shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    However, there was no expression on her face. She just continued with her food.


    South Valley had always been the Smith family¡¯s market. Moreover, the


    Smith family¡¯stest bid was also at South Valley. Wouldn¡¯t Jimmy


    interfering with South Valley at this time make them the obvious bad guys?


    David raised his eyes and looked at him meaningfully. ¡°Are you also nning to enter the Seaxas


    market?¡±


    Seaxas had been developing steadily over the years and had a stable economy. It was indeed a good


    ce to build a business.


    ¡°That would depend on whether the richest family in Seaxas, the Johnson family, is willing to let us in.¡±


    Jimmy was still smiling cheekily, but his gaze was clear. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m the only person represented by


    the business this time. There¡¯s no other meaning to it.¡±


    In other words, not only would he not sway the Johnson family¡¯s position as the richest family in


    Seaxas, but he would also support the Johnson family from behind.


    Rachel lowered her gaze to hide the expression in her eyes.


    The Johnson family had upied the position of the richest family in Seaxas for many years, which


    means that it was not something others could snatch from them overnight. However, the interference of


    Aureliana¡¯s Shain family would definitely affect the Johnson family.


    It was like how Marina had relied on the influence of the Jones family to fool others into taking sides


    and how she had coveted the Johnson family¡¯s position as the richest family in Seaxas.


    What Jimmy said just now was both a promise to David and a statement to Rachel.


    The seemingly frivolous Jimmy was always able to see through the core of the matter at a nce and


    immediately make a smart choice.


    Though, that was natural. How could he, as the next head of the Shain family, be a yboy who only


    knew how to indulge in pleasure?


    ¡°The Smith family is already bidding for South Valley¡¯snd. It¡¯s very likely that they intend to use it for


    their development in the future. Are you sure you want to snatch it from them?¡± David¡¯s dark eyes were


    like a bottomless


    coldke, making it difficult to see through his true thoughts. ¡°Real estate investment is not a small


    industry. Once the property is developed, it will definitely attract the attention of many parties.¡±


    He was afraid that the other members of the Shain family would not let the matter rest and would take


    the opportunity to fight for a piece of the pie when the time came.


    ¡°How could a cultured person like me do such a thing?¡± Jimmy slowly folded a piece of bread and


    dipped it in seasoning. Then, he picked up a skewer from the pit and ced the meat in the bread.


    ¡°Naturally, I¡¯ll try to convince them, logically or otherwise.¡±


    He ced the meat-filled bread he prepared on Mary¡¯s te and said unhurriedly, ¡°With the Smith


    family¡¯s qualifications, they might not be able to fulfill their promise in a short period. Who knows what


    kind of trouble will happen in the future? Anyone with a brain will know who to choose, right? The Smith


    family has done so many unpresentable things before. Everyone remembers what they have done.


    This time, someone has deliberately offered me the South Valley project. I have to show them the due


    respect, right?


    ¡°Also, Rachel will be able to freely enter South Valley in the future if I manage to develop the plot of


    land. Isn¡¯t that equivalent to benefitting yourself?¡±


    Hearing this, David did not say anything else. It was obvious that he agreed with what Jimmy said.


    ¡°The Smith family is determined to get their hands on South Valley,¡± David said.


    Rachel had begun to snatch the Smith family¡¯s developmental projects in the east of the city after she


    left the Smith family.


    The Smith familypeting for South Valley this time was nothing more than them shifting their


    development to the south.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Jimmy smiled. ¡°What a coincidence. Me too.¡±


    In the end, the better party would win.


    Rachel did not say much and just listened quietly.


    Who would have thought that a project worth millions of dors would be negotiated in a roadside stall?


    However, she wondered what would happen if the Smith family really lost the South Valley project this


    time.


    Mary looked at the dazed Rachel and kicked her with the tip of her foot. ¡°Do you want to go to the


    washroom?¡±


    Rachel came back to her senses and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    When the two of them got up and left, Jimmy stared at Rachel¡¯s back and said thoughtfully, ¡°I didn¡¯t


    drink any alcohol today, but why do I feel that Rachel has be different from before?¡±


    Landon kicked him. ¡°Stop talking!¡±


    ¡°Landon, look¡­¡± Jimmy turned around and met David¡¯s calm gaze.


    He felt a chill run from the back of his head down his spine and could not help but gasp.


    He smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Come,e,e. Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    After dinner, the group parted ways at the barbeque stall.


    Rachel leanedzily on David¡¯s shoulders and fell asleep after she got into the car.


    ¡°Sleep well.¡± David wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his head to kiss her forehead.


    Rachel was really exhausted.


    When she opened her eyes again, it was already nine in the morning.


    After changing her clothes, she got up and went downstairs to eat.


    She looked around but did not see David.


    Mrs. Brown¡¯s eyes hid a smile as she exined, ¡°Mr. Jones went out this


    morning because he had something on. He specially instructed us not to wake you up.¡±


    Rachel nodded and continued sipping her soup.


    At this moment, a text message suddenly popped up on her phone.


    Rache¡¯s eyes shed with cold hostility when she saw that the message was from Hans Grey.


    The message basically said that today was her mother¡¯s death anniversary and that he wanted to visit


    her to pay his respects.


    Rachel¡¯s red lips curled into a mocking smile. She thought, ¡°He sure knows how to shed crocodile


    tears.¡±


    She quickly ate, tidied up, and left the house.


    ¡°I have a private matter to attend to. You don¡¯t have to follow me.¡± Rachel nced at Chris before


    bending over and getting into the car.


    Chris hesitated for a moment and finally decided to follow her from afar.

 Chapter 750

    Chapter 750


    Chapter 750


    After leaving the cemetery, Rachel drove toward the Johnson Corporation.


    Her assistant, Linda, gave her a report on the month¡¯s work.


    Immediately after, Rachel organized a meeting.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Time seemed to go faster as she busied herself. In the blink of an eye, the sun was about to set.


    Rachel returned to her office and raised her hand to pinch her slightly swollen forehead.


    She got up and made herself a cup of coffee. Then, she turned around and walked to the floor-to-


    ceiling window.


    As night fell, the colorful neon lights of the city gradually lit up, making her figure look more deste


    and lonely.


    At this moment, Lucas pushed open the door and entered. He could not help butugh and tease when


    he saw Rachel sitting on a chair with a cup in her hands, ¡°Yo, you¡¯re drinking coffee.¡±


    Upon hearing his voice, the gloominess in Rachel¡¯s eyes faded a little. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I was worried a certain someone would cry, so I specially came to apany her.¡± As he spoke,


    Lucas took out a dozen bottles of beer.


    Rachel looked at the beer and various delicacies on the table and raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°You¡¯ve


    prepared everything.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Lucas unpacked the food himself, only allowing Rachel to -watch from the side. ¡°You¡¯re the


    little princess of the Johnson family. I have


    to dote on you.¡±


    Rachel grabbed two pillows from the sofa and used them as cushions.


    They ate lobster and drank beer.


    Lucas casually brought out topics to chat about. They talked about things


    that happened when he was young to when he was in school before he finally changed the topic to


    David.


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t agree with you being with David from the bottom of my heart.¡± Lucas could not


    help but tighten his grip on the beer can. His joints had turned faintly greenish-white. It was as if he was


    trying his best to not explode. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s the Johnson family or me. Everyone only wants


    you to be safe and happy.¡±


    Nowadays, the Johnson family did not need to rely on marriages with other families to advance further


    in society. All it needed was stability.


    It was the family¡¯s unspoken secret that it would leave all of its assets to Rachel.


    However, David¡¯s appearance was indeed an ident.


    ¡°But the heavens seem to have arranged everything. Not only are the two of you together, but you also


    have a marriage engagement with him that no one knows about.¡± At this point, he could not help but


    chuckle. ¡°The old man and my father are really tight-lipped. They actually hid it well all these years. If it


    weren¡¯t for David, I¡¯m afraid all of us would have been kept in the dark for the rest of our lives.¡±


    Rachel raised her head and gulped down the remaining beer in the can. She said meaningfully, ¡°That¡¯s


    true for anyone, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Originally, she only wanted to figure out the origins of her engagement with David. Unexpectedly, not


    only did she not figure it out, but she was also trapped by other problems.


    ¡°Do you want to go for a spin?¡± Lucas looked at Rachel.


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°We¡¯ve both been drinking.¡±


    ¡°Can we at least go to the Entertainment Center to do a fewps on the go-karts?¡± Lucas said. He


    stood up and picked up his coat on the sofa with one hand. At the same time, he extended a hand to


    Rachel.


    Rachel ced her hand in his palm and was pulled up by him.


    When the two of them walked out of thepany, Chris suddenly walked


    forward. ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Seeing Chris appear, Rachel subconsciously looked around.


    She did not find the ck Rolls-Royce after looking around. An imperceptible darkness shed in the


    depths of her eyes. ¡°Only you?¡±


    Chris nodded. ¡°Mr. Jones has something on and can¡¯t leave for the time being. He specially asked me


    toe and pick you up.¡±


    ¡°But I¡­¡± Rachel nced at Lucas.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lucas saw through her hesitation and slung his jacket over his shoulder. ¡°I was just here to


    relieve your boredom. I won¡¯t get involved since there¡¯s someone apanying you.¡±


    With that, he waved at Rachel and turned to leave.


    ¡°Then be careful on the road,¡± said Rachel.


    Lucas did not even turn around. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Rachel followed Chris into the car after she saw Lucas get into his car.


    However, she did not know that Lucas was not in a hurry to leave after getting into the car. Instead, he


    sat quietly in the car and smoked.


    The little girl who had been pestering him in the past had grown up in the blink of an eye.


    He would spend every year at this time with Rachel, but it seemed like he was no longer needed.


    He felt quite upset.


    On the other side, Rachel sat in the car and looked at the scenery outside the window. She asked


    casually, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Chris nced at her through the rearview mirror. ¡°Mr. Jones is at the Entertainment Center.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly.


    She thought, ¡°Does this count as telepathy?¡±


    She had originally nned to go with Lucas.


    Thirty minutester, the car stopped at the entrance of the Entertainment Center.


    Rachel opened the door and got out of the car. She followed the staff into the facility and went all the


    way to the shooting range.


    The venue was brightly lit. She immediately saw David sitting on the sofa in the resting area.


    The man was dressed in a ck suit as usual. He crossed his legs elegantly. The light shone on his


    well-defined face, making his facial features look even more defined.


    Rachel looked around and realized that there was no one else here other than them.


    As she was in thought, David stood up and walked toward Rachel with his slender legs. He could


    vaguely smell the beer on her body and frowned slightly. ¡°Have you been drinking?¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Had some beer with Lucas.¡±


    She looked past David to the shooting area behind him. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to y a few rounds?¡± David looked at her with a faint smile on his thin lips.


    Rachel looked up with a hint of interest in her eyes. ¡°How do you want to y?¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± David¡¯s tone was indulgent.


    Rachel pondered for a moment. ¡°Two wins out of three. If you lose, how about you give me the Leonard


    DeAngelo painting from the study?¡±


    David raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled intriguingly. ¡°What if you lose?¡±


    Rachel blinked. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡±


    With this bet, Rachel¡¯s casual attitude turned more serious than before. It was as if she was determined


    to get what David had in his study.


    She loaded the gun and fired. Her series of actions was like flowing water. It was as if she had the


    muscle memory deeply ingrained in her and her brain did not have to give many instructions. All of her


    actions felt instinctive.


    Chris, who was standing at the side, could not help but feel puzzled. She thought, ¡°Isn¡¯t Miss Grey the


    eldest daughter of the Johnson family?


    ¡°Why is she so good with a gun?¡±


    However, what Rachel did next left Chris dumbfounded.


    Rachel¡¯s shooting hadpletely exceeded Chris¡¯s expectations. It was even better than David¡¯s.


    After a round of shooting, Rachel had surprisingly scored the same number of points as David.


    This result somewhat surprised David.


    Initially, he had nned to go easy on her to coax her. Now, it seemed that his worries were


    unnecessary.

 Chapter 751

    Chapter 751


    Chapter 751


    Soon, the three rounds of shooting ended, and Rachel won with a slight advantage.


    She took off her ear protectors and walked over to David. ¡°Mr. Jones, you¡¯ve lost.¡±


    The woman was in high spirits. Her exquisite eyebrows were slightly raised, and they were curved at


    the right angle, making her eye-catching face even more dazzling.


    David¡¯s gaze darkened. He took off his ear protectors and threw them on the table before walking


    toward Rachel.


    Rachel thought that she would receive apliment, but the man grabbed the back of her head,


    leaned over, and kissed her lips.


    Caught off guard, Rachel¡¯s eyes revealed a trace of panic. She subconsciously reached out and


    pushed his chest.


    The two of them had done many intimate things in private, but that was only in private. There was no


    audience present.


    Kissing passionately in front of others made Rachel feel a little awkward.


    However, David had wrapped his strong arms tightly around her waist, preventing her from breaking


    free.


    Compared to the domineering kisses in the past, this time, it was more gentle. It was as if he was


    comforting and pitying her.


    After the kiss, Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks were dyed with an unnatural blush.


    She grabbed David¡¯s shirt with both hands and buried her head in his chest, breathing heavily.


    After a long while, she sneakily raised her head and nced at David. At the same time, she wiped the


    saliva on her lips on his shirt.


    David noticed her small actions but did not stop her. Instead, he looked at her lovingly and said in a low


    and maic voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Chapter 751


    He could not hold it in just now and forgot that there was someone else


    beside him.


    ¡°Do you still want to y?¡± He gently rubbed his well-defined fingers against her cheek.


    Hearing this, Rachel could not help but raise her eyebrows. There was a trace of a smile at the corner


    of her eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of losing?¡±


    David looked at the stunning face in front of her. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he forcefully suppressed


    the restless thoughts in the depths of his heart. ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing to lose to you.¡±


    Rachel casually said, ¡°But there¡¯s only the two of us. It¡¯s a little boring if we just lose to each other.¡±


    It was more fun to have more people.


    David seemed to have seen through her thoughts. ¡°Why don¡¯t we call them over to y with you?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rachel happily agreed.


    Looking at David¡¯s indulgence, she could not help but feel a little strange.


    Why did she feel that David was trying to make her happy tonight?


    Did he know that today was her birthday?


    Thepetition suddenly became interesting with the addition of Billy, Chris, and Eddie.


    Hearing the gunshots, the memories of her time with the Red me Army surfaced in Rachel¡¯s mind.


    She gradually forgot the shroud around her heart.


    After the shooting ended, Rachel was still the final winner.


    ¡°Do you want to see fireworks?¡±


    ¡°Fireworks?¡± Rachel looked at him in surprise.


    She thought, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I hear anything about that before?¡±


    Chapter 751


    David pinched her chin with his thumb and index finger. He gently caressed her swollen lips with his


    fingers as he said. ¡°It was ast-minute decision. Are you interested?¡±


    Rachel did not want to waste David¡¯s good intentions. She hesitated for half a second before nodding


    and agreeing. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two of them walked hand in hand to the top floor.


    David gave Eddie a look. Thetter instantly understood and gave the order.


    The fireworks were lit at the set moment.


    Dazzling fireworks bloomed brilliantly in front of everyone¡¯s eyes for a moment. After leaving behind a


    moment of beauty, they dissipated like smoke, scattering with the wind.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    The fireworks showsted for 48 minutes. At 8:21 p.m., the show ended with a ¡°Happy Birthday¡±.


    Thest line of blessing was not signed by David, but by ¡°everyone who loves you¡±.


    The fireworks were fleeting, but it set off a wave of emotion in Rachel¡¯s heart. She could not calm down


    for the longest time.


    Rachel¡¯s throat felt like it was stuffed with a ball of cotton. She felt a tinge


    of sourness in her nose.


    It turned out that everything was not her imagination.


    David¡¯s actions tonight were indeed to make her happy.


    Not only because today was her birthday, but also because he knew that today was the anniversary of


    her mother¡¯s death.


    He chose to celebrate her birthday in this way, using ¡°everyone who loves you¡± to epass her


    mother¡¯s blessings.


    She stood rooted to the ground and did not speak for a long time. She just stood there and stared at


    the dark sky.


    Sensing that something was wrong with her mood, David frowned


    Chapter 751


    imperceptibly.


    He reached out and held Rachel¡¯s slightly cold fingertips. There was a rare trace of nervousness and


    worry in the depths of his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He thought, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that girls loved surprises?


    ¡°Why did Rachel have such a reaction?¡±


    Rachel looked down. The corners of her eyes were slightly red. After pondering for a long time, she


    slowly walked forward and leaned her head in David¡¯s arms. Her cold voice was a little low. ¡°Today is


    my birthday and the anniversary of my mother¡¯s death.¡±


    David gently caressed the top of her head with his palm. His deep and cold voice softened. ¡°I know.¡±


    Upon hearing this answer, Rachel could no longer control the tears in her


    eyes.


    She did not cry out loud, but she bit her lip and cried silently, like a sensible child who was afraid that


    her cries would bring trouble to the people.


    around her.


    However, this sensibility made one¡¯s heart ache.


    David did not say anything tofort her. He only caressed her back with his palm as if he was


    comforting her.


    After some time, Rachel stopped crying. She looked up at David and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±,


    David responded. His gaze could not help but turn cold when he saw her eyes, which had turned red


    and swollen from crying.


    He had wanted to create a surprise to make Rachel forget her unhappiness, but he did not expect to


    make her cry instead.


    The two of them left the top floor hand in hand without a word.


    When she walked into the elevator, she looked at the three people following behind her. ¡°You guys use


    the elevator next door.¡±


    Chapter 751


    She mercilessly closed the elevator door as she spoke.


    David looked at Rachel with a dark glint in his eyes. ¡°What are you trying to


    do?¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Rachel grabbed his tie and pulled him down. She held his cheek with


    her palm and kissed him.


    She reyed the scene of David kissing her again and again in her mind, trying to extract the essence


    from it.


    However, her initiative onlysted for a few seconds before David took over.


    However, for David, her initiative had already surpassed everything else.


    He picked Rachel up and pressed her against the wall of the elevator.


    The passionate kiss gradually burned away their rationality. The lust-filled atmosphere gradually


    exuded from the two of them and filled the narrow space in the elevator.


    The man¡¯s palmnded on her slender waist. She could vaguely feel the heat of his palm through the


    thin material of her clothes.


    Rachel ced her hands on his shoulders.


    When the elevator dinged, the nk look in Rachel¡¯s eyes instantly dissipated.

 Chapter 752

    Chapter 752


    Chapter 752


    Rachel pushed David away and walked out of the elevator with a calm expression.


    Unfortunately, her legs went limp and she staggered. Fortunately, David reacted quickly and hooked his


    arm around her waist.


    The warmth of the man¡¯s palmnded on her waist, making her feel as if she had been burned.


    Rachel looked at him.


    David¡¯s eyes were dark and deep, immersed in a desire that made one¡¯s heart skip a beat. He leaned


    in and said in a low and cold voice beside Rachel¡¯s ear, ¡°Why did you kiss me just now?¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    She pursed her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    David decided to follow through with his n even though he knew the answer. He simply shook his


    head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Rachel choked and red at him. ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t know.¡±


    With that, she shook off his hand and walked straight to the car.


    The corners of David¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He quickly chased after her and held her hand. ¡°I really


    don¡¯t know. Tell me about it.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to tell you.¡± Rachel¡¯s cheeks were still slightly flushed.


    She thought, ¡°How could I say such a thing?


    ¡°I can¡¯t possibly say that everything you did tonight touched me and I took the initiative to kiss you


    because I didn¡¯t know how to express my gratitude, can I?¡±


    She could not bear to say such words.


    Moreover, her pride did not allow her to say something like that.


    Chapter 752


    After returning to Sandalwood Hills, Rachel got out of the car first.


    At this moment, Chris walked over from the side. ¡°Miss Grey, this is what you left in the car.¡±


    It was the box that Ronnie had given her before.


    Rachel took the box and smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    David, who was following behind her, saw the box. There was a slight sh in his eyes, but he did not


    say anything.


    After the two of them walked into the living room, David took off his suit jacket. ¡°Do you want supper?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± From the corner of her eye, Rachel saw the box that was ced on the coffee table.


    It had been sent by Mr. Davies when he left Aureliana.


    She had first went to thew firm, then returned to the Johnson family, upon her return. She had yet to


    see what was inside.


    David saw through her intentions. He held her hand and walked to the coffee table. ¡°Do you want to


    have supper with me first before looking at the things inside?¡±


    Rachel hesitated for a moment before nodding.


    The two of them sat at the dining table. Rachel drank the soup in her bowl and realized that David did


    not eat much. Instead, she was the one who ate most of the food even though she said she didn¡¯t want


    supper.


    ¡°Why have you stopped eating?¡± Rachel looked at him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he say that he wanted to eat supper?¡± she thought.


    David looked at her and smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Eat more.¡±


    Rachel felt suspicious.


    Why did she have to eat more?


    Chapter 752


    She could not help but nce at David. Coincidentally, she saw the man¡¯s


    faint smile.


    His gaze was like a jackal staring at amb waiting to be ughtered, making Rachel¡¯s heart skip a


    beat. Then, she had a strange feeling.


    After eating, Rachel sat cross-legged on the sofa in the living room. There were snacks on the table


    that aided digestion.


    ¡°Did you open it and see what¡¯s inside?¡± Rachel rubbed the box. There were exquisite patterns carved


    on it. She liked it quite a bit.


    David smiled and said, ¡°I have no reason to open something meant for you.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Rachel lifted the lock and opened the box.


    What followed was the smell of ebony agarwood.


    The thing in the box was covered by a red cloth, but from its shape, it looked like a hairpin or something


    simr.


    She lifted the cloth. As expected.


    The phoenix on the royal hairpin was lifelike. Its feathers were decorated with various colors. It looked


    as magnificent as a hairpin used by an


    ancient empress.


    ¡°This hairpin¡­¡± Rachel frowned slightly, her eyes filled with contemtion.


    David looked at the dark expression on Rachel¡¯s face and asked, ¡°What did you see?¡±


    ¡°This hairpin has been made with the same purpose as the queen¡¯s crown that was auctioned off


    previously. It is a fake from a simr dynasty. Judging from how it was produced, this hairpin should


    belong in a set with the queen¡¯s crown.¡±


    In other words, they should havee from the same person and from the same ce.


    ¡°So you suspect that the queen¡¯s crown came from Aureliana?¡± David said Rachel¡¯s guess aloud.


    Chapto 757


    Hearing this, Rachel looked at him and nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Can we get Yann to follow


    this clue?¡±


    She had a feeling that Mr. Davies did not give her this hairpin as a gift.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    He was telling her directly that there must be a very important secret hidden in the queen¡¯s crown that


    she had bid for back then.


    This was especially so considering what Mr. Davies had said to her before.


    ¡°Life is like chess. Every move you make is predestined by the heavens, but it is also your own choice.


    Sometimes, you might not understand the move that you made, but you¡¯re already ying in the


    game.¡±


    Thinking of this, a hint of impatience appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    What was waiting for her?


    They had repeatedly thrown bait in front of her. Why did they want to pull


    her into this matter?


    David saw the unconceble impatience in Rachel¡¯s eyes. He pursed his thin lips slightly and reached


    out to touch the top of her head. ¡°Later, I¡¯ll instruct Yann to investigate. I¡¯ll get him to report to you


    immediately if there¡¯s any news.¡±


    Rachel sighed helplessly. ¡°That¡¯s all we can do now.¡±


    After putting away her things, she stood up. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll go back and rest first-¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, David grabbed her slender wrist and pulled her into his arms.


    She instinctively cried out in surprise, but David sealed her lips with his.


    The thick night sky, the dim lights, and the man¡¯s body temperature hinted at what was about to


    happen.


    Rachel¡¯s fingers curled up slightly, and her almond-shaped eyes were covered in ayer of wet mist. ¡°I-


    I¡­¡±


    All aspects of David from that night really shocked her, so much so that she


    Chapter 752


    had a premonition of what was going to happen next. She became even


    more uneasy.


    Sensing the woman¡¯s nervousness, David kissed her lips gently. ¡°I promise you won¡¯t let you cry this


    time.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he bent over and picked the woman up horizontally before walking


    straight to the bedroom.


    The next morning, Rachel opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling above in a daze.


    She couldn¡¯t remember what time she sleptst night. Thest thing she remembered was David


    saying st time¡±.


    ¡°Great, st time¡± again,¡± she thought.


    She had cried her voice hoarsest night, but David had no intention of letting her off.


    He was even more ferocious than the previous few times. He wanted to


    swallow her alive.


    Rachel felt the soreness in her waist and limbs. She could not help but


    curse in her heart.


    Indeed, men were the most deceptive.


    She would rather believe that the sun would rise from the west than


    whatever came out of a man¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 753

    Chapter 753


    Chapter 753


    Rachel turned around and met the man¡¯s dark eyes. The man had a


    satisfied smile on his face.


    The man was bare-chested with one hand on the side of his head. The silk nket slowly slid down


    and stacked around his waist. The V-line on his waist was faintly discernible. Compared to his usual


    cold and indifferent self, he lookedzier and more casual now.


    He was like azy lion. Even though he looked nonchnt at the moment, the powerful aura around


    him still made people not dare to offend him easily.


    He ced his palm on Rachel¡¯s waist and gently rubbed her soft flesh. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    She thought, ¡°Good?


    ¡°How am I ¡°good¡±?¡±


    She pursed her lips and said in a low and hoarse voice, ¡°Morning¡­¡±


    Rachel¡¯s expression crumbled when she felt that her voice was still hoarse.


    She thought, ¡°No, I have to set a rule for David tonight. I can¡¯t let him-


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Rachel looked at David who had suddenly pressed down on her. Her eyes were


    filled with vignce and alertness as she pushed him away in a hurry. ¡°I have to go to the office.¡±


    David looked at her sincerely. ¡°I¡¯ll just hug you for a while.¡±


    Rachel¡¯sensed the change in a certain body part of his. She felt her thighs be sorer and softer.


    She rejected him firmly, ¡°No, I¡¯m going to bete for work!¡±


    With that, she wrapped herself in the bedsheets and escaped in a hurry.


    Half an hourter, Rachel held onto the wall and supported her limp legs as she went to the dining


    room to eat.


    She took small bites of the sandwich and asionally nced at David with resentment in her eyes.


    She would never believe what he said again!


    He had said that it was going to be thest time, but he did it over and over again. He did not know how


    to control himself at all.


    As she was in thought, she noticed from the corner of her eye that Mrs. Brown was about to go upstairs


    to clean up. She quickly stopped her, but she choked on the food in her mouth and coughed


    repeatedly.


    David hurriedly handed over a cup of warm milk. ¡°Don¡¯t be so anxious.¡±


    After Rachel gulped the milk down, she took a deep breath and said again, ¡°Mrs. Brown, I¡¯ll clean up


    upstairs.¡±


    Mrs. Brown would probably provide the employees of Sandalwood Hills with new gossip if she saw how


    messy the room was.


    Mrs. Brown looked at her nervous expression and vaguely realized something. There was an


    ambiguous smile between her eyebrows. ¡°Understood, Miss Grey.¡±


    After quickly finishing her breakfast, Rachel went upstairs to clean the


    room.


    She held her breath when she saw what was in the trash can.


    Previously, she had really underestimated David¡¯sbat strength.


    She couldn¡¯t bear to watch!


    Rachel blushed and quickly packed up the things in the trash can.


    As she walked downstairs, she saw Mrs. Browning upstairs with a box. ¡°Miss Grey, is this yours?¡±


    It was the box that Ronnie had given her before.


    ¡°Give it to me.¡± As Rachel took the box, Mrs. Brown took the trash bag from


    her hand.


    Rachel opened the box in her hand as she walked downstairs.


    Inside the box was a piece of diamond.


    The diamond was of exceptional quality. It was clear and cut extremely well.


    There were many children carved onto the diamond as if to bless her with children and good health.


    Rachel curled her lips into a smile. She thought, ¡°Is he treating me as a child?¡±


    She didn¡¯t think too much about it. She just put away her things and prepared to leave.


    When they left for thepany, David offered to send Rachel over as usual.


    However, Rachel mercilessly rejected him.


    Looking at the woman¡¯s determined attitude and resolute back figure, David suddenly realized that he


    seemed to have lost all credibility with her.


    Was this considered reaping what one sowed?


    There was a helpless smile on his lips as he watched Rachel get into the car and leave.


    After Rachel arrived at thepany, she continued to work in an organized manner even though her


    body was tired.


    Sheid on the sofa and took a short nap during her afternoon break.


    She slept until a call from Mary came in.


    Rachel frowned slightly. She could not conceal the faint trace of frustration on her face.


    She reached out and fumbled around for a long time before finally picking up the phone on the coffee


    table. She swiped the screen with her fingertip and picked up the call.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, look at the news!¡± Mary¡¯s panicked voice entered Rachel¡¯s ears through the phone receiver.


    Rachel gradually came to her senses. She lifted the thin nket on her body and slowly sat up. ¡°What


    happened?¡±


    Without waiting for Mary to speak, Linda rushed in with a terrified expression. ¡°Ms. Grey, bad news!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± There was a thinyer of ice gathered in the depths of Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    Linda swallowed and suppressed the panic in her heart. She said in a hurry, ¡°The news just reported


    that Mr. Johnson has been taken away for investigation!¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    Mary, who was on the phone, said, ¡°The news said that your uncle is suspected of corruption and


    bribery. He¡¯s suspected of operating secret transactions worth hundreds of millions. He¡¯s currently


    suspended and taken away for investigation.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± After hanging up, Rachel quickly walked to theputer and opened a browser to search for


    the news.


    The Inte was filled with news about Tom Johnson being taken away for investigation.


    Tom had been in office for many years. He was an upright person and hated taking sides in wars


    between factions. The usations of corruption and bribery against him were definitely fabricated!


    Would Tom, a member of the richest family in Seaxas, need to take the money of others?


    Rachel¡¯s delicate face seemed to be covered with a thinyer of ice, and a sharp cold light flickered in


    the depths of her eyes.


    After quickly going through the news online, she stood up and walked out of the office.


    The news of Tom being suspended and taken away for investigation had spread like wildfire. Even the


    employees of herpany were discussing the matter.


    Linda, who was following Rachel, shouted coldly, ¡°Do you guys want to be fired? Chatting while at


    work!¡±


    Hearing this, everyone instantly dispersed like birds and returned to their posts.


    Rachel called Lucas directly after she got into her car.


    She went straight to the point and asked, ¡°Have you investigated the matter?¡±


    Lucas would definitely investigate this matter as soon as possible.


    Lucas was stunned for a moment. His tone could not hide his disappointment. ¡°My father said that the


    other party came prepared this time and warned us not to interfere¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Rachel sneered. ¡°You¡¯re not going to interfere just because he said


    so? Lucas, when did you be so obedient?¡±


    She did not hide her mockery and ridicule toward Lucas.


    Upon hearing this, Lucas, who was on the other end of the phone, snorted andughed. ¡°At least you


    have a conscience!¡±


    He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve investigated the personnel changes in the past three


    months and found that my father had gotten. three additional assistants three months ago. I¡¯m sending


    you their personal information now.¡±


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel received the information immediately after she hung up.


    There were three people. They were not locals and were all from poor families with clean backgrounds.


    However, one of them caught Rachel¡¯s attention.


    Though, she wasn¡¯tpletely sure yet.


    Hence, Rachel took out her phone and called Linda. ¡°Check if there¡¯s a person called Harold Durham


    among the poor university students funded by Johnson Corporation over the years.¡±

 Chapter 754

    Chapter 754


    Chapter 754


    Fifteen minutester, Linda sent Rachel a message.


    Not only did it contain Harold¡¯s basic information, but it also contained information about how he did at


    school.


    Harold¡¯s resume was very simple. He had excellent results in school and had been awarded


    schrships repeatedly. His teachers and ssmates had always praised him for his performance.


    After graduation, he sessfully joined a localpany in a relevant industry and performed well


    during his work. He was promoted and became Tom¡¯s right-hand man.


    The arrest report clearly stated that Harold had been promoted so frequently because of Tom¡¯s help


    and that Tom had secretly epted bribes from Harold.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a clear coldness flickered in them.


    She took out her phone and called Lucas. ¡°Can you find out where Harold Durham is?¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Lucas said.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Rachel took a deep breath and turned to look at the scenery outside the window.


    Now that Tom¡¯s incident had caused an uproar, it would probably cause quite a stir in Seaxas.


    Most importantly, Tom was currently suspended for investigation. There was going to be quite a


    commotion in the political circle.


    After hanging up, she called David. ¡°Let me use Billy.¡±


    Rachel drove quickly and finally arrived at the residential area where her uncle Tom lived.


    She felt a depressed atmosphere looming above him as soon as she entered. It looked like he was


    suffocating.


    In the living room, Eleanor was sitting on the sofa. Members of both the Page family and the Johnson


    family were gathered around her.


    Her uncle¡¯s confidant, John, was sitting in an inconspicuous position with a few other people in


    uniforms.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, why are you here?¡± Eleanor looked a little pale and haggard, but she forced herself to stay


    awake. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Look, there are many people at home today. They might not be


    able to take care of you for the time being. Why don¡¯t I get Lucas toe back and apany you?¡±


    Rachel did not say anything. She only looked at Eleanor¡¯s red and swollen eyes and frowned


    imperceptibly.


    She walked straight to the sofa and sat down. ¡°John, how is Tom?¡±


    John, who was Tom¡¯s able assistant, was also taken away for investigation the moment the incident


    happened. However, he was released after he was interrogated and they found nothing suspicious


    about him.


    He had just been released not long ago, and the information he could gather was notprehensive


    enough. ¡°The other party ims that the evidence is conclusive. I¡¯m afraid Mr. Johnson is doomed this


    time¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel instinctively looked at Eleanor.


    Her face turned pale and she gripped the armrest of the sofa tightly. ¡°What about his former


    colleagues?¡±


    How could no one intercede and plead for Tom for such a huge matter?


    ¡°People only care about their safety. How many people would dare to take the risk to vouch for Tom?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s cold voice had an unconceble coldness and mockery.


    Hearing this, everyone could not help but reveal a solemn expression.


    Currently, the entire department was trembling in fear. They wished they could immediately draw a


    clear line with Tom. They were afraid that they would be implicated, let alone take the initiative to plead


    for leniency.


    If Tom was convicted of his crime, those who were on good terms with him in the past might also be


    implicated.


    At this moment, Katy sneered. ¡°Pretentious!¡±


    Rachel did not say anything. She nced at Katy, her gaze sharp as a de.


    ¡°With the Johnson family¡¯s status and influence, Tom would not have to worry about food or clothing for


    the rest of his life. At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t have to rely on corruption to survive.¡± Rachel elegantly


    crossed her legs and ced her hands naturally on the armrests on both sides of the sofa. Every move


    she made exuded an aura that could not be ignored. ¡°Did they not check up on how powerful the


    Johnson family was before they began their investigation?¡±


    ¡°Our higher-ups naturally have enough evidence for this investigation. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have


    caused such a hugemotion on mere suspicion, right?¡± a person in uniform said.


    Rachel looked in the direction of the voice with a probing gaze.


    At this moment, John leaned over and whispered into Rachel¡¯s ear, ¡°That is Dn White. He has some


    private dealings with Mr. Johnson.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes shed with understanding. She curled her lips and smiled. ¡°Mr. White,


    since you have a private rtionship with Tom, you must understand and approve of his conduct. Isn¡¯t


    it too hasty to conclude that before the matter is investigated and the truth is revealed?¡±


    Rachel, being the eldest daughter of the richest family in Seaxas, was not an ordinary rich youngdy


    who only knew how to indulge in pleasure.


    Whether it was her speech or her bearing, she exuded an aura that was difficult to ignore.


    Dn narrowed his eyes and sized up Rachel from head to toe.


    After thinking for a while, he said calmly, ¡°Miss Grey, although that¡¯s the case, there are often things


    that are not as simple as what they look like on the surface. Even if we know Mr. Johnson¡¯s character,


    everything will be in


    vain without substantial evidence.


    ¡°The most important thing now is not how to help Mr. Johnson absolve himself from the crime, but to


    find substantial evidence and find out who was behind all of this and what their goal was!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth curled into a faint smile, but her eyes were filled with


    imperceptible coldness. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble everyone. The Johnson family will think of a way to


    find the evidence.¡±


    She paused for a moment and looked at John. ¡°John, see them out.¡±


    Dn and the others looked at each other. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they turned around


    and left without hesitation.


    After sending them off, John returned to Rachel¡¯s side.


    She looked up at the expression on John¡¯s face and slowly lowered her gaze. ¡°What did you see?¡±


    John¡¯s eyes were filled with faint mockery. ¡°We usually have a good personal rtionship, but now, we


    can¡¯t count on any of them.¡±


    ¡°Those heartless things usually wish that they could take one step at a time in getting acquainted with


    us, but now that something has happened, none of them are willing to help!¡± Eleanor¡¯s low and hoarse


    voice was a little choked up. She bit her lips and resisted the urge to cry.


    Rachel took a deep breath and said calmly, ¡°Since ancient times, it has always been every man for


    himself. Moreover, this is a matter of life and death. It¡¯s reasonable for them to choose to protect


    themselves.¡±


    There had never been any real friends in the world of fame and fortune.


    Everyone understood the logic. However, it was inevitable that they would take things too hard when


    the matter fell on their heads.


    ¡°Has that little bit of praise gone to your head? Why don¡¯t you weigh your own abilities? Do you really


    think you have the ability to turn the situation around?¡± Katy said matter-of-factly. ¡°If you¡¯re really that


    impressive, why are you still staying in the Johnson family? Just go into the world of politics and guide


    the country!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Charles scolded in a low voice.


    However, Katy looked fearless. She straightened her neck and said, ¡°I¡¯m not wrong. Didn¡¯t you hear


    what Tom¡¯s colleague said? The evidence is


    conclusive. Even if we want to reverse the case, we have to show evidence. It¡¯s not something that you


    can do just by talking!¡±

 Chapter 755

    Chapter 755


    Chapter 755


    Originally, the Page family was nning a marriage with the Summers family in Pollister.


    However, who would have thought that something would happen to Tom at this juncture? They had to


    temporarily put their marriage discussions on hold to avoid any other storms.


    Who knew if the Summers family would give up on the idea of a marriage between the families


    because of what happened to Tom?


    Thinking of this, the resentment in Katy¡¯s heart could not help but show on her face.


    ¡°Katy, I don¡¯t expect you to help me at this time,¡± Rachel suddenly said. She lowered her gaze and


    looked at her nails. She continued casually, ¡°But I don¡¯t mind giving you a free lesson if you can¡¯t shut


    your mouth obediently!¡±


    Her nonchnt tone was slow and indifferent, but there was a chilling deterrence in her words.


    Katy felt as if her heart was being gripped by something, and her breathing slowed down slightly.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Charles, there¡¯s nothing else for you to do here. The two of you can go back first.¡± There was a hint of


    coldness in Eleanor¡¯s eyes.


    Charles knew that what Katy had said just now had disappointed Eleanor. He did not have the face to


    stay here.


    He responded and dragged Katy out of the door.


    Katy was caught off guard and was pulled away forcefully, ¡°Let go! Charles, you¡¯re hurting me!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Charles scolded with a dark expression. ¡°When we get home, you better stay put obediently


    and not go anywhere!¡±


    Katy flung his hand away fiercely. ¡°Fine! Shout at the outsiders if you¡¯re so impressive! What¡¯s so good


    about giving me, your sister, a sullen face all day long!¡±


    With that, she left in her high heels.


    After the two of them left, Eleanor sighed deeply. A faint worry appeared in her eyes.


    Rachel looked at Eleanor¡¯s worried expression and walked forward. She sat beside her and held her


    hand. ¡°Eleanor, don¡¯t worry. Tom will be fine.¡±


    Eleanor smiled. ¡°I know.¡±


    She just didn¡¯t expect her niece to make sarcastic remarks at this time.


    In the end, she could not count on them at all.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, don¡¯t worry about this.¡± Eleanor held Rachel¡¯s hand and patted it gently, ¡°Tom and I will think


    of a way.¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°But how can I stand by and do nothing?¡±


    She lowered her gaze to hide the coldness in them.


    Rachel stayed behind to eat with Eleanor before she was relieved enough to leave.


    Before leaving, Eleanor held her hand and reminded her, ¡°Rae-Rae, don¡¯t show your face in public for


    the


    time being, and don¡¯t mention Tom, understand?¡±


    If something really happened to Tom, both the Johnson family and the Page family might be implicated.


    Eleanor wanted to save every member of the two families as best as she could.


    ¡°Eleanor, don¡¯t worry. Tom will be fine.¡± Rachel opened her arms and hugged her. She gently rubbed


    Eleanor¡¯s back with her palm. ¡°Rest well. Otherwise, Tom will be heartbroken if he finds out.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rachel looked deeply at Eleanor. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    Eleanor waved her hand. ¡°Sure.¡±


    After Rachel got into the car, Chris nced at the rearview mirror. ¡°Miss Grey, Billy has already brought


    the person to the Entertainment Center.


    ¡°Good,¡± Rachel replied indifferently.


    The car drove all the way to the Entertainment Center. Lucas happened to rush over when Rachel


    arrived.


    The two of them looked at each other and walked into the Entertainment Center without saying


    anything.


    In the private room, a refined man sat in the middle of a group of burly men..


    The man was about 27 or 28 years old. He wore a pair of ck-framed sses and was handsome


    and schrly,


    The door was suddenly pushed open and Harold looked over warily.


    His eyes flickered with joy as if he saw his savior the moment he saw Lucas. ¡°Mr. Johnson.¡±


    However, Lucas only looked up and nced at him indifferently. He did not say much.


    Rachel¡¯s gaze first lingered on Harold for a moment before looking at Billy. ¡°All of you go out first. Don¡¯t


    let outsiders approach.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Grey.¡±


    Hearing Billy call Rachel ¡°Miss Grey¡±, the expression in Harold¡¯s eyes changed.


    .


    Rumor had it that no one really knew the name of the Johnson family¡¯s eldest daughter, let alone seen


    her face.


    Now that he saw Rachel and Lucas appear at the same time and saw that Billy listened to Rachel,


    Harold immediately had some guesses.


    After the door of the private room was closed, Rachel sat on the sofa and asked directly, ¡°Mr. Durham,


    have you heard of the story of the farmer and the snake?¡±


    Harold frowned slightly, his gaze cold. ¡°Miss Grey, what are you trying to say?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, and the corners of her mouth curled into a faint smile. ¡°All these


    years, the Johnson family has put you through university and saved you from financial worries. But how


    are you repaying the Johnson family now?¡±


    Harold lowered his gaze to hide the panic in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Stop acting!¡± Lucas red at Harold fiercely.


    The anger in his chest rose at the thought of Harold biting the hand that fed him.


    Rachel hurriedly grabbed his wrist and gestured for him to calm down.


    Lucas¡¯s chest heaved up and down violently. He secretly gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯m going out to


    smoke!¡±


    He was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself and beat Harold up if he did not leave now.


    Seeing that he had left and only Rachel was left in the room, Harold could not help but feel more


    confident. ¡°Miss Grey, I don¡¯t know why you suddenly captured me, but I¡¯ll kindly remind you that


    trespassing and illegal imprisonment is illegal.¡±


    Rachel chuckled. ¡°Since you¡¯re familiar with thew, why don¡¯t you tell me the punishment for framing a


    public official?¡±


    Hearing this, Harold¡¯s pupils dted and his heart tightened.


    The eyes under his sses flickered with an unknown dark light as he stared intently at Rachel¡¯s


    mesmerizing


    face.


    This woman looked like she was just a pretty face, a simple-minded vase. However, it was impossible


    to know what she was thinking.


    She did not look aggressive, but there was a coldness in her eyes.


    In particr, her pitch-ck eyes contained a cold sharpness that made it difficult to pry into.


    Harold¡¯s family background was not bad, but the heavens seemed to have yed a huge joke on him.


    He was born into a rich family, but he lost both parents in the span of a month. His inheritance was then


    seized by his uncle, who ruthlessly chased him out of the family. Later, he was kindly taken in by an


    orphanage.


    That orphanage had been funded by the Johnson family all these


    years.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your resume. Ever since you got into university, you¡¯ve been working hard to get a full


    schrship from the school.¡± Rachel elegantly crossed her legs and leanedzily on the sofa. ¡°I think


    that you would have been able to make a name for yourself even without the Johnson family¡¯s funding.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Harold¡¯s face fell into a daze for a moment. Perhaps he was thinking about


    his youth, but there was a hint of disappointment in his voice. ¡°But I can¡¯t deny that if it weren¡¯t for the


    Johnson family¡¯s sponsorship, I wouldn¡¯t be who I am now.¡±

 Chapter 756

    Chapter 756


    Chapter 756


    ¡°You¡¯re indebted to the Johnson family, so why did you frame Tom?¡±


    When Harold heard this, the dazed look on his face instantly disappeared, and a fleeting look of panic


    shed across his eyes under his sses. ¡°Miss Grey, just as you said, I¡¯m indeed indebted to the


    Johnson family. How can I repay kindness with ingratitude?¡±


    ¡°So it was unintentional of you to introduce Tom to outsiders in private and collect bribes for him after


    he left?¡±


    Her tone was casual, but every word fell into Harold¡¯s ears, making his heart sink uncontrobly. It was


    as if he had been soaked in ice water. His entire body turned cold and his face involuntarily became


    pale.


    He clenched his hands on his knees silently into fists. His throat was dry and tense. ¡°How did you


    know¡­¡±


    Rachel saw the panic on his face, but she did not bat an eyelid. She supported her forehead with her


    fingertips and nced at him indifferently. There was a hint of disdain in the corners of her eyes. It was


    as if she was looking down at an ant. ¡°I have my ways, of course. But have you ever thought of the


    consequences of offending the Johnson family?¡±


    Her voice was calm, but there was a chill in her words. ¡°Or rather, when you attacked the Johnson


    family, that person didn¡¯t tell you the consequences of touching the Johnson family.¡±


    Harold suddenly looked up and met Rachel¡¯s dark eyes.


    The woman¡¯s eyes were cold and filled with mockery. It was as if she had seen through the secret in


    his heart. It made Harold feel as if he had fallen into a vault of ice. In an instant, he was rendered


    speechless.


    After some time, he struggled to find his voice from his nervousness and unease. ¡°Why do


    you think that I¡¯m the one who framed Mr. Johnson behind his back? You should know that Mr. Johnson


    has held a high position for many years. Be it his friends or so-called confidants, they¡¯re mostly just


    united on the surface but separated on the inside.


    ¡°Besides, do you really think that a simple report can put Mr. Johnson in danger?


    As Mr. Johnson¡¯s assistant, I know very well that we¡¯re bound together regardless


    of what happens to Mr. Johnson. No matter what happens to him, I won¡¯t be able to escape. In that


    case, why should I frame him?¡±


    His analysis was logical, and no one could find any fault in his words.


    However, Rachel ignored him.


    She ced her fingers on her forehead and smiled slightly with her crimson lips. However, there was a


    terrifying coldness in the depths of her eyes, making Harold feel inexplicably uneasy.


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious. What benefits did the other party promise for you to keep your mouth shut like this?¡±


    Hearing this, Harold¡¯s eyshes fluttered. He lowered his gaze in a panic to hide the guilt and


    uneasiness in his eyes.


    He thought that he would be able to deal with the woman after Lucas left, but it was obvious that he


    had underestimated Rachel.


    This woman¡¯s thoughts were truly unfathomable. It was as if she had seen through


    -all his secrets..


    ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯ve said everything that needs to be said. As for whether you believe me or not, it¡¯s all up


    to you.¡± Harold raised his hand and pushed the frame of his sses up the bridge of his nose. ¡°Miss


    Grey, you¡¯re still young and can¡¯t see, through the nature of human greed. Sometimes, you can¡¯t just


    look at the surface. A person will be numb once he develops a habit, and once they¡¯re numb,


    they¡¯ll want to seek excitement.¡±


    In other words, he was implying that Tom was secretly taking bribes for the thrill of it.


    ¡°I won¡¯t argue with you about this, but there won¡¯t be a next time. It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Seeing him turn around and leave, Rachel chuckled. ¡°Did I say you could leave?¡±


    Her tone was light and indifferent, but it was extremely chilling.


    Harold¡¯s heart gripped.


    He had to admit that he had an unprecedented fear of this woman at this


    moment.


    He turned and looked at Rachel.


    Coincidentally, she looked up at this moment. Her clear almond-shaped eyes made. Harold¡¯s pupils


    dte. She looked like a wild beast staring at its prey.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He held his breath. It was as if a hand had grabbed his neck, and he could not make a sound for a


    moment.


    Rachel sighed softly. There was a hint of distress in her tone. ¡°It¡¯s not just that I haven¡¯t seen through


    human greed. I¡¯m afraid Tom has also seen through it. Otherwise, why would he keep an ingrate by his


    side? An ingrate that colluded with outsiders to frame him. If we had known earlier, the Johnson family


    might as well have adopted a dog back then. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Harold¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He felt as though someone had grabbed his heart. He


    squirmed.


    His intuition told him that perhaps Rachel knew something.


    He clenched his fists tightly at his sides and said nothing.


    In the long silence, ayer of cold sweat broke out on his back, gradually wetting his shirt.


    ¡°You¡¯re a student that the Johnson family has been sponsoring, and you¡¯ve been well-behaved all


    these years. Tom has a good impression of you. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have kept you by his side.


    However, you used his trust to steal his seal. and forge his signature. You¡¯re really bold.¡±


    Hearing her words, Harold couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.


    At that moment, many thoughts shed through his mind. In the end, he only said. weakly, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    He really couldn¡¯t figure it out. He had done those things without anyone knowing. Even the


    investigation team couldn¡¯t find out he was the one.


    But how did Rachel know?


    He suddenly felt that the woman in front of him was like a beast in a pure and harmless disguise and


    that she could tear off her disguise and swallow him at any time.


    Harold did not have the time to think. His body reacted first.


    However, when he opened the door, he saw Billy and a few other burly men standing outside. They


    looked like guardian gods.


    His intuition told him that he could not escape at all.


    ¡°Drugging Tom, disguising yourself, and forging signatures. Not only did you escape the surveince


    cameras, but you also managed to deceive everyone. Your ingenious idea is really impressive.¡± Rachel


    slowly stood up. ¡°Do you know why I brought you here today?¡±


    Harold didn¡¯t say anything. He just tensed up and looked at her warily.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always liked to give a person a taste of their medicine. Since that is the case, I have something to


    return to you.¡±


    Harold felt a strong sense of danger and instinctively refused. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need.¡±


    However, Rachel did not seem to hear him at all. She gave Billy a look.


    Billy poured a small bottle of transparent liquid into a bottle of wine and walked straight toward Harold


    with the bottle in hand. Then, as if he was holding a chicken, he grabbed Harold¡¯s cor, pried open his


    chin, inserted the mouth of the


    bottle into his mouth, and forced him to drink all the wine.


    Harold struggled violently. His white shirt was wet from the alcohol, and his sses fell to the side.


    Even so, his strength was nothing in front of Billy.


    After drinking the entire bottle of wine, Billy threw Harold to the ground as if he was throwing away a


    piece of trash.


    Haroldid on the ground in a sorry state. He didn¡¯t care about the sses that had fallen to the


    ground. He pressed his hands against his throat with all his might, but he couldn¡¯t vomit anything,


    ¡°What did you make me drink?¡± His eyes were red as he red fiercely at Rachel. ¡°I¡¯m a civil servant.


    How dare you treat me like this!¡±

 Chapter 757

    Chapter 757


    Chapter 757


    Rachel looked at him indifferently, her calm gaze like someone observing a struggling fish in a muddy


    pond. ¡°This is a treasure I especially found in the ck market. It¡¯s worth a fortune. Not only it¡¯s


    capable of relieving fatigue, but it also gives people a sense of euphoria.¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Of course, it ismonly known as the club drug.¡±


    She had expected Harold to be a wise man who knew when to submit to circumstances. She thought


    he would reveal the mastermind and motives behind the scenes.


    Yet it seemed like he wouldn¡¯t speak up until he learned the hard way.


    If that was the case, she didn¡¯t mind using some means, just as Harold had plotted against her uncle,


    Tom.


    When she turned to leave, Harold attempted to grab her.


    However, Billy kicked Harold away before his fingertips could touch the corner of Rachel¡¯s clothing.


    Harold staggered and fell to the ground. Clutching his chest, he suppressed the rising smell of blood in


    his throat. ¡°Rachel¡­ Rachel Grey¡­ you¡­ cough,e back¡­¡±


    Rachel did not seem to hear him and left without even looking back.


    After closing the door to the private room, she nced at Billy. ¡°Keep a close eye on him. Don¡¯t let


    anything happen to him.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t guarantee that Harold wouldn¡¯t try to harm himself to get out of this situation.


    ¡°Miss Grey, don¡¯t worry. We know what we¡¯re doing,¡± Billy said..


    Rachel lowered her eyes to conceal the coldness in them. ¡°Thank you for your hard work tonight.¡±


    She looked at Lucas at the end of the corridor and walked towards him.


    Tom¡¯s incident affected Lucas to some extent.


    He leanedzily against the wall, with cigarette butts scattered around his feet.


    His tousled hair before his forehead obscured his affectionate amorous eyes. The usually arrogant and


    wilful son of the Johnson family was now shrouded in an unusual sense of loneliness and darkness.


    Hearing footsteps, he turned his head and exhaled a puff of smoke from his


    mouth. At the same time, he stubbed out the cigarette between his fingers. ¡°Did you take care of


    everything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rachel replied casually.


    They walked outside together, and Rachel said, ¡°We have to find a way to see


    Uncle Tom.¡±


    Only by meeting with Tom and learning the whole story from him could they find evidence beneficial to


    him and overturn the usations in the anonymous tip-off.


    Hearing that, Lucas frowned slightly.


    The Johnson family¡¯s status in Seaxas was second to none, but Tom was the only person involved in


    politics.


    Now that something had happened to him, the so-called colleagues of the past. were unreliable, and


    seeking help from others was the only option.


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± Lucas had a military background, and his connections could stille in


    handy at this critical moment.


    However, Rachel knew deep down that using those connections at this point. would be tantamount to


    destroying years of friendship.


    Just when she was at a loss, a powerful and resounding footstep echoed from the end of the hallway.


    She looked up and saw David approaching in a ck suit with a bright light. shining from his back.


    She gazed at David in astonishment as he got closer to her. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    She had never breathed a word to David about Tom¡¯s ident since the beginning.


    She didn¡¯t want him to worry, nor did she want to get him involved.


    David¡¯s thin lips were pressed into a fine, thin line. He oozed an aura so cold that it


    could turn the air into fine ice.


    Although he did not say anything, Rachel could already sense his displeasure.


    However, after pondering for a moment, she really couldn¡¯t think of anything that made David unhappy.


    Standing beside them, Lucas noticed the unusual atmosphere between the two


    and felt somewhat awkward. So he took the initiative to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go have a smoke.¡±


    After saying that, he gave Rachel a ¡®good luck¡¯ look and walked away without looking back.


    Rachel was confused. She didn¡¯t do anything to upset David. Why was he looking


    at her like that?


    David lifted her chin with well-defined fingers as she was deep in thought, forcing her to raise her head


    and look up at him.


    The light from the corridor shone on her face, making her already stunning features even more


    breathtaking.


    The faint light scattered into her eyes like countless stars in the night sky.


    David stared at her for a while, and his cold face turned a shade darker. He sighed silently. ¡°You¡¯d


    rather use someone from the Red me than call me for help?¡±


    He was her fiance, but why did he always feel invisible around her?


    Hearing this, Rachel understood everything.


    So she hadn¡¯t been able to keep it a secret after all.


    However,ing to think of it, it was understandable. As the wealthiest family in Seaxas, the Johnson


    family¡¯s every move was scrutinized by countless eyes. Even the faintest movement couldn¡¯t escape


    notice, let alone Tom¡¯s suspension this


    time.


    Rachel tugged at her lips, held his hand, and gently rubbed it with a hint of ttery. ¡°I just didn¡¯t think


    this matter was worth bothering you.¡±


    Upon hearing Rachel¡¯s words, David didn¡¯t seem to feel any better. His brows furrowed, and his jaw


    tightened. He still looked angry.


    ¡°Then tell me, what kind of situation is worth bothering me?¡±


    His tone was t, without emotional fluctuations, but thest upward inflection of


    his voice made one¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    Rachel swallowed her saliva. Her lips moved, but she heard David speak again. ¡°Did I not tell you to


    call me when something happened?¡±


    Fine. She was really in the wrong this time.


    Rachel nodded like a guilty child who had made a mistake.


    Seeing her hanging her head and shrinking like a timid quail, David frowned imperceptibly and


    continued to ask coldly, ¡°Do you think I would just let you be, or do you think I¡¯m not qualified to back


    you up?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that way,¡± Rachel answered.


    The incident happened too suddenly, and her first thought was to investigate the reason immediately.


    Everything that followed was just her nature. Of course, she was somewhat selfish and did not want


    David to get involved.


    She reached out and tugged David¡¯s shirt cor, slowly lifting her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡­ Mmm!¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, David grabbed her nape and leaned in before kissing her lips


    fiercely.


    His kiss was dominant and forceful, mixed with a touch of anger. He even bit her lip as if punishing her


    so that she would remember her mistake.


    However, every time he decided to punish her heartlessly, he couldn¡¯t bear it at the critical moment. He


    ended up sucking her lips with both anger and annoyance.


    Rachel felt like she was suffocating, and she pounded his chest with both hands. until David finally let


    go of her.


    David looked down at her, his dark eyes hiding his inherent dominance and overbearing nature.


    Looking at her swollen lips, he gently rubbed them with his hand, wiping off the


    saliva that had gotten on them. ¡°This is a one-off.¡±


    Rachel looked up at him and nodded obediently.


    When David took her hand and led her outside, she instinctively asked, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±


    David looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°Doing what a fiance should do.¡±


    Rachel was confused.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to see your uncle?¡±


    A hint of surprise shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes when she heard this.


    Her reaction softened David¡¯s stern expression slightly. ¡°Now you understand the benefits of having me


    as your fiance?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Rachelughed like a blooming flower and jumped to nt a soft kiss on his jawline. ¡°Thank


    you, fiance.¡±

 Chapter 758

    Chapter 758


    Chapter 758


    After half an hour, the car stopped in front of a seemingly run-down building.


    Lucas¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but darken when he saw the surrounding environment.


    Due to the special nature of Tom¡¯s position, his detention was definitely not a typical one.


    Except for the people from the investigation team, no one else knew about the specific personnel or


    location.


    On the way here, he had imagined many ces where his father might be detained, but he never


    thought his father would be held in a ce like this.


    The surroundings were deste, with no signs of life. Even if a mouse came, it would shake its head


    and sigh. Let alone a human.


    The car door opened, and the group got out of the car.


    Eddie took the lead and stepped forward to knock on the iron gate that came into view.


    Before long, a strong shlight shone in their faces.


    Rachel instinctively squinted her eyes and reached out to shield herself. She vaguely saw a man in


    uniform through the gaps between her fingers.


    When the man saw David, he immediately opened the door and walked out from inside. He called out


    respectfully, ¡°Mr. Jones.¡±


    With a slight nod, David maintained his usual aloof and cold demeanor. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When the staff turned around, his gaze quickly swept past Rachel.


    Rachel naturally noticed the other party¡¯s scrutinizing nce. She smiled quietly and lowered her eyes


    to conceal the emotions in her eyes.


    The person¡¯s attitude towards David made her ponder deeply.


    Rachel had always believed that Davidmanded respect due to his status as


    the head of the Jones family in the independent state of Aureliana. However, it seemed like that was


    only the tip of the iceberg.


    In the eyes of some sensitive departments, the ss consciousness of peasants, workers, and


    merchants was still very much ingrained.


    Therefore, they would never show such respect to a businessman like David.


    Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but nce at the man beside her.


    The dim lighting fell on his body, entuating his sharply defined facial features.


    His deep-set ck eyes seemed like unfathomable abysses that were hard to read.


    She often couldn¡¯t help but wonder what they would be like now if she hadn¡¯t met David outside the


    church that day.


    Sensing her gaze, David turned his head to look at her.


    The moment their eyes met, Rachel was slightly stunned. Then, she smiled and took a deep breath.


    She curled her fingers tightly around his hand.


    The corners of David¡¯s lips curled up involuntarily. His eyes were filled with tenderness as he held


    Rachel¡¯s hand tightly and led her forward.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Following behind, Lucas could not help but roll his eyes.


    These two really couldn¡¯t stop unting their affection.


    As they walked, their expressions became even more solemn as they noticed the signs hanging on the


    walls and therge letters printed on them.


    They walked upstairs and noticed two staff members standing outside a room.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already informed them about youing,¡± David whispered into Rachel¡¯s ear. ¡°Go. I¡¯ll wait for you


    outside.¡±


    Rachel nced at him from the corner of her eyes. Her eyes shimmered with emotions that were hard


    to conceal.


    David reached out and stroked her hair. His tone was indulgent and loving as he spoke. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    As the door opened, Rachel and Lucas walked in with the guidance of the staff.


    Watching them enter, David put his hand in his pocket and walked towards the window. He nced at


    Eddie indifferently. ¡°Have you found out everything?¡±


    ¡°We can confirm that someone is trying to scheme against Mr. Johnson, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Just cut to the chase.¡± David red at him.


    Eddie pursed his lips and took a step forward. He whispered in David¡¯s ear. ¡°Based on the current


    investigation, their main target is not Mr. Johnson, but Miss Grey and the Johnson family, who¡¯s


    supporting her.¡±


    Hearing this, David lifted his indifferent gaze and looked at Eddie. A sharp gaze shed across his


    eyes.


    He looked past Eddie and shifted his gaze to the room¡¯s tightly closed door.


    The room¡¯s furnishings were simpler than Rachel and Lucas had imagined.


    Apart from the bed, there was only a desk and a chair, and all doors and windows were sealed. The


    first thing they felt upon entering the room was suffocation.


    At this moment, Tom was sitting in a chair with his back facing the door. He looked up at the lonely


    night outside the window.


    Hearing the footsteps behind him, he did not turn around. He only said firmly, ¡°I told you many times. I


    won¡¯t admit to something I haven¡¯t done. No matter how many times you ask, there will always be only


    one answer.¡±


    Even though he was in dire straits, he could not hide his noble aura.


    Tom could not help but frown when he noticed the person behind him did not respond for a long time.


    When he looked back and saw Rachel and Lucas, theposure and calmness on his face


    disappeared instantly.


    He stood up abruptly and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Their appearance was indeed beyond his expectations.


    His identity and position were too special. Not only was there an independent investigation team


    interrogating him, but he was also strictly forbidden frommunicating with anyone outside.


    Moreover, ording to the rules, they could not have found their way here under any circumstances.


    Tom knew well that he had been framed, and if he could clear his name, it would


    be a stroke of luck. But if he couldn¡¯t¡­


    He had already prepared himself for the possibility of never seeing them again in


    this lifetime.


    ¡°Lucas, it¡¯s one thing for you to act recklessly, but how can you bring Rae-Rae


    here?¡± Tom recovered from his shock and sternly rebuked them. ¡°The two of you go back now and


    forget that you ever came here tonight! Leave quickly!¡±


    While Tom was visibly nervous, Rachel and Lucas remained calm.


    They exchanged a nce and sat down on the bed before them. ¡°Uncle Tom, why don¡¯t we talk about


    what happened?¡±


    Tom frowned and replied tly, ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Before we came here, I talked to Harold,¡± Rachel said.


    Tom¡¯s expression froze at her words. ¡°Rae-Rae, listen to me. You shouldn¡¯t interfere with this matter. At


    most, they¡¯ll just bring me down. In the future¡­ please take care of Aunt Eleanor on my behalf. She


    seems good at caring for others. but never pays attention to herself.¡±


    ¡°If you want to discuss what happens after, shouldn¡¯t you be talking to me?¡± Lucas suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°Your biological son is standing right here. Why bother


    Rae-Rae?¡±


    Faced with Lucas¡¯s defiance, Tom red at him as a warning.


    However, at this critical moment, Lucas wasn¡¯t afraid at all. ¡°Your re won¡¯t work


    on me.¡±


    The father and son red at each other like fighting cocks. Neither of them was willing to back down.


    Rachel cleared her throat and intervened. ¡°Uncle Tom, you¡¯ve been in politics for years. You should


    have been more cautious and not trusted Harold blindly. What¡¯s the real reason why you trust him so


    much?¡±


    Even with Harold¡¯s outstanding abilities, it wasn¡¯t enough for Tom to put so much


    faith in him.

 Chapter 759

    Chapter 759


    Chapter 759


    Tom¡¯s face was grave as he looked deeply at Rachel. ¡°Rae-Rae, listen to my advice and don¡¯t get


    involved. I¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just sit by and do nothing.¡± Rachel¡¯s gaze turned cold inch by inch, and an indiscernible emotion


    flickered in her eyes. ¡°Are you saying you want to pretend to be muddle-headed? Or that you were


    deceived by Harold¡¯s honest and


    straightforward appearance? Or perhaps you¡¯re saying you didn¡¯t expect him to repay kindness with


    enmity?¡±


    Tom¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard herst sentence. ¡°You¡­ you found out?¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, why do you think I met with Harold?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, and an unfamiliar


    evil gaze shed across her eyes.


    Tom pressed his lips together and didn¡¯t say anything.


    All these years, he had been immersed in official circles. Every day, he had seen how people backstab


    and deceit each other. As time passed, his character became more paranoid.


    When Harold appeared before him, he was indeed taken aback,


    Although the Johnson family had been providing financial support in name only for these years, and


    Tom had never met them, he knew about each and every one of them.


    Perhaps out ofpassion for Harold, Tom valued him more than his other assistants.


    He even gave Harold more opportunities to shine, even though he knew that doing so would cause


    discontent among the other assistants.


    However, something unexpected happened on that day. He brought Harold on a business trip to


    participate in a poverty alleviation project organized by the local government. During the event, he


    drank a lot.


    On the way back to the hotel, he sensed that something was wrong, but he never imagined that Harold,


    who was on the business trip with him, would be the one who drugged him.


    There was no truth to the allegation of bribery and behind-the-scenes dealings. since he never


    epted any bribes from local merchants.


    After hearing the whole story from Tom, Rachel asked again, ¡°But you still haven¡¯t answered my


    previous question.¡±


    Tom seemed hesitant to answer this question.


    Whenever he tried to answer, he would fall silent and refuse to respond.


    Lucas noticed Tom keeping quiet and pondered for a moment before shocking everyone by saying,


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that Harold is your illegitimate son!¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    Her gaze instinctively fell on Tom.


    Tom¡¯s expression was still solemn. His thin lips were tightly pursed, and he still refused to say anything.


    His silence made Rachel¡¯s heart sink.


    As long as she could remember, Tom and Eleanor always had a harmonious rtionship. They had


    been childhood sweethearts, and Rachel had seen how much Eleanor loved Tom. If Tom really made


    an error of principle¡­


    After what felt like ages, Tom spoke calmly. ¡°Years ago, I was assigned to work in a fourth-tier city and


    met Harold. He lost his parents and became a helpless orphan. in only a month. The Durhams were


    eager to get their hands on his massive inheritance, so Harold, who had no family left, got kicked out


    by his rtives.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel and Lucas breathed a sigh of relief.


    At least Tom didn¡¯t have an illegitimate child.


    After chatting with Tom for twenty minutes, they had to get up and leave.


    As they were leaving, Rachel hesitated a while before turning to Tom. ¡°Uncle Tom, would you mind if I


    did something to Harold?¡±


    Hearing this, Tom lifted his gaze and looked at her.


    The woman¡¯s eyes were filled with a unique flirtatious charm. This change made Tom dazed for a


    moment.


    Chapter 759


    After pondering for half a second, he said calmly, ¡°Do whatever you want. I won¡¯t me you.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rachel nodded and turned to leave.


    Tom could not leave this room, so he could only stand there and watch as Rachel


    and Lucas leave.


    The moment the door opened, he saw a tall figure leaning against the window.


    It was David!


    After immersing himself in the official circles for years, Tom had long learned to keep his emotions


    hidden.


    However, the moment he saw David, he could not hide the surprise in his heart.


    No wonder Rachel and Lucas could find this ce. It turned out that David had been helping them in


    secret.


    His eyes darkened when he suddenly thought of the change in Rachel.


    The group got into the car and left. Rachel looked at the deste surroundings. and could not help but


    frown.


    David saw her slightly pale face and reached out to hold her cold fingertips. ¡°Are you still worried about


    your Uncle Tom?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rachel did not hide anything. She sighed silently and leaned her head on hist shoulder.


    ¡°Although I know it¡¯s just a trap that the other party carefully designed, I still feel uneasy.¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She felt that things were not as simple as she thought.


    She was also worried that the other party would use Tom to attack the Johnson family.


    Hearing this, David lowered his eyes and looked at her. The corners of his mouth could not help but


    curl up.


    Rachel¡¯s fingers intertwined with David¡¯s. She rubbed the protruding joints on the back of his hand and


    said casually, ¡°I guess you used some connections to bring me here.¡±


    ¡°Are you interested in getting to know them?¡± David raised his eyebrows slightly. There was a doting


    look in his eyes that no one had ever seen before.


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just asking.¡±


    However, she did not expect David would tell her everything truthfully.


    ¡°What do you n to do about your uncle?¡± David asked.


    ¡°Naturally, we have to find the evidence first.¡± Rachel lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in them.


    ¡°Then we can help him clean up the mess.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if the other party was after Tom, her, or the Johnson family.


    Since the other party had touched the Johnson family¡¯s people, they had to pay the price.


    At the same time, she wanted to teach the people around her a lesson. The Johnson family would not


    fall so easily!


    A smile crept onto David¡¯s face when he heard that. ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯ll back you up even if the


    sky copses.¡±


    It was a simple sentence, but Rachel felt butterflies in her stomach.


    She looked up at him and suppressed the throbbing in her heart. After calming down, she said softly,


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ever since they met, no matter what trouble she got into, David would always stand up for her


    immediately.


    She knew if the sky really copsed one day, David would definitely be the first one to support her.


    He always helped her quietly, so she would not have to worry about anything.


    Just like today, he used his connections to find the ce where Tom was temporarily detained for


    interrogation.


    Rachel wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her head against his chest. She slowly closed


    her eyes, but the corners of her mouth could not help curling up.


    In the past, she had always thought she would not rely too much on someone. She also often warned


    herself to always remain rational.


    Until she met David. Her rationality told her to stop sinking, but her actions told her she could be willful


    for once.


    Unbeknownst to herself, she had be very greedy for David.


    She craved his warmth and presence and yearned for his coldness and tenderness.

 Chapter 760

    Chapter 760


    Chapter 760


    The next morning, the sun shone brightly.


    Rachel woke up ording to her biological clock. After washing up, she had a simple breakfast and set


    off for thepany.


    After the morning meeting ended and she headed towards her office, she received a phone call from


    the butler, Mr. Chadwick. ¡°Miss Grey, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chadwick, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Rachel held her breath when she answered the phone.


    She had kept the news about Tom¡¯s incident a secret from her grandfather.


    Now that Mr. Chadwick was calling, did her grandfather find out?


    Mr. Chadwick sensed the tension in Rachel¡¯s voice and chuckled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Old Mr. Johnson


    had been wanting to see you for a while and wants you toe home for a meal when you¡¯re free.


    Rachel secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing his words. ¡°Maybe in a few days.¡±


    She would go back home with Tom and the others then.


    Mr. Chadwick replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel held her phone and walked towards the


    restroom.


    As she approached the door, she faintly heard a low discussion inside. ¡°Have you seen the news?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the news of the guy from the Johnson family who got arrested?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be? I never thought someone so wealthy and powerful could be so shameless.¡±


    ¡°Who in this world wouldin about having too much money? But just a short while ago, he was


    recognized as one of the top ten outstanding individuals, and now he¡¯s been caught doing all these


    things. It¡¯s like a p in the face. Not to mention it happened so fast.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel paused in her footsteps, her brows furrowing slightly.


    She remained silent, but her fists involuntarily tightened at her side. A chilling gaze shed across her


    eyes.


    Yesterday¡¯s incident sparked a series of events, and the next day, the inte was flooded with news


    about Tom¡¯s incident.


    Even though Rachel had tried her best to suppress and conceal the situation, it seemed like someone


    was working against her, pushing harder and harder to make the news public.


    She took a deep breath and stepped into the restroom.


    Focused on their heat-up conversation, the two people inside were suddenly taken aback when they


    saw Rachel. Their expressions changed instantly, and their eyes were filled with panic as they looked


    at her. ¡°Ms. Grey¡­¡±


    Rachel ignored them as if she didn¡¯t overhear their conversation and walked straight into one of the


    stalls.


    Seeing the situation, the two people outside the door panicked and quickly fled the restroom.


    The problem wasn¡¯t with the bystanders, who were following the news, but those behind the scenes


    orchestrating everything.


    Even if she reprimanded those two girls outside, she could not silence everyone¡¯s gossip.


    The only way to make everyone shut up was to gather solid evidence as quickly as possible.


    The sooner, the better!


    As Rachel exited the restroom, she coincidentally met Linda, who seemed in a hurry.


    Seeing Linda hesitate to speak, Rachel sensed a bad feeling in her heart.


    She furrowed her brows and spoke in a chilling tone. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the office.¡±


    Once they were back in the office, Linda quickly spoke up, ¡°Ms. Grey,


    No


    we just received a call from the investigation team. They¡¯ve ordered us to immediately stop the


    development of the East City project and have our people undergo investigation.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s delicate face turned icy. ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡±


    ¡°They suspect that the bidding by Johnson Corporation for the project was¡­ was¡­¡± Linda couldn¡¯t


    bring herself to finish her sentence as she sized up Rachel¡¯s cold and dark face.


    Rachel sneered. ¡°They suspect there was shady dealing involved, right?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Linda lowered her gaze and fell silent.


    The office fell into a heavy silence for a while, and the atmosphere. became more and more


    oppressive.


    After some time, Linda¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    She quickly answered the call, which was from the finance department.


    ¡°Ms. Galler, bad news! The bank has frozen all ourpany¡¯s ounts!¡±


    Hearing this, Linda subconsciously lifted her gaze to look at Rachel.


    She pursed her lips and said calmly, ¡°I got it.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, she looked at Rachel¡¯s somber expression and didn¡¯t know how to speak


    for a moment.


    Rachel took a deep breath and said indifferently, ¡°Keep an eye on thepany these few days.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After leaving thepany, Rachel went straight to Lucky Entertainment Center.


    The situation now had exceeded her expectations.


    She had thought now that Tom was in trouble, others would hold back their ambitions to take over the


    Johnson family until the situation was thoroughly investigated and resolved. However, now it seemed


    everyone was trying to take advantage of the situation and bring down the Johnsons as quickly as


    possible, with no restraint or consideration.


    It was as if they had already decided on the fate of the Johnson family in their minds.


    Rachel¡¯s expression became even darker as she thought of this.


    Guarding the door, Billy saw Rachel and quickly approached her. ¡°Miss Grey, we obtained some


    information from him early this morning.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Rachel looked down at the recorder Billy handed her. ¡°Open the door.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After being tortured by drugsst night, Harold had already lost his former gentle and weak


    appearance.


    His face was pale, and his eyes were blurred. He was curled up in the corner of the sofa, looking


    disheveled.


    When he heard footsteps outside the door, he became slightly dazed for a second.


    As soon as Rachel appeared, Tom¡¯s eyes contracted, and he trembled uncontrobly.


    ¡°You¡­ What exactly do you want?¡± Harold¡¯s voice was hoarse as if he had torn his vocal cords.


    Rachel pulled over a chair, sat down, elegantly crossed her legs, and looked at him expressionlessly.


    ¡°As you wished, the Johnson family¡¯s situation is not optimistic now.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡± Harold gritted his teeth and tried to suppress the emotions


    surging in his heart. ¡°Your people tortured me for a confessionst night, and I¡¯ve said everything I


    know. What more do you want?¡±


    ¡°Torture for a confession¡­¡± Rachel repeated meaningfully. ¡°Do you know what that means? If we really


    tortured you for a confession, do you think you¡¯d be sitting here now? Although my family has been


    dedicated to phnthropy these years, we¡¯re not pushovers for anyone to bully. If you offend the


    Johnson family, you should know you might not be able to walk away unscathed.¡±


    ¡°Harold Durham, out of respect for my uncle, I¡¯ll give you onest chance to tell me everything you


    know.¡±


    Harold stared at Rachel with a malicious gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything. You can¡¯t force me to


    say more!¡±


    Rachel took out an MP3 recorder and listened to Harold¡¯s confession.


    Her eyes were calm, but she oozed a dangerous and alluring aura, like blooming poppies. ¡°Do you take


    me for a fool?¡±


    Harold¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. His heart felt like it was being squeezed, and his breathing hitched.


    ¡°When your parents died suddenly and left you as a young child unable to hold onto their vast wealth,


    you became angry and sued all your rtives. But ording to thew, you had indeed lost your


    inheritance rights. As direct rtives, your grandparents were obligated to act as your guardians to


    manage your share of the inheritance. After they passed away, your uncles and aunts naturally had the


    right to inherit the leftover inheritance as their children.¡±


    ¡°Even though you were dissatisfied, you should have known thew is always impartial, and you can¡¯t


    me my uncle for that.¡±

 Chapter 761

    Chapter 761


    Chapter 761


    After chatting with Tomst night, Rachel learned that his bias towards Harold, whether intentional or


    not, was due to a sense of guilt in his heart.


    However, Tom had always been a person of integrity and never allowed personal feelings to interfere


    with his judgments.


    Therefore, when he met Harold again, he wanted to do everything he could to make up for him.


    Using past grudges for revenge was indeed a convincing reason.


    However, Harold had already made a name for himself in politics. Why would he risk everything he had


    worked so hard to achieve only to settle old scores?


    Therefore, he must be lying!


    Harold raised his hand and took off his sses. A mncholy smile appeared on his lips. ¡°It seems like


    you already know everything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only limited to what you want me to know.¡± Rachel lifted her eyes and casually fiddled with her


    MP3 recorder. ¡°Who is it making you target the Johnson family behind their backs? Is it the newly


    appointed deputy director six months ago? Or Alfredo George, who has shown you favor, or perhaps a


    longtime confidante and lover?¡±


    When Harold heard Rachel urately mention the names of the three people, his pupils trembled with


    fear.


    He was not only afraid of the two people mentioned by Rachel but also of her.


    This woman in front of him was much more unpredictable than he imagined.


    He thought that dealing with a mere woman would not require too much effort on his part.


    However, reality proved him gravely wrong.


    ¡°Harold, I didn¡¯t deliberately conceal the news when I took you away. Twelve whole hours have passed,


    and they haven¡¯t shown any intention of rescuing you. What does that mean? You know it very well.¡±


    Rachel


    raised her eyebrows slightly. Her gaze was tinged with a hint of coldness.


    Harold lowered his eyelids to hide the fear and anxiety in his eyes.


    Of course, he knew.


    In their eyes, he had already be a useless piece of trash.


    For a discarded chess piece, there was only abandonment.


    ¡°I can assure you that as long as you speak up, I can guarantee your safety.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Harold decisively rejected Rachel¡¯s words. ¡°If they want to kill me, no one can stop them!¡±


    Those people had power and influence, and his life was as worthless as a de of grass in their eyes.


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t speak up, I can still kill you.¡± Rachel smiled. ¡°I have many tricks up my sleeve. Last


    night was just the tip of the iceberg.¡±


    Whether it was a threat or intimidation, it sessfully triggered Harold¡¯s terrifying memories fromst


    night. He clenched his fists tightly, and his eyes were filled with vignce as he stared at Rachel.


    Rachel supported her forehead with one hand and rested the other hand on the armrest of the chair.


    She gently tapped her fingers on it,


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Each tap matched the frequency of her heartbeat. It was nerve-racking.


    A hint of impatience appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes as Harold remained silent. ¡°The mastermind behind this


    is actually Deputy Director Yandel Smith, right?¡±


    Half a year ago, Yandel was suddenly promoted to Deputy Director. He was very skilled in using


    underhanded means and managed to take down numerous officials for corruption and bribery within


    just six months, achieving impressive political achievements.


    This person¡¯s background was very mysterious. Even with the help of the Red me intelligence


    organization, Rachel couldn¡¯t find anything about him.


    In the political arena, treachery wasmonce, but Rachel never thought they would frame her


    uncle, Tom.


    Harold looked dazedly at Rachel.


    He didn¡¯t expect their doings could evade the investigation team, but they couldn¡¯t escape Rachel¡¯s


    eyes.


    It seemed like nothing could escape her notice.


    Rachel looked at Harold, who remained silent, and tugged at her lips. ¡°I¡¯m curious about what kind of


    benefit they promised you to the point that you¡¯re willing to risk your career.¡±


    Harold still chose to remain silent. He was trying to hold onto thest string of hope.


    He believed Rachel wouldn¡¯t be able to unravel the truth of the matter as long as he did not say


    anything.


    He thought that she hadn¡¯t investigated thoroughly enough. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t havee to


    negotiate with him.


    While Harold was still immersed in his thought, Rachel¡¯s phone rang in her pocket.


    Her eyebrows flickered slightly, and she slid her finger across the screen to answer the call. ¡°Send


    everything you¡¯ve found to me and anonymously forward it to the investigation team¡¯s email.¡±


    With that, she looked up at Harold. ¡°I heard that your family is repairing the ancestral tomb. Because


    you left home as an orphan, your parents¡¯ remains were left unburied. Now that you¡¯ve risen in power,


    they want to reinter your parents¡¯ remains. If something were to happen to you, do you think they would


    hesitate to desecrate your parents¡¯ remains?¡±


    Her tone was indifferent, but each word sent shivers down Harold¡¯s spine.


    He knew those people only cared about their own interests.


    They would turn on him without mercy and disregard any familial ties. if they found out he was in


    trouble.


    But if he were to confess¡­


    Harold gritted his teeth in agony and struggled with the conflicting emotions inside.


    After a long moment of contemtion, Harold finally spoke up. ¡°What else do you want to know?¡±


    He was willing to answer Rachel¡¯s questions but wouldn¡¯t voluntarily reveal everything.


    Forty minutester, Rachel looked at the slumped Harold with a hint of mockery in her eyes. ¡°Do you


    know Uncle Tom had been preparing you to be his sessor? He even started paving the way for you.


    Your future career prospects were bright with the Johnson family and his support. But you destroyed


    your own life for the sake of a woman. Is it worth it?¡±


    It was true that Tom had a biased preference for Harold. There was actually some self-interest


    involved.


    However, it was undeniable that Harold had a certain level of talent, ast evidenced by his rapid


    promotions in a short period of time.


    Harold slowly lifted his eyes and looked at Rachel. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he spoke. ¡°You won¡¯t


    understand.¡±


    He let out a deep sigh and leaned against the wall as if he had been drained of all his energy. ¡°Yannis


    is the most innocent and beautiful woman in the world. It¡¯s my honor to be with her. If I hadn¡¯t


    underestimated you, we could have been together openly and honestly by now.¡±


    ¡°Rachel Grey, do you think that by taking me down, you can save the Johnson family? You¡¯re wrong.


    The forces behind them far exceed your imagination. You and the Johnson family are on your own


    now.¡±


    Harold knew he had no way out but didn¡¯t reveal anything about. Yandel and Yannis. Instead, he didn¡¯t


    hesitate to sell Alfredo out, hoping Yannis could live a carefree life from now on.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Rachel could not help but sneer. She mocked him with pity yet sarcastically, ¡°Are you really so


    naive enough to think your rtionship with her was love at first sight, and you¡¯re a perfect match?¡±


    Harold¡¯s expression changed subtly when he heard that.


    He stared at Rachel without blinking even once.


    However, Rachel did not say anything. She only instructed Billy, ¡°Take him along with this recording to


    the police station. Remember, don¡¯t


    let him out of sight until you see Warren.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Grey.¡±


    Billy stepped forward and lifted Harold up. Without saying a word, he walked out.

 Chapter 762

    Chapter 762


    Chapter 762


    Harold was still pondering the question that Rachel had just asked him. It wasn¡¯t until he walked past


    her that he suddenly snapped to reality. ¡°Rachel Grey, what did you mean by your words just now?


    You¡¯d better get this straight!¡±


    He tried his best to struggle and resist, but the torment he experiencedst night had left him


    exhausted. He had no strength left to fight against Billy, a man much more powerful than him.


    No man could escape from the trap of love.


    Not to mention this was a carefully designed one.


    He was like a fish in a pond, specially selected and baited with carefully prepared bait, with no chance


    of escape.


    Even though he knew he was being used as a pawn by Yandel, he couldn¡¯t help himself when faced


    with Yannis¡¯s great temptation. He simply couldn¡¯t reject her.


    Besides, the forces behind those people were not something he could provoke.


    However, he couldn¡¯t ept that the love he had given wholeheartedly was ultimately just a


    maniption. Rachel narrowed her indifferent eyes. Suddenly, her red lips curled into a wicked smile.


    ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Sometimes, some things would lose their effect when too much was revealed.


    ¡°I only want to nt a seed of doubt in your heart and torment you all the time,¡±


    ¡°Rachel Grey¡­ Mmm!¡± Harold flew into a rage out of humiliation. As he was about to unleash his anger


    on Rachel, Billy acted swiftly and sealed his mouth with ck duct tape.


    At the same time as Harold was taken away, two anonymous emails appeared in the investigation


    team¡¯s inbox. The amount of evidence and content was simply shocking.


    One email detailed how Alfredo embezzled and took bribes, engaged in power-for-sex trades, and


    pocketed millions of dors.


    The other email contained an audio clip.


    It fully proved how Harold worked with others to frame Tom, including how he stole Tom¡¯s private seal


    and pretended to be Tom before the camera.


    With these two pieces of evidence, Tom was cleared of all charges.


    In the following days, various media outlets published apology letters online, and rted departments


    held press conferences to apologize publicly to Johnson Corporation.


    They imed that extreme measures like freezing Johnson Corporation¡¯s assets should not have been


    taken before the evidence was conclusive.


    Rachel nced at the television screen indifferently, then picked up her cup and sipped her tea.


    Sitting opposite Rachel, Jimmy looked at her before shifting his gaze to David.


    Gosh, the vibes between those two were bing more and more identical.


    As he was thinking, Rachel put down her cup and casually rubbed her fingertips on it before asking,


    ¡°Do you guys know Yandel Smith?¡±


    Upon hearing this name, Jimmy and Landon exchanged nces, and their lips curved slightly into a


    mysterious


    ¡°pter 762 smile.


    David took an apple and peeled it slowly. His actions were not affected the slightest bit by Rachel¡¯s


    words. ¡°I¡¯ve


    heard of him.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°His background seems to be quite mysterious. Even the


    Red me¡¯s intelligence team couldn¡¯t dig up anything about him.¡±


    Given Red me¡¯s capabilities, there shouldn¡¯t be anything they couldn¡¯t uncover.


    Moreover, ording to Harold, the other party had money, power, and influence. Why would theye


    to Seaxas topete with her uncle for a mere position?


    It didn¡¯t make sense they were here to seek attention.


    David¡¯s eyes could not help but turn a shade darker when he saw Rachel lost in thought. ¡°We can¡¯t


    guess their intentions when they¡¯re hiding in the shadows while we¡¯re in the light.¡±


    Hearing David¡¯s words, Rachel subconsciously nced sideways at him.


    Coincidentally, David handed the peeled apple to her.


    ¡°What are your ns for the afternoon?¡± David asked.


    Rachel took a bite of the apple. It was so sweet that her expression could not help but soften. ¡°I¡¯m


    going to pick up Uncle Tom.¡±


    Now that the truth was brought to light, Tom didn¡¯t need to remain suspended and under investigation.


    The moment Tom exited the building, he looked up at the sky above his head and could not help but fall


    into a daze.


    Honestly, he had prepared himself mentally for the fact that he might not be able to leave in the short


    term.


    However, he never expected to regain his freedom in such a short time.


    One had to know that the evidence collected by the investigation team before this was substantial and


    well-established.


    Even if he was really innocent, no one would believe him.


    However, he was able to clear his name in a short three days, and it was truly incredible.


    ¡°Mr. Johnson, we¡¯ve been neglectful these past few days. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. We were only


    doing our job by the book,¡± a staff member said, trembling as he stood next to Tom with a ttering


    smile.


    Tom resumed his usual cold and aloof demeanor in the blink of an eye. ¡°I won¡¯t. But is it possible for


    you to reveal the evidence that overturned my previous charges?¡±


    Upon hearing this, several workers exchangedplex and obscure looks, their faces showing a mix


    of reluctance. ¡°Mr. Johnson, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to tell you, but regtions don¡¯t allow us to leak


    evidence. Now that you¡¯re out, wouldn¡¯t it be better to forget what happened before?¡±


    After all, he had finally regained his freedom, so why bother stirring up trouble again?


    Tom understood what they were implying and didn¡¯t press the issue further.


    Just then, the sound of a horn rang out from a distance.


    He turned around and saw a ck Volkswagen approaching and stopping not far away.


    Tom knew that continuing to question the person before him would likely yield little results, so he simply


    turned


    and walked away.


    After getting into the car, he let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes to rest for a bit before slowly lifting


    his eyelids. and looking toward Rachel. ¡°Rae-Rae, you¡¯ve worked hard these past few days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Rachel replied. ¡°Do you want to go see Harold?¡±


    At the mention of Harold¡¯s name, Tom¡¯s gaze briefly flickered.


    Rachel said, ¡°Let¡¯s go see him. We might not have another chance to do so.¡±


    At this moment, Lucas, who was driving the car, sneered coldly. ¡°You went through all the trouble to


    pave the for him, but in the end, you¡¯re only raising an ingrate. I¡¯ve never seen you put in this much


    effort for me.¡±


    Lucas¡¯s sudden jealousy wasn¡¯t without reason.


    way


    They had learned that Tom had used his connections built up over many years to help Harold. It was


    enough to make even Rachel wonder if this was really her upright and honest Uncle Tom!


    Lucas would have demanded a paternity test from Harold if Rachel hadn¡¯t arrived on time to stop him.


    Tom remained silent, perhaps realizing he was wrong or finding the situation too ironic and absurd.


    He had saved his own selfish desire at the risk of harming himself and the Johnson family.


    As the car fell into a hush, Rachel suddenly asked, ¡°Uncle Tom, have you had any conflicts with


    Yandel?¡±


    ¡°Yandel Smith?¡± Tom furrowed his brow, his eyes full of contemtion. ¡°Since he transferred here,


    we¡¯ve only met. during work. Other than that, we never interacted with each other. We each have our


    own responsibilities and never interfered with each other.¡±

 Chapter 763

    Chapter 763


    Chapter 763


    Tom frowned slightly, and a hint of coldness shed across his eyes. ¡°Is this incident rted to him?¡±


    Rachel wouldn¡¯t have known about Yandel¡¯s existence if he wasn¡¯t involved, let alone asking such a


    question out of the blue.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just trying to have a casual talk with you,¡± Rachel replied honestly, knowing she


    couldn¡¯t fool her uncle, who had a keen mind. ¡°If something really happened to you, then wouldn¡¯t it be


    a perfect opportunity for him to take over your position?¡±


    With that statement, she attributed everything to the cutthroat nature of the workce.


    It wasn¡¯t that Rachel was intentionally hiding something, but rather, after a thorough investigation, they


    couldn¡¯t find any evidence implicating Yandel.


    If what Harold said was true, that Yandel was wealthy, influential, and powerful, then his subordinates


    would naturally be willing to act as his pawns to gain favor.


    Even if they knew this incident was rted to Yandel, they couldn¡¯t find any leads.


    Upon hearing this, Tom remained silent and leaned back in his seat. He stared out the window coldly


    as the scenery shed by.


    After some time, the car finally arrived at the police station.


    After getting off the car, Rachel and Lucas went straight to Warren¡¯s office while a staff led Tom to meet


    Harold.


    The two of them sat facing each other. They were clearly at the same height, but they exuded different


    auras.


    Harold had lost his usual gentle schr demeanor. He was still wearing the white shirt from the day of


    the incident, but the corners had already begun to turn yellow because he didn¡¯t change his clothes for


    several days.


    Meanwhile, Tom sat opposite Harold. Although his suit was not meticulously ironed, it still exuded an air


    of nobility befitting his high position.


    He looked at the handcuffs on Harold¡¯s hands, and a faint cold smile. appeared on his lips. ¡°On my way


    here, I recalled the story of the farmer and the snake, but meeting you this way leaves an even deeper


    impression.¡±


    Harold sped his hands together, expressionless as he lifted his gaze to


    meet Tom¡¯s.


    Harold¡¯s calm expression made Tom frown slightly. ¡°Did you ever consider that this would be your fate


    when you framed me?¡±


    ¡°So, did youe here just to watch me suffer or to hear me confess?¡± Harold let out a soft sigh. ¡°Do


    you have a cigarette?¡±


    Tom met his gaze and pondered for a moment before slowly standing up. He took a pack of cigarettes


    from his pocket and handed it to Harold.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harold calmly retrieved a cigarette, lit it up, and exhaled a puff of white smoke. He then lifted


    his eyes to look at Tom. ¡°I don¡¯t regret what I¡¯ve done.¡±


    What had been done was done. Regretting was the act of a coward.


    ¡°I must say, destroying yourself for the sake of a woman hardly qualifies you to feel remorse for


    yourself.¡± Tom mocked bluntly. ¡°It¡¯s just a pity your now miserable fate doesn¡¯t affect your beloved


    Yannis¡¯s choice to seekfort in someone else¡¯s arms.¡±


    At the mention of Yannis, Harold¡¯s face twitched slightly. His fingers. tightened around the cigarette,


    almost breaking it.


    He struggled to control his emotions from showing, but his hand trembled uncontrobly. ¡°It was my


    doing, and Yannis had nothing to do with this. She¡¯spletely unaware.¡±


    Things hade to this point, yet Harold still obstinately defended Yannis. Tom sneered. ¡°Harold, do


    you find it amusing to deceive yourself? If it weren¡¯t for someone behind the scenes instructing her,


    how would she have had the ability to introduce you to Alfredo ore up with such a meticulous n


    for you? You must be bewitched by her


    Faced with Tom¡¯s usation, Harold remained silent and continued to smoke his cigarette.


    The grayish-white smoke gathered in front of him, obscuring his facial expression.


    He knew Tom had high hopes for him and intended to nurture him as his sessor. That was why he


    was so stern with his criticisms.


    Tom lowered his gaze and looked down at Harold. His voice was freezingly cold as ice, sending chills


    down Harold¡¯s spine. ¡°The Johnsons are vengeful. Since you have harmed me, don¡¯t me me for


    being merciless when I retaliate!¡±


    Harold slowly raised his eyes. The cold expression on Tom¡¯s face made. him feel somewhat unfamiliar


    and even a little scared.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He lowered his head to conceal his panic. ¡°Whatever punishment you deem fit, I will ept it.¡±


    He acted shamelessly as if he did nothing wrong.


    ¡°Hah! You certainly have a carefree attitude! Indeed, why would anyone bother to invest even a shred


    of effort into a pawn that has lost its value,¡± Tom sneered and said pitifully and sarcastically, ¡°There are


    many ways to torture a person, not just physically and mentally, but also


    psychologically. The Johnson family treated you with such respect simply because they saw a bright


    future for your career. That¡¯s why even your parents¡¯ remains received a generous burial. But how do


    you think your parents¡¯ remains would be treated if they knew you were rotting in jail?¡±


    Right after Tom finished speaking, Harold crushed the still-burning cigarette between his fingers. The


    cigarette suddenly broke into two.


    He red at Tom¡¯s back as Tom turned around and left. He gritted his teeth and growled, ¡°I did this all


    alone. Come at me if you want!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Tom stopped in his tracks. He looked away, the mockery in his eyes disappeared,


    and he offered a final piece of advice. ¡°Harold, if you want to be evil, bepletely evil. Don¡¯t develop


    feelings for anyone.¡±


    Exiting the interrogation room, Tom strode down the hallway and stopped before a window.


    He looked at the distant sky and could not help but smile.


    self-deprecatingly.


    The moment he stepped into the political arena, he knew he couldn¡¯t afford to be soft-hearted towards


    those around him, nor were they worthy of his genuine affection.


    Harold was an exception.


    Unexpectedly, his first stumble was caused by the only exception he ever made.


    ¡°Uncle Tom, are you repenting?¡± Rachel¡¯s voice sounded from one end of the corridor.


    Tom turned to see Rachel walking towards him casually.


    His lips twitched. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Tom, do you want to hear the truth?¡± Rachel stood beside him and gazed at the distant sky


    before turning to look at him.


    Tom nodded his head.


    ¡°To be honest, Harold¡¯s temperament is more suitable for politics than Lucas¡¯s. You hope your


    assistance can make Harold remember the Johnson family¡¯s kindness to him.¡±


    Tom did this to ensure that someone could continue to shelter the Johnson family in the future.


    Rachel said unhurriedly, ¡°Lucas also knows what kind of person he is. Don¡¯t take what he said in the


    car to heart.¡±


    In fact, with Harold¡¯s abilities, even without Tom¡¯s support, he could still make a name for himself in


    politics based on his talent. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong person and the wrong path.


    Upon hearing Rachel¡¯s words, Tom sighed deeply. It turned out there was really someone in this world


    who understood him and could see his good intentions.


    Tom looked at Rachel, reached out to touch her hair, and smiled with


    satisfaction in his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

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    Chapter 764


    Chapter 764


    Rachel and Lucas followed Tom on his left and right sides.


    Lucas nced at the back of Tom¡¯s head and casually asked, ¡°You¡¯re letting that ingrate go just like


    that?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Tom knows what he¡¯s doing,¡± Rachel said.


    Lucas snorted and muttered in a low voice, ¡°If he knows what he¡¯s doing,


    why would he let someone he trusted outsmart him?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Tom stopped in his tracks.


    Behind him, Rachel and Lucas also stood rooted to the ground.


    Oh no, was he about to lose his temper and get physical?


    The thought made Lucas gulp nervously.


    Despite being all grown up now, the trauma from the past incident had left a deep impression on his


    young mind.


    ¡°Lucas, take Rae-Rae to the car and wait for me.¡± Tom turned his body slightly and took a half-step to


    one side, using his body to shield Rachel. His face was emotionless, but his tone sounded somewhat


    serious.


    Rachel and Lucas noticed his movements. Their gaze swept past Tom and nced at a ck car


    parked in front of the police station.


    The car window was tinted to prevent people from prying. Outsiders couldn¡¯t see the inside of the car,


    but Rachel could sense the gaze of the person in it.


    She frowned slightly and looked up at Tom.


    Tom¡¯s expression was cold, and his thin lips were tightly pressed as he stood in a guarded state.


    ¡°Listen to me. Go with Lucas to wait for me in the car.¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    Before she and Lucas arrived at the car, the driver of the ck car had already opened the car door. A


    gentle voice sounded, ¡°Mr. Johnson.¡±


    Chapter 764


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    A man in a suit and leather shoes walked towards them against the backdrop of the setting sun.


    The golden sunlight shone on his tall and straight figure as if he were coated in ayer of zed light.


    His well-defined face became increasingly clear as he drew closer.


    His facial features were exquisite and well-defined, like a finely drawn. painting, especially those


    amorous eyes that carried a seductive charm whether he was smiling or not.


    Upon seeing such a face, Rachel instinctivelypared him to David.


    She was surprised to find this man¡¯s appearance on par with David¡¯s.


    The only different thing about the two of them was the aura they exuded,


    During Rachel¡¯s investigation of Yandel, she had not seen any pictures of him, not even a snippet of his


    back view.


    His mysteriousness was also on par with David.


    So much so that as sheid her eyes on Yandel, she couldn¡¯t help but scrutinize him with a curious


    gaze.


    As if sensing her gaze, Yandel lifted his eyes. The moment his eyes met hers, the corners of his lips


    curled up into a faint smile.


    Lucas noticed Yandel¡¯s gaze and stepped forward to shield Rachel behind him.


    At the same time, Tom, standing at the front, took the initiative to confront Yandel. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yandel retracted his gaze and looked at Tom. He maintained a calm andposed


    demeanor. ¡°I heard you were released, so I arranged a banquet to wee you. It¡¯s just a small


    gesture to help you settle back in.¡±


    Rachel had mentioned Yandel¡¯s name earlier today, and although it was brushed off with a professional


    facade of scheming and deceit, Tom knew there was more to the story.


    Tom would never believe that Yandel, who would benefit the most from his downfall, was not involved


    in framing him.


    Chapter 764


    However, until the truth was revealed, it was best to keep his suspicions. hidden.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for a wee banquet. If you have any business to discuss, you cane to my


    office tomorrow morning,¡± Tom replied tly, his voice devoid of fluctuations.


    Yandel was not surprised by Tom¡¯s refusal and calmly swept his gaze past Tom to Rachel, who was


    under Lucas¡¯s protection.


    His eyes were calm, but they contained an innate sharpness that made people uneasy.


    Lucas met his gaze fearlessly, like a wolf cub forcefully defending the people in its territory.


    Yandel¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter when he saw what had happened. He looked back at Tom and said,


    ¡°Tonight¡¯s dinner was arranged by the chairman. As a superior, he said he should show concern for his


    subordinates, who were involved in such a serious matter. Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Johnson, the dinner won¡¯t


    dy your reunion with your family.¡±


    Yandel¡¯s voice was cold and husky, like a cocktail mixed with fruit juice. It made people let their guard


    down and get hooked unintentionally.


    ¡°If Mr. Johnson and Miss Grey are avable, they can join us.¡±


    Tom¡¯s cold expression changed slightly when he heard him. Just as he was about to reject him, the


    phone in his pocket suddenly rang.


    It was a call from the chairman. His purpose was simple. He told Tom that everyone had arrived and


    was waiting for him, the main character.


    When Tom was in trouble, his so-called good friends all chose to y dead, afraid that they would be


    implicated.


    Now that Tom was unharmed, they naturally had to curry favor with him.


    The political world wasplicated, unlike other workces.


    Not to mention a higher-ranking official had stepped in. Since the chairman had personally called, Tom


    could not just refuse and embarrass him, so he could only bite the bullet and agree.


    Chapter 764


    After hanging up the phone, Tom looked at Lucas and Rachel with a solemn expression. ¡°If there¡¯s


    nothing else, you two should go home.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the rush?¡± Yandel rubbed the ring on his right index finger and smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯ste


    already. If you are free, would you two like to join us? There are no outsiders tonight.¡±


    The dinner tonight was supposed to be a weing banquet, but it was actually just a way to show


    loyalty and form alliances.


    iming there were no outsiders was already apliment to Rachel


    and Lucas.


    Tom could not help but tighten his grip on the phone. Just as he was about to refuse, he saw Rachel


    smile. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Since the other party had already targeted her, there was no use in trying to avoid it. She might as well


    face them and see what tricks they had up their sleeves!


    Tom did not expect Rachel to agree directly. His expression changed slightly as he looked at Rachel


    meaningfully.


    Yet Rachel gave him a look and signaled him to rest assured.


    At Rhyme¡¯s Private Restaurant.


    This private restaurant was nestled halfway up the mountain. The red walls and gray tiles


    complemented the lush vegetation around it, giving it a serene and picturesque atmosphere.


    After entering the private room, everyone stood up from their seat to greet Tom, asking how he was


    doing and showing concern for him.


    Rachel secretly sized up the group of people in front of her. Among them was Dn, who had visited


    Eleanor¡¯s house that day, and a few other officials.


    She was not in the mood to look at these people¡¯s ttering faces, so she found a quiet corner and sat


    down.


    As luck would have it, she found herself seated across from Yandel.


    Rachel was slightly stunned.


    Yandel lifted his teacup and raised it in a gesture of greeting toward Rachel.


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

 Chapter 765

    Chapter 765


    Chapter 765


    It gave Rachel an indescribable feeling from the moment she firstid eyes on Yandel Smith.


    Yandel looked gentle and approachable, but he was actually cold by


    nature.


    Just like at this moment, he seemed to be in the middle of the game, but in fact, everything was under


    his control.


    ¡°How is it? Disappointed?¡± Lucas¡¯ voice sounded.


    Rachel looked at him with a meaningful smile in her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t put much hope in it, so why would I


    be disappointed?¡±


    As they were talking, Lucas¡¯ phone suddenly rang.


    Seeing that the call was from his uncle Warren Henry, he was slightly stunned. After gesturing to


    Rachel, he stood up and walked outside to answer the call.


    The corridor was quiet. Lucas walked to the recreation area by the rockery and sat down. He lit a


    cigarette, crossed his legs, took a drag on the cigarette, and answered the phone.


    As soon as he picked up the call, Warren¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°Lucas, something¡¯se


    up.¡±


    Lucas frowned slightly and asked casually, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Hearing this, Warren fell silent for a moment.


    It was unknown whether he didn¡¯t know how to speak or the following words were unspeakable.


    He hesitated for a long time without saying anything. Lucas could not help but urge. ¡°Uncle?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Warren quickly replied. He hesitated for a while and sighed deeply. ¡°Harold Durham died just


    now.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lucas tightened his grip on the cigarette. He narrowed his eyes, which flickered with


    a strange coldness. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Chapter 763


    With such a big incident, Warren did not dare to hide anything and told Lucas everything. ¡°When the


    patrolling police officers found him, he was already lying on the ground in aa. He died when he


    was sent to the hospital because he missed the best rescue time. ording to the forensics, the cause


    of death was a sudden cerebral hemorrhage.¡±


    Sudden cerebral hemorrhage¡­


    This illness really came at the right time¡­


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Tomorrow, Harold would be handed over to the judiciary for


    investigation. Coincidentally, he suddenly died of illness after Tom Johnson met him.


    Harold deserved to die, but his death would definitely affect Warren Henry and Tom Johnson.


    Lucas¡¯ eyes were filled with hostility. He took a deep breath and asked in a low and hoarse voice,


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation on your side?¡±


    ¡°They would give me a negligent punishment at most. What else can happen?¡± Warren said


    dismissively. ¡°Now that the criminal investigation. unit has already started investigating, we still have to


    wait for the autopsy report of the forensic doctor. You don¡¯t need to worry about me. I¡¯m just worried


    about your father.¡±


    No matter what, Harold Durham died from a sudden illness after meeting Tom Johnson.


    It was so coincidental that one had to think deeply about it.


    After hanging up, Lucas sat on the sofa without moving.


    If the incident weren¡¯t controlled in time, this fire would sooner orter burn on his father, Tom Johnson.


    The most important thing now was to determine the cause of Harold Durham¡¯s death and find the


    mastermind behind the poisoning!


    Sparks shed. The cigarette on Lucas¡¯ fingertip had already burned out. The skin on his fingertip felt a


    sharp burning sensation. He suddenly came back to his senses, and a trace of frustration appeared


    between his eyebrows. He pressed the cigarette into the ashtray and extinguished it before standing up


    and walking toward the private room.


    Chapter 763


    At the same time, Rachel received the news of Harold Durham¡¯s death and was stunned.


    ¡°Looks like the food tonight isn¡¯t to your liking.¡± A cold and gentle voice. came from above.


    Rachel looked up, and her red lips curled into a half smile. ¡°It was really very kind of you to care about


    a nobody like me on such an asion, Mr. Smith.¡±


    Yandel Smith then pulled out a chair and sat beside Rachel.


    His arm was naturally ced on the chair. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up, revealing his


    fair skin. Every move he made exuded the elegance and nobility of a noble young sir.


    Rachel looked straight into his eyes fearlessly. Her calm expression exuded a confident glow,


    complementing her innate cold and arrogant temperament, giving off an aura of unapproachability.


    Yandel stared at Rachel¡¯s face. The narrow corners of Rachel¡¯s eyes slightly tilted upward, carrying a


    hint of bewitching charm. ¡°Miss Grey, you are indescribably beautiful. No wonder you could attract


    others¡¯ attention. Since we¡¯re eating at the same table, why are you treating me like an outsider? If you


    don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t you call me by my name?¡±


    Rachel smiled insincerely. ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary person.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re too modest.¡± Yandel Smith¡¯s burning gaze was fixed on Rachel¡¯s face.


    Rachel was not in the mood to keep speaking in riddles with him. She simply went straight to the point.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of you to put on such a big show tonight. Mr. Smith.¡±


    Yandel Smith looked innocent. ¡°Miss Grey, why do you say that?¡±


    When Rachel saw his face, the word ¡°hypocrite¡± instantly popped up in her mind.


    ¡°Harold Durham¡¯s death was definitely rted to Yandel Smith.


    ¡°From the moment Yandel appeared at the police station to the time we ate at the same table,


    everything was within his n.


    Chapter 763


    ¡°Even if someone suspected himter, with us acting as his alibi, he could perfectly avoid all suspicion.


    ¡°On the other hand. Harold Durham suddenly died after meeting Tom, so the suspicion naturally fell on


    my uncle Tom.


    ¡°It had to be admitted that this Yandel was really good at scheming!¡± Rachel thought.


    Rachel looked at Yandel. Her raised eyebrows carried her unique charm. but her eyes were filled with


    mockery. ¡°Sorry, I need to go to the


    restroom.


    With that, she stood up and left.


    ¡°What a coincidence! I¡¯m going outside to get some fresh air. Why don¡¯t we go together?¡± As he spoke,


    Yandel followed Rachel unhurriedly.


    Rachel frowned slightly. She ignored him and walked out.


    She hated people with no sense of boundaries.


    Coincidentally, she bumped into Lucas Johnson, who had just returned from outside.


    Seeing the two of them walk out of the private room one after another, Lucas knitted his brows


    imperceptibly.


    I have something to tell you.¡± He looked at Rachel.


    Rachel nodded.


    At this moment, chaotic footsteps came from one end of the corridor, and the staff respectfully said,


    ¡°Pleasee in, gentlemen.¡±


    Looking in the direction of the voice, they saw Jimmy Shain with a group


    of his men.


    Jimmy Shain and Landon Walker walked at the front while David Jones followed behind.


    The ck suit David was wearing was meticulously ironed, and the well-tailored design entuated


    his tall and straight figure.


    He casually put one hand in his pocket and walked with slow and light


    Chapter 765


    steps. His innate nobility couldn¡¯t be hidden.


    When Jimmy Shain saw Rachel, he subconsciously smiled and prepared to go forward to greet her.


    However, when he saw Yandel Smith standing beside Rachel, his smile froze, and he subconsciously


    looked at David Jones.


    There was no change in David¡¯s expression, but a terrifying cold aura was lingering around him as if


    the surrounding air had frozen into ayer of


    fine ice.


    David was angry.

 Chapter 766

    Chapter 766


    Chapter 766


    This thought appeared very clearly in Rachel¡¯s mind.


    If David got angry, Rachel would have to coax him again.


    A helpless smile shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes as she walked straight toward David.


    Meanwhile, Yandel Smith followed behind her like a minion.


    Before Rachel could speak, he spoke first. ¡°Mr. Jones, long time no see.¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Hearing this, Rachel was a little surprised.


    However, she was not so naive as to think that the two were good friends who had not seen each other


    for a long time just by hearing a ¡°long time


    no see.¡±


    It was unknown if Yandel did it on purpose or not. He stood beside Rachel in the end.


    There was a smile on his handsome face, but there was a hint of provocation under his smile.


    Rachel frowned slightly. There was a thinyer of coldness in her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t this person know the


    boundary between men and women?¡± said she inwardly.


    She walked over to David and held his hand.


    The moment their fingertips touched, David instinctively held her hand.


    The moment Rachel¡¯s cold hand was wrapped in David¡¯s warm palm, at warm current slowly flowed


    from Rachel¡¯s fingertips to her heart.


    The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and the coldness in her eyes. faded a little.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since west met, but you are still as elegant as ever. Mr. Smith.¡± David sized


    Yandel up from head to toe. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, but the smile did not reach his


    eyes.


    Chapter 766


    Yandel understood what David meant. The expression on his face changed abruptly, and his gaze


    suddenly became malicious, like a poisonous snake that could eat humans.


    He narrowed his eyes and rubbed the ring on his index finger. ¡°I can¡¯t bepared to you, of course,


    Mr. Jones.¡±


    David stared at Yandel with his cold ck eyes. His gaze was as sharp as a knife. ¡°Since you know


    that you¡¯re not worthy of beingpared to me, keep in mind what I said before!¡±


    With that, he held Rachel¡¯s hand and walked past Yandel.


    Yandel¡¯s gaze followed the two as they left. When his gazended on Rachel, his long eyes narrowed


    slightly. He stared at Rachel¡¯s tall, slender back as if staring at his prey. The corners of his mouth curled


    into an intriguing smile, giving off a sinister feeling.


    ¡°Tsk, if you keep looking, your eyeballs will be dug out.¡± Jimmy¡¯s mocking voice sounded. The sarcasm


    in his words was fierce. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re not missing any arms or legs, so why are you always fixated on


    someone else¡¯s things with a twisted mentality?¡±


    ¡°Someone else¡¯s things?¡± Yandel repeated meaningfully. ¡°You mean Rachel Grey?¡±


    He had heard about the position of Rachel in David¡¯s heart. However, what he heard was far less


    realistic than what he saw.


    Now, he had finally known Rachel¡¯s position in David¡¯s heart.


    Seeing that Yandel was pretending to be confused, Jimmy decided to be straightforward. ¡°Some people


    can¡¯t be touched even if you want to. Of course, if you want to court death, no one will stop you.¡±


    Landon Walker, who was standing at the side, stepped forward and grasped Yandel¡¯s shoulder hard,


    saying earnestly, ¡°Yandel Smith, you don¡¯t have a say in Seaxas yet!¡±


    Hearing this, Yandel raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at the two in front of him with a meaningful


    gaze.


    One had to know that the reputation of David and his group was more than notorious in the circle.


    Chapter 766


    Not only did they act with a heavy hand, but they also believed in eliminating all future troubles.


    But now, this group of people was protecting Rachel in every way. This really surprised Yandel.


    On the other side.


    Rachel was led to a VIP room by David.


    The moment she walked in, Rachel subconsciously looked around.


    However, before she could see clearly, David grabbed her arm with one hand and supported the side of


    her head with his other hand. Then he pressed Rachel against the door and imprisoned her in his


    arms.


    He looked down at Rachel in his arms. His deep voice was mixed with displeasure. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to


    pick up your uncle?¡±


    Why was she here with Yandel?


    Perhaps it was his natural possessiveness. When David saw Rachel and Yandel together, he felt an


    uncontroble anger in his heart.


    Rachel raised her eyes and looked at David. Her clear and beautiful eyes flickered with a smile. ¡°The


    chairman Mr. Lexcon specially arranged a wee banquet for my uncle tonight. Lucas and I came


    along with my uncle.¡±


    Although Yandel¡¯s face was not ugly, it gave off apletely different feelingpared to David¡¯s.


    One of them was like a male lead from aic book, and the other was like a king in reality.


    Looking at the mesmerizing face before, Rachel revealed a hint of infatuation in her eyes.


    David stared at Rachel with an attentive gaze. His well-defined face seemed to be covered with a thin


    layer of ice. He stretched out his arm. and wrapped it around Rachel¡¯s slender waist. ¡°Stay away from


    him in the future!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. She reached out and hooked David¡¯s tie with


    her fingertips. ¡°Is he too dangerous or


    Chapter 766


    beautiful that you feel a sense of danger?¡±


    Perhaps because they had been together for a long time, Rachel was not afraid of David¡¯s warning at


    all.


    Because she knew that no matter what happened, David would not hurt her.


    As Rachel became more and more outrageous, David¡¯s arm tightened slightly, and his eyes narrowed,


    revealing a dangerous dark light in his. eyes. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes shed slightly. She reached out and hooked her arms. around David¡¯s neck, saying


    seriously, ¡°In my heart, he naturally can¡¯tpare to you.¡±


    She tried to coax David as a wise woman who always knew when and how to move with the times.


    These words indeed made the coldness in David¡¯s eyes disappear a little.


    His hand on Rachel¡¯s waist rxed a little. He raised his hand to touch the top of Rachel¡¯s head and


    leaned down to peck her lips. ¡°Stay away from him, and don¡¯t be curious about him.¡±


    His tone was calm, and every word was filled with a serious warning.


    Rachel nodded and said, ¡°Got it.¡±


    Originally, she did not intend to have anything to do with Yandel.


    In terms of curiosity, that curiosity was only limited to Yandel¡¯s motive. It had nothing to do with him.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I find any information about him?¡± Rachel looked at David.


    Since she knew that Yandel was up to no good, she had to find out some relevant information.


    As the saying went, ¡°If you know yourself and your enemy, you will win every battle.¡±


    When David heard this, a meaningful smile shed across his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s the third son of the Olson


    family in Aureliana. Yandel Smith is only a fake name he used outside.¡±


    Chapter 766


    ¡°I see.¡± Rachel smiled knowingly.


    David held her hand, saying, ¡°Do you want to stay?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go tell my uncle,¡± replied Rachel.


    Unexpectedly, just as Rachel finished speaking, Tom called.


    Before she could speak, David bent down and kissed her.


    When they kissed, there was a faint ambiguous sound, which made Tom instantly suspicious on the


    other end of the phone. His deep voice


    subconsciously raised. ¡°Rae-Rae, where are you?¡±

 Chapter 767

    Chapter 767


    Chapter 767


    Rachel patted David¡¯s chest hard and looked at him bitterly.


    When David let go of her, his eyes were filled with smiles as he turned around and walked to the


    balcony.


    ¡°Rae-Rae? Can you hear me?¡± Tom¡¯s voice sounded.


    Rachel quickly came back to her senses. She cleared her throat and said, ¡°Tom, I¡¯ll go look for you


    now.¡±


    When she hung up the phone and walked out of the private room, she happened to see Tom walking


    out of the private room as well. ¡°Tom.¡±


    The group of people seemed to have conspired together tonight, and under the guise of weing


    Tom, they got him to drink a lot of alcohol. Fortunately, Tom pretended to be drunk and managed to


    avoid keep drinking.


    Even so, there was still a strong smell of alcohol lingering around him.


    He walked up to Rachel and noticed the smudged lipstick on her lips. He frowned slightly, and his


    expression turned cold. ¡°Where did you go? Where¡¯s Lucas? Why didn¡¯t you let him follow you?¡±


    It was not that he was overly nervous, but when he saw Rachel and Yandel Smith leave one after


    another, he was pestered by others and could only watch as Yandel Smith left with Rachel.


    Yandel had just returned, but Rachel was nowhere to be seen.


    Coupled with Rachel¡¯s current state, he could not help but think of Rachel being bullied by Yandel


    Smith.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s not someone who can be bullied easily by anyone.¡± Lucas¡¯ mockery sounded from


    behind.


    Rachel and Tom simultaneously looked at him.


    ¡°I told you to protect Rae-Rae. Where did you go?¡± Tom scolded in a low voice with a serious


    expression.


    Lucas raised his eyebrows slightly without answering.


    Chapter 767


    He had personally witnessed Rachel being taken away by David Jones. What danger could there be?


    Besides, Rachel seemed quite happy to be bullied by David Jones.


    Lucas yed the lighter with his fingertips and looked at the expression on Tom¡¯s face. After hesitating


    for a while, he said, ¡°Harold Durham is dead.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± When he heard this, Tom¡¯s muddled brain instantly sobered up. His throat was


    slightly dry. ¡°How could he¡­ When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°This evening.¡± Lucas did not hide anything and told Tom everything that his uncle Warren Henry had


    said. ¡°That¡¯s what happened, but there are certain doubts about his death. We have to wait for the


    autopsy report from the forensic doctor.¡±


    Tom said nothing but silently turned around and walked to the corridor.


    He seemed to have exhausted all his strength in just a few short steps. He suddenly reached out to


    support himself against a stone pir at the side. His fingers kept curling up, and his joints were livid.


    He tried his best to suppress the emotions that kept surging in the depths of his heart.


    He had given too much hope to Harold Durham. Otherwise, he would not have intentionally nurtured


    Harold.


    He had thought of teaching Harold Durham a lesson but never thought that Harold Durham would die.


    After an unknown period of time, he slowly stood up and looked up at the endless night sky. He let out


    a long sigh, and there was a slight mockery in the corners of his eyes.


    Standing behind Tom, Rachel and Lucas looked at each other. Lucas pouted at Rachel, indicating for


    her tofort Tom.


    ¡°If I were tofort him, he might think that I was pretending to be merciful,¡± thought Lucas.


    Rachel pursed her lips. ¡°Tom, don¡¯t be too sad.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sad about.¡± Tom¡¯s lips twitched.


    Chapter 767


    Actually, he wasn¡¯t sad. He just felt a little shocked and regretful.


    Harold wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this if he hadn¡¯t framed Tom.


    The failure of the n meant that Harold had be an abandoned pawn. He had lost his value and


    would naturally be eliminated.


    It wasn¡¯t that Tom hadn¡¯t thought of this before, but he didn¡¯t expect this day toe so quickly.


    He quicklyposed himself, and his expression returned to normal. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go back early.


    I¡¯ll get Lucas to send you back.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Rachel quickly rejected. ¡°I have a friend who happens to be eating here too. I¡¯ll go over to


    his ceter.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡± Tom subconsciously looked in the direction behind Rachel. His eyes flickered with a dark and


    complicated light. ¡°What friend? Why didn¡¯t I hear you say it just now? Do I know him?¡±


    Rachel was afraid that Tom would suggest going over to greet David in the next second and hurriedly


    said. ¡°He just came over not long ago. Lucas knows him too. Do you, Lucas?¡±


    Lucas could not help but roll his eyes when hearing this.


    He knew that it was never a good thing when Rachel called him so intimately.


    Seeing Lucas standing still without any response, Rachel took a step forward and pinched his arm.


    Lucas¡¯ expression changed in pain.


    ¡°Such a ruthless girl!¡± said he inwardly.


    However, he had no choice but to maintain hisposure and quickly answered, ¡°Yes, I know him.¡±


    Upon hearing his answer, Rachel slowly let go.


    Tom looked at the interaction between them and then at the smudged lipstick on Rachel¡¯s lips. He had


    a vague guess in his heart. ¡°You can go over then. Don¡¯t drink, and don¡¯t stay up toote.¡±


    Chapter 767


    ¡°Got it, Tom.¡±


    Tom stood on the spot and watched Rachel leave. His eyes flickered with a dark andplicated


    expression.


    Unlike the private room Tom was in, this private room had a separate balcony connected to the back


    garden, giving it a courtyard-like vibe.


    As soon as Rachel entered, she heard Jimmy Shain and the others chatting.


    There was also an unfamiliar voice.


    She walked in and saw an unfamiliar face, as she had expected.


    The man had a strong facial contour, sharp eyebrows, and starry eyes, but he was not as stunningly


    handsome as David Jones.


    His figure was simr to that of David. He was wearing a white shirt with the cor slightly open,


    revealing a hint of aggression and rebelliousness.


    He held a cigarette between his fingers and rested his arm on the backrest. His posture waszy and


    casual, like a lion taking a catnap.


    When David saw Rachel, he waved at her. ¡°You came at the right time.. Let me introduce you to a


    friend.¡±


    Rachel walked over and naturally ced her hand in David¡¯s palm.


    ¡°Brendan Cook, this is Rachel Grey, my woman,¡± said David.


    Brendan quickly put out the cigarette between his fingers in the ashtray. As he stood up, he naturally


    extended his hand to Rachel. ¡°Hello, Rachel.¡±


    Out of politeness, Rachel extended her hand.


    However, as soon as she raised her hand, David grabbed it. ¡°No need to stand on ceremony among


    ourselves.¡±


    Brendan looked at his hand that was in midair. A meaningful smile shed across his eyes.


    ¡°Tsk, he¡¯s so damn possessive.


    ¡°Can¡¯t even allow us to manage a handshake?¡± thought Brendan.


    Chapter 767


    Rachel didn¡¯t feel anything, though. Her gaze swept across Brendan¡¯s face.


    ¡°The Cook family¡­


    ¡°Could it be the Cook family of Aureliana?¡± said she inwardly.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Just as she was thinking about it, the hand on her waist suddenly tightened, interrupting her thoughts.


    She came back to her senses and turned to look at David. Then, she lowered her eyes to hide the


    smile in them.

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    Chapter 768


    Chapter 768


    The banquetsted until ten o¡¯clock at night.


    After it ended, Rachel left with David.


    Brendan watched the two of them leave and gave Jimmy a look. A yful smile appeared on his lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is he serious?¡±


    ¡°When did you ever see David not serious?¡± Jimmy raised his eyebrows slightly. The perfect arc


    revealed a hint of flirtatiousness, making the mole under his eye look even more evil and charming.


    ¡°He¡¯s already proposed to her.¡±


    Hearing this, Brendan was rather surprised. ¡°It¡¯s indeed unexpected.¡±


    There had been many rumors between the Jones family and the Clifford family, especially in recent


    years. The rumor that Jennifer was the future wife of David appointed by Old Mr. Jones had been


    spread crazily and it was hard for others not to believe it.


    At that time, David did not have any exnation. Brendan thought that it was David¡¯s tacit agreement


    to the marriage.


    Unexpectedly, he proposed to another woman in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°There will be many unexpected things in the future.¡± Jimmy patted Brendan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do you want


    to go to the bar?¡±


    Brendan raised his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Rachel originally nned to go back to Sandalwood Hills with David, but halfway through, she received


    a call from Lucas. ¡°Will you return to the Johnson family tonight?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rachel instinctively had a bad premonition.


    On the other end of the line, Lucas lit a cigarette and took a puff. He said unhurriedly, ¡°I don¡¯t know who


    in the family spilled the beans about my father. When Grandpa found out, he suddenly fainted and is


    already asleep. Do you want toe back and take a look?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel did not hesitate at all. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Chapter 768


    After hanging up, she looked at David.


    Before she could speak, the man had already signaled Billy to drive. toward the Johnson¡¯s Mansion.


    When the car drove all the way to Johnson¡¯s Mansion, Rachel leaned forward and nted a gentle kiss


    on David¡¯s lips.


    She wanted to stop the kiss immediately after her lips touched his lips, but before she could do that,


    David suddenly grabbed the back of her neck and wrapped his other hand tightly around her slender


    waist.


    The two of them kissed deeper and deeper. An ambiguous and passionate atmosphere spread


    between the two of them, gradually filling the small car.


    When Rachel¡¯s tongue went numb and the feeling of suffocation became stronger, David reluctantly let


    go of her.


    His dark eyes became darker and darker as if a small me had been lit in the depths of his eyes,


    reflecting the dark desire and greed in them. ¡°Go back and have a good night.¡±


    His deep voice was tinged with sensual hoarseness that was exceptionally bewitching.


    Rachel¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly. ¡°You too.¡±


    David¡¯s arm was still wrapped around her waist. His warm palm caressed her waist. He buried his head


    in her neck and took a deep breath before kissing her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need¡­¡± David¡¯s face was still buried in her neck. His breath was slightly warm as it


    brushed past her neck, making her tremble. ¡°I¡¯ll go to thepany myself tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going first.¡±


    David looked at Rachel¡¯s back as she left. His eyes were filled with greed and reluctance.


    When the woman¡¯s figure disappeared from his sight, he slowly rolled up the car window. His


    expression returned to its usual coldness and


    Chapter 768


    indifference. ¡°Find a way to get the evidence out of Alfredo¡¯s mouth that Yandel was involved in setting


    Tom up.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Eddie replied.


    He nced at the man sitting in the back seat through the rearview mirror. After thinking for a while, he


    said word by word, ¡°Sir, Yandel¡¯s ultimate goal in attacking Tom this time may be Miss Grey. Perhaps¡­


    Mr. Noah is also behind this. Are we going to expose him, too?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± David crossed his legs and ced his hands naturally on his knees. ¡°The Johnson family is


    not a family that can be easily bullied in Seaxas.¡±


    Now, the existence of the second branch of the Jones family was more used to restrict the other


    branches.


    Even without Noah, there would be others who would reach into Seaxas.


    ¡°Spread the word to the other branches.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    At Grand Central Law Firm, Adrian leaned against the side of the table. with a cup of coffee in his hand.


    He looked at the colorful neon lights outside the window in a daze. His eyes under the sses were


    deep. No one knew what he was thinking.


    At this moment, his phone suddenly rang. It was a phone call made by Rachel.


    He swiped the screen to answer the call and asked, ¡°What¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. I just wanted to tell you that Uncle Tom is out. You don¡¯t need to worry about him.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s voice entered Adrian¡¯s ears through the phone.


    Adrian responded, ¡°Got it.¡±


    After hanging up, he held his phone and pondered for a long time. He silently prepared the words that


    he was going to say in his heart and mustered his courage to call Jessica.


    However, it was not Jessica¡¯s voice that came from the phone. Instead, it


    102


    Chapter 768


    was a mechanical and cold voice broadcast. ¡°Sorry! The subscriber you have dialed is temporarily


    unavable¡­¡±


    Adrian¡¯s face suddenly darkened. He threw his phone on the table angrily.


    Ever since the two of them parted on bad terms in the officest time, they had started a cold war.


    In the old cold wars they had before, Jessica would always find topics or other opportunities to ease the


    tension.


    But this time, she did nothing.


    Adrian frowned slightly and pondered for a long time. He picked up his phone again and opened Twitter


    to find Jessica¡¯s ount. He scrolled through her messages and posts.


    When he saw the photos of Jessica eating, drinking, and having fun in Frenia, his face instantly


    darkened to the extreme. He gritted his teeth. secretly. ¡°Jessica, you¡¯re really great!¡±


    On the other side, when Rachel found out that her grandfather had fallen asleep, she did not disturb


    him and returned to her room to rest.


    After washing up, shey on the bed and slept until dawn.


    The next morning, she slowly woke up.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    She looked at the ceiling above her head in a daze for a moment before slowly sitting up.


    At this moment, a servant knocked on her door. ¡°Miss Grey, Mr. Johnson is awake.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right there!¡±


    She hurriedly washed up and changed her clothes. She opened the door and went straight to the


    bedroom of Old Mr. Johnson.


    At this moment, the private doctor was in front of Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s bed and helping him do a detailed


    checkup.


    Although Old Mr. Johnson looked a little impatient, he cooperated obediently.


    Chapter 768


    When the examination was over, Rachel asked, ¡°How is it?¡±


    The doctor took off the stethoscope on his ear and said unhurriedly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯s just that


    he fainted from a moment of agitation. However, considering that Mr. Johnson has undergone surgery


    before, we still have to avoid making him too agitated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already said that it¡¯s not a big problem.¡± Although Old Mr. Johnson was much more energetic, his


    face still looked a little haggard. He was half-lying on the bed. ¡°All of you, instead of being paranoid


    every day, why don¡¯t you spend some time having a good meal with me?¡±


    His tone sounded like he was an arrogant and willful child.


    Everyone could not help but smile.


    When the group was about to leave, Rachel sent them out and went to the kitchen to bring breakfast.

 Chapter 769

    Chapter 769


    Chapter 769


    When Rachel returned to the bedroom, Old Mr. Johnson had already gotten up and walked to the


    window.


    ¡°Grandpa, why are you up?¡± Rachel walked in and quickly ced the food on the table. She picked up


    a thin shirt and ced it on Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve just recovered. What if you catch a


    cold?¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson looked at Rachel¡¯s face which resembled Sophia¡¯s. There was a rare gentleness in his


    eyes.


    He patted Rachel¡¯s hand, then slowly turned around and walked toward the little coffee table.


    The two of them ate in silence. Old Mr. Johnson slowly stirred the soup in the bowl with a spoon. His


    sharp eyes looked at Rachel from time to time. After thinking for a long time, he slowly said, ¡°Rae-Rae,


    how did Tome out this time?¡±


    Rachel slowed her chewing movements slightly. She slowly lowered her head to hide the expression in


    her eyes. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because the investigation team has found out the truth.¡±


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Johnson could not help but raise his eyebrows.


    Although he had never stepped into politics, he more or less understood the rules and regtions.


    Previously, the anonymous letters were all testifying against Tom. It could be said that the evidence


    was conclusive, giving Tom no chance to make aeback.


    Under such circumstances, Tom would probably not be able toe out for the rest of his life.


    However, in just two to three days, not only did the investigation team find other evidence to prove


    Tom¡¯s innocence, they even released him. Naturally, there was someone behind the scenes to help.


    He picked up the bowl in front of him and took a small sip of soup. ¡°You, can hide this from others, but


    you can¡¯t hide it from me. Tell me honestly, did you ask for help from David?¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Chapter 769


    Rachel was stunned. She looked up at Old Mr. Johnson and nodded gently. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for help from


    him, but he did help a lot.¡±


    Although without David¡¯s help, she and Lucas would also think of ways to save Tom, it would not be as


    fast as now.


    ¡°I knew it.¡± Old Mr. Johnson snorted and put down the bowl in his hand, making a neither loud nor soft


    sound. ¡°He won¡¯t let go of any chance to please our Johnson family!¡±


    Rachel took a napkin and slowly wiped the corners of her mouth. ¡°Grandpa, he did help us this time.


    We should thank him.¡±


    ¡°Thank him?¡± Old Mr. Johnson raised his chin slightly and snorted arrogantly. ¡°He clearly has ill


    intentions. Why should I thank him?


    He knew what David was nning!


    Seeing that Old Mr. Johnson was biased against David, Rachel did not dare to say anything more.


    She was afraid that her words would have the opposite effect.


    The room fell silent for a moment. Old Mr. Johnson pondered for a moment and said calmly. ¡°Do you


    have any thoughts about your uncle being framed this time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that our Johnson family has money and status. No one can rece our position in


    Seaxas. However, when Uncle Tom encountered danger this time, I suddenly realized it¡¯s useless that


    we have only money and status. We still need power,¡± Rachel said. ¡°Uncle Tom almost got into trouble


    this time. Although we don¡¯t expect our partners to help, if such a thing happens again, it¡¯s hard to


    guarantee that they won¡¯t take the opportunity to hit us when we¡¯re in trouble.¡±


    Hearing her words, a gratified smile shed across Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s


    eyes.


    He looked at Rachel. ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡±


    What should they do¡­.


    Actually, Rachel already had an answer in her heart, but she did not want to do so.


    Chapter 769


    She lowered her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re just ying dumb!¡± Old Mr. Johnson did not give her a chance to y dumb and directly


    said, ¡°You know very well that if you want to stabilize your position in a short period of time, you can


    only do it through a marriage alliance!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Old Mr. Johnson, but everyone in the Johnson family looked down on this way.


    But with Tom¡¯s example, they realized that something had to be done.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, there are only zero times and countless times in this world. Since there¡¯s this time, there will


    be a next time. As the saying goes, a person in a high position is liable to be attacked. As the richest


    family in Seaxas, there are many eyes on our Johnson family in the dark. Tom has been in trouble this


    time, and I¡¯m sure you have got something from the attitude of others, right?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel stopped talking.


    Whether it was the sudden freezing of funds by the bank or the other relevant departments ordering the


    project to stop work under the pretext of an investigation, all of those were the hit Tom suffered when


    he was in trouble.


    However, Rachel knew very well what a marriage alliance would mean.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a marriage alliance? I¡¯ll do it!¡± Lucas¡¯s voice sounded from behind.


    Old Mr. Johnson and Rachel looked up and saw Lucas walking in wearing a white shirt.


    The cor of his shirt was slightly open, revealing the outline of his corbone. With one hand in his


    pocket, he walked in casually and briskly. Then, he sat beside Rachel. ¡°As a member of the Johnson


    family and your biological grandson, let me bear the burden of this. It¡¯s a way for me to repay the


    Johnson family raised me.¡±


    ¡°What do you know!¡± Old Mr. Johnson red at him. ¡°I¡¯m making ns. for Rae-Rae. It¡¯s none of your


    business!¡±


    ¡°How is it none of my business?¡± Lucas satzily on the sofa. He nced


    Chapter 769


    at Old Mr. Johnson and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine that you¡¯re partial to her in normal times, but why are you still


    thinking of her first now when ites to the marriage union? It¡¯s not fair! Do you really think I¡¯m


    useless in your heart?¡±


    As he spoke, he nced at the watch on his wrist. ¡°I was wondering what time it was. Why don¡¯t you go


    to the office?¡±


    Rachel looked up and the two of them exchanged a subtle look.


    She stood up. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll go to the office first.¡±


    When she walked out of the door, she vaguely heard Old Mr. Johnson reprimanding Lucas, ¡°You brat,


    you¡¯re really a natural spoiler! You¡¯ve wasted my painstaking efforts!¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m a spoiler, then you¡¯re a couple breaker!¡± Lucas retorted bluntly. ¡°You clearly know that Rae-Rae is


    with that person, yet you still came up with such a bad idea for a marriage alliance. Don¡¯t forget that he


    just used his connections to get your eldest son out of there. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to thank him, but


    you still want to make his woman marry another man. I think you¡¯re thinking of losing your fame!¡±


    ¡°You brat, you¡¯re really getting more and morewless¡­¡±


    The squabble between the grandfather and grandson gradually faded away as Rachel left.


    After leaving, Rachel set off for thepany.


    As soon as she arrived at thepany, she received a call from Lucas. ¡°Don¡¯t take Grandpa¡¯s words to


    heart. With me around, it¡¯s not your turn to have a marriage alliance to make our family strong!¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel felt a warm feeling in her heart.


    Unconsciously, her lips curved into a faint smile. ¡°Thank you, Lucas.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my sister,¡± Lucas said.


    Naturally, he had to protect his sister everywhere and could not let her suffer any injustice or bullying.


    Even Old Mr. Johnson could not bully her.


    Chapter 769


    After hanging up, Rachel walked into the office. Linda followed her in and handed her a document. ¡°Ms.


    Grey, take a look at this.¡±

 Chapter 770

    Chapter 770


    Chapter 770


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Rachel looked at the item in her hand in confusion.


    Linda exined. ¡°It¡¯s an invitation and information sent by the summit. They want to invite Johnson


    Corporation to attend the summit and discuss the development tendency of Seaxas for the next three


    years.¡±


    Rachel opened the folder and flipped through the information in her hand. ¡°So, the renovation and


    development of the old city are also included in the summit this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Linda said, ¡°Coincidentally, our project in the east of the city is being implemented and has been


    chosen as the focus of this summit. Otherwise, ourpany would not have been on the invitation list.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s quite a coincidence.¡±


    Then, she saw that under the title ¡°Chief Consultant¡± was the name ¡°Noah Jones¡±.


    The corners of her mouth curled up in a meaningful smile.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Rachel thought. ¡°This is not a coincidence at all. It¡¯s just someone¡¯s painstaking


    arrangement.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Rachel casually threw the document on the table. ¡°Go do your work first.¡±


    Linda nodded but did not turn around to leave.


    Rachel raised her eyes and looked at Linda. Seeing that Linda was about to say something, she


    frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Linda pursed her lips and thought for a while before saying carefully, ¡°It¡¯s about Haley.¡±


    Rachel found this name familiar.


    Haley used to be Olivia¡¯s assistant.


    ¡°I suspect that she¡¯s still in contact with Olivia in private,¡± Linda said.


    When Rachel heard this, her expression changed slightly.


    11:13


    Chapter 770


    She raised her eyes and stared at Linda without blinking. There was a thought-provoking dark glint in


    the depths of her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s currently working at the strategy department?¡±


    Linda replied. ¡°Yes, and she is the leader of Team One.¡±


    Rachel sat on the chair and tapped the table rhythmically with her fingertips. ¡°Keep an eye on her first


    and see what she¡¯s up to.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Linda left, Rachel turned on herputer to check the relevant information about this summit.


    She mainly wanted to know what Noah was up to.


    Coincidentally, her phone rang.


    Seeing the call from Vulture, Rachel frowned slightly.


    Why did he suddenly call her?


    She hesitated for a second before picking up the phone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    When Vulture heard Rachel¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone, he was slightly stunned. It was as if


    he had an illusion of being in a dream. ¡°Um¡­¡±


    He stammered, unable to open his mouth.


    Rachel¡¯s brow rxed slightly, and the corners of her eyes raised slightly. She twirled the pen with her


    fingertips and said slowly, ¡°Are you just going to keep silent like this? Well, I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± Vulture knew that Rachel had always kept her word. He pondered for a moment and


    finally said in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s Lone Wolf. He disappeared in Seaxas.¡±


    Lone Wolf is the leader of the intelligence department ¡°Red me¡±,


    He was also the core of the Red me Army.


    No wonder Vulture¡¯s tone was so serious.


    If people outside knew that Lone Wolf was missing, the Red me Army would probably be in a mess.


    Chapter 770


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Rachel stopped twirling the pen.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Several days ago, we suddenly received an order. The other party wanted us to investigate a man


    called ¡®Mr. Dickens, but there was not news from the people they sent previously. Lone Wolf had no


    choice but to go alone. He was fine in the first ce, but who knew that he would suddenly lose


    contact?¡± Speaking of this, Vulture scratched his head in frustration. ¡°Twelve, you know. Lone Wolf is


    the core of the intelligence.work. If something really happens to him, the intelligence department


    will be in chaos.


    ¡°In the first ce, I nned to go to Seaxas personally, but Seaxas has always been David¡¯s territory. If


    I bring people over rashly, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll break the rules. So, I¡¯m wondering if you can do me a favor and


    get David to bring him back.¡±


    He paused for a moment and said in a serious tone, ¡°If Lone Wolf can be brought back safely, I¡¯ll agree


    to one condition of his!¡±


    Rachel knew Vulture well. He had always been a man of his word.


    Since he had promised her, he would definitely keep his word.


    After listening to him patiently, Rachel asked casually, ¡°Investigate Mr. Dickens?¡±


    Was it Ronnie Diekens?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vulture replied. He lit a cigarette and took a deep puff. ¡°I don¡¯t know where this person came


    from. Not only did he upy the underground market near the city in a short period of time, but he also


    upied a spot. in Seaxas. I guess he is very arrogant, and that¡¯s why his rivals couldn¡¯t stand him


    anymore. But then again, Lone Wolf lost this time. This means. that we shouldn¡¯t underestimate this Mr.


    Diekens, and you must be more careful.¡±


    Rachel responded, ¡°Send me the location of Lone Wolf¡¯s disappearance.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Vulture pounded away at the keyboard and sent Lone Wolf¡¯s location before he disappeared


    to Rachel. ¡°By the way, that ¡®Mr. Diekens¡¯ is very mysterious. There¡¯s not even a photo of him.


    However, ording to the description of people who have seen him, he looks neither male nor female.


    If you see someone like him, you have to be careful.¡±


    Chapter 770


    ¡°Neither male nor female?¡± Rachel murmured inwardly. ¡°That sounds a little bit discriminatory.¡±


    However, when she thought of Ronnie¡¯s attractive face, it seemed that there was no other better


    adjective other than this expression.


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel left thepany and went to thest district where Lone Wolf


    disappeared.


    Before getting into the car, she called David. Strangely, David didn¡¯t pick it up after the phone rang for a


    long time.


    Just as she was filled with doubts, the call was picked up.


    However, it was not David¡¯s voiceing from the receiver, but Eddie¡¯s.


    ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t know where Eddie was at the moment. It was a little noisy around him, causing Rachel to


    frown slightly. ¡°Where¡¯s David?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jones is in the middle of a meeting. It¡¯s not convenient for him to pick up the phone for the time


    being. Miss Grey, feel free to let me know if you need anything.¡± Eddie said.


    Rachel started the car and drove out of the underground parking lot. ¡°Please tell him that he doesn¡¯t


    have to pick me up tonight.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel focused on driving and soon arrived at the area where Lone Wolf


    had disappeared.


    This was a famous bar street in Seaxas.


    The bar street was filled with all sorts of people, and many of them used to be real gangsters.


    ording to the information sent to her by Vulture, after three rounds. ofnd-grab, this district now


    belonged to Mr. Dickens.


    Ronnie was able to upy this ce in such a short period of time, which could show that he was


    extremely powerful.


    When Rachel arrived, it was not even five in the afternoon.


    Chapter 770


    At this moment, all the bars on the street were still in a quiet state.


    Rachel parked the car by the roadside and entered one of the bars.


    The waiter who was cleaning the bar counter saw Rachel and narrowed his eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t see the


    ¡®closed¡¯ sign at the door, did you?¡±


    The waiter¡¯s tone was not friendly. In fact, it sounded a little rude and domineering.


    He was wearing a bartender¡¯s uniform, but his burly figure made him look especially awkward, like a


    ck bear wearing a tuxedo.


    Rachel¡¯s walked toward the bar counter, keys twirled in her fingers. ¡°Give me a martini.¡±


    This was the secret code to enter the interior of the bar.


    When the man heard Rachel¡¯s words, his expression changed slightly. His gaze secretly roamed over


    her.


    After a long time, he threw the rag on the table. ¡°Follow me!¡±

 Chapter 771

    Chapter 771


    Chapter 771


    Rachel followed the bartender into one of the VIP rooms.


    Little did she expect that thisvishly decorated VIP room would conceal a secret door.


    As Rachelid eyes on the unexpected hidden door, her eyebrows slightly raised.


    ¡°Go inside.¡± The bartender gestured with a chin nod, indicating for Rachel to enter the hidden door.


    Rachel didn¡¯t hesitate and stepped forward.


    As soon as she walked in, the hidden door behind her was closed.


    At the same time, the secret passage became brightly illuminated, guiding Rachel forward.


    She walked along the secret passage. And the noisy mor of people gradually became distinct.


    As the narrow secret passage suddenly opened up, the extravagant and indulgent scene in the casino


    appeared in front of her.


    The entire underground casino had an area of tens of thousands of square feet. It was divided into


    different levels and areas based on the value of the chips.


    Crystal chandeliers and red carpets adorned the space, exuding luxury wherever the eye could see.


    On the upper level, a massive observation hall was constructed, allowing a panoramic view of the


    actions and behaviors of every individual in the underground casino.


    It seemed that there were no restrictions on anyone here, allowing people to indulge themselves


    without any restraints. Therefore, everyone in this ce had shed their daytime inhibitions.


    ¡°You look unfamiliar.¡± A man in uniform walked to Rachel¡¯s side. He had a gentle and polite smile on his


    face, but his eyes were filled with scrutiny. and curiosity. ¡°May I know what you¡¯d like to y tonight?¡±


    The man was a dealer in the casino.


    Rachel tilted her head slightly and looked at him. ¡°ckjack¡±


    The man gestured to her politely and respectfully. ¡°Please follow me,¡±


    They walked over to the ckjack table. And the dealer pulled out a chair for Rachel to sit down.


    Rachel instinctively looked at the people in front of her.


    The table she sat at was upied by women, each apanied by a handsome dealer. Even the


    croupiers were exceptionally attractive men.


    Simrly, the tables where the male guests sat were all women with good figures and outstanding looks


    Rachel slowly lowered her gaze, concealing the subtle amusement in her


    eyes.


    She thought inwardly, ¡°How interesting.


    ¡°Mr. Dickens seemed to have a deep understanding of both men¡¯s and women¡¯s thoughts.¡±


    A handsome croupier¡¯s gaze met Rachel¡¯s mesmerizing face, and his eyes could not help but reveal a


    hint of astonishment.


    There were all kinds of people in the casino. But it was rare to see such an eye-catching face.


    In fact, she was not inferior to his boss at all.


    The dealer next to Rachel patiently exined the rules to her, and then exchanged a nce with the


    croupier, signaling him to deal the cards.


    In the game of ckjack, the objective was to have a hand with a total value as close to 21 as


    possible..


    The yer with a hand closest to 21 would be the winner.


    ¡°400 thousand dors.¡± Rachel directly threw out the chips.


    The crowd paused for a moment, evidently surprised by her bold move. Then, each face disyed a


    hint of intriguing amusement.


    Chapter 771


    It seemed that a newbie had arrived there.


    However, it was unknown if Rachel was too lucky or if others were too. unlucky. The final winner was


    Rachel.


    In the subsequent rounds, Rachel seemed to be blessed by Lady Luck herself, winning one after


    another.


    Seeing that she had more and more chips in her hand, everyone¡¯s gaze toward her became a mix of


    envy and jealousy.


    Her tablemate quickly lost all her chips. And the woman, wearing arge gold chain around her neck,


    angrily eximed, ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re


    cheating!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, her words instantly captured everyone¡¯s


    attention.


    No matter which casino it was, cheating was a big taboo.


    Rachel, resting her cheek on her hand, casually toyed with a poker chip. worth 200 thousand dors.


    And she said nonchntly, ¡°Words should be backed by evidence.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare act innocent!¡± The middle-aged woman red at Rachel with furious eyes. ¡°Since you


    arrived, you¡¯re the only one winning at this table. If it¡¯s not cheating, then what is it? We demand a


    search!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the others echoed, ¡°Words alone won¡¯t convince us. We should


    search her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s search her!¡±


    ¡°I agree. There¡¯s something fishy about this woman.¡±


    The people in the surveince room caught sight of the scene and quickly turned their gaze toward the


    buzz-cut man resting on the couch. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s trouble at the scene.¡±


    ¡°Well. Let me see who¡¯s causing trouble without any sense.¡± With a cigarette in his mouth, the buzz-cut


    man walked to the surveince camera. When he saw Rachel¡¯s face, he could not help but whisper,


    ¡°Fuck! How did this troublemaker show up?¡±


    The vivid image of Rachel single-handedly taking on eight opponents


    Chapter 771


    still remained deeply ingrained in his memory.


    Upon hearing the buzz-cut man¡¯s reference to Rachel, one of the staff couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Sir, do


    you know her?¡±


    The buzz-cut man did not say anything. His eyes were filled with chaos. as if his mind was rapidly


    thinking of a countermeasure.


    He had followed Ronnie for many years. But he still couldn¡¯t figure out what Ronnie was thinking about


    this troublemaker.


    If he had taken a fancy to her, there were so many ways to snatch her away. There was no way he


    would let her continue staying with David.


    If he was not interested in her, why would he constantly think about her and even go as far as bringing


    out a cherished treasure he had kept for years to give to her on her birthday?


    After much contemtion, the buzz-cut man could not make up his mind. ¡°You guys go down and take


    a look. I¡¯ll go see Mr. Diekens.¡±


    He walked out of the surveince room and quickly went to the second


    floor.


    Inside the room, the intrusion of the buzz-cut man caught Ronnie¡¯s attention, and his gaze suddenly


    turned cold. ¡°Knock on the door before entering. Have you forgotten the rules?¡±


    The buzz-cut man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Though he intended to speak, he caught a glimpse of the


    man sitting on the sofa from the corner of his eye. Then his pupils contracted, and he forcibly


    swallowed the words that were about toe out of his mouth. ¡°Uh, Mr. Diekens, there was a sudden


    disturbance outside. Would you like to personally handle it?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    He thought he had given a clear enough hint, but Ronnie didn¡¯t seem to catch on to anything.


    ¡°If I have to handle everything myself, what do I need you guys for?¡± Ronnie asked coldly.


    Hearing this, the buzz-cut man had nothing else to say and quietly contemted his next move.


    He knew about the rtionship between Rachel and David. Moreover, he


    Chapter 771


    was well aware of the ongoing hidden rivalry between David and Ronnie.


    This time, David was originally aggressive, without revealing his true. intentions. If he had known that


    Rachel was outside, it was uncertain what other chaos might have ensued.


    At this moment, a man in ck suddenly barged in from the door, eximing, ¡°We¡¯ve got a problem.


    There¡¯s a fight happening outside!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ronnie instinctively looked at the man sitting on the sofa.


    Noticing the faintly mocking curve of the man¡¯s lips, a sense of


    indifference appeared on his remarkably handsome face. Then he said with a cold tone, ¡°What are you


    waiting for? Hurry up and take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The buzz-cut man did not dare to dy and quickly turned around. to leave.


    After the door closed, the man sitting on the sofa suddenly said, ¡°Mr. Diekens, it seems quite lively


    here.¡±


    Beneath his casual tone, there was a subtle hint of mockery in his words.


    Ronnie secretly gritted his teeth. It was truly a shameful day for him, allowing David to witness such a


    farce.


    At the same time, he swore inwardly that he would personally punish the person responsible for


    causing such a scene and tarnishing his reputation.ter.

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    Chapter 772


    Chapter 772


    When the buzz-cut man rushed down with his men, he saw Rachel sitting at the gambling table from


    afar. The ground under her feet was in a mess, and a few men in ck were lying on the ground,


    curling up and moaning.


    That scene was really miserable.


    ¡°Why have you to provoke her!¡± The buzz-cut man¡¯s face was filled with helplessness. He turned to


    look at the person beside him. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and carry them away!¡±


    With that, he took a deep breath and walked toward Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey, I didn¡¯t know you were here.


    Please forgive me for beingte to greet you.¡± When the men in ck behind saw this, they were all


    dumbfounded.


    The buzz-cut man was Ronnie¡¯s trusted aide. Other than being respectful to Ronnie, no one had ever


    seen him treat anyone like this.


    Rachel raised her eyes and nced at him indifferently. ¡°Where¡¯s your boss? Bring me to him!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the buzz-cut man looked troubled. ¡°Mr. Diekens can¡¯t get here for the time being.


    Miss Grey, if it¡¯s convenient, please follow me to the reception room and wait for a moment.¡±


    Rachel jumped down from the table and raised her chin. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    Her cold face, coupled with her innate coldness, made her look like a white rose with thorns, making


    people love and hate her at the same time.


    The buzz-cut man thought, ¡°Tsk, Miss Grey got the exact same aura as Mr. Diekens!¡±


    He then led the way, and after sending Rachel to the reception room, he returned to Ronnie¡¯s office.


    He had learned his lesson this time.


    He handed Rachel¡¯s photo to Ronnie.


    1/6


    Chapter


    77


    Upon seeing Rachel¡¯s photo, Ronnie¡¯s eyes shed with an


    unprecedented gentleness. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°In the reception room,¡± said the buzz-cut man.


    Ronnie handed the phone to him. ¡°Ask them to serve her well.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± the buzz-cut man said.


    After rying Ronnie¡¯s order word for word, he went to the surveince


    room.


    However, when these words got into the ears of his subordinates, they naturally took the phrase to


    mean something else.


    It was not that they deliberately misinterpreted it, but since they entered the industry, their


    understanding of ¡°serve one well had another meaning.


    Therefore, after the buzz-cut man left, all the men in ck in the room surrounded Rachel.


    They tantly sized up Rachel¡¯s eye-catching face with burning eyes.


    Having been in the casino for so long, they had seen all kinds of people every day, but there were very


    few people who were as eye-catching as Rachel.


    Their sizing gazes gradually became burning and greedy, as if they were staring at amb that had


    barged into a wolf pack.


    ¡°Chick, do you know whose territory this is? How dare you cheat here? Are you courting death?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense! I¡¯m the best at dealing with such women!¡±


    These guys were determined to get some useful information from Rachel today!


    At the same time, in the private room next door.


    Ronnie sat on the chair with his straight and slender legs resting on the corner of the table. Hiszy


    and casual posture revealed an innate arrogance. ¡°David, do you have a death wish? How dare you


    barge into my territory?¡±


    Chapter 772


    He thought, ¡°This man is too fucking arrogant!


    ¡°He came to my territory without bringing anyone with him. Does he think I¡¯m afraid to take action


    against him?¡±


    David, sitting on the sofa, slowly raised his indifferent eyes and looked at Ronnie after he heard


    Ronnie¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss a deal with


    you sincerely.¡±


    Ronnie¡¯s eyes, flickering with sizing and probing, narrowed slightly. ¡°What deal?¡±


    He knew that his rtionship with David was like fire and water.


    All these years, they had been fighting openly and secretly. There was no friendship between them.


    The only thing they had inmon was probably how to get the other one killed.


    However, after dealing with David for so many years, Ronnie knew that the man in front of him was


    unfathomable.


    David nced at Ronnie indifferently. ¡°I want you to seize Yandel¡¯s territory.¡±


    Hearing this, Ronnie¡¯s pupils constricted.


    He didn¡¯t say anything but slowly raised a hand to hold his chin, his fingertips rubbing the ring on his


    index finger.


    Amidst the silence in the private room, David¡¯s deep and cold voice sounded unhurriedly. ¡°You should


    know better than me the principle that if two men ride on a horse, one must ride behind. Since Yandel


    has set out to nurture underground forces in Seaxas, sooner orter, the two of you will go against


    each other.¡±


    In other words, the battle between Ronnie and Yandel was destined to happen sooner orter.


    Not knowing how long it took, Ronnie chuckled. His clear eyes flickered with a clear coldness. ¡°David,


    you¡¯re really vicious. You want to use me as a tool!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Dickens, you put yourself in danger, so I naturally arranged enough


    Chapter 772


    bargaining chips for you.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ronnie¡¯s eyes were filled with interest. ¡°Then tell me, what are the benefits of me


    helping you pull Yandel down?¡±


    Ronnie had heard a little about the dirty things Yandel had done to the Johnson family a few days ago.


    Therefore, he did not object to David¡¯s suggestion to get Yandel down off his high horse.


    However, he still had to consider the power behind Yandel as well as David, who was watching from


    the sidelines.


    If he was caught off guard by David, none of his men would be spared.


    These were the men who had apanied him go through fire and water. Although they were not


    blood-rted, they were like his brothers. from other mothers. He had to be responsible for them.


    ¡°All your businesses will be legalized,¡± David said. ¡°Also, I¡¯ll help you open up other channels.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    His every word got into Ronnie¡¯s ears, but it did not make Ronnie too happy. The corners of Ronnie¡¯s


    mouth curled into a meaningful smile. ¡°ording to your bargaining chips, are you nning to let me


    bet my entire life?¡±


    There would never be a free lunch in this world.


    Moreover, David was the one to offer it.


    Ronnie strongly suspected that it was a trap, and it was a fatal one.


    ¡°And within your territory at South Valley. I want you to protect Jimmy.¡±


    Ronnie sneered. The tip of his tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth. ¡°I wonder how charming


    Seaxas is that it¡¯s worth all of you guys. getting involved?¡±


    David raised his eyes and smiled mysteriously. ¡°Mr. Diekens, you should know better than us.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the smile on Ronnie¡¯s face faded a little. His heart seemed to be gripped by


    something, and his breathing stopped for a


    moment.


    After some time, he said again, I can help you, but you have to give me Ethan Bowes!¡±


    David said meaningfully. Tm afraid you can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    Even though Ethan was expelled from his family, he was from the Bowes family in Aureliana, after all.


    Ronnie didn¡¯t want to cause any unnecessary trouble. ¡°Lend him to me for two days is also fine.¡±


    David slowly stood up and straightened the creases on his suit jacket. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for your good news, Mr.


    Diekens.¡±


    In other words, he had agreed.


    Ronnie sat on the chair and stared at David¡¯s departing back.


    He thought, ¡°ording to our rtionship, David would never ask me for help no matter what. Could it


    be that he knew something?¡±


    At this moment, the buzz-cut man walked in from outside. ¡°Mr. Diekens, Miss Grey is still waiting next


    door!¡±


    Ronnie replied indifferently, ¡°Got it.¡±

 Chapter 773

    Chapter 773


    Chapter 773


    At the same time, after David got into the car, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest.


    Eddie, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, nced at the rearview mirror and reminded David


    in a low voice, ¡°Sir, Miss Grey called earlier and asked me to tell you that you don¡¯t have to pick her up


    tonight.¡±


    Hearing this, David slowly opened his eyes. He took the phone from Eddie and frowned when he saw


    the missed calls. ¡°Did she say where she went?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Eddie said, ¡°She only asked me to tell you that you don¡¯t have to pick her up.¡±


    David pursed his thin lips and dialed Rachel¡¯s number.


    A cold and mechanical voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The number you have


    dialed is not in the service area for the time being¡­¡±


    Rachel¡¯s phone was installed with thetest chip. Even if she was in a remote area, the signal would


    not be affected unless¡­ someone had installed a shielding system!


    Thinking of this, David thought of the ident in the tunnel in Aureliana.


    His face suddenly darkened, and his well-defined face seemed to be covered with a thinyer of ice.


    Coincidentally, a call came in at this moment. It was from Vulture.


    No one knew what Vulture said on the other end of the line, but David¡¯s dark eyes suddenly turned


    cold. ¡°Turn around and go back!¡±


    On the other side, Ronnie walked toward the reception room.


    Before the buzz-cut man opened the door, evocative moaning sounds came from inside the room.


    Hearing this voice, the buzz-cut man even did not have the time to show embarrassment before he


    looked at Ronnie in fear.


    Chapter 773


    Ronnie narrowed his eyes. There was not a trace of warmth on his


    exquisite face. A sh of coldness flickered in his eyes as if even the air had turned into fine ice. ¡°Open


    the door!¡±


    The buzz-cut man silently prayed a few times in his heart. He trembled as he pushed open the door.


    However, he realized that the door was locked from the inside.


    He closed his eyes and mourned for them in his heart.


    Not to mention the rules in the casino, just based on how much Ronnie valued Miss Grey, one could


    imagine what would happen to these little brats if they touched Miss Grey.


    These bastards in the room would probably suffer a lot tonight.


    Ronnie¡¯s face darkened when he saw that the buzz-cut man was standing still. His voice was filled with


    frightening hostility. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Are you waiting for me to teach you how to kick


    the door?¡±


    Hearing this, the buzz-cut man took a step back, summoned all his strength, and kicked the door


    fiercely.


    After three consecutive kicks, the door lock fell, and the door slowly opened.


    The reception room was brightly lit, allowing the people standing outside the door to see the scene


    inside clearly.


    The three men in cky on the ground with painful expressions. They hugged their stomachs and


    groaned.


    One of them was pressed to the table by Rachel, one of his arms held back. And Rachel was holding a


    fruit knife in her hand.


    The sharp fruit knife reflected a cold light under the light.


    Under Rachel¡¯s control, it slid down the man¡¯s face bit by bit.


    Her movements were slow and a little yful but made people tremble in fear.


    Seeing Ronnie¡¯s figure, the few people lying on the ground struggled to


    11.16


    Chapter 773


    get up. ¡°Boss¡­¡±


    When Ronnie heard this, he frowned slightly. A hint of disdain shed across his eyes. Then, he looked


    at Rachel with a doting gaze. ¡°If he did something stupid, someone will naturally punish him. Why dirty


    your hands?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyes and looked at Ronnie with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you might not be


    willing to punish your own people.¡±


    Just as Ronnie was about to speak, Rachel narrowed her eyes and stabbed the fruit knife into the table


    that was only 0.5 inches away from the man.


    Seeing this, everyone secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Meanwhile, Ronnie could not help but reveal a trace of pampering and indulgence in his eyes.


    It was really hard for him not to love Rachel¡¯s revengeful personality.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Take them away.¡± Ronnie ordered the buzz-cut man coldly.


    Upon hearing this, the buzz-cut man felt relieved. He quickly called for the men in ck standing


    outside the door to carry them out.


    He did not want to stay here for a second.


    No, to be precise, he did not want to be in the same space as this female demon for a second.


    After everyone left, Ronnie pulled a chair over and sat opposite Rachel. ¡°I heard you were looking for


    me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rachel sat on the sofa with her legs crossed. Her gazended on Ronnie¡¯s delicate face.


    There was always a faint smile on his face, making his already flirtatious. eyes look especially


    charming and confusing. It was difficult to guess his true emotions.


    For example, at this moment, anyone else would feel embarrassed that their men had been beaten.


    However, Ronnie still had a smile on his face, as if he was wearing a hypocritical mask.


    Ronnie looked at Rachel and said ambiguously, ¡°You destroyed my ce


    1110


    Chapter 773


    and injured my men. But you still dare to look for me. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you won¡¯t be able to walk


    out of this door?¡±


    Rachel nced at him and lowered her eyes to look at her nails. She said casually, ¡°If you say so, I¡¯m


    quite afraid.¡±


    Ronnie was speechless.


    He thought, ¡°If you were really afraid, you wouldn¡¯t be sitting here so calmly!¡±


    He felt like he was being looked down upon, but there was nothing he could do. He could only endure


    it.


    He took a deep breath. ¡°Tell me, why are you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°I want to make a deal with you,¡± Rachel said.


    Ronnie raised his eyebrows slightly, and a meaningful smile shed across his eyes.


    He thought, ¡°Had they discussed this before?¡±


    He sized up the expression on Rachel¡¯s face, took out a white pill the size. of a fingernail from his


    pocket, and threw it into his mouth. He rolled the white pill with the tip of his tongue and said


    meaningfully, ¡°If you want to make a deal, you have to see if I¡¯m interested or if you can bear the price.¡±


    Rachel could sense the hidden meaning in his words. She could not help. but frown slightly, and ayer


    of coldness appeared on her delicate face. ¡°Hand over Lone Wolf, and you can name your conditions!¡±


    Hearing this, Ronnie lowered his eyes. The smile on his lips involuntarily deepened, making his


    exquisite face look even more beautiful. ¡°So it¡¯s for him.¡±


    He slowly raised his eyes and stared at her face. ¡°I can let you take him away, but I want you!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were dark and cold. Her red lips curled up into an enchanting smile. ¡°Since when did


    wishful thinking be a bargaining chip?¡±


    Her calm tone could not hide the mockery in her words.


    Chapter


    Ronnie would naturally not allow anyone else to be so arrogant in front of him. However, the person in


    front of him was Rachel.


    ¡°Mr. Diekens, how about we change the way we trade?¡± Rachel nced at him indifferently. Either I


    take Lone Wolf away, or I send someone to block your casino. Mr. Diekens, choose for yourself.


    Upon hearing this, Ronnie¡¯s expression turned slightly cold.


    He did not expect Rachel to go all out for another man.


    Could it be that she had fallen for someone else?


    ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with the man called Lone Wolf?¡±

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    Chapter 774


    Chapter 774


    ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± Rachel nced at him indifferently. There was a bit of impatience in her


    eyes. ¡°I just want to know whether you are going to let him go or not!¡±


    ¡°Rae, there are rules in every industry. He has broken my rules. If I let him go without punishing him,


    how can I survive in the future?¡± Ronnie raised his eyebrows and looked at Rachel. ¡°Besides, he


    wanted to kill me. If I let him go, wouldn¡¯t that be equivalent to breeding cmity for the future?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel frowned slightly.


    Before she came, Vulture only said that Lone Wolf had been


    If Lone Wolf had beenmissioned to carry out the assassination, this matter would indeed be tricky.


    After pondering for a long time, Rachel sized up Ronnie and said solemnly, ¡°Release him. I promise he


    won¡¯t appear in your territory in the future.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll have toe with me,¡± Ronnie said.


    No sooner had he finished speaking than the door was kicked in.


    Hearing a bang, both Rachel and Ronnie looked in the direction of the door at the same time.


    David, who was wearing a ck suit, appeared at the door. He was surrounded by a terrifying aura as


    if he had walked out of the depths of hell. ¡°Then you can have a try!¡±


    David said to Ronnie in his heart, ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can take her away!¡±


    The moment David appeared, Rachel was slightly stunned. Then she immediately stood up and


    naturally walked to him.


    Before she could speak, Ronnie sneered, ¡°Why are you back again?¡±


    When Rachel heard this, her eyes flickered a little.


    Chapter 774


    David wrapped his arms around Rachel¡¯s waist and hugged her tightly as if he were holding a rare


    treasure.


    Ronnie stood up and waved at the bodyguards at the door, signaling them to leave. Then he walked


    casually to the table and reached out to pull out the dagger Rachel had pushed into the table.


    Ronnie caressed the slightly curled de with his fingertips and couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue softly.


    The corners of his mouth curled up a little into a faint smile. ¡°You are not smart at all.¡±


    Hugging Rachel, David gently caressed her cheek with one of his broad and warm palms. His deep


    and cold voice seemed to be wrapped in frost as he said to Ronnie, ¡°You should feel lucky, for I didn¡¯t


    let you close down.¡±


    This was not only a threat but also a warning.


    Instead of being angry, Ronnieughed. He said in a voice that was slightly deep and carried


    imperceptible anger, ¡°David Jones, you¡¯re likable when you¡¯re not talking.¡±


    Hearing Ronnieughing at David, Rachel instinctively retorted, ¡°Mr. Diekens, so are you.¡±


    Ronnie was quite good-looking, but he had a foul mouth that could anger people to death!


    Ronnie didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Rachel¡¯s protective personality was somewhat simr to his.


    However, seeing David and Rachel being so intimate in front of him, Ronnie was furious. He pushed


    the dagger back into the table and snorted. ¡°If the two of you want to leave, then leave quickly!¡±


    ¡°They two should get lost as far as possible so that I won¡¯t feel suffocated!


    ¡°I really do not understand why Rachel would fall in love with such an old-fashioned and boring man as


    David. What else does he have other than his handsome face?¡±


    ¡°Hand over Lone Wolf to us.¡± David¡¯s deep voice was filled with coldness.


    Ronnie chuckled, but his eyes were terrifyingly cold. ¡°You still dare to be


    Chapter 774


    so arrogant in my territory, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I can be even more arrogant. Do you want to have a try?¡± David¡¯s voice did not fluctuate, but one


    could sense his anger.


    Ronnie did not speak but riveted his eyes upon David.


    There was a strong smell of gunpowder between the two of them.


    In an instant, the temperature in the room seemed to drop to the freezing point.


    At this moment, Ronnie¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang.


    When he saw the caller ID, his gaze froze.


    He hesitated for a moment before picking up the call.


    The person on the other end of the line said something, and Ronnie¡¯s eyes suddenly turned sinister.


    His dark pupils constricted slightly, and a coldness appeared. The aura around him became even more


    terrifying.


    He snorted and hung up.


    His cold gaze collided with David¡¯s. Then Ronnie immediately turned to look at Rachel. In the next


    second, he suddenly stepped forward. ¡°I really owed you a favor in my previous life!¡±


    Rachel stared at him nkly.


    ¡°Whom did he owe a favor?


    ¡°Me or David?¡±


    Seeing Ronnie stepping forward, David subconsciously pulled Rachel into his arms. The aura around


    him was more terrifying than usual. He was like a lion that had entered a fighting state and had been


    ready to bite off its enemy¡¯s throat.


    However, Ronnie snorted softly and walked past the two of them, heading straight for the door.


    After Ronnie left, Rachel and David sat on the sofa. Looking at David, Rachel said, ¡°Have you been


    with him tonight?¡±


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    She still remembered that the moment Ronnie saw David, Ronnie said


    Chapter 774


    immediately, ¡°Why are you back again?¡±


    David replied calmly, ¡°I came here to talk to him about something.¡±


    He noticed the sh of surprise in Rachel¡¯s eyes, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly. ¡°Are you


    very surprised?¡± he said in a deep and cold voice, which revealed a trace of pampering.


    Rachel nodded. She fiddled with David¡¯s sleeve openings with her fingertips and said casually, ¡°I


    thought that due to the hostile rtionship between the two of you, you two would never sit at a table


    and talk with each other calmly for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°No one will go against benefits.¡± David stroked the top of her head with his palm and leaned over to


    kiss her forehead.


    After a while, Ronnie returned to the living room.


    As soon as he entered, he saw David and Rachel cuddling together. The tip of his tongue touched his


    pte, and he suddenlye up with a bad idea. ¡°I wonder whether what Miss Grey said before still


    stands?¡±


    When Rachel heard this, her eyebrows twitched.


    He must have said it on purpose!


    However, Ronnie did not intend to stop where he should. ¡°You said that as long as I let Lone Wolf go, I


    can make any request. Now you¡¯re not saying anything, could it be that you¡¯re going back on your


    promise?¡±


    Rachel stared at him expressionlessly. She was like a noble and cold. woman who had suddenly been


    angry. Ronnie could clearly sense her anger, but he also found it interesting. He wanted to tease her


    even more.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you mention your request to me?¡± David looked at Ronnie indifferently.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Ronnie¡¯s gazended on David. A shrewd scheme shed in the depths of his ss-like eyes.


    ¡°Let me make this clear first. Don¡¯t expect Lone Wolf to leave unscathed. He wanted to kill me. It was


    already very kind of me not to have taken his life immediately.¡±


    If Rachel hadn¡¯t suddenlye here tonight and if she hade a littleter, Lone Wolf would have


    been killed today.


    Chapter 774


    ¡°So?¡± David asked, looking at Ronnie.


    ¡°I was lucky enough to have gambled with Miss Grey back then. I still can¡¯t forget it. Why don¡¯t the two


    of us do it again tonight?¡± Ronnie rubbed the bone ring on his index finger. ¡°If I win, the north side of the


    Harbor Dock will belong to me.¡±


    Ronnie was the infamous Hell. If outsiders knew that David coulde and go as he pleased in


    Ronnie¡¯s territory, how could Ronnie survive in the future?


    Therefore, Ronnie had to get something from David aspensation!

 Chapter 775

    Chapter 775


    Chapter 775


    After a while, Lone Wolf was carried by the buzz¨Ccut man¡¯s people into the room.


    Lone Wolf¡¯s face was pale, but his clothes were neat. It was obvious that they had just been changed


    before he was carried here.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    As Lone Wolf approached, the smell of blood that lingered on his body became stronger.


    Rachel frowned slightly, and her pretty face was covered with ayer of coldness.


    She got up quickly and walked toward him. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Upon hearing her voice, Lone Wolf slowly raised his head. The moment he saw Rachel, he was a little


    stunned, and there was a momentary trance in his eyes.


    His throat was dry and tense. He opened his mouth and said with difficulty, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°To save you, of course,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to save me!¡± Lone Wolf said firmly, ¡°You have to leave


    now!¡±


    Ever since he fell into Ronnie¡¯s trap, he hadn¡¯t had the intention of leaving alive.


    Lone Wolf had long heard of Ronnie¡¯s methods though he didn¡¯t know Ronnie¡¯s background.


    There was only one oue for those who caused trouble in Ronnie¡¯s territory, and that was to be


    killed.


    Lone Wolf had long thought that he would not be able to leave unscathed after falling into Ronnie¡¯s


    hands.


    However, he had not expected Twelve to have appeared here, too.


    Rachel smelled the strong smell of blood on his body and frowned slightly. ¡°Are your injuries serious?¡±


    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t,¡± Lone Wolf said without thinking.


    Rachel raised her chin a little. Her delicate face was covered with a cold


    aura. ¡°Show me your hands.¡±


    Lone Wolf looked at her and hesitated for a moment before slowly extending his hands.


    All the nails on his hands were forcefully pulled out, and his fingers were badly mauled, which made


    Rachel¡¯s heart tighten for some reason.


    As the hacker of the Red me Army and the leader of the intelligence department, Lone Wolf used


    his hands to make a living, but now, they had been ruined like this.


    Rachel frowned, and there was ayer of coldness in the depths of her eyes. She looked grimly at


    Ronnie, who was sitting on the chair.


    Sensing her gaze, Ronnie shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. He wanted to kill me. I¡¯ve already


    saved your face by crippling only his hands.¡±


    Ronnie was not a magnanimous person. Compared to those who were broad¨Cminded or muddled


    along in life, he liked to pay his enemies back in their own coin.


    Therefore, though Ronnie clearly knew that Lone Wolf¡¯s hands were used to make a living, he


    especially asked someone to pull out all Lone Wolf¡¯s nails.


    As the saying goes, one¡¯s fingers are linked to one¡¯s heart, so Lone Wolf must have been in great pain.


    Ronnie did not believe that Lone Wolf would not learn.


    Rachel naturally knew that Ronnie must have had it done on purpose. She took a deep breath and


    looked up at Eddie, who was standing outside the door. ¡°Send him to the hospital.¡±


    Eddie nodded, walked in, and then walked out with Lone Wolf.


    When Lone Wolf left, he looked back again and again. His eyes were filled with faint sadness.


    Seeing Lone Wolf¡¯s pretentious expression, Ronnie could not help but pout. He said in a faintly cold


    voice, ¡°If you are reluctant to leave, why don¡¯t you leave your life behind?¡±


    Hearing this, Lone Wolf knew that he couldn¡¯t stay any longer.


    Rachel came here because of him. He knew that he had already


    implicated her, so he didn¡¯t want to cause any more trouble.


    After Lone Wolf left, Ronnie raised his legs and ced them on a footstool. There was a faint smile on


    his face, but his eyes were cold. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you said before. From now on, if anyone from the


    Red me Army dares to cause trouble in my territory, they won¡¯t be able to walk out alive.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Rachel said.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Ronnie suddenly stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. y a round with me.¡±


    When Ronnie and his people left, Rachel suddenly staggered.


    David reacted quickly and held Rachel¡¯s arm firmly. He looked at her unusually pale face, and his eyes


    were filled with worry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Rachel rubbed her temples and massaged them for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    When Ronnie saw her abnormal expression, his hands in his pockets clenched, and he choked back


    the words on his lips. Then he calmed himself down and looked at the buzz¨Ccut man. ¡°Make a cup of


    coffee and bring it here.¡±


    Rachel, Ronnie, and other people sat at the gambling table. The buzz¨Ccut man handed a cup of coffee


    to Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey, have some coffee, please.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly but did not pick up the cup.


    Seeing that she was on guard, Ronnie chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not used to poisoning people.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Diekens, you are worrying too much.¡±


    While speaking, Rachel picked up the cup beside her.


    The moment she lifted the cup cap, her expression froze.


    The smell of coffee was mixed with a faint medicinal fragrance, which was difficult to detect.


    However, Rachel had taken too many medicines made from herbs since she was young, so she was


    especially sensitive to the smell of herbs.


    She took a sip of the coffee. Its taste was not as bitter as she had


    imagined. Instead, the coffee was sweet and gave her a refreshing feeling that followed her taste buds


    to the top of her head, making her feel inexplicablyfortable.


    Ronnie yed with the dice on the table with his fingertips, but his gaze fell on Rachel asionally. He


    was carefully observing the changes on her face.


    Noticing her slightly improved expression, Ronnie secretly heaved a sigh of relief and said casually to


    the buzz¨Ccut man, ¡°You will get a double bonus this month.¡±


    Happiness came so suddenly that the buzz¨Ccut man was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Diekens!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so glib¨Ctongued.¡± Although Ronnie said that, there was a faint. gleam of pleasure in his eyes.


    He appeared to be in a good mood. ¡°Go and fetch a sensible person here.¡±


    The buzz¨Ccut man nodded and left. After a while, he returned with a croupier, who happened to be the


    handsome croupier Rachel had met. before.


    When the croupier entered, his gaze quickly swept across the people in the room. He noticed Rachel,


    who was sitting on the chair unscathed. For a moment, the croupier was so surprised that he forgot to


    look away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll gouge your eyeballs out if you keep looking,¡± Ronnie said in a low andzy voice. There was a hint


    of indifference in his voice, but there was also a chill that seeped into people¡¯s hearts.


    When the croupier heard this, a hint of panic shed across his face. He hurriedly lowered his eyelids


    and walked to the table in fear. However, he nced at Rachel out of the corner of his eye from time to


    time.


    The croupier was one of those people working in the casino who knew Ronnie¡¯s methods the best.


    Logically speaking, Rachel should not have been sitting here unscathed after causing trouble and


    being caught cheating in the casino.


    Moreover, it seemed that Ronnie obviously didn¡¯t intend to hold her ountable.


    The croupier was used to seeing all kinds of people every day, so he naturally understood that Rachel


    was not a simple person.


    David, who was sitting beside Rachel, vaguely sensed the croupier¡¯s strange behavior. He looked up,


    and coincidentally, he caught the croupier¡¯s calcting look.


    Apart from the fact that the croupier dared to covet Rachel and plot something under David¡¯s nose, now


    the croupier was gazing at Rachel from time to time, which made him an eyesore of David¡¯s.


    David¡¯s face was calm, but his eyes were cold. He said in a calm tone, ¡°Mr. Diekens, this subordinate of


    yours doesn¡¯t seem to listen to your advice.

 Chapter 776

    Chapter 776


    Chapter 776


    Ronnie raised his hand and picked up the cards on the table. Without even looking at the croupier, he


    said indifferently, ¡°Did you hear that? This is a tant warning. Don¡¯t even look at another man¡¯s


    woman, let alone covet her.¡±


    When the croupier heard this, he lowered his eyes in panic and methodically shuffled and dealt the


    cards.


    Rachel was about to take the card from the croupier, but David took it first.


    Seeing this, Rachel bowed her head to hide the faint smile on her face. ¡°Well, David is jealous again.¡±


    This time, they yed ckjack, too.


    The buzz-cut man and Chris delivered the chips to them.


    Rachel nced at the cards and threw out 2 million dors worth of chips.


    Ronnie could not help but raise his eyebrows when he saw the chips being suddenly thrown out. ¡°Miss


    Grey, you seem to be always so confident.¡±


    However, it was precisely her self-confidence and cold temperament that fascinated Ronnie.


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s only 2 million dors. Could it be that Mr. Diekens can¡¯t


    afford to lose?¡±


    Ronnie sneered. A feeling of being despised arose in his heart, making him inexplicably angry. ¡°It¡¯s just


    2 million dors.¡±


    As he spoke, he casually threw out 2 million dors worth of chips, and then he threw out another 4


    million dors worth of chips.


    ¡°Mr. Diekens, you are so generous,¡± Rachelmented.


    These words made Ronnie feel awkward.


    He knew that Rachel still hated him because of Lone Wolf, so he pursed his lips and did not say


    anything.


    He showed his cards, which added up to exactly 20 points.


    Chapter 776


    Rachel¡¯s cards, on the other hand, added up to 18 points. Clearly, she lost.


    Soon, the second round started, and Rachel threw out 6-million-dor chips without looking at the


    cards.


    Ronnie naturally threw out the corresponding chips, too.


    The two of them had a contest with each other. Seeing that there were more and more chips, even the


    croupier, who was used to seeing big scenes, could not help but feel dizzy.


    Perhaps Lady Luck was dozing off. Rachel had been unlucky so far, and she lost in the second round,


    too.


    Rachel held her chin with one hand and sighed faintly. Her worried expression did not make people feel


    disgusted, instead, her pitiful posture made people feel pity for her.


    Looking at the big pile of chips in front of him, Ronnie smiled gloatingly. ¡°David Jones, it looks as if the


    Harbor Dock is destined to be mine!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Without waiting for David to speak, Rachel asked, ¡°Maybe I can win back all the chips the


    next round, can¡¯t I?¡±


    After the croupier heard her words, a hint of disdain shed across his


    eyes.


    The people who came to the casino would neither ept their fate nor know how to stop loss in time.


    They would, like Rachel, only hold to the idea of leaving things to chance and think that they would


    make a


    Hence, they kept sinking into the mud until they could not extricate themselves.


    The third round began. Rachel still looked nonchnt, but her gaze fell on the cards in the croupier¡¯s


    hand. Her red lips curled up slightly, and a faint smile appeared on her face.


    Looking at the cards, Rachel pushed out all the chips in front of her. ¡°All in!¡±


    Ronnie raised his eyebrows slightly after hearing this. With a confident posture, he pushed out all the


    chips in front of him, too. ¡°Call!¡±


    At this moment, the chips at the center of the table were already equal to two small targets.


    Chapter 776


    This meant that once Ronnie won, not only could he take away all the chips on the table, but he could


    also easily obtain the north of the Harbor Dock.


    Ronnie was the first to show his cards. The smile on his face made him look more handsome. ¡°Another


    20 points. I¡¯ll surely win this round!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Rachel held her chin with one hand and unhurriedly turned over the cards in front of her


    one by one. ¡°Unfortunately, you are only a point away.¡±


    Her cards added up to exactly 21 points.


    Rachel¡¯s cards were a point more than Ronnie¡¯s!


    Ronnie looked at her cards with his eyes wide open.


    The probability of 20 points appearing on the gambling table was very low, let alone 21 points.


    However, Rachel¡¯s cards added up to exactly 21 points, neither more nor


    less.


    After a moment, Ronnieposed himself and raised his chin proudly. He snorted softly. ¡°You are


    lucky!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really lucky.¡± Rachel crossed her legs and leanedzily against the seat. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to this


    handsome man¡¯s help. If he hadn¡¯t tampered with the cards, I wouldn¡¯t have won.¡±


    After the croupier heard what Rachel had said, he looked pale and his eyes were filled with panic.


    In fact, this handsome croupier had been secretly tampering with the cards during the three rounds of


    gambling.


    He could tell that Ronnie treated Rachel exceptionally well, so he simply wanted to do Ronnie a favor


    and fulfill his wish.


    He thought that he had done it wlessly, but he hadn¡¯t expected Rachel to have seen everything.


    ¡°So, handsome boy, you¡¯re the reason why I was able to win everything back tonight.¡± Rachel nced


    at him with a faint smile.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Heh!¡± The tip of Ronnie¡¯s tongue pressed against his pte as he let out a lightugh. Theugh was


    short, but it made people feel nervous and


    jumpy.


    Chapter 776


    He threw the cards in his hand on the table and said coldly, ¡°Who asked you to do this?¡±


    The croupier felt as if his heart were being gripped by a hand. He held his breath for a moment, and a


    layer of cold sweat unknowingly seeped out of his forehead and slowly slid down his temples.


    His fear of Ronnie made his legs weak, but he had no choice but to force himself to stay where he was.


    The croupier swallowed hard and exined in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Ronnie, I¡­ I thought it was¡­¡±


    ¡°Who the hell wanted you to think that way!¡± Ronnie scolded him coldly. At the same time, Ronnie gave


    the buzz-cut man a look.


    The buzz-cut man instantly understood, and then he walked forward with a man in ck to take the


    croupier away.


    The croupier panicked and scrambled to Ronnie¡¯s feet. He reached out and hugged Ronnie¡¯s feet


    tightly. ¡°Mr. Diekens, I was wrong. I won¡¯t do it again! Please give me another chance. Really, I beg


    you¡­¡±


    Ronnie looked down at the croupier. There was no pity in his eyes, and his thin lips were as cold as ice.


    He said in an extremely cold way, ¡°If you say another word, you won¡¯t be able to keep your tongue.¡±


    After the croupier heard what Ronnie had said, his expression changed rapidly.


    The croupier wanted to say something else, but the buzz-cut man wouldn¡¯t give him another chance.


    He gagged the croupier and dragged him out forcefully.


    The croupier looked at Rachel sadly, trying to obtain a trace of pity from her. However, Rachel looked


    extremely cold and ignored him.


    The croupier¡¯s original intention was to frame Rachel. If she hadn¡¯t seen through his little trick, she


    would have lost everything.


    Therefore, why would she pity him?


    Giving someone who tried to hurt one a second chance was nothing more than giving him/her a second


    chance to kill one.


    The croupier didn¡¯t know what feelings his boss had for this woman of


    Chapter 776


    outstanding appearance.


    ¡°If Mr. Diekens doesn¡¯t have an inordinate desire for her, why did he wee her as a distinguished


    guest instead of holding her ountable after knowing that she caused trouble in the factory?


    ¡°Therefore, he must have an inordinate desire.


    ¡°If so, ording to Mr. Diekens¡¯s style of doing things, what kind of despicable means could not be


    used? But why did he choose to let her go?¡±

 Chapter 777

    Chapter 777


    Chapter 777


    When being dragged out, the croupier struggled unwillingly.


    He knew what would happen to him if he was taken away like this. Since he was going to die, he had to


    know why he should die, right?


    After all, he was one of the buzz-cut man¡¯s subordinates. When the buzz-cut man saw the croupier¡¯s


    eyes full of unwillingness and grief, his heart softened. He pulled out the rag in the croupier¡¯s mouth


    and asked, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    The croupier suppressed the fear in his heart, but his voice was still trembling uncontrobly. ¡°Our Boss


    clearly has an inordinate desire for the woman, so I tampered with the cards. What was wrong with


    me?¡±


    The croupier had just wanted to fulfill their boss¡¯s wish and do him a favor.


    Moreover, their boss was at the gambling table. Any other sensible croupier would know that he/she


    could not let their boss lose no matter what means he/she should use.


    The buzz-cut man lit a cigarette. As the smoke lingered, the corners of his mouth curled into a mocking


    sneer. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you to wantonly guess our boss¡¯s thoughts?¡±


    Though the buzz-cut man had been by Ronnie¡¯s side for many years and as Ronnie¡¯s trusted aide, he


    knew that Ronnie¡¯s attitude toward Rachel was extraordinary, he did not dare to wantonly guess what it


    was. He always did what Ronnie hold him to.


    The croupier in front of him dared to read Ronnie¡¯s mind at will just because he was a little smart. He


    even dared to arbitrarily make Rachel suffer at the gambling table. So, he was clearly courting death!


    ¡°But our boss¡¯s attitude toward that woman¡­¡±


    ¡°In the future, when you see her, you¡¯ll have to call her Miss Grey,¡± the buzz-cut man warned coldly.


    Suddenly, he thought of something and smiled. ¡°I nearly forgot. that perhaps you won¡¯t have a future.¡±


    After saying this, the buzz-cut man gave an order to the person beside him coldly. ¡°Take him away!¡±


    From this day on, everyone in the casino, including Ronnie¡¯s


    Chapter 777


    subordinates, knew that Miss Grey enjoyed an extraordinary position in their boss¡¯s heart.


    As the night went on, the casino became more and more crowded.


    Ronnie leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window of the sightseeing room with a ss of brandy in his


    hand, looking down at the crowd below.


    Then, he nced at the man sitting on the sofa. ¡°Do you still mean what you said just now?¡±


    He was referring to the cooperation between him and David.


    David¡¯s legs crossed elegantly and his hands sped on hisp. His every move exuded a natural


    noble aura.


    He closed his eyes slightly and leaned against the sofa like a lion taking a nap. After hearing what


    Ronnie had said, David slowly opened his eyes. and said indifferently, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Ronnie did not speak. He yed with the ss in his hand and pondered for a moment before saying


    again, ¡°Are you serious with Rachel Grey?¡±


    He did not understand why a cold-hearted person like David would one day be bound by love.


    It was also impossible for him to understand how David had developed such strong feelings for Rachel


    in such a short period of time.


    Ronnie had been fighting openly and covertly with David for many years, so he had naturally heard


    some rumors about David.


    No woman could resist such a man as David, who had a high status and outstanding looks.


    He did not even need to give a signal with his fingers. With just a look, a great many women would


    pounce on him one after another.


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    However, David had not been close to any woman these years. He kept himself clean. As a result,


    there were rumors that he had a hidden illness.


    Perhaps it was hard for a woman to get into his heart, but Rachel was an exception.


    David looked up at Ronnie, who was standing in front of the


    floor-to-ceiling window. David¡¯s thin lips curled up, and then he said with a meaningful smile, ¡°In short,


    you won¡¯t have the chance to take her away


    Chapter 777


    from me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ronnie looked up at David and rubbed the bone ring on his index finger. ¡°Maybe one day


    she wille to her senses ande to apany me voluntarily?¡±


    The moment their gazes met, David sensed the provocation in Ronnie¡¯s. eyes and could not help but


    frown.


    The room suddenly fell silent, and the atmosphere became stagnant and


    strange.


    Coincidentally, Rachel pushed open the door and entered.


    She was wearing high heels and a short white suit with a pair of wide-legged pants of the same color.


    She looked refreshing and capable.


    Her cool temperament was even more attractive.


    It could be seen that her willfulness and arrogance could not be separated from the love of everyone


    around her.


    David stood up and walked to her side. His arm naturally wrapped around her slender waist. ¡°It¡¯s


    gettingte. We should leave now.¡±


    Rachel responded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After the two of them left, Ronnie called Pam. ¡°Have you made any progress on your end?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± Pam¡¯s voice was a little tired and hoarse. ¡°We¡¯re still performing the matter analysis.


    The instruments and equipment in our hands are far from being able toplete the analysis.¡±


    After Ronnie heard this, his face could not help but darken. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to youter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Ronnie hung up, the buzz-cut man walked in from outside, looking as if he wanted to say


    something but stop on a second thought.


    He studied Ronnie¡¯s expression. After hesitating for a while, the buzz-cut man said carefully, ¡°Mr.


    Diekens, the clerk at the counter said that Miss. Grey didn¡¯t exchange her chips for money.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t exchange her chips for money?¡± A fleeting hint of surprise shed across Ronnie¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Then she left a message, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    Chapter 777


    ¡°Yes, she did,¡± the buzz-cut man quickly replied. ¡°Miss Grey said that the money shall be taken as


    compensation for us.¡±


    Hearing this, Ronnie was silent for a while before he suddenlyughed. ¡°What a sensible girl!¡±


    The gambling funds of Rachel¡¯s subordinates were all paid by her.


    Though she won, she did not exchange her chips for money. Instead, she gave Ronnie both her


    principal and the money that she had won from


    Ronnie.


    Rachel was apologizing to Ronnie on behalf of Lone Wolf.


    He was suddenly curious. Was Rachel so dedicated to everyone around her?


    After leaving the casino, Rachel followed David into the car.


    David lowered his head and looked at Rachel, who was leaningzily on his shoulder. He leaned over


    and nted a gentle kiss on her temple. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, then sleep now.¡±


    Rachel gave a feeble answer and soon began to fall asleep.


    Forty minutester, the car drove into Sandalwood Hills.


    Rachel felt herself being carried in her sleep. She struggled to open her eyes. ¡°Here we are?¡±


    ¡°Eat something first,¡± David said. ¡°Eat something before you go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The two of them went to the living room. Rachel leaned against the sofa like azy cat bathed in the


    afternoon sun. She silently looked at David, who was being busy in the kitchen at present.


    David cooked a bowl of noodles and brought it to her. ¡°Would you please do me the honor of eating it?¡±


    Rachel forced herself to stay awake. She took a bite of the noodles and then generously praised David.


    ¡°It tastes good.¡±


    But she was so sleepy that she had no appetite at all.


    She just wanted to lie in bed and have a good sleep.


    ¡°You¡¯re that tired, aren¡¯t you?¡± David asked thoughtlessly.


    Chapter 777


    Rachel was worried that he would notice something amiss. She said casually, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve been too


    tired recently.¡±


    David raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled faintly. He leaned close to her ear and said in an


    ambiguous tone, ¡°Then I¡¯ll pay attention next time, won¡¯t I?¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t know what to say.

 Chapter 778

    Chapter 778


    Chapter 778


    Explicit images shed across Rachel¡¯s mind when David spoke in that tone, and her fair face turned


    as red as a tomato.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    She shifted in her seat and muttered softly, ¡°Can you be more serious?¡±


    Did David not say that he had a cold and abstinent temperament? Where did that go to?


    Or could it be that intimacy was what all men could think about once they lost their virginity?


    ¡°How am I not serious?¡± David asked.


    Rachel opened her mouth but did not say anything in the end. She only picked up her bowl and ate her


    food in silence.


    However, thanks to David¡¯s joke, Rachel perked up and was more energetic than before.


    After eating, they sat on the sofa in the living room and watched a movie.


    Upon seeing the kissing scene in the movie, they could not resist and turned to kiss each other.


    The moment their lips touched, all the desires and longing they harbored in their hearts were released.


    David pulled Rachel on hisp, straddling him. He held her waist tightly with one hand and supported


    her slender neck with the other.


    Rachel quickly lost all sense of self within that passionate kiss. Her entire body went limp as she


    leaned into his arms.


    David¡¯s deep voice was hoarse with lust. ¡°Do you care for some moderate exercises?¡±


    Rachel slowly opened her eyes and their gazes coincided without any warning. Within David¡¯s deep,


    dark eyes, Rachel could only see dominance and authority.


    She pursed her lips and ced her hands on his chest. She leaned back unobtrusively and pulled


    away from him. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well. I think I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    Memories from the past two days were still fresh in her mind. Rachel¡¯s


    Chapter 778


    legs would turn sore as she recalled them. There was no way she could tolerate any more of that.


    She might really copse if they kept this up!


    That was just an excuse Rachel came up with, but David took it seriously. He looked at her solemnly.


    ¡°Not feeling well?¡±


    He


    got up and transferred Rachel onto the sofa as he spoke. Then, he started to examine her limbs.


    When he returned to the casino earlier, he overheard people gossiping about someone who was


    causing trouble.


    Without a doubt, that someone was most likely Rachel.


    ¡°Here, let me exin.¡±


    David pressed Rachel back on the sofa, burying her head between the cushions.


    As he undressed her, a chill swept across Rachel¡¯s body. She could not help but tremble.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± David said.


    It was just two words but spoken in an unyielding tone. There was no room for negotiation.


    As Rachely on the sofa, she protested, ¡°You, ouch!¡±


    She halted abruptly, and instead, sucked in a breath of air.


    David examined the bruise on the side of her waist. He pursed his lips. tightly, and his jawline was


    tense. His handsome face appeared cold and distant.


    His expression grew grimmer by the second, and he spoke coldly in his deep voice, ¡°So, you do feel


    pain.¡±


    As soon as David said that, he stood up and strode away.


    When he came back, he had a first aid kit in his hand. He took a bottle of ointment from the kit and


    gently applied it to Rachel¡¯s body.


    The ointment had a hint of minty coolness. When it touched Rachel, she could feel the pain easing


    from her waist immediately.


    After the ointment dried, David carried Rachel in his arms and walked to


    Chapter 778.


    the bedroom.


    When their bodies touched, Rachel became impetuous, and she struggled a little. David uttered in his


    low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Rachel felt something pressing against her leg, and she stiffened slightly. She leaned into his arms


    without moving.


    She could smell David¡¯s woody scent lingering around her nose, and soon she drifted off to sleep in


    David¡¯s arms.


    his


    As David listened to Rachel¡¯s light and rhythmic breathing, he lowered


    gaze and stared at her restful and obedient sleeping face. Then, he lowered his head and gently


    nted a kiss on her face.


    David continued looking at her without looking away. Finally, he slowly got up, picked up his phone, and


    walked to the balcony. He called Landon and asked, ¡°Any news from theboratory?¡±


    On the other end of the line, Landon took off his sses and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°There is


    another substance under analysis.¡±


    ¡°Speed it up.¡± David turned around and nced toward Rachel, who had fallen into a deep sleep.


    There was a dark glint in his eyes. ¡°Send Ethan. out of theboratory in a few days.¡±


    Landon was slightly stunned by the request.


    Ethan was the core figure of the 101st experimental base. He had not taken a step out of the facility


    since he entered.


    Although that might look like imprisonment, it was the best protection they could offer him.


    Landon did not know David¡¯s intentions behind getting Ethan to leave the experimental base. Still, he


    replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    It was already nine in the morning when Rachel woke up the next day.


    She rolled over under the nket and subconsciously reached out her hand to feel the space beside


    her.


    Dawn had broken ages ago.


    And the person beside her had since woken up and gotten out of bed.


    Rachel continuedzing on the bed. Eventually, she lifted the nket and slowly walked to the


    bathroom.


    Chapter 778


    Thirty minutester, she sat in front of the makeup mirror to put on her makeup.


    Rachel looked at her reflection in the mirror. She did not feel unwell or fatigued. On the contrary, she


    felt refreshed. It was as if nothing had happened.


    It was a peculiar feeling, but Rachel was unable to get her head around it.


    How did Ronnie know about her sudden rpse?


    And what did he give her that quickly suppressed the illness?


    Her intuition told her that Ronnie might have answers to her incurable


    illness.


    Rachel was lost in her thoughts and did not notice David approaching from behind.


    She only returned to her senses when she smelled David¡¯s unique woody scent. Rachel nced at the


    man in the mirror and casually picked up theb on the table. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to thepany


    today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to leave.¡± David ced his hands on her shoulders and looked at her. ¡°Does the wound on


    your waist still hurt?¡±


    Rachel shook her head and put down theb in her hand. She picked up David¡¯s hands from her


    shoulder and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go down and


    eat.¡±


    After eating, they took their things and went out.


    Chris, who was driving, nced at Rachel through the rearview mirror. ¡°Miss Grey, are you going


    straight to the office?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rachel muttered in a low voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital first.¡±


    Chris responded and started the car. She drove in the direction of the private hospital.


    At this moment in the private hospital, Lone Wolf, with his fingers wrapped in white bandages, was


    staring out from the windows in a daze. No one knew what he was thinking about.


    Even the chattering at the door could not attract his attention. And then he heard Rachel¡¯s voice. ¡°How


    is it? Is your wound better?¡±


    hel¡¯s voice. How is it? Is your


    Lone Wolf snapped back to his senses instantly. He quickly sat up on his


    Chapter 778


    bed. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see you, of course.¡± Rachel walked up and sat elegantly on the chair. Her gaze swept


    across his face. ¡°You look much better than yesterday.¡±


    Lone Wolf smiled. ¡°They are small injuries.¡±


    The injuries on his body were not serious. Nheless, they were still not something ordinary people


    could endure. That was why the doctor had forced him to stay in the hospital for observation.

 Chapter 779

    Chapter 779


    Chapter 779


    Lone Wolf knew that Rachel had gone to great lengths to save him from Ronnie. He also knew that he


    had caused Rachel a lot of trouble this time, so he hid the truth about his injuries.


    He looked up at Rachel and was about to say something when he noticed Chris standing not too far


    away. Lone Wolf pursed his lips and hesitated. In the end, he decided not to say anything.


    Chris was a tactful person. When she saw Lone Wolf holding back, she ced the fruit basket she was


    holding on the table and said respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey, you guys chat. I¡¯ll stand guard outside.¡±


    With that, she turned around and left, leaving Rachel and Lone Wolf alone in the ward.


    After Chris left, Rachel poured a ss of water and handed it to Lone Wolf. ¡°She¡¯s gone now. If you


    have anything to say or ask, feel free to do so.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Lone Wolf held the ss of water in his palms, not daring to exert force with his fingers. ¡°I


    just wanted to ask about you and David.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t Vulture and ckhawk tell you when they went back?¡±


    Lone Wolf smiled. ¡°They did. But I still find it unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°There are many things in this world that are unexpected.¡± Rachel sat back in her chair. ¡°Tell me about


    you. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be investigating Ronnie? Why did the investigation turn into an


    assassination?¡± Rachel asked inly.


    If it were an assassination mission to begin with, it would have involved members of thebat team.


    They would not have sent Lone Wolf, who was in charge of intelligence, to handle it.


    Moreover, Lone Wolf was a calm and thoughtful person. He was not impulsive like Vulture, nor as rash


    as ckhawk.


    After much pondering, the only reason Rachel could think of was that Lone Wolf bore a personal


    grudge against Ronnie.


    ¡°You believe him?¡± Lone Wolf lowered his eyelids to conceal the mocking in his eyes. ¡°Do you know


    who asked me to carry out the investigation?¡±


    Rachel did not reply. Instead, she looked at Lone Wolf and patiently waited for him to finish his


    sentence. ¡°It¡¯s Yandel.¡±


    ¡°It was Yandel who requested me to investigate Ronnie. During my investigation, I realized Ronnie


    seemed to be onto something too. Based on the clues, I gathered that he was investigating Yandel,¡±


    Lone Wolf said. ¡°Previously, you asked me to find out about Yandel. But his background is unclear. I


    had wanted to take the opportunity to probe more. Who would have guessed.¡±


    Lone Wolf paused for a moment. His bandaged fingers curled up slightly and tensed. ¡°Who would have


    guessed that I would fall into his trap and be maligned for attempting his murder?¡±


    To think about it, he had underestimated how scheming Ronnie could be.


    Ronnie had used the secret room and forced Lone Wolf to make his move. Lone Wolf was unable to


    get himself out of the situation.


    Regardless how skillful he was, there was no way Lone Wolf could fend off the numerous bodyguards


    who showed up.


    He was trapped inside with no way to escape. Eventually, he exhausted his stamina bit by bit.


    After capturing Lone Wolf alive, Ronnie taunted him, ¡°What, you people from Red me dare to dig


    into my background?¡± Ronnie smiled deviously as he lifted Lone Wolf¡¯s chin with his index finger.


    The expression in Rachel¡¯s eyes turned stern as she listened to Lone Wolf¡¯s exnation.


    It seemed that there had been a long-standing grudge between Ronnie and Yandel.


    An enemy¡¯s enemy would be an ally.


    Rachel left the private hospital after some time.


    She walked out of the hospital building and called Vulture. ¡°Lone Wolf¡¯s hand is injured. Two of his ribs


    are broken, and he has snapped his hamstrings also. These are not his only injuries. In short, he needs


    to recuperate well during this period.¡±


    Chris opened the car door for her. As Rachel bent down and got into the car, Vulture¡¯s voice came from


    the other end of the phone. ¡°I¡¯ve heard. He told me everything.¡±


    Vulture gritted his teeth in secret and suppressed the anger that was arising in his heart. ¡°The enmity


    between Red me and Ronnie has been formed! Better don¡¯t let me run into that devious Ronnie, or


    I¡¯ll skin him alive! By the way, I have to give you my thanks this time.¡±


    After a slight pause, Vulture added reluctantly, ¡°And thank David on my behalf too.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    After Rachel hung up the phone, Chris asked, ¡°Miss Grey, are you going to the office now?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rachel replied.


    The car drove steadily on the road. Rachel raised her hand and yed with the tassel on her earring.


    She asked Chris casually, ¡°How much do you know about Yandel?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about him.¡± Chris held the steering wheel and nced at Rachel through the


    rearview mirror. She said calmly, ¡°Mr. Jones has met him a few times, but they did not interact much in


    private.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°So the feud between the both of them ran deep?¡±


    Chris¡¯s eyes upturned into a faint smile. ¡°You can¡¯t consider it as a feud, but they will never be


    friends. The Olson family listens to the Elders. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that they are their


    minions. Therefore, we are on opposite ends of the stick. That assassination of Mr. Jones was also


    orchestrated by the Olson family.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Rachel looked at Chris with a meaningful gaze.


    When Chris did not hear a response from Rachel, she raised her eyes up to look at her.


    The moment their eyes met, a realization dawned upon Chris. Her fingertips curled up, and her throat


    became dry. ¡°Did Mr. Jones not tell you about it?¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I am hearing it from you now.¡± Rachel said.


    It made sense now. David had previously warned Rachel to stay away from Yandel, but refused to


    borate further.


    So that was the reason.


    A knot formed in Chris¡¯s throat when she heard Rachel¡¯s reply. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Miss


    Grey, Mr. Jones did not tell you because he does not want you to worry, so can you keep it a secret


    from him?¡±


    David should never know that Chris had told Rachel all that.


    Given how much David cared about Rachel, if he found out how much Chris had divulged to


    her, he would surely punish Chris severely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Rachel understood her concerns. She smiled faintly as she turned her head to look at the


    rapidly changing scenery outside the car window. ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I¡¯ve never heard this before.¡±


    The knot in Chris¡¯s throat loosened and a smile appeared on her face. ¡°Thank you, Miss


    Grey.¡±


    Rachel nced at Chris. Her light, crisp voice carried a hint of cheerfulness. ¡°You do not


    seem to loathe me now.¡±


    Chris smiled awkwardly at her. ¡°I apologize for my past behavior.¡±


    As David¡¯s trusted aides, they inevitably needed to take a lot of things into consideration.


    With David¡¯s background, there were indeed very few women who could be his equal.


    Chris¡¯s first impression of Rachel was that she was nothing more than a bimbo. Her presence would


    bring nothing but burden and trouble to David.


    However, now that they had been through several ordeals, Chris¡¯s impression of Rachel had changed.


    Rachel understood Chris¡¯s change in attitude towards her. She smiled. ¡°It is


    understandable.¡±


    If there were someone whom you looked up to and regarded as invincible, you would hope that he


    remained as such forever. Therefore, it was difficult to ept if that someone suddenly developed a


    weakness. This was more so if the person you admired was


    someone you knew.


    As they continued their conversation, the car arrived at the entrance of the Johnson Corporation.


    Rachel opened her car door and got out.

 Chapter 780

    Chapter 780


    Chapter 780


    Linda walked towards Rachel with a bunch of documents in her hands. ¡°Ms. Grey, Mr.


    Johnson is here. He¡¯s waiting for you in your office.¡±


    Rachel was slightly surprised. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Carrying her bag, Rachel hurried into her office, where she saw Lucas sitting on the sofa. He was


    quietly smoking his cigarette.


    When Lucas saw Rachel pushing the office door and entering the room, he pressed the cigarette


    between his fingers against the ashtray and extinguished it. Then, he quickly got up and walked to the


    window. He opened the window to ventte the room. ¡°Why are you


    sote?¡±


    ¡°I went to see a friend.¡± Rachel walked to the desk, put down the bag in her hand, and looked up at


    him. ¡°Why are you here? Did something happen?¡±


    Lucas stuck one hand in his pocket and sat back on the sofa. ¡°I went to the police station today.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Is there any progress?¡±


    Harold had suddenly copsed and died when he was at the police station. To prevent the matter from


    blowing up, it had been kept under wraps.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    And now Lucas suddenly showed up in Rachel¡¯s office. Could something have happened to-


    Warren too?


    Sensing her distress, Lucas quickly added, ¡°Everything is fine right now. Based on the investigation, the


    staff standing guard has the greatest suspicion.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°So, he was the one who poisoned Harold?¡±


    ¡°The results of the investigation team indicated so,¡± Lucas replied coolly as he toyed with the lighter in


    his fingers. ¡°However, the guard refused to admit anything, even when the police had arrested him.


    Although we have all the evidence, he is still denying the charges. Hence, there is no way to convict


    him now.¡±


    ¡°Have you found out the cause of Harold¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°ording to the autopsy report, the forensic pathologist has determined the cause as hydrogen


    cyanide poisoning.¡±


    A body with too much hydrocyanic acid would disy symptoms such as chest tightness and


    palpitations.


    Lucas¡¯s smoking addiction had been acting uptely. As he pondered, he subconsciously took a


    cigarette from his cigarette box.


    At this moment, Rachel asked again. ¡°Where is that staff now?¡±


    Lucas took the cigarette from the corner of his mouth and replied, ¡°He is under


    surveince.¡±


    He understood Rachel¡¯s concerns and responded calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the people guarding him are all


    trusted aides of my uncle. Not only are they preventing him from contacting the outside world, but they


    are also watching him so that he does notmit suicide out of desperation.¡±


    After all, that staff was the only clue they had. If anything happened to him, everyone in the police


    station would have no way of clearing their names.


    Many livelihoods were involved in this matter, and they treated it seriously. They did not


    dare to be careless.


    Nheless, noticing Lucas¡¯s restless state, Rachel could not help but ask, ¡°Are you hiding something


    from me?¡±


    ¡°What can I hide from you?¡± Lucas responded.


    He held the cigarette between his fingers and gently knocked it against his palm. Then, he stood up


    and said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. If there is nothing else, I¡¯ll


    leave first.¡±


    Rachel sat on her chair and stared after Lucas¡¯s back as he exited the room. There was a thoughtful


    expression on her face.


    In the blink of an eye, it was eleven o¡¯clock in the morning.


    The door of the conference room opened, and Rachel walked out first. Linda followed closely behind


    her and recited Rachel¡¯s schedule for that afternoon. ¡°At one o¡¯clock in the afternoon, you have to


    apany Mr. Geoffrey¡¯s wife for horse-riding. At four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, you have to meet with


    the Vice-president of Twilight Technology. There are also a few financial magazines that want to


    interview you. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Turn them away!¡± As expected, Rachel rejected.


    She then paused before continuing, ¡°How¡¯s the nning for the Real Estate Summit?¡±


    Linda was about to reply when Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    When Rachel saw that it was David, she gave Linda a knowing look and walked toward her


    office


    As soon as she picked up the phone, David¡¯s deep and cold voice sounded in her ear. ¡°You¡¯re not off


    work yet?¡±


    ¡°I might have to work overtime these few days.¡± Rachel raised her hand and pushed open the thick


    ss door of the office room. ¡°The day of the Real Estate Summit is nearing. As the leader of the


    company, I have to set an example. I can¡¯t let everyone work overtime while I ck off, right? After I get


    through these few days, the next couple of days should be


    more chill.¡±


    David¡¯s deep voice slowly drifted into her ears. It was exceptionally seductive. ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°And then¡­¡± Rachel deliberately dragged out her words. ¡°I can apany you all you want.¡± A faint


    smile appeared on her face.


    Upon hearing this, David¡¯s lofty attitude softened. It was as if the spring breeze had dispelled all the


    frost in anticipation of the immediate arrival of spring. ¡°Remember. If you encounter any trouble, just


    give me a call.¡±


    He did not say much, but those short sentences were brimming with adoration and


    fondness.


    Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and the corners of her lips involuntarily curled up. ¡°I know.¡±


    After hanging up, she took her cup and went to the pantry.


    As she approached the pantry, she could hear the few employees who were also taking a break in the


    pantry.


    In such a busy and fast-paced environment, the only way for the employees to fight exhaustion and


    boredom was through coffee and gossip in the pantry.


    Rachel did not mind their discussion at all, even if she was the topic of their gossip at


    times.


    They were talking about office romance. When they saw Rachel walk in, they immediately became


    uneasy and nervous.


    ¡°Carry on.¡± Rachel¡¯s gaze swept across them and stopped on Haley for a second. She then continued


    to pour herself a cup of hot water.


    However, the employees no longer felt like continuing their gossip when Rachel was there. They could


    only leave the pantry begrudgingly.


    Haley got up and was about to leave when Rachel suddenly asked, ¡°Are you used to your job now?¡±


    Haley stopped what she was doing and replied ¡°I¡¯ve adapted¡±


    Rachel held her mug in her hand and sized up Haley from top to bottom. Her eyes flickered as she


    secretly chided her, ¡°Are you in charge of leading the summit?¡±


    Haley answered honestly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to your performance.¡± Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a meaningful smile.


    Haley looked up at Rachel. When her eyes met Rachel¡¯s sharp gaze, Haley¡¯s eyelids trembled slightly,


    and she quickly lowered her eyes to avoid Rachel¡¯s gaze.


    After finishing her work for the day, Rachel dragged her tired body into the underground parking lot.


    She stretched her aching shoulders and neck and retrieved her car¡¯s remote control from


    her bag.


    When she drove out from the underground garage, she saw Linda waiting for a taxi by the


    roadside.


    Linda had her head lowered and was looking at her phone. She was so deep in thought that


    she did not hear Rachel¡¯s car horns.


    It was not until Rachel pulled her car to the side of the road and lowered the window to call


    her that Linda snapped back to her senses. ¡°Get in, I¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    Linda hesitated for a split second before nodding.


    In the car, Rachel could tell that Linda was troubled, but she did not ask further.


    Linda pursed her lips and finally handed her phone to Rachel. ¡°Rae-Rae, take a look at


    this.¡±


    After confirming the road ahead, Rachel turned her head and quickly nced at Linda¡¯s phone. Her


    eyes flickered slightly. ¡°When did you take that?¡±

 Chapter 781

    Chapter 781


    Chapter 781


    There was a photo on the phone screen.


    In the photo, Haley was getting into a ck Maybach. Judging from the license te, it was


    a local car. Behind the opened door, there appeared to be a silhouette.


    It was hard to tell the man¡¯s features, but he resembled David.


    As Rachel tried hard to recall, an image of a face suddenly formed in her mind.


    It was Julian, whom she had met once at a resort vi on a nearby ind.


    He was Noah¡¯s son.


    When the assistant got out of the car and opened the door, Haley lowered her body and got into the car


    immediately.


    Linda looked at Rachel nervously, trying to decipher her thoughts from the subtle changes. in her


    expression. ¡°I saw Haley at a nearby hotel when I was sending Mr. Geoffrey¡¯s wife off today. I had


    wanted to go up and greet her, but this car stopped in front of her.¡±


    ¡°Previously, I identally eavesdropped on her call. I was worried that she would harm thepany,


    so I took a photo.¡±


    Linda did not know what Haley was up to, nor did she know who the man in the car with Haley was.


    However, the date of the Real Estate Summit was imminent upon them. And since Haley was in charge


    of the summit, Linda feared she would stir trouble.


    Rachel rested her elbow on the car window and held the steering wheel single-handedly. Her red lips


    curled into a cold smirk. ¡°The human heart is always greedy.¡±


    Previously, when Haley left Cruise Group and fell out with Olivia, Rachel was the one who took the


    initiative to extend a helping hand to her.


    Although Linda did not know why Rachel had taken Haley in the first ce, Linda did not wish to


    tarnish anyone¡¯s reputation with her spection.


    No one knew better than her how much damage gossip and prejudice could do.


    Linda was torn. After pondering for a long time, she slowly said, ¡°Rae-Rae, why don¡¯t I ask her out to


    talk tomorrow?¡±


    Perhaps Haley had some difficulties. Or maybe it was just a misunderstanding?


    She knew that Rachel thought highly of Haley¡¯s work and even wanted to groom Haley to


    be her personal assistant.


    After their interactions at works, Linda knew that with Haley¡¯s capabilities and diligence, she would


    have no problem establishing a name for herself.


    She was neither arrogant nor impatient when it came to work, nor did she have anyints when


    she needed to work overtime.


    Rachel smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    If anyone had anything to say, they would speak up without having to ask. If they did not want to reveal


    anything, no amount of probing would get them to open up.


    Even if they did say something in the end, it might not be trustworthy.


    There was nothing asplicated and fickle-minded as the human heart.


    Linda looked at Rachel¡¯s slightly furrowed forehead. She hesitated and finally asked cautiously, ¡°Are we


    going to just sit and do nothing?¡±


    Rachel threw a nce at her and smiled. ¡°The truth will be revealed one day.¡±


    In contrast to the perturbed and apprehensive Linda, Rachel appeared exceptionallyposed.


    She did not appear disappointed either.


    Back then, by switching sides and overthrowing Olivia, Haley had dealt a fatal blow to Olivia. In fact,


    Rachel was the one who gained the most out of that. And all Rachel did after the incident was help


    Haley out.


    To put it bluntly, she and Haley were just taking what they needed.


    She had hired Haley because she appreciated Haley for her change of heart at thest minute and


    because she had taken a fancy to her work.


    It was just a job. If you gave the correct remuneration, the receiving party wouldpensate with the


    corresponding work efficiency. It was just a transaction. There was no loyalty to speak of.


    After sending Linda back to her apartment building, Rachel bid her farewell and drove to her apartment.


    Rachel went to work as usual the following morning.


    It was almost noon when her uncle, Tom, called her, ¡°You¡¯re still at work?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy preparing for the Real Estate Summit recently.¡± Rachel picked up her cup and stood


    up. She walked idly to the full-length window and looked down at the busy


    street. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Tom was about to reply when his wife, Eleanor, snatched the phone from him and said with a smile,


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that our family hasn¡¯t had a meal together for a long time. If you have time in the


    afternoon, let¡¯s go to Tastyhaus for a meal?¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Rachel contemted the invitation.


    Eleanor then added covertly, ¡°Let me tell you a secret. Lucas ising over with his prospective


    partner for the marriage alliance. No matter what, she will be a rtive in the future. Do you want to


    come over and meet her?¡±


    Prospective partner?


    Rachel raised her eyebrows in astonishment. ¡°So soon?¡±


    It had only been a week since her grandfather proposed the marriage alliance. Had Lucas already


    decided on the prospective partner in such a short period?


    Although they were just prospects, they still ought to screen the prospect¡¯s family background carefully.


    Were they too hasty in deciding?


    Or did it make no difference, since they did not love each other?


    ¡°I was also shocked when Lucas told me he is bringing her home,¡± Eleanor spoke into the phone


    casually. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with the marriage alliance since the day Lucas agreed to it. After what


    happened previously, we have to consider each prospect carefully. I had a few candidates in mind, but


    Lucas was dissatisfied with them. Who knew he would suddenly call this morning and say he had found


    someone? He even suggested that we have lunch. together.¡±


    ¡°Tom red up at Lucas again because of this. He felt Lucas was too hasty and irresponsible to himself


    and the girl. I got someone to look into that girl¡¯s family background. Apparently, her family had


    established a strong footing in Curz in their early days, butter moved away. Nheless, her


    family is affluent and is a typical noble family.¡±


    After chatting with Rachel, Eleanor finally said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. We will speak


    again when we meet.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel packed up and left the office.


    When she arrived at Tastyhaus, it was exactly eleven o¡¯clock.


    Upon arriving at the restaurant, Rachel took her phone out and sent a message. The


    restaurant staff then led her into a private room on the third level.


    There were bodyguards guarding the entrance of the third floor, but they did not stop


    Rachel when they saw her.


    John, who was standing at the door, went forward to greet Rachel immediately when he saw her. ¡°Miss


    Grey. This way, please.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly and pushed open the door.


    Once inside the room, she saw Tom and Eleanor sitting at the head of the table.


    Lucas was sitting on Tom¡¯s right-hand side. And beside Lucas was a delicate-looking


    woman.


    The woman was about 25 years old. She had bangs which almost covered her pair of doe eyes. Her


    eyes were big and clear, and she looked innocent with them.


    Even though she appeared poised and elegant sitting in her chair, she could not conceal that air of


    superiority and pride around her.


    That aura emanated naturally from within her. It did not seem like she was pretending.


    ¡°Rae-Rae,e sit over here.¡± Eleanor beckoned Rachel.


    Rachel walked over obediently and sat beside Eleanor. When she looked up, her gaze met


    the woman¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 782

    Chapter 782


    Chapter 782


    Thetter smiled. ¡°Hello, my name is Miriam Waller.¡±


    Rachel replied generously, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Rachel Grey.¡±


    The atmosphere of the meal was much more harmonious than Rachel had anticipated.


    Although Miriam had an innate arrogance, she did not show any ostentatiousness during


    the meal.


    She was also very well-mannered in the face of Eleanor¡¯s questions. She had clearly grown up in a


    strict environment.


    As she was thinking, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly vibrated.


    Without batting an eyelid, she took out her phone and checked the messages on it.


    It was the result of the Red me¡¯s investigation of Miriam.


    Her ancestors had once been on the battlefield. Even though they had moved from Curz to the


    south, their family still had a powerful warring background.


    Probably due to the influence of her ancestors, although Miriam was a woman, she had been in the


    army for five years and was currently in a certain judicial department.


    To be honest, the Johnson family was indeed out of their leaguepared to Miriam¡¯s background.


    From the eyes of an outsider, the Johnson family had exceptional status as the richest family in


    Seaxas. However, only the Johnson family knew that they could not withstand a single blow against a


    family with true power.


    At this moment, Lucas picked up his wine ss and stood up. ¡°Dad, Mom, now that you¡¯ve seen her,


    I¡¯m preparing to go home with Miriam in two days. The two of us don¡¯t like to hold ceremonies, so we¡¯re


    nning to skip the engagement and register our marriage directly.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel could not help but be stunned.


    Even Eleanor, who had always been dignified and elegant, choked on her coffee and coughed


    repeatedly.


    This was not just rapid progress, but light speed.


    The two of them had only known each other for a few days, but they were already going to register their


    marriage. This matter was a little too rushed..


    Tom looked at Lucas. His deep and dark eyes flickered with a dark andplicated


    expression.


    He naturally knew Miriam¡¯s background and the benefits of Miriam marrying into the Johnson family.


    However, with Miriam¡¯s background, the Waller family might not agree to this marriage.


    At the end of the day, it was the Johnson family who was going to climb up the socialdder because of


    the Waller family


    ¡°Marriage is a big deal. It requires the consent of both parents.¡±


    Upon hearing what Tom said, Eleanor hurriedly echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right. Parents always worry most for


    their daughters who marry into farawaynds. It¡¯s good that the two of you love each other, but you¡¯re


    too anxious. Your parents will inevitably be caught off guard.¡±


    Although the two of them looked like they were in love, everyone knew what the reality


    was.


    There was no foundation of love between Lucas and Miriam. If that was the case, how could they really


    be in love?


    However, there was one thing that they could not understand. With Miriam¡¯s background, she did not


    have to marry into a lesser family.


    Why did she choose Lucas? Could he be fooling around and not taking marriage seriously at all?


    Although it was going to be a marriage alliance, as parents, they naturally hoped that their child could


    live happily in the future. Lucas¡¯s attitude and way of handling things really worried them.


    They did not want Lucas to lose his childlike innocence at such a young age because of this marriage


    alliance.


    ¡°I have my own considerations regarding this matter.¡± Lucas finished the wine in his ss and sat back


    in his chair.


    Miriam pursed her lips and carefully looked at Lucas. ¡°Lucas, what are your ns for the afternoon?¡±


    ¡°I have to go back to thepany for a meeting in the afternoon,¡± Lucas replied with a serious


    expression. ¡°I also have to go out to socialize tonight.¡±


    It was like a routine report. There was no emotionalmunication between young couples.


    Miriam¡¯s gaze flickered. ¡°When will you be done?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Lucas frowned slightly. He probably felt that his attitude was too cold, so he


    added, ¡°It¡¯s been really busy at thepany recently. There are some things that I need to deal with


    personally.¡±


    Miriam nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    She picked up the cup in front of her and took a sip. She lowered her gaze to hide the emotions in her


    eyes.


    She thought, ¡°Does he treat me as his fianc¨¦e or not? I was talking to him out of goodwill, but he¡¯s


    reporting back to me like a block of wood.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Those who don¡¯t know better would think that we are superior and subordinate!¡±


    The group split up after the meal.


    Rachel and Eleanor walked behind.


    Eleanor held Rachel¡¯s hand and said earnestly, ¡°Rae-Rae, your brother has always listened


    to your advice the most. Why don¡¯t you go and enlighten him? I¡¯m really worried that he will take things


    too hard.¡±


    Although it was a marriage alliance, it had to be consensual.


    If the two of them did not share the same ideas and forcefully got together, it would probably result in a


    situation where both sides would suffer.


    The two of them would have gripes that they could not talk about and would torture each other and add


    to each other¡¯s worries as a result. Why should they subject themselves to that?


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him in private.¡± Rachel looked up at Lucas and Miriam. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯ll listen


    to me.¡±


    After all, Lucas had agreed to the arranged marriage set by his grandfather because of her.


    Now that he had brought Miriam home to meet his parents, he must have a n in mind.


    She was afraid that she could not change this matter with just a few words.


    After sending off Tom and Eleanor, Rachel turned around and walked toward her car.


    ¡°Miss Grey,¡± said a voice behind her.


    Rachel turned around and saw Miriam jogging over from not far away. ¡°Miss Waller, you don¡¯t have to


    be so polite. Just call me by my name.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call you Rae-Rae. You can call me Miriam.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Rachel looked at Miriam and did not butter up to her. She asked directly, ¡°Why are you looking


    for me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Miriam pursed her lips and said tentatively, ¡°I just wanted to ask if you have


    time to walk around with me in the afternoon?¡±


    Rachel could not figure out the intention behind Miriam¡¯s request.


    She thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Hearing this, Miriam¡¯s face lit up. ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ve been bored to death in the hotel alone these past


    few days.¡±


    She was unfamiliar with this ce and wanted to look for Lucas, but she was worried that he would be


    annoyed. Now, she finally found someone who was willing to apany her.


    Miriam did not stand on ceremony with Rachel at all. She pulled Rachel into the car and drove to the


    largest department store in Seaxas.


    The two of them did not notice the group of people walking out of Tastyhaus when they got into the car.


    The person in the lead was Hans.


    When he walked out of the door, although he only saw Rachel¡¯s back, he still recognized her at a


    nce.


    He had asked people to inquire about Rachel ever since he came to Seaxas. However, no one knew


    much about her.


    Rachel was a mysterious existence in Seaxas. Unless she was willing to show her face, they had no


    way to inquire about her, nor did they have the chance to spy on her.


    Now that he saw Rachel getting into a luxury car, his eyes shed with a cunning n.


    He thought, ¡°Could it be that she has hooked up with someone else?¡±


    Seeing the car start, Hans did not have time to think. His body was the first to react. He quickly chased


    after the car and memorized its license te number.

 Chapter 783

    Chapter 783


    Chapter 783


    Rachel and Miriam arrived at Times Square in Seaxas.


    The two of them were not in a hurry to go shopping. Instead, they sat in a cafe and had some-snacks


    and coffee for afternoon tea.


    When the coffee was served, Rachel picked up a spoon and slowly stirred the coffee in front of her.


    She lowered her gaze and quietly looked at the small whirlpool in the cup.


    The two of them just sat there. Rachel had no intention of speaking first.


    She guessed that Miriam did not ask her out just to drink coffee and relieve her boredom. She probably


    had other ns.


    As soon as this thought came to her mind, Miriam couldn¡¯t help but speak first. ¡°Actually, I asked you


    out because I have something to ask you.¡±


    ¡°About Lucas?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at Miriam.


    Miriam nodded. She sped her hands together to hide the nervousness in her heart. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve


    only met him twice. There are many things that I can¡¯t ask him directly, so I can onlye and ask


    you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve only met twice in total?¡± There was an unconceble shock in Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    She thought that the two of them had decided to get married despite not having much of a foundation


    of love because they had spent some time together. She did not expect that they had only met twice.


    She suddenly understood why Eleanor was holding her hand and telling her to have a good chat with


    Lucas in private.


    Not only did the two of them not take marriage seriously, but they were simply fooling


    around.


    Noticing the frost in Rachel¡¯s eyes, Miriam quickly exined, ¡°Although we haven¡¯t been together for


    long, I¡¯m serious about him.¡±


    No matter how one looked at it, it sounded like there was something else going on.


    ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± A meaningful smile shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    Seeing that Rachel had taken the initiative to speak, Miriam did not hide anything. ¡°I wanted to ask you


    if there have been any other women by your brother¡¯s side all these years? Or perhaps those kinds of


    women?¡±


    A woman would not be able to ept her future husband having another woman in his


    heart, no matter how epting and generous she was. Miriam was the same.


    Moreover, the education she had received since she was young had taught her never topromise.


    She would treat this marriage as if it had never happened if there was another woman in


    Lucas¡¯s heart.


    Rachel seemed to have seen through Miriam¡¯s thoughts. The corners of her lips curled up slightly. ¡°No.


    Ever since he stepped down, he has been busy with his business and doesn¡¯t have the mood to y


    with women.¡±


    Hearing this, Miriam secretly heaved a sigh of relief, and the nervous expression on her face faded a


    little.


    Rachel


    met?¡±


    put down the spoon in her hand and said calmly, ¡°Can you tell me how you two


    ¡°The first time I met him was five years ago. At that time, he was not like this. Instead, he was a famous


    figure in the military region. Everyone called him a genius sniper. He was also a mythical existence in


    the military region. I identally barged into the territory of illegal criminals while I was wandering


    outside alone¡­¡±


    Miriam did not hide anything and calmly told the story of her first encounter with Lucas.


    From catching a glimpse of Lucas to developing a silent crush, she kept how she had had a crush on


    Lucas for five years brief.


    However, only Miriam herself knew what it felt like to have a crush on someone for five


    years.


    ¡°I heard that the Johnson family was interested in a marriage alliance, and I felt that my background


    was worthy of him, so I rmended myself.¡±


    At this point, an awkward expression appeared on Miriam¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious. With your background, would your family agree to let you marry so far away into Seaxas?¡±


    Rachel looked at her calmly. She still had some doubts in her heart. ¡°With your background, marrying


    into the Johnson family is a little unfair to you.¡±


    Moreover, with the Waller family¡¯s prestige in the south, the wealthiest family in Seaxas, the Johnson


    family, might not be worthy of their attention.


    Miriam shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Isn¡¯t getting married between Lucas and me?¡±


    In other words, what did it have to do with outsiders?


    Hearing her matter-of-fact tone, Rachel was speechless.


    What she said made sense. It was irrefutable.


    Back then, she had thought the same when she wanted to marry David.


    ¡°My family has always known that I have someone I like, so they won¡¯t stop me from marrying Lucas.¡±


    Miriam noticed the smile on Rachel¡¯s face and mistakenly thought that she felt that this marriage was


    unreliable. She quickly exined, ¡°If my grandmother knew that I was getting married to the person I


    like, she would definitely approve of it.¡±


    A hint of pride and confidence appeared on her face when she mentioned her grandmother. It was as if


    she had a royal edict.


    Rachel guessed that the reason why Miriam was so confident and ostentatious was that she had Old


    Mrs. Waller¡¯s tacit support all these years.


    However, she still had some reservations about what Miriam said.


    After all, marriage alliances also required people of equal social status. Could the Waller family really


    ept the Johnson family without prejudice?


    ¡°Rae-Rae, can you answer a few of my questions?¡±


    ¡°Ask away.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Miriam took out a notepad and a pen from her bag.


    There were all kinds of questions about Lucas in the notepad.


    Most of them were about his preferences.


    She asked and Rachel answered.


    Miriam meticulously recorded every answer Rachel gave.


    Rachel was ashamed of her inferiority.


    She could also sense that Miriam was serious about Lucas.


    The two of them chatted until three in the afternoon. When they left, Rachel specially instructed


    someone to send Miriam a bracelet. ¡°This is for you. Take it as a gift for our first meeting.¡±


    ¡°But I-I didn¡¯t prepare anything¡­¡± Miriam was at a loss.


    To be honest, she was spoiled since she was young as she had been born in the Waller family. She


    had seen all kinds of rare treasures, but she did not dare to ept the bracelet sent by Rachel.


    This was probably the nervousness and uneasiness she felt when she was meeting a family


    member of the person she loved.


    She was afraid that Rachel would be annoyed if she did something wrong, and she was even more


    afraid of leaving a bad impression. In short, she was timid and careful.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel pressured about a small gift.¡± Rachel stuffed the item into her hand. ¡°Moreover,


    in my opinion, you¡¯re very outstanding. My brother isn¡¯t worthy of you.¡±


    Judging from his behavior at the dining table, he did not realize Miriam¡¯s feelings for him at


    all.


    Miriam was very happy to be recognized by a member of Lucas¡¯s family. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡±


    Just as Rachel was about to turn around and leave, Miriam grabbed her hand.


    Then, she realized how powerless her actions were and smiled awkwardly. Then, she slowly let go and


    said cautiously, ¡°Rae-Rae, can you not tell your brother about our


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    conversation this afternoon¡­¡±


    She wanted to understand Lucas, but she did not dare to act rashly for fear of attracting


    Lucas¡¯s disgust. She could only ask Rachel what she wanted to know.


    At the same time, she was worried that Lucas would misunderstand her intentions if this matter was


    exposed.

 Chapter 784

    Chapter 784


    Chapter 784


    Rachel understood her intentions. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell him.¡±


    Hearing this, a relieved smile appeared on Miriam¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Rachel replied.


    After the two of them parted ways, Rachel turned around and walked toward her car.


    Just as she opened the door and was about to get in, her phone suddenly rang.


    Her eyes shed slightly when she saw that the call was from David. The coldness in her eyes faded a


    little, revealing a hint of gentleness.


    The two of them had only not seen each other for several days, but it felt like a long time.


    She put on her Bluetooth headphones and eagerly picked up David¡¯s call. ¡°You¡¯re at Times Square?¡±


    David asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rachel instinctively looked around. ¡°Are you nearby?¡±


    David¡¯s deep and cold voice rang out from the other end of the phone. ¡°No, Jimmy saw


    you.¡±


    Jimmy had casually taken a photo and sent it to him.


    Although it was just a snapshot and the outline was blurry, it did not affect her bright and dazzling facial


    features at all. She was still breathtakingly beautiful and eye-catching.


    However, it also evoked the longing that he had suppressed in his heart for many days.


    Upon hearing his words, disappointment shed across Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°I thought you were


    nearby¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you miss me?¡± The man¡¯s deep and cold voice suddenly became softer, and it grabbed her heart


    like a tiny hook.


    Rachel could not help but feel a ripple in her heart. She swallowed and suppressed the waves in her


    heart, but she refused to say anything that would make her seem weak. ¡°I¡¯ve been very busy recently. I


    didn¡¯t have time to think about you.¡±


    ¡°Fine, even if you don¡¯t miss me, I miss you. Will that do?¡± David¡¯s deep voice was like the bass chord


    of a cello. He slowly let out a sigh, and his voice sounded more lonely than before. ¡°I thought that my


    fianc¨¦e will miss me after not seeing me for so long. It turns out that I was thinking too much.¡±


    His deste tone made Rachel¡¯s heart ache for him.


    Even though Rachel knew that he was deliberately putting on a pitiful act to make her heart ache, her


    heart still softened. ¡°I miss you very much. I miss you so much that I can¡¯t wait to see you immediately.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Rachel smiled.


    This person was really contradictory.


    He had med her for being heartless when she said that she didn¡¯t miss him, but he was now


    suspecting if it was true when she said she missed him.


    It was said that women wereplicated creatures. In her opinion, men were about the


    same.


    On the other end of the line, David was silent for a moment before he chuckled. ¡°Since you want to see


    me, I¡¯ll naturally satisfy you.¡±


    Rachel frowned and was about to ask what he meant when a voice rang out from behind


    her. ¡°Rachel!¡±


    Upon hearing the voice, Rachel casually turned to look at who it was. The smile on her lips


    disappeared a little when she saw Hans. There was a faint coldness in her eyes. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    She did not want David to hear her conversation with Hans. She was worried that it would


    dirty his ears, so she simply hung up.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± Hans said matter-of-factly. He reached out to adjust his suit jacket. His every


    move exuded arrogance. ¡°Rachel, I¡¯m your father after all. Is this how you talk to your father?¡±


    The moment he opened his mouth, he used his identity as her father to pressure Rachel.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with faint mockery. She raised her hand and tucked the loose hair behind her


    ear. She said unhurriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you were the one who said that you wanted to sever our


    rtionship more than 20 years ago. Now, you¡¯re going back on your word. Are you trying to p


    yourself?¡±


    Hans had already experienced her eloquence. He could not be bothered to waste his breath on her, so


    he simply stated his purpose foring. ¡°I know you¡¯ve be sessful now, but you¡¯re still part of


    the Grey family. You can¡¯t just think about bing sessful and not care about your family, right?¡±


    His eyes kept ncing at the car behind Rachel as he spoke.


    This car was a limited edition worldwide. This was the only car of this model in Crucsia,


    much less Seaxas.


    Rachel naturally did not miss the shrewd plot in Hans¡¯s eyes. Her red lips curled up into a cold smile.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°The Grey family¡¯s production line is facing elimination. See if you can get the Johnson family to help.¡±


    He enunciated each word very lightly. It did not sound like a request, more like an order from a


    superior. His matter-of-fact tone did not give Rachel a chance to refuse.


    Seeing his matter-of-fact attitude, Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly. Her eyes flickered with an


    inexplicable coldness, especially when she heard him mention the Johnson family. ¡°Why should the


    richest family in Seaxas listen to my request?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because of your methods,¡± Hans said as he whipped out the photo he had taken in front


    of Tastyhaus. ¡°I¡¯ve checked. This is the Johnson family¡¯s car. I saw you get into a car with the eldest


    daughter of the Johnson family with my own eyes. The two of you were chatting happily. You two must


    have a deep rtionship. It¡¯s just a small favor. This shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you.¡±


    Rachel snorted unreservedly. ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you. Not to mention that I don¡¯t


    have the ability, even if I did, I would never help the Grey family!¡±


    After saying that, she did not want to waste her breath on Hans any further. She walked to her car and


    prepared to open the door to leave.


    Hans watched as Rachel turned around and left. He quickly rushed forward and grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Rachel Grey, stop right there! I haven¡¯t finished speaking. Who said you could


    leave!


    ¡°Is this how your grandfather raised you after taking you away all these years? He taught you to


    disrespect your elders and offend your superiors?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± A cold light suddenly emerged in Rachel¡¯s eyes, and a vicious aura surrounded her. ¡°What


    right do you have to mention my grandfather!


    Hans was stunned by her cold and terrifying gaze. The aggressive aura he had a second ago instantly


    dissipated by half.


    However, he immediately became furious when he thought about how he had just been frightened by a


    little girl. He could not help but tighten his grip on her hand, and a mocking smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Your grandfather¡¯s family is just from the countryside. They¡¯re not worthy of being


    mentioned by me. But I¡¯m your father and have raised you. Since I¡¯m pleading with you, you have to do


    as I say!¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re pleading with me, shouldn¡¯t you act like you¡¯re begging me?¡± Rachel raised


    her eyebrows slightly. Her eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°Like kneeling?¡±


    Hearing this, Hans was furious. ¡°How dare you!¡±


    At this moment, he couldn¡¯t care less about the peopleing and going on the street. He raised his


    other hand and pped Rachel across her face.


    His palm slid through the air ferociously, creating a sharp gust of wind as it pped toward


    Rachel¡¯s cheek.


    Rachel narrowed her eyes, and a cold glint appeared in them.


    The next second, his wrist was grabbed by a well-defined hand and twisted.

 Chapter 785

    Chapter 785


    Chapter 785


    Hans was in so much pain that he instinctively let go. He was tossed aside before he could see the


    other party¡¯s face clearly.


    He staggered a few steps back and barely managed to stand still. He held his slightly painful wrist and


    looked up.


    What he saw was an exquisite face. The man stood tall and straight, and his aura was even more


    terrifying. At this moment, he was not saying anything and was just standing there quietly. Yet, he


    emitted a terrifying aura that deterred anyone from approaching from the depths of their bones. It


    pressed down on his heart for no reason, making him unable to breathe.


    Hans was slightly stunned when he saw David. Then, a ttering smile formed on his face. He walked


    toward David and extended his hand to greet him. ¡°You must be Mr. Jones, right? I¡¯ve heard a lot about


    you.¡±


    He did not feel awkward even though David did not react for a long time. Instead, he braced himself


    and introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Hans Grey from the Grey family in Pollister. Nice to meet you, Mr. Jones.¡±


    David acted as if he did not hear him. He wrapped his arms around Rachel¡¯s slender waist and held her


    wrist with his other hand. He frowned slightly when he saw the red marks that had yet to fade.


    Hans awkwardly retracted his outstretched hand.


    He was the best at ttery and observation. He acutely sensed David¡¯s displeasure. His eyes darted


    around as if he was thinking of a countermeasure.


    Soon, he exined, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of beingughed at by you. There was a misunderstanding between


    us. We didn¡¯t say much before we started arguing. In a moment of desperation, I wanted to teach her a


    lesson as her father. I¡¯m sorry you had to see that.¡±


    A chuckle escaped from David¡¯s throat. It was curt, but it frightened Hans.


    Hans felt his heart tighten. He held his breath and lowered his head. However, his gaze quickly swept


    past David¡¯s face as he secretly tried to figure out his thoughts.


    However, David did not show his emotions on his face. It was really difficult to guess. what he was


    thinking.


    However, Hans thought that no matter what, he was still Rachel¡¯s father. It was only right


    for a father to teach his child a lesson. Even if David was powerful, he could not interfere in the family


    matters of others.


    As soon as this thought appeared, he immediately felt a little more confident.


    However, before he could puff out his chest, David¡¯s cold voice rang out again, ¡°Your father?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were calm, and the depths of her almond-shaped eyes flickered with a clear coldness.


    She replied indifferently, ¡°No.¡±


    Upon hearing her answer, Hans¡¯s originally ttering expression instantly copsed. He stared at


    Rachel with a sinister gaze and gritted his teeth as he scolded coldly, ¡°Rachel Grey, do you know what


    nonsense you¡¯ve said! How dare you disown me as your father in front of outsiders? You¡¯re unfilial!¡±


    Hearing this, David raised his head and looked over.


    His lethal gaze was like a sharp de pressed against Hans¡¯s throat, instantly quelling Hans¡¯s


    arrogance.


    Hans looked at the man in front of him. His heart quivered and felt like it was being pinched by


    someone. He opened his mouth but could not say a word for a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard you mention anything about your father before. I just assumed that he was dead,¡±


    David said unhurriedly. His voice was as cold as winter frost, with a sharpness. that made one shudder.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t contacted each other all these years. It¡¯s better for you to quietly be ¡°dead¡±, right?¡±


    His tone was very calm, but there wereyers of frost and danger under his calmness.


    Hans looked up at David.


    The moment their eyes met, he couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    His intuition told him that David would definitely break his neck if his answer did not satisfy him.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    He smiled awkwardly. Before he could say anything, David had already turned around and -left with


    Rachel. He had her waist in his arms.


    Who knew when he would see Rachel again if she left?


    Thinking of this, Hans chased after them anxiously. ¡°Rachel, I haven¡¯t finished talking to you!¡±


    No matter what, he had to make Rachel agree to help the Grey family tide over this crisis.


    However, a figure suddenly blocked his path.


    Eddie looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°Mr. Grey, if I were you, I would stay in Pollister and never


    appear in front of Miss Grey again for the rest of my life.¡±


    Even he felt bad for Miss Grey when he encountered such a shameless father.


    He had not asked about Rachel all these years, but he was so eager to reach out to her now that he


    saw that he could benefit from her. Rachel was really unlucky to have such a father.


    His tone was nonchnt, but there was a threat in them.


    Hans stared straight at Eddie and clenched his fists tightly by his sides.


    Even though he was unwilling, he had no choice but to swallow his anger.


    Eddie curled his lips in disdain. He raised his hand to brush away the nonexistent dust on his body and


    turned to leave.


    Meanwhile, Hans could only grit his teeth and watch them leave.


    In his opinion, David was the only reason Rachel was so arrogant.


    What right did she have to still be arrogant without David?


    Since this daughter of his was disobedient, he could only look for the obedient one.


    On the other side, Rachel could not help but ask after they got into the car, ¡°Why are your


    here?¡±


    Normally, she would be very happy to see him.


    However, she felt inexplicably frustrated that she allowed Hans and David to meet.


    She felt as if the treasure she had been carefully hiding had been coveted by a thief.


    Seeing that she was not in a good mood, David thought that Rachel did not want to see him. His


    expression could not help but turn cold. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me?¡±


    ¡°I could do either way,¡± replied Rachel.


    Hearing this, David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a dangerous cold light flickered in them.


    Eddie, who was sitting in the front row, could clearly feel the sudden chill in the car. He cleared his


    throat slightly and braced himself. ¡°Miss Grey, Mr. Jones has pushed back a


    very, very important meeting to see you.¡±


    He thought, ¡°When had Mr. Jones ever put in so much effort for a woman? However, she doesn¡¯t


    appreciate it at all.


    ¡°Does she not know how to cherish what is at her fingertips?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re busy, why did youe out to see me?¡± Rachel looked at David.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t appreciate it, but she just couldn¡¯t figure out why David would do


    that.


    Previously, they had exchanged phone calls and established that they were both very busy. They had


    expressed their understanding.


    Moreover, they would have plenty of time to be together after they were done with their work. There


    was no need to rush and postpone a very important meeting.


    David grabbed her chin with his well-defined fingers. He bent down and his cold breath. assaulted her


    face. ¡°Rachel, do you know what you look like now?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°What do I look like?¡±


    David snorted. ¡°A heartless woman!¡±


    She was the one who said that she wanted to see him, but he was rejected when he delivered herself


    to her door.

 Chapter 786

    Chapter 786


    Chapter 786


    Seeing David¡¯s expression darken, Rachel knew that he was angry again.


    A helpless smile appeared on her face as she tried to brush his hand.


    away.


    However, the man was holding her chin with his fingers. He didn¡¯t use much force, but it was obviously


    heavier than usual.


    Rachel put all her weight on it and looked at him with a smile. ¡°Are you really angry?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± David looked at her smiling face and pulled his hand back with a straight face.


    The next second, Rachel quickly grabbed his hand. ¡°If you¡¯re not angry, give me a smile.¡±


    Eddie, who was sitting in the front row, could not help but shiver.


    In this world, only Rachel would dare to order David to smile for her.


    As a qualified special assistant, he silently raised the partition of the carriage to give the two of them


    some privacy.


    In the back of the car, Rachel held David¡¯s hand and leaned on his shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you


    missed me previously? Why are you unhappy now that you¡¯re seeing me?¡±


    As she spoke, she leaned over and kissed his face.


    The sudden touch made David¡¯s body stiffen unnaturally. He looked sideways at the woman in front of


    him.


    Rachel blinked and looked at him pitifully. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡±


    The woman¡¯s tone became gentle and soft, making David¡¯s gloomy mood instantly dissipate.


    He stared at her without blinking and pulled her into his arms domineeringly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another


    chance. Do you miss me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rachel looked at him and coaxed him softly. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for at least three days.


    How can I not miss you?¡±


    David raised his chin proudly and snorted. ¡°I wonder who just said that they don¡¯t want to see me.¡±


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    14:32


    Rachel stretched out her arm and hooked it around his neck. She looked up at him, her clear almond¨C


    shaped eyes sparkling with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s all because someone appeared at the wrong time just now and


    ruined my good mood for nothing, causing me to say something wrong in a moment of distraction.¡±


    Although she did not specify who that person was, David knew very well.


    He reached out and caressed the woman¡¯s soft lips. His deep gaze darkened and his Adam¡¯s apple


    bobbed. ¡°So? How do you n to atone for your sins?¡±


    The man¡¯s fingertips were slightly cold as he brushed them across her chest. A numbing feeling spread


    throughout her body like an electric current, and her voice subconsciously softened. ¡°What do you


    want?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± David¡¯s eyes flickered with a dark light.


    Rachel¡¯s lips moved. Before she could say anything, his fingers ran through her soft hair and held the


    back of her head. He kissed her directly and sealed her lips.


    The moment their lips touched, the longing that was suppressed in the bottom of her heart was like a


    flood that broke through a dam. In an instant, the feeling surged from all directions and drowned


    Rachel.


    The man¡¯s cold aura lingered at the tip of her nose and wrapped around her tightly.


    Rachel¡¯s hand that was hooked around his neck slowly slid down. Her fingertips curled as she tightly


    gripped the shirt in front of his chest. She raised her head and was forced to ept his kiss.


    The passionate aura spread from the two of them and filled the entire back of the car.


    The two of them gradually let go of each other before they lost their rationality.


    Rachel sat on hisp. A strong arm wrapped around her slender waist.


    She could clearly feel the man¡¯s fingers caressing her waist.


    David buried his head in her neck. His warm breath sprayed on her skin, and the heat made her body


    tremble uncontrobly.


    He let out a lowugh as his enticing voice crept into her ears. ¡°Your


    2/5


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    14:32


    body is far more honest than your mouth.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s fair cheeks were flushed red. She imitated him and reached out to lift his chin. ¡°Are you


    satisfied now?¡±


    ¡°Not satisfied,¡± David said as he leaned forward and kissed her lips again.


    Faced with his gentle attack, Rachel gradually became engrossed. Her skin felt the warmth of the


    man¡¯s palm. It was so hot that she could not help but tremble.


    She reached out and pushed his shoulder hard. ¡°Enough, enough¡­¡±


    They were in the car, and the driver and Eddie were sitting in front.


    David¡¯s head was still buried in her neck. He gently caressed her tense back with his palm as he


    chuckled softly. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡±


    Rachel cleared her throat with an unnatural expression on her face. She snorted softly. ¡°What do I have


    to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± David¡¯s deep and cold voice was hoarse and tinged with a hint of passion. He looked up at


    her with an overly hot gaze. ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid, why are you so nervous?¡±


    Caught off guard, she met the man¡¯s dark and deep eyes. Her eyshes fluttered. ¡°W¨Cwho said I was


    nervous?¡±


    She tidied her shirt and turned around to sit at the side.


    Unexpectedly, David ced his hand on her legs and grabbed them.


    Rachel sat back down on hisp. Her body suddenly stiffened when she felt something hard against


    the base of her leg.


    The blush on her cheeks burned all the way to her ears, and her heart pounded vigorously.


    Just as the atmosphere became awkward, Rachel¡¯s phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Linda.


    ¡°Ms. Grey, we just received a notice from the person in charge of the summit. He wants us to set off


    early tomorrow to Titia.¡±


    Rachel did not expect the summit to be brought forward. She was a little surprised, but she quickly


    organized her thoughts and said calmly, ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, she looked up and met David¡¯s deep eyes.


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    14:32


    be seven or eight days.¡±


    It was hard to say.


    There were hundreds ofpanies participating in the industry summit. this time. It was really not


    something that could conclude in a day or two.


    David frowned slightly and tightened his grip on her waist. ¡°Come back to Sandalwood Hills tonight. I¡¯ll


    help you pack your luggage.¡±


    ¡°How would I dare to trouble you with such a small matter?¡± Rachel¡¯s words carried a hint of teasing.


    David¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly, and there was a meaningful smile in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll have to pay, of


    course.¡±


    ¡°Pay what?¡± Rachel looked at David inquisitively.


    At this moment, the car suddenly stopped. Eddie got out of the car and knocked on the window. He


    said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Jones, Miss Grey, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Rachel suddenly came back to her senses and quickly turned around to sit back in her seat.


    After opening the door, she got out of the car first without changing her expression. David followed


    closely behind.


    The two of them walked into Sandalwood Hills.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, Miss Grey.¡± Mrs. Brown quickly came forward to greet them when she heard footsteps. ¡°Mr.


    Jones, Miss Waller has been waiting for a long time.¡±

 Chapter 787

    Chapter 787


    Chapter 787


    ¡°Miss Waller?¡± Rachel thought.


    She instinctively looked up.


    The woman sitting on the sofa in the living room slowly got up.


    Her back looked a little familiar.


    Miriam slowly turned around and looked in the direction of the door. The moment her gaze met


    Rachel¡¯s, the beautiful smile on her


    face froze.


    Clearly, Rachel¡¯s appearance hadpletely exceeded her expectations.


    The huge room fell into dead silence. The atmosphere was extremely awkward.


    David held Rachel¡¯s hand and walked straight to the living room. ¡°We¡¯re all on the same side. There¡¯s


    no need to be so formal,¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Miriam suddenly came back to her senses and sat back on the sofa with a shocked


    expression.


    However, her gaze would asionally fall on David¡¯s hand that was wrapped around Rachel¡¯s waist.


    She did not dare to imagine that David actually had a woman by his side.


    Moreover, this woman was Lucas¡¯s sister, her future sister-inw,


    Rachel raised her eyebrows. There was a yful flicker in her eyes. ¡°Do you know each other?¡±


    To be honest, not only was Miriam surprised to see her, but she was also quite surprised to see Miriam


    here.


    Moreover, since David addressed Miriam as ¡°on the same side¡±, they must have quite an extraordinary


    rtionship.


    vid wrapped her arms around Rachel¡¯s waist and leaned over to whisper in her ear, ¡°Are you very


    surprised?¡±


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    Rachel nodded.


    thought, ¡°Am I not supposed to be surprised seeing Miriam here?¡±


    David, you¡­¡± Miriam¡¯s gaze lingered between Rachel and David. Although she did not finish her


    sentence, her obscure gaze had already expressed everything.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard how Miriam addressed David.


    She thought, ¡°Uncle?


    ¡°That form of address is really interesting!¡±


    David¡¯s hand on her waist tightened a little as if he was indirectly dering his sovereignty over her.


    ¡°You two should be familiar with each other. Remember to call her Aunt Rachel the next time you


    meet.¡±


    Miriam was shocked.


    Rachel was speechless.


    That form of address was really old-fashioned.


    Most importantly, the family would probably be in chaos if her future sister-inw had to address her as


    Aunt Rachel in the future.


    As she was deep in thought, David raised his head and looked at Miriam. There were no ripples of


    emotion in his calm gaze, only his usual coldness and indifference. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    After his reminder, Miriam suddenly came back to her senses. Thinking of her main purpose foring


    here, she quickly took out the box ¡°Corazon knew that I wasing to Seaxas and specially instructed


    me to bring this over to you.¡±


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the box she took out. A dark look shed across his eyes.


    He gave Billy a look.


    Thetter went forward to ept the item.


    Miriam sat back on the sofa and curled her fingers slightly. After pondering for a long time, she asked


    carefully, ¡°David, how would I


    be rted to Rachel if I marry into the Johnson family?¡±


    Logically speaking, she would be Rachel¡¯s sister-inw if she married Lucas. However, because of the


    rtionship between David and Rachel, Rachel was also her aunt.


    This messy rtionship was really a headache.


    Rachel could not help but fall silent.


    This was a troublesome question.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be your aunt, of course.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Miriam nodded nkly. ¡°Then, David, Rachel, I¡¯ll leave first.¡±¡±


    After Miriam left, Rachel broke free from David¡¯s embrace. She crossed her arms and looked at David


    with a faint smile. ¡°So, you arranged Lucas¡¯s marriage?¡±


    ¡°A forced romance won¡¯t have a happy ending.¡± David leaned forward and pulled Rachel into her arms


    again. ¡°I only revealed a little bit of information. As for how she chooses, it¡¯s up to her.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t interfere, he did help push along Lucas¡¯s marriage.


    However, just as he said, a forced romance would not have a happy ending. If Miriam¡¯s feelings for


    Lucas were not so sincere, she would not have rmended herself and taken the initiative to deliver


    herself to him. If that was the case, whatever happened next would not have happened.


    David gently caressed her cheek with his well-defined fingers. He could not help but lean forward and


    kiss her. ¡°What else do you want to ask?¡±


    Rachel looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s her uncle¡¯s rtionship with you?¡±


    She had investigated the other members of the Waller family when she investigated Miriam previously.


    Miriam¡¯s third uncle, Corazon Waller, was nicknamed the King of Hell.


    He was a man who wore a cross at night all year round, but he was also a decisive and cold-blooded


    man.


    The Waller family was prestigious. All the members of the family held important positions. With their


    status, the Waller family was not something that could just be described as a ¡°wealthy family¡±.


    ¡°We¡¯re sworn brothers,¡± David said calmly.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°So you¡¯re the youngest out of the five?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± David twisted her earlobe with his fingertips. ¡°I¡¯ll bring them to see you when I have the chance!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    Coincidentally, Mrs. Brown walked over and said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Jones, Miss Grey, dinner is ready.


    We can eat now.¡±


    The two of them looked at each other and walked into the dining room hand in hand.


    The smile in Mrs. Brown¡¯s eyes deepened as she watched the two of them drink the bowl of chicken


    soup.


    After eating, Rachel returned to the bedroom to pack her luggage.


    After making a call, David went upstairs with her.


    Seeing the two of them enter the bedroom one after another, Mrs. Brown quickly took out her phone


    and called Old Mrs. Jones. ¡°Mrs. Jones, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Hearing that it was Mrs. Brown, Old Mrs. Jones¡¯s voice sounded a little excited. ¡°How is it? Did it go


    smoothly?¡±


    ¡°It went well. Mr. Jones and Miss Grey didn¡¯t notice.¡± As Mrs. Brown spoke, she didn¡¯t forget to crane


    her neck to check on the situation upstairs. ¡°Mr. Jones and Miss Grey have already returned to their


    rooms.¡±


    ¡°Great, great!¡± Old Mrs. Jones couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°I hope that the brat David will do me proud!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jones is young and strong and in his prime. He won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±


    Although the two of them did not explicitly say it, they were old and experienced. They knew what the


    two of them were doing in the


    room.


    After hanging up the phone, Mrs. Brown secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    At this moment, the atmosphere in the room was fiery.


    David had pressed Rachel against the door of the cloakroom. The two of them kissed passionately.


    The extreme emptiness in their hearts made them reluctant to let go of each other, even for a second.


    Soon, clothes were scattered all over the ground.


    The night outside the window was as cold as water, but the room was fiery hot.


    The man¡¯s breath lingered on her nose and wrapped around her tightly.


    After not seeing each other for many days, they missed each other very much. The moment they did


    the act, it was as if their souls. had found their home.


    ¡°Say my name¡­¡± The man¡¯s deep and hoarse voice rang out beside her ear and was exceptionally


    seductive.


    Rachel¡¯s gaze seemed lost as she looked at the man¡¯s bottomless ck eyes. Her red lips parted


    slightly as she muttered softly, ¡°David¡­¡±


    The low murmurs sounded extremely sentimental, like an unrealistic dream

 Chapter 788

    Chapter 788


    Chapter 788


    Their hearty lovemakingsted untilte at night.


    Rachel¡¯s entire body was sore and weak. She could not even be bothered to raise her fingers. She


    simply let David carry her into the bathroom.


    Half an hourter, David carried her out.


    Rachel was wrapped in a towel and snuggled in his arms.


    David took out the hairdryer and ran his fingers through her soft hair, slowly blowing her long hair.


    ¡°Tomorrow, Chris will set off for Titia with you.¡± His tone was calm, but there was an unquestionable


    order in his words, making it impossible for anyone to refute.


    Rachelzily looked up at him and replied casually. ¡°Okay.¡±


    She leaned against his chest and yed with a strand of hair hanging down to her chest with her


    fingertips. She did not notice David¡¯s gaze, which was gradually bing passionate.


    It was not until the sound of the hairdryer stopped abruptly and she looked up.


    Caught off guard, she met the man¡¯s dark eyes.


    There was an indescribable addiction surging in his eyes. It was like a nketing that wrapped


    around her tightly.


    Rachel¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Before she could


    react, David kissed her lips and pressed her into the sofa.


    At this moment, the curtains were not closed. The weak and dim light from the window shone into the


    bedroom, entuating the sensual and extravagant atmosphere.


    Rachel had never known that David was so crazy about sex.


    However, David was like a wolf that had starved for three days tonight. He wished he could eat her


    whole until not even her bones. were left.


    His endless stream of tricks and astonishing stamina flipped her worldview again and again.


    Even when she cried and begged for mercy, what she got in return was even more ferociousness and


    dominance.


    She noticed that David wasn¡¯t the only abnormal one tonight. She also noticed her abnormality.


    Her body was clearly exhausted, but she was still in an excited state and was extremely greedy for sex.


    Her mind went nk the moment she climaxed. Then, she fell asleep.


    The next morning, Rachel woke up to the sound of the rm.


    She dragged her tired body out of bed slowly. She felt as if she had been run over by a rolling pin.


    With one hand on her waist and the other on the wall, she walked out of the room with trembling legs.


    When she went downstairs, she saw David sitting properly in the dining room.


    He looked up when he heard footsteps behind him.


    Rachel was wearing a shirt and a light-colored silk scarf around her neck.


    There was a hint of charm in her eyes. There was a faint dark green under her eyelids, and her eyes


    were red. It was obvious that she had not slept well the entire night.


    Rachel felt angry when she saw how energized David was.


    She sat beside David and looked at him with satisfaction in her eyes and a faint smile on her lips.


    As if sensing her resentful gaze, David put a piece of bread on the te In front of Rachel with a


    fawning expression. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Rachel snorted and took a big bite of the bread.


    Looking at her chewing with all her might, David felt that she was biting his flesh.


    After Rachel finished eating, she dragged her luggage toward the door.


    David grabbed his jacket and quickly chased after her. He naturally extended his arm.


    However, before he could touch her, Rachel moved away.


    She looked at him warily. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    David¡¯s outstretched hand missed its target. A helpless smile shed across his eyes. ¡°Are you afraid


    of me?¡±


    Her eyes shed slightly. ¡°W-who¡¯s afraid of you?¡±


    With that, she turned around and left without looking back.


    Watching her leave, David narrowed his eyes and quickly chased after her.


    After the two of them got into the car, David extended his hand again.


    *


    Just as his fingertips touched the corner of Rachel¡¯s clothes, Rachel reached out and pped them


    away mercilessly. ¡°Behave yourself.¡±


    David raised his eyebrows slightly. He watched as Rachel quietly moved to the side and distanced


    herself from him. ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid of me, why are you avoiding my touch?¡±


    Rachel raised her hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding you.¡±


    Now, the unspeakable images fromst night would involuntarily appear in her mind whenever she


    smelled the cold woody fragrance on David¡¯s body.


    As the partition in the carriage rose, David forcefully hugged Rachel, who had moved to the corner.


    He hooked his arm around her slender waist and gently stroked her cheek with his other hand. ¡°Did I


    hurt youst night?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Rachel looked at him.


    Perhaps it was because she felt indignant or because she did not sleep wellst night, but the corners


    of her eyes were slightly red. She looked pitiful and aggrieved, making David¡¯s heart ache for her.


    David held her cheek and kissed it. ¡°Haven¡¯t you thought about what happenedst night?¡±


    ¡°You hooligan.¡± Rachel looked at him with disdain. ¡°Do you think everyone is like you who spends all


    day with dirty thoughts in their


    heads?¡±


    ¡°I admit that I was a little out of line, but I¡¯m normally not outrageous,¡± David said. ¡°I guess Old Mrs.


    Jones and Mrs. Brown have


    colluded.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel suddenly became alert. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    She thought, ¡°We were drugged?¡±


    David nodded. There was a hint of helplessness in her eyes. ¡°She must have been eager to see her


    grandson, so she used some tricks.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel could only feel deeply helpless.


    She could understand Old Mrs. Jones longing for a grandchild, but the method she used nearly took


    half her life.


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    Seeing Rachel¡¯s resentful look, David gently stroked her back and kissed her lips. ¡°Be careful when you


    reach Titia. Chris will always be by your side. Remember to call me if anything happens.¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Sleep for a while.¡± David hugged her and patted her back gently as if he wasforting a child.


    Rachel had been tormentedst night. She leaned her head against his chest and fell asleep in a short


    while.


    However, warm moments were always short-lived. Soon, Rachel arrived at the airport.


    ¡°Remember to miss me.¡± David grabbed her hand hard.


    Rachel responded. She leaned forward and nted a gentle kiss on his jaw. She opened the car door


    and got out.


    David watched as she gradually disappeared from his sight. In the blink of an eye, his eyes returned to


    their usual coldness and indifference. ¡°Have you investigated the matter?¡±


    ¡°I received news that the people sent by the Elders have sessfully arrived at Seaxas Airport this


    afternoon.¡± Eddie looked at David through the rearview mirror. After thinking for a moment, he carefully


    said, ¡°Mr. Jones, did you deliberately send Miss Grey away this. time because you¡¯re worried that this


    person would make things difficult for her if he knows about her existence?¡±


    David looked up. His pitch-ck pupils were bottomless and difficult to read. ¡°Lock down the news


    going out of Seaxas. Don¡¯t leak a


    word to her.¡±


    Eddie hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°Understood!¡±

 Chapter 789

    Chapter 789


    Chapter 789


    At noon, Rachel and the others arrived at Titia, the venue of the Real Estate Summit.


    The three-hour flight gave Rachel a lot of time to rest. She was no longer as listless as she was after


    getting off the ne.


    This time, Rachel brought a total of nine team members. They walked out of the airport in a grandiose


    manner.


    Titia had a tropical ocean monsoon climate. The hot air that hit their faces carried a humidity that stuck


    on their skin, making them feel inexplicably irritated.


    Chris was carrying Rachel¡¯s luggage. Rachel followed behind the groupzily.


    Seeing her fall behind, Linda slowed down and deliberately waited for a moment. ¡°Ms. Grey, the car


    arranged by the person in charge is in the parking lot of Area A.¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    The group walked out of the airport and got into the car. After a 40-minute drive, they arrived at the


    hotel.


    After everyone settled the procedures to check in, Linda looked at everyone. ¡°All of you have worked


    hard, You can move around freely after a short rest. Gather in the hall tomorrow morning. Please


    prepare the things on hand as soon as possible.¡±


    Hearing this, excitement appeared on everyone¡¯s faces. They suppressed the ecstasy in their hearts


    and dragged their suitcases into the elevator in groups.


    While Linda was briefing everyone, Rachel had already arrived at her room. She threw himself onto the


    soft bed and closed her eyes


    to rest.


    After Chris packed her things, she looked at Rachel lying on the bed and frowned imperceptibly.


    They were all adults. Looking at Rachel¡¯s current state, it was obvious what she had experiencedst


    night.


    However, she did not expect David to be so unrestrained in such matters.


    Looking at the dark circles under Rachel¡¯s eyes, it was obvious that she had been up all night.


    Chris looked at Rachel and asked respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey, do you want to eat something?¡±


    Rachel, who was lying on the bed, was toozy to move. She did not want to get up now that she was


    on the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t have much of an appetite. You can go and eat first.¡±


    Chris wanted to persuade her, but she pursed her lips and finally turned to leave when she thought of


    the dark circles under Rachel¡¯s


    eyes,


    As the door closed, Rachel¡¯s consciousness, which was barely holding on, instantly dissipated. She fell


    into a deep sleep.


    Buzz! Buzz!


    The sound of the phone vibrating pulled Rachel out of her slumber.


    Her slightly furrowed brows revealed a hint of frustration. Shezily turned over and took her phone


    from the bedside table. Her fingertips slid across the screen to answer the call. ¡°Hello?¡±


    There was a hint of fatigue in her cold voice.


    On the other end of the line, Vulture frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Rachel was slightly stunned when she heard his voice. After calming down, she picked up the ss of


    water on the bedside table and took a sip. She moistened her throat and said again, ¡°No, I just woke


    up.¡±


    ¡°You just woke up?¡± Vulture nced at the time. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that you won¡¯t be able to sleep at


    night?¡±


    Rachel was toozy to exin. Besides, there was no way to exin such a thing. She simply changed


    the topic. ¡°What¡¯s the


    matter?¡±


    Vulture chuckled and smiled mysteriously. ¡°I¡¯m at Seaxas. Hurry up and wee me! What delicious


    food and fun things do you have in Seaxas? Bring me out to have a good time tonight!¡±


    Rachel looked at the night scenery outside the window and said expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯m in Titia.¡±


    Vulture was speechless.


    After a long while, he secretly gritted his teeth. ¡°Twelve, you¡¯re heartless! I came all the way here to


    seek refuge with you, but you didn¡¯t even tell me that you¡¯re going to stand me up?¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ll find any reason to me me if you want to.¡±


    Vulture was speechless again.


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and there was a faint smile at the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°Lone Wolf is still in the private hospital under the Ster Corporation. Go and meet him first. I¡¯ll


    arrange the rest.¡±


    ¡°At least you have a conscience.¡± Vulture snorted arrogantly. He paused for a moment and spoke


    again, ¡°By the way, what did the hospital say about Lone Wolf¡¯s injury? I asked him, but he refused to


    say anything. I guess he was defeated by Ronnie Diekens this time. His young heart has been


    traumatized.¡±


    Rachel said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯ll take some time to recover. Nothing will happen to him if he takes


    the time to recuperate.¡±


    Actually, doctor had checked Lone Wolf¡¯s injuries. At that time, the tendons in his hands and feet had


    been severed. Fortunately, he was sent to the hospital in time. Otherwise, he would have been


    crippled.


    The reason why he hid it from Vulture was firstly because Lone Wolf was treated in time and did not


    cause any irreparable damage. Secondly, with Vulture¡¯s fiery temper, he would look for Ronnie to settle


    the score if he knew that Lone Wolf had suffered such a huge loss.


    For Ronnie to be able to gain a foothold in Seaxas in such a short time and build up this much strength,


    his methods must be extraordinary.


    In addition, he had been fighting with David openly for many years, but he was still so active. They


    must not underestimate the power he had.


    The existence of the Red me Action Team was already feared by others. It would be really harmful if


    they faced a strong enemy.


    The two of them chatted for 15 minutes until Chris returned to the room.


    She ced the food she brought back on the table. ¡°Miss Grey, eat something first.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Rachel replied.


    She lifted the nket and got up. Her legs went weak and she almost fell back onto the bed.


    Fortunately, she was quick enough to grab the end of the bed to remain upright.


    After a simple meal, she pushed open the ss doors and windows of the balcony and sat on the


    hammock rattan chair, looking at the bright moon in the sky.


    Just like that, a simple night passed.


    The next morning, the Real Estate Summit officially began.


    Hundreds ofpanies participated in the summit.


    Not only were there localpanies, but there were also many overseas groups.


    At this moment, the conference room, which could hold more than a thousand people, was packed.


    The meeting officially began at eight in the morning.


    The media reporters were ready to attack.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Under the guidance of the hostess, the organizer¡¯s delegation walked up to the podium from the side


    door.


    As everyone took their seats, Rachel immediately saw Noah sitting in


    As if sensing something, Noah raised his head and looked over.


    Their gazes met, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips. Then, he looked away and talked to the


    person beside him.


    The organizer¡¯s representative stood on the podium and spoke. When he mentioned they were going


    to establish a strategic partnership with thepanies at the summit, it immediately caused a


    considerablemotion below the stage.


    ¡°No wonder a well-known overseaspany appeared at the summit. So it¡¯s to reach a strategic


    partnership.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this summit. Do you see the man sitting in the middle? I heard that his


    background is not simple. You won¡¯t have to worry about money in the future if you manage to get his


    recognition.¡±


    Hearing the discussions that followed, Rachel lowered her gaze and looked at the information in her


    hand. Her red lips curled into a faint and cold smile.

 Chapter 790

    Chapter 790


    Chapter 790


    During the opening ceremony, there were speeches by representatives and congrattory messages


    from the sponsors announcing the official opening of the Real Estate Summit. The entire process took


    more than an hour.


    Just as everyone looked tired and annoyed, Noah announced another exciting piece of news.


    The Real Estate Summit would select interested parties from different development routes and support


    them with resources and funding.


    These parties would be appointed as advanced enterprises and individuals, and be a member of


    the Chamber of Commerce.


    This was not only an honor for thepany, but also a supreme honor for the individual.


    Compared to everyone¡¯s excitement, Rachel remained calm as if nothing could stir up too many waves


    in her heart.


    During the break, Rachel sat in an armchair with her legs crossed and looked down at her phone.


    She slowly looked up when she heard the footsteps in front of her.


    The woman looked to be about twenty¨Cfive years old. Under her bangs. was a pair of pure ck and


    white round eyes. There was a hint of innocence and harmlessness in her eyes.


    She was wearing a rose¨Cred dress with a velvet texture and a fluffy hem. She looked a little cute like a


    princess.


    To be precise, she looked like an exquisite doll.


    ¡°Miss Grey.¡± At this moment, a voice rang out from the side.


    -Rachel looked sideways and saw Noah appear in front of her. Her gaze


    could not help but darken.


    Noah wore a suit, whichplemented his refined temperament.


    There was a gentle and humble smile on his face, just like when Rachel saw him at the holiday vi.


    He looked down at Rachel and said calmly, ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s convenient


    1/5


    10.05


    Chapter 790


    for you to talk to me alone?¡±


    Rachel nced at the message on her phone. She locked her phone and looked up at him. The


    corners of her lips curled up slightly. ¡°What do you want to talk to me about?¡±


    Noah stared at her with his bottomless ck eyes without blinking. Even though he had a faint smile on


    his face, it could not hide the sharpness in his eyes. ¡°You seem very hostile toward me.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and asked casually, ¡°What makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s true or not, I still hope that you can put down your


    prejudice against me.¡± Noah smiled calmly and said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m very optimistic about your ability. I


    also hope that we can have a happy cooperation.


    ¡°I believe that you¡¯ve understood what the announcement at the opening ceremony means. As the


    deputy manager of the Real Estate Summit, I wonder if you¡¯re interested in joining us?¡±


    ¡°Join them?¡± Rachel thought.


    Rachel lowered her gaze to hide the fleeting mockery in her eyes. She ced her arm on the armrest


    of the sofa and supported her forehead with her fingers. She said calmly, ¡°I might have to disappoint


    you. I¡¯m a cold person. I¡¯m used to fighting alone. It¡¯s not suitable teaming up with


    me.¡±


    P


    ¡°Fighting alone is a good way to keep yourself safe, but how far can a person really ignore their


    surroundings?¡± Noah¡¯s gaze was fixed on Rachel¡¯s face, unwilling to let go of the slightest change in


    her expression. ¡°The Johnson family¡¯s position in Seaxas is unshakeable, but some things can only be


    changed with time. Nothing can withstand change, right? Or do you feel that you can rest easy just by


    allying yourself with the Jones family?¡±


    His tone was calm, like an elder trying to persuade a junior, but his every word was filled with mockery.


    In his eyes, the Johnson family was not worth mentioning even though it was the richest family in


    Seaxas. Meanwhile, Rachel was just a woman who relied on men to survive. Without David Jones, she


    was nothing.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered.


    Chapter 790


    She slowly raised her head and looked at Noah.


    Noah was still in a gentle and refined posture as if the mockery he had said to Rachel was just her


    malicious spection. ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯ve been there before. I¡¯ll give you some advice on ount of your


    youth.


    ¡°It might look like victory is in your hands now that you¡¯re with the head of the Jones family, but that¡¯s


    not the case. The head of the Jones family has a deep foundation, and the main family and the branch


    family are intertwined. If you want to be with the head of the Jones family, you have to face not only the


    main family¡¯s test but also that of the branch family.


    ¡°In their eyes, the way David took his position was not honorable. They have been eyeing him


    covetously and trying to pull him down. How can he protect you if one day he can¡¯t even protect


    himself?


    ¡°I heard that the Johnson family ran into some trouble a few days ago. Your uncle Tom was framed. He


    has held a high position all these years, but so what? Sometimes, some things can¡¯t be solved by


    fighting alone.¡±


    Rachel patiently listened to Noah¡¯s long speech and nced at him expressionlessly. ¡°So?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the smile on Noah¡¯s face froze.


    He thought, ¡°I¡¯ve been talking for so long, but she did not listen to a single word I said.


    ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s pretending to be dumb.


    ¡°Previously, when Tom was in trouble, the Johnson family would probably be in a panic now if not for


    David¡¯s help, How could she still have the mood to participate in this Real Estate Summit?


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    A dark andplicated light shed across Noah¡¯s eyes. ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re a smart person. You


    should know that sometimes, things are not as -simple as they seem.


    ¡°Why do you think the summit was brought forward? Why did the original address change to Titia? Do


    you really think I¡¯m that capable?¡±


    Although he did not explicitly point out that it was David, these confusing questions were enough to


    direct all the me on him.


    Rachel thought, ¡°Is he trying to sow discord after failing in his lobbying?¡±


    Rachel could not help but yawn. She said with a perfunctory expression, ¡°Mr. Jones, are you done?¡±


    Noah frowned and took a deep breath. ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯ve said everything I need to say. I hope you can


    consider it carefully.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡± With that, Rachel stood up and left.


    Perhaps it was because she was in too much of a hurry, or perhaps she was affected by Noah¡¯s


    sowing of discord, but when she turned around, she bumped into a woman walking toward her.


    The woman staggered from the impact, and the coffee in her hand spilled all over her. ¡°Are you blind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Rachel apologized sincerely.


    The woman sneered. ¡°What¡¯s the use of the police if an apology is useful? Tell me, how do you n to


    compensate me?¡±


    Her arrogant attitude and tone instantly attracted the attention of everyone in the hall.


    Rachel said, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I canpensate you ording to the price of the clothes.¡±


    ¡°Compensate ording to the price of the clothes?¡± The woman sneered. ¡°Do you think that I, the heir


    of the Skysgate Group,ck money?¡±

 Chapter 791

    Chapter 791


    Chapter 791


    Rachel sighed helplessly ¡°Then what do you want?


    The woman raned her chun arrogantly and sized her up from top to bottom. There was a faint mocking


    smile at the corner of her eyes Tll give you two choices. Either help me restore this dress to its original


    state, or get out of the summit!¡± *So, you¡¯re saying that if I can¡¯t restore the clothes on your body, you¡¯ll


    chase me out of the summit Rachel asked. The woman said firmly. ¡°Of course¡±


    At this moment. Noah slowly got up from the armchair and walked over. He looked at the woman¡¯s


    back and lowered his gaze to hide the ridicule in his eyes. He said gently, ¡°Miss Grey, why did you have


    to provoke Aileen, the heir of the Skysgate Group?


    ¡°Miss Grey, you don¡¯t know this, right? Our summit this time is sponsored by the Skysgate Group. With


    the strength of the Skysgate Group, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that they control the entire


    economic lifeline of Cruesia. Even the delegation of the summit has to treat her politely.


    ¡°Do you know what will happen if you offend her?¡±


    Hearing this, the surroundings were in an uproar.


    When everyone saw Aileen¡¯s arrogant attitude, they had some guesses in their hearts.


    Those who could appear here were either rich or noble, but they didn¡¯t expect Aileen to be the heir of


    the top¨Ctier Skysgate Group


    The Skysgate Group was a top¨Ctierpany in Crucsia. Not only did it have its own bank, but it also


    held shares in four other well¨Cknown banks.


    Thinking of this, everyone looked at Rachel with mockery and a hint of sympathy,


    ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that the heir of the Skysgate Group is not to be trifled with. Of all the people she could


    have offended, why did she have to offend her?¡±


    ¡°This summit is funded by the Skysgate Group. She must not be casually talking about chasing her out


    of the summit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s impossible for Johnson Corporation to make a name for themselves in


    this summit.¡±


    Everyone spoke one after another, as if they had already foreseen the tragic ending of Rachel and the


    Johnson Corporation. Under everyone¡¯s discussion, Noah sighed with a regretful expression. As long


    as she gives the order, she can easily cut off the money flowing into the Johnson Corporation¡±


    Rachel looked at Noah¡¯s face, and a fleeting look of ridicule shed in the depths of her eyes.


    She would rather Noah gloat like the others instead of putting on an act.


    At the very least, this would make him seem less¡­ hypocritical.


    Rachel took a deep breath and said, ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Jones. I have to go and tidy up


    Miss Dickinson¡¯s clothes now. Excuse me.¡±


    After saying that, she walked past Noah without giving him a look.


    Standing where he was, Noah tilted his head to look at Rachel who brushed past him. The smile on his


    face disappeared, but the ridicule in his eyes became more and more obvious.


    He thought. ¡°Without David, how long can she continue to be this arrogant?¡±


    When Rachel left, she could clearly sense Noah¡¯s gaze on her.


    It was sinister and vicious, like a venomous snake lying dormant in the depths of the grass, making


    people instinctively feel disgusted.


    She walked out of the lounge and stood in front of the artificial rockery.


    To bump up the atmosphere, not only had the organizers ced a bamboo forest near the rockery, but


    it was also designed to be covered in mist.


    The mist fell on her body. It was cold and damp.


    Noah¡¯s words had left an impression in her heart.


    The only person she could think of who could change the venue of the industry summit and bring it


    forward was David.


    But why did David secretly change the venue of the summit?


    What was he trying to hide from her?


    She knew that Noah was trying to sow discord, but her intuition told her that Noah was not lying.


    Chapter 791


    Rachel frowned slightly. She was deep in thought, and it reflected in her almond¨Cshaped eyes.


    She collected her thoughts and shifted her gaze from the bamboo forest to Chris.


    She did not know if her gaze was too sharp or if Chris was hiding something from her.


    Sensing her gaze, Chris instinctively looked back, but her eyes flickered slightly. ¡°Miss Grey, what¡¯s


    wrong?¡±


    Rachel shook her head slightly. ¡°Nothing¡±


    As the two of them turned to leave, a man in ck walked to Rachel¡¯s side. ¡°Miss Grey, the eldest


    daughter from my family


    invites you toe over.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was neither loud nor soft, but the moment his tall and burly figure appeared, it


    immediately attracted a lot


    of attention.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rachel nodded.


    Chris subconsciously followed behind Rachel, but she was stopped by the man in ck just as she


    moved half a step. ¡°Im sorry, she specially instructed Miss Grey to go alone.¡±


    He deliberately emphasized the word ¡°alone¡± as a reminder and a warning.


    ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Chris did not agree with Rachel going on her own. Moreover, the other party was clearly


    targeting her.


    Rachel shook her head slightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Chris¡¯s expression was cold. She stood on the spot and watched silently as Rachel and the man in


    ck left one after. another


    When the others saw this scene, they revealed gloating smiles.


    This summit was a springboard for many people to be industry leaders. Therefore, everyone


    racked their brains in hopes of being recognized by the leaders.


    This was a rare opportunity, and the quota was limited. They would naturally be happy if they could kick


    theirpetitors. out of thepetition without any effort.


    Rachel was led to the private room on the second floor by the man in ck.


    The man in ck pushed open the door of the private room and said respectfully to Rachel, ¡°Miss


    Grey, pleasee in.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly and walked in.


    However, the private room was empty.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for so many years, but you¡¯re still so childish¡± Rachel stood at the door of the


    lounge. Through the mirror, she saw Aileen hiding behind the door, waiting for an opportunity to make


    a move.


    Aileen bent down and tiptoed. Her posture was as graceful as a cat walking on a steel wire rope.


    Hearing her words, the interest in her eyes instantly dissipated, reced by disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s been


    so many years, but you¡¯re still so boring!¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. She watched as Aileen grabbed the gown with both hands and


    kicked off her high heels. She walked barefoot to the sofa and sat down. ¡°Why are you so far away?


    Come and sit down.¡±


    Her tone was familiar as if they were good friends who had not seen each other for many years.


    ¡°The heir of the Skysgate Group is not someone anyone can get acquainted with. I¡¯d better stand here


    obediently.¡±


    ¡°The daughter of the Johnson family, the richest family in Seaxas. It takes one to know one.¡± There


    was a mischievous smile in Aileen¡¯s eyes. She picked up the fruit tter on the table and held a silver


    crystal fruit fork in her fingers.


    She raised her gaze and looked at Rachel, who was sitting in an armchair. Her gaze gradually


    softened. ¡°Twelve, you¡¯re really getting more and more beautiful.¡±

 Chapter 792

    Chapter 792


    Chapter 792


    Rachel was not stingy with her praise. ¡°You deserve the title of the Ageless Goddess


    Upon hearing this, Aileen couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°You know how much I hate this face


    Although Aileen had a youthful face, what she wanted the most was a sexy an


    Aileen was already in her thirties, but she still looked like she was only 20 years old. Sometimes, when


    she went out alone. she even had to face the old lecherous man¡¯s flirting


    It was simply to disgusting


    ¡°By the way, haven¡¯t you ever thought of going home to take a look after all these years¡± Aileen ced


    the fruit tter on the table and leaneilzily on the sofa as she looked at Rachel.


    When Rachel heard this, a ripple appeared in her eyes.


    Rachel knew that the home that Aileen was referring to was the headquarters of the Red me Army


    That was right. Aileen was from the Red me Army. She was ranked ninth and her codename was


    Phoenix.


    In private, she had always been called Nine


    After pondering for a moment, Rachel said calmly. ¡°I saw Vulture and ckhawk a while ago


    At the mention of these two people, Aileen¡¯s eyes zed over for a moment, as if she was reminiscing.


    ¡°How is it? Is everyone doing well?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good, Rachel said. ¡°He¡¯s at Seaxas recently When the summit is over, do you want toe with


    me for two days?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Aileen agreed without any hesitation She paused for a moment and the


    happy smile on her face faded a little. ¡°By the way, what was Noah talking about with you just now?¡±


    Aileen had nned to look for Rachel, but Noah beat her to it.


    At this point, Rachel voiced out the doubts in her heart. ¡°Do you know anything about the things


    mentioned at the summit?¡± ¡°Are you referring to the policy of finding a strategic partner?¡± Aileen raised


    her eyebrows and looked at Rachel Although Skysgate Group has been sponsoring the summit behind


    the scenes all these years, I don¡¯t know much about Noah¡¯s n. Moreover, he has always liked to


    hide his strength. I just found out about what he announced at the opening ceremony. ¡°He¡¯s a very


    smart person. He looks calm and casual, but he¡¯s actually a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. He definitely


    doesn¡¯t have any good intention. There¡¯s no harm in being careful¡±


    Noah took the initiative to talk to Rachel. This scene was still fresh in Aileen¡¯s mind. Aileen¡¯s intuition


    told her that Noah definitely had a backup n to scheme against Rachel


    With this in mind, Aileen looked at Rachel with an unfathomable gaze. ¡°Did you provoke him? Why do I


    feel that he¡¯s clearly setting a trap for you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Rachel said calmly


    Rachel¡¯s expression was calm, and she did not look like she was lying, but the indifference on her face


    was very perfunctory. However, this didn¡¯t matter..


    After all, they knew very well that if someone ced a pistol on Twelve¡¯s head, eleven pistols would be


    aimed at that person, and they would be able to turn him into a sieve in an instant.


    ¡°No matter what happens, I will always be on your side.¡± Aileen raised her chin, and her raised


    eyebrows revealed a different kind of brightness and mboyance from before.


    When Rachel heard this, a faint smile appeared in her cold eyes. ¡°Look at how confident you are.


    Could it be that you¡¯ve improved over the years?¡±


    ¡°Shoo.¡± Upon hearing Rachel¡¯s words, Aileen couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at Rachel. ¡°You¡¯ve really


    touched a sore spot!¡± Speaking of which, although Rachel was the youngest among the twelve of them,


    herbat ability was the best. Not to mention the two of them fighting one-on-one, even if four or five


    of them joined forces, they might not be able to defeat Rachel.


    Aileen noticed Rachel¡¯s meaningful gaze and felt a little scared. Aileen¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°Why


    are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Aileen had been sitting on the sofa ever since she entered the room.


    Although Aileen waszy in the past, it was not to that extent.


    Just as Rachel was deep in thought, Aileen stood up and walked over. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Seeing Aileen stand up, Rachel put away the contemtion in her eyes and nodded ¡°Okay¡±


    When the two of them walked out of the private lounge. Aileen couldn¡¯t help but remind Rachel again


    and again, ¡°Noah came prepared this time. You have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°You too¡± Rachel looked at Aileen. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not the only one he¡¯s going after this time.¡±


    Since Noah wanted to gain sponsors and support, Skysgate Group must be within his target.


    Rachel was worried that Noah wanted to use this opportunity to pull Skysgate Group down with himn


    and achieve some of his goals.


    Aileen¡¯s lips curled up into a wicked smile. ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t bully you, I won¡¯t say anything. But if


    he touches you,Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    me me.¡±


    Twelve was the apple of the Red me Army¡¯s eye. No one could bully her.


    If Noah dared to hurt Rachel slightly. Alleen guaranteed that Noah would scram back to where he came


    from.


    don¡¯t


    Rachel knew that Aileen was protective of her. A wave of emotions rose in Rachel¡¯s heart, but she was


    still worried that Noah would deal with Skysgate Group. ¡°When we go outter, let¡¯s pretend that we


    don¡¯t know each other.¡±


    Aileen was confused.


    What did Rachel want to do?


    Rachel said, ¡°You¡¯re my trump card. Unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, you can¡¯t expose yourself in


    advance.¡±


    Of course, Aileen knew that these were just Rachel¡¯s excuses, but this reason made it hard for Aileen


    to refute. In the end, she had no choice but to ept it. ¡°Let¡¯s get this straight. If he really makes a


    move, I can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    When the two of them returned to the hall one after another, due to Rachel¡¯s disappearance, various


    versions of rumors had already spread by word of mouth.


    In particr, they saw Rachel¡¯s sickly appearance and Aileen¡¯s clean clothes. Aileen looked like a


    proud peacock.


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but whisper again, ¡°Did you see that? Even the youngdy of the Johnson


    family, the richest family in Seaxas, has to be on her best behavior in front of Miss Dickinson.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Miss Dickinson is backed by Skysgate Group. Offending Skysgate Group is equivalent to


    cutting off their own wealth.¡±


    ¡°Skysgate Group handles the capital flow of our families. If we really make Miss Dickinson unhappy, it


    would be hard for ordinary people to take being ignored for a few days.¡±


    Tve heard that Skysgate Group has veto power in their hands in choosing the strategic partner. Now


    that the Johnson Corporation¡¯s people have offended her, they will receive this veto power most likely.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone sighed regretfully, but there was a gloating smile in their eyes.


    ¡°Miss Grey¡­ Chris looked at Rachel with a faint worry in her eyes.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and looked back. There was no worry on her face.


    Seeing Rachel like this, Chris immediately understood that her worries were unnecessary.


    However, this scene was misunderstood by others.

 Chapter 793

    Chapter 793


    Chapter 793


    Julian, who was sitting on the sofa, crossed his legs and looked up at the woman beside him. ¡°Did you


    hear that?¡±


    However, Haley was indifferent to Julian¡¯s words, as if she did not hear Julian at all.


    Julian¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. He stretched out his fingers and lifted Haley¡¯s chin. Julian turned


    Haley¡¯s face over and, Haley had no choice but to face Julian. ¡°A wise man submits to circumstances.


    The Johnson Corporation has offended Skysgate Group. I believe that it won¡¯t be long before the


    Johnson Corporation is destroyed.¡±


    Julian¡¯s breath was deliberately sprayed on Haley¡¯s face. His sinister gaze was fixed on Haley¡¯s face.


    Julian was unwilling to let go of the slightest change in Haley¡¯s expression.


    Haley¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly. Her fingertips curled up and she clenched her fists tightly.


    Seeing how stubborn Haley was, Julian was not angry. Julian¡¯s palm slowly slid down to Haley¡¯s waist.


    Julian leaned over and whispered into Haley¡¯s ear. ¡°We¡¯ve spent a good night after all. How can you


    bear to ignore me?¡±


    When Haley heard this. intense hatred shot out of her eyes. Haley gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Your


    despicable and hypocritical looks are really disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Your words are really hurtful.¡± Julian shook his head. I admit that I¡¯m not a gentleman, but I¡¯m patient


    enough with you. Otherwise, with your current attitude. I¡¯m afraid everyone would have already


    appreciated your lewd posture in bed. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    These words seemed to be a defense, but they were actually a tant threat.


    When Haley heard this, her pupils constricted, and an obvious fear appeared in her eyes.


    Once those photos and videos were exposed, one could imagine what kind of public opinion would be


    stirred up.


    From now on, Haley would be really ashamed to meet others.


    Haley¡¯s nails dug into her palms. Her throat was dry and tense. ¡°What will it take for you to let me go?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I liked your performance that night.¡± Julian¡¯s fingertips slowly slid down Haley¡¯s face,


    causing Haley¡¯s body to tremble unconsciously.


    When Julian sensed Haley¡¯s reaction, his lips curled into a smile. ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, I¡¯ll


    like you even more. I promise you that as long as you cooperate with me, I¡¯ll be able to satisfy whatever


    you want. I¡¯ll definitely treat you well.¡±


    Julian thought that his words would shake Haley. Unexpectedly, Haley sneered without hiding anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re really useless to frame her with despicable methods!¡±


    Haley¡¯s words were filled with mockery


    Julian smiled instead of being angry. However, this smile was not kind. Julian was like a venomous


    snake flicking its tongue, sinister and terrifying. ¡®Haley, I¡¯m giving you a chance to show off on ount


    of our rtionship. If you don¡¯t cherish it, don¡¯t me me.¡±


    Julian stared at Haley¡¯s face and suddenly thought of the scene of them being intimate in bed that


    night. Julian¡¯s eyes suddenly became hot and deep. He said unhurriedly, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t agree, I can


    still make Rachel lose everything. It¡¯s just a little more time and energy


    Haley did not say anything. She only frowned slightly when she sensed Julian¡¯s gaze and


    subconsciously dodged to the side. The next second. Julian grabbed Haley¡¯s hand. The taste of that


    night was really ecstatic. Haven¡¯t you thought about it again?¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡± Haley struggled.


    ¡°Shh!¡± Julian ced his index finger on Haley¡¯s lips. ¡°If you don¡¯t want your figure to appear on the big


    screen, I advise you to follow me obediently now.¡±


    When Haley heard this, the hatred in her eyes intensified.


    Haley stared at Julian. If her gaze could turn into a knife, then Julian would have been cut into pieces


    by her.


    However, even though Haley was filled with hatred, she had no choice but to leave with him obediently


    under the threat of Julian.


    After an unknown period of time, Haley left the room with a gloomy expression.


    After watching Haley leave, Julian walked into the room next door.


    As soon as Julian walked in, Noah asked directly. ¡°Is everything settled?¡±


    Julian sat on the sofa with a satisfied expression. ¡°Leave everything to me. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± Noah noticed the refreshed look on Julian¡¯s face and sneered without hiding anything. Tm just


    afraid that you¡¯ll be yed by a woman in the end.¡±


    When Julian heard this, his refreshed expression could not help but fade a little. ¡°Dad. I have


    something on her. Other than listening to me, does she have any other choice¡±


    Just like in the room just now, no matter how unwilling Haley was, in the end, she was still like a fish on


    the chopping board for Julian to ughter


    A father knew his son best. As a father, of course, Noah knew about the methods Julian used


    Noah put down the cup in his hand and slowly raised his eyes to look at Noah. ¡°If you push a person


    too far, it¡¯s hard to guarantee that she won¡¯t do something that will destroy both of us.¡±


    When Julian heard this, his eyes darkened.


    Before dealing with Haley, Julian had already started investigating Haley.


    Haley grew up in a small city and her parents were teachers from a local school. Haley came from a


    schrly family and had her own pride and backbone. It was precisely because of this that the photos


    in Julian¡¯s hand were the key to Haley¡¯s survival Julian was not afraid that Haley would disobey.


    However, Noah¡¯s words made Julian think deeply.


    Even a rabbit would bite when it got angry, let alone Haley, who was arrogant to begin with.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    When Noah saw that Julian was deep in thought, his face showed a hint of relief. It was obvious that


    Julian had listened to what Noah had said.


    Julian was a little smart, but he was lecherous.


    This alone was the biggest drawback.


    ¡°Get rid of her as soon as possible,¡± Noah said in a cold tone, as if he was dealing with his usual trash.


    Julian nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed since the summit.


    Soon, it was time to hold the demonstration of the nning model, which was the products that the


    companies would. promote in the future and the direction they would develop next.


    This morning, Rachel habitually sent David a message, but there was no reply for a long time.


    If it was in the past, David would have replied immediately.


    Did something really happen in Seaxas?


    When Chris walked into the room and saw Rachel¡¯s troubled expression, her heart could not help but


    skip a beat.


    However, Chris quicklyposed herself. ¡°Miss Grey, it¡¯s time to go down for breakfast.¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Okay¡±


    After entering the restaurant, Rachel kept paying attention to the messages on her phone from time to


    time. On the other hand, Chris¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    ¡°Your phone¡­


    Before Rachel could finish speaking. Chris rushed up quickly. ¡°Ah, oh, leave it with me.¡±


    After picking up her phone, Chris secretly heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the advertising


    message.


    ¡°What happened? Why are you so nervous?¡± Rachel asked.


    Chris looked at Rachel and met her dark eyes. Panic shed across Chris¡¯s eyes. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just an


    advertising message.¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows but did not say anything.


    However, David did not reply for a long time. Combined with Chris¡¯s nervousness, all this seemed to be


    telling Rachel that they were hiding something from her.

 Chapter 794

    Chapter 794


    Chapter 794


    Rachel stared at Chris for a moment. Then, Rachel put down the knife and fork in her hand, picked up


    the coffee beside her, and asked casually. ¡°Any news from Seaxas?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Chris said without hesitation or thought


    However, Chris¡¯s performance confirmed the suspicion in Rachel¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Eat first¡± Rachel put down the coffee in her hand and stood up


    Seeing Rachel get up and leave, Chris hurriedly stood up as well. ¡°Miss Grey, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I will go back to my room and change my clothes Rachel smiled faintly and reached out to pat Chris¡¯s


    shoulder. ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯ll be back soon¡±


    After Rachel returned to the room, she immediately took out her phone and called Lucas. ¡°What


    happened recently in


    Seaxas?¡±


    On the other end of the line, Lucas put out his cigarette in the ashtray. ¡°Everything is normal at home.


    Don¡¯t worry¡± Ever since Tom¡¯s ident, Lucas had upgraded his intelligencework system. The goal


    was to obtain information immediately. Although it was currently in the testing stage, it had already


    shown obvious results.


    It was easier to know some news than before.


    Rachel guessed that if something really happened to David, Lucas would definitely know something.


    However, Lucas¡¯s indirect answer now aroused Rachel¡¯s suspicion again.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and an inexplicable coldness flickered in the depths of her charming


    eyes. ¡°I asked if anything happened to David¡±


    Hearing this, Lucas on the other end of the line fell into a short silence.


    Lucas picked up the lighter on the table and lit another cigarette. He took a deep puff and said


    unhurriedly. The news about him has beenpletely blocked. Instead of asking me, you might as well


    ask him what he¡¯s been up to recently.¡±


    First, David sent Ethan out of the experimental base. Then, he transferred a group of people to carry


    out a drug experiment. Now, hepletely blocked all news. It was simply mysterious.


    Originally, Rachel still had a trace of hope in her heart. Now that she heard Lucas¡¯s words, her entire


    heart felt like it had been tied to a rock. It was heavy and pressed on her blood vessels. Her heart kept


    contracting and squeezing, making her a little breathless.


    Rachel gripped her phone tightly and took a deep breath to calm herself down. Her cold voice was


    mixed with a hint of hoarseness ¡°I understand.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel stared nkly at the beautiful scenery in the distance.


    After a moment of silence, Rachel took out her phone and called Vulture.


    The call went on for a long time, but there was no response.


    If Vulture was out on a mission, it was understandable for him to lose contact asionally. However,


    Vulture had just arrived at Seaxas not long ago. Now that Vulture had lost contact, it seemed like he


    was trying to cover something up.


    No one picked up for a long time, and the call was automatically hung up


    As the phone screen darkened, Rachel¡¯s expression gradually turned cold.


    Rachel¡¯s delicate features seemed to be covered in ayer of ice, and a terrifying aura lingered around


    her.


    What exactly happened in Seaxas?


    The more they hid it, the stronger Rachel¡¯s desire to find out.


    Especially since Rachel couldn¡¯t contact David at this moment, her mind couldn¡¯t help but run wild.


    Rachel kept feeling that something must have happened to David.


    Ever since Rachel got along with David, they had never lost contact with each other.


    No matter what one was busy with, one would contact the other immediately. I was verymon for


    them to contact each other on Whatsapp. Sometimes, they would even video chat untilte at night. In


    short, David had never made Rachel feel so uncasy as now.


    Rachel turned on her phone and looked at the messages of the two of them over the par


    in the early morning of yesterday.


    Rachel stubbornly wanted to see David, even if it was just a nce,


    Rachel took out her phone and dialed a video call. The ringtone rang for a few seconds before it was


    hung up mercilessly. Then, a message appeared on the screen. [Not convenient for the time being.


    What¡¯s the matter?]


    When Rachel saw this line of words, her brows furrowed imperceptibly.


    Just as Rachel was feeling suspicious, her phone vibrated. Another message from David arrived. [Tve


    been a little busy recently Ill contact you when I have time. Love you.]


    Rachel looked at the message on her phone screen. A cold look appeared between her eyebrows, and


    the corners of her lips curled up slightly into a cold smule.


    It seemed that something had really happened.


    At the same time, Billy and Eddie were holding David¡¯s phone and plotting something


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Miss Grey replied yet?¡± Billy stared at the phone screen without blinking. A certain nerve in


    his brain was tense, and his eyes were filled with fighting spirit as if he was about to fight an army


    alone. ¡°Could it be that we¡¯ve exposed ourselves?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Originally. Eddie was already feeling uneasy. Now that he heard Billy¡¯s words, he only felt that the


    phone in his hand was like a hot potato. ¡°Look on the bright side. What if our skills are superb and we


    fool her?¡±


    Even though Eddie did not believe it, he still had a sliver of hope in his heart.


    One minute, two minutes, five minutester¡­


    There was no response from Rachel for a long time. The two of them secretly heaved a sigh of relief. It


    was as if all their strength had been drained from their bodies as they fell onto the rows of chairs in the


    hospital corridor.


    Billy leaned the back of his head against the cold wall and nced sideways at Eddie. ¡°Do you think we


    can really hide it from Miss Grey


    After all, Billy had seen Rachel¡¯s amazing connections and explosivebat power, so he was more or


    less afraid.


    Moreover, Billy watched helplessly as David married Rachel and made her status even higher than his.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep it a secret for as long as we can.¡± Eddie looked at the ceiling above his head and said with


    a hint of worry, ¡°Perhaps Mr. Jones has waken up when Miss Greyes back.¡±


    Hearing this, Billy could not help but sigh. ¡°I hope so.¡±


    On the other side, everyone gathered in the hotel lobby after breakfast, but Rachel did not appear for a


    long time.


    Chris went to the housing department to search. A second before entering the elevator, she saw


    Rachel walking out of the elevator next door.


    Rachel¡¯s condition was a little abnormal.


    In the past, Rachel always had a cold and indifferent attitude, but it was not like now. There was an


    obvious coldness in Rachel¡¯s eyes


    Chris¡¯s heart tightened. She secretly wondered if Rachel had discovered something.


    With this thought in mind, Chris pursed her lips and braced herself to walk forward to ask, ¡°Miss Grey,


    what happened?


    Rachel suddenly came back to her senses. Her pure ck and white charming eyes fixed on Chris


    without blinking. Under Rachel¡¯s gaze, time seemed to slow down. Every minute and second felt


    extremely long. Ayer of cold sweat unknowingly appeared on Chris¡¯s back.


    The expression on Chris¡¯s face gradually stiffened, but she had to pretend to be calm. ¡°Miss Grey, why


    are you looki


    Chris was feeling uneasy, Rachel retracted her gaze and puried lips Not

 Chapter 795

    Chapter 795


    Chapter 795


    Today¡¯s Real Estate Summit was to discuss the projects that the various groups would focus on next,


    as well as their future development ns.


    Haley, in her capacity as head of the project, had been speaking on behalf of the delegation.


    However, every time Haley saw Rachel¡¯s expressionless face, she would feel uneasy.


    Haley could not help but wonder if Rachel knew something or if she had been exposed.


    Perhaps it was because Haley was uneasy, her speech was not perfect, but it did not cause too much


    trouble.


    After ending the day¡¯s journey, everyone was physically and mentally exhausted. At the same time,


    their hearts were kicked into their throats.


    After all, there was a small mistake in Haley¡¯s speech today. As members of the team, they would


    definitely be criticized. Therefore, everyone was prepared to be criticized.


    However, when they returned to the hotel, what everyone was worried about did not happen.


    Seeing that Rachel was not in a good state, Linda said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Everyone, go back to your


    rooms and rest early¡± Everyone agreed in unison. ¡°Okay¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    They left in twos and threes. They could not help but whisper to each other. ¡°Did you notice that Ms.


    Grey is not in a good state today?¡±


    ¡°I noticed it a long time ago,¡± one of the female colleagues said. ¡°She said to go back to her room to


    change, but in the end, she came out in the same clothes.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Miss Dickinson from Skysgate Group is making things difficult for Ms. Grey again?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. I heard that Miss Dickinson is not to be trifled with. Moreover, she has the backing


    of Skysgate Group. I¡¯m afraid it will be even more difficult for ourpany to stand out at the summit.¡±


    ¡°After Miss Grey offended Skysgate Group, I¡¯m afraid Johnson Corporation¡¯s future is bleak¡±


    Everyone discussed in low voices. Haley didn¡¯t say anything, but she listened clearly.


    The words Julian had once said to Haley involuntarily surfaced in her mind. ¡®Haley, I¡¯m giving you a


    chance to show off on ount of our rtionship. If you don¡¯t cherish it, don¡¯t me me.


    ¡°Even if


    you


    don¡¯t agree, I can still make Rachel lose everything. It¡¯ll just take more time and effort.¡± Haley bit her


    lips with her white teeth, and a hint of conflict and struggle appeared in her eyes.


    If Haley didn¡¯t listen to Julian, then once those photos and videos were exposed, what awaited her


    would be her notorious reputation


    However, once Haley listened to Julian, it was equivalent to choosing to fall into a bottomless abyss.


    What should Haley do? What should she choose?


    Haley looked at Rachel¡¯s departing figure and stopped in her tracks.


    At this moment, the woman beside Haley couldn¡¯t help but remind her. ¡°Miss Bean, aren¡¯t we going


    back to our room?¡± Haley suddenly came back to her senses and nodded absent-mindedly. She turned


    around and walked into the room. On the other side, Linda followed Rachel back to the room.


    Linda was arranging the documents in her hand when her phone suddenly rang.


    When Linda saw the content of the message, she was slightly stunned. When Linda looked up, her


    gaze quickly swept past Rachel. Then, Linda ced the documents on the table. ¡°Chris, I remember


    that a very important piece of information was left at the venue. Can you help me find it?¡±


    Hearing such a request, Chris instinctively felt suspicious.


    Just as Chris was about to refuse, Rachel spoke first. ¡°h¡¯s gettingte. Apany Linda ande


    back quickly.¡°


    Hearing that, Chris could not say anything else. She could only nod and agree. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go and


    come back quickly. If there¡¯s an emergency, we¡¯ll contact each other by phone.¡±


    ¡°Sure


    After the two of them left, Rachel took out her phone and contacted Aileen, ¡°Nine, help me prepare a


    Ca


    Alleen, who was on the other end of the phone, was a little surprised when she heard this o


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rachel didn¡¯t hide anything. In this unfamiliar city, other than Linda, only Aileen was the person


    Rachel trusted the most. ¡°I have something very important to deal with. I should be able to rush back


    tomorrow morning.¡±


    Rachel paused for a moment and did not forget to remind Aileen, ¡°There are Noali¡¯s men outside the


    hotel. Could you help me deal with them?¡±


    Aileen said. ¡°Leave it with me.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel changed into a casual suit and went out.


    Rachel followed the escape route through the stairwell and reached the back door of the hotel¡¯s


    scullery.


    Then, Rachel walked along the uneven alley and finally arrived at the parking lot by the coastal road.


    At the same time, a ck Volkswagen suddenly turned on its headlights and drove toward Rachel.


    Rachel opened the door and got into the car.


    Twenty minutester, the car stopped under the office building of the Skysgate Group.


    The two of them took the elevator to the helipad on the roof


    Aileen raised her chin at Rachel and said, ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ve arranged everything for you.¡±


    Rachel simply said, ¡°Thank you¡± Then, she hurriedly walked toward the helicopter.


    Aileen looked at Rachel¡¯s hurried back and frowned, ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡±


    Aileen knew Twelve¡¯s personality. Although Twelve was the youngest among them, she always had the


    attitude of a mature young woman. Even if it was an extremely urgent matter, Rachel would not reveal


    her inner emotions.


    To be able to make a person who couldn¡¯t show her emotions appear anxious, it must not be simple.


    ¡°No need.¡± Rachel stopped in her tracks. ¡°I¡¯ll rush back as soon as possible. Help me keep an eye on


    this side.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Aileen waved at Rachel. ¡°Remember to call me if anything happens.¡±


    Rachel waved her hand. ¡°Got it.¡±


    At nine o¡¯clock that night, the exclusive ne of Skysgate Groupnded steadily at the airport.


    Rachel got off the ne and went straight to a ck Land Rover parked outside the airport.


    ¡°Have you found out everything?¡± Rachel asked Lucas as soon as she got into the car.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lucas noticed that Rachel¡¯s lips were a little dry. He frowned slightly and handed her a bottle of


    water. He said unhurriedly, ¡°David was attacked on the cruise ship. As for who injured him and how


    serious his injuries were, I can¡¯t find out for the time being. However, I don¡¯t think the situation is


    optimistic.¡±


    Otherwise, David¡¯s men would not have sealed the news.


    The private hospitals under Ster Corporation were even more heavily guarded.


    Rachel did not say anything, but there was a thinyer of ice on her delicate face.


    The two of them did not speak as the car sped along the road.


    Forty minutester, they arrived at the private hospital.


    Rachel was about to get out of the car when her phone suddenly rang. It was Chris.


    Rachel frowned slightly and directly hung up.


    ¡°There are people from David here. It¡¯s not that easy to break in.¡± Lucas looked past Rachel and looked


    at the door of the private hospital outside the window.


    Rachel followed Lucas¡¯s gaze and her eyes flickered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a way.¡±


    Before Lucas could ask, Rachel had already opened the door and gotten out of the car


    Lucas unbuckled his seatbelt and chased after Rachel curiously,


    When Lucas saw the solution that Rachel mentioned, his eyes suddenly widened in ock Teally my


    fucking goddess!¡±

 Chapter 796

    Chapter 796


    Chapter 796


    Rachel passed through the bushes and crouched all the way to the outside of the ward building.


    Rachel looked up at the window above her head, and her gaze finally locked onto a ward window on


    the twenty¨Csixth floor.


    Rachel tied up her hair with a rubber band and simply moved her wrists and ankles. Then, she ced


    her open palm in front of her lips and exhaled. She jumped nimbly onto the balcony of the first¨Cfloor


    window and grabbed the drainage pipe outside the ward to climb up bit by bit.


    Perhaps because Rachel had been sitting in the office for a long time and rarely exercised, ayer of


    sweat could not help but appear on her forehead after she climbed only five floors.


    Watching her climb like a monkey, Lucas, who was standing on the t ground, was worried. Lucas


    wanted to stop Rachel, but he was worried that he would attract the people patrolling around.


    Lucas could only panic like a cat on a hot tin roof.


    Lucas ced his hands on his waist and raised his head. His eyes were fixed on Rachel. When Lucas


    saw Rachel slide down a little weakly, his heart instantly jumped to his throat. He instinctively reached


    out his hands and lowered his voice. With a serious expression. Lucas reminded Rachel, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Rachel, who had climbed to the eighth floor, could not hear clearly. She could only vaguely hear Lucas


    talking. She looked down at him and smiled before continuing to climb up.


    It was unknown if the heavens were sincere in opposing Rachel or if they were testing her, but it started


    to drizzle unknowingly


    The rain drenched the outside of the drainage pipe, greatly increasing the difficulty of climbing Rachel.


    Several times. Rachel¡¯s hands and feet slipped, and she fell uncontrobly.


    Lucas, who was standing on the ground, was totally worried.


    This was a fucking height of more than 60 feet. Without any protection, there was no chance of survival


    if Rachel really fell.


    Rachel naturally knew this, but she did not regret it.


    Relying on her strong obsession to see David, Rachel finally climbed to the 26th floor.


    Rachel was not in a hurry to barge into David¡¯s ward. She reached out to grab the edge of the window


    and stepped on the air conditioner at the same time. After testing the weight, she jumped over boldly.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Rachel looked through the window. Under the dim light, she could not see clearly. She could only


    vaguely see that the ward was guarded.


    Such a vignt state made ayer of coldness appear in Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    David was so seriously injured. Rachel did not understand why he would rather seal the news than


    reveal a word to her.


    David even teamed up with everyone to hide it from Rachel


    Could it be that in David¡¯s eyes, Rachel was someone who could only be happy together and not suffer


    together?


    Perhaps influenced by her emotions, Rachel could not help but think of what Noah had said to her.


    ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re a smart person. You should know that sometimes things aren¡¯t as simple as they


    seem.


    ¡°Why do you think the summit was brought forward? Why did the original address change to the current


    Titia? Do you really think I¡¯m that capable?¡±


    Initially, Rachel was confident that Noah was trying to drive a wedge between David and her. However,


    the truth was right in front of Rachel. David really did not trust her.


    Otherwise, David would not have hidden it from Rachel


    Once this thought appeared in Rachel¡¯s heart, it would lead Rachel to let her imagination run wild.


    Rachel took a deep breath and calmed herself down. Then, she used her hands to climb onto the


    balcony and pried open the window to enter.


    Rachel crawled in and just stood still. Before she could see the environment in front of her clearly, she


    felt a sharp fist wind attack her.


    A cold glint appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes. She bent down to dodge and reached out to hit the person¡¯s


    abdomen.


    The two of them were locked in a fierce battle.


    The people outside the door heard themotion and Billy barged in with a group of people.


    Billy¡¯s expression was cold and dark, and a vicious aura surrounded him. However, when he saw


    Rachel¡¯s face clearly, he


    instantly felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His expression was stiff as he stood rooted to the


    ground. His throat was dry and tense, and he shouted with difficulty, ¡°Miss Grey¡­¡±


    Eddie, who was outside the door, heard the sound and stumbled in.


    When Eddie saw Rachel, he was so shocked that he was speechless.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not dead.¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, and the corners of her mouth curled into a


    cold smile.


    Eddie and Billy looked at each other and lowered their heads guiltily at the same time.


    Rachel didn¡¯t even say anything before charging over.


    Didn¡¯t they block all the news?


    How did Chris guard Rachel?


    Rachel did not have the time to appreciate their unpredictable expressions. She said coldly. ¡°Where is


    he?¡±


    Eddie blurted out, ¡°Mr. Jones has just woken up and is being examined inside.¡±


    At the side, Billy could not help but re at Eddie.


    They had agreed not to divulge a word, but the traitor took credit for it.


    Just as they were thinking about how they should perform, they heard a cold and hoarse voiceing


    from the ward. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Hearing this, Billy immediately said obsequiously, ¡°Miss Grey, pleasee in. We¡¯ll wait outside. If


    there¡¯s anything, feel free to tell us.¡±


    As he spoke, Billy called for the ck¨Cclothed men behind him to leave.


    After everyone left, Rachel walked straight to David¡¯s ward.


    When Rachel reached the door, the attending physician happened to walk out with other doctors.


    He nodded slightly when he passed by Rachel.


    In the ward, David had a needle in his hand and a bottle of IV drip beside him. He sat up and


    methodically buttoned his hospital gown with his well¨Cdefined fingers.


    Even so, Rachel still saw the white bandages wrapped around David¡¯s body.


    From his shoulder to his waist and abdomen, it was the mostmon ring¨Cshaped bandaging method.


    However, there was ayer of bright red blood on the white bandage, making it look especially eye¨C


    catching.


    Perhaps it was because David had just woken up, and his face was weak and pale.


    After David put on his clothes, he slowly stood up and looked at Rachel with a helpless smile. ¡°Why did


    you suddenlye back?¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯te back, how long do you n to hide it from me?¡± Rachel stared at David without blinking.


    Rachel¡¯s calm tone made it obvious that she was unhappy.


    David walked forward and reached out to hug Rachel, but Rachel dodged David without a trace.


    David¡¯s hand that was raised in midair missed. He pursed his thin lips and went forward to pull Rachel


    into his arms again. David buried his head in Rachel¡¯s neck and breathed greedily. His thin lips rubbed


    against her temples. His deep and cold voice sounded like it had been dipped in wine. ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    Rachel was held in David¡¯s arms. Worried about touching the wounds on his body, Rachel did not dare


    to struggle and could only quietly let him hug her.


    The cool wooden fragrance that was unique to David lingered in Rachel¡¯s nose, making her feel


    something she had not felt for a long time.


    All the resentment and anger in Rachel¡¯s heart before she came were defeated at this moment.

 Chapter 797

    Chapter 797


    Chapter 797


    Rachel felt that she was really useless.


    But sometimes, people were like this.


    They would only give in to the person they loved and soften their hearts time and time again.


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s pretty face gloomy. David chuckled helplessly. David bent down to hug Rachel again


    and slowly closed his eyes, greedily breathing in the faint fragrance on her body


    The room fell silent, but they didn¡¯t feel awkward because they didn¡¯t speak


    After some time, Rachel asked gloomily. How did you get hurt?*


    Sensing Rachel¡¯s suppressed anger. David did not dare to hide anything anymore. He answered


    obediently. ¡°Bullet wounds¡± Hearing this, Rachel frowned slightly.


    No matter if it was Eddie or Billy, these people were very capable. Hence, David would not be easily


    injured, let alone bullet


    wounds


    Rachel took a deep breath and suppressed the waves in her heart. She asked calmly. ¡°Where are you


    hurt? Is it serious?¡± David answered every question ¡°My lungs and my heart¡±


    When Rachel heard this answer, a wave of heartache appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    Rachel secretly gritted her mrs, her jawline tense


    That was the heart!


    As long as there was a slight deviation, David would have died for certain.


    It could be said that David had one foot in hell, but he chose to hide everything from Rachel.


    Rachel did not dare to imagine that if David was not lucky


    When the word ¡°death¡± came into contact with Rachel¡¯s mind. Rachel felt as if her heart had been


    soaked in ice water. In an instant, Rachel stopped breathing, leaving only intense pain screaming wildly


    in her body. Rachel¡¯s entire body trembled uncontrobly


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips kept curling up. Her nails dug into her palms, and her throat was tense and dry.


    Have a good rest. I¡¯ll leave first¡±


    Before Rachel could finish her sentence, she turned around and left.


    There were no hysterical questions, grievances, or fragile tears. Rachel was so sensible that it made


    David¡¯s heart ache Watching Rachel leave, David subconsciously chased after her


    David¡¯s intuition to


    that he could not let Rachel leave just like that


    However, when David pulled off the needle on the back of his hand and chased after Rachel, the


    people guarding the ward immediately panicked ¡°Mr Jones!¡±


    David had just woken up and the doctor had repeatedly reminded him to rest well. In the blink of an


    eye, David rushed out. David was really willing to die for Rachel.


    Rachel walked very quickly. She did not want anyone to see her tears, including David.


    Hence, a strange scene appeared in the quiet corridor of the hospital.


    The woman quickly walked in front. The man held his chest and endured the pain as he tried his best to


    chase after her. Behind the man was a group of burly men in ck who followed closely behind. They


    were like hens protecting a chick. All of them were trembling in fear, but they did not dare to rashly go


    forward.


    As Rachel waited for the elevator, David finally caught up with her. David grabbed Rachel¡¯s hand and


    pressed her against the wall.


    ¡°I hid it from you because I didn¡¯t want you to worry.¡± David looked down at Rachel and reached out to


    gently stroke her cheek with his well¨Cdefined fingers.


    The man¡¯s fingertips were slightly cold andnded on Rachel¡¯s cheek. Rachel avoided it without a


    trace. Rachel raised her eyes and looked at David calmly and coldly ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll worry, or do


    you think I¡¯m not worthy of knowing¡°¡±


    Ever since they met. Rachel had never shown David such a cold sied.


    It was as if Rachel was facing a stranger.


    David frowned imperceptibly, and a cold light shot out of his dark eyes.


    However, when David¡¯s gaze met the woman¡¯s red eyes, his heart inexplicably softened


    David sighed softly and slowly bent down to pull Rachel into lus arms Just as David was about to kiss


    Rachel, Rachel turned her head to avoid his touch


    Rachel ignored the look on David¡¯s face. She pulled off his arm that was wrapped around her waist and


    retreated from his embrace in a sh. The entire process was clean and neat as it a man and a woman


    were deliberately avoiding suspicion.


    This action made David feel uneasy Rae¨CRae *


    ¡°David¡±


    The two of them spoke in unisonE


    Rachel looked at David calmly. Rachel clearly had a lot to say to David before she came. During her


    climbing to the


    venty¨Csixth floor, she thought of a lot of things. But now that David was standing in front of her, Rachel


    did not know what


    Was it forgiveness?


    No, it was helplessness, mental exhaustion, and letting go.


    Ever since they got together. Rachel had been looking for ways to prove her ability.


    Rachel wanted to use her actions to tell David that she could advance and retreat with him.


    Rachel didn¡¯t want to hide under David¡¯s wings, so she couldn¡¯t ept David¡¯s excuse of being afraid


    that she would worry.


    After pondering for a long time. Rachel sighed softly. ¡°David, did you not trust me from the beginning?


    Is it that I was never in your future ns?¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Perhaps from the beginning. Rachel was the dispensable person in David¡¯s future life.


    When David heard Rachel¡¯s words, an obvious panic shed across his eyes. David¡¯s lips became


    pale, and his Adam¡¯s apple. rolled up and down. His voice was as dry as a traveler who had walked in


    the desert for three days and three nights. ¡°Rae¨CRae, you can be angry, hit me, or scold me, but you


    can¡¯t misunderstand¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh¡± Rachel could not help but interrupt David with a chuckle. She looked at him calmly and


    indifferently. Her tone was so calm that there was no emotional fluctuation. I was just expressing my


    feelings sincerely. How did it be misunderstanding you?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s calmness and indifference made David feel no love at all. It was as if an insurmountable gap


    had formed between them, and David had lost the right to approach Rachel.


    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m only worthy of hiding behind you cowardly? With my ability. I¡¯m not worthy of


    walking side by side with you¡±


    ¡°No, L¡­¡±


    ¡°You did!¡± Rachel interrupted David again. ¡°If you didn¡¯t, why didn¡¯t you tell me anything when you were


    injured? Why did you team up with Chris to hide it from me? You hid it from me for a long time with a


    n. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have used your connections to change the venue of the Real Estate


    Summit to Titia and wouldn¡¯t have brought forward the date of the Real Estate Summit. Didn¡¯t you send


    me away because you wanted me to know nothing about you?


    ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to go through so much trouble, and you don¡¯t have to hide it from me with the


    excuse of good intentions. You don¡¯t know, right? My greatest strength is that Im self¨Caware and tactful.


    As long as you tell me, I won¡¯t cross the line. As long as you tell me. I won¡¯t have any thoughts of


    investigating everything you¡¯re hiding.¡±


    At this point. Rachel could not help but sigh softly. ¡°David, I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Rachel was really tired.


    The two of them had clearly agreed to go through thick and thin together, but every time David made a


    choice for Rachel. David even kicked Rachel out without even saying anything


    Rachel knew that David had good intentions and did not want her to put herself in danger, but she


    really did not need such good intentions.

 Chapter 798

    Chapter 798


    Chapter 798


    It was undeniable that Rachel¡¯s words were more or less influenced by Noah¡¯s words.


    Even though Rachel knew that Noah was up to no good, David¡¯s actions really disappointed Rachel..


    After saying this calmly, Rachel wanted to turn around and leave.


    When Rachel brushed past David. David grabbed her wrist. ¡°Rachel, I¡¯ve never denied your ability, and


    I¡¯ve never felt that you¡¯re not worthy of walking beside me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Rachel looked at David indifferently.


    Rachel¡¯s gaze was too calm, as calm as a pool of stagnant water that could not stir up any ripples.


    At this moment, an unprecedented sense of panic and fear swept over David¡¯s heart.


    David couldn¡¯t help but tighten his grip on Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°I know this concealment has made you very


    angry. You can hit me or scold me, but can you stop holding it in and stop saying hurtful words?¡±


    No one knew that when Rachel¡¯s seemingly calm words just nownded in David¡¯s heart, they were


    like knives engraved in his heart, dripping with blood and in so much pain that he wanted to die.


    David¡¯s deep voice was mixed with a hint of weakness and insufficient confidence, making one¡¯s heart


    ache for him for some


    reason.


    Rachel looked at David. The corners of her lips curled up slightly into a faint smile. ¡°No, actually, it¡¯s


    precisely because you hid it from me that I realized the difference between you and me¡­¡±


    The disparity in status and ability seemed to tell Rachel that she was not worthy of standing shoulder¨C


    to¨Cshoulder with


    David


    However, before Rachel could finish her words, David¡¯s palm pinched the back of her neck, and he


    leaned over to kiss her lips fiercely, forcing her to swallow the rest of her words.


    David¡¯s kiss was fierce and forceful, and there was even a hint of unknown anger.


    On the other hand, Rachel was like a doll that had lost its soul. She had lost all her senses, so she did


    not respond.


    Even so, David did not let go of Rachel. He stubbornly wanted a response from her.


    Their lips and teeth collided, and a faint taste of blood filled their mouths.


    David¡¯s body stiffened and he suddenly let go of Rachel.


    When David looked at Rachel¡¯s swollen lips and the bright red blood on them, his pupils constricted.


    His fingertips trembled slightly as he gently wiped them.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you. Can you not treat me like this?¡± David pressed his forehead


    against hers, his low tone mixed with a hint of helplessness and inferiority.


    At this moment, Rachel¡¯s indifferent attitude was like a thin veil caught in his palm. The more David


    exerted strength, the faster the sand would flow.


    Even so, David stubbornly held Rachel in his arms and hugged her tightly.


    David¡¯s uniquely cold wooden fragrance enveloped Rachel. A faint smell of blood could be detected


    between her breaths. David must have pulled his wound just now.


    Rachel sighed helplessly and let David hug her. There was still no response.


    Rachel also wanted to vent the resentment in her heart and have a big fight with him, but was she


    qualified?


    No, she didn¡¯t


    When David isted Rachel from his world and hid everything from her, she had already lost this


    qualification.


    Rather than saying that she was not qualified, it would be more urate to say that David did not give


    her this authority.


    After an unknown period of time, Rachel felt the man¡¯s strength gradually rx. She retreated from his


    arms without any hesitation.


    Rachel raised her head and their eyes met. She said softly, ¡°Rest well. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    In the end, Rachel was still worried about David and couldn¡¯t bear to part with harming him, so she


    didn¡¯t say the most hurtful words.


    David said that he didn¡¯t mean to hide it. That was right. Because he had done it on purpose from the


    beginning.


    Otherwise, why would David change the venue of the Real Estate Summit? Why would he suddenly


    change the time and catch Rachel off guard?


    In this farce, no one was right or wrong


    David was right. He was hiding it purely because he did not want Rachel to be worried or afraid, much


    less involve her in danger


    Was Rachel the one in the wrong?


    Perhaps, she was wrong.


    Perhaps from the moment when Rachel decided to be with David, she should not have thought about


    proving her ability or going through thick and thin with him. Instead, she should just stay by David¡¯s side


    and be a vase for decoration. That way. she could hide under his wings in peace


    Rachel looked at David¡¯s extremely gloomy face and turned to leave without saying another word


    David did not stop Rachel. He just watched her leave quietly until her figurepletely disappeared


    from his sight.


    Everything returned to normal Eddie and Billy looked at each other.


    The two of them were in a deadlock.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    At this moment, it was obvious that whoever stepped forward would be walking into trouble.


    As the two of them dawdled, the white bandages on David¡¯s body were gradually dyed red by blood


    and gradually seeped into his hospital gown.


    Even so, David stood rooted to the ground and did not move at all.


    It was as if the moment Rachel left, a portion of David¡¯s soul was extracted as well, and he could no


    longer feel pain. Finally, Eddie could not stand it anymore. He braced himself and walked forward. He


    persuaded, ¡°Mr. Jones, why don¡¯t you treat the wound first?¡±


    It was not easy for David to get out of danger. Now, after this series of matters, David would probably


    suffer again.


    David did not seem to hear Eddie. He remained where he was.


    Eddie looked at David¡¯s pale and weak face. After hesitating for a while, Eddie could not help but speak


    again, ¡°If anything happens to you, Miss Grey will definitely be even angrier.¡±


    Hearing this. David finally had a slight reaction. His eyshes trembled slightly as he slowly turned


    around and left. David took a step and could not help but stagger. Fortunately, Eddie quickly grabbed


    him.


    The moment Eddie touched David, he clearly felt David¡¯s abnormal body temperature. ¡°Mr. Jones, you


    have a fever!¡± Normally, a fever would not be worth mentioning. However, David had just escaped from


    danger, and the wound clearly showed signs of splitting open.


    ¡°How do you n to exin this?¡± Vulture looked at David who had returned with a worried expression.


    Originally, Vulture wanted to exin it to Rachel, but Rachel did not even answer his call. In the end,


    Rachel even directly blocked Vulture.


    Vulture felt that he was the most pitiful one.


    To be honest. Vulture was only ordered to protect David on ount of Rachel. Now, Vulture had also


    offended Rachel. Besides, it seemed that it was not easy to make Rachel forgive him.


    Vulture was a little angry. He threw his phone on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and took a puff. ¡°Didn¡¯t you


    say that everything was arranged? You even said that your people were outside the hotel. Why didn¡¯t


    you hear anything from them when she came back?¡±


    David did not say anything. He just let the doctor treat his wound with a dark expression.


    David¡¯s body exuded a terrifying aura, like a rock pressing down on the doctor¡¯s heart for no reason.


    Cold sweat unknowingly appeared on the doctor¡¯s forehead. Fortunately, his high professionalism


    allowed him to control his hands from trembling


    At this moment, a series of sonorous footsteps came from outside the door.


    Everyone looked up and saw a middle¨Caged man.


    ¡°Looks like I missed the best part,¡±

 Chapter 799

    Chapter 799


    Chapter 799


    The person who came was called Corazon Waller. He was Miriam¡¯s third uncle and a close friend of


    David in life and death together


    Corazon was born in the military, so he had a dignified aura that made people afraid and not dare to be


    rash.


    David ignored Corazon and urged the doctor, who was tending to his wound, ¡°Hurry up¡±


    The doctor did not even bother to wipe the cold sweat off his forehead. ¡°It¡¯ll be done soon.¡±


    Corazon walked in and sat straight on the sofa. He crossed his legs and leisurely sized up David¡¯s pale


    face. ¡°Tsk, the dignified head of the Jones family actually has such a miserable day. How pitiful.¡±


    When David heard this, his eyes darkened, and his aura was a little oppressive. ¡°Do you like watching


    me in a sorry state so much?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡± Corazon¡¯s handsome eyes hid a gloating smile. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you in such a sorry state


    in years. It¡¯s too difficult to see you fail, especially when it¡¯s a woman. Of course, I have to watch to my


    heart¡¯s content. Unfortunately, I came Late and didn¡¯t see the most exciting scene.


    ¡°But your girlfriend, no, I should call her your fianc¨¦e¡± Corazon corrected the way he addressed Rachel


    in time. His eyes flickered with a dark light. ¡°Your fiancee is quite interesting. To be able to climb up the


    drainage pipe to the 26th floor without any protection, her courage ismendable.¡±


    David did not take Corazon¡¯s previous words to heart at all.


    Until David heard thest sentence, which instantly attracted all his attention. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Even Eddie and Billy, who were standing at the side, also looked shocked.


    Rachel was really amazing.


    This was the 26th floor


    Even the two of them, who were men, could not help but feel their limbs go weak when they thought of


    climbing up with their bare hands. However, Rachel did it so easily.


    Just as they were thinking about it, they suddenly felt a sharp gaze sweeping over like a knife.


    The two of them froze and lowered their heads guiltily.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± David¡¯s cold questioning voice sounded above their heads.


    Billy stammered as he exined, ¡°When we rushed in, Miss Grey had already started fighting Tony. I


    don¡¯t know the details.¡±


    Tony, who had been standing behind, was betrayed at once and caught off guard.


    Tony had always been in charge of the ck market¡¯s business. He had only heard of Rachel¡¯s famous


    name, but he had never seen her in person.


    If Tony had known that the woman climbing the window tonight was Rachel, he would not have done


    anything


    It had to say that the legendary Rachel did not look like a youngdy from a wealthy family at all. She


    was simply


    omnipotent What was she thinking when she climbed up to the 26th floor with her bare hands?


    Just this boldness alone made Tony feel inferior. It was no wonder that David was captivated.


    When Corazon saw that David was about to denounce them, the gloating smile on his face became


    more and more obvious. ¡°Oh, so you don¡¯t know? The youngdy climbed up from the t ground with


    her bare hands. It¡¯s raining outside and she


    almost fell down a few times. It can be seen that she¡¯s sincere to you.


    ¡°To be fair, it¡¯s not easy for the youngdy. She¡¯s been kept in the dark by you and has to endure your


    reserved personality. Such a youngdy is rare.¡±


    Hearing this. Vulture, who was sitting on the sofa and smoking silently, raised his chin proudly.


    Of course, Twelve had always been the best.


    David¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts of Rachel climbing from the t ground to the 26th floor with her


    bare hands. David did not dare to imagine what would happen if Rachel was careless without any


    protection.


    At this moment, David was not angry at Rachel. Instead, he was angry at himself.


    Rachel hade all the way from Titia to look for David, but David had angered her away just like that.


    What a bastard.


    Looking at David¡¯s silent expression, Corazon sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking It could have


    been exined in one sentence, but you chose to hide it¡±


    At this moment, Vulture, who had been silent all this while, couldn¡¯t help but add. ¡°That¡¯s i right. If you


    told her that you were beating them at their own game, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about you ande


    all the way back


    1/4


    12:07


    Chapter 799


    The thought of Rachel climbing up the drainage pipe to the 26th floor made Vulture¡¯s heart feel like it


    had been thrown into a pot of oil to cook.


    This was the 26th floor.


    It was simply unreasonable to do such a risky thing for a bastard man.


    Twelve had always been rational. Ever since she met David, she had be a reckless person.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, I have checked.¡± Billy came back from outside and walked to David¡¯s side. He respectfully


    said, ¡°Miss Grey came back in the helicopter of Skysgate Group.¡±


    When Corazon heard it, a hint of interest shed across his eyes. ¡°Ik, thedy looks young, but she has


    a lot of connections. She can even order people from Skysgate Group around.¡±


    When Vulture heard this, he did not say anything and let the white smoke that he slowly exhaled cover


    his unfathomable expression.


    After the doctor bandaged it, David leaned against the head of the bed and lowered his eyes. ¡°She is


    my woman after all.¡±


    ¡°Chase her back first.¡± Corazon did not hide his intention to watch David¡¯s embarrassment.


    David frowned slightly and looked a little unhappy. ¡°Why did you suddenlye to Seaxas?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it all thanks to you?¡± Corazon snorted, his voice slightly cold and deep. ¡°My niece, Miriam, was


    charmed by young master of the Johnson family and insisted on marrying him. I¡¯m here to deal with the


    marriage with the Johnson family.¡±


    Although David had done it without anyone knowing, it was not untraceable.


    Corazon was more or less unhappy that David had divulged the news of the Johnson family¡¯s marriage


    to Miriam.


    The mocking words Corazon had said previously were also meant to take revenge on David.


    However, jokes and revenge had to stop before they went too far.


    Corazon looked at David¡¯s injuries. ¡°There will be a reckoning between you and the Olson family


    sooner orter, If you need anything, just let me know.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± David said calmly.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    David raised his eyes and looked out of the window. The depths of his eyes flickered with a clear


    coldness.


    Suddenly, David took out his phone and dialed a string of numbers.


    When Christopher rk received the call, he was punching the sandbag in the training room.


    ¡°Mr. Christopher, there¡¯s a call for you.¡± Christopher¡¯s trusted subordinate walked over and ced the


    phone in front of Christopher.


    Christopher lowered his head and pulled open his boxing gloves with his teeth. Then, he picked up the


    phone.


    At the same time, Christopher raised his chin and gestured for his subordinates to open the sandbag.


    The next second, a man covered in blood and bruised all over fell out. ¡°Take him down first.¡±


    The trusted subordinate nodded slightly and called for the others to drag the man out.


    Christopher turned around and walked to the resting area. He poured a ss of wine.


    When Christopher heard David¡¯s words, the corners of his mouth curled into an evil smile. ¡°I¡¯ve long


    heard from Corazon that you have a girlfriend. You¡¯ve only known her for a few months before


    proposing. Hearing you say that, I¡¯m even more curious about who she is.


    ¡°Not only did she avoid your men and snuck back to Seaxas, but she also had the people from


    Skysgate Group as cover. It can be seen that her ability is not ordinary.¡±


    David said something on the other end of the line. Christopher pressed his tongue against his chin and


    scolded in a low voice, ¡°I really owe you!¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Christopher changed his clothes and set off for the airport..

 Chapter 800

    Chapter 800


    Chapter 800


    At one o¡¯clock in the morning, the helicopter of the Skysgate Groupnded steadily on the ne


    tform.


    Christopher led his men and waited downstairs at the building of Skysgate Group.


    Christopher was wearing a striped suit and leaning in front of the car. When Christopher heard


    footstepsing from the entrance of the office building, he slowly looked up.


    The woman was wearing a simple sports suit. Her slightly curly long hair was tied into a low ponytail


    with a rubber band.


    There was no makeup on her face. Even so, her exquisite facial features were enough to capture one¡¯s


    soul.


    Her simple outfit still made her the most unconventional existence.


    Even if it was just an unintentional nce, it could make people focus all their attention on her.


    The tip of Christopher¡¯s tongue touched the roof of his mouth. It was rare to see such a beautiful


    woman.


    It was no wonder that David, who had never been interested in women, would fall in love with her.


    Christopher threw the nail clippers in his hand to his subordinate and walked straight to Rachel with


    one hand in his pocket. ¡°Miss Grey?¡±


    The unfamiliar man¡¯s approach made Rachel frown slightly. Her ck and white eyes were faintly


    suffused with a fierce look.


    Sensing the expression in her eyes, Christopher smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. David asked me


    toe.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, the fierceness in her eyes faded a little


    ¡°He specially instructed me to send you back to the hotel, so pleasee with me, Christopher said as


    he raised his eyebrows and looked at the car parked by the roadside.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel didn¡¯t say anything. She put her hands in her pockets and walked straight to the car.


    Rachel knew very well that since it was David¡¯s arrangement, she had no way of rejecting it.


    The man in ck guarding the car opened the door.


    Rachel bent down and got into the car, followed by Christopher.


    Being in the same space, Christopher sized up Rachel even more brazenly,


    However, there was no malice in his gaze, nor were there any thoughts that Christopher shouldn¡¯t


    have. It waspletely. out of admiration for beautiful things.


    This was the second perfect face Christopher had seen so far.


    The first face was of a very annoying guy.


    In the quiet atmosphere, Christopher was the first to speak, breaking the slightly oppressive


    atmosphere. ¡°I heard that you quarreled with David? But as an outsider, I advise you to turn a blind eye


    to some things


    ¡°There are some things he doesn¡¯t want you to know because he¡¯s protecting you. People who know


    too much often don¡¯t live long.¡±


    When Christopher¡¯s trusted subordinate sitting in the front row heard this, he could not help but sweat.


    Those who knew would think that Christopher was trying to persuade Rachel. Those who didn¡¯t would


    think that he was threatening a weak woman.


    Rachel lowered her eyes and did not say a word.


    The dim light outlined Rachel¡¯s wless face that was like cold jade. The corners of her mouth curled


    up slightly, and there was a faint smile on her face. She looked like she was about to cry, creating a


    heartbreaking feeling.


    Seeing Rachel like this, Christopher raised his hand and touched the bridge of his nose. He couldn¡¯t


    help but doubt himself.


    Did Christopher say something wrong?


    However, Christopher had always been threatening people all these years. He thought that his words


    just now were gentle enough.


    Christopher sized Rachel up for a moment and confirmed that Rachel did not have the urge to cry. After


    hesitating for a while, Christopher spoke again, ¡°Miss Grey, David is with you. The pressure he¡¯s under


    is not something you can imagine, so it¡¯s natural for him to hide some things from you. As his woman,


    you should be more understanding and magnanimous. You really shouldn¡¯t be so pretentious like


    now¡­¡±


    Rachel did not take Christopher¡¯s words to heart at all. She even sat in this car because of David.


    However, the word ¡°pretentious¡± in Christopher¡¯s mouth pierced Rachel¡¯s heart like a needle, causing


    her to feel a sharp


    It turned out that in their eyes, Rachel was being pretentious.


    On the way back, Rachel kept wondering if she had been too serious


    Rachel was angry that David had chosen to hide it from her. She was angry that David had made the


    choice for her. She angry that he would not say a word even if his life was at stake


    Rachel had also thought that no matter what. David was protecting her. On the ount of that Davad


    was seriously injured and had just escaped from danger. Rachel should not be angry.


    However, another voice in Rachel¡¯s heart told her that no matter what reason David used, it should not


    be a valid reason to


    hide it from her


    However, Christopher¡¯s words made Rachel fall into self-doubt again.


    Could it be that Rachel was really wi


    Rachel pondered for a long time and turned to look at the long night outside the window. Her cold voice


    was slightly hoarse as she said. ¡°It¡¯s my fault


    When Christopher heard Rachel¡¯s answer, he felt ufortable


    However. Christopher had already said what he needed to say It was really not appropriate to say


    anything else


    Christopher could only sigh in his heart-Indeed, it was easy to be unreasonable when one was in


    love


    The car sped


    and soon stopped at the hotel where Rachel was staying


    Christopher sat in the car and watched as Rachel walked into the hotel. He took out his phone and


    recorded a video for David chout Your wottah returned to the hotel?¡±


    The mesuge


    cis sent, but ther


    ? response for a long time


    for many years and


    &


    Christopher


    very well that David would not reply when he saw the message Christopher hogertips quickly tapped on


    the keyboard (You¡¯re not serious about this woman, are you? I mean, do you


    tand the pres


    i your rtionship really be


    The danger around Dreid a


    It was fortunate that


    The next second. Christoph


    nable, just like the assassar


    beaten


    at their own game Otherwise, he would have died long ago.


    hand trembled


    Christopher lowered has eyes and looked at the phone screen. The words David replied appeared on


    it. (She doesn¡¯t have a


    Seeing these words, Christopher was slightly stunned. Then, he scolded jokingly. [You¡¯re really fucking


    in love


    This was the usually o Im and collected David.


    It had to be said that love was magical


    ¡°Boss, are we going back His trusted subordinate nced at Christopher through the rearview mirror


    ]


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back¡± Christopher nced at some inconspicuous corners outside the hotel and the corners


    of his mouth curled


    in intriguing smile. There¡¯s nothing for us to do here¡±


    On the other side, after Rachel walked into the hotel, she did not return to her room Instead, she went


    to the bar attached to the hotel to collect a bottle of wine and went to the rooftop on the top floor alone


    The view from the rooftop was vast, and the air became especially fresh.


    Rachel sat on the edge and looked at the sky which was gradually turning bright.


    As Rachel sat there, the sky gradually brightened


    Rachel was so numb that she did not notice the passage of time.


    Until there was a loud bang behind hum. The door to the rooftop was kicked open.


    ¡°Kar-Rae!¡± Aileen looked at Rachel nervously Aileen walked over carefully, afraid that Rachel would


    jump down from there ¡°Be good. It¡¯s too high up there. It¡¯s too dangerous. Could youe down?

 Chapter 801

    Chapter 801


    Chapter 801


    Seeing Aileen¡¯s nervous expression, Rachel smiled calmly. I¡¯m just in a bad mood. I¡¯m just sitting here


    for a while. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m courting death. Why are you so nervous?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re in a bad mood, you can just say it.¡± Aileen didn¡¯t listen to Rachel¡¯s words, Aileen¡¯s heart was


    in her throat as she carefully approached Rachel. ¡°This ce is too unsafe now. If you really feel bad,


    we can continue shooting at the shooting range for an entire day and night just like before. Come down


    first. You can do whatever you want then. In short, I¡¯ll apany you!¡±


    Rachel smiled and picked up the bottle beside her. ¡°Do you want to drink with me?¡±


    When Aileen saw that Rachel really didn¡¯t do anything extreme, her anxious heart gradually rxed.


    Aileen simply sat beside Rachel and sized her up.


    The corners of the woman¡¯s eyes were red, and her eyes were filled with a faint blood color, carrying


    the fatigue of not sleeping all night.


    Everyone in the Red me Army favored Rachel.


    It was not an exaggeration to say that Rachel was the group¡¯s favorite.


    At that time, Rachel always had a cold attitude and did not care about anything. It was as if there was


    nothing in this world that Rachel was reluctant to part with.


    However, after interacting with her for a long time, not only did Aileen realize that Rachel was cold on


    the outside but warm on the inside.


    The more Rachel cared about someone, the more she pretended not to care.


    Now that Rachel was obviously sad, it was obvious how important the person she went to seest night


    was to her. Aileen looked at Rachel. ¡°Tell me, what happenedst night?¡±


    Rachel nced at Aileen and gently rubbed the wine bottle in her hand with her fingertips. Rachel said


    calmly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Aileen furrowed her brows slightly and snatched the bottle from Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°You drank so much


    and didn¡¯t sleep the whole night. It¡¯s nothing? Who would believe it?¡±


    Anyway, Aileen didn¡¯t believe it.


    Rachel¡¯snd missed. She looked up at the sky and squeezed out a smile. ¡°It¡¯s really nothing I just had


    a fight with my


    fiance.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Aileen looked at Rachel in disbelief. Aileen paused for a moment and said with difficulty. ¡°You¡­


    You have a fianc¨¦?¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Is it strange¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange¡± Aileen looked as if she had seen a ghost. ¡°How old are you? I can understand if you¡¯re


    in a rtionship, but why did you suddenly have a fiance?¡±


    Rachel smiled helplessly. Tm already 25 years old. It¡¯s not strange for me to have a fianc¨¦.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Aileen pursed her lips awkwardly and muttered in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you


    were already 25 years old.


    In Aileen¡¯s eyes, Rachel was still the immature Twelve. That was why Aileen was so shocked when she


    heard that Rachel had a fiance.


    Suddenly, a strong face appeared in Aileen¡¯s mind, and she was in a daze for a moment.


    Aileen knew that that person had always liked Rachel and had a crush on her for many years.


    However, that person did not know that Aileen also had feelings for lum.


    Aileen pondered for a moment, ¡°Do I know your fiance?¡±


    ¡°You should have more or less heard of him. Rachel said, ¡°David Jones, the head of the Jones family in


    Aureliana.¡±


    Aileen was secretly holding her breath at first, but after hearing Rachel¡¯s answer, she immediately


    rxed. Aileen lowered her eyes to hide the joy that shed across her eyes.


    Aileen thought that Vulture had fulfilled his wish, but it turned out that he hadn¡¯t.


    Did this mean that Aileen still had a chance?


    Rachel noticed that Aileen was sometimes frowning and sometimes smiling. There was a look of


    curiosity in Rachel¡¯s eyes as she asked, ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Aileen snapped back to reality. She calmed herself down a little and looked at Rachel with


    disdain. ¡°You are so young.


    but your taste is so bad.¡±


    Rachel was confused.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t guarantee anything else, but David¡¯s face was super handsome.


    Was Rachel¡¯s taste bad!


    Before Rachel could defend herself, Aileen spoke again. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that the more beautiful


    something is, the more dangerous it is? What are you thinking? Did you think that you brought yourself


    into trouble?¡±


    Rachel was stunned for a moment.


    There was really no way to refute Aileen


    As the daughter of Skysgate Group. Aileen had indeed met David before. Aileen had more or less


    heard of David¡¯s decisive methods.


    Regardless of appearance or status, no one was worthy of being David¡¯s match.


    That man was born to be a king. He was born to stand at the top of the pyramid and look down on all


    living beings.


    Rachel recalled Aileen¡¯s words and raised her eyebrows slightly, ¡°You two have met before?¡±


    ¡°He knows my dad, Aileen said.


    Logically speaking, Aileen should not have remembered David clearly from a glimpse many years ago.


    However, Aileen still remembered the scene of David appearing at the banquet for hundreds of people.


    The man was wearing a well-tailored ck suit as he slowly descended the spiral staircase. His


    footsteps were light and casual


    The bright light shone on David¡¯s well-defined face, making his exquisite facial features look even more


    deep and three-dimensional.


    David exuded a noble and indifferent aura that seemed to overflow from the depths of his bones. His


    terrifying aura was the most eye-catching existence present.


    Even if David just stood there without saying anything, his strong presence was enough to shock


    everyone.


    David was just 22 years old that year.


    Aileen snapped out of her reverie and asked, ¡°Why did you quarrel?¡±


    Last night, Rachel thought about it for the entire night but could note up with a reason Rachel did


    not think that she was at fault, but she could not me all the mistakes on David alone. It was as if she


    was in a dilentuna


    After thinking about it, Rachel could only me everything on the person who injured David.


    When Rachel heard Aileen¡¯s words, she was worried that she would fall into the analyses ofst night¡¯s


    argument again, so she simply said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Isn¡¯t it normal for couples to quart


    Trel*


    Aileen raised her eyebrows and a yful smile appeared on her face. ¡°Rae, you have been acting


    abnormally sincest night.¡±


    Aileen paused for a moment. ¡°Tell me honestly. Did David cheat on you?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel could not help but be stunned.


    Rachel didn¡¯t know how Aileen came up with this idea, but when Rachel thought about her condition


    last night, those who didn¡¯t know better would think that David had done something wrong to Rachel


    Seeing that Rachel had suddenly fallen silent, Aileen narrowed her eyes slightly and a cold light shed


    in her eyes. ¡°Damn it! I was right!¡±


    From Aileen¡¯s angry looks, Rachel was really worried that Aileen would rush up to David to settle the


    score with him the next second. Rachel quickly exined, ¡°No, don¡¯t let your imagination run wild.¡±


    Aileen stared at Rachel doubtfully. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No¡± Rachel said firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild.¡±


    ¡°You sat here all night after all.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    When Aileen heard that Rachel had been sitting on the rooftop all night, she rushed over without even


    changing her clothes.


    Aileen thought that something big had happened, but in the end, it was just an argument with David.


    It was simply a confusing incident.


    But love did make people crazy and unreasonable.

 Chapter 802

    Chapter 802


    Chapter 802


    After chatting for a while on the rooftop, they had no choice but to leave.


    Chris looked at Rachel who had returned from outside and secretly sized up the expression on


    Rachel¡¯s face. While Rachel was taking a shower, Chris thoughtfully prepared breakfast.


    When Rachel came out of the bathroom, she sat on the dining chair and ate as usual.


    Chris stood not far away. After hesitating for a while, she said carefully. ¡°Miss Grey, are you alright?¡±


    After Chris left with Lindast night, no matter how Chris thought about it, she felt that something was


    wrong. However, Linda kept pestering Chris, making Chris unable to leave.


    It was not until Billy called to say that Rachel had returned to Seaxas that Chris realized that she had


    been tricked. But even if Chris knew, there was nothing she could do.


    After all, Rachel had already gone back. Strictly speaking. Chris could only me herself for not doing


    her job well. ording to Billy, when Rachel went backst night, she did not have a good time with


    David. It could even be said that both sides suffered.


    Billy repeatedly reminded Chris to ensure Rachel¡¯s safety.


    Chris had thought that Rachel would cry. Chris had thought that Rachel would lock herself in her room


    for the entire day. However, Chris had not expected Rachel to act as if nothing had happened.


    Although Chris had never been in love, she knew that among all things in the world, love was the most


    hurtful.


    Chris was really worried that Rachel would hold all the grievances in her heart and fall ill, so Chris had


    no choice but to ask. Hearing Chris¡¯s words, Rachel looked up at her. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m wrong?¡±


    Rachel did not feel good after arguing with Davidst night.


    However, Rachel personally felt that the matter between David and her could be solved privately. There


    was no need for everyone to know about it and cause everyone to not be at peace.


    Rtionships and work were two different things. It was the best way to deal with them. apart.


    Chris was slightly stunned. She pursed her lips and said in a low voice, ¡°Miss Grey, Mr. Jones asked


    me to tell you that he was injured because he had no choice but to beat the enemy at their own game.


    Now that his fever has subsided, everything is normal. Please don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Rachel snorted without hiding anything. There was a thinyer of coldness in her eyes. ¡°Couldn¡¯t he


    say it personally? Why did he ask you to tell me?¡±


    Chris was stunned for a moment.


    Chris knew that Rachel was in a fit of anger now. No matter what David did, it would be wrong.


    David hadn¡¯t called since yesterday. He hadn¡¯t even apologized.


    Rachel assumed that David was recuperating from his serious injuries and was reflecting on where he


    had gone wrong. But now, David had Chris tell Rachel such simple words.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    What was this?


    A bted realization or an insincere reflection?


    David clearly had so many opportunities to exin to Rachelst night, but he refused to say anything.


    Now that Rachel knew the reason, it was a pity that David had be a ¡°mute¡± and needed someone


    to pass on the words.


    Looking at the breakfast in front of her, Rachel suddenly lost her appetite and stood up to leave.


    Chris watched Rachel leave and sighed helplessly. She hurriedly took out her phone and sent a


    message to Eddie. [Your method doesn¡¯t work. Miss Grey seems to be even angrier. She didn¡¯t even


    eat breakfast.]


    Eddie looked puzzled when he saw the message. [How is that possible? You must have conveyed the


    message wrongly.] Chris couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. [Do it yourself!|


    Seeing that Chris got angry, Eddie quickly apologized. (No. It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m sorry. Think about it. Now


    that Miss Grey is throwing a tantrum with Mr. Jones, we, the subordinates, will suffer as well. The only


    solution is to quickly make Miss Grey happy. If Miss Grey is happy. Mr. Jones will be happy. If Mr.


    Jones is happy, our days as subordinates will be better. Don¡¯t you think?]


    Looking at the long speech on the phone, Chris couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply. She muttered in a low


    voice. ¡°I¡¯m just bodyguard. Why shall I need to deal with these troublesome things?¡±


    The content of today¡¯s summit was mainly forpanies to exin their results and cases.


    The order of this case analysis was based on the rule of lot drawing


    Perhaps it was because the Johnson Corporation was too unlucky, and Haley drew thest one.


    However, as participants in the meeting, they were not allowed to leave the venue without permission.


    They could only sit in their seats and listen silently like the audience.


    After Rachel sat for an entire day, her back stiffened slightly.


    After the meeting ended, Rachel stood up and stretched her shoulders before walking out of the


    meeting room.


    Rachel had just walked down the steps when her phone suddenly rang. When she saw the contents of


    the message, she raised her eyebrows slightly and looked up at the others ¡°You guys go back first I


    have something to do and will go out for a


    while.¡±


    As she spoke, Rachel turned around with her phone and walked toward a car.


    Chris did not know what was on the phone, but she noticed that the moment Rachel saw the message,


    there was a hint of liveliness in her e


    reyes.


    Rachel was still angry with David now. It couldn¡¯t be a message from David.


    If it wasn¡¯t David, could it be another man?


    Thinking of this, Chris felt a sense of danger. She quickly followed Rachel ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need¡± Rachel turned around and nced at Chris who had followed her. Rachel¡¯s cold


    eyes were filled with warning ¡°I have something to deal with. They might be going out to y tonight.


    You¡¯re in charge of looking after them in case anything happens.¡±


    Anyone could tell that thisme excuse was clearly to deliberately send Chris away.


    Chris looked a little embarrassed. ¡°Miss Grey, my duty is to protect you¡­¡±


    ¡°You know your duty is to protect me.¡± Rachel¡¯s expression turned slightly cold. ¡°I hope you can


    differentiate between protection and surveince Moreover, I have the right to protect my privacy. I


    don¡¯t want outsiders to know.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Chris held her breath.


    The outsiders were not only referring to Chris but also to David.


    An angry woman was indeed heartless.


    Rachel looked at Chris deeply. After confirming that Chris had no intention of tailing her. Rachel turned


    around and left.


    Rachel crossed the road and went straight to a ck Land Rover parked on the road.


    Chris did not dare to hesitate. She left the team and walked to a corner to call David.


    David received a call from Chris. The doctor was treating his wound.


    David was originally fine, but for some reason, the temperature in the ward suddenly dropped. The air


    seemed to have frozen into ayer of fine ice, making one shudder.


    Standing at the door, Eddie and Billy naturally sensed this subtle and extreme change. The two of them


    looked at each other and sighed faintly.


    It was obvious that it was most likely rted to Rachel.


    After all, the only person in the world who could make David¡¯s expression change in an instant was


    Rachel.


    After David hung up the phone, his jawline was tense, and his eyes were filled with a world-destroying


    hostility.


    David gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles turning pale as he tried his best to suppress the anger


    swirling in his heart.


    Rachel said she had the right to protect her privacy and didn¡¯t want outsiders to know.


    In Rachel¡¯s eyes, David was already an outsider.


    Outsiders?


    David¡¯s heart felt like it was being pulled tightly by something. Every breath he took was heart-


    wrenching.

 Chapter 803

    Chapter 803


    Chapter 803


    Eddie and Billy¡¯s breathing became even more cautious when they saw the look on David¡¯s face. They


    were afraid that they would be the ones being implicated.


    At this moment, Vulture walked in from outside.


    Vulture held his phone unhappily and frowned. He looked he wanted to kill someone.


    Since yesterday, Vulture had been trying to contact Rachel, but with Rachel¡¯s personality she would


    hate anyone involved in it. Rachel did not even give Vulture a chance to exin and directly blocked


    him.


    As a result, Vulture had not been able to contact Rachel until now


    Thinking about how he had been cklisted by Rachel because of David, Vulture looked at David with


    a gloomy expression. Comcidentally, Vulture saw David¡¯s gloomy face. The gloominess in Vulture¡¯s


    heart dissipated a little, but he could not help but mock. ¡°Wow, your face is drooping so early in the


    morning. Don¡¯t tell me you were dumped?¡±


    Hearing this, Eddie and Billy could not help but secretly hold their breaths, trying their best to reduce


    their No wonder Vulture was the Red me Army¡¯s boss. He was so bold.


    presence.


    Anyone with a discerning eye con ell that David was in a bad mood and could guess that it was most


    likely rted to Rachel However. Vulture still wanted to stab Rachel in the heart. Vulture was definitely


    a true warrior.


    Seeing that David didn¡¯t say anything, Vulture couldn¡¯t help but frown Just as Vulture was about to


    speak, his phone suddenly rang.


    When Vulture saw the unfamiliar number, his expression became more serious. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, old friend, Aileen¡¯s voice came through the phone.


    Upon hearing her voice, Vulture seemed to have been electrocuted and was in a half-dazed state.


    After a long while, Vulture found his voice from the shock. ¡°Nine?¡±


    She was not dead!


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Aileen¡¯s rxed voice was mixed with suppressed excitement and joy. ¡°Did you not expect to


    see me again in your lifetime? We haven¡¯t seen each other for so long. Did you miss me?¡±


    After finding out that Aileen was safe and sound now, Vulture rubbed his forehead and paced around


    the ward excitedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this. I really didn¡¯t expect this. How are you? How are you doing?¡±


    Aileen knew that Vulture was only concerned about her because they were good friends. Vulture didn¡¯t


    have any romantic feelings toward her.


    Even so, Aileen was still very excited when she heard Vulture¡¯s words.


    Aileen took a deep breath and suppressed the excitement in her heart. ¡°By the way, let me tell you.


    Rae-Rae is with me now. Don¡¯t worry too much¡±


    Vulture was shocked. ¡°When did the two of you meet?¡±


    The consecutive shocks had long made Vulture lose his usual calmness.


    ¡°Two days ago,¡± Aileen said. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it for now. I will fly to Seaxas to y with you after I¡¯m


    done with my


    work.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Vulture agreed readily. He paused for a moment and covered his phone with one hand. He


    turned his back on David. ¡®Could you negotiate with Rae-Rae and ask her to pull me out of the


    cklist?¡±


    Im not that capable. You¡¯d better negotiate it with her yourself when you get the chance.¡±


    After that, Aileen hung up the phone.


    Listening to the beeping sound of the phone, Vulture could not help but mutter softly, ¡°Her feelings


    reallyst not long¡± Before Vulture could finish his sentence, David removed the needle from the back


    of his hand, picked up his coat, and walked straight to the door of the ward.


    Vulture looked at David¡¯s back as he left. Vulture could not help but frown and look at Billy. ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong with Mr. Jones?¡±


    Billy looked helpless ¡°Who knows?¡±


    On the other side, Rachel was sitting in front of a bar counter at a beach bar.


    Rachel leaned back against the bar counter and rested her arms on the bar counter behind her. She


    held a ss of Rum Cocktails in one hand and savored it casually.


    At this moment, a man in a white shirt and beach pants walked over and sat beside Rachel.


    The man sized Rachel up and down. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve been doing well all these years?¡±


    Rachel looked at him.


    The man in front of Rachel was called Cesar Derek. He was the medical staff of the Red me Army.


    He was the third in line and his code name was Ghostface.


    Cesar had superb medical skills that could even cure the people whose lives were on the line.


    People in the outside world liked to call Cesar a miracle doctor, but those who were familiar with him


    knew thatpared to treating illnesses and saving people, Cesar preferred to develop poisons.


    ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°Lone Wolf shared your location. It¡¯s not difficult to find you.¡±


    ¡°This can suppress the poison in your body.¡± Cesar took out a box the size of a ring box from his


    pocket. ¡®I¡¯ve analyzed your blood. The poison in your body originates from heredity. If you want to cure


    it, you have to find the source.¡±


    Cesar was the only one in the Red me Army who knew about Rachel¡¯s illness


    Rachel had no other choice. As a medical staff of the Red me Army, it was obviously impossible for


    Rachel to hide it from Cesar.


    Back then, Rachel¡¯s illness suddenly acted up. If Cesar had not helped Rachel relieve it, there might


    not have been Rachel in this world.


    Rachel gently weighed the box in her palm. She suddenly closed her palm and held it tightly. A warm


    current slowly flowed from her palm into her heart.


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Thank you¡±


    Cesar frowned slightly. ¡°Why are you being so polite with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just used to it.¡± Rachel shrugged. There was a faint smile in her eyes. It was as dazzling as the


    stars in the sky.


    ¡°Ladies shouldn¡¯t drink too much¡± Cesar raised his chin. ¡°Do you want to go for a walk?¡±


    Rachel put down the ss in her hand. ¡°Sure.¡±


    The two of them took a walk by the sea and they chatted for a while. Cesar looked at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s


    gettingte. Shall I send you back?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Forty minutester, the car stopped in front of the hotel.


    Rachel unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. Cesar suddenly asked, ¡°Are you really not going


    home to take a look?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel paused.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were lowered, making it impossible to see the expression in her eyes.


    After a moment of silence, Rachel slowly raised her eyes and said firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll go back.¡±


    That was where Rachel had once stayed. How could she not want to go back and take a look?


    ¡°We¡¯re all waiting for you, Cesar said.


    Rachel nodded, opened the door, and got out of the car.


    As Rachel walked into the hotel, she clearly sensed that the number of spies around her was much


    fewer than before.


    Everything seemed reasonable, but it was also abnormal.


    Rachel did not think too much about it. She took out the room card from her pocket and walked into her


    room.


    As soon as the door opened, warm light from the corridor shone into the dark room through the gap in


    the door, as if a hole had been torn in the darkness.


    The moment when Rachel walked into the room, she clearly sensed an unusual aura.


    It was the intrusion of a stranger,


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    A certain string in Rachel¡¯s body instantly tensed up, and a wave of viciousness rose in her eyes.


    Rachel instinctively took a step back, but the person seemed to have expected it. He grabbed her wrist


    and pulled her into the room hard.

 Chapter 804

    Chapter 804


    Chapter 804


    Rachel instinctively swung her fist, but the person seemed to have memorized her every move and


    grabbed her approaching wrist.


    As the person pinned Rachel¡¯s hands behind her back, he pressed her against the door.


    The familiar cold wooden fragrance assaulted Rachel¡¯s face like a huge, enveloping her tightly.


    Rachel¡¯s entire body trembled, and a look of shock shed across her eyes.


    Was it David?


    Why did hee to Titia?


    Rachel¡¯s mind was filled with questions. When David saw that the woman. in front of him was so silent,


    his eyes narrowed slightly, and his dark eyes. flickered with a dangerous light.


    David slowly lowered his head and lifted Rachel¡¯s chin with hist well-defined fingers. He stared at


    Rachel with his dark eyes fixedly and asked in his usual low and cold voice, ¡°Why are you back so


    late?¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips slightly and did not say anything.


    In the pitch-ck room, there was only a weak light shining through the ss window.


    In the shadows, one could vaguely see the vague outline of each other¡¯s faces.


    David pinched Rachel¡¯s chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. His dark and deep eyes were filled with


    uncontroble dominance..


    Although David was lucky enough to avoid death this time, his vitality ¨C was still injured.


    David¡¯s face looked a little haggard, and his eyes were deeper than before.


    Their eyes met, and their breaths intertwined.


    The atmosphere began to be subtly heavy, and it pressed down on Rachel¡¯s heart for no reason.


    It was like a ball of cotton stuck in her chest, and her breathing became extremely ufortable.


    1/5


    09:52


    Chapter 804


    Finally, Rachel couldn¡¯t take it anymore and spoke first. ¡°What brings you here today, Mr. Jones?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s lukewarm and sarcastic tone showed the anger in her heart that had yet to dissipate.


    Rachel¡¯s casual words made David¡¯s heart tighten, and his breathing became irregr.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his voice was dry and hoarse. ¡°Are you still angry?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rachel blurted out without thinking. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing a hint of


    mockery.


    David sighed helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re lying. You¡¯re clearly still angry with me.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel only sneered emotionlessly. ¡°Heh!¡±


    ¡°I know I was wrong.¡± David let go of Rachel¡¯s chin and gently stroked her cheek with his fingers. David


    leaned down and pressed his forehead against Rachel¡¯s. ¡°I will solemnly apologize to you, okay?¡±


    Even if David apologized now, Rachel would not forgive him.


    Rachel took a deep breath and calmed the anger in her chest. ¡°I ept your apology. It¡¯s gettingte.


    I¡¯m tired and hungry. It¡¯s time to rest. Mr. Jones, please go back.¡±


    Rachel kept calling David ¡°Mr. Jones¡± as if she had drawn a line between them just like the word


    ¡°outsiders¡±.


    It was as if a wall had been erected between them, preventing David from approaching.


    When Rachel brushed past David, he grabbed her arm and hugged her tightly from behind.


    David wrapped his arms around Rachel¡¯s slender waist and kept tightening his grip. David¡¯s grip was


    so strong that it seemed like he wanted to break Rachel¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡± The man rested his chin on her neck. His low and hoarse


    voice sounded in her ears and slowly drifted into her ears. ¡°I really know my mistake. Tell me. What do I


    have to do to make you not angry?¡±


    David¡¯s voice was low and a little hoarse, making one¡¯s ears tingle.


    Chapter 804


    However, the man¡¯s arm around her waist was too tight, making Rachel breathing a little


    ufortable. Rachel twisted her body and struggled.


    However, Rachel did not dare to struggle too violently, afraid that she would hurt David¡¯s injuries.


    Rachel took a deep breath. ¡°Let go of me first.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± David was like a child throwing a tantrum. He stubbornly wrapped his arms around Rachel¡¯s waist


    and refused to let go.


    David knew that Rachel had a cold personality. It was not easy for David to slowly melt her heart. Now,


    it had returned to its original state because David hid something from Rachel.


    David was angrier at himself.


    David pursed his lips and pondered for a long time. His low and hoarse. voice sounded in Rachel¡¯s car


    again. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t tell you about my injury because¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll worry?¡± Rachel interrupted David.


    David¡¯s silence meant he agreed with Rachel¡¯s words. Rachel sighed. helplessly. ¡°David, you keep


    saying that you¡¯re sorry, but you don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m angry. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s voice was lukewarm and unapproachable, constantly provoking David.


    David wrapped his arms tightly around Rachel¡¯s waist,pletely forgetting about his injuries.


    ¡°Then can you tell me why?¡± David¡¯s deep voice was mixed with madness because he was too


    anxious.


    Rachel thought that they were all adults and that no matter what happened, they could reflect on


    themselves, find problems, and solve them.


    However, David¡¯s attitude made Rachel feel very perfunctory.


    F?r a moment, the suppressed anger in Rachel¡¯s heart was ignited again, circling in her chest.


    Rachel took a deep breath and tried her best to suppress it. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you reflect on yourself where


    the problem is? Do you want me to help you find mistakes every time something goes wrong in the


    future? Do


    time something goes w


    you need me to maintain our rtionship alone? Or are you so perfunctory now that you don¡¯t want to


    continue with me?¡±


    ¡°Rachel Grey!¡± David¡¯s cold voice suddenly sounded. His voice was as if it had been soaked in snow in


    early spring, and it was bone-chilling. ¡°I can understand that you¡¯re angry, but do you know how hurtful


    your words were just now?¡±


    ¡°Hurtful?¡± Rachel looked at David indifferently. There was no fluctuation of emotions on Rachel¡¯s face.


    ¡°What about you? You lied to me and even teamed up with everyone around me to lie to me. Don¡¯t you


    feel a sense of aplishment to keep me in the dark like a fool?


    ¡°David, I¡¯ve always thought that when ites to rtionships, one has to put one¡¯s heart into it.


    However, your deception of me makes me feel that everything is just my own wishful thinking and self-


    righteousness! If you think that couples should hide things from each other, then I think there¡¯s no need


    for me to be honest with you from now on.¡±


    People always said that it was hard to tell what was in a person¡¯s heart. The distrust between people


    came from it.


    The source of their trust was nothing more than mutual honesty.


    Rachel suddenly felt much better after saying the words that she had been holding in her heart. Even


    her breathing became easier than before.


    ¡°Have a good rest.¡±


    With that, Rachel pulled David¡¯s hand away and turned to leave.


    Just as Rachel let go, David grabbed her hand at the back and held her tightly in his arms.


    One of David¡¯s hands gripped Rachel tightly, the other sped the back of her neck, his head buried


    deep in the hollow of her neck.

 Chapter 805

    Chapter 805


    Chapter 805


    The face-to-face hug came too suddenly, catching Rachel off guard.


    A familiar scent engulfed Rachel¡¯s nose, and her heart could not help but ripple..


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips curled up slightly, and her hands by her sides silently clenched into fists.


    After a moment of silence, David¡¯s low and cold voice slowly sounded in Rachel¡¯s ear. ¡°Im sorry¡­¡±


    David¡¯s voice was very soft, but it made Rachel¡¯s heart feel as if it had been pulled by something.


    Rachel could not even


    breathe.


    This was David¡¯s second apology today, but Rachel could sense that it was even more humble than the


    previous one.


    David¡¯s background determined his high and mighty status. Whether it was his words or actions, he


    had always carried the aura of giving orders. However, in front of Rachel, David lowered his arrogant


    head again and again.


    The man¡¯s face was buried in her neck, and his breath was slightly hot. It brushed past Rachel¡¯s neck,


    causing a certain string in her body to subconsciously tense up.


    Rachel did not say anything. She just let David hug her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that I¡¯m injured. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I don¡¯t want you to worry, or because I don¡¯t


    want you to be distracted¡± David¡¯s lipsnded on her temple and kissed it lightly. It¡¯s not peaceful in


    Seaxas. I¡¯m worried that I¡¯ll drag you into unnecessary trouble. I apologize to you solemnly here and


    promise that no matter what happens in the future. I won¡¯t hide it from you.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know, and I¡¯ll tell you what you don¡¯t want to know. I really know my


    mistake. Rac-Rae, don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡±


    When David¡¯s deep voice softened, it sounded more coaxing, causing ripples in Rachel Grey.


    ¡°Rae-Rae, can you forgive me?¡±


    The word ¡°Rae-Rae seemed to have been brewing in David¡¯s throat for a long time. It circled around


    David¡¯s lips and teeth as he muttered softly. His voice was fragrant, natural, and pleasant.


    David¡¯s pleas were to ask for her forgiveness, topromise, and to amodate her.


    In an instant, a strange emotion surged from the bottom of Rachel¡¯s heart, making her choke.


    Rachel¡¯s silence really confused David. An unknown uneasiness quietly arose.


    David could only tighten his arms around Rachel¡¯s waist. The deepening hug made them stick close to


    each other.


    Rachel felt a wave of dampness on her chest.


    Rachel frowned slightly. As she breathed, she could faintly smell the smell of blood, which was getting


    stronger and


    stronger


    Rachel¡¯s expression suddenly changed. She retreated from David¡¯s embrace, inserted the room card


    into the switch slot, and turned on the light in the room.


    The sudden light made Rachel¡¯s eyes, which had adapted to the darkness, feel sore and swollen. She


    subconsciously narrowed her eyes but tried her best to focus her gaze on David.


    Rachel saw David¡¯s ck shirt stained with blood. Her pupils constricted, and she lowered her eyes to


    look at the clothes on her body. Bright red blood was printed on her silk shirt.


    Ayer of coldness appeared in Rachel¡¯s eyes. She quickly stepped forward and pulled open David¡¯s


    shirt.


    The white bandage was already soaked in blood.


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s eyes immediately turned red. She pursed her red lips and looked at David


    without saying a word. When David saw Rachel¡¯s worried looks, his tense jawline eased a little. He


    ced one hand on her waist and cupped her check with the other. ¡°You¡¯re not angry anymore?¡±


    Rachel shook her head and raised her hand to hold his. Her cold voice was choked with sobs. ¡°If I


    continue to be angry. would you think that I¡¯m too pretentious and not reasonable at all?*


    ¡°Why would I?¡± The corners of David¡¯s lips curled up slightly into a faint smile. His thumb gently rubbed


    the skin on her cheek as he stared at her without blinking. His eyes were filled with infatuation even he


    himself didn¡¯t know. ¡°With me, no matter what you do, it¡¯s right.¡±


    David¡¯s casual words revealed his unconceble love for Rachel


    The sudden words of love made Rachel unable to suppress the trace of joy in her heart for a moment.


    Rachel pursed her lips, but she could not suppress the smile on her face.


    1/4


    11-07


    Chapter 805


    Rachel pulled off David¡¯s hand and carefully unbuttoned all the buttons of his shirt. When she saw the


    gauze that was gradually soaked with blood, her thin brows furrowed uncontrobly. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± David looked at Rachel and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. David pinched


    her soft earlobe gently.


    Sensing the man¡¯s fingers gently rubbing behind her sensitive ear, Rachel pped his hand away


    angrily. ¡°Nonsense, how can


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    it not hurt!¡±


    David¡¯s heart and lungs were injured. Naturally, he needed a lot of time to recover.


    Rachel took David¡¯s hand and walked toward the room.


    Rachel pushed David to sit on the sofa, then took off his shirt with both hands. She was very careful


    throughout, afraid that she would tear his wound. ¡°Where are Eddie and Billy?¡±


    David looked at Rachel and seemed to be thinking about how to answer.


    Sering David¡¯s hesitation, Rachel chuckled. ¡°In your current situation, they won¡¯t let you out alone.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, you¡¯re really too smart David sighed helplessly, but his eyes were filled with indulgence


    and love.


    Rachel pouted ¡°Where are they?¡±


    Rachel guessed that since they had followed David here, they must have prepared a first aid kit.


    The first aid kit provided by the hotel was not enough to treat the wounds on David.


    ¡°They are next door.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel turned around and walked toward the door.


    Rachel had just taken a step when David suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled hard.


    The sudden pull made Rachel lose her bnce and fall forward. In order to avoid hitting David¡¯s chest,


    Rachel quickly ced her arm on the back of the sofa.


    Rachel was still in shock and had yet to regain her senses when the man¡¯s palm grabbed the back of


    her head, and he raised his head to kiss her red lips.


    The moment their lips touched, the longing and secret addiction that Rachel had suppressed in her


    heart seemed to have found a breakthrough and all of them ran out.


    The woman lowered her head and half-knelt on the sofa. The man sat in front of her, and his hand was


    holding her slender waist. The ambiguous and hot aura gradually spread to every corner of the room.


    The man¡¯s palm went under the hem of her shirt. The moment when the heat of his palmnded on her


    skin, Rachel suddenly came back to her senses.


    Rachel gently pushed his chest with her hands, forcefully interrupting this ambiguous scene.


    ¡°Ill go look for Eddie and Billy.¡±


    With that, Rachel turned around and left.


    David sat on the sofa and leaned against the backrest. He sighed deeply and vaguely felt something


    hard on the side of his leg.


    David frowned slightly and reached out to touch the side of his leg


    David held a box the size of a ring box in his hand.


    David pursed his thin lips and opened the box. When he saw the pills inside, his eyes couldn¡¯t help but


    darken.


    As early as when Rachel fainted and was hospitalized, David had already guessed that Rachel had an


    unspeakable illness. However, David did not ask further and did not let anyone investigate in private.


    If Rachel wanted to, she would naturally tell him.

 Chapter 806

    Chapter 806


    Chapter 806


    After Rachel went out, she walked straight to the next room and knocked on the door.


    After a while, the door opened. Chris stood in front of Rachel and called out respectfully, ¡°Miss Grey,


    hello.¡±


    Rachel was stunned for a moment before walking in.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Initially, Rachel thought that there were only Billy and Eddie in the room. Although Chris¡¯s appearance


    surprised Rachel, it was reasonable.


    However, to her surprise, Christopher was also there.


    ¡°Rachel, we meet again¡± Christopher, who was sitting on the sofa, waved at Rachel.


    Rachel ignored Christopher and looked at Eddie. ¡°Where¡¯s the first aid kit?¡±


    Hearing this, Eddie quickly walked to the side. ¡°Here.¡±


    As soon as Eddie walked away, the table behind him was naturally exposed to Rachel¡¯s vision.


    Hence, Rachel clearly saw the few people in the room setting up a private bet


    It was not a traditional bet on the big or the small, but on thebat strength of David.


    Seeing that Rachel¡¯s gaze was fixed on the table, the people in front of her were a little embarrassed


    and at a loss.


    Just as the atmosphere became awkward, Christopher clicked his tongue with a hint of schadenfreude.


    Hemented, ¡°David¡¯sbat ability is not good. To think that I bet for 40 minutes¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    Christopher was wearing a striped suit and had a refined and serious attitude. Unexpectedly, the


    moment he spoke, Rachel¡¯s impression of him was greatly reduced.


    After Rachel took the first aid kit, she turned around and left without looking back.


    When Rache returned to her room, she saw David ying with the box that Cesar had given her


    previously. Her eyes shed slightly as she stepped forward and casually ced the things on the


    table. She began to treat David¡¯s wound.


    Rachel used a pair of scissors to cut open the gauze wrapped around the man¡¯s chest. The bloody


    wound was gradually exposed to her.


    The wound was on the left side of David¡¯s chest, and the dense suturesnded on his skin. It was like a


    multi¨Clegged centipede lying on it, making Rachel¡¯s heart tighten inexplicably.


    Because David¡¯s wound had been torn open, the flesh on his wound had turned outwards and was


    dripping with blood. It was a shocking sight.


    Rachel¡¯s heart seemed to be grabbed by something. Her breathing paused, and the corners of his eyes


    could not help but turn red.


    Rachel took a deep breath and adjusted the fluctuations in her heart. Then, she took out gauze and


    disinfectant from the first aid kit and helped David disinfect the wound.


    ¡°It hurts a little. Bear with it.¡±


    It was a simple sentence, but there was an uncontroble tremble in every word.


    After everything was done, Rachel wrapped the gauze around David¡¯s body.


    Throughout the entire process, Rachel did not say a word. Her lips were tightly pursed, but there was


    an indescribable heartache in the depths of her eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s lips moved slightly, and her cold voice was hoarse with heartache. ¡°Your wound has been torn


    too often. You have to be careful, or else¡­¡±


    Before Rachel could finish. David suddenly kissed her lips, forcing her to swallow her unfinished words.


    After some time, the man pressed his forehead against hers.


    Suppressing his restlessness and desire, David stared at Rachel with dark eyes. ¡°Why do you feel that


    you¡¯re only worthy of hiding behind me cowardly and not worthy of walking side by side with you?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel slowly raised her eyes and looked at David.


    Rachel¡¯s calm gaze reminded David of their confrontationst night. It made David inexplicably afraid.


    David did not give Rachel a chance to speak. He spoke first. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you as a weak existence.


    I can be your confidence or your armor. No matter what, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    If the sky copsed, David would carry it.


    Chapter 806


    Rachel looked at David and did not respond for a long time.


    David frowned slightly. His eyes were filled with curiosity. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡±


    Rachel pursed her lips. After a long while, she said, ¡°I was just angry. You don¡¯t have to take it


    seriously.¡±


    ¡°Are you just saying it out of anger?¡± David grabbed Rachel¡¯s chin and pressed his handsome face


    against hers. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t keep it in your heart for a long time and take this opportunity to


    vent it?¡±


    Their eyes met. The man¡¯s bottomless ck eyes made Rachel feel a sense of oppression from the


    bottom of her heart. His abnormally sharp gaze seemed to be able to see through her soul, leaving her


    nowhere to escape.


    Her eyshes fluttered slightly, and she raised her hand to flick her hair, avoiding his sharp gaze


    unobtrusively.


    David¡¯s ck eyes stared at her without blinking, not letting go of the slightest change in her


    expression.


    Rachel probably didn¡¯t know what to do under his gaze. He sighed helplessly. ¡°Your hiding from me and


    making decisions for me will affect me.¡±


    ¡°But this does not mean that I despise you and think that you are weak.¡± David said seriously. ¡°No


    matter how capable you are, you are still a woman and my fiancee. Therefore, whether you are a man


    or your fiance, I have the right to protect you. Do you understand?¡±


    Whether he hid it or made the decision for Rachel without permission, he simply did not want to see


    Rachel suffer any harm.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re strong. I forgot to protect you. This is something I can never ept. So, it¡¯s not that I


    don¡¯t want you to apany me, nor am I depriving you of your rights. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t dare to use


    you to take risks. I can¡¯t bear the consequences.¡±


    She was his weakness and also his armor.


    How could he allow anything to happen to her?


    Hearing his words, Rachel could not help but fall silent..


    This was the first time Rachel had heard David say this. It was also the first time she had heard David


    analyze her inner thoughts so seriously.


    However, what touched Rachel the most was thest sentence. He couldn¡¯t bear the consequences.


    It was not that David was afraid of bearing it, but that he would definitely not be able to bear it.


    At that moment, Rachel did not want to say anything. She only wanted to use all her strength to hug the


    man in front of her.


    And Rachel had indeed taken action.


    Rachel buried her head in the man¡¯s neck and greedily breathed in his unique scent.


    David could not help but be stunned by Rachel¡¯s initiative.


    A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his eyes. David reached out and caressed her thin back, like


    the warmth from at boyfriend or thefort for a child.


    The next second, David¡¯s half¨Csmiling voice sounded in Rachel¡¯s ear. ¡°Now, let¡¯s move on to the next


    question.¡±


    Rachel was totally shocked.


    What was the situation?


    Tonight was not a reconciliation but a reckoning.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s the problem?¡± Rachel slowly let go of his neck and leaned back, trying to create a safe


    distance between the


    two of them.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly and quietly observed Rachel¡¯s small actions. ¡°Exin to me what it


    means to have the right to protect your privacy and not want outsiders to know. I¡¯m an outsider?


    Hmm?¡±

 Chapter 807

    Chapter 807


    Chapter 807


    The man


    nonchntly, but it gav


    skeid at the dangerous gli the man¡¯s eye mischievous smule in her eyes


    private, othe


    ¡°Rachel Das


    eth secretly and


    ners of her lips curled up slightly There was a


    cintially outsiders


    I¡¯s waist as a warning


    It seemed that if I


    David would break her waist.


    Bachirl frowned slightly anul


    Hut in pain. ¡°It hurts


    Whe


    at das, los armiqu


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth


    a lot, and a hint of worry and nervousness appeared in his eyes


    yes lli kered with a sly glin


    When David realized that he had been tricked, has expression darkened, but there was more


    helplessness in his eyes.


    After a moment of silence. Havid spoke again ¡°Where did you go tonight?


    ¡®Gin to see a friend¡± From the orner of her eye. Rachel saw the con the table. Her eyes shed slightly


    ¡°It¡¯s been many


    e west miri. He brough me something this


    years.


    As Rachel spoke, she brought the box over


    Daval¡¯s eyes darkened ¡°What friend¡±


    ¡°Cesar Derek, a miracle doiton who¡¯s more passionate about making poison than saving people¡±


    Rachel raised her thumb and opened the box the size at a ring box in her hand. A white pill that looked


    like a jade appeared in front of them. ¡°This is a jall that he paistakingly developed the knew that I was in


    Fita and specially sent it over¡±


    David looked Iachel and tucked a strand of han hel came specially to look for you?¡±


    her car with his well-defined fingers. David asked casually. ¡°So he


    Rachel was stunned for a moment before he said frankly, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask ¡±


    The two of them chatted about many things when they met. Rachel did not bother to ask such a


    pretentious question.


    It was rumored that there were three rules for the muracle doctor to treat illnesses and save people.


    Firstly, he would not save the patients whose death was not on the line. Secondly, he would save the


    people he didn¡¯t like Thirdly, he would not save the evil or lecherous people


    Even though many people who came to beg the healer hated his rules to the core, no one dared to say


    a word.


    They were worried that they would offend Cesar, the miracle doctor, and also worried that they would


    offend the Red me. Army behind him.


    Cesar¡¯s medical skills were superb, and he was also the leading figure of the world¡¯s medical


    organization. Therefore, he was very arrogant.


    But now, Cesar went to Titia alone for Rachel and even spent a few years just to make medicine.


    David was not naive enough to believe that Cesar¡¯s feelings for Rachel were just a simple friendship.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been with him all night**


    ¡°We just met and talked for a whule¡±


    As soon as Rachel finished speaking, she could not help but yawn. Physical tears appeared in the


    corners of her eyes. ¡°When are youing back to Seaxay?¡±


    Upon hearing this. David raised his eyebrows slightly. He nced at the double bed in the bedroom on


    purpose. ¡°There¡¯s note flight today¡±


    In other words, David rouldn¡¯t leave.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The two of them had been together for a long time. With just one look, they could guess what the other


    was thinking.


    Rachel pretended to be confused ¡°Then where will you live?¡±


    ¡°Are you really willing to let me go David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. He bent down and pressed against


    Rachel bit by bit. Her palin moved along the hem of Rachel¡¯s shirt and hus slightly calloused fingers


    moved along her spine, David¡¯s tone was notcking in threat ¡°Your bed is big and soft Can¡¯t you take


    me m for a night?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s body stiffened. She quickly pressed down on his naughty hand and her red lips curled into a


    bright smile, ¡°k¡¯s not impossible I¡¯m just worried that it will affect your rest¡±


    David¡¯s eyes were filled with a faint gentle light. He lifted her thin with his fingertips, lowered his head,


    and nted a gentle kiss on her lips. ¡°I can only sleep peacefully with you by my side.¡±


    Chapter 807


    As soon as David finished speaking, he carried Rachel horizontally and walked straight to the


    bathroom.


    The door closed. Before Rachel could react, she was pressed against the sink and kissed by David.


    Perhaps it was because of this quarrel that the two of them expressed their feelings for each other,


    causing their hearts to be closer than before. The kiss now became even more passionate


    The man lowered his head and plundered her breath. When he went deeper, he realized that Rachel¡¯s


    arm was wrapped around his neck, trying her best to amodate him carefully


    Revealing her true feelings was often the most fatal. Rachel was like a blooming poppy flower David


    knew that it was dangerous, but he was still willing to sink into it


    The small bathroom gradually heated up with the heat from the two of them.


    It was not until Rachel heard the sound of water that she suddenly came back to her senses. Her eyes


    regained some rity. ¡°You¡¯re injured. You can¡¯t touch the water


    David¡¯s hand held the back of Rachel¡¯s neck and pressed against her forehead. There was a dark


    desire in the depths of his eyes His low voue was tinged with passion and hoarseness. Then what


    should I do¡±


    David pressed his lips to Rachel¡¯s temples and kissed her lightly His hoarse voice was a little coaxing


    ¡°Rae-Rae, could you help me


    Early


    the morning


    After the two of them came out of the bathroom, Rachel¡¯s head had just touched the pillow when she


    fell asleep.


    David was half-lying at the head of the bed. Looking at Rachel¡¯s quiet and obedient sleeping face, his


    thin lips curled up slightly


    Rachel was really obedient


    No man could stand Rachel¡¯s obedience


    David gently stroked the top of Rachel¡¯s head with his palm and slowly leaned down to nt a gentle


    kiss on her lips. Initially. David only wanted to have a light taste. However, the moment he touched


    Rachel, the restlessness in his heart began to stir and he wanted more


    David¡¯s lips moved down bit by bit, not knowing when to stop at all


    Rachel fell asleep with regr breathing but she was forcefully awakened by the feeling of suffocation


    Rachel long and thick eyshes fluttered like butterfly wings as she slowly opened her eyes.


    x


    The dins light in front of the bed made the man¡¯s well-defined face look even more three-dimensional


    His exquisite facial features became deeper


    While Rachel was catching her breath, she muttered softly. Im so tired.


    Hearing this. David let out a lowugh. His voice was a little hoarse and especially seductive ¡®Go to


    sleep¡±


    When Rachel heard this, a hint of relief appeared on her face. Rachel rubbed her head against his


    chest and slowly fell asleep


    An hourter. David walked out of the room fully dressed and went to the room next door


    As soon as David entered, Christopher teased, ¡°Could you not make such a noise in the bathroom?¡±


    Hearing this, David only nced at Christopher faintly


    As for Billy. Eddie, and Chris, when they saw David suddenly enter, they hurriedly cleaned up the bet


    on the table Eddie asked at the right time. ¡°Mr. Jones, the ne is still waiting at the airport. Should we


    go back now?¡±


    David hesitated for half a second before saying coldly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    There were still matters that had yet to be resolved in Sexxas. It was not appropriate for David to stay


    here for too long At the very least, David had to ensure that before Rachel returned to Sextas, all the


    troubles there would be cleared.

 Chapter 808

    Chapter 808


    Chapter 808


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking¡± Christopher lit a cigarette and held it between his fingers. He


    said bluntly. ¡°You haven¡¯t even recovered from your injuries, yet you¡¯re here to coax a woman. Since


    when you knew how to be gentle with


    women?¡±


    As far as Christopher could remember, David had always been a woman-instor.


    Whether it was a woman with a hot figure or with a pure appearance, none of them caught David¡¯s eye.


    But now, David had flown to Titia overnight to coax a woman. If Christopher had not seen it with his


    own eyes, he would never have believed it.


    ¡°Women can¡¯t be pampered. If you spoil her like this, you¡¯ll suffer the consequences sooner orter!¡±


    David looked at Christopher coldly Do you have a problem with me spoiling her?¡±


    ¡°I have no objections What can I say? Christopher leaned forward and shook his fingers. He flicked the


    ashes into the ashtray and said sarcastically. Im just afraid that you¡¯ll spoil her too much so that she


    bes too bold in the future. You won¡¯t even have a ce to regret it at that time¡±


    Hearing this. David retorted. ¡°Is this the realization you got after being dumped by a woman?¡±


    Christopher was speechless.


    Fuck!


    It was really unfair to inflict pain on Christopher when Rachel was unhappy


    ¡°Where did you get your resentment from? Christopher held the cigarette in the corner of his mouth and


    took a deep puff His gaze uzed up David from head to toe. ¡°Dont tell me you have nowhere to vent


    your desires?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the other three people in the room fell silent


    nce theyst met, but Christopher was still so daring


    It had been many year


    And Christopher was the only one who dared to openly tease David


    If it wer


    David sat


    your rise, they would have gone to bell long ago


    sota and stared at Christopher Dont let her return to Seaxas before the summit ends.¡±


    It was a simple sentence, but there was an unquestionable order in it. No one dared to retute it


    Christopherydy on the sofa and raned has eyebrows slightly. ¡°Are you so sure that you can solve


    the trouble in Seaxas after the sum¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­!


    ¡°Yes,¡± David said coldly


    David¡¯s


    ¡®s voice was powerful and intimidating by nature His eyes flickered with a dark andplicated


    expression. ¡°Unless she wants to see Yandel¡¯s corpse being carried out of Seaxas with her own eyes


    Upon hearing this, Christopher couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue. ¡°This woman has been causing you


    so much trouble all these years. However, if you do this, you¡¯ll really fall out with her


    The corners of David¡¯s lips curled up slightly into a cold and mocking smile. ¡°There¡¯s no rtionship


    between us to begin with How can it be said that we fall out?¡±


    Christopher touched has lower jaw with the tip of his tongue. Gray smoke gathered in front of him,


    making it impossible to see his emotions. Christopher chuckled ¡°For a stepson, she didn¡¯t hesitate to


    take her own son¡¯s life. It¡¯s really fucking eye-opening to see a stepinother like her!¡±


    At that, no one in the room replied


    The remaining three people lowered their eyes to hide theplicated expressions in their eyes.


    The next morning, Rachel sleepdly leaned to the side of the bed.


    However, there was no one beside her.


    Rachel reached out and touched it. It was already cold.


    It was obvious that David had been gone for a long time.


    Actually, Rachel had thought about it a long tune ago, but when she saw that there was no one in the


    room, she could not help but feel a sense of disappointment.


    Rachel felt as if something was missing from her heart


    Rachel threw back the covers, got out of bed, and walked into the restroom.


    What greeted Rachel¡¯s eyes was a note stuck to the vanity mirror.


    Rachel reached down and took it off. There were a few words written on it in a mboyant manner. ¡°Ill


    wait for you toe home.¡±


    Coming home?


    The moment Rachel was abandoned by Hans, she had long lost the sense of belonging to her family.


    Even if Rachel¡¯s grandfather brought her back to the Johnson family, she still could not find the sense


    of belonging she had back then.


    When Rachel saw the note left by David, it was just a simple sentence, but it made her want to go back


    as soon as possible.


    Rachel curled her lips and put away the note. When she saw the toothpaste and toothbrush ced in


    front of the sink, the smile in her eyes involuntarily deepened.


    Half an hourter, Rachel was out the door.


    After the group ate in the restaurant, they packed their things and set off for the exhibition center.


    Linda deliberately slowed down until she was shoulder-to-shoulder with Rachel.


    Linda turned to look at Rachel with a hint of worry in her eyes. ¡°I saw Haley leave the roomst night.¡±


    When Rachel heard this, her eyes shed slightly. ¡°Do you know where she went?¡±


    *She took the elevator up and stopped at the top floor. Linda frowned slightly. ¡°I wanted to check, but if


    one wants the elevator to reach the top floor, one has to have an exclusive room card.¡±


    In other words, the reason why Haley could go there unimpeded must be that she had the exclusive


    room card for the top


    floor.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With Haley¡¯s background, it was impossible for her to afford the presidential suite on the top floor.


    ¡°1 specially went to Haley¡¯s to find someone else to y cards with. I also chatted with them briefly.


    They told me that Haley has been going outte at night recently. Haley said that she couldn¡¯t sleep


    and went out for a walk, but she woulde back before dawn every ume. They also said that Haley


    has been quite abnormal recently. She often cried alone in the middle of the night. They asked her


    what was wrong. She said that she had a nightmare.¡±


    Rachel did not say anything. She only stared at Haley, who was walking in the crowd.


    Linda noticed Rachel¡¯s gaze and looked over. ¡°It¡¯s ourpany¡¯s turn today. Do you think she¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter what, I believe there will be a result soon¡± Rachel shifted her gaze and a meaningful smile


    shed across her eyes. ¡°If something really happened to the Johnson Corporation, she would not be


    able to escape responsibility.¡±


    Linda pursed her lips. ¡°I just feel very uneasy. I keep feeling that something is going to happen¡­.¡±


    Before Linda could finish speaking, a voice suddenly sounded. ¡°The Johnson Corporation is the leading


    company in Seaxas. It¡¯s an irreceable existence in the business world. Everyone is looking forward


    to your project nning¡±


    Upon hearing the voice, Rachel looked up and saw Noah, who was traveling with the person in charge


    of the summit.


    Noah was wearing a neat suit and a pair of silver rimless sses. He had a standard smile on his face,


    and his casual and gentle posture was exceptionally amiable.


    As Noah spoke, his gaze shed past Haley. ¡°Although the Johnson Corporation is an oldpany, it


    has been continuously bringing in young talents over the years. This far-sighted thinking is worthy of all


    of us studying hard.¡±


    Hearing this, the surrounding people agreed.


    Noah looked past the crowd and looked at Rachel, who was standing at the back. A meaningful smile


    shed across his eyes under his sses. ¡°I¡¯m quite looking forward to what the Johnson Corporation


    will show us next.¡±


    At this moment, a person in charge walked forward and said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Jones, it¡¯s gettingte.


    Let¡¯s go in first¡± ¡°Okay¡±


    Everyone walked in one after another. Linda suddenly pulled Rachel back. ¡°Rae-Rae, I don¡¯t feel at


    ease.¡±


    Especially after what Noah said just now, Linda¡¯s intuition told her that they must be here for Rachel.


    Rachel patted Linda¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll deal with whateveres our way.¡±


    Since Noah wasing for Rachel, there was no way she could hide.

 Chapter 809

    Chapter 809


    Chapter 809


    ording to the lottery, Johnson Corporation was thest to go on stage


    This gave them time and opportunity to double-check their mistakes.


    Rachel crossed her legs, sped her hands, and patiently listened to the people from the other groups.


    Noah, who was sitting on the stage, had been silently observing Rachel. When Noah saw Rachel¡¯s


    calm attitude, a hint of mockery shed across his eyes.


    Rachel was more patient than Noah had imagined.


    But so what if Noah could keep herposure? She was destined to be defeated today.


    Thinking of this, Noah lowered his eyes to hide the cold hostility in them.


    Soon, it was Johnson Corporation¡¯s turn to speak. As the project manager, Haley said, ¡°It¡¯s an honor for


    us, Johnson Corporation, to be invited to this industry summit¡­¡±


    Linda stared nervously at Haley, who was speaking on stage, afraid that something would go wrong.


    However, Linda did not expect that nothing went wrong until the speech ended


    Under the enthusiastic apuse from the audience, Linda¡¯s heart that was in her throat gradually fell


    back to its original ce.


    Rachel, who was sitting beside Linda, had a faint smile on her red lips. Rachel lowered her eyes to look


    at her phone, and there was a faint mocking look in the depths of her eyes.


    Linda, who was closest to Rachel, sensitively sensed Rachel¡¯s change. After deliberating for a moment,


    Linda carefully asked. in a low voice, ¡°Ms. Grey, is there anything wrong?¡±


    As soon as Linda finished speaking, she heard Noah¡¯s voice. ¡°The n proposed by Johnson


    Corporation is impressive, but I have a question to ask the person in charge of Johnson Corporation.¡±


    When Linda heard this, her expression suddenly changed. Linda subconsciously looked at Rachel.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly as if everything


    had been expected.


    Rachel did not stand up. Instead, she sat on the chair and looked at Noah, who was sitting on the


    stage. ¡°Feel free to ask.¡±


    Noah pretended to flip through the proposal in his hand and looked up to meet Rachel¡¯s gaze. ¡°As far


    as I know, that sea area. is the foundation of the local residents survival Johnson Corporation wants to


    turn the east of the city into a new city area. by filling the sea and reimingnd. Does that solve the


    problem of the local people¡¯s livelihood?¡±


    Rachel said in neither servile nor overbearing manner. ¡®Of course. Now that Johnson Corporation has


    sessfully obtained the approval to fill the sea and reim thend. Johnson Corporation will actively


    cooperate with the local relevant departments and give correspondingpensation. We will strive to


    give everyone a new environment to live and work in peace.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I wonder where the rumors about Johnson Corporation came from?¡± Noah had his


    signature smile on his face, but his words were filled with an aggressive aura. ¡°We¡¯ve heard that in


    order to persuade the local residents to sign, Johnson Corporation staff maliciously polluted the marine


    environment, causing the death of fish seedlings, and even used improper connections to obtain the


    approval to fill the sea and reim thend?¡±


    As soon as Noah finished speaking, the entire conference room fell into a deadly silence.


    However, after only a few seconds, the people¡¯s whispers were like boiling water in a pot.


    ¡°Malicious pollution of the marine environment is noughing matter!¡±


    ¡°Really? There¡¯s a legal responsibility for maliciously polluting the marine environment. If the situation


    is serious, criminal responsibility will be held ountable.¡±


    ¡°Who knows if it¡¯s true or not? As the saying goes, there¡¯s no smoke without fire. This rumor is


    definitely not groundless.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that Johnson Corporation has been dominating Seaxas for the past few years. They have the


    backing of political figures and has done all kinds of outrageous businesses over the years!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s discussion filled every corner of the venue. They looked at Rachel with gloating eyes.


    Johnson Corporation was a powerfulpetitor to begin with. Now that something like this had


    happened, the heavens were really helping them.


    Facing everyone¡¯s unreasonable usations, Linda was the first to be unable to sit still. She meered


    and said, ¡°When I was young, one dog in the vige barked, and the other dogs followed suit. Now that


    I look at everyone present, there are some simrities.¡±


    Linda was indirectly calling them dogs.


    Everyone choked and their faces turned red.


    ¡°Evidence is important in everything¡± Amidst the noisy discussion. Rachel¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Mr.


    Jones, with rigorous personality, you must have obtained strong evidence for saying these words.¡±


    your


    Noah did not say anything. He only picked up the cup beside him and took a sip. His gaze casually


    swept across Rachel below the stage with a hint of mockery.


    At this moment, a middle-aged woman sitting on the right said, ¡°Miss Grey, with your talent and ability,


    you will definitely be able to lead Johnson Corporation to a new height in the future. However, first of


    all, you have to learn to be down-to-earth and not take advantage of others, let alone harm others¡¯


    interests.¡±


    Rachel did not have much patience on her face. She said coldly. ¡°Where¡¯s the evidence?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s gaze turned cold inch by inch. It was as if there was a knife hidden in the depths of her eyes


    that could stab into the middle-aged woman¡¯s chest at any moment.


    The middle-aged woman¡¯s heart trembled, and her aura immediately weakened.


    When Noah saw that the middle-aged woman was shocked by Rachel, a look of disgust shed across


    his eyes.


    Noah


    put down the cup in his hand and said unhurriedly, ¡°Of course we have evidence, but this matter is too


    important for us to make a decision easily. It has been handed over to the police.¡±


    As soon as Noah finished speaking, the door of the hall was suddenly pushed open and a group of


    people in uniforms walked


    1.


    When Rachel saw such a coincidental scene, the corners of her mouth slowly curled up into a faint and


    cold smile.


    So everything had been arranged.


    Aileen, who was sitting in the first row, subconsciously wanted to get up when she saw the situation.


    Her phone suddenly vibrated. Aileen looked down at the message and couldn¡¯t help but frown. She


    looked up at Rachel. Rachel curled her lips, indicating that Aileen could rest assured.


    Aileen tightened her grip on her phone. Her knuckles turned pale as she tried her best to suppress the


    raging fire in her chest.


    When the elite team of Johnson Corporation was taken away, everyone could not help but sigh.


    No one expected such a scene to happen at the summit.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    However, now that Johnson Corporation had been in trouble, the onlookers could not help but reveal


    gloating smiles.


    At noon, the elite team of Johnson Corporation walked out of the police station. All of them looked


    withered. They were no longer as high-spirited as before.


    ¡°Do you think Ms. Grey will really be sentenced?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the people in the police station said just now? Those who maliciously damage


    the uninhabited marine environment will be sentenced to not more than three years of fixed-term


    imprisonment or criminal detention. Those whose crime is especially serious will be sentenced to not


    less than three years and not more than seven years of fixed-term imprisonment.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean that Ms. Grey ispletely finished?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsensel¡± Linda could not take it anymore and scolded coldly, ¡°Others might not know what


    kind of person Ms. Grey is, but don¡¯t you know in your hearts? I believe that she will never do anything


    illegal!¡±


    At this moment, a woman in the crowd couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Ms. Galler, it¡¯s not whether you believe


    in Ms. Grey¡¯s character or not, but the evidence is conclusive.¡±

 Chapter 810

    Chapter 810


    Chapter 810


    The person who spoke was Carolina Bonner and she was roommates with Haley during the summit..


    Usually, she wouldn¡¯t pay much attention when it came to work. She did not care about others words at


    all andpletely turned a deaf ear to the proposals proposed by others.


    In other words, she wasn¡¯t a team yer but she stabbed her teammates in the back many times.


    In short, she was not very popr in thepany.


    Rachel was detained at the police station. Everyone suddenly lost their leader and could not help but


    feel uneasy and flustered. They even had the illusion that a disaster was going to happen. However, no


    one said such harsh words as Carolina


    For a moment, everyone turned to stare at her, their eyes filled with disgust.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Carolina looked at everyone innocently and sneered. ¡°When we


    bought thend in the east of the city, the local residents repeatedly went back on their word. Ms. Grey


    personally said that we would get thisnd at all costs. But then arge number of fish seedlings and


    other marine crops died because of the pollution on the beach. Isn¡¯t all of this too much of a


    coincidence?¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Linda¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. She stared at her with her eyes


    darkening. ¡°Carolina, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re also a member of this project. If anything happens,


    everyone here will be responsible. No one can get away with this!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Galler, you can¡¯t scare me!¡± Carolina snorted and didn¡¯t hold back her feelings at all. ¡°Ms. Grey is


    thepany¡¯s CEO and don¡¯t forget that Ms. Grey personally followed up on this project. Moreover,


    now that the police think that it¡¯s Ms. Grey¡¯s fault, why do you have to drag us down with her?¡±


    Although that was really the case, Carolina¡¯s words were really disappointing.


    Linda clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. ¡°All of you, lenive!¡±


    With that, she turned around and left without looking back, striding towards the police station.


    Watching her leave, Carolina snorted. ¡°So stupid.¡±


    Haley, who had been silent all this while, finally couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Carolina, Ms. Grey has always


    treated you well. What you said just now was really disappointing.¡±


    Hearing this, a mocking smile appeared on Carolina¡¯s face. ¡°Stop acting to be so benevolent and kind!¡±


    She crossed her arms and walked casually to Haley. ¡°Haley, if you don¡¯t want others to know what


    you¡¯ve done, you shouldn¡¯t have done it in the first ce You can¡¯t hide what you¡¯ve done from me.¡±


    Haley¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Carolina raised her eyebrows slightly. The sarcasm in her eyes was getting stronger. She


    leaned over and whispered something into Haley¡¯s ear.


    Haley¡¯s face instantly went pale and her eyes widened in disbelief, filled with panic.


    Carolina nced at her and turned to leave.


    Seeing the situation, everyone shook their heads and sighed. They all left.


    After everyone left, Linda walked out from the shadows.


    She stared at Haley¡¯s back and narrowed her eyes.


    After Carolina returned to the hotel, she took out her phone and dialed a number.


    As soon as the call went through, she hurriedly said shyly like a teenage girl. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s me, Carolina.¡±


    The other person said something, and Carolina blushed. ¡°How can Ipare to you? You¡¯re so wise


    and you were right about everything. To be honest, I was terrified when I was taken away, but when I


    thought of you strategizing for me, I felt


    much more at ease.¡±


    Hearing the other person mention Haley¡¯s name, the shy smile on her face immediately disappeared a


    little, and a hint of ridicule appeared in her eyes. ¡°She can¡¯t be counted on at all. If I hadn¡¯t urged the


    others to jump out and say anything. I¡¯m afraid Mr. David¡¯s n would have failed.¡±


    Julian said ambiguously, ¡°Speaking of which, she has let me down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡± Carolina leanedzily on the balcony and stretched out her long nails to pinch the tender


    leaves of the green nts. ¡°Haley is indeed too ignorant.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t miss out on the benefits.¡±


    Carolina wanted to say something else, but he just hung up. A look of frustration shed across her


    face, but a message from


    Chapter 810


    the bank suddenly came. The displeasure on her face was instantly swept away.


    She admitted that Johnson Corporation had been soaring and the benefits thispany offered were


    impable. However, in the end, she still had to depend on other people if she worked for them.


    Instead of that, it was better to set up her ownpany and start her own business.


    Back then, wasn¡¯t Haley able to switch from Cruise Group to Johnson Corporation because she


    betrayed her former Boss?


    She was just applying what she had learned.


    When she returned to her room, the balcony door of the room next door slowly opened and two people


    walked out.


    Linda looked coldly at the balcony next door. ¡°Did you hear what she said just now?¡±


    Haley did not say a word and her eyes were all red.


    At first, she thought that she was threatened by Julian, but she did not expect that her roommate was


    also listening to Julian.


    She thought about how she had been living in fear these past few days and could not sleep well at


    night. She also felt guilty for Carolina and thought that she had affected her rest. Now, she realized that


    she was the stupidest one.


    From the beginning, she had been yed by Julian!


    At the same time, at the police station.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel sat on the chair with her hands shackled.


    Opposite her sat two police officers with serious expressions. One of them flipped through the file in his


    hand. ¡°Rachel, now that we have concrete evidence, I advise you to cooperate with us.¡±


    ¡°Im already doing my best to cooperate with you,¡± Rachel said calmly. ¡°Since you have evidence, why


    force me to admit to false usations?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the police officer closed the case file in front of him and red at her. ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t


    mess around in front of us! I¡¯m advising you to confess for your own good!¡±


    Rachel looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°I want to see mywyer.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you run the police station or something? You can¡¯t just do whatever you want!¡±


    ¡°No matter what kind of case this is, I have the right to see mywyer.¡±


    Both sides wouldn¡¯t give in, but Rachel¡¯s words were wless.


    After some time, Rachel was the first to speak. ¡°I understand that you have your own difficulties, but


    even your superiors. can¡¯t ignore the rules.


    Hearing this, the police officers nced at each other.


    How did she know this order was from the higher-ups?


    Rachel continued. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to see anyone, you can at least let me make a call, right?¡±


    After some hesitation, the police officer stood up and handed the phone to Rachel.


    She took the phone and dialed a phone number. She only said very few words, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    The next second, she hung up.


    Not only were the police officers in the interrogation room confused by this, even Noah, who was in the


    surveince room, could not figure out what games she was trying to y.

 Chapter 811

    Chapter 811


    Chapter 811


    After Rachel hung up the phone, she sat quietly on the chair.


    She started ying with the shackles on her hands


    Then there was a ki


    the door of the interrogation room


    The police officer got up to check. The person outside said something and the police officer turned


    back and waved at the other police officer Then, the two of them packed up the things on the table and


    turned to leave


    Only Rachel was left in the interrogation room.


    Faced with such a situation, Rachel lowered her eyes and her red lips curled into a faint and cold smile.


    She sat on the chair with her legs crossed and she looked quite calm. She did not look like a miserable


    prisoner at all.


    After some time, the door of the interrogation room was opened again.


    Noah walked in from outside and nced at Rachel. Then, he sat down in front of the table. ¡°Miss


    Grey, you¡¯ve been so calm and that really impressed me.¡±


    ¡°What else should I do?¡± Rachel slowly raised her eyes and nced at him nonchntly. ¡°Making a


    scene doesn¡¯t seem to


    work here¡±


    Hearing this, a smile appeared on Noah¡¯s face. ¡°Miss Grey, you know the big picture and I think really


    highly of you It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re David¡¯s woman. Otherwise, I really hope you can join my team¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled. ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, you¡¯re admitting that you¡¯re


    not on the same side as David, right?¡±


    At this point, Noah had nothing to hide.


    Even if he didn¡¯t admit it, the truth was right in front of them. Instead of trying to make excuses, he


    might as well be more honest.


    Moreover, at this point, he did not think that Rachel had the ability to escape.


    Noah took off his sses and slowly wiped the lenses. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about how you ended up


    like this?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be curious about?¡± Rachel leanedzily against the back of the chair ¡°But I


    overestimated you in the past. I thought you were brilliantly scheming, but I didn¡¯t expect you to use


    such a lowly method on a woman.¡±


    No man in the world could ept being humiliated like that to his face.


    Noah¡¯s gaze gradually turned cold. He still maintained a vicious smile on his face, like a venomous


    snake flicking its tongue, However, he quickly hid his emotions and put on his sses again. ¡°Now that


    things havee to this. Miss Grey, why do you have to act like you had it all under control? If you¡¯re


    really so smart, why are you here?


    ¡°If you had listened to my advice back then, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this, right?¡±


    A meaningful smile shed in the depths of Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mr. Jones, you seem to be quite confident


    in yourself.¡± Her tone was t, but her words were filled with harsh mockery.


    Noah frowned imperceptibly and his gaze was sharp like a knife. He wished he could cut Rachel open


    and see what she was thinking in her head.


    After pondering for a moment, he said calmly. ¡°Rachel, do you really think David wille and save


    you?¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    However, this small change was enough for Noah to think that he had guessed Rachel¡¯s n and feel


    satisfied.


    He could not help but smile and then he looked down at the watch on his wrist. ¡°It¡¯s such a pity that


    he¡¯s busy enough with his own affairs in Seaxas, so I¡¯m afraid Miss Grey can¡¯t get away with this.¡±


    Noah deliberately emphasized thest few words he said. His voice was powerful like a hammer.


    Rachel did not say anything and just frowned slightly


    Noah¡¯s words echoed in her head. He just said that it was such a pity that David was busy enough with


    his own affairs in


    Seaxas.


    What exactly happened in Seaxas?


    Could it be that David¡¯s injuries had something to do with what happened in Seaxas?


    While she was distracted, Noah got up and left.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    When he reached the door, he paused for a moment. He turned around and took a good look at Rachel


    as his eyes glistened


    Chapter 811 coldly


    Although Rachel was only a youngdy in her twenties, Marina had suffered such a huge loss


    previously when dealing with her that he knew he could not let his guard down against Rachel.


    After he left, the interrogation room fell silent again.


    When the people in the surveince room saw how calm Rachel was, they were all quite curious.


    ¡°Tell me, why is this woman still so calm?¡±


    ¡°What else can she do? Do you really want to see her make a scene?¡±


    That¡¯s not what I mean. I just feel that all of this is too


    Before that person could finish speaking, he heard some footsteps outside. Then, there was a knock on


    the door of the surveince room. Someone pushed open the door and hurriedly said, ¡°Gather in the


    conference room. Hurry!¡±


    The three people in the surveince room were dumbfounded. One of them was left to continue


    monitoring while the other two instinctively rushed out of the surveince room.


    In the conference room.


    Everyone looked at their captain in confusion.


    The captain was holding a document in his hand and reading it solemnly.


    ¡°I know that your chief has been busy with the summit¡¯s security recently. I won¡¯t make things difficult


    for you, as long as you hand over the case of Rachel to us,¡± Warren said in a deep voice that sounded


    unquestionable..


    When Captain Bates heard this, he could not help but look troubled. ¡°Warren, this case happened in


    Titia. How can we hand it over to you just like that¡­


    ¡°Because Rachel is from Seaxas!¡± Warren interrupted him coldly. ¡°This case is still under investigation.


    You detained her without even saying anything. Do you think your power is so great that you can cover


    anything, or do you not give a crap about the Seaxas police station?¡±


    His question left Captain Bates speechless.


    He had asked the chief about this before, but the chief told him to do whatever he wanted.


    Since that was the case, he naturally did not dare to be careless. He instructed his subordinates to deal


    with it seriously.


    However, he did not expect Warren from Seaxas to interfere and ask him for Rachel directly.


    After all, he was just a captain. How could he dare to challenge Chief Warren from Seaxas?


    After thinking about it, he could only ask his immediate superior for help.


    Half an hourter, Chief Kandor rushed back to the police station.


    They thought that there was a turning point in this matter, but a dramatic scene appeared in front of


    everyone.


    The director, who had always been arrogant, rushed into the interrogation room.


    Before entering, he deliberately tidied up the hair on his head. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the


    door open and walked in with a fawning smile. ¡°Miss Grey¡±


    Rachel slowly raised her eyes and looked at Chief Kandor with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s Chief Kandor. You¡¯vee


    all the way for such a trivial thing


    ¡°No, no.¡± Chief Kandor looked ttered and waved his hand. Im doing my job. I hope Miss Grey can


    understand.¡±

 Chapter 812

    Chapter 812


    Chapter 812


    The people outside the interrogation room could not help but be dumbfounded when they saw him


    being so humble. What was going on here!


    Why was their chief so respectful to Rachel and even looked a bit afraid?


    Could it be that the woman locked up in the interrogation room was some kind of terrifying monster¡¯


    Just as everyone was puzzled, they heard Chef Kandor say again, ¡°Miss Grey. I¡¯m really sorry. What


    happened today was purely a misunderstanding. My subordinates, these little brats, are not doing their


    job well. Please forgive them and don¡¯t be


    angry with them.


    ¡°Chief Kandor, what right do you think I have to be angry with them in my current state? Rachel said as


    she raised her cuffed hands and shook them


    Under the light, the handcuffs reflected a silver glow


    ¡°Oh please don¡¯t say that They wondered if it was because he was too anxious or frightened by


    Rachel¡¯s words that he started sweating on his forehead. He hurriedly took out a handkerchief from his


    pocket and wiped off his sweat. ¡°We didn¡¯t do our job well this time. Please don¡¯t take it personally. If


    this small misunderstanding affects the security at the border, we really can¡¯t bear the responsibility¡±


    Hearing this. Rachels eyes thickered slightly She started ying with the handcuffs with her fingers.


    ¡°Then can I leave now?¡± ¡°Of course¡± Chief Kandor wished he could send her away immediately. He


    blurted out without any hesitation, afraid that Rachel would change her mind the next second. On the


    way here. I just received some new evidence that is enough to prove your innocence Its all a


    musunderstanding Please don¡¯t be mad at us¡±


    As he spoke. he immediately took off Rachel¡¯s handcuffs.


    Then Rachel left under everyone¡¯s gaze


    Captain Bates walked up to Chief Kandor and asked. ¡°Chief, can we really just let her go like that?¡±


    ¡°Why not!¡± Chiet Kandor wiped the cold sweat off his forehead with his handkerchief. He nced at him


    and said with a fake smile. You should be d that we get to send her away!¡±


    Captain Bates pursed his lips and said disapprovingly. ¡°Chief, she¡¯s not capable of doing anything. It¡¯s


    not that exaggerated..¡± Upon hearing thus. Chief Kandor red at him in disdain, but he agreed with


    his choice of words.


    It was indeed quite exaggerated


    Who would have thought that this woman was actually a high-ranking member of the Red me Army


    from the Border?


    It was fair enough to say that the people from the Red me Army had contributed greatly to the


    suppression of the border


    turmoil over the years.


    If he really offended the Red me Army, his career would probablye to an end.


    Just as he was thinking about it, he heard Rachel suddenly speak up in a cold voice. ¡°Chief Kandor. I


    suddenly remembered that I need your help with something.


    ¡°Miss Grey, please go ahead¡± Chief Kandor came back to his senses and quickly walked forward to


    her. ¡°At your service. I¡¯ll definitely do my best.¡±


    Hearing his answer. Rachel¡¯s red lips slowly curled up into a bright smile.


    After Christopher found out that Rachel had been taken away by the police, he had been waiting at the


    entrance of the police station and he was afraid that something would happen.


    He crossed his legs and held a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, teasing David who was on the


    other end of the phone. ¡°If I remember correctly, the two of you were quite intimatest night. Why


    aren¡¯t you nervous at all when you heard that your woman was arrested? You¡¯re really heartless¡±


    When he heard the news that Rachel had been arrested, he immediately reported it to David. It was not


    because they were close friends or something, but because he wanted to watch the show


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    David had just rushed to Titia all the way from Seaxasst night just to make his woman happy. If he


    knew that the woman he loved had been sent to the police station, he would definitely panic.


    Unexpectedly, David did not y by the rules. He was so calm that it was almost irritating.


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯te out in 24 hours, I¡¯ll go over and settle it.¡± With that, David hung up without giving


    Christopher a chance to speak


    Christopher was speechless as he listened to the beeping sound on the phone. ¡°What kind of


    rtionship is this?¡±


    As he turned around, he saw Rachel walking out of the police station from the corner of his eye. His


    eyes were filled with


    disbelief ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    Christopher opened the car door and got out of the car. He sized up Rachel from head to toe before


    looking in the direction of the police station. ¡°Did you walk out just like that?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°What else can I do? I¡¯m just a damsel in distress. You think I can


    escape from prison or something?¡±


    ¡°Well, interesting.¡± Christopher¡¯s gazended on Rachel again, and his eyes flickered with a yful


    smile. ¡°They didn¡¯t make things difficult for you, right?¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°What are you talking about? They¡¯re just doing their job. Why would they make things


    difficult for me?¡±


    Christopher smiled and said meaningfully. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Rachel walked straight to the car. When Chris opened the door, he whispered in her ear, ¡°Miss Grey,


    Linda and Haley are waiting for you in the hotel room.¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    In the hotel, when Haley saw that Rachel had returned safely, she suddenly felt lucky that she did not


    take the wrong path.


    She gathered her thoughts and walked forward. She said respectfully, ¡°Ms. Grey.¡±


    Rachel nodded. She went straight to the point and asked, ¡°What do you want to say?¡±


    That made Haley not know what to say.


    She pursed her lips and thought for a moment before telling her about her rtionship with Julian. ¡°I


    swear that I didn¡¯t do anything to let you down, nor did I do anything to fail Johnson Corporation!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Rachel nced at her indifferently. ¡°You said you have a recording, right?¡±


    Haley nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She handed the phone to Rachel.


    Rachel looked at Chris. ¡°Make a copy and send it to the police station tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    After everything was prepared, Rachel looked at Haley again. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go back and


    rest first.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Ms. Grey.¡±


    After she left, Chris turned to Rachel. ¡°Miss Grey, what should we do next?¡±


    There must be aeback.


    Rachel stood up and walked to the window. Looking at the dark sky outside the window, her eyes


    flickered with coldness. ¡°If he wanna y, I¡¯ll y!¡±


    The next morning, the people from Johnson Corporation set off again.


    And of course, Rachel was not among them.


    Their appearance immediately started a wave of discussions.


    ¡°How shameless can they get? How can they still have the cheek to attend the summit after their


    company did such a terrible thing?¡±


    ¡°The people present are all from toppanies. They know thew but still chose to break it. How can


    they sit with us?*


    Everyone was gossiping. Seeing that their reactions were getting more and more extreme, Noah, who


    was sitting on the stage, did not have any intention of stopping them. Instead, he allowed everyone to


    comment as they pleased.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, should we ask them to leave?¡± The person who was in charge asked Noah

 Chapter 813

    Chapter 813


    Chapter 813


    Noah raised his eyes and nced at him. The corners of his mouth curled into a meaningful mile as he


    said indifferently. ¡°Now that their person in charge has already been taken away for investigation, what


    else can they do now?¡±


    If Rachel was really convicted of maliciously destroying and polluting the sex, even David would not be


    able to uve her


    anvmore


    Oner Rachel was convicted and sent to prison, the would spend the rest of her life there


    Quarrels and fights were quitemon in prison. If she was really unlucky and died in there, no one


    uld be able to find


    any faul with that


    ¡°The purpopa


    ad this summit is to provide a tform for everyone to thare industrymunication. It also allows


    different to gather together here formon themes so that everyone can be provided with resources


    and opportunities. This is actually a great thing ¡°Not ?s tone was gentle as usual. ¡°We can¡¯t me the


    entire team because of one person¡¯s mistake right¡¯


    When the person besade him heard what he had just said, he sighed helplessly. ¡°Mr Jones I¡¯m afraid


    your kindness will be


    ¡°Johnson Corporation has caused such a huge scandal and it has affected us quite a lot now. We have


    to kick them out as a


    varning to others. Otherwise, no one will take the order of the summit seriously in the future?¡±


    As this person spoke, he shot a look at the security personnel at the


    The three people in uniforms walked toward Linda and the others. Although they did not say a word,


    their fierce attitudes were definately not meant to express goodwill


    When everyone saw these burly men, their eyes could not help but be filled with fear


    The expression on Haley¡¯s face gradually turned cold Just as the sounded. ¡°I suppose Mr. Jones has


    the ability to predict the future


    already given us false charges!¡±


    (about to speak up. Linda¡¯s gentle voice suddenly


    that the police have yet to convict us, you have


    Noah crossed his legs and picked up the cup beside him, slowly drinking his coffee


    He nced meaningfully at the middle-aged woman cho was uitting beide him


    The woman immediately understood what he meant. ¡°Miss Galler, you¡¯re being a little dramatic. We¡¯re


    just asking you to temporarily leave out of order¡±


    She paused for a moment and swept her gaze across the elite team of Johnson Corporation. A hint of


    mockery shed across her eyes. ¡°Now that your person in charge isn¡¯t present, I think there¡¯s no need


    for you to stay here anymore¡±


    As soon as the finished speaking, the people around her echoed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Your person in charge


    in¡¯t even here. Why are


    you still here¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already a fact that you¡¯re guilty of malicious pollution and destroying the marine environment. Why


    are you still here? If it were me. I would have packed up and left long ago. Why do you have to make


    yourself awkward here? You¡¯re embarraving yourself!¡±


    Everyone was gosajeng, not hading their disdain and ridicule for Johnson Corporation


    And they all wanted to chase Johnson Corporation away with their malicious words


    Noah who was sitting on the stage, saw the situation and smiled. He sighed softly ¡°Miss Galler, as you


    can see, it¡¯s not that ent contes dont want to tolerate you, but everyone doesn¡¯t approve of you


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about right or wrong for now We can¡¯t put the order of the summit at risk because of you,


    right! Besides, your person charge is red in the tram. There¡¯s no point in you staying here. It¡¯s better to


    follow everyone¡¯s wishes and leave to avood and emaka


    in


    He wounded like a peacemaker, but has words were filled with his rejection of Johnson Corporation, It


    also imperseptibly confirmand that Jolution Corporation was behind this.


    Landa frownd slightly as her gaze turned cold


    The man in ck standing beside sead coldly Everyone, please!


    Hearing thus Landa


    nu


    nan in ck..


    The man in the bead booked at her expertodely, but there was an obvious coldness in his eyes


    At the mometa


    the crowd shouted, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Sering this, the surrounding people couldnt help but p the table and boo. They shouted in unison,


    ¡°Get bus! Get uut


    Noah, who was utting on the stage, had a faint smile on his face. His refined posture was as if he was


    watching in the audience, coldly looking at them


    Without Rachel, there was no need for him to deal with a group of nobodies.


    A deafening sound filled the entire venue, making people fear.


    The people from Johnson Corporation could not control their expressions anymore.


    They looked at each other, panic and fear appearing on their faces.


    Carolina felt extremely embarrassed and suppressed the humiliation in her heart. ¡°Ms. Galler, why don¡¯t


    we¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, a cold voice sounded at the entrance of the venue. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have


    kept everyone waiting.¡±


    The moment they heard the voice, everyone¡¯s gazes gathered in the direction of the door.


    The heavy door of the venue was pushed open. As a crack opened, light poured in.


    A slender and tall figure slowly walked into everyone¡¯s field of vision against the light.


    The woman was wearing a white suit and a pair of nude high heels. Her long hair was slightly curled


    and naturally fell to one side of her shoulder elegantly.


    She was glowing with elegance like a star.


    Rachel¡¯s appearance caused an uproar.


    ¡°Why is she here?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she taken away by the police for investigation? Why is she here?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she was acquitted!¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? Didn¡¯t you hear from the council that the evidence is conclusive and she won¡¯t


    be able to get away


    from this?¡±


    ¡°But since she showed up now, it¡¯s enough to prove that she was acquitted. Otherwise, the police


    would be neglecting their duty.¡±


    Everyone was filled with questions about how Rachel coulde here safely.


    Their gazes gradually shifted from Rachel to Noah, hoping to find some clues from his face.


    However, Noah did not show any emotion on his face. His eyes were fixed on Rachel. It was obvious


    that he was aware of


    this.


    Everyone could not figure it out and simply retracted their gazes.


    Meanwhile, Noah¡¯s hand gripped the cup tightly, his joints turning pale.


    He slowly lowered his eyes to hide the viciousness in them.


    Why was this woman here?


    Could it be that David¡¯s forces had already infiltrated Titia and were enough to get everything under his


    control? Rachel looked at Noah¡¯s gloomy face and smiled slightly. She walked towards Johnson


    Corporation¡¯s elite team.


    She sat in her seat with her legs crossed and her hands sped naturally on herp. Her posture was


    casual, but every move she made exuded an intimidating aura.


    She raised her eyes and looked at Noah, who was sitting on the stage. Her red lips curled into a bright


    smile. ¡°Mr. Jones, may Task if the summit can begin now?¡±

 Chapter 814

    Chapter 814


    Chapter 814


    When Noah heard this, he looked at Rachel with his eyes darkening.


    The person who never revealed his emotions in public was actually caught off guard when facing


    Rachel


    All these years, he had always thought that he was a strategist and none of his schemes had ever


    failed, However, Rachel¡¯s appearance was like a p on his face.


    It made his smartest schemes which he had been proud of all these years instantly be a joke.


    Everything was going smoothly ording to his n, and Rachel had fallen into the trap as he


    nned. However, he could not understand why there was a slip up at the most critical moment.


    And it was such a huge slip-up!


    He clenched his fists tightly under the table, and a fleeting ruthlessness shed across his eyes.


    What the hell was going on?


    He didnt say anything for a long time, as if he was trying his best to suppress the anger in his chest.


    Meanwhile, Rachel did not rush him. She just looked at him calmly.


    Her elegant posture was like a cat teasing a mouse, causing Noah to feel a sense of defeat


    ¡°Ms. Grey, it¡¯s great that you re here!¡± The people beside her said from the bottom of their hearts. The


    moment they saw Rachel, they seemed to have regained their confidence, and their faces were filled


    with joy.


    Compared to these people who were quite thrilled to see her here, Carolina was acting a bit weird.


    Rachel noticed her reaction and only smiled without saying a single word.


    At this moment, after the people on stage sorted out their feelings, they announced the official start of


    the meeting


    The content of today¡¯s meeting was very simple. It was nothing more than a selection process by the


    council to determine the candidates for a strategic partnership.


    Soon, the representative of the Skysgate Group, Aileen Dickinson, walked onto the stage.


    After a few opening remarks, Aileen opened the name list in her hands. When she saw the names on


    the list, her eyes glistened slightly. Then, she put it down and looked at the people below the stage


    Everyone waited expectantly for the results to be announced.


    Getting the support of the Skysgate Group meant never having to worry about investments or ttering


    anyone.


    After all, with Skysgate Group¡¯s strength, it was one of the toppanies in the world.


    Everyone held their breaths and focused. Their hearts started racing, and their hands were tightly


    clenched into fists.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Aileen slowly smiled, ¡°Miss Grey, I now officially invite you on behalf of the


    Skysgate Group. Are you willing to ept the Skysgate Group¡¯s invitation and be our strategic


    partner? Are you willing to maintain a good cooperative rtionship with us in the future?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, people all gasped in shock.


    On the stage, Noah¡¯s expression changed.


    His sharp gaze subconsciously swept toward the middle-aged woman sitting beside him.


    His gaze was like a knife and he wanted to cut the woman into pieces. The woman was shocked, and


    her eyes were filled with panic. ¡°Mr.


    Jones, L¡­¡±


    Seeing how flustered she was, Noah understood.


    He expected that this woman would not dare to go against his wishes and change the candidate at will.


    Thinking of this, he looked at Aileen with a dark and cold gaze.


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s gazesnded on her.


    They could not understand how Johnson Corporation got this spot.


    Johnson Corporation had just been exposed yesterday as suspected of maliciously polluting the sea.


    Even if Rachel was released now, with evidence, Johnson Corporation would eventually be unable to


    get away with this.


    At this sensitive time, smart people would choose to protect themselves and hide as far away as


    possible for fear of being implicated. However, Skysgate Group rushed forward.


    Was Miss Dickinson from Skysgate Group out of her mind?!


    Besides, didn¡¯t Miss Dickinson have a conflict with Rachel previously?


    At that time, everyone was secretly rejoicing. Rachel was blind enough to provoke Miss Dickinson and


    was kicked out early. How did she suddenly be the best choice for Skysgate Group?


    At this moment, the middle-aged woman sitting beside Noah said, ¡®Miss Dickinson, we¡¯ve previously


    discussed about this and decided that¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, the door of the venue was pushed open again.


    Anger rose in her heart for no reason. Just as she was about to scold the person who barged in, she


    saw a few uniformed police officers walking in.


    Everyone was stunned.


    Noah, who was sitting on the stage, frowned slightly when he saw the group of people in front of him.


    He turned his gaze and looked at Rachel.


    Coincidentally, he saw the unpredictable smile on her face and felt uneasy.


    The police officers looked around and asked, ¡°Who reported the case?¡±


    Upon hearing this, people all gasped. Everyone looked at each other confusedly.


    At this moment, Haley slowly stood up. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    The police officer looked at Haley ¡°You said that you were threatened?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Haley answered firmly. She turned her gaze to Noah, who was sitting on the stage and pointed


    at him. ¡°That¡¯s him.¡±


    Faced with Haley¡¯s usation, Noah did not look flustered at all. He looked calm as usual as if he had


    already thought of a way to get himself out of this in his heart. ¡°Miss Bean, we don¡¯t know each other


    that well, and we don¡¯t have any private interactions, so I really don¡¯t know where your usation


    against me came from.¡±


    Haley could not help but sneer. Then, she picked up her phone and yed a recording. ¡°Miss Bean, as


    long as you¡¯re willing to join me, I can satisfy all your requests. I hope you can consider it seriously.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    After the recording ended, the venue fell into silence.


    Everyone looked at Noah with intriguing gazes.


    Noah did not look flustered at all. He was rubbing his coffee cup with his fingers and said calmly. ¡°This


    recording doesn¡¯t mean anything, and there¡¯s no way to testify against the so-called coercion.¡±


    Hearing this, Haley¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    She originally thought that the recording in her hands was like a trump card. However, there was still a


    loophole. She ignored the fact that the valuable clues provided by this recording were minimal, and


    there was no direct evidence to use Noah of coercing her.


    Seeing that she could not say anything else, Noah spoke again. ¡°Miss Bean, I only invited you to join


    my team out of goodwill back then. I didn¡¯t have any ill intentions. However, you recorded our


    conversation and misinterpreted my good intentions maliciously. I can sue you for libel.¡±


    Originally. Haley was prepared to go all out. She was even mentally prepared to face the


    consequences of provoking Noah and his father. However, the situation was beyond her expectations.


    ¡°You only didn¡¯t participate in this directly, but that doesn¡¯t prove your innocence.¡± Haley¡¯s voice


    trembled slightly. Her confused and flustered eyes gradually became firm with determination. ¡°Julian


    drugged and raped me and even took a lot of private photos of me to threaten me. As long as I don¡¯t


    help you frame Rachel, you will expose the photos!¡±


    After all, Noah had been through a lot. In the face of Haley¡¯s usation, Noah did not panic at all. He


    remained calm andposed. He put down the cup in his hand neither too gently nor too heavily. His


    deep voice sounded intimidating. ¡°Where¡¯s the evidence?¡±

 Chapter 815

    Chapter 815


    Chapter 815


    ¡°Do you have evidence¡± Noah repeated. His smile held a hint of provocation.


    Despite the fact that Haley knew everything was instigated by Noah, without evidence, any more


    usations would be a


    waste of time.


    Even if Haley really had evidence in her hands, Noah would still have a way to evade thew.


    Haley looked at how simig Noah was. Tears gradually welled up in her eyes, and she clenched her fists


    at her side.


    ¡°Miss Bean, I think that matters of the heart should be settled in private, especially since we¡¯re all


    adults. It¡¯s not good for us to have a falling out. Noah sand indifferently


    These seemed to be words of advice, but after thinking about it carefully, he was indirectly threatening


    Haley.


    Hearing Noah¡¯s threat, Haley¡¯s anger roused. ¡°If you want evidence. I¡¯ll satisfy you!¡±


    As she spoke, she handed the phone to the police. Thave videos and recordings taken of every time


    they took me away. There¡¯s also a recording of Noah¡¯s conversation with his son, Julian.¡±


    This time, not only was she going to use Noah, but she was also going to drag Julian down too.


    Noah could not help but sigh softly. ¡°Since you intend to nder us, you will do everything you can to


    forge all this evidence. Just because I object to you being with Julian, you want to nder me?


    Everything has to be based on evidence. You don¡¯t have concrete evidence, so it¡¯s really difficult to


    convince everyone with only your side of the story.¡±


    As he spoke, the police checked the evidence stored in Haley¡¯s phone.


    Their expressions turned solemn as they walked to the stage expressionlessly. ¡°Sir, pleasee with


    us and cooperate with our investigation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is a little difficult.¡± Noah took off his sses and slowly wiped them. I¡¯m not a citizen of


    Crucsia. I¡¯m not obligated to cooperate with you and ept your investigation¡±


    Noah put on his sses again and sped his hands on his knees, exuding an innate arrogance.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    This was his trump card!


    Noah was not a citizen of Crucsia. Even if there was concrete evidence, these people could not impose


    any measures on him. Unless


    Just as Noah was thinking about it, he heard the sound of footsteps at the door.


    Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a person in uniform rushing over with a


    document in his hand. The man leaned close to the officer¡¯s ear and whispered a few words. Then, that


    man took out a document from the folder. It was an arrest warrant produced by the Aureliana police.


    ¡°The Aureliana police have already opened a case for your crime. Due to the special nature of the


    case, you have to cooperate with our investigation. If you refuse to cooperate, we can only take


    coercive measures.¡±


    Everyone was equal before thew.


    No matter who was it, they would be punished by thew if theymitted a crime!


    Noah looked calm, but when he saw the arrest warrant issued by the Aureliana police, his facade


    began to crack.


    In fact, before Noah carried out the n, he had already nned how he would escape punishment


    after this matter was exposed.


    However, he never expected that Aureliana would issue an arrest warrant so quickly.


    Noah turned and scowled at Rachel.


    He had underestimated this woman!


    Of course, Noah did not think that Aureliana could get the news so quickly because of Rachel¡¯s


    remarkable abilities. Instead, he was certain that David was behind this


    While coveting gains ahead, one should be aware of the danger behind them. Noah was so focused on


    coveting gains ahead, that he was unaware of the danger behind. His nephew¡¯s methods were really


    bing more and more brilliant!


    No matter how unwilling Noah was, he had no choice but to cooperate with the investigation.


    The summit was full of twists and turns, but fortunately, it ended smoothly.


    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect Haley to be so willing to go all out. From this, you can tell that she is loyal


    to you.¡± Aileen handed the cocktail to Rachel.


    Seeing Rachel holding her wine ss and smiling meaningfully, Aileen was a little suspicious. ¡°What


    kind of expression is


    that? Am I wrong?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. I just happened to make the right bet.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aileen frowned


    ¡°Actually, Haley chose Julian at the beginning¡± Rachel put down the wine ss in her hand and


    supported her cheek with one hand. She said unhurriedly. Julian¡¯s looks and family background are all


    top-notch No woman won¡¯t be tempted when they see that Haley imed that they coerced her, but


    who knows? Maybe there¡¯s a small part of her that willingly did it.


    ¡°If Haley didn¡¯t have this intention, she would have rejected him decisively back then. Then, Julian


    wouldn¡¯t have an opportunity to exploit her¡±


    Aileen seemed to be deep in thought ¡°If she was willing, why did she choose to stand on your side?¡±


    she asked.


    Rachel pondered for a moment and blinked ¡°Perhaps, Haley realized that she wasn¡¯t his only woman.¡±


    How could a yboy like Julian, who spent all his time mingling with different women, be willing to stop


    his yboy antics just because of one woman?


    As for Haley, she grew up in a conservative family. Naturally, she could not ept that she was merely


    just one of Julian¡¯s


    many women


    It seemed that Haley had chosen Rachel by stepping forward to use Noah and his father at a critical


    moment. In fact, Haley was taking revenge on Julian and salvaging herself.


    Leaving those photos in Julian¡¯s hands was equivalent to burying a mine, and Haley would never know


    when the mine would explode.


    However, if Haley called the police as a victim, all the problems would be solved.


    Upon hearing this, Aileen chuckled and said, ¡°I thought this woman was a kind person, but it turns out


    that she already had a n in mind¡±


    ¡°A fine fowl perches only on a fine tree. Moreover, Noah¡¯s offer is so tempting. It¡¯s inevitable that she¡¯s


    tempted.¡± Rachel raised her wine ss and clinked it with the ss that was set in front of Aileen. ¡°But


    I must admit, Haley is smart.¡±


    It was because Haley was sinart that she made a choice at such a critical moment.


    At this moment, Chris knocked on the door and walked to Rachel¡¯s side. ¡°Miss Grey, Haley said that


    she wants to speak to you alone¡±


    There was no change in Rachel¡¯s expression as if she had expected all of this.


    After putting down her wine ss and leaving, Rachel took the elevator to the level that Haley was


    staying on.


    As one of the people involved in the case, Carolina had already been taken away for investigation.


    Hence, Haley was the only one in the room.


    When Haley saw Rachel walk in, she immediately stood up. ¡°Ms. Grey,¡± she greeted.


    Rachel nodded and pulled out a chair to sit down. She went straight to the point and asked, ¡°What do


    you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Grey, I didn¡¯t betray you, Haley exined. ¡°I admit that I did have thoughts that I shouldn¡¯t have in


    the beginning, but in the end, I realized my mistake. I didn¡¯t do anything to let you down, nor did 1 do


    anything to go against thepany¡¯s


    interests.¡±


    Rachel said calmly, ¡°I know.¡±


    She also knew that Haley was saying these in the hopes that she could make up for her mistakes.


    In fact, even if Haley did note forward to call the police, Noah¡¯s oue was already decided.


    Haley was not that variable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the people apanying you this time won¡¯t tell anyone about you, so you don¡¯t have to


    feel any psychological burden,¡± said Rachel.


    After chatting for a few minutes, Rachel left.

 Chapter 816

    Chapter 816


    Chapter 816


    After leaving the hotel, Rachel took a car to the police station.


    In the car. Aileen felt Rachel¡¯s gaze on her. Aileen appeared a little ufortable and asked. ¡°Why are


    you looking at me like that? Could it be


    A shy smile shed across Aileen¡¯s face as the leaned in front of Rachel ¡°Have you been smitten by my


    charmer


    Rachel was rendered speechless.


    She turned her head to look out of the window helplessly, to the did not notice the guilt on Aileen¡¯s face


    Soon, the car stopped in front of the police station


    Rachel got out of the car Chief Kandor imediately greeted her with a fawning smile ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re


    here¡±


    Looking at his groveling attitude, Aileen raised her eyebrows slightly and a yful unile appeared on


    her lign


    ¡°Interesting, she thought


    Rachel gave Aileen a look before walking into the police station


    Aileen, who was sitting in the car, watched Rachel leave She turned her head and looked at Chris, who


    was sitting in th front row ¡°What kind of information does your boss have on Chief Kandor? How could


    be, a chief, behave so respectfully


    toward Rachel?¡±


    Chris nced at Aileen through the rearview mirror. Mr. Jones did not meddle in Miss Grey¡¯s affairs¡±


    Naturally, David did not have a hold over Chief Kandor


    Upon hearing this, Aileen turned to look at the police station again. She narrowed her eyes and the


    corners of her lips curled up into a thought-provoking smile


    At the police station


    Rachel followed Chief Kandor at a leisurely pace. The people passing by seemned busy, but when the


    two passed by, everyone could not help but start to size Rachel up.


    Chief Kandor¡¯s attitude was really unbelievable


    Instead of dealing with the summit¡¯s matter, he waited at the police station for an entire day just to


    wee Rachel. He even punished Captam Bates, the person who had handled the case yesterday,


    severely.


    If not for the fact that the two of them looked extremely different, everyone would have even suspected


    that Rachel was the illegitimate daughter of Chief Kandor


    ¡°Chief Kandor¡¯s speed in handling cases has impressed me Rachel¡¯s voice was ice-cold. Even though


    she wasplimenting Chief Kandor, thetter did not dare to feel smug


    When Chief Kandor heard Rachel¡¯s words, his mind raced. At that moment, all he wanted was to


    be more astute ¡°Miss Grey, you tter me Serving the people is our duty


    Chief Kandor secretly observed the expression on Rachel¡¯s face. After hesitating for a moment, he took


    a step forward and said in a low voice, ¡°Miss Grey, I¡¯m afraid this case is not so simple to handle.¡±


    Rachel raned her eyebrows, indicating for Chief Kandor to continue speaking and exin his words.


    ¡°Noah is very cunning Currently, the evidence that we have isn¡¯t enough for us to pinpoint him as being


    involved in this case Moreover Chief Kandor paused for a moment before adding. Julian has already


    confessed¡±


    This meant that Noah would be acquitted.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Chief Kandor had immersed himself in officialdom all year round and had long mastered the ability to


    observe people¡¯s expressions.


    However, after sizing up Rachel for a long time, he did not find any anger on her face, Instead, she was


    overly calm, as if everything was within her expectations.


    Chief Kandor felt perplexed by that


    If everything was as he had guessed, it could only mean that the woman in front of him was really


    unfathomable.


    ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t confess, it doesn¡¯t prove that he¡¯s innocent,¡± Rachel said calmly. ¡°He¡¯s not a citizen


    of our country, but he tried to threaten our citizens. If such a person enters and exits our country as he


    pleases in the future, Fin afraid that it won¡¯t be a good influence on our citizens


    Upon hearing this, Chief Kandor instantly understood and said with a serious expression, ¡°ording to


    our country¡¯s criminalw, people who are considered to be capable of terrorist, violent, or subversive


    activities after entering the country are prohibited from entering¡±


    Chapter 816


    Seeing how serious he was, Rachel curled her lips into a satisfied smile. ¡°It¡¯s the citizens¡¯ honor to have


    someone as impartial as you, Chief Kandor.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re exaggerating,¡± said Chief Kandor.


    As they spoke, the two of them arrived at the interrogation room.


    Chief Kandor pushed open the door and nced at the surveince camera. He said to Rachel, ¡°Miss


    Grey, please hurry.¡±


    Rachel nodded and walked in.


    Noah¡¯s hands were shackled as he sat on the chair. The moment he saw Rachel appear, his calm


    expression slightly changed.


    A cruel glint flickered in his eyes under the sses. Noah gritted his teeth and said sarcastically.


    ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re really capable!


    He was from the second branch of the Jones family in Aureliana. Throughout his life, Noah had been


    superior to everyone else and all looked up to him. He had never been in such a sorry state before! He


    could not believe that he was held prisoner!


    ¡°Im only slightly more capable than you¡± Rachel sat on the chair with her legs crossed. Her posture was


    lazy and casual, but the aura around her could not be concealed.


    Noah narrowed his eyes. At this moment, he somewhat understood why his sister, Marina, hated


    Rachel so much.


    Rachel¡¯s confidence was too ostentatious. It was as if she was above everyone else and looked down


    on all living beings. It was really annoying


    Noah leaned back against the chair and sized up Rachel again. ¡°Rachel, do you really think that you


    can do whatever you want just because David is backing you?¡±


    ¡°Not really¡± Rachel raised her eyes and looked at him. From herzy posture, it was obvious that she


    looked down on Noah. ¡°With him around, it¡¯s just the icing on the cake.¡±


    In other words, even without Davad backing her, she could still do whatever she wanted.


    Upon hearing this, Noah chuckled loudly. ¡°It¡¯s indeed good to be young. Being young will allow one to


    have an exaggerated opinion of one¡¯s own abilities¡±


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a bright smile. There was a hint of pity in her voice when she said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity


    that you¡¯re over 40 years old, so you won¡¯t be able to experience the advantages of being young


    Noah was rendered speechless, and he could not control the expression on his face.


    He took a deep breath and rposed himself. ¡°Rachel, I said before that I think highly of your ability,


    and you behave in a way that is beyond my expectations. However, as someone who has been through


    this before, listen to my advice. Youths shouldn¡¯te to a conclusion too early. Until thest moment,


    it¡¯s still uncertain who will win.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. With Julian as your scapegoat, what do you have to be afraid of Rachel said ¡°But as


    someone who attempts to harm national security and interests, we have the right to ban you from


    entering the country for life.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Noah had a dark expression. He clenched his fists tightly, and he stared viciously at


    her


    This move had really pulled the rug from under his feet!


    Once he was convicted of this crime, he wouldpletely lose the qualifications to enter and leave


    Crucsia. He would even be used of trying to interfere in Seaxas¡¯s business!


    ¡°I want to see mywyer!¡± Noah did not want to waste his breath on Rachel


    His top priority now was to leave this ce as soon as possible!


    As long as he returned to Aureliana, there would be room for negotiation!

 Chapter 817

    Chapter 817


    Chapter 817


    Rachel ignored Noah


    Seeing that she was ignoring him, Noah mmed the table angrily and shouted coldly. ¡°Hugo. I know


    you¡¯re standing outside the door! On ount of our many years of friendship, I won¡¯t make things


    difficult for you! Get mywyer to see me munediately!¡°


    Chief Kandor was standing outside the door. Hearing his name being called out, his body trembled, and


    he began to feel the guilt creep up on him


    However, he knew very well that since he was on Rachel¡¯s side, he had to cut all ties with Noah.


    Whether it was in the workce or officialdom, the biggest taboo was being indecisive and not knowing


    which side to choose


    Hugo knew this very well, so he simply summoned one of his subordinates and gave him a few simple


    instructions. He had cold sweat on his forehead as he fled back to his office to hide


    Noah waited for a bit, but nothing happened. His heart sunk a little


    At this moment. Hugo still had not appeared, which meant that he did not want to have anything to do


    with Noah.


    However, if Noah wanted to leave the police station sessfully, Hugo was the most important aspect.


    If Hugo was unwilling


    to help him, even if Noah was very capable, he still would not be able to leave the police station


    At that thought, Noah finally started to panic. He was like a cat on a hot tin roof, unable to stay


    composed any longer.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Noah took off his sses and stared at Rachel with dark eyes. ¡°What exactly do you want!¡± he roared.


    Rachel slowly stood up and walked over to Noah with light and casual steps.


    She crossed her arms and leaned her waist against the table, looking down at him.


    Noah sat on the chair, unable to move. He was unwilling to be suppressed by Rachel Hence, he could


    only try his best to straighten his back and try topete with Rachel


    Little did he know that in Rachel¡¯s eyes, he seemed veryical


    Rachel quietly observed Noah as he tried to sit straight. Her red lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°You don¡¯t


    really think that the summit was arranged in Titia because you were behind it, do you? Do you really


    think that just because of a document from a relevant department and that so-called evidence that you


    have, you can convict me of a crime?¡±


    Noah red at Rachel. ¡°So you knew all along?¡±


    There was a slight tremor in his voice. It was not fear or panic, but anger after realizing that he had


    been yed.


    He thought that everything he did was done without anyone knowing, but he did not know that


    everything was under Rachel¡¯s control.


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth curled up slightly, and her eyes were filled with a faint coldness. She did


    not have much expression, but somehow, anyone who saw her would fear her. ¡°Actually, your methods


    are a little more brilliant than Auntie Marina¡¯s You spent a lot of timeying the foundation for this


    matter, and you know how to nt a spy by my side. However, you¡¯re only a little more brilliant than


    her.¡±


    In other words, Marina and Noah were the same. It was not embarrassing for Noah to lose to Rachel.


    Noah was over 50 years old. He was born into a wealthy family that everyone scrambled to get into.


    Ever since Noah was young, he had cultivated the ability to hide his emotions. He behaved like a


    gentleman. It was because he was good at hiding his ambition that he could protect himself in the cruel


    fight over the sessor¡¯s position.


    However, because of Rachel¡¯s words, Noah could no longer maintain his usual gentlemanly behavior


    At this moment, he could not help but wonder if he had lost to Rachel because he was too conceited.


    However, Noah had investigated Rachel before She only had a slightly better background than ordinary


    girls. Other than that, there was nothing special about her


    Therefore, Noah really could not understand how Rachel overturned the case by herself, and how she


    managed to


    counterattack him


    Noah had a gloomy look as he red at Rachel ¡°Rachel, I¡¯m David¡¯s second uncle, and I¡¯m the second


    son of the Jones family in Aureliana. If you kill me, I can guarantee that the Jones family¡¯s n elders


    will not let you off! The Elders will also pursue the matter to the end!¡±


    His words were definitely not a threat


    For many years, in order to protect himself at this critical moment, he had secretly bribed the n


    elders and the Elders.


    The money he gave them gradually raised their appetite.


    If something happened to him, it would be equivalent to cutting off their source of ie. Those


    people would not sit back and let that happen.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid?¡± Rachel ced her hands on the table behind her. The smile on her face was


    provocative. ¡°My uncle was framed. Isn¡¯t that the work of you and Yandel? Why? Do you want to do it


    again?¡±


    Hearing this, Noah stared at Rachel in disbelief. His eyes widened in shock.


    Rachel actually knew everything!


    ¡°If that¡¯s so¡­ what is there that she doesn¡¯t know?¡± he thought.


    With this thought in mind, the smile on Noah¡¯s became a little strange. He looked at Rachel with an


    intriguing gaze. ¡°Rachel, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know Yandel¡¯s true identity, right?¡±


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re about to tell me,¡± Rachel said calmly.


    Noah froze. The smile faded a little from his lips.


    He did not expect that one day, he would let slip his disguise in front of a fledgling girl. Moreover,


    Rachel would always manage to catch the key points.


    ¡°For something so interesting like this, theter it¡¯s revealed, the more interesting it will be.¡± Noah


    stared straight at Rachel. afraid to miss the subtle changes in her facial expression. ¡°Do you know why


    David changed the venue of the summit to Titia? That¡¯s because he didn¡¯t want that woman to realize


    your existence so soon.


    ¡°How glorious do you think David¡¯s background is? You still don¡¯t know about Harrison, David¡¯s father¡¯s


    previous love affairs, right?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel frowned imperceptibly.


    When she heard Noah say, ¡°How glorious do you think David¡¯s background is?¡± She felt as if


    something had stabbed her


    heart.


    Rachel¡¯s intuition told her that the matter behind this was not that simple..


    ¡°You are really in a good mood. You¡¯re about to be expelled from Crucsia, but you still have the mood


    to care about your brother¡¯s affairs. Rachel chuckled softly. ¡°People say that Mr. Noah is upright and


    gentlemanly. I don¡¯t think so. I think he¡¯s more like a gossipmonger who love to stir up trouble.¡±


    Noah¡¯s expression suddenly darkened.


    All these years, he had put on airs and enjoyed everyone¡¯s ttery, but now, Rachel had belittled him


    like he was worthless. She had even described him as a gossipmonger.


    Noah¡¯s hands were tightly clenched into fists, and his chest heaved violently.


    He thought that he was good at reading people¡¯s minds and could toy with everyone. However, he felt a


    deep sense of defeat when facing Rachel.


    This woman was stubborn and difficult to deal with.


    He did not know how to deal with her!


    Noah finally lost his cool and said coldly, ¡®Rachel, how about we make a deal?¡±

 Chapter 818

    Chapter 818


    Chapter 818


    With a smile, Rachel looked up at Noah and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have no time for you and I¡¯m not


    interested as well.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After finishing her sentence, Rachel turned around and left.


    As Noah watched Rachel leave, Noah shouted indignantly, ¡°Are you really not interested, or are you


    worried that you will know too much?¡±


    Hearing Noah¡¯s words, Rachel paused in her tracks. Turning around to look at Noah, Rachel said


    nonchntly, ¡°I recalled that Mr. Jones mentioned in person that riveting things are usually more


    interesting when they are revealed at thest. Why are you losing your cool now?¡± It was obvious that


    Rachel¡¯s words were filled with mockery and sarcasm.


    Despite hearing Rachel¡¯s mockery, Noah had no time to care about this. now as he only wanted to


    leave this ce as soon as possible.


    As long as Noah was not banished from the country, there was still hope for him and room for


    negotiation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know the rtionship between Mrs. Olson and David?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Besides, other


    than me, there¡¯s no one who will tell you about this!¡± Noah added.


    Noah¡¯s tone was resolute. It was as though Noah was certain and expected Rachel to change her mind


    after hearing his words.


    However, Noah had underestimated Rachel.


    With narrowed eyes, there was a glint that shed in Rachel¡¯s eyes when she said, ¡°Even if I want to


    know about it, I will not want to hear it from you. You¡¯re thest person whom I would listen to regarding


    this matter.¡±


    Rachel, being smart, already had a vague idea of what had happened just from listening to the bits and


    pieces from Noah.


    ¡°Mrs. Olson, David¡¯s father, and David¡­


    ¡°Mrs. Olson should be David¡¯s biological mother. As for why Mrs. Olson became the Olson family


    patriarch¡¯s wife rather than the Jones family patriarch¡¯s wife, it was probably because of a


    melodramatic love-hate rtionship.¡± Rachel thought to herself.


    However, Rachel was toozy to continue investigating.


    Chapter 818


    Besides, rather than letting her imagination run wild and making


    random guesses, Rachel hoped that David would tell her in person in the future.


    ¡°If David wanted to tell me about it, I¡¯m willing to be his loyal listener. However, if David doesn¡¯t wish to


    tell me, I will definitely kill my curiosity without hesitation.¡± Rachel thought inwardly.


    ¡°Mr. Jones, since you¡¯ve given me so much advice, I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice as well,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Instead of trying so hard to twist the facts. and sow discord here, why don¡¯t you think about your ns


    after you¡¯re banished from the country?¡±


    After finishing her sentence, Rachel opened the door of the interrogation room and walked out.


    Until now, Noah still could not figure out why he could not outsmart Rachel although he had been so


    smart for most of his life.


    Noah was so confident that the trump card that he was holding could save him at this critical moment.


    Noah was caught by surprise that his trump cardpletely ignored his life and death.


    Ultimately, Julian was sentenced for several crimes, including rape, personal threats, and smuggling


    within the country.


    On the other hand, Noah was deemed to be highly suspicious and threatened the interest of the nation.


    Noah was not allowed to step foot on Crucsia ever again for the rest of his life.


    After everything was settled, Rachel and the others set off on their way. back to Seaxas.


    On the ne, everyone¡¯s faces were filled with joy.


    If they could get a spot in the Skysgate Group this time, what awaits them would be a promotion and a


    raise.


    Who could remain calm at the thought of that?


    Of course, there were always exceptions.


    Carolina did not feel happy.


    Previously, Carolina did not pay much attention to working together as a team. In addition, Carolina


    often stabbed her teammates in the back, causing everyone toin about her. However,


    considering that they


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    11:19 0


    Chapter 818


    would still cross paths with each other, the rest of the team still had to maintain a good rtionship with


    Carolina on the surface.


    Ever since Carolina had been taken away at the summit that day, everyone could not be bothered to


    even put on a pretense. Hence, Carolina waspletely isted from her team.


    Carolina knew very well that after she returned to Seaxas, she would be reported, severely scolded,


    and even fired. Since Carolina knew that she will be fired, she decided to give up and drop her


    pretense.


    Seeing that everyone was sending memes to each other in the group chat, Carolina couldn¡¯t help but


    say sourly, ¡°Why are you all so happy just because of a few dors? All of you must have been beggars


    in your past. lives!¡±


    ¡°Oh well. Of course, we¡¯re not as capable as you.¡± One of the women. retorted bluntly and smirked.


    ¡°We were unable to be recognized by Mr. Julian and did not manage to get 2 million dors as a


    reward. We also were unable to experience a day trip to the police station.¡±


    Carolina was speechless.


    However, Carolina knew that she was in the wrong, so she did not say anything else.


    After more than two hours of traveling, the ne finallynded steadily at the Seaxas International


    Airport.


    At the airport exit. After Rachel parted ways with Linda and the others, she brought Aileen and Chris to


    the private hospital.


    When Vulture heard that Aileen wasing, he became easily distracted. and smoked one cigarette


    after another.


    As Vulture continued to smoke, the cigarette butts that were on the ground begin to umte at an


    rming rate.


    After a long period of time, Vulture saw a familiar figure from the corner of his eye.


    Vulture took the cigarette out of his mouth and casually threw it on the ground. After stepping on the


    cigarette for a few times to extinguish it, Vulture quickly stepped forward.


    As soon as Vulture approached, Rachel could smell a strong smell of smoke that wasing from him.


    With her eyebrows slightly furrowed,


    Chapter 818.


    Rachel asked, ¡°At the rate that you¡¯re smoking, the whole factory that produces cigarettes would have


    gone bankrupt.¡±


    Vulture looked embarrassed and said, ¡°I¡­ identally smoked too much.¡±


    Hearing Vulture¡¯s words, there was a meaningful look on Rachel¡¯s face when she told Vulture, ¡°Well,


    that¡¯s pretty careless of you.¡±


    Vulture raised his hand and scratched his head absently. ncing


    around, Vulture asked carefully, ¡°Where¡¯s Aileen?¡±


    ¡°Aileen¡¯s right behind me,¡± Rachel said. Turning her body slightly, Rachel indicated that Vulture should


    look behind her.


    Aileen was wearing a ck velvet long dress. Thece at the hem and cuffs of her dress made Aileen


    look sweet and elegant.


    Her long hair was scattered behind her, and Aileen wore a diamond hair clip.


    Aileen was holding a parasol in her hand as she steadily walked over from afar. Under the sun, Aileen


    looked like an elegant and noble ck


    swan.


    Vulture stared fixedly at Aileen who was walking towards him until she stood right in front of him. Aileen


    looked at Vulture and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s as if you are interested in me¡­¡±


    Before Aileen could finish her sentence, Vulture suddenly rushed forward and hugged her tightly.


    The sudden and unexpected embrace shocked Aileen.


    Unlike Aileen¡¯s usual behavior, there was a rare hint of gentleness in Aileen¡¯s eyes and her gaze


    softened visibly. Aileen felt that her heart was thumping wildly out of control.


    Just as Aileen carefully raised her hand and was about to respond, Vulture suddenly let go of her.


    Raising his hand, Vulture gave a heavy pat on Aileen¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Tonight, let¡¯s drink to our


    heart¡¯s content! We¡¯ll not go home until all of us are drunk!¡±


    Aileen came back to her senses and looked down to mask the emotions in her eyes. Pursing her lips,


    Aileen repeated absent-mindedly, ¡°We¡¯ll not go home until all of us are drunk.¡±


    ¡°You guys can go ahead and talk. I¡¯ll be taking a call. Rachel interrupted


    Chapter 818


    the two of them timely and walked away to take her call.


    After the call was connected, Lucas¡¯s voice sounded from Rachel¡¯s phone. ¡°It¡¯s such a coincidence that


    you had asked me to investigate Mrs. Olsonst night. They left Seaxasst night.¡±


    ¡°They left Seaxas?¡± Rachel asked as she frowned. Pursing her lips, Rachel pondered for a moment


    before asking Lucas, ¡°Did you manage to have any findings?¡±


    ¡°The news about Yandel has been blocked. It wasn¡¯t until Yandel leftst night that I found some clues


    through the surveince cameras.¡± Lucas lit a cigarette and said unhurriedly, ¡°Yandel¡¯s left shoulder


    should be injured. As for the extent of the injury, we are unable to know about the details at this point in


    time. However, the hospital¡¯s team of specialists was mobilizedst night. It can¡¯t be a small injury.¡±


    Rachel grunted a reply and hung up the call.


    ¡°It so happens that Yandel had suffered from a serious injury and left Seaxas just before I came back.


    Was it a coincidence or was it deliberate?¡± Rachel pondered.

 Chapter 819

    Chapter 819


    Chapter 819


    Rachel could not help but recall what Noah had said earlier. ¡°Do you know why David changed the


    venue of the summit to Titia? It¡¯s because David wanted to dy as much as possible for that woman


    to discover your existence.¡±


    At that time, Noah didn¡¯t specify who the woman was, but Rachel guessed that Noah should have been


    referring to Mrs. Olson.


    ¡°The reason why David refused to let me return to Seaxas was because of Mrs. Olson?¡± Rachel


    thought to herself.


    Many wild guesses popped up in Rachel¡¯s mind.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Aileen walked up to Rachel and asked. Aileen looked at the expression


    on Rachel¡¯s face and a hint of worry shed in her eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± Aileen asked concernedly.


    Rachel came back to her senses and shook her head gently. ¡°Let¡¯s go. take you to see Lone Wolf.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Aileen replied.


    I¡¯ll


    The group walked into the hospital building and took the elevator to the ward where Lone Wolf was.


    After receiving treatment and a period of recuperation, Lone Wolf¡¯s overall recovery was not bad.


    The few of them gathered together and chatted. Vulture suggested that they go out for a gathering


    tonight. The other two people agreed and immediately took out their phones to search if there were any


    fun ces. nearby that they could go.


    After choosing the location, they set off together.


    Aileen noticed that Rachel kept ncing at her phone and looked absent-minded. Her lips curled


    upwards into a yful smile and Aileen gave Rachel¡¯s shoulder a yful bump.


    ¡°Hey, are you thinking about someone? A man?¡± Aileen asked yfully.


    Rachel came back to her senses and turned to look at Aileen. ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°You can,¡± Aileen said, ¡°You are Twelve, there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do!¡±


    Chapter 819


    However, Aileen could not help but sigh in her heart. ¡°Time really passed. quickly.


    ¡°In the blink of an eye, Twelve already had a man.


    ¡°As for me¡­¡± Aileen thought to herself as her gaze swept across Vulture casually.


    Then, Aileen lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in her eyes.


    After returning to Seaxas, Rachel only had one thought in her mind, and that was to meet David.


    Rachel wanted to see how David¡¯s wound was recovering. Rachel also wanted to see if David had lost


    weight, and did he rest well recently.


    However, Aileen hade from afar. Logically speaking, Rachel felt that she shouldn¡¯t have


    abandoned Aileen and left without asking her.


    Therefore, Rachel could only suppress the strong urge to meet David.


    Although Chris might have already told David that Rachel had returned, Rachel was even nning to


    head to Ster Corporation in secretter after dinner and give David a huge surprise.


    With a turbulent of emotions, Rachel walked to the parking lot. At this moment. Chris, who was


    following behind Rachel, quickly walked forward and whispered in her ear, ¡°Miss Grey, Mr. Jones is


    waiting for you in Area B.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel¡¯s face immediately lit up. With a face of joy, Rachel asked, ¡°David¡¯s here?¡±


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s smile, a smile tugged at Chris¡¯s mouth. With a faint smile. on his face, Chris replied,


    ¡°Mr. Jones was already here since 10 minutes. ago.¡±


    In other words, David had been waiting for her in the parking lot after learning that Rachel had


    returned.


    David gave Rachel plenty of time and personal space for Rachel to catch up with her friends.


    Vulture, who was walking in front, had been silently watching Rachel from the corner of his eyes.


    Vulture did not know what Chris and Rachel were whispering about. However, when Vulture saw the


    bright and moving smile on Rachel¡¯s face, he did not need to make any guesses as


    he knew that it was most likely rted to David.


    Ever since Rachel came back, she had been depressed and


    absent-minded. In just a short while, Rachel was already beaming with joy. ¡°Rachel¡¯s so fucking


    useless!¡±


    After the thought shed across Vulture¡¯s mind, he subconsciously let out


    a cold snort.


    Aileen noticed the change in Vulture¡¯s expression but she acted as if nothing had happened. However,


    there was a bitter taste in her mouth.


    Aileen took a deep breath and suppressed the bitterness that she was feeling. With a faint smile on her


    face, Aileen asked Vulture, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Twelve anything?¡±


    Vulture held his breath and looked into the distance. There was a hint of disappointment in his eyes


    when Vulture replied. ¡°Some things are better kept to themselves than to be said out loud.¡±


    Even if Rachel was not with David. Vulture might not have said what was on his mind.


    Vulture knew very well that Rachel had only treated them as her friends.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Once some things were said, it would only push Rachel further and further away from them.


    Aileen stared at Vulture unblinkingly and asked, ¡°Are you willing to ept this?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t ept it,¡± Vulture said frankly. ¡°I can¡¯t ept that I¡¯m only friends. with her, but I¡¯m more afraid


    that I have nothing to do with her.¡±


    If it was in the past, Vulture would have confessed to Rachel on impulse. However, perhaps because


    he was older now, Vulture had more concerns and did not dare to say a single word.


    This was because Vulture knew that Rachel would reject him without hesitation. Vulture was also


    worried that he would not even be able to be friends with Rachel after that. Instead of that happening,


    Vulture would rather stay by Rachel¡¯s side as a friend.


    Upon hearing this, Aileen raised her head and looked at him with an ambiguous gaze. With a mocking


    smile, Aileen said, ¡°You sure are thoughtful! Coward!¡±


    With that, Aileen left Vulture behind and walked forward quickly.


    Vulture was speechless.


    ¡°Did I say something wrong just now?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t? Did I?¡± Vulture pondered.


    Looking at Lone Wolf in confusion, Vulture asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Aileen?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re curious, you should go and ask her yourself,¡± Lone Wolf replied.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? If I ask now, I¡¯ll be risking my life!¡± Vulture. eximed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve certainly improved.¡± Lone Wolf remarked.


    Upon hearing Lone Wolf¡¯s words, Vulture could not help but reveal a smug smile on his face. However,


    Vulture only looked smug for a few seconds before he heard Lone Wolf say, ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯ve only


    improved by a little bit.¡±


    Vulture fell silent.


    ¡°Lone Wolf¡¯s really getting better at scolding people.¡± Vulture thought to himself.


    Just when Vulture was lost in his thoughts, Rachel walked over and said, ¡°You guys can go in first. I¡¯ll


    go out for a while.¡±


    As soon as Rachel had finished speaking, she had already turned around and was heading directly for


    Area B in the parking lot.


    Looking at Rachel¡¯s hurried footsteps, Vulture couldn¡¯t help but pout andined, ¡°Look at how


    impatient Rachel is! Rachel doesn¡¯t have the reservedness that a woman should possess at all!¡±


    Lone Wolf smiled faintly and said nothing.


    On the other side, Rachel walked into Area B of the parking lot and immediately saw the ck Rolls-


    Royce.


    The car was parked at the side, just like a ferocious beast that was pretending to be asleep. Even


    though the car was silently still, it still exuded a terrifying aura.


    When the people in the car saw Rachel, the door of the car slowly opened,


    The man¡¯s tall figure came into view.


    David was wearing his usual ck shirt and a pair of ck suit pants. There was an innate cold and


    elegant aura that was surrounding David.


    Regardless of the location and timing, Rachel still felt a sense of desire. and her heartbeat quickens


    when she is facing David.


    It was just like the first time when they had met when Rachel had been amazed and stunned by David.


    Rachel took a deep breath. Just as Rachel was gathering her emotions. and thinking about what to say


    to David, the man in front of her had already walked forward and pulled her into his arms. David¡¯s arms


    wrapped around Rachel in a tight embrace.


    The familiar cold wooden fragrance filled Rachel¡¯s nose, bringing an indescribable sense offort


    and a sense of security.


    Rachel reached out and wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s waist while taking in David¡¯s scent


    greedily. Closing her eyes, the corners of Rachel¡¯s mouth curled up subconsciously and she revealed


    an expression of satisfaction.

 Chapter 820

    Chapter 820


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡± asked David, his deep voice echoing into Rachel¡¯s ears through the


    vibrations in his cliest.


    It was like a rhythmic drumbeatnded in her ears, and her heart could not help but ripple.


    She raised her head slowly and met his eyes. ¡°I was thinking you¡¯re someone I¡¯d fall in love with even if


    I met you ten thousand times.¡±


    Some words were brewing in her mind, but she did not know how to speak. But the moment she said it,


    she realized it wasn¡¯t that hard.


    Upon hearing her words, David¡¯s heart felt like it was being squeezed by something Subsequently, his


    heart started beating uncontrobly, and the blood all over his body seemed to boil at once.


    His arms tightened around Rachel¡¯s waist, and he wanted to squeeze her into his body.


    Rachel struggled a little, worried that he might pull his wound. ¡°How¡¯s your wound?¡± she asked.


    David¡¯s fingertips gently rubbed the corners of her eyes. His ck eyes became deeper and deeper,


    and uncontroble emotions surged in the depths of his pupils..


    He leaned down slightly and nted a soft kiss on her lips. ¡°Tll show you tonight¡±


    Rachel looked puzzled.


    She didn¡¯t know if she thought wrong but felt it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as only seeing his wound at night.


    The two embraced together. The doting and indulgent look in the man¡¯s eyes was hard to ignore.


    Watching them silently from afar. Aileen was dun ounded and looked like she had seen a ghost.


    She still remembered the first time she saw David at a banquet.


    Wearing a well-tailored ck suit, David stepped down a winding staircase slowly and casually.


    The bright light shone on his well-defined face, making his exquisite facial features look more profound


    and three-dimensional.


    He exuded a noble and indifferent aura that seemed to overflow from the depths of his bones. His


    terrifying aura was the most eye-catching existence present.


    Even though he only stood there without saying anything, his strong presence was enough to awe


    everyone.


    But the man before her was domineering and gentle now, and his eyes were full of love and


    indulgence. Except for his handsome face, Aileen found it hard to believe he was the same man.


    Back then. David was cold, heartless, and mighty, like an immortal without emotions and desires. He


    was sacred and invible.


    At that time, Aileen realized that such a man would never stop for a woman, let alone fall in love with


    any woman.


    However, when Aileen saw how David doted on Rachel, she suddenly realized what made the world


    wonderful was that it was full of surprises that she didn¡¯t expect.


    Aileen suddenly understood why people were so happy to see the Flower of the High Ridge being


    pulled down from the


    altar.


    Vulture had no idea why Aileen was so angry suddenly. He caught up with her and wanted to find out


    what was going on with her. However, he happened to see her staring at David infatuatedly. He couldn¡¯t


    help but roll his eyes and said faintly. ¡°So you like this type of man.¡±


    Aileen snapped back to her senses. She turned her head and coincidentally met Vulture¡¯s handsome


    face. She was startled, and her face blushed unnaturally. ¡°Who said I like this type?¡±


    ¡°Then what type of man do you like?¡± Vulture asked.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s¡­¡± Aileen answered without hesitation. However, she snapped back to her senses a


    second before her answer blurted out of her mouth. ¡°None of your business!¡± she said with anger and


    shame.


    Vulture was speechless by her remark.


    Did he say something wrong again?


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    At this point, Rachel pulled herself away from David¡¯s arms. She followed his gaze and saw Aileen


    waving at her from a distance.


    Rachel introduced her to David generously, ¡°Aileen Dickinson, Miss Dickinson from Skysgate Group. I


    usually like to call


    her Nine.¡±


    ¡°Nine?¡± David raised his eyebrows slightly. He already had some guesses in his mind. He leaned over


    and whispered in


    Rachel¡¯s car. A member of the Red me Action Tram!¡±


    Rachel noted


    Aileen walked forward and realized that the gentleness and love in the man¡¯s eyes in the previous


    second had disappeared All that was left was an indifferent and cold expression, just like the face that


    had left a deep impression on her back then.


    It turned out that the man had not changed at all


    No More spec the ally, he was only stingy and did not want to show emotions to anyone other than


    Rachel.


    Aileen took a deep breath and adjusted her emotions. ¡°Hello, Mr. Jones, she greeted hum graciously


    David nced at her undifferently and frowned slightly Miss Dickinson, are you from the Skysgate


    Group!¡±


    Aileen nodded and said. ¡°My tather is Edrick Dickinson¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re the elder sister?¡± David asked.


    Aileen was stunned before she nodded. ¡°Yes. My father is on vacation with my younger sister¡±


    ¡°Well Give him my regards.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±


    The short conversation made Aileen feel even more pressured


    David deserved to be the youngest head of the Jones family, indeed. The terrifying aura on his body


    was not something ordinary people could withstand.


    They got into the cars after a while


    Rachel naturally wouldn¡¯t ride with them in the same car.


    Looking at Rachel being carefully cared for by David, Aileen suddenly felt a surge of envy


    Any woman fantasized about being unique and irreceable to a man.


    It was just that she didn¡¯t seem to be that lucky


    Aileen gradually retracted her gaze and fell on Vulture. The blockhead probably never knew what she


    was thinking in her lifetime


    The cars drove all the way and finally arrived at Best Fry


    They sat in the ancient-looking private room. Vulture, Lone Wolf, and Aileen huddled together and


    quickly flipped through the menu to look for the most expensive dishes. They secretly nned to extort


    David.


    Their thoughts were clearly shown on their faces, but David ignored them.


    He and Rachel sat on the vintage couch in front of the window He picked up the coffee pot, poured a


    cup of coffee, and handed it to Rachel. ¡°Did you suffer any losses when fighting Noah??¡±


    Rachel supported her chin with one hand and looked at him. Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the


    golden sunlight shone on the man¡¯s body, coating him with ayer of golden light and softening the cold


    and indifferent aura on his body.


    ¡°I¡¯m your fianc¨¦e after all. How can I embarrass you?¡± Rachel said, ¡°Besides, you were the one who


    especially sent him to me to practice. How can I disappoint you?¡±


    The change in the venue of the industry summit was not only due to Noal¡¯s covert operation but also


    because David was taking advantage of the situation.


    Noah was able to appear in front of her because of David.


    Back then, when her uncle was framed and imprisoned, Noah was one of the masterminds behind the


    scenes.


    With new and old grudges added together, she naturally would not show mercy to Noah.


    Even though Noah was David¡¯s uncle, she would still not be polite to him.


    Of course, David had sent Noah to her because she could do whatever she wanted to him without


    any worries

 Chapter 821

    Chapter 821


    Chapter 821


    David looked at Rachel with a faint smile in his deep eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s performance in Titia was a bit unexpected.


    He had imagined that Rachel would be able to get away with it sessfully. If not, he would naturally


    not stand by and do nothing.


    However, he did not expect Rachel to be able to get away sessfully in just two hours. She


    pressured the peacekeepers at the border to respond as a high-ranking officer.


    She was like a treasure that would always give people a different surprise when they least expected it.


    Soon, the dishes were served, and everyone sat around the table to eat.


    Lone Wolf, Vulture, and Aileen wittily sat opposite Rachel and David, so they naturally saw their


    movements.


    They knew that Twelve had always been picky about what she ate.


    Therefore, when they were together in the past, every time they mentioned food, they would be in a


    difficult position for a while.


    They remembered that Rachel ate some wild vegetable once and suffered from vomiting and diarrhea


    for a day and night. With this painful experience, the people of the Red me Action Team were forced


    to be five-star chefs.


    Everyone worked orderly shifts as cooks. For this reason, they were mocked by their opponents for a


    long time, saying that they were better at holding a spat than carrying a gun.


    Even so, no one had ever treated Rachel the way David did.


    David silently picked out the side dishes she didn¡¯t like. He peeled the prawns, carefully picked out the


    fish bones, and then put them in her bowl.


    In his eye, Rachel seemed to be a child who was incapable of looking after herself. But even so, he


    was willing to give silently.


    Looking at the scene before her. Aileen suddenly felt that the prawns she had peeled no longer tasted.


    From the corner of her eye, she saw Vulture. Even her thoughts of stuffing herself with food were


    dispelled.


    They both were men and how could they be so different?


    Why couldn¡¯t this blockhead sense her feelings at all?


    After the meal, David helped Rachel get a cup of coffee. ¡°You guys go on. I have something to do at the


    company, so I¡¯ll pick you up after work.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Rachel¡¯s heart moved slightly. An indescribable warmth and gratitude silently


    spread from the bottom of


    her heart.


    She knew he said he need go back to hispany as an excuse to give them enough space to be


    together.


    She smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you


    And do something else.


    off.¡±


    When the two of them left side by side, Aileen¡¯s eyes were filled with envy.


    Tsk, this was what it meant to be a perfect match!


    It was hard not to be envious!


    When Vulture heard Aileen sigh again, he said grumpily, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, I will be the first to kill you if


    you dare to steal Twelve¡¯s man!¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Aileen roared furiously. She grabbed a bolster beside her and threw it at Vulture. ¡°Which eye


    of yours saw me trying to steal Twelve¡¯s man? After years of not seeing each other, it¡¯s fine if your brain


    doesn¡¯t improve, but your eyes are blind!*


    Then Aileen felt a lump in her throat, and her eyes turned red and moist.


    Noticing that the corners of her eyes were red, Vulture couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you so out of


    control and sensitive? You didn¡¯t get scammed by a scumbag, did you?


    ¡°Of course!¡± said Aileen, looking at him with a fake smile.


    Then she walked out of the private room and went to the restroom.


    Vulture sat on the chair in confusion and nced at Lone Wolf, who was ying on his phone. ¡°Hey,


    why do I feel like she was scolding me just now?¡±


    Lone Wolf raised his eyes and gave him a faint look. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked meaningfully.


    The night was dark. Under the colorful neon lights, it looked a bit extravagant and gorgeous.


    Rachel and the others sat in an open-air bar on the top floor.


    They all looked up at the sky but had different thoughts.


    Rachel watched as Aileen drank one bottle after another. She couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Do you want to


    get drunk tonight, or do you want to drink to die?¡±


    Something would happen to Aileen sooner orter if she drank like that.


    Aileen didn¡¯t take Aileen¡¯s words to heart. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can hold my liquor well,¡± said she.


    Then Aileen raised her beer bottle to the sky and shouted, ¡°To our past years and our reunion after so


    many years! Cheers!¡±


    Her toasts were really irresistible.


    Everyone could only raise their heads and drink their beers.


    Under the effects of alcohol, the barrier between them that they had not seen for many years gradually


    dissipated, and they slowly opened their hearts to each other.


    Having her eyes closed, Aileen ced her hands behind her back to enjoy thefortable night


    breeze.


    *Rae-Rae, have you decided to be with David?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Rachel looked at Aileen sideways. She rubbed the ring on her finger with her


    fingertips, and the corners of her mouth subconsciously curled up slightly. ¡°I said yes to his proposal.


    What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I just feel things are going too fast between you two. Aileen used the strength of alcohol to pour out


    her worries and concerns. ¡°A man like David is domineering and possessive. Sooner orter, you will


    suffer when you are with him.¡±


    Rachel did not think so. ¡°He won¡¯t, said she.


    ¡°Of course, he wouldn¡¯t care about your suitor around you in the past,¡± Aileen analyzed calmly. ¡°Think


    about it, who is David? He is the youngest family head in the history of the Jones family in Aureliana.


    His background has also made him arrogant. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t treat someone as his opponent


    casually.


    ¡°But if a suitor simr to his background appears by your side one day, will David maintain his current


    status?¡±


    Without waiting for Rachel to answer. Aileen said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it anyway.¡±


    Now David didn¡¯t take anyone seriously, just because he had enough confidence in himself, but also


    because he never took them seriously.


    If a strong opponent appeared one day, it was hard to guarantee that the possessiveness in his bones


    would not be aroused. The four of them toasted each other without any ill feelings. Unknowingly, it was


    alreadyte at night.


    When David came to the bar to pick up Rachel, he saw her sitting cross-legged on the ground, looking


    up at the crescent moon under the night sky. She was like a proud white cat enjoying a moment of


    loneliness and peace.


    Hearing footsteps behind her, Rachel turned around and had a look. Seeing David, she said with a


    smile. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Are you drunk?¡± David frowned slightly. He walked forward, took off his suit


    jacket, and draped it over her shoulders.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No,¡± said Rachel, shaking her head.


    She smelled of alcohol all over her body, but she answered every question with clear logic. For a


    moment, it was hard to tell whether or not she was drunk.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Are youing home with me?¡± asked David.


    ¡°Sure. "

 Chapter 822

    Chapter 822


    Chapter 822


    Rachel staggered to her feet, but her legs were numb after sitting cross-legged for so long. She opened


    her arms to David and said with a cold voice mixed with softness, ¡°My legs are numb. Please carry


    me.¡±


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    Rachel¡¯s eyes were pure and hazy with ayer of moisture. They carried an unclear innocence and


    were exceptionally seductive.


    David¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his eyes darkened.


    He walked closer and saw the assortment of bottles scattered around Rachel¡¯s feet.


    The bottles of Beer, liquor, and foreign wine.


    No wonder they all drank so much that it was as if their souls were out of their bodies.


    Fortunately, Rachel looked fine.


    In his impression, Rachel had never been drunk.


    David picked her up horizontally. Rachel leaned on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his


    neck. ¡°David, I¡¯m delighted today,¡± said she.


    ¡°Why are you delighted?¡± David looked down at her.


    Rachel did not say anything.


    A subtle dark glint shed across David¡¯s eyes when he saw Rachel was so quiet and behaved. ¡°Rae-


    Rae, are you drunk?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Rachel answered his question.


    After a brief silence, she looked at David and said again, I¡¯m delighted today.¡±


    She had repeated it twice. Now, David was sure that she was drunk.


    David did not say anything else to her. After carrying her horizontally, he turned and walked straight to


    the door.


    Standing at the door, Eddie nced at the people sprawled on the floor and asked, ¡®Mr. Jones, what


    should we do with these. people?¡±


    ¡°Do as you see fit,¡± David said coldly before leaving with Rachel in his arms.


    After getting into the car, Rachel instinctively crawled out of David¡¯s arms.


    She sat quietly on the chair, still maintaining her usual dignified and elegant posture.


    ¡°Do you want some sleep?¡± David asked.


    Rachel turned her head and gave him a nk look.


    However, the woman¡¯s eyes were clear and blurry. She forced herself to stay awake, causing her eyes


    to be covered in ayer of wet mist, which made her look pitiful.


    David¡¯s throat tightened. There was an instant of restless desire in the depths of his deep pupils.


    A few secondster, he looked away and pulled the woman into his arms.


    Leaning on his shoulder, Rachel buried her head in his neck and took a breath. ¡°It smells good.¡±


    Her warm breathnded on David¡¯s neck, causing one of the strings in his body to tighten


    unexpectedly. His hands on his knees curled up slightly.


    He took a deep breath, and his dark eyes were filled with a restless desire.


    Rachel¡¯s arm hooked around his neck. She leaned closer to his neck and took a deep breath. ¡°It smells


    so good,¡± she said.


    It was just a simple action of hers that disintegrated David¡¯s self-control and made him feel a rush of


    fire surge into his lower abdomen.


    He looked down at Rachel and hooked his arms around her waist. His well-defined fingers slowly


    moved along her spine. His deep and cold voice was tinged with a low and hoarse lust, revealing the


    texture of gravel. ¡°Do you like it?¡± asked David.


    ¡°Yes¡± Rachel rubbed her nose tip against his neck like a kitten coquettishly nestled in his arms. ¡°I like


    it,¡± she said.


    David tightened his arms around her waist and pulled her into his arms. He pushed her hair aside with


    his fingertips and gently caressed her cheek with a faint smile on the corners of his mouth. His voice


    was low and slow, particrly seductive. Tll let you smell me enough tonight.¡±


    In the front seat, Billy and Chris exchanged looks with meaningful smiles.


    Should they say it or not? Mr. Jones¡¯s move of taking advantage of others was really a little unbearable


    to watch.


    However, Rachel, a drunk, was oblivious to the danger.


    Her eyes sparkled withughter. ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± said she.


    Billy and Chris were speechless.


    Alright, the little white rabbit had fallen into a trap!


    The car drove rapidly all the way and finally arrived at Sandalwood Hills.


    David pulled off the tie around his neck and unbuttoned two buttons of his shirt. The delicate lines of his


    corbone were faintly discernible. Then, he rolled up his sleeves.


    He bent down to get the slippers and then squatted to help Rachel put them on.


    As he moved, the cor of his shirt was even more open, revealing his firm chest muscles.


    Rachel stared straight at his neck. Her throat rolled, and her eyes became even hotter. No one knew


    what was in her mind.


    After she changed her shoes, David held her hand and walked upstairs.


    ¡°Go back to your room and wait for me. I¡¯ll make you a bowl of hangover soup,¡± said David.


    Then he was about to turn around and leave.


    Unexpectedly, Rachel grabbed his wrist. ¡°I¡¯m delighted today.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said David with a reluctant smile. He raised his hand and patted her head. ¡°Be good and wait


    for me.¡±


    However, Rachel was too stubborn to let it go. She held his wrist tightly, afraid he would run away in the


    next second.


    David looked down at her and then slowly raised his eyes. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and


    his deep eyes were filled with a smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to drink it, don¡¯t drink it,¡¯ said he.


    The next second, he held the back of the woman¡¯s head with his palms and kissed her fiercely.


    Rachel woke up feeling nothing but soreness the after morning.


    Her throat was so dry that it felt like she had been walking in the desert for three days and nights.


    She looked at the mess in the bedroom and stared nkly at the ceiling


    Last night, she cked outst night and had no memory of what had happened at all.


    However, the feeling of being thrown into the clouds and falling again was still fresh in her mind.


    Half an hourter, Rachel struggled to get up and went downstairs.


    As soon as she was out of her room, she saw Chrising upstairs.


    Startled, Chris pressed down her smile and called out respectfully. ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    Rachel nodded slightly. When she walked past Chris, she felt that something was amiss.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Hearing the footsteps behind him, David turned to look at Rachel, who was walking


    down the stairs.


    Rachel nodded. She looked up and saw the marks on David¡¯s neck.


    The clear marks could not be covered even if his shirt was tied tightly.


    She really couldn¡¯t bear to watch them.


    Rachel moved her lips stiffly, lowered her head, and walked silently to the dining room.


    After eating, Rachel sat on the sofa and secretly sized up David. ¡°Are you not going to work today?¡±


    she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± David looked up at her with a faint smile at the end of his eyes. He pointed at his


    neck. ¡°I have to recuperate well.¡±


    Under the guidance of his fingers, Rachel¡¯s gaze naturally fell on his neck.


    When she saw the eye-catching marks, she felt her cheeks heat up and then drooped her eyes guiltily.


    Rachel took out her phone and said. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the others.¡±


    Then she turned around and left like she was running away.


    She dialed Aileen¡¯s number. The phone rang for a long time before it was picked up. A weak voice


    sounded, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Hearing Vulture¡¯s voice, Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°Why is it you?¡± she asked.

 Chapter 823

    Chapter 823


    Chapter 823


    Vulture and Aileen sat neatly on the sofa like two quail when Rachel rushed to the hotel.


    ¡°You two¡­¡±


    H


    ¡°It was an ident.¡± Vulture and Aileen said in unison before she could finish her sentence.


    A look of uneasiness crossed Aileen¡¯s eyes, and she lowered her eyelids to hide the bitterness.


    Meanwhile, Vulture did not notice her emotions. He just kept drooping his head in embarrassment.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly with a yful smile in her eyes. ¡°You guys have a tacit


    understanding right now,¡± she


    said


    Vulture and Aileen remained silent.


    Perhaps the atmosphere was so weird that Vulture picked up the cigarette case on the table and stood


    up. ¡°Tm going to have a cigarette. You guys talk.¡±


    After he left, Aileen noticed the marks on Rachel¡¯s neck. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Little girl,


    you¡¯re quite wild.¡± Rachel looked up at her with aplicated expression. ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood to


    care about me right now?¡±


    Upon hearing that. Aileen¡¯s expression changed slightly. Her eyes flickered slightly as she picked up


    the water ss and took a sip of water. She rubbed it with her fingertips and pursed her lips with a hint


    of self-deprecation and bitterness. ¡°We all drankst night. Didn¡¯t he say that it was just an ident?


    We both are adults and have made things clear.¡±


    ¡°Is everything clear?¡± Rachel squinted. ¡°Vulture is also willing to treat what happenedst night as an


    ident?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡± Aileen pursed her lips and said in a hoarse voice. ¡°As a matter of fact, it¡¯s good to treat it as an


    ident so that it won¡¯t be awkward when we meet afterward. Besides, we¡¯re both adults. Isn¡¯t it


    normal to have a one-night stand after getting drunk?¡±


    Aileen took a deep breath but could not suppress the pain in her heart.


    All these years, Aileen had concealed her feelings for Vulture perfectly. But why did she lose control


    last night when she was drunk?


    If Aileen was not drunk, she truly couldn¡¯t remember if she took the initiative. She also couldn¡¯t


    remember how she ended up like this.


    If she was drunk, she remembered clearly when Vulture hugged her and muttered, ¡°Rae-Rae, I really


    like you.¡±


    Her heart seemed to hurt even more at the thought of it.


    Aileen slowly closed her eyes, trying to suppress the pain in her heart.


    After chatting with Aileen for ten minutes, Rachel was about to head to the office when she received a


    call from Billy. ¡°Miss Grey, can I ask you for a favor?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Rachel asked.


    Billy braced himself and said, ¡®Mr. Jones is in a bad mood. Would you pleasee over and take a


    look?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Rachel, frowning slightly


    Rachel returned to Sandalwood Hills twenty minutester.


    When she entered the house, she instantly noticed the entire vi was filled with frightening low


    pressure. The servants were anxiously busy with their things and did not dare to breathe loudly.


    The moment Billy and Eddie saw Rachel appear, it was as if they had seen a savior descending from


    the sky. They were so excited that they almost cried. They quickly walked up to her. ¡°Miss Grey, you¡¯re


    finally here!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rachel nced at them indifferently. Then, she searched for the figure of David in


    the room.


    Eddie, who had seen through her actions, quickly said, ¡°Mr. Jones is at the study.¡±


    Rachel nodded and walked toward the study.


    Looking at her figure, Eddie couldn¡¯t help but chase after her and say, ¡®Miss Grey, there are some


    things that Mr. Jones doesn¡¯t want to say, not that he¡¯s estranged from you.¡±


    Some time ago, Rachel killed her way from Titia to Seaxas overnight and caused a scene in the


    hospital because of the estrangement between them.


    Actually, it was just a matter of one sentence. But Mr. Jones had a dull personality and refused to say


    anything.


    With Mr. Jones¡¯s personality, he probably wouldn¡¯t say much about this matter.


    Rachel frowned imperceptibly and turned to walk toward the study.


    The door of the study was tightly shut. Rachel raised her hand and knocked. Seeing no movement


    inside, she pursed her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯ming in.¡±


    She paused for a few seconds before slowly pushing open the tightly shut door in front of her.


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    There was plenty of sunshine at noon. The sunlight passed through the gaps in the leaves and


    scattered into the study, adding a touch of softness to the dark-decorated study


    The man had his back to the door and faced the window. Sunlight poured over him, casting his figure


    on the floor.


    The whole study was too quiet, and there was something eerie about it. It pressed down on one¡¯s heart


    for no reason, making one feel suffocated.


    The eerie pressure came from David.


    In Rachel¡¯s impression, David had always been aloof and abstinent. His entire body was filled with


    aloofness and coldness, like a desecrated immortal that could only be watched from afar.


    However, his body was filled with depression at the moment. He was like a lonely soul struggling at the


    bottom of a cliff that could not see the sun in the middle of the day. One could not sense any vitality,


    only endless loneliness.


    Rachel frowned slightly and stepped forward.


    The man seemed to have been immersed in his own thoughts. When he heard the footsteps behind


    him, he did not divert his attention. Instead, he said coldly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Rachel gently put her hand on his shoulder. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± asked she.


    Hearing her voice, David came back to his senses slightly. He looked up at Rachel in a daze for a


    moment. Apparently, Rachel¡¯s appearance waspletely out of his expectations.


    He reached out and took Rachel¡¯s hand from his shoulder. ¡°Why are you back?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly I remember that I left a document here,¡± she said calmly.


    David responded indifferently He held her hand and kissed it ¡°Tll pick you up after work tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± Rachel held his hand in one of her hands and gently caressed his face with the other. ¡°Noah


    told me a lot that day. He even said that we could make a deal. He will tell me everything he knows if I


    want him to.¡±


    ¡°What else did he say?¡± David asked.


    Rachel recalled for a moment and looked at the expression on David¡¯s face. She said calmly. ¡°He also


    mentioned Mrs. Olson. He will¡­¡±


    Then the sudden ringing of the phone interrupted her.


    Rachel and David looked at the phone on the table at the same time. Hence, Rachel saw the noted


    name Mrs. Olson jumping on the phone screen.


    David¡¯s jawline stiffened abruptly, and a chill seemed to condense between his deep eyes.


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he nced at Rachel. Then, he picked up the phone.


    Just as the call went through, Mrs. Olson¡¯s stern voice came through the phone. ¡°David, if anything


    happens to your younger brother, I will kill you.¡±

 Chapter 824

    Chapter 824


    Chapter 824


    The mobile phone had the function of preventing leakage. But Mrs. Olson¡¯s voice was so shrill that


    Rachel, standing next to David, could hear her clearly.


    Her words were filled with indelible resentment as if David hadmitted some heinous crime.


    A younger brother¡­.


    Howe she never heard that David I had a younger brother?


    At this moment, the aura around David was so cold that it was intimidating. His pitch-ck eyes


    seemed to be tempered with ice, and lus stern voice sounded like it came from hell.¡± Mrs. Olson, you


    are so attentive to your stepson. I think you will be a future role model for all stepmothers¡±


    His tone was steady, and there was an unconceble mockery between the lines in his words.


    ¡°At least he knows I¡¯m his mother and won¡¯t refute me in every way. But what about you? Have you


    ever treated me as your biological mother all these years? If I had known that you would be like


    this, I might as well have strangled you to death myself back then!¡±


    Mrs. Olson did not hide her hatred for David.


    Thenguage is a double-edged sword. It can give people motivation but also kill people invisibly.


    Although thenguage is not fatal, it is enough to pierce one¡¯s heart and make one wish one was dead.


    Rachel didn¡¯t know why Mrs. Olson hated David so much. She reached out and gently held David¡¯s


    hand.


    David was slightly stunned and nced sideways at Rachel.


    His calm and indifferent gaze was lifeless as if he was looking at a dead person. However, It was only


    when his eyes touched on Rachel that a subtle shift took ce.


    David¡¯s throat rolled as he turned to look out of the window again. His face returned to its usual


    indifference, and his voice sounded like it had been soaked in ice water for a few days. It was bone-


    chilling. ¡°It¡¯s a pity you missed the best opportunity to strangle me to death back then.¡±


    His tone was light, and his face was calm. There was no fluctuation in his voice.


    However, Rachel felt as if her heart had been stabbed by something. The dense pain made her


    fingertips curl slightly as she held his hand tightly.


    Actually. Rachel already had some guesses in her mind when Noah mentioned Mrs. Olson vaguely.


    However, she was still somewhat shocked when all her guesses were answered at the moment.


    Especially Mrs. Olson¡¯s attitude toward David.


    In her understanding, the arrival of a child contained all the expectations of the child¡¯s parents. But Mrs.


    Olson only had


    endless hatred for David.


    It was not difficult to tell from Mrs. Jones¡¯ words that she wanted David to die at all times.


    But what could possibly have happened that would make a mother hate her child so much?


    The biological mother was extremely cold to her own child, but she doted on her stepson so much that


    she did not hesitate to speak ill of her biological child and treat him coldly. There was nothing more


    ironic and chilling than it in the world.


    As for how she became Mrs. Olson, it was probably because she remarried.


    ¡°No. You should be grateful that it was my ignorance that gave you a chance to be in the world.¡± Mrs.


    Olson sneered ¡°David, no matter what, I will always be your mother. I will decide whether you live or


    die!¡±


    Her high and mighty tone was like an immortal in heaven pitying a mortal.


    Rachel could not help but frown. Her delicate face was faintly suffused with a cold expression.


    At this moment, David said coldly. ¡°My life is up to me, and no one can make decisions for me!¡±


    Then he hung up.


    All of a sudden, the room once again fell into a depressed eerie silence.


    Rachel looked at David¡¯s cold side profile and walked forward a little. She opened her arms and


    carefully hugged him, using her gentleness to protect him.


    Rache felt David¡¯s body tremble slightly when she held David in her arms.


    Rachel felt as if her heart was being strangled. It was so painful that she stopped breathing, leaving


    only the pain in her body. Sometimes, heaven is fair. It gives people a noble background and endless


    wealth but takes away the most basic kinship.


    He had a splendid appearance, but no one knew the real pain inside him.


    She silently embraced him and bent to kiss his forehead as if telling him, ¡°I will always be by your side.¡±


    David¡¯s cold heart instantly disintegrated when her soft lips touched his forehead. He stretched out his


    arms and wrapped them around her waist. He was so strong that he wanted to strangle her waist.


    Rachel silently endured his strength without stopping him or crying out in pain. She stroked his back


    gently with her hand as ifforting an injured child.


    They seemed to have reached a tacit understanding. If he didn¡¯t say anything, she wouldn¡¯t ask.


    Rachel knew that with David¡¯s pride, how could he be willing to reveal the ugly scars in his heart to


    her?


    After some time, Rachel slowly let go of him.


    She looked at him earnestly. ¡°David, I love you.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said David. ¡°I love you, too¡­.


    Before he could finish speaking, Rachel leaned over and kissed him.


    Rachel had never taken the initiative in their rtionship. Apart from her drunkennessst night, the


    rest was dominated by


    David


    Her initiative this time left David stunned. At the same time, he could not help but feel excited and joy.


    He wrapped his arms around the woman¡¯s waist and ced her on the desk as he got up.


    The atmosphere in the room gradually heated up. Rachel¡¯s entire body was on fire from the kiss, and


    she could not help but tremble.


    ¡°Do you want to go back to the room?¡± David asked.


    Rachel¡¯s face flushed. She looked up and happened to see his eyes that were smudged by lust. She bit


    her lips and asked in a low voice. Then, are you going to try it at the study?¡±


    Hearing this. David smiled. ¡°Are you going to let me do whatever I want today?¡±


    Rachel had always been conservative, especially when it came to the affair.


    In the past, David had to coax her for a long time to agree to something. But she had be more


    agreeable today.


    He took a deep breath and suppressed the rampaging desire in his heart. ¡°Are you worried that I¡¯ll take


    things too hard?¡± he said hoarsely with a deep and cold voice.


    Rachel looked at him and gently traced his exquisite eyebrows with her fingertips. ¡°Will you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± David held her hand and kissed it. ¡°All the people in the world are not even one-tenth as good as


    you.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    So why would he give up on himself for someone who wasn¡¯t worth it?


    Rachel raised her head and kissed his lips. ¡°David, you¡¯re not alone. I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡±


    She did not know how tofort him. It was probably the only thing she could think of to express her


    determination.


    Rachel had thought the study would have an intense limited-level scene. She was even prepared to


    sacrifice herself. However, what Rachel expected did not happen.


    David quietly hugged Rachel and said, ¡°You need to test. We¡¯ll do it next time.¡±


    So, he had found his conscience?

 Chapter 825

    Chapter 825


    Chapter 825


    Half an hourter, Rachel arrived at the Johnson Corporation


    What happened at the Real Estate Summit had long reached the ears of everyone in the Johnson


    Corporation as if it had wings


    Moreover, when the police took Rachel away, all the reporters recorded the scene. Therefore, the


    incident of the Johnson Corporation at the Real Estate Summit was no longer a secret.


    Rachel walked to the elevator. Coincidentally, the elevator door opened, and Carolina walked out with a


    box in her.


    When Carolina met Rachel¡¯s gaze, a hint of shame and anger appeared on Carolina¡¯s face. Carolina bit


    her lower lip slightly and curled her fingers that were holding the box. She lowered her ryes guiltily and


    did not dare to look at Rachel.


    When Carolina was criticized and fired, sheined a lot in her heart. However, the moment she


    saw Rachel, she could not say a single word for some reason and only felt endless guilt.


    Rachel had always adhered to one principle. Once someone was disloyal, she would never keep him.


    Therefore, Rachel had a clear conscience toward Carolina.


    When Rachel and Carolina brushed past each other, Linda could not help but ask Carolina, ¡°You ruined


    your future for only 2 million dors. Do you regret it?¡±


    After the incident at Real Estate Summit was exposed, although Carolina was not sentenced, her


    reputation in the industry was ruined, and no bigpanies would hire her in the future.


    For the sake of 2 million dors. Carolina sold her future in person.


    Seeing that Carolina did not speak. Linda continued. ¡°Those who are cklisted by the Johnson


    Corporation will never be recruited by anypany in Seaxas Otherwise, they will be openly going


    against the Johnson Corporation¡±


    Hearing thar, Carolina finally couldn¡¯t take it I admit that I have done something dishonorable, but is


    there a need for you to force me to a dead end? Everyone knows how Haley joined the Johnson


    Corporation back then! Her career reaches the next level because she betrayed her previous Boss!


    Since she can do such a thing, why can¡¯t I?¡±


    After saying those words, Carolina suddenly felt much better.


    Carolina heaved a long sigh of relief and looked at Linda with a sarcastic smile on her face. ¡°Not


    everyone in this world is willing to be a loyal dog by Rachel¡¯s side like you! I admit that I¡¯m


    unscrupulous or ungrateful, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m wrong!


    ¡°Moreover, you chose to be so ruthless to me. Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Rachel, who had originally ignored Carolina, finally had a slight reaction.


    Rachel nced at Carolina indifferently. ¡°As an employee of the Johnson Corporation, you colluded


    with outsiders to leak the core confidential information, which constitutes a vition ofmercialw.


    If I pursue further, I¡¯ll be considered ruthless to you.¡±


    ¡°L.. An obvious panic shed across Carolina¡¯s eyes.


    Her overbearing aura from the beginning dimmed a lot.


    Carolina stumbled and tightened her grip on the box, her knuckles turning pale.


    ¡°Carolina, you ruined your future in person. It has nothing to do with anyone¡± Linda looked at Carolina¡¯s


    dejected expression and said unhurriedly, ¡°Everyone¡¯s life is priceless, but you set a price for your life


    with 2 million dors. You deserve it, and you can only me yourself.¡±


    Linda was right, and Carolina had no way to refute Linda.


    Carolina¡¯s eyes dimmed as she slowly looked up at Linda. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. Linda said.


    Carolina swallowed her saliva and asked in a low and hoarse voice, ¡°With Julian¡¯s strength, how could


    you escape unscathed?¡±


    Carolina and Julian had joined hands and secretly nned to frame Rachel for two months, and their


    n was watertight. There was no reason for Rachel to escape from the dilemma.


    Linda looked at Carolina expressionlessly. ¡°Have you heard of the Business Council?¡±


    It was just a short sentence, but it made Carolina¡¯s expression change instantly. Her lips trembled as


    she looked at Linda in disbelief. Then, her eyes fixed on Rachel


    Carolina¡¯s throat was tense and her tone was bitter. ¡°How¡­ how is that possible¡­¡±


    The Business Council had always been a mysterious organization. It was said that its members were


    all elites in the business and financial industry all over the world, and each of them was extraordinarily


    outstanding in the industry.


    The main goal of the Business Council was to check and avoid the unequal rules of business. Like a


    scale, it pursued absolute fairness and justice, and it would never allow the scale to tilt to one side. So,


    people treated it as aw enforcer.


    ¡°Do you ever know why Ms. Grey is so indifferent to the Real Estate Summit? It¡¯s because she¡¯s a


    senior member of the Business Council. Everything you¡¯ve been pursuing desperately is nothing in her


    eyes.¡± Linda¡¯s eyes were calm, carrying a hint of mockery. ¡°You could have had a wonderful life and


    bright future, but now you¡¯ve ruined them.¡±


    Linda raised her hand and patted Carolina¡¯s shoulder, saying earnestly, I hope you take care of yourself


    and will never regret your actions in this life.¡±


    With that, Linda turned around and left.


    Carolina stood rooted to the ground in a daze as if she had been struck by lightning. Linda¡¯s words


    ¡°Never regret your actions in this life¡± echoed in Carolina¡¯s ears.


    The elevator door closed. Rachel turned to look at Linda. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°It is alright.¡± Linda said, ¡°I just can¡¯t stand Carolina¡¯s arrogance. She¡¯s the one who did something


    wrong. I don¡¯t know where she got the confidence to say that we¡¯ll suffer retribution.¡±


    Thinking of that, Linda suddenly felt that what she said just now was not ruthless enough.


    She should not be merciful to unrepentant people. Otherwise, it would be difficult to resolve the hatred


    in her heart!


    ¡°What you said just now is enough for her to remember for the rest of her life,¡± Rachel said unhurriedly.


    ¡°She may regret it. or hate it. Perhaps she won¡¯t be able to forgive herself until she dies.¡±


    Carolina still refused to admit her mistake until now because she firmly believed that the Johnson


    Corporation wouldn¡¯t be able to stand out in the future.


    But now, Carolina knew Rachel¡¯s position in the Business Council, and she herself was the only one


    who knew how regretful


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    she was.


    Linda looked at the elevator that was slowly rising and said calmly. ¡°We can¡¯t feel sorry for those


    betrayers. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t the outsiders all think that the Johnson Corporation is a pushover that


    everyone can bully?¡±


    Rachel smiled, ¡°So, you did well.¡±


    As soon as Rachel finished her words, the elevator door opened. Rachel and Linda walked out one


    after another.


    By the time Rachel was done with her work, it was five o¡¯clock in the afternoon.


    Rachel nced at her watch and prepared to pack up and return to Johnson¡¯s Mansion to take a look.


    After arriving at Johnson¡¯s Mansion, Rachel wanted to give everyone a surprise, so she didn¡¯t tell


    anyone when she came back.


    When the butler Mr. Chadwick saw Rachel, he smiled immediately and was about to report her arrival,


    but he was stopped by Rachel¡¯s shushing gesture.


    Mr. Chadwick understood Rachel¡¯s intention. However, when he thought of the people in the living


    room, he hesitated. He walked forward and whispered to Rachel, ¡°Miss Grey, you came back just in


    time. Everyone is discussing the wedding inside.¡±

 Chapter 826

    Chapter 826


    Chapter 826


    ¡°Wedding Rachel was slightly stunned.


    Seeing her nk expression, Mr Chadwick exined patiently. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Lucas¡¯ wedding.¡±


    Hearing that Rachel immediately understood.


    She felt that the rtionship between Miriam and Lucas had improved by leaps and bounds and at the


    speed of light.


    Rachel thought to herself. ¡°Tve been away for only a week, yet Miriam and Lucas begin to n their


    wedding! How could


    that be


    She stopped her thoughts from running wild and walked into the house.


    As soon as Rachel entered the house, she heard a soft voice. ¡°I dont have any intention of forcing you.


    If you¡¯re unwilling, we can hold the weddingter


    There was a hint of humble ttery andpromise in the words.


    For some reason, Rachel suddenly thought of the time when she was with Louis.


    To be honest, when she found Louis and learned that the Smith family was in a dilemma, she decided


    to help Louis only out of gratitude.


    However, after living with Louis for some time. Rachel began to rely on him and regarded that kind of


    dependence as love.


    Gradually, she began to lose herself. She kept giving in and amodating herself to Louis without


    any bottom line, causing her to almost forget her identity.


    The Waller family could be considered a top-tier wealthy family in Curz. As for the marriage


    alliance, the Johnson family was out of its league and benefited more than the Waller family. Logically


    speaking, the Johnsons would naturally be respectful to Miriam and try their best to satisfy all her


    needs.


    There was no reason for Miriam to be so humble in front of the Johnsons.


    Rachel knew that it was just because of Miriam¡¯s affection for Lucas.


    However, even so. Lucas couldn¡¯t make use of Miriam¡¯s affection for him to push his luck


    Just as Rachel was hesitating if he should rush up and teach Lucas a lesson, she heard Lucas say,


    ¡°Tm against holding a wedding so early not because I don¡¯t want to marry you, but because I feel that it


    is too rushed. Many things haven¡¯t been prepared well, and I¡¯m worried that I won¡¯t be able to give you


    a grand wedding.¡±


    Even if it was just a marriage alliance, Lucas knew very well that even if there was no love between


    Miriam and him, as Miriams husband, he should do what he should do.


    Therefore. Lucas thought that he was responsible and obligated to provide Miriam with a decent


    wedding and protect her dignity.


    Hearing that, Miriam lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in them. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll inform my parents to


    come over and discuss the wedding.¡±


    ¡°Ill listen to you.¡± Lucas said. ¡°It¡¯s getting windy outside. Let¡¯s go back to the house.¡±


    Miriam nodded. She reached out and wanted to take Lucas¡¯ arm, yet Lucas turned around and left


    directly without looking at Miriam


    Looking at her empty hand, Miriam suddenly felt an indescribable bitterness in her heart.


    ¡°Ill stay outside for some fresh air. You can go back first, Miriam said.


    When Lucas heard that, he turned around and nced at Miriam. He did not say anything and only


    nodded before leaving.


    Miriam stared at Lucas back for a long time.


    As a man and as a husband. Lucas did well.


    Lucas would stand beside Miriam and consider her needs, but Miriam knew that Lucas didn¡¯t do that


    because of his love for her. It was just because of his sense of duty and mission.


    Miriam had always thought that as long as she loved Lucas enough, it didn¡¯t matter even if he didn¡¯t


    love her.


    But now, facing Lucas¡¯s cold attitude, Miriam could not help but reflect on herself. Was she too naive


    and thought too simply¡¯


    Whether it was love or marriage, it had always been a thing between two people. A one-sided


    rtionship would only be meaningless.


    Miriam did not regret it. It was just that she did not know what to do to arouse Lucas¡¯ interest in her,


    Miriam sighed faintly. She turned to look at the roses swaying in the wind and poked them gently with


    her finger. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid either?¡±


    She thought, ¡°Lucas is clearly not a cold person, and he shows his true feelings toward Rachel. But


    why is he like an iceberg that will not melt forever in front of me


    As Miriam was thinking, a cold voice came from behind. ¡°Miss Waller.¡±


    Hearing the voice, Miriam jumped in shock. She thought that she was the only one there and did not


    expect there to be


    someone else.


    She thought. ¡°Did what I said just now be heard by others?¡±


    A trace of panic shed across Miriam¡¯s eyes. However, when she saw Rachel, her anxious heart


    suddenly rxed.


    Miriam caressed her chest gently and heaved a sigh of relief. The corners of her lips curled up into a


    faint smile. ¡°So it¡¯s


    you.¡±


    She was almost scared to death.


    Rachel smiled and walked over. ¡°Do you regret your decision back then?¡±


    When Miriam heard that, the smile on her face faded a little. She lowered her eyes and smiled self-


    deprecatingly. ¡°Do you think I deserve it?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Rachel looked at Miriam with a hint of pity in her eyes.


    Sure enough, when people met love, no matter how proud they were, they would also lower their heads


    and be timid and self-doubting.


    ¡°I just think that you might as well be bolder, Rachel said. ¡°Since you¡¯ve decided to be with Lucas, you


    should be braver and express your affection for him. It¡¯s not embarrassing to be more active. It¡¯s better


    to be proactive than to miss the chance, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Miriam raised her eyes and looked at Rachel. After pondering for a long time, she said calmly, ¡®It¡¯s good


    to take the initiative, but I¡¯m afraid that he will misunderstand and think that I¡¯m not reserved enough.


    I¡¯m worried that I¡¯ll be hated¡­¡±


    Miriam said inwardly. ¡°In the eyes of people who like me, my rash initiative can be taken as cuteness.


    ¡°But in the eyes of people who don¡¯t like me, it is a shameless act.


    Miriam was worried that her actions would backfire.


    ¡°Have you ever heard of a saying?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Sincerity is the ultimate


    move. I believe that as long as you are sincere enough, no one will look down on you. Moreover, if you


    don¡¯t reveal your true feelings, I¡¯m afraid that a blockhead like Lucas won¡¯t be able to notice them for


    the rest of his life.¡±


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Rachel was not belittling Lucas deliberately.


    Lucas was as clean as a piece of white paper in terms of rtionships. If he were toprehend the


    rtionships between men and women one day, he would probably be immortal.


    Miriam took the opportunity to ask the question that had been puzzling her for a long time. ¡°Did you


    take the initiative to


    woo David?¡±


    In Miriam¡¯s impression, David had never been interested in women, and his personality was cold and


    indifferent. It was hard for Miriam to imagine that David would take the initiative to pursue women.


    Rachel thought for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t think either of us took the initiative. We make efforts together.¡±


    When Rachel first met David, she was indeed stunned by his handsome face. Later on, it seemed that


    David took the initiative to get along with her, but in fact, she had given him a chance and allowed him


    to pursue her tacitly.


    ¡°The prerequisite to make efforts together is that the two people have a good impression of each other.


    Miriam supported her cheek with one hand and looked at the horizon that was dyed red by the setting


    sun in the distance, sighing faintly. ¡°But I have a genuine unrequited love.¡±


    Rachel turned to look at Miriam and smiled, ¡°But Lucas has given you a chance to get close to him. If


    you don¡¯t do anything, won¡¯t you be wasting such a good opportunity?¡±


    Hearing that, Miriam¡¯s eyes lit up slightly.


    She thought, ¡°It is said that first came, first served. Now that I seized the initiative, it would indeed be a


    little unreasonable if I did nothing.¡±

 Chapter 827

    Chapter 827


    Chapter 827


    After chatting about the topic, Rachel and Miriam walked into the living room together.


    At that moment, Arthur was sitting in front of the table and ying chess with Lucas.


    Tom and Eleanor were on the phone. So, no one noticed Rachel and Miriam walking in.


    Arthur and Lucas chatted casually from time to time. Arthur took the initiative to talk about Lucas¡¯


    wedding. ¡°Lucas, do you have any thoughts about the wedding? The Waller family is a proper noble


    family. Miriam may feel wronged to marry into our the Johnson family, so we have to do our best to give


    her the best and the most dignified.¡±


    Previously, Arthur had never thought of preserving the wealth and status of the Johnson family through


    a marriage alliance.


    However, something had happened to Tom, which was undoubtedly a wake-up call for Arthur. Arthur


    realized that the Johnson family had a descendant who had dabbled in politics and that many people


    had been jealous of it.


    Initially, Arthur wanted Rachel to be married off. This way, it could protect Rachel and achieve the


    Johnson family at the same time, which would make the best of both worlds.


    Arthur had even started to select candidates in private for Rachel. Unexpectedly, Lucas stood out and


    proposed to seek a marriage alliance on his initiative.


    Arthur knew very well that Lucas was protecting Rachel in every way. While he felt gratified, he knew in


    his heart that Lucas was trying to support Rachel.


    For the Johnson family, it was a matter of time before it embarked on a marriage alliance.


    Moreover, everyone knew very well that it did not matter if Lucas and his wife had affection for each


    other. As long as there was no problem with their standpoints, their marriage would form a permanent


    alliance for their two families.


    However, the daughter of the Waller family in Nanope marrying into the Johnson family was far beyond


    Arthur¡¯s expectations.


    With the prestige of the Waller family in Nanope, the Johnson family was definitely out of its league.


    Therefore, all the Johnsons could do was give Miriam an absolutely dignified and affluent life. As for the


    rest, it depended on Lucas¡¯ attitude.


    There were not many mood swings on Lucas¡¯s face. He fiddled with a chess piece with his fingertips


    and stared at the chessboard. ¡°The wedding is just a formality. What can I do? I¡¯ll just listen to her.¡±


    It was an ordinary sentence, but it sounded especially harsh to Miriam.


    Miriam¡¯s face paled a little, and a trace of gloominess shed across her eyes.


    Lucas¡¯ attitude made Rachel realize that there was still a long way to go and many things to get used to


    before the rtionship between Lucas and Miriam improved.


    ¡°Grandpa, Rachel called out.


    When the others heard that, they looked up.


    Seeing Rachel, everyone¡¯s faces revealed gentle joy.


    Arthur smiled and waved at Rachel. ¡°Come, let me see if you¡¯ve lost weight when you went out during


    this period of time.¡± Tom and Eleanor hung up the phone and walked over together. ¡°Rae-Rae, when


    did youe back? Why didn¡¯t you inform Lucas to pick you up?¡±


    ¡°I thought that Lucas and Miriam should be together, so I didn¡¯t disturb them,¡± Rachel said as she held


    Miriam¡¯s hand and walked over. ¡°I sat outside with Miriam for a while just now, so I didn¡¯t ask Mr.


    Chadwick to report.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s words reduced Miriam¡¯s awkwardness.


    Although Miriam was about to be Lucas¡¯ wife, she was still not married. Coupled with the fact that


    she had no love experience and had never interacted with the Johnsons before, it was inevitable that


    she would look out of ce among the happy family.


    Rachel held Miriam¡¯s hand and called her name kindly again and again. Miriam felt a sense of


    belonging and felt warm in her heart.


    Long before Miriam decided to marry into the Johnson family, she had secretly investigated the


    members of the Johnson family.


    Naturally, Miriam knew that everyone in the Johnson family doted on Rachel, although Rachel¡¯s


    surname was Grey. Miriam had thought that Rachel, who had been pampered since she was young,


    would more or less develop an arrogant personality. However, after a few short interactions, Miriam


    found out that Rachel was not as arrogant and pretentious as other ordinary rich youngdies. Instead,


    Rachel was so straightforward that even Miriam felt a little inferior.


    When the others heard how Rachel addressed Miriam, a hint of surprise shed across their eyes.


    Lucas was even in a daze


    for a moment.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Previously, Lucas was a little worried that Rachel and Miriam would not get along well with each other.


    Now, it seemed that he had worried too much


    For Lucas, it was quite good. As long as Miriam was willing to get along well with Rachel, he would


    naturally take care of Miriam at all times


    Lucas eyes were lowered, making others unable to see the expression on his face. His entire body was


    filled with a faint cold aura that kept others away imperceptibly


    Even though Lucas had shed his military uniform over the years, his body was still wrapped with an


    iron-blooded and resolute temperament.


    He was the man who Miriam fell in love with every time she saw him.


    He was also the man Miriam had fallen for when she was young


    After Rachel finished her meal at Johnson¡¯s Mansion, she saw the text message from Aileen. She said


    a few simple words to the Johnsons and got up to leave.


    Lucas sent Rachel out as usual.


    ¡°When is the wedding? Rachel asked casually.


    Lucas took out a cigarette from his pocket habitually, but when he thought about how Rachel disliked


    the smell of cigarettes, he did not rush to light it. Instead, he held it between his fingers. ¡°May 20th.¡±


    May 20th was another Valentine¡¯s Day for young people nowadays, so many young couples would


    choose to register their marriage at city hall on this day.


    It was obvious that it was Miriam¡¯s idea to hold the wedding ceremony on May 20th.


    ¡°Where will you live after you get married?¡± Rachel knew that Lucas had many properties outside


    Lucas


    Lucas said, ¡°Next door.¡±


    Next door to Johnson¡¯s Mansion was the Oaks vi area.


    As they spoke, Rachel walked to the front of the car.


    After Rachel bent down and got into the car, she hesitated for a few seconds. She could not help but


    lower the car window and remind Lucas. ¡°Miriam is actually a good girl. Don¡¯t always put on a straight


    face in front of her. Otherwise, she will be


    so sad.¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t know if Lucas had really taken her words to heart or if he was just giving her a


    perfunctory response. Lucas waved goodbye to Rachel and said, ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Be careful on


    the road.¡±


    From Lucas¡¯ attitude, Rachel guessed that he was most likely just responding perfunctorily.


    Sheined in her heart, ¡°He knows what he is doing?


    ¡°How can I expect him to know what he is doing?


    ¡°If he really knew it, he wouldn¡¯t have made Miriam secretly sad.¡±


    The car drove all the way to the hotel.


    Rachel arrived at the hotel room. After knocking for a long time, she didn¡¯t hear any response.


    Just as she took out her phone and was about to make a call, the door in front of her suddenly opened.


    Rachel saw that Aileen¡¯s face was pale and her fringe was drenched in cold sweat.


    Rachel¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    As she spoke, Rachel saw that Aileen was on the verge of copse. She rushed forward and grabbed


    Aileen¡¯s arm. ¡°Hang in for a while. I¡¯ll send you to the hospital now.¡±


    Half an hourter, they arrived at the hospital.


    After the doctor checked Aileen¡¯s body, he looked at Rachel meaningfully. It was obvious that he had


    something to say.


    Rachel found the excuse of fetching warm water and turned to leave.


    As expected, the doctor was waiting at the door.


    Seeing Rachel, the doctor said bluntly. ¡°Miss Grey, did you know that there was a bullet in the patient¡¯s


    spine?¡±

 Chapter 828

    Chapter 828


    Chapter 828


    Rachel did not say anything, and her eyes turned cold bit by bit. Her gaze was so sharp as if there was


    a knife hidden in the depths of her eyes and it would stab into the others¡¯ hearts at moment, making the


    doctor not dare to act rashly.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    The doctor looked at Rachel¡¯s expression and hesitated for a while before saying carefully, ¡°ording


    to our observations, the bullet has been in her body for three years, and she¡¯s been enduring huge pain


    every day Moreover, as she moves during her daily life, the bullet also moves in her body bit by bit. If it


    weren¡¯t for the medicine and supplementary treatment over the years, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been


    able to stand up¡±


    So, ever since Rachel met Aileen. Aileen had been sitting for so long without standing up Was it


    because of the bullet stuck in her spine


    Rachel took a deep breath and clenched her fists ¡°What¡¯s the probability of getting it out?¡±


    The doctor¡¯s face was covered with seriousness when he heard that. He pondered for a moment and


    continued, ¡°The bullet is currently located in her first lumbar spine. If it¡¯s taken out rashly, it will cause


    paralysis of the lower limbs below the lumbar spine. ?n serious cases, it will cause high paraplegia.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the entire corridor fell into a strange silence.


    The doctor said a lot more, but Rachel couldn¡¯t remember any of them. All she could remember was


    that ¡°If it¡¯s taken out rashly, it will cause paralysis of the lower limbs below the lumbar spine. In serious


    cases, it will cause high paraplegia¡±.


    Based on Rachel¡¯s understanding of Aileen, how could such a proud and arrogant person like Aileen


    allow her lower body to be paralyzed and spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair?


    Moreover, with the strength and status of the Skysgate Group. Aileen¡¯s family must have asked experts


    from all over the world for advice. However, in the end, they had no choice but to choose conservative


    treatment and rely on various medicines to relieve Aileen¡¯s paini


    Rachel sat on the chair in the corridor for a long time until the sound of a cup breaking came from the


    ward. She suddenly came back to her senses, got up, and rushed in


    Aileen twisted her body stiffly and reached out for the cup on the table, but she identally knocked it


    over.


    She pursed her lips after hearing the sound at the door I scared you, didn¡¯t [¡ã


    It seemed to be an ordinary sentence, yet it contained a deeper meaning


    Aileen had tried her best to hide the fact that she was injured, but she did not expect that she would not


    be able to hide anything in the end


    Rachel pursed her lips and walked forward to pour a cup of water. She asked meaningfully. ¡°It hurt a


    lot, right?¡±


    Because of those simple words, tears welled up in Aileen¡¯s eyes uncontrobly


    Aileen raised her hand to wipe the wet corners of her eyes and chuckled ¡°As expected, I¡¯m getting old. I


    start to be unreasonable just because of such little pain. Back then, when our team of twelve was


    together, we had suffered all kinds of injuries, but at that time, it was as if we couldn¡¯t feel any pain¡±


    As she talked about the past, Aileen¡¯s pale fare gradually became a little rosy, and the corners of her


    lips curled up slightly. ¡°I


    feltfortable and carefree bark then¡±


    Rachel¡¯s deep eyes stared at Aileen without blinking. After pondering for a long time, her cold voice


    was a little hoarse as she


    1. ¡°Did you get injured after I lef


    Alleen nodded. She stroked the water cup in her hand gently with her fingertips and said unhurriedly.


    ¡°That day, we suddenly received a mission to escort a batch of medicine at the border. That batch of


    medicine was still in the experimental stage and was important to us. That night, we made a n to set


    off


    ¡°We thought that everything was going nothly. We wrcessfully snatched the medicine from the


    reactionaries, but we were attacked on the way in the car Gaven and covered for the attack and


    retreated, yet we were forced into the minefield. After escaping death, we were attacked on the way I


    was unfortunately shot.


    Alleen voce berame a little choked, and her grip


    the water cup htened involuntarily Her knuckles were pale as if she was trying hard to control the panic


    and uneasiness in her heart


    The burning feeling of being pierced by a bullet seemed to happen yesterday every time Aileen thought


    about it, and her memory was still vivid


    After Aileen was injured, she fell off a cliff. For the sake of the overall situation, she took the initiative to


    cut off contact with the team. Then, she fell into aa because she lost too much blood


    When Aileen woke up again, she saw her father standing in front of her bed with red eyes


    Aileen used her calmest tone to talk about the incident as if it has nothing to do with her. Rachel could


    not help but feel sorry for her


    Actually, Aileen had taken the bullet for Vulture. Until now, she had never regretted it.


    Aileen was just annoyed that she was forced to leave the Red me Army before she could even tell


    Vulture about her affection for him.


    Just as Aileen was lost in her thoughts, Rachel¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her car. ¡°Does Vulture


    know?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Aileen was stunned for a moment. She suddenly looked up and met Rachel¡¯s sharp gaze, her


    eyes blinking a few times in a daze. She lowered her eyes and looked unnatural, saying half-jokingly,


    ¡°Is there a need to tell him? Is he able to


    treat me?¡±


    ¡°You like him and didn¡¯t hesitate to take a bullet for him. He should know,¡± Rachel said.


    Upon hearing that, Aileen felt choked as if her heart was being squeezed by something. She held her


    breath and looked at Rachel in disbelief.


    Aileen thought that she had hidden it well, yet she did not expect Rachel to know everything.


    Aileen opened her mouth and tried to control the panic in her heart. ¡°How how did you tell?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s written here, Rachel said. She leaned in front of Aileen and pointed at Aileen¡¯s face. ¡°It


    reads I like Vulture here


    Upon hearing that, Aileen could not help but raise her hand to touch her face. She lowered her eyes


    and muttered to herself, ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±


    Rachel sat back on the chair, crossed her arms, and looked at Aileen with a meaningful smile. ¡°Did you


    get drunk on purposest night?


    Aileen didn¡¯t expect the topic to be brought up. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Originally,


    I mustered up the courage to talk to him, but for some reason¡­¡±


    They then slept together in the same bed¡­.


    You¡¯ve done so much for him. Do you want to find an opportunity to confess your love for him?¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Aileen¡¯s lips curled into a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s a fruitless matter anyway. Why do I have to


    humiliate myself?¡± Previously, Aileen had mocked Vulture for thinking too much and not daring to


    confess. Vulture was afraid that he would not even be able to be friends with the girl he liked after


    being rejected.


    Now, Aileen was worried about the same thing, so she had not taken action all these years.


    Perhaps Rachel did not know what Vulture was thinking, but Aileen did.


    ¡°If you miss the opportunity, I don¡¯t know how long you¡¯ll have to wait for the next time.¡± Rachel picked


    up an apple and weighed it in her hand. Then, she picked up a knife and peeled the apple methodically.


    ¡°Once he returns to the border, you¡¯ll have fewer chances to see him. If he epts you before he


    leaves, his trip will be worth it.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he and I are a good match?¡±


    ¡°Only you know best whether your shoes fit or not. Why do you care so much?¡±

 Chapter 829

    Chapter 829


    Chapter 829


    Aileen was born into a wealthy family and had long been influenced by the concept of social status.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She knew the one thing between her and Vulture was their social status. Moreover, Vulture had a


    carefree and unrestrained character. It would probably be difficult for him to adapt to the Dickinson


    family¡¯s way of life.


    This was also the reason Aileen did not dare to confess her feelings to him.


    She thought since she could not get what she wanted in the end, it would be better to keep her feelings


    a secret


    As she was dwelling in her thoughts, her phone suddenly rang.


    When Aileen saw that the call was from Vulture, panic shed across her eyes. She looked helpless,


    which waspletely different from her usual spirited self.


    Aileen did not dare to take the call.


    She decided to hang up after some hesitation.


    Aileen was already palpitating by then.


    Not long after that, Rachel¡¯s phone rang.


    She raised her brows and nced at Aileen. Then, she swiped the screen with her fingertips and


    picked up the phone calmly.


    ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    Vulture¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Is Nine with you?¡±


    Knowing that Aileen was about to leave. Vulture went to Aileen¡¯s ce to send her off. Unexpectedly,


    he received no response after knocking on her door for a long time.


    Vulture guessed Aileen might have left without saying goodbye.


    After all, it would be a little awkward for the two of them to meet again after what happened that night.


    However, after some serious contemtion yesterday. Vulture felt that as a man, he should take


    responsibility for bullying ady


    Vulture had initially nned to talk things out with Aileen, but he did not expect her to leave without


    saying goodbye.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly She


    Just as Rachel mouthed her words. Aileen grabbed Rachel¡¯s hand and looked sorrowfully at Rachel


    Aileen shook her head. gently as a way of telling Rachel not to expose her whereabouts.


    Aileen did not want Vulture to know she was injured. She did not want him to feel guilty, nor did she


    want him to be responsible for her out of guilt


    Deep down. Aileen knew very well what she wanted.


    ¡°She has already left¡± Rachel changed her mind. She understood Aileen¡¯splex gaze and knew


    what thetter wanted. When Vulture heard this, he fell into a short silence. He lit a cigarette and took a


    deep breath. Vulture looked up at the hospital¡¯s red cross sign and said calmly. I still want to talk to her,


    but I do not know when I will meet her again¡±


    Rachel said. ¡°You will when the time is right.


    ¡°Yes, you are right. If you see her, ask her to take good care of herself, Vulture replied.


    With that, he hung up.


    Gloom could be seen in Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    She suspected Vulture knew something, but maybe not a lot.


    With Lone Wolf¡¯s capabilities, nothing could be kept a secret if Vulture wanted to know about it.


    ¡°W-What did he say?¡± Aileen¡¯s voice was dry and tense.


    She looked at Rachel nervously and with much anticipation.


    ¡°He told you to take good care of yourself¡±


    Hearing this, Aileen nodded. However, the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. ¡°Do


    you think he knows about it?¡± she suddenly asked.


    Rachel¡¯s mouth curled into an intriguing smile. ¡°Do you really think you can hide that from him?¡±


    Aileen also knew very well that with Lone Wolf around, it would not be long till he found out about her


    matters. He had a strong intelligencework.


    However, she naively thought as long as she did not say anything, everything would be business as


    usual.


    ¡°Why are you avoiding him¡± Rachel asked. ¡°He genuinely wants to talk to you.¡±


    Aileen¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and her pupils quivered. ¡°Some feelings cannot be forced¡±


    She knew that she did not have Vulture¡¯s heart.


    What Aileen wanted was neither guilt norpensation from Vulture but his reciprocating feelings.


    Yet. Aileen knew very well that if he did not have the same feelings toward her, no matter how much he


    said or did, she would never get the love she longed for.


    If that were the case, expressing her love would only bring her sadness.


    She took a deep breath and regained her positivity. Alright, Rachel, you should not be staying by my


    side and watching over me. Go do what you have to do.¡±


    ¡°Tm fine Rachel handed Aileen a peeled apple.


    Aileen took it and bit into it. ¡°You really do not have to be so worried about me. I know myself and the


    pain I am going through well enough¡±


    The bullet would torture Aileen every second of her life. She could either leave it in her body and


    eventually die with it or had it taken out, and she would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair


    Although neither oues were ideal, Aileen much preferred the former.


    Thinking about how she was in her prime but had to spend her life in a wheelchair, Aileen would rather


    die


    Rachel knew what Aileen needed now was personal space. The former simply stood up and said. ¡°I


    shalle and see you


    tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±


    After Rachel left the ward, she took out her phone and called David.


    The phone rang for a long time before it was picked up.


    ¡°Hello¡± David¡¯s voice was deep and cold on the other end of the line.


    ¡°Are you still busy? Rachel asked.


    ¡°I have some problematic matters on hand. Maybe you would prefer heading back to Sandalwood Hills


    first?¡±


    Rachel hesitated slightly before saying yes.


    After hanging up the phone, she smiled in a guileful manner.


    It seemed like Rachel was hiding something from Aileen again.


    She walked towards the parking lot, opened the car door, and got into the car.


    Rachel was not in a hurry to start the engine. Instead, she looked at Ronnie through the rearview


    mirror.


    The moment she looked up, her eyes met Ronnie¡¯s. Her heart skipped a beat and a faint but coy smile


    crossed her face. ¡°I wonder what brings you here to see me today, Mr. Dickens?¡±


    The man has an affinity for white suits. Coupled with his curly brown hair, he did not look too different


    from an ancient Grecian beau


    The shadows from the dim light in the car entuated Ronnie¡¯s exquisite facial features, especially his


    eyes, which looked like the perfect masterpiece God created.


    The cor on Ronnie¡¯s shirt was slightly open, revealing his tanned skin. The structure of his corbone


    was faintly visible. and Rachel could vaguely see the tattoo under it¨C¡°I AM THE DEVIL¡±


    Ronnie had a face as beautiful as an angel, andbeling himself as the devil was pretty ironic.


    He crossed lus legs and rubbed the bone ring on his thumb with his fingertips. A tinge of doting


    affection could be seen in his usual icy stare ¡°Miss Grey, your intelligence is really a rare gem.¡±


    Rachel frowned slightly. ¡°You came here just to tell me this?¡±


    ¡°I am here because I need your help. I need you to stay with me in the car for around half an hour to 40


    minutes, just the two of us, Ronnie told her what he wanted her to do.


    Rachel felt suspicious when she heard that.


    She found Ronnie¡¯s request ridiculous.


    Ronnie seemed to have seen through her thoughts. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°Stay with me for 40


    minutes. That is the biggest favor I would ever ask from you. Trust me,¡±


    Rachel raised her eyes and nced at him through the rearview mirror.

 Chapter 830

    Chapter 830


    Chapter 830


    The two of them sat quietly in the car.


    Ronnie saw that she wanted to say something but hesitated. ¡°What do you want to know? Ask me, and


    I shall tell you everything I know¡±


    Ronnie¡¯s invitation had clearly exceeded Rachel¡¯s expectations.


    She wondered, ¡°Based on the strained rtionship between Ronnie and David, even if Ronnie does


    not detest me because of David, why would he be so nice to me?¡±


    Yet, for some reason, Rachel had always fully trusted Ronnie.


    Her intuition even told her that Ronnie was someone she could rely on.


    She gathered her thoughts and asked stoically. ¡°What do you know about David?¡±


    To know one¡¯s own strength and the enemy¡¯s is the sure way to victory¡± Ronnie¡¯s brows perked softly


    as he spoke, making his already alluring eyes a little more flirtatious. ¡°I cannot guarantee that I know


    everything, but I do know some of his darkest secrets that are rarely talked about.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes beamed, and her curious eyes showed keen interest when she heard that.


    ¡°Does the secret include what Noah spoke about before? Rachel wondered.


    Nevertheless, those were all grudges that had nothing to do with Rachel. If all Ronnie wanted was to


    bring David down, Ronnie did not have to know about David¡¯s secrets.


    Unless what Ronnie wanted was more than just that. ¡°Could it be that Ronnie was not only targeting


    David but also the rest of the Jones family


    Those thoughts sent chills down Rachel¡¯s spine.


    Ronnie noticed the change in her gaze, and his curled lips ttened a little. He said calmly. ¡°The Jones


    family is not my


    target.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel stared at him without blinking. Her probing gaze seemed to be judging how


    much of his words were true and how much of them were false.


    Ronnie looked back at Rachel boldly, and it made Rachel feel ashamed of herself for thinking so little of


    him.


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Ronnie rubbed the bone ring on his thumb and said unhurriedly. ¡°About


    the Jones family?


    Yandel? Or Mrs. Olson?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s heart wrung when her thoughts were suddenly exposed.


    She hesitated for a short while before looking up at Ronnie. ¡°How much do you know about Mrs.


    Olson*


    ¡°As expected ¡°The smile on Ronnie¡¯s face that was wiped off a few moments ago came back when he


    said it right. ¡°You are asking the right person. If you had asked anyone else, they might not be willing to


    tell you.¡±


    Rachel had thought about that too.


    ¡°So, Mrs. Olson is David¡¯s mother, but she waster married into the Olson family?*


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Ronnie affirmed lightly, ¡°Not all mothers in this world look forward to the arrival of their


    children, and Mrs. Olson is one of them. Her hatred toward David was as deep as the ocean. However,


    we would have to go back in time to understand how this grudge got so persistent.


    ¡°David is not willing to tell you about it because he wanted to protect you and did not want you to get


    involved in unnecessary troubles. Mrs. Olson is not a good person. You think Noah and Marina are


    bad? Even if they had joined forces, they are nothingpared to Mrs. Olson.


    ¡°Sometimes, God has his mischiefs. He would give people noble birth, absolute power, and high and


    mighty statuses, but then deprive them of the kinship among their families.¡±


    As soon as Ronnie finished speaking, he gave a mocking smile.


    There was a hint of self-mockery.


    Rachel just looked at Ronnie.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    She was getting more and more confused about Ronnie. The man she was talking to was like a


    mystery.


    ¡°Since David has such a vicious and ruthless mother, you as his archenemy, should you not be hitting


    him when he is down?¡± Rachel asked.


    It was very clear that Ronnie and David would never findmon ground, and the two of them were


    like oil and water. However, she could sense empathy in Ronnie¡¯s words.


    Hearing this, Ronnie looked at Rachel. ¡°We have reconciled¡±


    ¡°Reconciled¡± Rachel could not believe what Ronnie had just uttered.


    After all, before this, Ronnie had been going against David in every way possible and was ever


    determined to kill David.


    Their fast reconciliation baffled Rachel.


    ¡°I have to go.¡± Ronnie said as he opened the door and got out of the car.


    Rachel looked out of the car curiously. After Darcy stopped his car, he walked toward Ronnie


    aggressively.


    She lowered the window and called out, ¡°Darcy?¡±


    Darcy looked at Rachel, looking ever worried. He scanned her from head to toe. ¡°Miss Grey.¡±


    ¡°You guys¡­ Rachel¡¯s gaze darted between Ronnie and Darcy for a while.


    Ronnie grinned. ¡°It is not easy to find him. This is the only way for me to see him. I shall take my leave.¡±


    As he spoke, he waved at Rachel and gave Darcy a look before walking toward an MPV in the parking


    lot.


    Rachel watched them leave, one after another. After hesitating for a bit, she started her car and left the


    scene.


    Yet, she could not forget what Ronnie had said.


    ¡°Not all mothers in this world look forward to the arrival of their children, and Mrs. Olson is one of them.


    Her hatred toward David was as deep as the ocean¡± Ronnie¡¯s words were ringing in her head.


    Rachel had made baseless spections when she heard the phone conversation. She did not expect


    everything to be as she had guessed.


    Now she could see why David had such an icy personality.


    Since he had never felt the warmth of family since he was young, he would not have known how to


    express arm emotions. Looking back to what Old Mrs. Jones had told her a long time ago. Rachel


    could see that the difficulties and hardships David had gone through along the way were far beyond her


    imagination.


    No one in the Jones family would feel sorry for David. Her heart ached at the thought of that.


    Mrs. Olson hated David to the core. Rachel was fine with not interfering, but she would never allow


    Mrs. Olson to bring any more harm to David


    Rachel would be there to protect her man!


    That thought drove her feet to m on the elerator as if she was venting the anger in her heart.


    When Rachel got back to Sandalwood Hills, she saw that David was already home..


    She took her shoes off, tiptoed over, and threw herself onto David¡¯s back.


    David¡¯s lips curled into a doting smile. The moment she pounced on him, he instinctively reached out to


    hold her hand. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Umhmm.¡± Rachel buried her head in his neck and responded gloomily.


    Sensing that she was in low spirits, David looked at her and softly rubbed his thin lips against the side


    of her cheek. ¡°Who made you unhappy?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No one.¡± Rachel let go of him and walked around the couch before falling casually onto it in azy


    manner.


    Rachel slowly twirled her long hair that hung around her shoulder. ¡°Can I possibly trouble my


    outstanding and capable fiance to help me out?¡± she asked.


    David replied to Rachel with his eyes filled with love and his heart, affection. ¡®How could I possibly


    reject a request from you?¡± His tone of voice was soft and doting.


    Rachel then carefully exined Aileen¡¯s condition to David. ¡°With the current medical standards in the


    country, the risk of sessfully removing the remaining bullets from Aileen¡¯s body is extremely high. I


    wonder if the Bowes family from Aureliana has any solutions?¡±


    The Bowes family from Aureliana was a family of medical practitioners and had been doing that for


    generations. It was no exaggeration to say that medical professionalism ran in their blood


    Moreover, Aureliana¡¯s medical facilities were far more advanced than those back home.


    Rachel thought that the Bowes family from Aurelianat might have a way.

 Chapter 831

    Chapter 831


    Chapter 831


    ¡°I shall think of a way.¡± David said.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Rachel was relieved when she heard his simple affirmation.


    The worry in her eyes faded a little, and she looked at him with a rxed smile. ¡°Thank you. David.¡±


    With that, she stood up and was about to leave.


    David grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into his arms.


    He leaned forward and breathed deeply into Rachel¡¯s neck. His husky voice was especially bewitching.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t a simple thank you too perfunctory to show your appreciation?¡±


    As David spoke, his palm slithered slowly down Rachel¡¯s back andnded on her waist.


    It was just a simple move, but that made Rachel quiver.


    Her eyshes fluttered in panic, and she was on her guard. ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    They had spent a lot of time together, and Rachel could somehow read what David had in his mind.


    David might look aloof and untouchable most of the time, but at night, his fiery desire to make Rachel


    his burned.


    Her heart trembled uncontrobly at the thought of the soreness all over her body that was about to


    happen again.


    David raised his eyebrows slightly and grinned like a handsome bad boy. ¡°From what you are saying, it


    seems like you will say yes to all my requests tonight.¡±


    ¡°You better watch it and not push your luck Rachel red at him angrily,


    David could not help butugh. ¡°What are your ns for tomorrow?¡±


    The out-of-the-blue question threw Rachel off her train of thought.


    ¡°Nothing much, actually.¡± She gave it some thought before replying.


    David reached out and tucked Rachel¡¯s hair behind her ear. He held her cheek and kissed her gently.


    ¡°There is an event tomorrow night. Will you attend it with me?¡±


    ¡°An event?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement.


    Rachel and David had not officially appeared together in public since they made their rtionship


    official.


    It was not because they felt the other party was not presentable, but David had always kept a low


    profile and did not like to attend events. That was why everyone described David Jones as elusive.


    On the other hand, Rachel never liked to put on fake smiles and deal with hypocritical people. That was


    why they never really had the opportunity to attend events together.


    David was eager to attend this particr event and even took the initiative to invite Rachel. Thetter


    could sense that it was not just another event. That inevitably aroused Rachel¡¯s curiosity.


    David saw through her. ¡°It is the opening ceremony of a bidding.¡±


    ¡°Since we are attending such an important event tomorrow, I shall go back to my room and have a


    good sleep.¡± Rachel quickly gave a solid reply.


    When she got up to leave, David pulled her into his arms again.


    His arm around her waist tightened, and he bent down slightly before literally sweeping her off her feet


    and into a bridal carry. ¡°Tonight is the night, and a few minutes short of sleep will do no harm,¡± David


    muttered in his deep and maic


    voice.


    Rachel flushed and did not know what to say.


    It was a long torrential action-packed night for the love birds. They weed the beautiful spring with


    their interweaving gasps and pants.


    The next morning, Rachel stared nkly at the ceiling above her when she woke up.


    The air still vaguely smelled of extravagance and romance, reminding her ofst night¡¯s wild


    indulgence.


    Due to what Ronnie had said, her heart ached for David. That was what made her let David act upon


    his desires without holding back. And again, she was staggered by how far and long David could go.


    Throughout the night, Rachel and David carried out their carnal pleasures from the bedroom to the


    bathroom, closet, couch, and back to the bedroom.


    Thinking of David¡¯s indomitable staminast night, Rachel shuddered.


    Rachel let her body linger on the bed for a while more before she slowly lifted the nket.


    The moment her feet hit the soft wool carpet, her knees buckled, and she fell awkwardly back into the


    bed.


    ¡°Oh dear, this was even more tiring than physical training!¡±


    ¡°You are awake?¡± David¡¯s deep voice could be heard from the door.


    Rachel jolted up from the bed and saw David standing at the door. He was already fully dressed.


    He looked refreshed and absolutely gratified.


    Seeing that Rachel was silent, he walked forward. ¡°You can sleep a little longer if you want to.¡±


    ¡°I am good,¡± Rachel replied weakly. Her voice was a little hoarse.


    She was stunned for a moment before her face darkened.


    It must have been caused by her screaming and beggingst night.


    Seeing Rachel getting angry, David scratched the bridge of his nose awkwardly.


    He had indeed gone too farst night.


    However, he did not know how he could lose control the night before. All the self-control he prided on


    crumbled when he was with Rachel.


    Her soft moans were like a feline¡¯s coquettish purr. It was so soft and beguiling that it enticed and


    awakened all his carnal desires and roguish intentions.


    The memories fromst night made David gulp. He quickly suppressed his thoughts and itch as he


    squatted down and helped Rachel with her shoes. He promised solemnly. ¡°I will definitely control


    myself better next time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right!¡± Rachel huffed.


    To her. David¡¯s credibility at this point was practically zero.


    David remained silent.


    After they got dressed, David held Rachel by the waist and helped her slowly downstairs.


    In the dining room, Rachel was exhausted and did not have much of an appetite. She only took a few


    bites of her food.


    David got up


    and came to her side. He held the bowl of oatmeal and fed it to Rachel bit by bit. ¡°Shall we get some


    new clothes for the eventter in the afternoon?¡±


    Rachel looked up and replied, ¡°You can make the ns.¡±


    All Rachel wanted to do was to lie snugly in bed and sleep.


    ording to the original n, David would bring Rachel to the styling salon to pick out clothes.


    However, he had to bring the styling team into Sandalwood Hills due to Rachel¡¯s current feeble state.


    Time passed, and it was already six in the evening.


    In front of the magnificent Hilton Hotel, many luxury cars slowly arrived at the scene.


    The red carpet event spelled extravagance, and the security measures were at the top of their game.


    The bidding this time was different from the past. It was said that all influential members of Seaxas


    were present. That was enough to show the significance and the status of this bidding.


    Not long after, David and his convoy slowly drove up to the red carpet.


    Eddie opened his side of the car door, got out of the front seat, quickly walked to the back, and opened


    the back door.


    A pair of skillfully polished handmade leather shoesnded on the ground, and a pair of well-pressed


    sleek suit be seen.


    David was wearing a ck suit. The cor of his shirt was neatly buttoned, and he wore a matching tie.


    He exuded a low-key and reserved nobility.


    His well-defined facial features were exceptionally handsome and eye-catching, causing the


    surrounding people to stop and admire him.


    However, he did not seem to notice that the crowd was looking at him. He slowly adjusted his sleeves


    and opened his pains to the carriage behind him.


    A slender hand slowly reached out to his palm, followed by a pair of nude high heels on the ground.


    Rachel leaned slightly forward before walking out in a silver strapless mermaid evening gown.

 Chapter 832

    Chapter 832


    Chapter 832


    When the organizer of the biddingmittee learned that David had arrived, he went out personally to


    wee him.


    And he was stunned to see David and Rachel holding hands.


    No one would know this better than the organizer. David had a clean te and was never involved in


    dating rumors. Even when attending banquets, he was always alone and never had adypanion


    woman by his side..


    Therefore, the organizer did not expect David to be apanied by ady this time.


    Thedy standing beside David was tall and slender. Her silver, figure-hugging gown entuated her


    exquisite silhouette. Every move she made emanated an innate ir of nobility and elegance.


    Rachel was wearing light makeup tonight. The slightly upturned cat eye matched the curve of her eyes


    perfectly, revealing just the right amount of charm.


    When she got out of the car, she carelessly hooked her arm around David¡¯s. She took a nce at him


    and she noticed his slightly furrowed brows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°That champagne-colored gown suits you better.¡± David¡¯s gazended on Rachel¡¯s smooth shoulders


    and his brows tightened.


    He had prepared more than 20 different gowns of various designs and styles but Rachel chose the


    most inconspicuous mermaid dress with a silver tube top and re skirt that was hiding at the back of


    the rack.


    There were thousands of dazzling beads hand-sewed on the surface of the dress. At different angles


    and lightings, the beads. sparkled in contrasting colors.


    She looked like a real mermaid that had emerged from the sparkling sea.


    Rachel was very satisfied with this dress.


    As for the champagne-colored gown that David mentioned, not only was the hemline too wide, but it


    was also loose around the waistline. Most importantly, it had a high cor and long sleeves. It looked


    cumbersome on Rachel and was also too hot. for the weather.


    David was probably lying when he said he wanted their attires to match. Rather, he was too


    conservative.


    As she was thinking. Chris came up to Rachel with a shawl. ¡°Be careful not to catch a cold, Miss Grey¡±


    Rachel took a look at the shawl. She then nced at David and snorted. ¡°So petty!¡± She scolded him.


    The organizer standing not too far away heard Rachel¡¯s rude remark and was taken aback.


    She dared openly criticize David for being petty! How brave was shel


    She ought to be the first person in the world who dare to do that.


    The organizer thought Rachel was a gorgeous woman. However, she did not seem very smart.


    Spoilt, bratty women who got overconfident usually often would not end up well.


    However, the organizer was even more stunned by David¡¯s reply. David was not offended and


    exined, ¡°The air-conditioning in the hall is strong. You may catch a cold.¡±


    David then took the shawl from Chris and draped it over Rachel¡¯s smooth and thin shoulders.


    Rachel looked up at David¡¯s stiff jawline. Finally, she relented.


    The shawl that Chris picked out was woven with two different kinds of silk. It was thin and breathable.


    The vine designs were embroidered with thin silver threads. It did not drown out the gown at all.


    Rachel wrapped the shawl around her shoulders. After adjusting it a little, she walked into the hall with


    David


    David wrapped his arm around her waist and lowered his head slightly. He whispered in Rachel¡¯s ear,


    ¡°There are many people tonight. Chris will be by your side.¡±


    Rachel tugged at her shawl and turned both ends behind her. She answered absentmindedly, ¡°Got it.¡±


    Rachel was not a stranger to bidding events. However, this bidding involved a lot of forces and a lot of


    prominent figures had shown up.


    Of course, Seaxas¡¯s Four Families were also present.


    That was Rachel¡¯s first grand event in a long time, having returned to the Johnson family after so many


    years. ¡°Why is the bidding event this year grander than the previous years?¡±


    Although she did not attend the previous biddings, Rachel had more or less heard about it. She had


    never heard of one bidding asion where so many families turned up.


    Moreover, today was only the opening ceremony.


    ¡°Things are different now,¡± David said calmly. ¡°Seaxas is rich in resources. Naturally, everyone wants a


    part of it.¡±


    Which meant there would be a major reshuffling of powers within Seaxas in this year¡¯s bidding.


    The two of them chatted as they walked, not paying any attention to the person walking behind them.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Louis stood at the entrance and stared at Rachel¡¯s slender and tall back. Although he was looking at


    her from a distance he could tell she was the woman he had been thinking about day and night.


    The assistant looked at Louis, who did not move from his spot, and called out carefully, ¡°Mr. Smith?¡±


    Louis suddenly came back to his senses. He smoothed out his suit jacket and walked towards the hall.


    Nheless, his gaze stayed fixated on Rachel until she disappeared from his sight.


    On the other hand, Rachel and David were forced to split apart after they entered the hall.


    Rachel wandered among the guests in the hall with a wine ss in her hand, looking for the Johnson


    family.


    Old Mr. Johnson was aged, and her eldest uncle. Tom, was embroiled in a corruption case some time


    ago. To avoid hearsay, it was best for them to avoid such events.


    Therefore, Rachel guessed that the person representing the Johnson family that we night for the


    banquet would likely be Lucas.


    As expected, Rachel saw Lucas as she turned into a corner.


    To her surprise. Miriam was there with Lucas.


    She hurried over to greet them. As she drew closer, someone from the crowd grabbed her arm. ¡°You


    are indeed hard to pin down, my daughter!¡±


    It was Hans.


    It had been a long time since theyst saw each other. Hans¡¯s sideburns had turned grey, and he had


    lost weight. Nheless, he still retained his boyish good looks with his strong eyebrows and dreamy


    eyes.


    Rachel frowned slightly. Her eyes were hostile. ¡°Let go!¡±


    ¡°Do you know how much effort I spent to find you? How can I let go?¡± Hans secretly gritted his teeth


    and tightened his grip around her hand unconsciously.


    He had been hit with a lot of obstacles the past few days while trying to investigate Rachel¡¯s


    whereabouts.


    However, the more those people targeted and warned him, the more he wanted to find Rachel.


    To Hans, Rachel was his lifeline. As long as he held onto her tightly, the Grey family would surely make


    aeback.


    He had heard that there would be many prominent figures attending tonight¡¯s bidding and wanted to try


    his luck. To his surprise, she was indeed at the banquet.


    He narrowed his eyes, his deceptive eyes filled with shrewd calction. ¡°You¡¯re bing more and


    more like your mother now.¡±


    Back then, it was love at first sight for him when he saw Sophia ying the piano at a banquet.


    He had imagined it would be a whirlwind romance, and they would spend the rest of their lives together.


    He did not expect it to be aplete scam!


    That was why people often warned that pretty women were the best liars.


    Rachel twisted and turned her wrist to break free from Hans¡¯s grip. However, Hans was holding onto


    her tightly and not letting go.


    She turned to look at Lucas for help, but he was engrossed in a deep conversation with someone else


    and did not notice her. She was on her own. Rachel turned back toward Hans and red icily at him.


    ¡°Hans Grey, you¡¯d better let me go if you still want to leave this ce in one piece!¡±

 Chapter 833

    Chapter 833


    Chapter 833


    Rachel instantly calmed down and regained herposure. There was a dark, menacing glint in her


    eyes. Her dead stare could easily pierce through a person¡¯s chest.


    Het emotionless tone made her look even more intimidating.


    Hans was taken aback by her threatening pose. He stood stunned on the spot and gradually let go of


    her hand subconsciously


    Rachel immediately wrenched her hand free once she felt his grip loosening Without saying a word,


    she turned around and


    left


    Hans stood where he was and watched as Rachel left him behind. He squinted his eyes, and a flicker


    of darkness rose in the depths of his eyes


    His daughter had always been obedient and sensible since she was little. She hardly caused trouble


    and was a breeze to take


    cate of


    However, being too sensible might make one seem weak and an east target to bully. Rachel finally


    learned how to be firm. and decisive. Unfortunately, she had also emerged from her father¡¯s shadow


    and no longer listened to him.


    Hans hoped that Rachel would behave sensibly tonight. Else, he might do something drastic to make


    her listen to him.


    After Rachel shook free from Hans, she slowly approached Lucas Miriam caught sight of her first.


    Miriam walked up to Rachel happily ¡°Rae-Rac, you¡¯re here too.¡±


    Miriam was intamiliar with Seaxas, and she did not know anyone at the banquet. Hence, she was


    bored to death.


    Fortunately, Rachel was there!


    Rachel broke into a smile. She nced at Miriam¡¯s and Lucas¡¯s outhts, and straight away, Rachel could


    tell that a lot of thought had gone into designing them.


    Take the color of Lucas¡¯s pocket square and the pattern on his tie. Theyplemented the designs on


    Miriam¡¯s dress.


    Their outfits might look unassuming, but they were actually a low-key couple¡¯s outfit.


    Of course, who would have thought of this ingenuity other than Miriam?


    There was no way a dull man like Lucas understood how it worked. He probably did not even notice the


    details when he put


    on the suit


    When I ucas, who was talking to someone, heard Rachel¡¯s voice, he ended his conversation


    apologetically. ¡°Sorry, please


    excuse me.¡±


    After he said that, he turned around and stood beside Rachel. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°You are here, why can¡¯t I Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly.


    Lucas did not mind Rachel¡¯s presence. Rather, he was concerned about her, as the bidding might be


    an intricate affair.


    Heavyweights from all over the ce has gathered there. From the political world to the business world


    and even the underground forces. Everyone had unsurmountable authority and deep financial


    resources. People of diverse backgrounds were there, from the best to the worst. Lucas did not want


    Rachel toe in contact with them.


    His gaze darted around the banquet hall as if looking for someone. ¡°Where¡¯s David?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably busy with something.¡± Rachel said nonchntly.


    Lucas frowned imperceptibly upon hearing what Rachel said. He did not concur with David¡¯s actions.


    He was about to say something when a smallmotion broke out in the lobby.


    Everyone turned around and saw Old Mr. Johnson walking in through the door.


    Beside Old Mr. Johnson stood the patriarchs of the Shain, Page, and Green families.


    Seaxas¡¯s Four Families had a reputation and were well-known. No one was surprised by their


    appearance.


    Everyone greeted Old Mr. Johnson respectfully, and he kindly acknowledged them. When he saw


    Rachel, however, he was


    startled


    Old Mr. Johnson had not mentioned the bidding to Rachel because he did not want her to get involved


    in this kind of dealing. Else, she still showed up there.


    Without giving Rachel a chance to exin, Lucas said sarcastically, ¡°Who else could it be other than


    that person!¡± Although no names were mentioned, Old Mr. Johnson knew who Lucas was talking about.


    His expression became stern, and he looked at Rachel pensively. Old Mr. Johnson heaved a long sigh


    and instructed her


    solemnly, ¡°Rae-Rae, stay with meter.¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, there was anothermotion at the stairs.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was instantly directed toward the second level of the building.


    Under the bright chandelier lights, five men, with David in the lead, walked down the stairs slowly from


    the second floor.


    Behind David were Ronnie, a man with a scar on his face, and two other men in their thirties.


    Lucas, standing beside Rachel, leaned forward slightly and exined, ¡°The man with the scar on his


    face works for Yandel. The other two on the left are Che from Elderville and Daniel from Somerville,


    respectively. Those two are influential people in both the business and underworld¡¯


    Rachel seemed to understand something from Lucas¡¯s exnation.


    At the same time, their surroundings seemed to get rowdy and louder.


    ¡°That¡¯s David Jones? The head of the Jones family from Aureliana?¡±


    ¡°I thought he has always kept a low profile and rarely appears in public. Why is it different this year?


    Could the rumors be


    truc


    ¡°Looks like this year¡¯s bidding will be more intense than the previous years.¡±


    Someone in the crowd said, ¡°Mr. Jones is indeed a rare talent. It will be an utmost honor for the family


    whose daughter he fancies.¡±


    With that said, the topic of the discussion took a quick turn.


    From David¡¯s private life to their single daughters. The rich people secretly pitted each other on whose


    daughter was better suited for David.


    Rachel heard their conversations, and she frowned slightly.


    It was awkward to be hearing people fighting over her David.


    Miriam seemed to have sensed something. She could not resist but whispered in Rachel¡¯s ear, ¡°Are


    you jealous, Rachel?¡±


    Rachel turned around and caught Miriam¡¯s teasing gaze. She leaned over and whispered back.


    Wouldn¡¯t you be jealous if they were talking about Lucas?


    ¡°Maybe we can use someone else as an analogy, Miriam muttered softly.


    Rachel could not help but giggle. She gave Miriam a teasing shoulder bump. ¡°You know me best.¡±


    Miriam¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement and joy after hearing that.


    It did not matter if Rachel meant that or if she only said that to patronize Miriam. It was the highest


    compliment Miriam could receive.


    She was a stranger in Seaxas with no rtives or friends. Hence, she felt extremely proud to be


    praised by Rachel.


    Perhaps both of them were about the same age, and they had simr personalities. They hit it off right


    away since they met and had a lot ofmon topics,


    Then someone spoke behind them, ¡°Miss Grey, long time no see.¡±


    Rachel heard her name and turned around. Zion was standing behind her, wearing a ck suit.


    ¡°Mr. Summers.¡± Rachel smiled. Though subtle, her smile was restrained and not as bright as before.


    Zion was an attentive person, so he noticed the slight difference in her smile. However, he pretended


    not to know. He passed the sparkling wine in his hand to Rachel. ¡°The fruit wine you are drinking can


    make you drunk. Why don¡¯t you drink sparkling wine instead?¡±


    Rachel took a look at his drink but did not take it.


    ¡°Miss Grey, we are old acquaintances. Moreover, Lucas is here. You still don¡¯t trust me?¡± Zion asked.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

 Chapter 834

    Chapter 834


    Chapter 834


    ¡°She¡¯s not the only one who¡¯s worried¡± Lucas walked over with one hand in his pocket. He reached out


    and took the sparkling wine from Zion. ¡°Rachel can¡¯t handle alcohol, so don¡¯t give her this kind of drink¡±


    Zion looked curiously at the ss of fruit wine Rachel was holding in her hands.


    Fruit wine was more potent than sparkling wine.


    And he said she could not handle liquor well?


    However, having known Lucas for many years, Zion knew he was just trying to get Rachel out of a


    bind. Hence, he did not


    insist.


    ¡°Miss Grey, don¡¯t forget what you promised me Zion reminded her as he raised the goblet in his hand


    and clinked it against Rachel¡¯s.


    Lucas frowned slightly and looked at Rachel ¡°What did you promise him?¡±


    Rachel thought for a moment. ¡°Nothing much. I just promised to help him survey the new building


    developed by the Summers family.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lucas looked at her solemnly and gave her a stern reminder. ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to


    agree to a stranger¡¯s request. You never know if the other party is up to no good.¡±


    Zion was speechless.


    Lucas and his group attracted a lot of attention from the others.


    After all, good-looking people like them always intrigued people.


    Especially the alluring Rachel. She possessed a beauty so exquisite that she left asting impression


    on anyone who took just one nce at her.


    Her impable face, slender figure, and that dignified and elegant aura turned heads wherever she


    went.


    All the guests who attended the banquet came from great authority and status.


    If they could meet their soul mate at the banquet, not only would it be an anecdote, but the two families


    could also ally.


    Just as everyone was getting restless, David and the others had reached the bottom of the stairs and


    were slowly approaching the group.


    David donned a well-tailored ck suit that perfectly entuated his tall and straight figure.


    The gorgeous crystal chandelier shone brightly on his well-definedce, bringing out the features of his


    exquisite facial features.


    An air of aristocratic and indifferent aura emanated from his body, creating an oppressive atmosphere


    around him. Everyone was suddenly aware of his imposing presence, and they voluntarily retreated as


    he walked through the crowd. David stood at the front expressionlessly. His eyes scanned the crowd


    with a disdainful attitude until his gazended on Rachel. Only then did the look in his eyes change.


    Instantly, like winter transitioning to spring, the chilly atmosphere in the banquet hall lifted a little, giving


    way to a rxed and warmer mood.


    David walked over and extended his hand to Rachel.


    Everyone was astonished when they saw that. They held their breath as they looked at the two people


    in front of them nervously.


    The gentlemen at the banquet wanted Rachel to reject David, while the woman hoped it was nothing


    more than a whimsical interest in Rachel..


    Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, Rachel smiled and ced her hand in David¡¯s palin


    Everyone¡¯s faces turned crestfallen when the two hands interlocked.


    David walked up to Old Mr. Johnson holding Rachel¡¯s hand and greeted him respectfully, ¡°Mr.


    Johnson.¡±


    His voice was low and husky but solemn.


    Old Mr. Johnson looked at David. He knew David had purposely put on that show to dere his


    rtionship with Rachel


    Old Mr. Johnson had still harbored a lining of hope in his heart. However, David¡¯s actions had


    completely smothered that faint trace of hope.


    Everyone would know about David and Rachel after that night.


    Old Mr. Johnson rubbed the dragon-headed walking stick in his hand. He took a deep breath and said


    calmly, ¡°Mr. Jones,


    you¡¯re too kind.¡±


    ¡°You are Rae-Rae¡¯s grandfather. As a junior, I should greet you,¡± David replied.


    His polite and modest speech shocked everyone.


    David was the head of the Jones family in Aureliana. He was also the leader of Seaxas¡¯s underground


    forces.


    With a status like his, even the Four Families of Seaxas had to humble themselves in his presence.


    But now, he was so respectful and humble in front of Old Mr. Johnson!


    Meanwhile, the dumbfounded Hans stood frozen in his spot. He looked like he had been struck by


    lightning. He gaped, and his eyes were quavering as he turned to look at Rachel in utter disbelief.


    Old Mr. Johnson of the Johnson family, the wealthiest man in Seaxas was Rachel¡¯s grandfather.


    What the hell was going on!


    Back then, when Sophia and he got married, Sophia had said she had no rtives and was born in the


    countryside.


    Moreover, he had checked on the Johnson family¡¯s background when they came to pick up Rachel


    twenty years ago. They were nobodies. No stature and no power. How did Old Mr. Johnson suddenly


    be the richest man?


    If Rachel was the granddaughter of the richest family in Seaxas, then she would be at the helm of the


    Johnson Corporation!


    The realizations came at Hans like shockwaves. He was utterly bbergasted, and his heart almost


    stopped. Chills ran down his spine.


    Hans was not the only one who was shocked. Louis was surprised, too.


    He tightened his grip around his wine ss subconsciously. His eyes became slightly bloodshot as he


    stared unblinkingly at David and Rachel standing together.


    Rachel was the granddaughter of the richest man in Seaxas!


    Louis felt as though a bucket of bone-piercing, icy cold water had been poured over his heart, and his


    fingers shook uncontrobly. Blood drained from his face, and his mind went into a tailspin. He was


    unable to think straight.


    How did Rachel, born in the countryside, suddenly be a Johnson granddaughter? He was unable


    to wrap his head


    around it.


    She was the granddaughter whom the Johnson family adored and cherished like a treasure.


    Not only that, she was also the head of the Johnson Corporation!


    Louis recalled abandoning Rachel for Olivia on their wedding day. Now, it felt like he was getting


    avenged for what he did.


    Because of Olivia, he even fell out with Rachel on several asions. And they were like sworn


    enemies now.


    Back then, his grandfather had tried so hard to persuade Rachel to stay. But what did he do?


    He chose Olivia obstinately.


    Now that things had turned out like this, whom could he me? Was it fate¡¯s doings? Or he only had


    himself to me?


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Louis¡¯s expressions became dreary as he thought of that. He downed the wine in his ss in one gulp,


    then turned around and left.


    ¡°Mr. Smith?¡± When his assistant saw Louis leaving, he immediately chased after him.


    Louis nced at him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me. I want to be alone for a while.¡±


    No one at the banquet noticed Louis¡¯s absence.


    Old Mr. Johnson studied David with a deep and skeptical gaze.


    David could introduce himself in various ways, but he chose the most ostentatious method.


    Was it because he was just too full of himself andckingmon sense?


    No, this had got to be part of his n.

 Chapter 835

    Chapter 835


    Chapter 835


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    That was as good as announcing his rtionship with Rachel to the world.


    It was also to tell everyone that the wealthiest family in Seaxas, the Johnson family, had David backing


    them up.


    Moreover, he obliterated any indecent thoughts the opposite sex present in the banquet might have for


    Rachel.


    After all, with David¡¯s status and power, no man would have the guts to touch his woman.


    They did not dare to even think about it, let alone take action.


    Rachel did not give too much thought to it. However, when she heard David admitting their rtionship,


    she felt a sense of bliss bubbling within her.


    David had given her a strong sense of assurance and security on this asion.


    She turned to look at David beside her. As if telepathic, David looked at her too, and their gazes met.


    However, Old Mr. Johnson did not find that romantic.


    His hand tightened around the dragon head he was caressing on his walking stick. Veins faintly popped


    up on the back of his hand, as if he was trying his best to suppress his emotions.


    In the end, everything did not go ording to his wishes.


    In the past years, he had tried his best to hide Rachel¡¯s existence and to cut ties with the Jones family.


    In the end, Rachel still jumped head-on into the fire pit.


    He once thought that if Rachel came to her senses one day, it would still not be toote to salvage the


    situation.


    Else, David had so openly announced his rtionship with Rachel. That wiped out any glimmer of hope


    he held on to so fervently.


    Was this fate?


    The Jones family of Aureliana was an affluent family that ordinary people could only dream of meeting.


    And David had so forthrightly sought a marriage alliance with the Johnson family. The people at the


    banquet looked toward Old Mr. Johnson with envy and admiration.


    The Johnson family was well-known for being the wealthiest family in Seaxas. They had attracted the


    envy of countless people from all over the world. Now that they had David backing them, their authority


    would grow stronger.


    However, that was not what Old Mr. Johnson wanted.


    Old Mr. Johnson looked at Rachel and David. His eyes grew dull and very quickly, he lost some of that


    vigor.


    However, they were in the public eye. Regardless of how upset Old Mr. Johnson was, he had to


    suppress his emotions. Even though he knew that there was no turning back, Old Mr. Johnson still


    carried a trace of hope in his heart.


    He could not stand by and watch as Rachel jumped into the pits of hell.


    All those years, he had raised Rachel up meticulously. She was slender and elegant and possessed


    the grace of a flower. Old Mr. Johnson was not only carrying out his daughter¡¯sst wishes, but he truly


    adored Rachel.


    Although Rachel was his granddaughter, he had long regarded Rachel as his daughter after so many


    years.


    David seemed to know what Old Mr. Johnson was about to say next. A dark glint shed across his


    eyes. ¡°Mr. Johnson, my grandmother will visit you in the next two days to discuss the engagement


    personally.¡±


    The people around thein went into amotion when they heard this.


    Rachel and David had not only confirmed their rtionship, but they were about to get engaged. It was


    out of their expectation.


    That meant that their daughters had no fighting chance at all.


    Old Mr. Johnson stared at David. He pondered and was silent for very long. Finally, Old Mr. Johnson


    sighed softly. ¡°Alright¡± He sounded despondent.


    Lucas stood at the side and did not say anything. He was quietly observing the change in Old Mr.


    Johnson¡¯s expression.


    His intuition told him that Old Mr. Johnson was against Rachel and David being together. There must


    be a reason behind


    this.


    As he contemted, a shadow emerged out of the crowd.


    When he realized it was Hans, Lucas¡¯s eyes narrowed. A forbidding aura radiated from within the


    depths of his re.


    He thought his earlier threats were enough to dispel any unwanted desires Hans had. Seemed like it


    was difficult for a leopard to change its spots.


    He had actually sneaked into this bidding event.


    Hans¡¯s intentions were clear.


    Lucas looked at his assistance, and thetter immediately understood his instructions.


    The assistant hurried forward. Before the shameless Hans could take another step closer to them, the


    assistant covered his face and dragged him out.


    The sudden move caught Hans off guard. He struggled with all his might, but he could not break free.


    Until the assistant threw him out of the hotel.


    ¡°Who are you, people? Do you know who I am?¡± Hans red at the assistant in front of him.


    The assistant looked at him nkly. He was so calm, like he was looking at an ordinary piece of trash.


    Hans grew irate when he realized he had missed that opportunity to establish a rtionship and get


    close to the wealthiest family in Seaxas.


    Crack!


    The sound of a lighter igniting.


    Lucas walked out slowly with a cigarette between his fingers.


    He took a pull and then gently tapped the cigarette to his side.


    Hans was slightly stunned to see Lucas. However, he immediately went up to him with a smile. ¡°Mr.


    Johnson, iso good to see you here. These people are bullying me. They chased me out of the banquet.


    You have to help me!¡±


    ¡°Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. I¡¯m Hans Grey, Rae-Rae¡¯s father.¡± Hans thought he had struck a


    jackpot, and all he could think about was thevish life from that day onward. He introduced himself


    emotionally, ¡°Sophia Johnson is my wife. ording to seniority, she¡¯s your aunt, and I¡¯m your uncle.¡±


    He was rted to the wealthiest man in Seaxas. When Hans thought of that, adrenaline rushed


    through his body, and he became exhrated. His shrewd eyes flickered with excitement.


    Lucas chuckled. ¡°Did you really think you are my senior? Are you worth it?¡±


    A simple sentence but filled with sarcasm and mockery.


    Upon hearing this, the smile on Hans¡¯s face fell. His excitement dissipated, and reality started to sink


    in. He sized up the expression on Lucas¡¯s face.


    Lucas¡¯s chiseled face looked bitterly cold. His eyes looked lifeless and distant.


    Hans Grey hesitated and said cautiously, ¡°Mr. Johnson, is there a misunderstanding between us?¡±


    He knew he had neglected Rachel for the past years, and the Johnson family would not be happy


    about it.


    Had he known that the Johnson family was Seaxas¡¯s richest family, he would not have given up


    Rachel¡¯s custody and allowed the Johnson family to take her way.


    Lucas took a puff of his cigarette. The grayish-white smoke shrouded his face, making it impossible to


    see his emotions. Only his deep and hoarse chuckle was heard. It was short, but it sounded fearsome.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, back then, you abandoned Rae-Rae in the snow and said that you would


    never have a daughter like her in your life. Why did you go back on your word now?¡±


    ¡°Well, 1.¡± Hans did not expect Lucas to remember what he said in a fit of anger. And it was so long ago.


    For a long while, he could not find his words. When he finally decided to approach Lucas shamelessly,


    he was stopped by an aggressive-looking man in ck. ¡°Lucas, this is all a misunderstanding.¡±

 Chapter 836

    Chapter 836


    Chapter 836


    Recalling what he had done back then, Hans was filled with regret.


    When he investigated initially, It was clear that there was no power influence behind Sophia¡¯s back.


    How did she be Miss Grey of the Johnson family in Seaxas?


    Furthermore, when the Johnson family came to demand Rachel Grey, they arrived in a dpidated car


    that looked like it came from a remote and rural area. No one would have associated them with the


    wealthy Johnson family in Seaxas!


    In regards to who is right and wrong, the Johnson family was at fault first.


    There were rich and powerful but pretended to be penniless as though they came from slums, causing


    him to be kept in the dark all these years!


    ¡°You¡¯ve been keeping me in the dark all these years. Hans looked bitter. ¡°You can¡¯t me me for being


    heartless back then. That girl Rae-Rae was too ruthless. Who would have thought she would be so


    ruthless at such a young age? She pushed my wife down the stairs and caused her to suffer a


    miscarriage. If not for the timely arrival at the hospital, the consequences would have been


    unimaginable!¡±


    Lucas chuckled. His voice was as cold as ice, carrying a chilling coldness. ¡°Hans, think about it. How


    could someone as young as Rae-Rae possibly have the strength to push an adult?¡±


    He believed that Rachel could never be a person with wicked intentions, and anyone with a brain would


    perceive the clues


    behind this incident.


    Only an idiot like Hans would believe the so-called ¡°seeing is believing¡±!


    Seeing that Hans did not speak, Lucas¡¯s ck eyes narrowed and emitted a sharp cold light. ¡°All these


    years, mind one¡¯s own business. It¡¯s good that everyone has been living in peace. However, if you dare


    to spout such nonsense and something bad happens, you will bear the consequences!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m Rae-Rae¡¯s father!¡± Upon hearing that Lucas wanted to draw the line, a hint of panic shed


    across Hans¡¯s eyes. He exined anxiously. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve cut off contact with Rae-Rac all these


    years, I¡¯m still her biological father. What rights do you have to stop us from reuniting?¡±


    ¡°Father-daughter reunion?!¡± Lucas¡¯s thin lips parted slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled into a


    mocking smile. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re worthy of calling yourself Rae-Rae¡¯s father? Back then, we asked


    you. You were the one who insisted on severing your father-daughter rtionship with Rae-Rae. Now


    that you¡¯ve discovered that Rae-Rae is useful, you want to go back on your word. There¡¯s no such


    thing in this world!¡±


    As he spoke, he extinguished the cigarette with a flick of his fingertips and then flicked the remnants


    onto Hans¡¯s face. A faint smirk had formed at the corner of his mouth, carrying a hint of wickedness.


    ¡°Hans Grey, out of respect to my aunt, I haven¡¯t destroyed the Grey family. If you fail to recognize your


    ce, you only have yourself to me.¡±


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    With that, he turned around and left without looking back.


    Hans felt as if he had been electrocuted. He stood rooted to the ground in a daze.


    A few months ago, the Grey family seemed to be cursed as their business plummeted, bank loans


    were dyed, and they faced the need for production line adjustments, leaving them in great distress.


    He had thought that it was bad luck, but it turned out that Lucas was targeting him from behind!


    Hans stood on the spot with an ugly expression.


    ¡°You, you¡­¡± Watching the departing figure of Lucas, Hans could no longer bear it. He gritted his teeth


    and said through clenched jaws, ¡°The Johnson family has gone too far! Do you really think you can


    control everything in Seaxas?¡±


    Upon hearing those words, Lucas¡¯s footsteps hesitated for a moment. He turned slightly, casting a faint


    nce at Hans. ¡°Hans Grey, do you think with your intellect aloue, how did the Grey family manage to


    enter into the upper echelons of Pollister? Though the Grey family may not shine as brightly as my aunt


    did in her prime, they still hold a prominent position in Pollister¡¯s high society. So, don¡¯t let your


    emotions get the best of you and ruin your good days.¡±


    Under his calm tone, there was a coldness in his words that made people tremble in fear.


    These words were good advice and a tant threat.


    Hans¡¯s face alternated between red and white, but he was afraid to say another word.


    Looking at him standing rooted to the ground, Lucas did not have much patience left on his face.


    ¡°Throw him out. Don¡¯t dirty everyone¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    When Lucas returned to the banquet, it was still in progress.


    He sat next to Old Mr. Johnson. The grandfather and grandson pair exchanged nces. ¡°Have you


    cleaned it up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all settled.¡± Lucas said in a low voice.


    Old Mr. Johnson nodded slightly. His turbid eyes were cold and indifferent. He said unhurriedly. ¡°It


    doesn¡¯t matter if it dirties our eyes. Don¡¯t dirty Rae-Rae¡¯s eyes


    Tunderstand¡±


    Since they had not seen each other all these years, there was no reason for him to appear in front of


    Rachel in the future.


    The grandfather and grandson¡¯s thoughts coincided.


    Lucas sat on the chair, but his gaze subconsciously searched for Rachel.


    At this moment, Miriam¡¯s soft voice sounded in his ear. ¡°Six o¡¯clock.¡±


    Lucas subconsciously looked over and saw Rachel and David sitting in a corner from afar.


    Although it was at a corner, not everyone could sit there.


    No one knew when Jimmy walked over. His yful gaze swept across David. ¡°David, your style of


    doing things tonight doesn¡¯t seem like you¡±


    In the past. David rarely appeared in public. It was not only because he was introverted and low-key


    but also to avoid attracting the attention of his enemies.


    All these years, there had been no exceptions. Now, for the sake of Rachel, he had even changed his


    habits.


    David held Rachel¡¯s hand and rubbed the slightly protruding joints on the back of her hand with his


    fingertips. His deep eyes were filled with gentleness as he said calmly. There are always exceptions¡±


    Rachel was an exception.


    When Jimmy heard this, he could not help but shiver. He raised his arm and touched the goosebumps


    on his body. He clicked his tongue and sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the dignified Jones family to disy their


    affection publicly. It¡¯s unbearable.¡±


    ¡°You guys chat. I¡¯ll go to the restroom.¡± Rachel leaned over and whispered into David¡¯s ear. Then, she


    stood up and left.


    After she left. Jimmy, abandoning his casual demeanor from earlier, said, ¡°David, are you nning to


    protect the Johnson. family openly now?¡±


    ¡°For the Johnson family to be able to stand tall in Seaxas all these years, they have their strengths.¡±


    David said.


    In other words, even without his protection, the Johnson family¡¯s status was still unshakeable.


    Jimmy naturally knew this, but he also knew how much David¡¯s deference to Old Mr. Johnson today


    would affect the Johnson family.


    He supported his chin with one hand and narrowed his eyes. He sized up David with a thought-


    provoking expression. ¡°David, you announced your rtionship in a high-profile manner tonight. Not


    only are you trying to force the Johnson family to agree to this marriage, but also to discourage others


    from entertaining the idea of forming marriage alliances with the Johnson family?¡±

 Chapter 837

    Chapter 837


    Chapter 837


    It seemed like a casual guess, but he had urately guessed David¡¯s n.


    Rachel¡¯s appearance tonight attracted a lot of attention from the opposite gender.


    All these years, the Johnson family had hidden Rachel well. Not only was her identity unknown to


    many, but she had never appeared in front of everyone like this.


    Her appearance was undoubtedly a surprise for tonight¡¯s banquet.


    It was hard to find many men who could restrain their eyes when faced with the stunning and


    captivating beauty of exquisite facial features and a bnced figure.


    Moreover, with David¡¯s possessiveness, how could he let other men covet his woman so openly?


    Therefore, Jimmy could easily confirm that David¡¯s actions tonight were most likely to dere his


    sovereignty.


    David didn¡¯t say anything about his guess.


    ¡°What do you think David meant?¡± Jimmy gave Landon a look.


    Landon raised his hand and pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose. A meaningful dark glint


    shed across his eyes. ¡°Since he is keeping quiet, you¡¯re most likely right.¡±


    Hearing this, a smile immediately appeared on Jimmy¡¯s face, making his long and narrow eyes look a


    little flirtatious.


    On the other side, after Rachel left the restroom, she was not in a hurry to return to David¡¯s side.


    Instead, she went to Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s seat


    ¡°Grandpa,¡± she whispered.


    When Old Mr. Johnson saw her, he waved at her and gestured for her to sit beside him.


    She had just sat down when she heard Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s deep voice. ¡°Have you thought it through?¡±


    Although his words were not explicit, Rachel knew the deeper meaning behind Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s


    words.


    ¡°Tve thought it through.¡± Rachel nodded.


    If she hadn¡¯t done her consideration, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to David¡¯s proposal.


    Hearing this, Old Mr. Jolinson didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°When do you n to get married?¡±


    ¡°Well Rachel¡¯s eyes shed with surprise. She did not expect her grandfather¡¯s attitude to change so


    quickly, nor did she expect him to take the initiative to mention marriage.


    Seeing that she did not answer for a long time, Old Mr. Johnson frowned slightly. ¡°Why? He doesn¡¯t


    want to marry you?¡±


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    ¡°No.¡± Rachel quickly exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to agree.¡±


    She thought that with her grandfather¡¯s initial attitude of opposing her and David being together, he


    would still be against them being together. She did not expect him to agree to their marriage.


    ¡°At this point, I still insist on my original view,¡± Old Mr. Johnson said.


    Even though he verbally agreed to Rachel being with David, it was not what he truly felt deep within.


    He took a deep breath and looked at the expression on Rachel¡¯s face. After hesitating, he said


    unhurriedly. ¡°Rae-Rae, with David¡¯s identity and status, there are too many dangerous factors around


    him. Will you be happy with him?¡±


    Without waiting for Rachel to speak, Old Mr. Johnson continued, ¡°Till now, no one knows how deep the


    power behind David is, but everyone has long heard of his methods. He¡¯s like a time bomb with too


    many hidden dangers. You can¡¯t control him at all. It¡¯s not a good choice to enter a rtionship with him


    hastily.¡±


    ¡°You like to overthink.¡± Lucas¡¯szy and low voice sounded from the side. ¡°Now that David has


    announced his rtionship openly, it¡¯s to force you to acknowledge this marriage. Therefore, I advise


    you not to waste your breath.¡±


    ¡°Besides, rtionships are all about mutual affection. I don¡¯t think David will let Rae-Rae suffer.¡±


    Hearing his confident answer, Old Mr. Johnson red at him angrily and said with a fake smile, ¡°You


    know a lot more now, When you see Miriam, you¡¯re like a block of wood!¡±


    Lucas was speechless.


    Alright, he had gotten himself into trouble.


    Looking at Rachel¡¯s absent-minded look, Lucas patted her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the old man. There


    is no need to


    overthink too.¡±


    His thoughts were simple. Since Rachel and David loved each other, it was alright for them to be in a


    rtionship.


    He wanted Rachel to marry someone she wanted to marry.


    ¡°Who am I doing this for? It¡¯s all for her sake!¡± A hint of anger appeared in Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s eyes.


    Others might not know which path Rachel and David took when they were together, but he knew very


    well.


    He watched Rachel grow up. All these years, they had been together day and night, and their


    rtionship was not inferior to that of father and daughter How could he sit back and do nothing?


    ¡°Grandpa, can you tell me why you¡¯re so against it?¡±


    This question had been bothering Rachel.


    She tried to guess, but she could not guess at all.


    However, her intuition told her there must be hidden motives behind all this.


    Upon hearing this, Lucas could not help but look at Old Mr. Johnson inquisitively, patiently waiting for


    his answer.


    Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°What can it be? I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll suffer a loss.¡±


    Hearing this. Rachel and Lucas looked at each other, and a meaningful dark light shed in their eyes.


    Rachel sat in the seat that belonged to the Johnson family for about 20 minutes before getting up to


    leave.


    As she walked through the long corridor, she vaguely heard someone talking.


    ¡°I only promised you not to involve her, but she has to walk her path. It¡¯s her own choice that things


    havee to this point. Ronnie leanedzily on the handrail of the stairs. his fingertips rubbing the


    bone ring on his index finger.


    His figure was hidden in the half-light, making his exquisite face even more eye-catching.


    His brows were slightly raised, and his thin lips were slightly curved. His lips curled into a faint arc that


    revealed a hint of evilness, forming a sharp contrast with his angelic face.


    Ronnie turned around and saw Rachel¡¯s figure. The evil aura between his eyebrows could not help but


    be restrained. A faint gentle light appeared in his eyes. ¡°I still have something on. I¡¯ll hang up first.¡±


    With that, he hung up.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a few days. Miss Grey, you¡¯re even more beautiful than before.¡± His praise was


    not ttery, but it sounded sincere.


    Rachel curled her lips into a faint smile. ¡°It can¡¯tpare to Mr. Dickens.¡±


    ¡°Miss Grey is too humble.¡± Ronnie looked at her up and down. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful. Maybe we were


    family in our previous life.¡±


    It was just a casual joke. Rachel naturally wouldn¡¯t be too serious. ¡°Is being beautiful means being a


    member of your family? Mr. Diekens, your requirements are not high.¡±


    ¡°There are many types of beauty, Ronnie exined with a serious expression. ¡°Some beauty is


    fleeting, leaving nosting impression. Some beauty is stunning at first sight butcks novelty upon


    closer examination. However, there is a kind of beauty that attracts covetous gazes. Making people


    want to destroy it if they cannot possess it.¡±


    He paused before continuing. ¡°Miss Grey falls into the third category. The kind of beauty that attracts


    covetous gazes, making people want to destroy you if they cannot possess you.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel frowned slightly.


    The corners of Ronnie¡¯s mouth curled up into a pure and harmless smile. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Miss Grey. I


    won¡¯t give those people a chance.

 Chapter 838

    Chapter 838


    Chapter 838


    Rachel did not say anything. She only stared at him for a moment,


    She did not know if it was her imagination, but she felt Ronnie¡¯s words seemed to have a hidden


    meaning.


    She pondered for a moment and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Dickens.¡±


    With that, she left.


    Ronnie¡¯s gaze followed her back until the tall and slender figure disappeared from his sight.


    At that moment, he turned slightly and nced toward the corridor¡¯ser. A faint glimmer of indistinct


    coldness flickered in his eyes as he murmured. ¡°Those who eavesdrop generally do not meet a good


    end.¡±


    Louis, who was hiding in the corner, was slightly stunned.


    He thought his position would go unnoticed, but he did not expect the other party to know everything.


    After hesitating for half a second, Louis slowly walked out from the corner of the corridor. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean


    to eavesdrop.¡± Ronnie raised his eyes and nced at him indifferently. ¡®Did Mr. Smith especiallye


    to look for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Louis did not hide anything. ¡°To be honest, I want South Valley¡¯snd.¡±


    He desires even more to gain control over South Valley!


    The bidding tonight seemed to be a fairpetition, but rumors were spreading like wildfire.


    Everyone was talking about South Valley¡¯s wouldnd in the hands of Jimmy!


    Although the rumors were unreliable, Louis knew very well that there was no such thing as an


    imprable wall in this world.


    Now that such a rumor had appeared, it was most likely that everyone had vaguely sensed something.


    Moreover, seeing members of the Shain family conversing joyfully with David at the banquet tonight


    further solidifies Louis¡¯s belief that the rumors are not baseless.


    With the Smith family¡¯s strength, he was not worthy ofpeting with the Shain family. However, he


    was unwilling to give up the benefits that were about to reach his grasp.


    After thinking about it, he only hoped that Ronnie could help him.


    Ronnie raised his eyebrows slightly and nced at him with a faint smile. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll


    help you?¡±


    ¡°I know that the Shain family intends to interfere with South Valley¡¯snd, Louis said. ¡°And the Shain


    family has always obeyed David¡¯s orders. If they get thisnd, I¡¯m afraid Mr. Diekens¡¯s business in


    South Valley will not be good


    Ronnie¡¯s eyes were lowered, making it impossible to see the emotions in his eyes.


    He rubbed the bone ring on his index finger with his fingertips. The corners of his mouth curled up


    slightly, like a blooming poppy, dangerous and charming. ¡°I think Mr. Smith put a lot of effort into me to


    know this.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. Louis¡¯s eyes flickered with a hint of panic as he exined, ¡°Mr. Dickens, despite being


    new to the city, has managed to establish in Seaxas in just a few months. You had already be a


    well-known person that everyone in Seaxas knows. It¡¯s not difficult to gather information about you.¡±


    ¡°I came here specifically to look for Mr. Diekens to cooperate with yous sincerely. He paused and


    continued, ¡°As long as you are willing to help me get thend of South Valley, I will not interfere in your


    business matters.¡±


    Hearing this, a hint of mockery shed across Ronnie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Tll consider it carefully.¡±


    With that, he walked away.


    The buzz-cut man followed behind him and muttered in a low voice, ¡°Who is he? He¡¯s not worthy of


    negotiating with us.¡± Ronnie looked up at him. ¡°A blind man who thinks he¡¯s smart is not worthy.¡±


    It was understandable that Ronnie thought he was smart enough, but being a blind man¡­.


    He turned to look at Louis, who was still standing there. ¡°Mr. Diekens, is he blind?¡±


    Ronnie nced at him. ¡°You mistook fish eyes for pearls. He can¡¯t be more blind!¡±


    The buzz-cut man was confused.


    His small head was full of question marks.


    On the other side, as Rachel walked towards David, she saw a few people sitting beside him from afar.


    Jimmy and Landon were among them. There was also Che Shannon from the north of the city and


    Daniel Trent from the west.


    The four of them sat together and looked like they were standing on four legs.


    Rachel did not go over to disrupt him. Instead, she walked to the buffet table and chose an exquisite


    cupcake.


    Mary sneaked over from behind her. I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time. So you¡¯re hiding here to


    steal food.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± Rachel said, handing her the cupcake.


    Mary looked at her happily eating, and a hint of suspicion appeared in her eyes. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t


    like sweets in the past?¡±


    Rachel did not think much about it. ¡°Preference changes, right?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Mary scrutinized her. She seemed to have thought of something and grabbed Rachel¡¯s


    arm. ¡°Come here! I have something to tell you!¡±


    She dragged Rachel to an empty corner and looked around nervously. ¡°Rae-Rae, don¡¯t tell me you are


    pregnant!¡±


    Hearing her words, Rachel was stunned.


    Although she did not understand why Mary would have such thoughts, she exined patiently, ¡°No,


    don¡¯t let imagination run wild.¡±


    your


    ¡°No?¡± Mary was skeptical. ¡°But I heard that the sudden change in appetite is most likely because she¡¯s


    pregnant¡­¡±


    Rachelughed. ¡®Don¡¯t overthink about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you.¡± Mary said, ¡°Girls are the easiest to take advantage of. I¡¯m just afraid that


    you¡¯ll do something stupid in the heat of the moment.¡±


    She muttered to herself. Although she was long-winded, she was filled with concern for Rachel.


    When Kyle was looking for her, Mary had no choice but to leave first. ¡°I¡¯ll go over first. I¡¯ll look for you


    later.¡±


    ¡°Go¡± Rachel slowly lowered her eyes as she watched Mary leave.


    However, Mary¡¯s words left a significant impact on her heart.


    Pregnant¡­


    She had never thought about this before, nor had she thought about what her child with David would be


    like. However, Mary¡¯s words suddenly made her feel more hopeful while fantasizing.


    As she was thinking, a voice sounded behind her. ¡°Miss Grey¡±


    Hearing the familiar voice, Rachel did not turn around. A faint coldness appeared between her


    eyebrows. ¡°Mr. Smith, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


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    Louis walked up to Rachel with a ss of wine in his hand. His gaze was fixed on Rachel, and his eyes


    were filled with indistinct emotions. ¡°It seems like we haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to meet, right?¡± Rachel asked.


    Her expression was indifferent and cold, as cold and elegant as a rose on a snowy mountain. She was


    exceptionally charming.


    Louis pursed his lips and raised his head to finish the wine in his ss. ¡°You might think that I did


    something wrong to you in the past, but what about you? You lied to me all the time. Only do I know


    now that you¡¯re the daughter of the richest man, the Johnson family. We¡¯ve been together for three


    years, but you hid it from me all these while and kept me in the dark like a fool. Isn¡¯t there fault with you


    on this?¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I happened to attend the bidding today, I¡¯m afraid I would still be kept in the


    dark!¡± Louis¡¯s gaze gradually became dark as he looked at her. ¡°Rachel, did you love me at all? How


    sincere are you to me?¡±


    Rachel did not have the patience to listen to his nonsense. She turned around and left.


    As they brushed past each other, Louis grabbed her wrist.

 Chapter 839

    Chapter 839


    Chapter 839


    Louis did not let go. Instead, he tightened his grip on her hand and red at her. ¡°If you do not make


    yourself clear today, you¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere!¡±


    Since he found out tonight that Rachel was the daughter of the wealthiest family in Seaxas, the


    Johnson family, and that she had be David¡¯s woman. Louis felt depressed.


    He seemed to have fallen into a dead end.


    No matter how much he thought about it, he could not understand how Rachel had suddenly be


    the daughter of the Johnson family, the wealthiest family in Seaxas.


    Since she was rich and powerful, why wouldn¡¯t she help the Smith family to tide over the crisis?


    There was an easier way to achieve his goal. Why did he have to watch him pull in resources from


    everywhere?


    Too many questions appeared in his mind, and the mes of resentment and anger in his heart burned


    brighter and brighter.


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    Crazy and stubborn thoughts grew in his heart, wrapping around him tightly like poisonous vines.


    As Rachel remained silent, a sinister glint flickered in Louis¡¯s eyes, and a twisted smile curled at the


    corner of his mouth. ¡°Does David know that you are a woman I rejected? Even though youe from


    an illustrious background, aren¡¯t you just a woman left over for me to y with?¡±


    He suspected that Rachel had concealed from David their past rtionship. And the fact that they had


    come close to getting married.


    Men have a natural sense of pride and self-assuredness, especially men like David, whoes from


    an esteemed background. Why would David willingly ept a discarded woman like her?


    Therefore, in his opinion, Rachel must have hidden that they were once together from David!


    Rachel¡¯s gaze turned colder and colder by the second, and within the depths of her pupils, it seemed


    as if a hidden knife lurked, piercing straight toward Louis.


    The moment their gazes met in the air, it was as if countless sparks had been set off, and the smell of


    gunpowder filled the


    air.


    However, this perception of the scene changed in David¡¯s eyes.


    No matter how he looked at it, the two seemed to be¡­flirting?


    His eyes narrowed slightly and emitted a sharp cold light. His well-defined face seemed to be covered


    in a thinyer of ice.


    ¡°When did the threshold for our bidding be so low?¡± Jimmy watched the scene with amusement


    from the side and. chimed in. ¡°This Louiscks foresight!¡±


    After David had publicly announced his rtionship with Rachel, he still dared to flirt with her!


    Hearing this, the others sitting at the side turned around and nced at him.


    ¡°That is Smith Group¡¯s Mr. Smith? Che Shannon sized him up from head to toe. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to


    be in a good mood. Could he have been driven crazy?¡±


    Crazy?


    This was interesting!


    Jimmy raised his eyebrows slightly. His eyes were filled with interest as he gave Che a look. ¡°Tell


    everyone about it.¡±


    Che nced at Jimmy and yed with the lighter with his fingertips. He said unhurriedly, ¡°Olivia was


    sentenced to prison before. Later, she was lucky enough to postpone it because of her pregnancy. The


    Smith family¡¯s current situation isplicated. Old Mr. Smith¡¯s health has been deteriorating in recent


    years. If she can sessfully give birth to the child, she will naturally get more in return.¡±


    ¡°But that child was lost some time ago, and their ns for the main branch fell through. With Olivia


    entering the family as the second wife, the Smith family naturally faced setbacks. I heard that the


    shareholders of the Smith Group united in opposition to Louis, deeming him unfit for the position and


    demanding that he step down. It was only thanks to the personal intervention of Old Mr. Smith himself


    that Louis managed to save his position.¡±


    Jimmy sneered. ¡°Serve them right¡±


    Louis¡¯s abandonment of Rachel for Olivia was known to Jimmy and Landon.


    Although they did not know how lethal Olivia was, based on the facts, regardless of appearance or


    background, Olivia was not worthy of being Rachel¡¯s opponent.


    Only Louis, this idiot, treated Olivia like a treasure.


    Moreover, if it weren¡¯t for Rachel¡¯s efforts and tireless dedication to the Smith family over the years, the


    Smith family¡¯s presence in Seaxas would have long vanished, let alone bing the rising influential


    family of the city.


    But how did Louis repay Rachel?


    Having fully utilized someone without taking responsibility and wanting to continue exploiting their


    remaining value, and then ruthlessly stepping on them when their purpose is not achieved.


    It could be said that Louis portrayed the word ungrateful.


    As he was thinking, Louis suddenly lost control of his emotions and grabbed Rachel¡¯s arm as he


    walked towards the stage. He even muttered eloquently, ¡°Today, 1 will let everyone understand the


    truth about you and know what kind of woman you are!¡±


    He seemed to have suddenly lost control of his emotions. He was immersed in his world and did not


    care about everyone¡¯s


    gazes.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Rachel did not indulge him at all. She grabbed his wrist with one hand and forcefully


    pried it open.


    But she seemed to have underestimated Louis¡¯s strength.


    She frowned slightly and looked up at Louis.


    Louis¡¯s eyes were deep and bloodshot. Veins could be vaguely seen on his forehead, making him look


    like a wild beast on the verge of berserk.


    The confrontation between the two attracted the attention of many people present.


    Especially when they saw Rachel entangled with Louis, everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with scrutiny and


    probing.


    Some people even started to make wild guesses based on the tension between them.


    However, at this moment, Louis scolded in a low voice, ¡°Rachel, why are you so cheap!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present could not help but gasp.


    The scene fell into a deafening silence. In a second, chaotic discussions rose.


    Everyone looked at David, who was sitting in the resting area.


    The man slowly got up and walked towards them with his slender legs.


    David grabbed Louis¡¯s wrist and forcefully pulled his hand away. He stretched out his arm and pulled


    Rachel into his embrace. He held her wrist and examined the red mark on her skin. He asked casually,


    ¡°Mr. Smith, why do you say that?¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was low and slow, like an ice de rubbing against one¡¯s heart.


    Louis, who had lost his mind, did not seem to be afraid at all. He looked at David¡¯s hands wrapped


    around Rachel¡¯s waist and sneered. ¡°Do you know about my past rtionship with her?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± David said calmly.


    Louis frowned slightly. This answer exceeded his expectations. ¡°You know? How did you know? Did


    she tell you, or did you investigate in private?¡±


    David¡¯s eyes were cold as if they were tempered with ice. His voice seemed to be soaked in the snow,


    revealing a coldness. ¡°Mr. Smith is now angry from embarrassment. You must have realized that


    abandoning Rae-Rae for another woman who¡¯s not worth it is the worst decision in your life.¡±


    Louis clenched his fists at his sides and gritted his teeth inwardly. ¡°If I discarded her, it only shows that


    she was not someone worth holding onto. It¡¯s Mr. Jones who has truly been burdened by picking up the


    woman I left behind.¡±


    That statement instantly confirmed all the vile spections in everyone¡¯s hearts.


    Everyone looked at Rachel with disdain and mockery. They talked about her without hiding anything.

 Chapter 840

    Chapter 840


    Chapter 840


    David¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a murderous aura suddenly rose in his eyes. His sharp gaze


    pierced straight into Louis¡¯s eyes like a knife. ¡°Mr. Smith, are you drunk and deliberately causing


    trouble?¡±


    Louis choked. The aggressive aura from before instantly dissipated by half.


    He opened his mouth, but no words came out.


    ¡°Everyone meets a few scumbags when they are young¡± Rachel¡¯s cold voice sounded. He nced at


    Louis. ¡°Since Mr. Smith chose to abandon me back then, why are you harassing me now? ying the


    victim in public. Have you forgotten how you abandoned me at the wedding ceremony?¡±


    ¡°We were together for three years, treating each other with respect. I can honestly say that I never did


    anything to betray you. On the other hand, your Smith family shamelessly enjoyed the benefits I


    brought, shamelessly used me, and you, during our rtionship, were involved with Olivia Cruise,


    engaging in an illicit affair. If we¡¯re talking about who should apologize, it should be you. The Smith


    family owes me an apology!¡±


    ¡°As adults, we must take responsibility for our words and actions. Since we have broken up, Mr. Smith


    should keep your mouth shut when you see me in the future. As an ex-partner, you should be prepared


    to act as if I¡¯m no longer alive. If you continue to entangle yourself with me next time, don¡¯t me me


    for showing no mercy!¡±


    Her words were clear and powerful, and every sentence was convincing, making it impossible for


    anyone to refute.


    When everyone heard this, they looked at Louis with a sigh.


    Initially, everyone thought that Louis med Rachel for betraying him. Now, it seemed that Rachel was


    the one who was being betrayed.


    Ungrateful and shifting me, such behavior leaves asting impression on people¡¯s minds.


    Surrounded by the whispers and pointed fingers, Louis gradually regained his senses. He btedly


    realized his actions and found himself in a dazed and confused mind


    He admitted that upon learning that Rachel had be the wealthy heiress of the Johnson family, the


    richest in Seaxas, he felt even more infuriated as if he had been yed and mocked.


    However, no matter what, he should not have lost control like before.


    Even though he was momentarily intoxicated and lost hisposure, deep down, he would never


    allow himself to be so reckless in his behavior toward David. He still harbored a sense of fear and


    apprehension towards him.


    He was indeed too out of character. As though being possessed by a ghost!


    He did not know if it was because of his agitation or because he realized his foolish mistake just now,


    but a thinyer of cold sweat unknowingly appeared on his forehead. The hands hanging by his sides


    trembled uncontrobly.


    Louis lowered his eyes to hide his emotions. He pretended to be calm and swallowed and gulped. I¡¯m


    sorry, I was drunk just now.¡±


    With that, he hung his head and fled.


    However, just as he took a step. Billy and Eddie appeared out of nowhere and blocked his path.


    Louis stopped in his tracks, and his eyebrows twitched.


    ¡°Mr. Smith ndered me in public, causing me to be pointed at and criticized for no reason. He just


    said that he was drunk and brushed it off?¡± Rachel¡¯s cold voice sounded from behind.


    Louis¡¯s back stiffened. He slowly turned around and saw Rachelzily leaning on David¡¯s shoulder.


    She crossed her arms and tapped one hand lightly on her arm. The corners of her eyes were slightly


    upturned and curved, entuating her cold and gorgeous face.


    And by her side, David allowed her to lean on him, his arm wrapped around her waist. His tall body


    exuded an inherent sense of dominance, resembling a king who doted on his enchanting empress.


    The man looked at Louis expressionlessly. His gaze was calm and indifferent, as though he was


    looking at a dead person.


    Fear suddenly welled up in Louis¡¯s heart as he realized what unforgivable stupid thing he had just


    done.


    However, he knew very well how drunk he was.


    He was unwilling to let Rachel be David¡¯s woman just like that. He hated Rachel for hiding her


    true identity from


    him.


    Therefore, what he said just now was not only to vent his anger but to take revenge on Rachel.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°I admit that what I said just now was a little extreine, but you know well that I am not ndering you.¡±


    Louis tried to find an advantage in the situation. ¡°It is a fact that we have been together for three years.


    It is also a fact that we have reached the point of discussing marriage. Since it is a fact, how can it be


    considered nder?¡±


    In other words, the fact that we are together is something that you can¡¯t erase. Therefore, the saying


    that David picked up the woman I yed with is true!


    Rachel¡¯s lips curled up, forming a captivating smile. However, a faint glimmer of coldness flickered in


    her eyes. ¡°Indeed, that is the truth. So please enlighten me on how you managed to carry on an affair


    with Olivia Cruise behind my back during those three years we were together. Don¡¯t y innocent as if I


    did something to wrong you


    She initially did not intend to pursue this matter and could not be bothered to waste her breath on


    Louis.


    However, Louis belinded her and used her to trample on David. Rachel absolutely could not tolerate


    this!


    ¡°By the way. At the wedding ceremony, how did you abandon me for another woman, causing me to be


    criticized by the guests?¡±


    Her words admitted that she and Louis had once entered the marriage hall.


    However, Louis did not know what to say.


    He had always thought that Rachel must have hidden the fact that they were once together from David,


    especially since she almost married him.


    After all, in his opinion, with David¡¯s noble background, he could have any woman he wanted. Why


    would he choose an abandoned woman and a woman who had almost married someone?


    However, Rachel¡¯s open admission made him realize that things might not be as he had guessed.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, why are you suddenly mute?¡± David¡¯s deep and cold voice suddenly sounded. It was filled


    with a coldness that made one shudder.


    The atmosphere in the banquet hall instantly turned several degrees colder. The surrounding guests


    did not even dare to breathe loudly.


    There was no expression on Rachel¡¯s face. Her slender fingers rubbed the expensive gem ring on her


    middle finger.


    Louis¡¯s face was pale like paper, and his heart was pounding. He opened his mouth but could not say


    anything for a long time. His throat was as dry as a traveler walking in the desert for three days.


    After an unknown period, he secretly gritted his teeth and swallowed the unwillingness in his throat. He


    bent down slightly and said humbly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I apologize to you solemnly for my previous actions.¡±


    ¡°I can ept your apology, but it does not mean I will forgive you, Rachel said. ¡°I will give you a piece


    of advice out of kindness. Drinking makes things worse. Mr. Smith, you should drink less in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Louis turned around and left in a sorry state.


    Watching him leave, David said ambiguously, ¡°Are we just going to let it go like this?

 Chapter 841

    Chapter 841


    Chapter 841


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly and nced at him. The smile on her lips was a little intriguing.


    ¡°How can there be such a good thing in this world?¡±


    Louis had humiliated her in public and did not forget to mention David. He had already crossed


    Rachel¡¯s bottom line, so this matter could not be let go just like that.


    Moreover, in front of so many people today, if this matter was over with just an apology, the Johnson


    family would. probably not have the slightest deterrence in Seaxas after today.


    Logically speaking, this matter could not be let go just like that.


    At this moment, Old Mr. Johnson and Lucas returned from outside,


    As soon as the two of them entered, they heard the discussions around them and frowned


    imperceptibly.


    Lucas looked at Miriam. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Miriam had been at the scene just now. It was not that she did not go up to help, but with David


    supporting Rachel from the side, she felt that she waspletely useless, so she simply kept watching


    silently.


    When Lucas asked, she told him the whole story.


    After hearing this, Lucas¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. Ilis deep and cold eyes were dyed with


    undisguised hostility. ¡°Call the boss¡± Old Mr. Johnson looked at Mr. Chadwick beside him. ¡°Tell him to


    immediately investigate the Smith family. If there are any vitions of thew, we will not tolerate them!


    Also, inform thepany to cklist Smith Group and never cooperate with them again! Anyone who


    cooperates with the Smith family is an enemy of the Johnson family!¡± Hearing this, everyone secretly


    prayed for the Smith family.


    They knew that after today, the Smith family would no longer have a foothold in Seaxas.


    Ronnie, who had been watching the show in the dark, saw the situation and smiled smugly.


    The buzz-cut sized up the expression on his face. After pondering for a while, he probed, ¡®Mr. Dickens,


    if you don¡¯t like Louis, you can just attack him directly. Why


    Why did he have to use such an obscure method like drugging!


    With Ronnie¡¯s current influence in Seaxas, dealing with the Smith family was as easy as crushing an


    ant


    Ronnie¡¯s lips curled into a sinister smile. This is called punish him as a warning to others. Do you


    understand?¡± When Ronnie first found out that Louis had abandoned Rachel for Olivia, Ronnie felt that


    Louis was silly.


    Now that Rachel¡¯s identity had suddenly be the daughter of the richest man, Louis began to


    secretly n how to make use of her. This kind of despicable behavior was really not presentable.


    Since that was the case, he might as well give the Smith family a push from behind and send them to


    their death.


    The drug was colorless and odorless. It could magnify a person¡¯s emotions infinitely in an extremely


    short period of time and make them irritable. A small drop was worth lots of money. It was quite worth


    Louis¡¯s identity.


    Ronnie rubbed his knuckles with his fingertips and said arrogantly word by word. ¡°Is he qualified to get


    his hands on Miss Grey, the daughter of the Johnson family? That¡¯s the richest family in Seaxas!¡±


    It was only because Rachel was blinded back then. Otherwise, Louis would not be worthy of being with


    Rachel in his life. Was the Smith family the new noble family in Seaxas?


    He was afraid that after today, no one would care about the Smith family anymore!


    Louis received the news two hourster.


    Hey on the bed and was about to fall asleep when the door was suddenly kicked open from the


    outside.


    Old Mr. Smith strode in with his walking stick. He raised his hand and pped Louis ruthlessly.


    ¡°Bastard, what stupid things did you do outside?¡±


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    This p was unexpected and stunned Louis.


    Mrs. Smith looked at his son¡¯s red and swollen face and her eyes shed with heartache. ¡®Louis, what


    exactly is going on?¡± Mr. Smith, who was beside him, looked at Louis anxiously. ¡°An hour ago, the


    partners who worked with the Smith family all proposed to stop their cooperation with the Smith Group


    and did not hesitate to terminate the contract! Didn¡¯t you go to the bidding? What happened at the


    banquet?¡±


    Hearing this, Louis was stunned and did not react for a moment.


    With the Johnson family¡¯s power, dealing with the Smith family was as easy as crushing an ant. They


    had no ability to resist at all!


    He did not expect Rachel to be so ruthless!


    She didn¡¯t even give him a chance!


    Seeing that he did not speak for a long time, Old Mr. Smith shouted coldly, ¡°Speak!¡±


    Louis suddenly came back to his senses. He looked up and saw Old Mr. Smith¡¯s gloomy expression.


    He swallowed his saliva and told him what had happened at the banquet.


    When everyone in the room learned of Rachel¡¯s identity, they could not help but reveal terrified


    expressions.


    ¡°You, you said that Rachel is the daughter of the richest family in Seaxas, the Johnson family?¡± Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s pupils trembled as she looked at Louis in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes. Louis nodded with a gloomy expression. I admit that my previous actions were a little out of


    control, but when I thought about how she yed our family like a fool, I couldn¡¯t control my emotions.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mrs. Smith felt that all her blood rushed to her head. She fell onto the bed in a sorry


    state.


    Back then, she despised Rachel in every way possible. She spoke harshly to Rachel and treated


    Rachel coldly. It was just because she despised Rachel¡¯s rough background and Rachel was not


    presentable, causing her to be mocked by the other madams in the rich circle.


    When she chased Rachel out of the Smith family, she was really happy. She felt that she could finally


    regain her confidence.


    But now, Louis was telling her that Rachel was the daughter of the Johnson family!


    ¡°How can she be the daughter of the Johnson family?¡± Mrs. Smith¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. ¡°When she


    first came to our house, she clearly said that she had no parents since she was young and grew up


    with her grandpa¡­.


    At this point, she realized that the eldest daughter of the Johnson family in Seaxas had lost her mother


    when she was young and had grown up by her grandfather¡¯s side. Although she had another surname,


    her status was not inferior to the legitimate daughter of the Johnson family.


    Most of the time, she was even more honorable than the direct descendants of many wealthy families.


    Mrs. Smith gulped. ¡°But didn¡¯t they say that she came from the countryside and had no power or


    influence? How did she be the daughter of the Johnson family?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about that?¡± Mr. Smith, who had been silent all this while, suddenly said, ¡°With the


    Johnson family¡¯s prestige and reputation, they have many enemies. It¡¯s not difficult for them to hide


    someone¡¯s identity and background¡± Hearing this, Mrs. Smith sat by the bed with a gloomy expression.


    She was really regretting it now.


    Back then, she had always mocked Rachel¡¯s background. Now, she couldn¡¯t be more embarrassed.


    If Louis and Rachel had parted on good terms, their current rtionship would not have been so tense.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s all my fault¡¯ Mrs. Smith¡¯s voice choked. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t objected to her being with Louis


    back then, our family wouldn¡¯t have be like this¡­¡±


    The business of the Smith family might be thriving at this moment.


    That was the Johnson family, the richest family in Seaxas!


    If they could be connected to the Johnson family by marriage, they would be so lucky! Before she could


    finish speaking, Old Mr. Smith suddenly looked up andughed. ¡°Haha!¡± He leaned on his walking stick


    and staggered a few steps back uncontrobly.

 Chapter 842

    Chapter 842


    Chapter 842


    Listening to hisughter, Mr. Smith¡¯s heart tightened and goosebumps appeared on his back. ¡°Dad, are


    you alright?¡±


    Old Mr. Smith was immersed in his own world and did not hear him at all.


    Mrs. Smith¡¯s eyes were filled with fear when she saw Old Mr. Smithughing. She got up and quickly


    walked to Mr. Smith¡¯s side. She reached out and pulled his sleeve. ¡°Could Dad have gone crazy from


    the shock?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Mr. Smith shook off her hand and walked to Old Mr. Smith¡¯s side. ¡°Dad,


    haven¡¯t you been teaching us that there¡¯s always a way out? There might be a way out of this matter.¡±


    There was still room for negotiation¡­.


    Could it be that Old Mr. Smith did not want any room for negotiation?


    However, he knew very well that the Johnson family was clearly not nning to leave the Smith family


    a way out!


    He had led the Smith family through many obstacles all these years. He had finally made a name for


    himself in Seaxas and entered the upper-ss circle, but he had no choice but to retire at the most


    critical moment because of his illness. He could not count on his children. so he chose the most


    suitable person among his grandchildren and personally trained


    him.


    However, everything he had worked so hard for when he was young was now ruined by the sessor


    he had personally


    trained


    Was this the fate of the Smith family? Or was fate ying tricks on him?


    Old Mr. Smith felt as if his heart was stuffed with a ball of cotton. His heart ached so much that it was


    difficult to breathe.


    He sighed deeply,pletely losing his usual energy. He slowly got up and muttered softly, ¡°There will


    be a way out when the timees. Is there still a way out of the Smith family now?¡±


    Hearing this, everyone in the room could not help but fall silent.


    Now that the Smith family had been cklisted by Johnson Corporation, and the Johnson family


    explicitly said that whoever cooperated with the Smith family was an enemy of the Johnson family. It


    was clearly cutting off the Smith family¡¯s way out.


    They were afraid that the Smith family was really done for this time.


    Thinking of this, Old Mr. Smith slowly turned around and left with his walking stick.


    His back was hunched, as if he had aged a lot in an instant.


    After taking two steps, he suddenly lost his conscience and fainted.


    ¡®Dad¡­


    ¡°Grandpa!¡±


    Old Mr. Smithy unconscious on the ground. His lips were purple, and he seemed to be in shock.


    The scene instantly became chaotic. The entire family surrounded Old Mr. Smith.


    Louis still had a trace of rationality. He immediately took out his phone and called the ambnce,


    giving the address.


    Compared to the chaos on the Smith family¡¯s side, the banquet wasing to an end.


    Rachel was prepared to return to Johnson¡¯s Mansion tonight.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    In front of the parking lot, David held her slightly cold fingertips and pressed her hand to his chest.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you go back to the Sandalwood Hills these few days?¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve been busy recently, so I won¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not disturbing me,¡± David said as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.


    A faint smile appeared at the corner of Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I hear you say that Grandma was


    coming to the Johnson family? Could it be that you decided at thest minute?¡±


    It was as if he had suddenly announced their rtionship at the banquet.


    It was not only to announce his sovereignty and shattered the other men¡¯s wishful thinking, but also to


    force Grandpa to ept this marriage.


    David¡¯s eyes were filled with a faint gentle light. He reached out his well-defined fingers and stroked her


    jawline. His low voice carried a hint of gentleness. ¡°I decided long before I left for Aureliana. I didn¡¯t tell


    you because I was worried that you


    would be under pressure.¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Although I agreed to marry you, isn¡¯t our progress too fast? I think it¡¯s so easy for me


    to marry you just like


    that


    ¡°Is it fast?¡± David raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°When you marry me, I¡¯ll ept any torture you want.¡±


    Rachel was worried that Grandpa would wait too long. After exchanging a few words with David, she


    turned around and got into the car.


    She opened the car door and bent down to get into the car. Coincidentally, she met her grandfather¡¯s


    meaningful gaze. Rachel felt that her grandfather had something to tell her. ¡°Grandpa, is there anything


    you want to tell me?¡±


    Old Mr. Johnson pursed his lips and cleared his throat. ¡°Have you really thought it through?¡±


    As long as Rachel went back on her word, he would even risk his life and the Johnson family to protect


    Rachel.


    Rachel nodded. I¡¯ve thought it through.


    Upon hearing this, the light in Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s eyes gradually dimmed. He rubbed his dragon-headed


    walking stick with both hands and did not say anything.


    ¡°Grandpa, what are you worried about?¡± Rachel asked,


    Old Mr. Johnson stared at her with dark eyes. After a long while, he let out a long sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re


    really like your mother. You¡¯re very stubborn and won¡¯t stop until you suffer a setback.¡±


    ¡°This means that we¡¯re biological mother and daughter¡± Rachel leaned on his shoulder. Her cold tone


    carried a hint of coquettishness. ¡°Grandpa, can you tell me about Mommy when she was young?¡±


    Since her mother¡¯s death, her grandfather had not said a word about her mother.


    Even in the Johnson family, the name of Soph had be a taboo existence.


    Now that Old Mr. Johnson mentioned it, Rachel suddenly wanted to know more about her mother.


    This was because she realized that her memories of her mother were getting fainter and fainter. She


    was really about topletely forget her mother.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to say?¡± Old Mr. Johnson turned to look at the lonely night outside the window. His eyes


    flickered with a dark andplicated expression as he said unhurriedly. ¡°She just fell in love with


    someone she shouldn¡¯t have loved and ended up with a bad ending. Everything was her choice.


    Hearing this, Rachel frowned imperceptibly.


    Although it was just a simple sentence, she sensitively sensed the resentment Old Mr. Johnson had


    toward Sophia.


    It seemed that Grandpa¡¯s attitude toward Hans was so bad because Hans did not treat Sophia well.


    The car sped all the way and finally drove into Residence the Johnson¡¯s Mansion.


    After Rachel returned to her room, a message from Miriam suddenly popped up on her phone. [I¡¯m


    going to the bridal shop to try on the wedding dress tomorrow. Do you want to go with me?]


    She hesitated for half a second before replying. [Okay.]


    The next morning. Rachel packed up early and went out with Miriam to choose a wedding dress.


    The wedding dress Miriam was trying on was a custom-made one from Galial ahav. Lucas was always


    busy, so Miriam had to choose the wedding dress herself. However, with Rachel apanying her this


    time, her mood changed.


    When Miriam tried it on, Rachel had been sitting in the VIP area waiting patiently.


    ¡°Miss, if you like it, you can try it on.¡± The shop assistant warmly weed Rachel, especially when


    she noticed the ring on Rachel¡¯s ring finger, she introduced the dresses more enthusiastically. ¡°There


    are a few new wedding dresses in our shop. They are all new designs for this year¡¯s show. I think they


    suit your temperament.¡±


    As a wedding dress designer, Rachel didn¡¯t have much expectations for wedding dresses.


    However, when she saw the booklet handed over by the shop assistant, she suddenly bit back the


    words she would have said to refuse.


    The dress was indeed unique from design to cut. The fishtail design andcebine sexiness and


    elegance perfectly. Lots of beaded essories made thece less cheap and vulgar.


    Rachel¡¯s fingertips gently caressed the wedding dress in the photo. She suppressed the surging


    emotions in her eyes. ¡°Not for the time being, thank you.¡±

 Chapter 843

    Chapter 843


    Chapter 843


    Although she agreed to David¡¯s proposal and Mrs. Jones came to discuss the marriage, she knew that


    marriage would not happen as quickly as she had imagined.


    Moreover, she had only been with David for three months. It was too rushed for her to get married now.


    As she was thinking, Miriam walked out of the fitting room.


    She tidied her skirt with both hands. With sparkling eyes, looked at Rachel with a smile. ¡°Rae-Rae,


    does it look good?¡±


    Rachel looked up. Under the dazzling lights, the white wedding dress looked especially pure and


    dazzling.


    As a wedding dress designer, she thought that she was already numb to wedding dresses and did not


    have any expectations.


    However, when she saw Miriam walking out in a wedding dress, her heart was touched.


    She smiled and put down the booklet in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.


    Hearing her approval, the smile on Miriam¡¯s face deepened. She pursed her lips and hesitated for a


    moment before asking carefully, ¡°Do you think he will like it?¡±


    ¡°He will, Rachel ced her hands on Miriam¡¯s shoulders and looked at Miriam in the mirror. ¡°Unless


    he¡¯s really blind, how could he ignore such a beautiful wife?¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Hearing her teasing words. Miriam¡¯s fair cheeks turned red.


    In the end, Rachel paid for the wedding dress.


    Because of this, Miriam felt a little guilty.


    Rachel looked at her troubled expression andforted her. ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of clothing. You don¡¯t


    have to take it to heart. Just treat it as a wedding gift from me to you. It¡¯s also my recognition of you as


    my sister-inw. Besides, you¡¯ll marry into the Johnson family. Logically speaking, you shouldn¡¯t be the


    one paying for this wedding dress.


    Miriam held Rachel¡¯s hand and said sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Rac-Rac.¡±


    She was already prepared to be ignored and looked down on, but she did not expect that Rachel would


    be the first one to give her warmth and support her in the Johnson family.


    Perhaps because of David¡¯s identity, when Miriam faced Rachel, she would always be inexplicably


    reserved. Her words and actions were all cautious. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡®Go ahead, Rachel said.


    ¡°I heard from my Uncle Corazon that David is carrying a marriage contract. Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing this, Miriam chuckled. ¡°I knew it.¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, her eyes filled with curiosity.


    Miriam smiled mysteriously and did not say anything.


    After the two of them separated, Rachel drove to thepany.


    As soon as she entered thepany, she sensed the strange atmosphere around her.


    At this moment, Linda quickly walked to Rachel¡¯s side. ¡°Ms. Grey.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rachel nced meaningfully at the people around them who were discussing in


    low voices.


    After the two of them walked into the office, Linda told them the whole story. ¡°Hans came to the


    company this morning and imed to be the president¡¯s father. He brought a group of people into the


    company and said that he wanted to visit his biological daughter¡¯spany


    Hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes turned cold inch by inch. Her voice was as cold as ice. ¡°What else did he


    do?¡±


    Linda said. ¡°He asked us to prepare an office for him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s more shameless than I thought. The corner of Rachel¡¯s mouth curled into a mocking smile.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Based on her understanding of Hans, Hans would definitely not end there.


    Now that he knew her identity, he was probably going to make a fuss to achieve his goal.


    Tve informed the security department to temporarily lock him up in the conference room. Linda looked


    at Rachel¡¯s expression and vaguely guessed Rachel¡¯s n. I think it¡¯s better for you not to show up, in


    case he will pester you all the


    Ever since she was young. Linda had seen too many rascals, but this was the first time she had seen


    someone as shameless as Hans.


    She was not worried that Rachel would still show mercy to Hans. Instead, she was worried because


    Hans had yet to achieve his goal. She did not know what despicable tricks he would use to deal with


    Rachel.


    Rachel looked up at Linda and reached out to touch Linda¡¯s cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be merciful to


    him.¡±


    ¡°I know¡± Linda held Rachel¡¯s hand with a worried expression. T¡¯m worried that he will affect you.¡±


    She paused for a moment, her eyes lilled with unprecedented determination. Trust me, I¡¯ll handle this.


    Rachel hesitated for a moment before nodding


    After Linda left, Rachel received a call from Lucas. ¡°Hans is at thepany


    It was not a question, but a statement.


    Obviously, he had already received the news.


    Rachel replied calmly. Linda has gone to deal with him.¡±


    Lucas sneered without hiding anything. This person really needs to be taught a lesson.¡±


    He thought that he had made it clear enough at the bidding yesterday, but he did not expect that Hans


    would still be so shameless.


    It seemed like he had to teach Hans a lesson.


    Rachel seemed to have guessed his thoughts. Find him something to do. He naturally won¡¯t have so


    much time.¡±


    Lucas said, ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    After hanging up. Rachel got up and walked to the French window.


    She lowered her eyes and looked down at the busy street below her. The endless traffic was like ants


    stepping on the Fast-forward button.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was because Hans¡¯s appearance had disrupted her mood, or if it was because the


    wedding dress she saw in the morning was still lingering in her mind. In short, there was a heavy


    feeling in her heart that made it difficult for her to calm down.


    She simply drove away from thepany.


    She wanted to go out for a walk, but when she came back to her senses, she realized that she had


    driven to the hotel.


    She was stunned for a moment before she shook her head andughed.


    Just as she was about to leave, her phone suddenly rang.


    When she saw the call from David, a hint of surprise shed across her heart. Could this be telepathy?


    She swiped the screen with her fingertips and picked up the call. David¡¯s deep and maic voice


    entered her ears through the phone. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting out of the car?¡±


    A hint of surprise shed through Rachel¡¯s eyes when she heard that. She quickly looked out of the car


    window but did not see David. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±


    David let out a lowugh and said, ¡°Come up.¡±


    ¡±


    When Rachel hung up, there was a knock on the car window.


    Unknowingly. Billy had appeared outside the car and was respectfully waiting for Rachel to get out.


    The door opened and Rachel got out of the car.


    The two of them walked into the hotel one after another.


    Rachel sensed that the atmosphere in the hotel was exceptionally solemn. There were well-trained


    bodyguards guarding every entrance and exit.


    ¡°How did he know I was here?¡± Rachel turned to look at Billy.


    After Billy opened the elevator and invited Rachel in, he exined, ¡°In order to prevent any idents,


    there are many surveince cameras in the entire hotel. Even a fly can¡¯t escape the surveince.


    Moreover, Rachel drove the car directly to the entrance of the hotel. It was difficult not to attract


    attention.


    From the moment her car entered the surveince range, the car owner¡¯s information was already in


    front of him.

 Chapter 844

    Chapter 844


    Chapter 844


    The elevator moved slowly and finally stopped on the floor where the reception hall was located.


    Billy and a man in ck pushed the door open. Rachel saw the decorations in the living room.


    The living room was mainly ck and gold. A dragon swooped down from the ceiling in the middle. It


    was vivid and lifelike, giving off a strong and intimidating pressure.


    At this moment, David was sitting at the head of the table. Jimmy was holding a cigarette between his


    fingers. He crossed his legs and satzily at the side. ¡°David, to be honest, I think you¡¯re being a little


    too anxious about the engagement. We have the freedom to fall in love, but we don¡¯t have the freedom


    to get married. If you choose the Johnson family just like that, our family won¡¯t let it go.¡±


    David said calmly. ¡°If we can behave ourselves, everyone will naturally be able to live in peace.¡±


    His casual tone was filled with threat.


    Having been friends with David for many years, Jimmy naturally knew that David would do what he


    said. Jimmy dusted the cigarette ash off his fingertips and said, ¡°Even if people in the Jones family can


    behave themselves, what about the


    others?¡±


    He did not notice Rachel¡¯s arrival. His thin lips moved slightly as he said to himself, The Clifford family


    might not just watch their n fail.¡±


    Hearing this, Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly.


    The Clifford family¡­.


    Jennifer?


    This name was not unfamiliar. Strictly speaking, Jennifer could be considered David¡¯s rumored


    girlfriend.


    David noticed Rachel¡¯s figure and the corners of his lips subconsciously curled up. Before he could


    speak, Jimmy said, ¡°To be honest, I originally thought that you were just ying with her. After all, it¡¯s


    no longer a secret that the Clifford family is interested in marrying their daughter into the Jones family.


    Who would have thought that you would propose and get engaged? I am simply too surprised.


    This group of people had been nurtured as the sessors of their families since they were young.


    They knew very well that their mission was to revitalize their families and make it prosperous and


    lasting, so they did not dare to rx at all.


    The hard work and effort that they thought they had put in was nothing in front of David.


    David was so outstanding that everyone admired him. He was as perfect and indestructible as a god.


    When the others were flirting with girls, David was always alone, maintaining his usual coldness and


    indifference.


    No matter how outstanding a woman¡¯s look was or how good her figure was, he could always maintain


    an attitude of turning a blind eye to her. He wouldn¡¯t even look at her.


    At that time, they had already determined in their hearts that David was not fated to be with a woman in


    this life.


    He was also destined to never be trapped by love in his life.


    This was a good thing for David. They both knew that Davids¡¯s background and status meant that his


    marriage was not up to himC¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    When they saw David and Rachel fall in love, they were shocked and secretly prayed for David.


    A man as perfect as a god should not be bound by love.


    ¡°Jennifer¡¯s feelings for you are as clear as day. You can¡¯t bluff your way out by ying dumb,¡± said


    Jimmy.


    Upon hearing this, Rachel frowned imperceptibly.


    Previously, when she was in Aureliana, she had already heard about the Clifford family¡¯s intention to


    marry their daughter into the Jones family. However, she did not take it to heart at that time, nor did she


    feel any sense of danger.


    Jimmy¡¯s persuasion at this moment was like a thorn in her heart. It was difficult to ignore the fact.


    I¡¯m not the only man in the Jones family¡± David¡¯s well-defined face was filled with coldness. He looked


    at Jimmy with a dark gaze. ¡°If the Clifford family wants to marry their daughter into the Jones family,


    they can choose any marriage partner they want.¡±


    ¡°Jennifer is too arrogant. How could she fall for someone from the other branches?¡± Jimmy sneered


    without hiching anything. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you know what kind of woman in the Clifford family is? Other


    than you, who else do you think can control Jennifer?¡±


    David frowned slightly. ¡°When did I say I wanted to control her?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Shain can do it too. A cold and pleasant voice sounded from behind.


    Jimmy shuddered and turned around. The moment he saw Rachel, he felt guilty and pursed his lips


    stiffly. ¡°Rachel¡­ You are here. Then what I said just now¡­¡±


    Originally, he still had a trace of hope in his heart until Rachel said. ¡°I heard everything


    Jimmy was stunned.


    He put out the cigarette in his hand and threw it into the ashtray. He smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°I was


    just spouting nonsense. Rachel, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Shain, you have a noble status. I really can¡¯t afford your apology¡± When Rachel walked toward


    David, she nced at Jimmy indifferently. ¡°The daughter of the Clifford family is noble. I think she can


    afford it.¡±


    Jimmy was shocked!


    He hadpletely offended Rachel.


    ¡°Why are you so slow?¡± David held Rachel¡¯s hand and carried her onto hisp.


    ¡°Slow?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. Why do I feel that the timing is just right? Otherwise, I


    wouldn¡¯t have heard such an exciting story. I think I¡¯m the one who dys your future.¡±


    David held her hand to his lips and kissed it. ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°No¡± As Rachel spoke, she forcefully pulled her hand away from his palm.


    She couldn¡¯t say that she was jealous, but she was more or less disgusted.


    Although she had long heard of Jennifer and had met Jennifer before, it was precisely because of this


    that she felt disgusted


    She had long heard about the marriage between the Clifford family and the Jones family. It had spread


    like wildfire, and everyone believed it was real.


    In fact, in everyone¡¯s eyes, the title of Mrs. Jones had be Jennifer¡¯s for sure.


    Otherwise, Jimmy would not have tacitly agreed that David and Jennifer would be together.


    Landon gave Jimmy a look. The two of them got up and left tacitly.


    After the two of them left, Rachel got up and walked to the French window.


    Behind the hotel was a green forest. It was dense,yered, and full of life. A cobblestone path extended


    all the way to the deepest part of the green forest.


    ¡°Do you want to go out for a walk? David walked to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist


    Rachel looked up at him. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    When the two of them walked out, it was drizzling.


    David held up a ck umbre and extended a hand to Rachel.


    In a daze, Rachel thought about the scene when they first met.


    She looked at David¡¯s outstretched hand in a daze. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly extended


    her hand to his palm


    His palm was dry and warm, just like the first time they met.


    David looked down at her and noticed the fleeting smile in her eyes. ¡°What did you think of?¡±


    Tm thinking, if I hadn¡¯t met you when I left the auditorium, what would have happened? Rachel looked


    at him. ¡°Would we be like two parallel lines that have never intersected and have our own lives and


    partners?¡±


    Hearing this. David narrowed his eyes slightly. His eyes revealed a sharp and dangerous cold light. ¡°So


    who do you want to be with?¡±

 Chapter 845

    Chapter 845


    Chapter 845


    His arm was sped around her waist, forcibly embracing her. His arm tightened, carrying a hint of


    threat.


    They were close enough to brush against each other, their breaths blending.


    Rachel Grey¡¯s hands rested on his chest as she raised her gaze, looking at the man in front of her. ¡°I


    never thought about it.¡±


    Who could truly say for certain whaty within the realm of imagination?


    If one could foresee things with absolute uracy, then there would not be so many lifelong regrets.


    Indeed, there would be fewer regrets that haunt people for a lifetime.


    The depth in David Jones¡¯ gaze faded slightly as he stared at her without blinking, his eyes fixed on


    her.


    His hand around her waist rxed slightly, slowly sliding down to the small of her back. ¡°Are you still


    jealous?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Sensing that his arm had loosened a little, she seized the opportunity and freed herself


    from his embrace. ¡°To be honest, Jennifer Clifford¡¯s background and appearance do indeed match


    yours, and over the years, you never addressed the rumors or the ongoing alliances. between the


    Clifford and Jones families. Your silence has been interpreted as consent.¡±


    Indeed, it¡¯s unsurprising that Jimmy Shain would assume that David had tacitly epted the marriage


    alliance with Jennifer.


    The public perception is that Jennifer Clifford is the rightful mistress in the Jones family.


    Rachel Grey cast a sidelong nce at him, patiently waiting for David¡¯s


    response.


    David Jones held an umbre with one hand while holding her hand with the other as they walked side


    by side in the gentle drizzle. ¡°Jennifer is indeed the ideal candidate for the marriage alliance,¡± he said.


    Those words could be interpreted as David acknowledging Rache¡¯s earlier statement.


    The words sound hurtful no matter how one interpreted them, leaving Rachel feeling unsettled in her


    heart.


    They both sat down in a pavilion by the water, and she raised her hand to tuck a stray lock of hair


    behind her ear.


    Seeing a hint of emotion on her face, a faint smile appeared in the corner of David¡¯s eyes. ¡°But I don¡¯t


    need such assistance,¡± he said.


    ¡°Assistance?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered with curiosity.


    David Jones lifted her up and ced her on hisp, his hand holding her chin gently. He lightly pecked


    her lips and said, ¡°The Clifford family is different from other families. They uphold female dominance,


    and therefore, the sessive heads of the family have always been women. As the next head of the


    family, Jennifer naturally has a unique set of marriage criteria. We reached an understanding that if I


    marry her, she will ensure my position as the head of the Jones family.¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems she has chosen the wrong person,¡± Rachel responded, surprised to learn that Jennifer


    had taken the initiative to propose herself.


    David Jones reached out and adjusted her earring, casually asking, ¡°How do youe to that


    conclusion?¡±


    ¡°Everyone desires the position of the head of the Jones family, and under such conditions, anyone else


    would have readily agreed without hesitation. But you are not just anyone,¡± Rachel stated.


    Her wordscked any ttery but rather expressed her genuine perspective from the depths of her


    heart.


    Although she did not know the details of how David fought his way through the struggle for an


    inheritance, the fact that he had seeded in iming the position was evidence of his abilities to


    convince and courage.


    Therefore, what Jennifer considered enticing conditions were utterly -unappealing in the presence of


    David.


    The twinkle in David¡¯s eyes grew even more pronounced upon hearing her words. ¡°So, in your eyes, I


    am that outstanding,¡± he remarked,


    As he spoke, he leaned down to kiss her lips.


    Rachel pushed his face away with a disdainful expression. ¡°Stop trying to tter yourself,¡± she retorted.


    ¡°No ttery, just appreciating you,¡± David replied.


    Rachel was speechless.


    Later that night, David lured Rachel into the room.


    After a passionate encounter, she nestled weakly in David¡¯s embrace.


    Over time, the man¡¯s chest injury had healed, but the stitched-up area appeared grotesque, resembling


    an ugly centipede crawling on it.


    Her fingers lightly traced the scars, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Seemingly a usual question, but it carried a double entendre.


    David looked at her, holding her hand. His throat bobbed up and down, his deep voice noticeably


    huskier than before, ¡°Does your heart ache?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Rachel softly responded.


    ¡°If you feel sorry for me, why don¡¯t you dote on me instead?¡± David said.


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    She quickly grabbed a corner of the nket and wrapped herself up. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll sleep first.¡±


    Looking at Rachel, who was wrapped up like a spring roll, David let out a lowugh. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you


    share a nket with me first if you want to sleep?¡±


    Rachel did not say anything. She just silently let go of a corner of the nket.


    As soon as she let go, David grabbed the corner of the nket and crawled in.


    He hooked his arm around the woman¡¯s slender waist and held her in his arms. His thin lips brushed


    past her temples as he whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep


    first.¡±


    Rachel was suspicious.


    What did he mean by ¡°sleep first tonight.¡±


    But it was not easy for her to sleep peacefully, so she did not probe further.


    After a good night¡¯s sleep, Rachel realized she was lying on top of the


    man¡¯s body when she woke up. She felt she had lost her dignity.


    She sighed helplessly and gently pulled her legs and arms away from the


    man.


    No matter how careful she was, she still woke David up.


    The man¡¯s eyes were still closed. He stretched out his arm and wrapped it around her waist. With a


    little force, he pulled her into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Why don¡¯t you sleep a little longer?¡±


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Rachel pressed against his chest and looked up at his closed eyes. Her heart softened, and she closed


    her eyes to continue sleeping with him.


    But David¡¯s idea of sleeping a little longer was evidently different from what she understood.


    She only realized this when the man flipped her over and pressed her under him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to¡­ ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, David Jones had already bent down and kissed her hard on the lips.


    The man¡¯s clear breath instantly enveloped her like a huge, leaving her no way out.


    Soon, Rachel waspletely immersed in the stimting and carefree senses that the man gave her.


    By the time he was done, more than an hour had passed.


    Although it was only twice, and they were not long, Rachel¡¯s legs ached slightly.


    Especially since she was wearing high heels, she felt each step was as if she was stepping on cotton.


    She was also worried that others wouldugh at her, so she could only grit her teeth and hold on.


    Until they entered the elevator, shezily leaned against the elevator wall. ¡°Why are you in a hurry to


    get control of South Valley?¡±


    Whether it was David or Jimmy, as long as they wanted it, the Smith family could notpete.


    ¡°South Valley is entrenched with Yandel Smith¡¯s forces.¡± David reached out and hugged her waist,


    letting her lean against him. ¡°If we don¡¯t clean. it up, it will be a covert danger sooner orter.¡±


    He had always believed in eradicating problems at the root.


    Rachel looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Jimmy won¡¯t be able to gain much from fighting Yandel.¡±


    David Jones leaned down and kissed her forehead, his voice low and cold, ¡°If he didn¡¯t have this ability,


    he wouldn¡¯t have toe out and embarrass himself in the future.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel¡¯s eyes shed with understanding.


    As the saying goes, ¡°Birds of a feather flock together.¡±


    His usual nonchnt attitude was nothing but a disguise.


    Jimmy and David had known each other for many years and shared simr temperaments,


    personalities, and ruthless ways of doing things.


    However, it remained uncertain how much advantage Jimmy would gain in his confrontation with


    Yandel.

 Chapter 846

    Chapter 846


    Chapter 846


    After leaving the hotel, Rachel Grey drove to thepany.


    As usual, she arrived at thepany and stepped into the elevator without noticing the inconspicuous


    car following behind


    her


    Hans Grey squinted his eyes inside the car, and a glint of darkness flickered in his gaze.


    Previously, he had shown mercy to Rachel, wanting to mend their rtionship as a family, so he had


    refrained from taking drastic actions. However, he did not expect Rachel to disregard their past


    connections entirely. Not only did she target him, but she also targeted the Grey family.


    Indeed, she was like a wolf that could never be satisfied, just like her mother.


    Since she showed no mercy, it¡¯s no wonder he became heartless]


    ¡°Did you get a good look at the woman in front?¡±


    The man sitting in the front passenger seat responded, ¡°I saw her clearly.¡±


    ¡°In the next few days, I want you all to keep a close eye on her and seize any opportunity immediately,¡±


    said Hans.


    Upon hearing this, a look of hesitation appeared on the man¡¯s face. ¡°Mr. Grey, this is the Johnson


    Corporation¡¯s territory. It wouldn¡¯t be wise for us to make a move here.¡±


    ¡°You fool!¡± Hans coldly rebuked. ¡°Did I tell you to act here? Didn¡¯t I say for you to keep an eye on her


    for these few days?¡± He paused for a moment, leaning back in his seat. ¡°Even tigers take naps. She


    can¡¯t stay here forever.¡±


    Once they figured out Rachel¡¯s movement patterns, why would they worry about not having an


    opportunity to strike?! The man in the passenger seat remained silent, but the indescribable expression


    on his face revealed his dilemma. Setting aside Rachel¡¯s esteemed status, their n couldn¡¯t afford the


    slightest mistake. If things were to be exposed, their future would be jeopardized for the rest of their


    lives.


    The key issue lies in the identity of the person. Rachel, the heiress of the Johnson family, the wealthiest


    family in Seaxas, was someone they might not have had any opportunity to get close to. It would be an


    impossible feat to aplish


    On the other side, after Rachel arrived at her office, she received a call from Lucas Jolmson.


    Hiszy and deep voice came through the phone receiver and entered her ears. ¡°Are you at the


    office?¡±


    Rachel casually responded, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it when we meetter, Lucas said.


    After hanging up the phone, Rachel started to focus on her work at hand.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    When Lucas walked in from outside and saw Rachel bowing her head over her desk, he frowned


    slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. Instead of enjoying your life as a proper heiress, you insist


    on working tirelessly in thepany.¡±


    With the financial power of the Johnson family, Rachel could easily live a life of indulgence as a


    carefree heiress. She could rely on her wealth but chose to rely on her abilities.


    Rachel Grey closed the files in her hand and smiled faintly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t feel at ease just sitting back and


    enjoying my wealth.¡±


    ¡°If I had the favoritism of my father. I wouldn¡¯t be working so hard,¡± Lucas said, plopping down on the


    couch without sitting properly, resting one hand on the back of the chair. ¡°There have been


    developments on Mr. Bowes¡¯ side. Do you want to go and take a look?¡±


    Upon hearing this, a hint of hesitation shed in Rachel¡¯s eyes.


    In the past, when she was involved in the drug trial, she had no concerns. It was not that she did not


    find anyone worth clinging onto in this world, but rather that she felt it was better to leave things to fate.


    -ording to the doctor, she could only live up to 18 years old. Every day she lived beyond that felt like


    a gift from God.


    Therefore, she did not care about any potential side effects or consequences when she was


    undergoing the medication trial. In her eyes, every day she had lived beyond her expected lifespan was


    a day gifted by God.


    But now things were different.


    She yearned to find a cure, yet she also feared that an ident during the trial process would leave


    her unable to wake up again.


    She worried about being separated from David, the person she cared about deeply, in life and death.


    Lucas seemed to sense the hesitation in Rachel¡¯s heart and did not rush to persuade her.


    His own heart was also filled with hesitation and conflict.


    He still carried the lingering fear from the incident when Rachel Grey took the medicine hastily, causing


    an unexpected ident.


    While he longed to develop a drug that could suppress the toxins in Rachel¡¯s body, he was also worried


    about any unforeseen incidents during the testing process.


    Both of them remained silent, and a heavy silence filled the office.


    After an unknown amount of time passed, Rachel finally said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Lucas lifted his gaze and looked at her, ¡°Have you really made up your


    mind?¡±


    ¡°What then?¡± Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°Besides me taking matters into my own hands, do


    we have any other options?¡±


    Lucas lowered his brows, concealing his emotions, and murmured, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind taking your ce.¡±


    But they both knew it could not be reced by anyone¡¯s desire alone.


    He knew it, and Rachel knew it too.


    As they drove to the research institute, they found Ethan Bowes leisurely sipping his coffee with his


    legs crossed.


    Upon seeing Lucas bringing Rachel along. Ethan¡¯s eyes flickered with surprise. He quickly set down his


    cup and asked, ¡°Why did you bring Rae-Rae here?¡±


    ¡°I brought her to see your research achievements,¡± Lucas replied, scanning the surroundings and


    noticing an unusually empty atmosphere in the research institute. ¡°Where are the others? Did they


    leave early to celebrate?¡±


    ¡°They went on a team-building outing.¡± Ethan said, grabbing Rachel¡¯s arm and walking towards the


    workstation. He looked at Rachel eagerly as if presenting a treasure. ¡°Take a look. This is the result of


    my recent research.¡±


    Rachel Grey¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly. ¡°So, what is your research achievement?¡±


    Tve deciphered the third substance!¡± With one hand on his waist and the other patting his chest, Ethan


    was enthusiastic. He spoke in a high-spirited tone, ¡°After my relentless effort for 3,826 days, I finally


    deciphered the third substance. I can confidently im to be the first person in history to achieve this!¡±


    Lucas maintained a nonchnt expression. ¡°So, you spent over 40 million dors to aplish this


    task?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean just to aplish this one task?¡± Ethan, caught up in his passionate emotions,


    snapped back, and looked at Lucas with indignation. ¡°Do you think deciphering the third substance is


    easy? Do you know how many days and nights I¡¯ve spent on it? Can¡¯t you see it has turned my hair


    and beard white!¡±


    Lucas Johnson nced at him faintly, his expression hinting at sarcasm. ¡°Whose fault is it that you


    insisted on dyeing your


    hair white?¡±


    Ethan was shocked.


    ¡°You brat, who do you think you¡¯re talking to?¡± He angrily approached, standing on a stool to loom over


    him. ¡°Apologize to me immediately, or believe me, you won¡¯t like the consequences.¡±


    Lucas raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly disying a confident and fearless demeanor. ¡°If you dare to


    poison me, I¡¯ll cut off your funding.¡±


    Ethan Bowes was caught off-guarded.


    When benefiting from others, one tended to be more amodating and forgiving, even if the other


    person had ws or


    made mistakes.


    He gritted his teeth secretly and suddenly leaned on Rachel¡¯s shoulder with a tearful expressi¨®n. ¡°Rae-


    Rac, you have to stand up for me. I¡¯m a Medical Immortal, but I¡¯m trapped in this small ce and can¡¯t


    see the sun all day long. I¡¯ve been apanying this equipment day and night for research, but you


    cut off my funding. These years have been a total waste.¡±


    Rachel was left dumbfounded.


    She looked at Lucas with a resentful gaze, silently expressing, ¡°Why did you provoke this drama king


    for no reason?¡± Lucas shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he epted the me.

 Chapter 847

    Chapter 847


    Chapter 847


    Rachel raised her hand and touched Ethan¡¯s head. She said casually, ¡°You¡¯re now behaving like a


    devoted woman using a fuckboy.¡±


    Upon hearing that, a hint of disdain appeared on Ethan¡¯s face. ¡°No one would be with a person like him


    who spoils the mood unless they had sinned in their previous life.¡±


    When Rachel heard that, a meaningful smile shed across her eyes.


    She thought, ¡°Someone who had sinned in their previous life¡­.


    ¡°This description is quite appropriate.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one material left now,¡± Lucas said.


    ¡°Yes and no.¡± Ethan looked at Lucas with a faint smile. ording to my analysis, I found out that this


    last substance is synthesized from many substances. ording to our current spection, there are at


    least ten.¡±


    Hearing this, Lucas¡¯s face suddenly darkened. ¡°This is different from our initial guess.¡±


    It could even be said to have overturned their guess from three years ago.


    From the initial four substances to the current synthesis of ten substances, the deciphering cycle had


    beenpletely prolonged


    At first, Lucas thought that as long as these four substances were deciphered, an antidote could be


    developed to suppress the poison in Rachel¡¯s body. But now, it seemed there was hope, but it was


    illusory.


    No one knew how long it would take to decipher this synthetic substance and if Rachel could wait until


    that day. Ethan knew this oue was uneptable, but this was just how cruel the reality was.


    After pondering for a moment, Ethan said unhurriedly. ¡°Previously, we spected repeatedly, but we


    failed repeatedly. To decipher it, we even retrieved thousands of herbs from the database and tested


    them one by one, but without exception, all the attempts failed.¡±


    There was no progress until Ethan met the legendary Mr. Diekens a few days ago.


    Sometimes, it seemed that life was unpredictable, but destiny had its own ns.


    Wasn¡¯t the present predicament the consequence of past actions?


    At the thought of that, Ethan lowered his eyes to hide the emotions in them. He was a little depressed.


    ¡°I was careless this time.¡±


    Lucas did not speak. He held a cigarette between his fingers. When his thin lips parted to speak, gray


    smoke enveloped him. making it impossible to see his emotions. ¡°How long will it take?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Ethan said. ¡°But based on the analysis of the potion that Rae-Rae gave mest time, I


    found that the potion can effectively suppress the onset of the disease without any side effects.¡±


    This could be considered good news among the bad news.


    However¡­


    When Rachel thought of that potion, she could not help but think of Ronnie.


    When that potion appeared before Rachel, she thought the other party was plotting something.


    She was not trying to judge Ronnie with her narrow-mindedness, but the rtionship between Ronnie


    and David was like oil and water. She could not help but read too much into it.


    But now, she felt the need to have a chat with Ronnie.


    While Rachel was in a daze, Lucas and Ethan chatred about her engagement to David.


    -When Ethan found out about the engagement, he was not too shocked. Instead, he was a bit


    surprised to find out that Rachel


    had agreed to David¡¯s proposal.


    You agreed just like that?¡± Ethan looked at Rachel.


    Rachel snapped out of her thoughts. She hesitated for a second before nodding.


    Before Rachel could say anything. Ethan said, with disdain, ¡°What¡¯s so good about Aureliana? It¡¯s just


    a dog-eat-dog ce with a group of self-proimed noble fools. You could do better than marry David


    and settle down there.¡±


    Rachel was speechless.


    In this world, only Ethan would dare to mock and belittle the people of Aureliana.


    After all, in the eyes of others, Aureliana was a good ce where every inch ofnd was worth a


    fortune.


    an engagement. There¡¯s still a long way to go before we get married,¡± Rachel said.


    A hint of mockery shed across Ethan¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re already engaged. Getting married is just a


    matter of time.¡±


    The three of them chatted in the research institute. In the blink of an eye, it was six in the afternoon.


    As Ethan watched Rachel and Lucas leave, his expression slowly turned solemn.


    His gaze gradually turned to the evening glow in the distant sky, and a trace of absent-mindedness


    appeared in his eyes. Ethan remembered the fire many years ago. It was as red and ring as the


    evening glow tonight.


    He thought escaping was the best choice but did not expect it to be just the beginning.


    It seemed that no matter how hard he tried to escape, he would always follow the path set out by God


    and return to the starting point.


    There was no way to break free.


    He took a deep breath, took out his phone, walked to a blind spot in the surveince camera, and


    dialed a number.


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one at the research institute now.¡±


    After hanging up, he turned around and left.


    On the other end, Rachel and Lucas left. Rachel nced at the time and nned to see Aileen at the


    hospital.


    She had also been looking for a doctor to remove the bullet from Aileen¡¯s body, but things were not as


    simple as she thought.


    Therefore, until a suitable person was found, Aileen had been recuperating in the hospital.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Lucas nced at the quiet Rachel


    Rachel looked up at Lucas and shook her head gently. ¡°How¡¯s the Grey family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s naturally useless to use a mild method to deal with a despicable person like that.¡± At the mention of


    Hans, a hint of disgust appeared in Lucas¡¯s eyes. His words were filled with faint ridicule. ¡°The Grey


    family was sued some time ago because of their factory¡¯s sewage problem. I tried to fan the mes. If


    Hans wants to save the Grey family, he¡¯d better behave himself.


    As long as Hans knew his ce, behaved himself, and dealt with the factory¡¯s sewage problem


    ording to the rules and regtions, the Grey family¡¯s difficulties would be easily resolved. If Hans


    still wanted to take advantage of the situation, he would be courting death.


    Therefore, whether the Grey family could survive the ordeal depended on Hans¡¯s choice instead of


    what Lucas did.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°I hope he will learn his lesson.¡±


    Lucas¡¯s eyes were slightly mocking. ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect him to have the cheek to appear


    before you.


    Even more unexpectedly, Hans could shamelessly talk about his father-daughter rtionship with


    Rachel. Their father-daughter rtionship?


    Back then, a thinly dressed Rachel was thrown into the snow. Had they not arrived in time, Rachel


    would have frozen to death.


    Back then, Hans treated Rachel that way because he found her a burden.


    Now that Hans saw that Rachel had some value, he shamelessly imed that he was Rachel¡¯s father.


    He was really shameless to the extreme!


    Rachel turned her head to look out the window at the scenery outside. She said unhurriedly. ¡°There are


    many things in this world that no one can imagine.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    As they spoke, the car arrived at the entrance of the private hospital.


    When Rachel arrived at the ward, Aileen was not in the room.


    Just as Rachel took out her phone to make a call, Aileen, who was sitting in a wheelchair, appeared in


    her line of sight.


    ¡°Rae-Rac.¡±


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Rachel put her phone in her pocket and walked over quickly.


    Aileen maneuvered her wheelchair with both hands and said calmly, ¡°I went out for some fresh air. I¡¯m


    bored to death staying in the room all day.

 Chapter 848

    Chapter 848


    Chapter 848


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Rachel pushed Aileen¡¯s wheelchair towards the ward. ¡°I haven¡¯te to see you these


    few days¡± Aileen smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not a three-year-old child anymore. I don¡¯t need someone to


    apany me.¡± After the two walked into the ward, Aileen revealed her ns. ¡°I¡¯m going to pack up


    and leave in the next two days.¡±


    When Rachel heard that, she frowned slightly. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?


    Aileen had yet to recover fully, so it was inconvenient for her to move around. Could it be that she had


    something urgent to do, so she had to leave at a time like this?


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to stay here all the time. Aileen pursed her lips. Her eyes were lowered, and the


    expression in her eyes could not be seen clearly. ¡°Besides, I know my own body¡±


    As Aileen spoke, she reached out and touched her leg


    Eventually, she would have to sit in this wheelchair for the rest of her life.


    However, she still felt indignant when she thought about it.


    Her inner pride did not allow her to give up so easily, but the reality was like a cruel hand that slowly


    broke her straight back, forcing her to lower her head and live in a humble and sorry state.


    Rachel stared at Aileen without blinking. After pondering for a long time, Rachel chuckled. ¡°Since when


    did Nine give up so easily?¡±


    Aileen could not help but be stunned when she heard that.


    It had been a long time since Aileen had heard someone call her that.


    When Aileen heard this title, she vaguely thought that she had returned to thend where she had once


    shed blood.


    Aileen took a deep breath and suppressed the surging emotions within her. She pursed her lips and


    said with heart-wrenching loneliness, ¡°Rae-Rae, I can¡¯t go back anymore.¡±


    Aileen would never be able to return to thend where she had once shed blood.


    When she first joined the Red me Army, she only had the mentality of pursuing excitement. Later


    on, she was influenced by the people in the Red me Army and gradually fell in love with that group


    of cute and innocent people. She fell in love with them because they did not seek remuneration or fear


    death. They simply gathered together because of their fervent passion to form a powerful force that


    could not be vited at all.


    Later on, she fell in love with thend tinder her feet.


    No one knew the pain she had felt when she was forced to withdraw, nor did anyone know that she had


    dreamed countless times of running wildly in the green forest all these years.


    She was Nine who refused to admit defeat. The more she fought, the braver she became. How could


    she admit defeat so easily?


    However, it was a problem for her even to stand now.


    Do you believe me?¡± Rachel stared at Aileen intently. Her pure ck and white pupils flickered with a


    determined light and an inexplicable power of conviction.


    Aileen looked at Rachel and suddenly did not know what to say. She only nodded hard.


    Rachel held Aileen¡¯s hand. ¡°Tll think of a way.¡±


    Even so, Aileen still left.


    On the day Aileen left, Rachel came specially to the airport to see her off.


    Aileen gave Rachel a big hug ¡°Tll see you the next time Ie back.¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    Rachel did not ask Alleen why she had to leave, but Rachel knew there had to be some reason why


    Aileen insisted on leaving. ¡°Be careful on the road. Remember to contact me if anything happens.¡±


    Rachel reached out and patted Aileen¡¯s back gently. Aileen nodded. After letting go of Rachel, she


    boarded the ne with the help of a caregiver.


    It was not until the ne took off and gradually faded out of sight that Rachel turned around and lett.


    First, Vulture and the others had left, and now. Aileen had also left. Rachel¡¯s life seemed to have


    returned to its initial peace, It seemed like a line had been drawn between her and everything in the


    past. However, there was an indescribable feeling in her heart. She felt lost, as though she had lost her


    sense of belonging.


    Rachel took a deep breath and suppressed the emotions that were welling up inside her as she walked


    toward the parking lot.


    After Rachel got into the car, she received a call from Mary.


    At thest minute, they received a request. The other party requested Rachel to help design a wedding


    dress.


    Rachel thought that since she would pass by the studio when she returned to the city, she might as well


    meet the client. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go over now.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Mary said, ¡°The other party refused toe to our shop and asked us to go to her


    house.¡±


    ¡°Door-to-door service?¡± Rachel frowned imperceptibly.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Although Rachel was a designer, she was not someone who would grovel and serve others. She also


    had her own temper.


    She had already given the other party due respect by epting her request.


    ¡°The other party contacted us through email. She¡¯s not in Seaxas. Mary knew Rachel¡¯s personality.


    Mary was worried that Rachel would reject the other party arrogantly, so Mary hurriedly exined,


    ¡°Recently, there¡¯s a show in Tomsville. It¡¯s by my favorite new designer, so I n to visit the client while


    we attend the show. Isn¡¯t that the best of both worlds?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel looked resigned. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already arranged everything, why are you


    still asking my opinion?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re our studio¡¯s signature designer and financial backer. We should still go through the


    necessary procedures,¡± Mary said.


    ¡°You make the arrangements then.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up. Rachel continued driving.


    A car passed by Rachel¡¯s car.


    Jimmy, who was inside the car, recognized Rachel¡¯s car at a nce. He quickly wound down the


    window to greet Rachel.


    However, Rachel, who was as fast as the wind, did not even look at Jimmy as she whizzed past him.


    Jimmy pouted and muttered in a low voice, ¡°Tsk, what a temper.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault for having a loose tongue.¡± Landon, who was beside Jimmy, nced at Jimmy and


    raised his eyebrows. slightly. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you. Why did you have to bring up


    that matter for no reason?¡±


    The fact that David decided to marry Rachel seemed to be set in stone.


    The Jones family would not dare to have any objections. Even if someone dared to object, David would


    definitely use means to force them to agree.


    At the mention of this, Jimmy was also furious. ¡°I was just worried that David would be blinded by love


    and do something that he would regret


    Initially, Jimmy had good intentions, but who would have thought that he would be in a difficult position


    now?


    Not only had Jimmy offended Rachel, but David had also ignored Jimmy for a day.


    No wonder Rachel and David would end up together. They sang the same tunel


    ¡°Let¡¯s catch up with Rachel and take a look.¡± Landon raised his chin at Jimmy.


    After Jimmy heard that, he stepped on the elerator.


    After chasing for a while, they realized that Rachel¡¯s car was running chaotically and randomly on the


    road like a headless fly.


    ¡°Where do you think she¡¯s going?¡± Jimmy was confused as he chased Rachel¡¯s car.


    If Rachel wanted to go to Johnson Corporation, she was driving in the wrong direction. If she wanted to


    find David, this was not the correct roule at all.


    The sharp-minded Landon vaguely sensed that something was amiss. He narrowed his eyes behind


    his sses. ¡°Continue chasing and see if you can stop Rachel¡¯s car.¡±

 Chapter 849

    Chapter 849


    Chapter 849


    After Rachel hung up on Mary, she vaguely sensed something was amiss with her car.


    At first, she thought that it was because she had not driven this car for too long that she had an illusion


    for a moment.


    It was until she reached the intersection and stepped on the brakes to slow down that she realized she


    could not do so. It was then that she realized someone had tampered with her car.


    It was most likely that the brake pedal had been tampered with.


    The high-speed driving caused the car to shake abnormally, but it did not affect her control of it.


    Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as she roughly guessed who the culprit was likely to be.


    She nced at the rearview mirror and saw three ck Santanas behind her.


    The drivers of the three cars seemed to have discussed beforehand as they kept forcing Rachel to


    drive toward a certain section of the road.


    Rachel¡¯s brakes failed. To prevent her car from overturning, she could only be forced by those three


    cars to drive to another section of the road.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Rachel looked at the road sign and frowned slightly.


    She took out her phone and dialed David¡¯s number. She did not know if the phone signal was blocked


    or if she was really that unlucky, but she could not get through to David.


    Resignedly, Rachel could only throw the phone on the front passenger seat and continue driving with


    both hands on the steering wheel.


    After driving for half an hour, she was finally brought to an unfinished building


    Rachel looked at the crash barrier ced directly in front of her and smiled mockingly.


    They had really put in a lot of effort.


    The next second, Rachel¡¯s car crashed into the sponge wall.


    The Bentley Continental dove in headfirst. The front of the car caved in, and the sponge wall shattered


    into pieces. In ant instant, smoke rose everywhere.


    When the drivers of the three Santanas tailing Rachel¡¯s car saw this scene, they stopped the cars but


    did not move forward to check until Hans walked out of the unfinished building


    This unfinished building was the Grey family¡¯s property in Seaxas. Although it was said to be in


    Seaxas, it was just on the


    border of Seaxas.


    Back then, Hans had spent arge sum of money to purchase this unfinished building because he


    wanted to use this unfinished building as a stepping stone for the Grey family to develop in Seaxas.


    However, no one expected that the higher authorities would change their policies after Hans bought


    this unfinished building. First, the city¡¯snd was redesigned, then administrative divisions were


    reorganized. Eventually, this unfinished. building, which was originally considered to be within the


    scope of Seaxas, was assigned to another division


    Because of that, the value of this plot ofnd was greatly reduced, and Hans lost more than 10 million


    dors for nothing.


    The money used to buy thisnd came from a bank loan. Now that the Grey family was in a bad


    situation and their business had plummeted, they were on the verge of copse. The only person who


    could help Hans and the Grey family to tide over the difficulties was Rachel.


    With the Johnson family¡¯s prestige in Seaxas and Tom¡¯s status in the political world, they could revive


    even ten families like the Grey family effortlessly, not to mention just one Grey family.


    At the thought of this, Hans looked at the white Bentley Continental, his eyes shing with shrewd


    calction.


    Hans kicked away the sponge in front of his feet and walked toward the car.


    At this moment, the drivers of the three ck Santanas opened their car doors and hurriedly came out


    of their cars.


    Over the past few days, they had been looking for an opportunity to attack Rachel. However, they


    realized that Rachel¡¯s whereabouts were not fixed at all. Moreover, it was difficult to attack her on the


    road. After thinking about it, they could onlye up with this n.


    They broke the brakes of Rachel¡¯s car and forced Rachel toe to this destination. Rachel was


    trapped with no way of escape.


    This was their territory. Once Rachel was here, she would have no way to escape.


    Hans walked forward and knocked on the car window. ¡°Rae-Rae,e down. Let¡¯s have a good talk.¡±


    Chapter 849


    As soon as Hans finished talking, a nging sound came from the car door.


    Hans was so frightened that he hurriedly dodged backward, afraid that Rachel would injure him.


    Hans had just taken a step back when Rachel suddenly kicked the car door open.


    The airbag on the steering wheel opened and wrapped around Rachel tightly so she was not injured.


    Rachel stretched out her hand to straighten the creases on her clothes and got out of the car in her


    high heels. She walked to Hans step by step.


    Hans¡¯s shrewd eyes sized up Rachel. ¡°Rae-Rae, if you hadn¡¯t forced me into a dead end, I wouldn¡¯t


    have resorted to this. I was really forced into a corner.¡±


    Rachel raised her cold eyes and looked at Hans expressionlessly. ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t learned


    your lesson from the seizure and reformation of the Grey family¡¯s business,¡±


    Hans thought, ¡°Seizure and reformation¡­


    Hans¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    4


    During this period of time, the Grey family seemed to have been cursed. Misfortune had befallen them


    time and time again. Hans had also suspected that it had something to do with the Johnson family and


    Rachel, but he had no evidence. Now, what Rachel said confirmed his guess.


    Hans thought, ¡°This wretch!


    ¡°It turned out to be really her who was targeting the Grey family behind their backs!


    ¡°What sin had Imitted in my previous life to have met Sophia and her daughter? I should have


    strangled Rachel to death when she was just born!


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have been able to bite the hand that fed her!¡±


    The more Hans thought about it, the angrier he became. His anger was fuelled. Finally, he could not


    take it anymore and raised his hand to p Rachel¡¯s face.


    However, Rachel turned her body slightly, and Hans¡¯s forceful p missed.


    Suddenly missing his target, the forceful p led Hans to stagger a few steps forward.


    Hans quickly grabbed the front of the car to prevent himself from falling to the ground.


    ¡°You!¡± Hans¡¯s face was gloomy as he stared at Rachel with malicious eyes. ¡°You wretch! All these


    years, you¡¯ve been living off the Grey family, yet you¡¯ve targeted the Grey family time and time again. I


    should have beaten you to death back then!¡± The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled slightly, but her eyes


    were terrifyingly cold. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you missed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity 18 years ago. I¡¯m


    afraid you won¡¯t have this chance in the future.¡±


    It was clearly Lily and her mother who had framed Rachel. To make Rachel lose her inheritance and


    chase Rachel out of the house, Rose fell down the stairs and yet insisted that Rachel was the one who


    pushed her down the stairs.


    Anyone with a brain would know that a six-year-old child could not push an adult woman easily.


    However, back then, Hans refused to listen to Rachel¡¯s exnation at all. Even when Rachel was


    beaten with a stick, she still said that she was innocent. As Rachel¡¯s father, Hans refused to investigate


    it and insisted on pinning all the me on Rachel.


    After beating Rachel half to death, Hans asked the servants to strip off her clothes, leaving her dressed


    in only a thin nightgown. Then, Hans threw Rachel into the snow and forced her to kneel. Hans did not


    allow Rachel to eat or drink until she admitted her mistake.


    If Grandpa and the others had not arrived timely, Rachel would have died in the snow 18 years ago.


    Hans had ignored Rachel all these years, yet now he was calling himself her father.


    Even 18 years ago, Hans had personally said that their father-daughter rtionship was severed and


    that from then on, Rachel was no longer a member of the Grey family.


    Yet, Hans now had the cheek to say that Rachel had lived off the Grey family all these years when


    Rachel never had anything to do with the Grey family all these years.


    Indeed, shameless people were invincible!

 Chapter 850

    Chapter 850


    Chapter 850


    Hans red at Rachel fiercely. His eyes were bloodshot, as though he wanted to pounce on Rachel


    and bite her neck in the next second.


    Rachel raised her hand to adjust the earring on her earlobe and said casually, ¡°Why? Don¡¯t tell me you


    think everything will be fine after bringing me here?¡±


    Hans did not say anything. He just stared at Rachel with a sinister gaze.


    At this moment, Rachel chuckled and said. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my mother, do you think the Grey family


    could survive until now?¡±


    Hearing this. Hans¡¯s face turned red. His chest heaved violently as he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You-


    you little bastard! What sin did Imit in my previous life to have met you two?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. What sin did my mothermit to have met you?¡± Rachel looked at Hans coldly.


    All these years of indifference had long made Rachel feel no affection for Hans. Therefore, Rachel


    really did not have much patience when she faced this so-called biological father.


    Especially now that Rachel was faced with Hans¡¯s shamelessness in calling himself her father, she was


    full of impatience.


    After not seeing him for so many years, Hans had thought that Rachel would restrain her perverse and


    ruthless personality. Hans did not expect Rachel to be even more savage after so many years.


    Hans¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze became even more sinister and ruthless. His hands


    hanging by his sides clenched tightly into fists. Finally, he could not take it anymore and shouted angrily


    at the men in ck standing behind Rachel, ¡°What are you waiting for? Tie her up!¡±


    Today, he was going to teach Rachel a lesson!


    He wanted to see which was harder to break, Rachel¡¯s bones or the stick in his hand!


    The men in ck sized up Rachel. After all, she was a weak woman. Coupled with the fact that the


    Johnson family in Seaxas was backing her, they did not dare to kill her.


    However, Rachel was as ruthless as ever in her attack.


    In no time at all, Rachel knocked the group of useless people to the ground.


    Rachel patted the dust off her trousers and looked up at Hans. Looking at Han¡¯s eyes that were filled


    with hatred, Rachel mocked, ¡°These people you found are really useless¡±


    ¡°You¡± Hans pointed at Rachel, his body trembling with anger.


    ¡°Now, the Grey family has to deal with both reformation and loans from the bank. One minor mistake


    could cause the situation to be beyond redemption. Rachel said each word slowly, like an ice de


    rubbing against one¡¯s heart. ¡°You¡¯ve put in so much effort to get the Grey family to where it is today.


    Don¡¯t end up with nothing when you die.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Hans felt his entire body turn cold, and his blood seemed to freeze in an instant.


    Rachel nced at Hans indifferently. Tll give you onest piece of advice out of kindness. Don¡¯t


    provoke me.¡±


    At the same time, Rachel¡¯s car attracted a lot of attention due to the heavy speeding and vition of


    traffic rules.


    Meanwhile, David contacted Rachel upon receiving the news, but he could not get through.


    Coincidentally, at this moment, Jimmy called David and roughly exined the situation.


    David hung up the phone and rushed out the door, heading straight for the unfinished building.


    When David arrived, he identally met Lucas.


    The two looked at each other, closed their car doors, and strode straight to the unfinished building.


    ¡°On the day of the bidding. Hans found out about Rae-Rae¡¯s identity. To avoid entanglement, I chased


    him out. I¡¯m pretty sure that he attacked Rae-Rae out of resentment, Lucas said.


    Actually, Lucas was not worried that Rachel would be at a disadvantage against Hans. Instead, Lucas


    was worried that the car, which was out of control, would cause Rachel to get injured.


    At the end of the day, Lucas was not ruthless enough. Otherwise, this would not have happened.


    If anything happened to Rachel today, Lucas would never forgive himself for the rest of his life.


    When the group rushed into the unfinished building, they saw Rachel stepping her foot on Hans¡¯s


    chest.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Lying on the ground. Hans¡¯s face turned red. He coughed violently and said intermittently. ¡°Rachel, I¡¯m


    your father. You actually attacked me. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being struck by lightning?¡±


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a bright smile. The corners of her eyes crinkled into a perfect


    arc, revealing a hint of evilness. ¡°There are so many evil people in this world. If every one of them has


    to be struck by lightning. God will be so busy.¡±


    Hans red fiercely at Rachel. He probably had nothing else to say. After holding it in for a long time,


    he said, ¡°You-you evil


    creature!¡±


    ¡°Since you know that I¡¯m an evil creature, you should take my warning to heart.¡± Rachel narrowed her


    eyes. There was a flickering coldness in her eyes. She stepped harder with her high heels until Han¡¯s


    lips turned pale. ¡°I don¡¯t have much patience. I don¡¯t want to repeat myself, but for my mother¡¯s sake.


    I¡¯ll say it once more. Don¡¯t provoke me again. It hasn¡¯t been easy for the Grey family to have today¡¯s


    achievements!¡±


    As soon as Rachel finished talking, she lifted her foot and walked away.


    As Rachel turned around, she was slightly stunned when she saw David and Lucas.


    Before Rachel could ask anything, David rushed forward and pulled Rachel into his arms. He looked


    her up and down. ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rachel said.


    David pursed his thin lips. His chiseled face looked terrifyingly cold, as though it was covered with a


    layer of frost. He raised his cold eyes and looked at Hans.


    David¡¯s sharp gaze was like a knife that pierced straight into Hans¡¯s eyes.


    Hans¡¯s heart trembled. His feet were weak, as though he was stepping on clouds. If he was not careful,


    he would fall into the abyss under his feet and be smashed into pieces.


    As David¡¯s trusted aide, Billy instantly understood this gaze. Billy looked at the people behind him, and


    the group walked straight forward, preparing to teach Hans a lesson.


    Rachel sensed their intentions and gently tugged at the corner of David¡¯s clothes. ¡°It¡¯s all settled. Let¡¯s


    go.¡±


    Hearing this, Billy and the others immediately froze on the spot. They subconsciously looked at David


    as though they were waiting for new instructions.


    David did not say anything. His bottomless ck eyes stared at Rachel without blinking-


    After an unknown period of time. David nced at Tans expressionlessly. His deep and cold voice was


    filled with coldness. ¡°Don¡¯t do it again.


    If such a thing happened again, the Grey family would vanish from Pollister forever.


    Although David did not say it explicitly, Hans understood what David meant.


    After the group left in a grandiose manner. Hans stood rooted to the ground with a dazed expression as


    though he had just survived a narrow escape.


    A flick sound was heard.


    The sound of a lighter was heard, gathering Hans¡¯s scattered thoughts.


    ns focused his attention on Lucas.


    The man held a cigarette between his fingers, and his eyes were filled with anger. There was a hint of


    impatience in his tone. ¡°You¡¯re the first person who ignored my warning.¡±


    Under hiszy and casual tone, there was a terrifying coldness as if one had been submerged in ice


    water in an instant.

 Chapter 851

    Chapter 851


    Chapter 851


    Panic shed across Hans Grey¡¯s eyes.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    He bumped into Lucas Johnson when he was chased out of Johnson Corporation.


    Lucas warned him rudely that if he dared to appear before Rachel Grey again, the Grey family would


    suffer the fate of bankruptcy.


    His warning was like a nightmare that would not go away and kept haunting Hans at all times.


    True to human nature, no one learned their lesson, especially when they did not have to pay the price.


    Hans was confident the Johnson family would not dare to hurt him because he was Rache¡¯s father.


    Otherwise, Rachel would have to bear the me of a heartless daughter who did not care about her


    father¡¯s wellbeing.


    He was equally confident that today¡¯s n was foolproof. Rachel would no doubt cave in and submit to


    him obediently.


    However, he underestimated his daughter¡¯s heartless indifference and overestimated his own ability.


    In the past ten years or more, Rachel had grown up o be an independent woman; she was no longer


    the child Hans could scold and abuse at will. Moreover, she did not care about their father-daughter


    rtionship or give a damn about him.


    Han had always thought everything was under his control, but he did not realize it ended when Rachel


    left the family.


    ¡°Hans Grey, do you think the Johnson family won¡¯t dare to do anything to you just because you are


    Rae-Rae¡¯s father?¡± Lucas asked nonchntly, not knowing that it was Hans¡¯s assumption.


    A fleeting panic shed across Hans¡¯s eyes.


    Lucas took a puff of his cigarette and slowly exhaled a grayish-white smoke. The corners of his mouth


    curled into an arc with a hint of wickedness. ¡°Get it straight! The Grey family has secured a sound


    foothold in Pollister all these years because of my aunt and not because the Johnson family fears you.¡±


    He held the cigarette between his fingers indifferently and looked at Hans in disdain. The Johnson


    family is not afraid of beingbeled heartless.¡±


    Lucas¡¯s casualment was thest straw that crushed Hans¡¯s back.


    He was fearless before Lucas and Rachel because he believed the Johnson family, the wealthiest


    family in Seaxas, cared about its reputation. Therefore, falling out with Hans Grey would risk being


    labeled heartless and unjust.


    But Lucas¡¯s remark had proved him wrong; it was not what he thought.


    ¡°The despicable things that you did to my aunt back then, the Grey family would have vanished from


    Pollister if she did not plead for my grandfather for leniency. Lucas walked toward Hans with one hand


    in his pocket and the other holding a cigarette. Then he pressed it against Hans¡¯s chest to extinguish


    the cigarette bit by bit.


    The hot cigarette butt pierced through Hans¡¯s shirt and against his flesh.


    Hans¡¯s brows knotted slightly because of the burning pain. He gritted his teeth in silence and endured it


    nheless.


    Lucas fixed his icy gaze on Hans¡¯s face as he narrowed his eyes. His voice was low and deep with a


    hint of hostility. ¡°Hans Grey, don¡¯t take my warning lightly. You¡¯ll be chased out of Pollister if it happens


    again.¡±


    Then he turned around and left.


    Lucas¡¯s family did not bid Sophia Johnson farewell before she passed away. They merely received a


    letter from her out of the blue one day.


    Sophia begged her grandfather for forgiveness for her stubbornness and hoped he could take Rachel


    back as part of the family. Her soul would then rest in peace. She also requested as herst wish that


    no harm be done to the Grey family.


    After reading her letter, Sophia¡¯s grandfather was so furious that he could not eat for a few days. He


    tore the letter into pieces out of anger.


    Sophia¡¯s father, Tom Johnson, investigated the Grey family and learned Hans had brought his mistress


    into the family shortly after Sophia¡¯s demise. Hans betrayed histe wife and made his mistress


    pregnant as well. Moreover, he even tried to ask for forgiveness with a letter before Sophia passed


    away. His act infuriated the Johnson family.


    Even if Hans had fallen for a third party, he could not be so muddle-headed to the point beyond


    redemption.


    However, the Johnson family honored Sophia¡¯s request and did noty a finger on Hans all these


    years.


    But Hans¡¯s actions today had undoubtedly crossed the Johnson family¡¯s bottom line.


    Lucas vowed to uproot the Grey family from Pollister if the same thing happened again; he would


    disregard histe aunt¡¯s plea altogether.


    Hans stood rooted to the spot and covered the wound on his chest. He stared at Lucas sinisterly as the


    latter walked away. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why your aunt had insisted on protecting the Grey family?¡± he


    muttered.


    Lucas paused when he heard what thetter said. He slowly turned to look at Hans expressionlessly.


    ¡°That¡¯s because your aunt let me down first!¡± Hans took a deep breath and said, with an arrogant smile.


    ¡°Your aunt made a deal with me before she died. Why don¡¯t we make a deal too? I¡¯m not greedy; I just


    want to keep what I have. Naturally, Rachel is part of the equation¡±


    Honestly, he did not expect the Johnson family to value Rachel so much.


    However, the more the Johnson family protected Rachel, the faster Hans could achieve his goal.


    Lucas¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and his eyes were filled with hostility. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Hans took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. He took a quick drag and slowly


    exhaled the grayish-white smoke. I just want to see how much the Johnson family is willing to sacrifice


    for Rachel Grey,¡± he said knowingly.


    More than that, he wanted to find out the Johnson family¡¯s bottom line.


    He spected that Rachel must be hiding a big secret. Otherwise, Sophia would not have been so


    compromising back then.


    Lucas stared at Hans briefly before lifting his chin and said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Hans asked vigntly as if he had sensed that Lucas was plotting against him.


    Lucas raised his eyebrows slightly: his gaze remained chilly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to make a deal with the


    Johnson family?¡± Then he started walking away.


    Hans hesitated for a moment as he watched Lucas leave. Then he put out the cigarette and threw the


    butt on the ground before catching up with him.


    Meanwhile, Rachel leaned against her seat without a word after she got into the car with David Jones.


    She turned to look at the scenery outside the window as it retreated rapidly. She kept to herself along


    the way.


    David sat beside her and looked out the window expressionlessly, he had no desire to speak either.


    The gleaming car window reflected his edgy and fierce look.


    Inside, the car was shrouded by an air of oppressive silence, like a rock weighing down on one¡¯s chest


    for no reason; it was suffocating.


    Billy Jones and Eddie Brook, who sat in the front of the car, exchanged silent nces.


    The seemingly tranquil atmosphere in the car was unnerving, it was the calm before the storm.


    The car arrived at the Hilton Hotel after a while.


    Jimmy Shain and the others were already waiting in the private room.


    Landon Walker had noticed that Rachel¡¯s car was unusual earlier, so he decided to call David to check


    it out. They went to the hotel on a hunch.


    They talked about Rachel¡¯s car losing control on the road.


    Jimmy described the incident vividly. In the end, he sighed appreciatively. ¡°Fortunately, nothing fatal


    happened. Otherwise, it would be another sleepless night.¡±

 Chapter 852

    Chapter 852


    Chapter 852


    Rachel Grey was the person David Jones cared about the most. He was devoted to her and would


    pursue the matter persistently If anything terrible happened to her.


    Although David knew that Rachel was a capable woman, her ability to remain calm in the face of an


    out-of-control car while under threat made him see her in a new light.


    Landon Walker dangled a cigarette at the corner of his mouth with his head lowered; no one could see


    his expression or read his thoughts.


    When Jimmy Shain saw that Landon was in a daze, he picked up the wine ss before him and


    clinked it against Landon¡¯s. ¡°Yo, what are you thinking about, bro?¡¯ he asked casually


    Landon instantly came back to his senses. He nced at Jimmy briefly and quickly scanned those


    present in the room. Then he pursed his lips and said calmly. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± Jimmy put down his wine ss and said knowingly. Unlike his usual devil-may-care self,


    he stared at Landon thoughtfully and said in a serious tone. ¡°You must know something. No secrets


    between us, okay? You can tell me, there are


    no outsiders here*


    Landon pursed his lips and pondered for a long time before revealing his concern. ¡°I got someone to


    check on the three Santanas involved tonight. My reliable source told me those people report to Hans


    Grey.¡±


    He paused for a moment and added, ¡°Hans Grey is Rachel¡¯s father, by the way.¡±


    Jimmy was visibly stunned.


    He kept quiet for a while before eximing, ¡°Fuck! This is fucking interesting!¡±


    Wow, a father attacked his daughter!


    There must be some deep-seated hatred between them.


    Che Shannon from Elderville chuckled, his eyes filled with mockery. ¡°Don¡¯t you know Hans Grey is


    infamous in Pollister? He will do anything to achieve his goals, not to mention killing his daughter. Hans


    will not hesitate to send his daughter to a stranger¡¯s bed if he likes her.¡±


    Although Che¡¯s remarks seemed harsh to some, they urately illustrated Hans Grey¡¯s greed and


    selfishness.


    Jimmy clicked his tongue and said, ¡°No wonder the Johnson family was disconnected from the Grey


    family all these years. No one in his right mind will go near a despicable person like Hans¡±


    Just then, Rachel and David pushed the door open and entered.


    Everyone in the private room looked up. Landon immediately signaled Jimmy to keep his mouth shut.


    Jimmy instantly understood and did not utter another word.


    He regained hisposure and invited everyone to take their seats.


    Everyone in the room started eating when the food was served and chatted away.


    However, no one was in the mood for fun after learning about Rachel¡¯s ordeal tonight, knowing she was


    probably still in shock. The atmosphere at dinner was not as rxing as before.


    ¡°Please start without me. I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± Rachel stood up and left.


    As soon as she walked out of the door, David threw aside his cutlery without a word, got up, and left as


    well.


    Jimmy saw the two leaving the room one after another and could not help but specte. ¡°What¡¯s going


    on? Did they quarrel?¡±


    He thought the damsel in distress would always show her gratitude after being rescued by the hero in


    the movies.


    However, Rachel and David clearly went off the script.


    Meanwhile, Rachel headed straight to the restroom after she left the private room.


    She saw David waiting patiently at the door when she came out.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    She could not help butugh aloud. However, David grabbed her arm before she could say anything


    and dragged her into


    the elevator.


    Then they went to the same room as yesterday.


    Rachel nced at David¡¯s icy look; she pursed her lips, ¡°Are you going to say something?¡±


    She sensed that David was unhappy as he did not utter a word on the way back.


    David kept quiet. Instead, he walked to the wine cabs and opened a bottle of liquor. He poured a full


    ss and finished it


    1/4


    14:171


    Chapter 852


    in one gulp.


    Then he poured another and downed it as if he did not hear Rachel¡¯s question.


    Rachel¡¯s brows furrowed as she walked to David and held his wrist. ¡°Stop it. Drinking like this will hurt


    your stomach.¡±


    Grenada rum was a hard liquor. Therefore, it was usually served in a mix, few drank it straight like


    David.


    David looked at Rachel intently. He clenched his ss as if he was trying his best to control his


    unspoken emotions.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you contact me when you were in danger?¡± he asked in a deep, hoarse, and bone-chilling


    voice as if he was being submerged in an ice pond.


    Rachel stepped forward and lugged him. She rubbed her face against his chest softly and said, ¡°I did


    call you, but there was a problem with the phone signal.*-


    Then she paused briefly and said. I¡¯m not hurt. You don¡¯t have to be so jittery¡±


    ¡°Have you thought about the consequences? David said in a low and hoarse voice, slightly annoyed.


    Fortunately, Rachel did not suffer any injury today. Otherwise, he would not let the Grey family off; they


    would have to answer to him for what happened.


    Hans being Rachel¡¯s father in name made no difference to David. He would be just as responsible.


    Today¡¯s ident would not have happened had Hans not been deluded into controlling Rachel, putting


    her in harm¡¯s way. Everything happened because of Hans Grey. He should pay the price and bear the


    consequences,


    Rachel tiptoed and kissed his chin gently. ¡°The situation was urgent, and I couldn¡¯t reach you. I couldn¡¯t


    possibly drive into the city by myself. And I know my limits and won¡¯t let myself get hurt. Look, I¡¯m fine


    now. There¡¯s nothing to worry about!¡± David gradually let go of his grudge. He put down the ss and


    hugged Rachel; he squeezed her tightly as if he wanted to consume her whole. ¡°Promise me not to get


    hurt again, okay? Otherwise, my heart will break¡±


    When David learned that Rachel¡¯s car had lost control, he felt tight in his chest, like someone had


    grabbed it forcefully, his usual calm and collected self disintegrated. The only thought he had was to


    find her at all costs.


    He could not imagine what he would do if he went crazy because Rachel died in a car ident.


    ¡°I promise you.¡± Rachel tiptoed and kissed his chin again. ¡°But you have to promise me you won¡¯t keep


    quiet and ignore me in the future-


    Rachel found it difficult to adapt to David¡¯s oppressive and deafening silence.


    David replied gloomily. ¡®It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll get Billy to send you back


    Rachel was surprised by his suggestion.


    She thought David had brought her back to the room to stay for the night.


    She quickly gathered her thoughts and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rachel kissed David on the lips before she left. ¡°You should rest early too.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied.


    Rachel then left the Hilton Hotel and headed straight to Johnson¡¯s Mansion.


    She saw a caring out of thepound when she got out of her car.


    However, the car window was tinted; Rachel could not see who was inside. She walked into the


    mansion and saw the servants cleaning up in the living room.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows and asked inquisitively, ¡°Did you have guests tonight?¡±


    Due to Old Mr. Johnson¡¯s advanced age, most visitors would visit in the morning or the afternoon. Very


    few would drop by at night.


    Mr. Chadwick, the family butler, replied with a flicker in his eyes. ¡°Yes, someone I haven¡¯t seen in a long


    time.¡±

 Chapter 853

    Chapter 853


    Rachel Grey did not overthink it and asked casually. ¡°Is Grandpa asleep?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s asleep¡± Mr. Chadwick said, ¡°Mr. Johnson went fishing with a friend today. He was exhausted


    after a long day¡±


    Rachel nodded. Just as she was about to go upstairs, she saw Arthur walking out with Lucas ¡°Why are


    you back?¡± she asked. in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m back to discuss the wedding.¡± Lucas walked over and signaled at her ¡°Shall we go out for a chat?¡±


    Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Do you have anything to drink?¡±


    Lucas pursed his lips and walked towards the wine cer. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two arrived at the wine cer.


    They sat on a leather sofa under the bright crystal lights that echoed with the expensive wine cabs


    around them, the extravagant cer was decorated and well-stocked.


    Rachel dropped some ice cubes into her brandy and swirled the ss lightly. The ice cubes clinked


    against the ss wall, emitting a crisp, cracking sound. ¡°Have you taken care of Hans Grey?¡± she


    asked.


    She did not know if Hans would let it go, but Rachel understood Lucas too well. He would not let Hans


    off easily.


    Therefore, she guessed that Lucas wanted to talk about Hans Grey.


    However, he looked solemn tonight, as if something weighed on his mind.


    Lucas¡¯s dark eyes nced at Rachel intensely when he heard her question.


    Then he took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. The nicotine gave him temporary relief and


    eased him off his weary


    mind


    ¡°You¡¯ll read in the news tomorrow morning that the Grey family has dered bankruptcy due to debt


    problems,¡± Lucas announced.


    He stared at Rachel without blinking, fearing that he would miss the subtle changes on her face.


    However, Rachel looked indifferent to the information, as if Hans Grey was merely a dispensable


    passerby in her life.


    Rachel took a sip of brandy and rested the ss on the table, making a slight sound. ¡°So, the person


    leaving in the car just now was Hans Grey?¡± she asked knowingly in an icy tone.


    Lucas lowered his eyes and did not look at her. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and her lips curled into a meaningful smile. ¡°Looks like his wishful


    thinking didn¡¯t work out. Instead, he stepped straight into Grandpa¡¯s minefield¡±


    The Grey family would have been safe and sound if Hans had not treaded into Arthur Johnson¡¯s


    minefield.


    Lucas did not utter a word; he finished the brandy in his ss instead.


    After a long pause, he said, ¡°Rae-Rae, I don¡¯t know how much feeling you have left for Hans Grey over


    the years, but he is someone who will do anything to achieve his goals. He will only harm you if you let


    him roam freely.¡±


    ¡°I know, Rachel said admittedly. It was a fact she could not deny.


    She thought of the sufferings she had endured all these years.


    Since Hans chose to believe Lily Grey¡¯s and her mother¡¯s words, Rachel had utterly given up on her


    father.


    Since they did not have deep feelings for each other, how could they not bear to part with each other?


    If she did not ascertain that she was Hans¡¯s biological daughter, she would have suspected he had an


    inexplicable intense, deep-seated hatred toward her for some unknown reason.


    Otherwise, why did he not believe her back then and abandoned her in the snow?


    In her opinion, Hans only had himself to me for his current ordeal.


    He could have lived the rest of his lifefortably on the Grey family¡¯s wealth if he was not so greedy.


    However, Rachel was curious how Hans had angered her grandfather so much to lead the elderly man


    to uproot the Grey family against histe daughter¡¯s dying wish.


    Rachel practically grew up with Lucas since she came to the Johnson family,


    They were inseparable; Luras used to follow Rachel everywhere she went. As such, there was an


    unbreakable bond between


    the two.


    They would know each other¡¯s thoughts with a mere nce.


    At this moment, Lucas knew what was on Rachel¡¯s mind when he saw her in deep thought.


    He lowered his eyes so she could not see his emotions. He said calmly, ¡°Hans Grey wanted to make a


    deal with the Johnson family in which he imed you were involved. In return, he requested the


    Johnson family to protect his current wealth and


    status.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa spent time with him alone after I brought him back to the mansion. I was not privy to their


    discussion, but my instinct told me Hans must have angered the old man.¡±


    Otherwise. Arthur would not be in such a rage to go against his daughter¡¯s dying wish.


    The Johnson family had been less than lukewarm to the Grey family all these years as if it did not care


    about the shameful things Hans had done. However, the men in the Johnson family had always held a


    grudge against him.


    Arthur had held back in the past because he could not bear to go against his daughter¡¯s wish before


    she passed.


    Hans must have struck a raw nerve in Arthur to make him break his promise in a fit of anger.


    Rachel looked calm, and her tone was emotionless. ¡°Will Hans let it go if the Grey family deres


    bankruptcy?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa will make necessary arrangements for Hans after deciding on the fate of the


    Grey family,¡± Lucas said. *From now on, the Grey family will no longer have a foothold in Pollister, and


    you are the only daughter in the Johnson family.¡±


    The two talked tillte in the night, Lucas walked Rachel back to her room. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Have a


    good rest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rachel replied. ¡°You too.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Rachel then went inside her room. Lucas looked gloomy andplicated as he stared at the closed


    door.


    He lied to Rachel just now.


    Lucas was, in fact, present when Hans talked to Arthur and found out about Hans¡¯s so-called secret


    about Rachel. However, he did not expect Hans to deny that Rachel was not part of the Grey family,


    insisting that she was not his biological bloodline.


    Hans revealed that Sophia Johnson was already pregnant when she married him.


    Judging. Lucas was shocked and burned with anger when he heard that.


    He did not expect Hans to be so despicable as to nder histe wife¡¯s name after she passed so


    many years ago. Hans seemed to have noticed their suspicion. Then he immediately plucked a strand


    of his hair and asked for a paternity


    test.


    He seemed to have foreseen the oue judging from his unabashed self-confidence.


    Arthur looked at Hans indifferently. His eyes flickered with an unfathomable gloom as he announced,


    ¡°The Grey family finally deres bankruptcy because of debt disputes. Hans Grey, the family¡¯s legal


    representative who suffered at tremendous blow, will be admitted to a mental sanatorium for treatment


    and recovery.¡±


    The simple statement changed Hans¡¯ life and the Grey family¡¯s fate for good.


    After its bankruptcy, the Grey family would no longer exist in Pollister, and Hans would probably die in a


    sanatorium.

 Chapter 854

    Chapter 854


    Chapter 854


    The following day, Rachel Grey had breakfast after washing up and left for work.


    However, she did not expect an uninvited guest to be waiting for her at the office entrance.


    Rachel saw Louis Smith loitering in front of the office before she got out of her car.


    She had not seen Louis since the bidding ended.


    She thought Louis would be up to his eyeballs with the Smith family matters at hand. He would not be


    in the mood or have the time to wait for her here.


    Rachel was spot on with her assumption.


    The Smith family was now in a dire situation. Old Mr. Smith was still in aa in the hospital, and


    everyone in the family lived in fear all day. They seemed harmonious on the surface but harbored


    ulterior motives against each other. They all wanted to take advantage of the elderly man on his


    deathbed to get more inheritance for themselves.


    Louis would shuttle between work and the hospital tirelessly daily.


    The crazy schedule finally took a beating on him, he was no longer as high-spirited and handsome as


    before.


    However, Louis put himself together in a presentable manner before seeing Rachel.


    It was human nature to reminisce, feeling heartbroken and repentant when one had lost and missed


    the past; Louis was no exception


    He thought that Rachel was obsessed with marrying him back then because she eyed the Smith


    family¡¯s fortune to help transform herself into a socialite in the upper-ss circle.


    However. Louis regretted when he learned that Rachel was, in fact, the heiress of the wealthiest family


    in Seaxas, the Johnson family. He realized how silly he behaved toward her previously. But it was


    already toote.


    Being the heiress of the wealthiest family in Seaxas, Rachel never had to worry about anything in life


    since she was young. Why would she take fancy to the Smith family and its social status


    Louis recalled her every word when they broke up. ¡°Louis Smith, I didn¡¯t cover anything other than you


    when we were together, and I don¡¯t care about the Smith family¡¯s wealth and glory. I also don¡¯t care


    about bing Mrs. Smith to be the envy in your social circle.¡±


    He scoffed at her back then, thinking that Rachel was just being stubborn and naive.


    He realized now that she meant what she said and looked down on him.


    Why was Rachel so dedicated to the Smith family in the past?


    Louis was aware of his good looks but knew he was not the most outstanding one in his circle.


    Moreover, the Smith family¡¯s status was below the Johnson family, Seaxas¡¯s wealthiest.


    Why did Rachel agree to marry him back then if that was the case?


    Louis could not figure it out after much pondering. He decided the only way to find out was to have a


    heart-to-heart chat with Rachel Grey.


    He was mentally prepared that he might miss her today and did not expect much. Therefore, he was


    ted that Rachel showed up.


    Louis walked up to her, hoping to see a hint of emotion on her face. However, Chanel remained


    indifferent, as if nothing had happened between them. They were just strangers to each other.


    Louis felt a twitching pain in his heart when he realized the reality was not like what it was before.


    He took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Rac-Rae, can you give me a chance for us to talk in


    private?¡±


    The corners of Rachel¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°Why should I give you a chance, huh? When


    we broke already made it clear that we would never reconcile. Have you forgotten, Mr. Smith?¡±


    I had


    Louis was not surprised, he had anticipated the oue.


    Rachel was a woman who dared to love and hate. She would not be Rachel Grey if she forgave him so


    easily.


    Louis pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rachel. I apologize for what I did previously. I didn¡¯t


    cherish you in the past and trampled on your love for me. I¡¯m so, so sorry.¡±


    Rachel chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about, Louis. It was just a coincidence of freaky


    circumstances. Now that we know the truth, we no longer need to hold grudges against each other.¡±


    ¡°A coincidence of freaky circumstances?¡± Louis was confused.


    Clearly, he did not understand what Rachel meant.


    Rachel initially thought Louis saved her in Phareborough on that fateful night. Therefore, she stepped


    forward and rescued. the Smith family when she learned of its dire situation.


    It was her gesture to repay Louis¡¯s kindness, but Louis mistakenly took her gratitude as having feelings


    for him.


    To keep her by his side. Louister proposed marriage.


    Rachel had spent every waking moment with Louis Smith back then and developed genuine feelings


    for him. Therefore, she epted his proposal because their rtionship was harmonious. She thought


    marriage would be a good experience for both.


    However. Louis eventually abandoned her at the altar for Olivia Cruise. Rachel was heartbroken until


    she met David Jones and gradually understood what it was like to love someone and be loved in


    return.


    Rachel realized what she shared with David was unlike the vani variety offortable feelings she


    had with Louis.


    When Rachel finally found out that David Jones was the one who saved her, shemented that the


    heavens had yed a joke on her.


    Therefore, saying it was a coincidence of freaky circumstances was not an exaggeration.


    However, Rachel had no intention of telling Louis the whole story.


    It was not because she did not wish to hurt him or for any other reason. She felt she did not need to


    waste her time on a stranger.


    Rachel looked at Louis coldly. ¡°Let bygones be bygones, shall we? There¡¯s no point reminiscing about


    the past¡±


    Then she walked away without looking at him.


    Rachel¡¯s intention was straightforward. She did not want to forgive Louis or hold a grudge against him.


    What happened. between them was in the past. They would have nothing to do with each other going


    forward.


    However, her indifference made Louis feel like a blunt knife had stabbed him repeatedly and left him for


    dead. The pain was excruciating and almost suffocated him.


    Louis would rather Rachel hate him to the core and even fight him to the death. In this way, they would


    continue to be entangled in the future, and he would still have her in his life.


    Rachel¡¯s cold and indifferent stare hurt Louis. ¡°No, we can¡¯t just end it like this,¡± he moaned.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Then he reached out to grab her subconsciously.


    Rachel seemed to have anticipated his move. She turned away to dodge his advance.


    Looking at Lous coldly, she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I make myself clear enough just now?¡±


    ¡°No, Rae-Rac, we can¡¯t just end it this way. I know I¡¯ve let you down in the past. You can punish me all


    you want, even take revenge on me. I will ept dly to repent.¡±


    However, he could not ept Rachel¡¯s decision to let go of the matter.


    Rachel smiled mockingly at his plea. ¡°What is this? An atonement? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous,


    Louis? When l¡¯asked you to stay, you left me at the altar without looking back. Now that I have decided


    not to pursue the past, you suddenly want to be punished for your deeds.¡±


    ¡°You said you loved Olivia Cruise so much that you couldn¡¯t forget about her throughout our three-year


    rtionship. What happened now? Did you finally forget about her? Louis, did you love her that much


    after all?¡±


    Louis¡¯s eyelids fickled; He was speechless for a while.


    Rachel sneered and said tantly. ¡°In reality, you don¡¯t love anyone, You only love yourself. Now that


    you¡¯ve finallye to your senses, you only want to satisfy your ego, whether guilt or redress.¡±


    Louis scoffed at her in the past, but now he was heartbroken, realizing he had missed the opportunity


    to benefit from the Johnson family from the marriage.

 Chapter 855

    Chapter 855


    Chapter 855


    Louis Smith panicked when Rachel Grey read his mind; he immediately denied it.


    ¡°No, That¡¯s not true. I-¡± he tried to defend himself.


    ¡°My time is precious. I don¡¯t want to waste time talking nonsense with you, Rachel said without looking


    at him. ¡°Let me give you a piece of advice, Louis. Instead of wasting your time and energy on me, why


    don¡¯t you think about how the Smith family should proceed from now on?¡±


    Then she walked past Louis and headed to the office.


    Louis watched her leave and clenched his fists. ¡°Are you so anxious to cut ties with me because of


    David Jones?¡± he growled, feeling hurt.


    Rachel stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him.


    Then she casually tucked the stray hair behind her ear.


    Rachel was enveloped in the warm sunshine, and the diamond ring on her finger reflected a dazzling


    glow under the light that pierced into Louis¡¯s eyes, making him squint ufortably.


    Rachel¡¯s gesture spoke volumes even though she did not speak a word.


    Louis understood what her ring represented, having been in a failed marriage himself.


    Louis was confident he could change Rachel¡¯s mind if it were someone other than David Jones.


    Unfortunately, he was no match for David on all fronts.


    David, the Jones family¡¯s patriarch in Aureliana, also had absolute authority in Seaxas¡¯s underground


    forces.


    That was no way the Smith family could measure up to him in terms of fortune and power.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Rachel gazed at Louis coldly. ¡°Let bygones be bygones, Louis. We will go our separate ways and mind


    our own business as we move on. If you don¡¯t listen to me, then¡­


    She paused for a moment, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. ¡°you will end up like the


    Grey family in Pollister.


    Rachel said nonchntly; she sounded so calm that no one could detect her genuine emotions.


    However, every word that she spoke was icy and bone-chilling. Louis felt trapped in a snow cave,


    forced to bear the frigid temperature.


    His face turned pale involuntarily; his pupils constricted as he looked at Rachel in disbelief.


    The Grey family in Pollister dered bankruptcy in the financial news this morning, caused by its


    inability to repay its debts. The banks involved enforced the regtions by freezing the Grey family¡¯s


    ounts and seizing all its assets. However, Louis knew fully well that the Grey family¡¯s bankruptcy


    came without warning; it was a deliberate conspiracy to destroy the family.


    Hans Grey had lobbied tirelessly at the bidding meeting, trying to rope in investments. Although the


    Grey family was not as prominent as before, it was in better shape than other families in Pollister. It


    could not have gone bankrupt so quickly. When the Grey family was in its heyday, Hans had offended


    many people and made countless enemies in the business world.


    Now that the Grey family was out of the limelight, Hans initially thought that one of his enemics had


    sabotaged him to avenge the family. Therefore, he ended up on the short end of the stick and had to


    pay the price.


    Never in his wildest dream that the instigator was Rachel Grey!


    ¡°But, but that¡¯s your father. How could you?¡± Louis was puzzled.


    What good would it do her to destroy the Grey family?


    Why did she do it? He wondered.


    The truth would surface eventually, no matter what. Was Rachel not concerned that everyone would


    despise her for being heartless when that day came along?


    Rachel replied indifferently, smiling. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s my father, but I disregarded my feelings and made him


    pay the price. What makes you think what I said to you was just a harmless warning, Louis?¡±


    Louis felt as if he had fallen into an ice hole; he trembled uncontrobly and felt hopeless.


    He finally realized Rachel detested him and had abandoned him for good.


    If he continued to hound after her, she would undoubtedly stop him. She was someone who did not


    mince her words.


    Louis understood there was no going back between them. Rachel would never forgive him in his


    lifetime.


    He watched as she walked away. Louis reached out his hand slowly as if he wanted to grab hold of


    something. But in the end, he was empty-handed.


    He smirked self-deprecatingly, feeling sorry for himself.


    He had never understood the meaning of the phrase ¡°serves you right¡± in the past. He finally got it.


    Rachel bumped into Linda Galler when she stepped into the office.


    Thetter must have witnessed Louis Smith pestering Rachel at the door. She looked annoyed as if


    something bothered


    her.


    Rachel nced at Linda when they entered the elevator. She teased smilingly, ¡°What¡¯s the pouty face


    all about? Did you wake up on the Wrong side of the bed?¡±


    Linda instinctively touched her mouth and thought, ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Did Louis Smith provoke you? Are there conflicts between you two?¡± Rachel asked knowingly.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not used to his presence,¡± Linda said with a disdain that tranted into a contemptuous


    look as if she could not bear to utter his name. Even so, she could not help mocking him mercilessly.


    ¡°He came to the office early morning to see you; one look at him, and I knew he was up to no good.


    That bastard left you without a word at the altar on your wedding day. Now that he found out about your


    status, he came running like an irritating tramp to repent his wrongdoings. I guess he must have


    learned it from his beloved Olivia Cruise.¡±


    When Mary Green told her about how Louis had abandoned Rachel on their wedding day and how the


    Smith family had sucked Rachel dry along the way, Linda harbored hatred toward the Smith family and


    despised them to the core.


    Linda was no greenhorn wither. She hade across countless hooligans since she was young.


    However, the Smith family took the cake when it came to shamelessness. They opened her eyes.


    The Smith family put on airs of a prestigious background, but what they did was despicably out of this


    world.


    The shameless family took full advantage of Rachel and despised her simultaneously.


    ¡°Birds of a feather flock together; the whole family did not disappoint when ites to shameless


    deeds!¡±


    Rachelughed uncontrobly when she heard the disdain in Linda¡¯s remarks about Louis Smith and


    his family. ¡°My best friend surely knows how to vent her anger on me!¡±


    Linda lifted her chin proudly. ¡°Of course. This is the least I can do as your best friend,¡± she said matter-


    of-factly.


    The two walked into the president¡¯s office after they got out of the elevator, one after another.


    It was almost eleven o¡¯clock in the morning when Rachel finished her tasks.


    She packed her things and nned to have lunch with David Jones.


    She called him on the way and found out that he was not in the office today.


    Hence, Rachel drove in the direction of Sandalwood Hills.


    She arrived at her destination half an hourter.


    Mrs. Brown met Rachel when she got out of the car and led her to the back garden.


    David Jones, Jimmy Shain, and Landon Walker were seated on rattan chairs afar shrouded in curling


    smoke; they seemed to be barbecuing on a grill.


    Jimmy sat before the grill and tendered to the ingredients in an organized manner.


    When he saw Rachel, he grabbed the barbecued meat in his hand and waved it in the air while


    greeting her enthusiastically.


    By doing so, Jimmy sprinkled grease all over Landon, who sat beside him; thetter was not amused.


    Landon quickly got up and tried to shake it off. With a cigarette hanging off the corner of his mouth, he


    gritted his teeth and cursed, ¡°Fuck you, Jimmy! I just bought this shirt. This is the first time I¡¯m wearing


    it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a shirt, bro. I¡¯ll buy you another one, Jimmyughed and said. ¡°Let me off the hook, okay? I¡¯m


    old and weak and cannot take your torture,¡± he joked.


    Landon sneered. Then he snuffed out the cigarette in his mouth and stood up to leave.

 Chapter 856

    Chapter 856


    Chapter 856


    Landon looked at Rachel intently when he walked past her.


    Although he did not utter a word, his meaningful gaze seemed to have said it all.


    Smart people like him did not need to spell out every word. A simple gaze was worth a thousand


    words.


    Rachel took out her cell phone and sent a message to David to


    she turned around and lett


    that she had left her belongings in the car. Then


    When she arrived at the guest room, she did not enter Instead, she crossed her arms and leaned


    against the door. With her back facing Landon, Rachel asked casually. ¡°What do you want to say to ine,


    Mr. Walker?¡±


    ¡°I want to talk to you about David, Landon replied.


    Rachel raised her brows slightly. ¡°Tm all ears.¡±


    Landon looked up slowly Rachel noticed the dark andplex look behind his sses. He said in a


    severe tone, ¡°Miss Grey, I hope you will think about it carefully before deciding after you hear what I¡¯m


    going to say¡±


    Rachel frowned imperceptibly in anticipation of what he had to say.


    She did not know Landon well. At most, she had met him a few times when she was with David. They


    had no interaction in private whatsoever. However, she knew that Landon and Jimmy were buddies


    who had risked their lives with David. Therefore, she was sincere with both men.


    Rachel was used to Jimmy and Landon bickering andughing in social settings. As such, his


    unexpected tone now weighed her down inexplicably.


    As she pondered, Landon said, ¡°Do you know why David chose to announce your rtionship?¡±


    He paused for a moment before continuing. Because he knows you don¡¯t want to hide behind him and


    be protected. Hence he gave you the status to stand alongside him. He wants to tell everyone that you


    belong to him. His action may seem meaningless to you, but to us, it¡¯s equivalent to revealing his


    weakness publicly.


    ¡°Many people have wanted his life behind his back all these years. However, they think twice because


    of his status and influence in the underworld. Now that he has announced your rtionship, they will


    target you instead. I do not doubt that you¡¯re a capable woman, but please stay out of harm¡¯s way so


    that he won¡¯t go crazy again.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Crazy?¡± she said hesitantly.


    Crazy was an adjective most people used to ridicule a person¡¯s state of mind. However, judging from


    Landon¡¯s severe tone, it sounded deeper than that.


    Landon stared at her intently for a moment before looking away and lowering his eyes. ¡°David is a


    living being just like you and me. He will also have emotional breakdowns when the pressure is too


    overwhelming. He lost his mind once many years ago but stabilized after a treatment period. I thought


    he wouldn¡¯t lose control of his emotions again until I saw him rush to the abandoned building site with


    his menst night.¡±


    Landon and Jimmy knew very well how much Rachel meant to David after all this time.


    However, they only saw the tip of the iceberg, a small part of arger and moreplex issue.


    Last night, when Landon saw David go to the unfinished building site in a rage, he realized something


    was wrong.


    David¡¯s intense look and bloodshot eyes proved Landon¡¯s suspicion to be correct. Landon¡¯s heart sank


    when he realized he was spot on about his buddy¡¯s state of mind.


    Fortunately, Rachel was not hurt. Otherwise, David would have killed the person involved in the car


    ident.


    Rachel recalled what happenedst night.


    Now that she thought about it, David was indeed overbearingly nervous, but she did not overthink it


    then.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She took a deep breath and looked at Landon. ¡°Why are you telling me this? Are you worried that I


    won¡¯t be able to withstand the pressure and leave him? Or are you worried that I¡¯ll abandon him


    because of that?¡±


    Landon had been carefully observing Rachel¡¯s expression after he told her about David; he tried to find


    clues from the subtle changes on her face to guess her mind.


    However, Rachel seemed calm, as if she had anticipated it. Landon could not read her thoughts


    through her expressions. Landon was clueless about what Rachel was thinking. He pondered for a long


    time and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because I hope you can be mentally prepared. As for leaving


    him¡­¡±


    He paused for a moment and shed a meaningful smile. ¡°Perhaps you don¡¯t know him well enough


    after all. He won¡¯t let you leave easily after he has chosen you to be the one.¡±


    David was known to be possessive by lus buddies.


    He would surely not let go easily of someone he fancied, let alone someone he cared deeply about like


    Rachel.


    David would have to make the first move if Rachel wanted to leave. Otherwise, she could forget about


    escaping from him for


    1


    the rest of her life.


    *Please don¡¯t me me for being nosy, Miss Grey.¡± Landon pushed his sses up and said, ¡°You¡¯re


    the only woman who has stayed by his side so far, and I¡¯ve never seen him take someone so seriously.


    If he lost control of his emotions one day and did something to hurt you, I hope you can understand and


    forgive him. That was because he cares about you too much!¡±


    David could not bear to see Rachel hurt because he cared about her.


    Rachel was like a rare treasure he was unwilling to let go of or hide. On the other hand, if he put it out


    for disy, he would be disgusted by others¡¯ coveted gazes. As such, he repeatedly fell into his own


    web of conflicts.


    Rachel twitched her lips. ¡°No matter what, I thank you for sharing with me today.¡±


    Otherwise, she might never find out about David¡¯s dark side.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me,¡± Landon said. ¡°As his woman, you have a right to know.¡±


    Now that he had done his part and left the decision in Rachel¡¯s hands, he would not interfere anymore.


    When Rachel returned to the back garden, David extended his hand to her. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡± She took a deep breath and looked at the barbecue in Jimmy¡¯s hand; she craved some. ¡°Can


    we eat now?¡± she asked. eagerly.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Jimmy replied as he handed the skewers to Rachel. ¡°Try some while they¡¯re hot. I¡¯m


    not boasting when I say I¡¯m a professional when ites to skewers,¡± he said proudly.


    Landon sneered. ¡°Tsk, tsk. You¡¯ve been standing by the oven for too long, bro. It has gone to your


    head!¡±


    Jiminy put on a false smile and said, ¡°You¡¯ve turned sarcasm into an art form, man!TM


    As the two bickered away, the outdoor barbecue was elevated to a high point. Everyone enjoyed


    themselves eating and chatting.


    The mealsted for a long time. Jimmy, the self-appointed barbecue chef, was exhausted but could not


    keep up with the demand for more. As he wiped the sweat off his forehead, heined, ¡°This is


    fucking inhumane!¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re doing quite well,¡± Landon scoffed, trying to lift his spirit.


    It sounded like apliment, but Jimmy felt otherwise. It was condescendinging from Landon.

 Chapter 857

    Chapter 857


    Chapter 857


    After a moment¡¯s reflection, Jimmy couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°If you have the guts, let¡¯s fight!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll cry and run to your mommy,¡± Landon replied with a serious tone.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Jimmy dragged his words, threw down what he was holding, rolled up his sleeves, sharpened


    his knives, and strode towards Landon. ¡°I¡¯ve got a short fuse, and today I¡¯ll make sure to knock you to


    the ground. You¡¯ll be searching for your teeth on the floor.¡±


    At that moment, a mocking voice came from behind, ¡°Oh, I smell the scent of beef from afar. Looks like


    we¡¯re in for a treat today.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone turned around.


    They saw Christopher with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a cigar between his fingers.


    He moved leisurely andzily, exuding an undeniable aura of intimidation.


    He wore a striped shirt, his hair meticulously styled with pomade, giving off a touch of refined and


    rebellious elegance. The corners of his eyes curved with a hint of a smile, and beneath his carefree


    demeanor hid a hidden fierceness.


    When Rachel caught sight of Christopher, her gaze flickered ever so slightly.


    Jimmy raised an eyebrow slightly, a smirk ying at the corner of his lips. ¡°You¡¯re finally willing to leave


    your pathetic territory.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you put it,¡± Christopher walked over, then pulled a wicker chair and greeted Rachel


    before plopping down on it. ¡°That ce was built through years of my battles. How can you call it a


    pathetic territory?¡±


    ¡°Judging by your words, it seems you have developed strong feelings for that ce. Are you reluctant


    to leave?¡±


    ¡°You are not me. How could you know what brings me joy?¡±


    The group of men continued their conversation intermittently while Rachel quietly enjoyed her skewers.


    Suddenly, her phone rang, and it was a call from Mary.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this call,¡± Rachel said to David before picking up her phone and getting up.


    She walked to a shaded area in the garden and slid her finger across the screen to answer the call


    As soon as the call was answered, Mary¡¯s voice came through, ¡°Rae-Rae, I¡¯ve already made all the


    arrangements over there. When are we leaving?¡±


    Rachel extended her slender fingers and casually yed with the tender shoots of the green nts.


    After a moment of contemtion, she replied calmly, ¡°Within a week.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll book the flight tickets now.¡±


    After hanging up the call, Rachel looked at David, who was engaged in casual conversation with the


    others in the distance.


    David seemed to sense something, and his gazes turned towards Rachel. Then, David decisively got


    up and walked towards


    her without hesitation.


    The remaining three men noticed the situation and wore intriguing smiles on their faces in unison.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the 101 Institute project get abandoned? Why is it being restarted now?¡± Christopher suddenly


    spoke up.


    Landon yed with a lighter in his hand, and his fingertip brushed against the gears. He watched as a


    blue me flickered and burned, casually remarking, ¡°His thoughts have always been the most difficult


    to guess.¡±


    ¡°Landon, you¡¯re being too modest with your words,¡± Christopher said, crossing his legs and slouching


    in the wicker chair. His eyes flickered with a mysterious expression, and he spoke with profound


    meaning, ¡°Your thoughts have always been the most delicate. Even if you can¡¯t guess it right, you can


    still grasp some clues.¡±


    Landon smiled, lips curling slightly. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I have disappointed your expectations.¡±


    As the three of them chatted, David had already reached Rachel¡¯s side.


    He reached out and hooked his arm around Rachel¡¯s slender waist, pulling her: his embrace. Bending


    down, he gently ced a soft kiss on her lips.


    In fact, from the moment they met, he had wanted to kiss her. But with others present and Rachel¡¯s shy


    personality, he had forcibly restrained himself.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t


    youe over?¡± he murmured, his gaze fixed on Rachel.


    Rachel looked at him, her clear apricot eyes filled with an unintentional tenderness. ¡°It¡¯s time to go back


    to thepany.¡±


    David furrowed his brow imperceptibly. ¡°Will youe back and spend the evening with me?¡±


    In that brief sentence, David sounded like a secluded young woman who longed forpany, eagerly


    anticipating being with her beloved day after day.


    With this in mind, Rachel¡¯s eyes curved as she smiled.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Seeing the smile at the corner of her eyes, David¡¯s slightly furrowed brow rxed a bit. His gaze


    couldn¡¯t help but be indulgent and doting, and his low, cold voice softened, tinged with a hint of


    coaxing, ¡°What are you thinking? You¡¯re smiling so happily.¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Rachel replied, tiptoeing to nt a kiss on his jawline. ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    With that, she turned around and left.


    As he watched Rachel¡¯s figure receding and nced at the sky, a trace of unwitting mncholy


    appeared on David¡¯s face.


    Indeed, it had been a long day.


    At night, Rachel walked out of the bathroom with her long wet hair. She casually wiped her hair and


    applied skincare in front of the makeup mirror.


    Her phone kept vibrating with voice messages. They were from Mary.


    She opened a voice message and heard Mary¡¯s voice, ¡°Rae-Rae, I have a question I¡¯d like to ask you.


    Should I bring it up or


    not?¡±


    She yed the first voice message, and the rest were automatically yed.


    As Rachel was busy with her skincare routine, it was inconvenient for her to hold the phone to her ear.


    Instead, she opted to y the voice message on the speaker.


    So, Mary¡¯s voice message continued to y on the speaker.


    However, just as Mary mentioned the ¡®question¡¯ she wanted to ask, David entered the room holding a


    ss of milk.


    In the quiet and spacious bedroom, the sound of a woman¡¯s voice could be faintly heard.


    ¡°I just wanted to ask, when you¡¯re with David, is it you who takes the initiative or him? Do you use any


    protection? Does David wear a condom?¡±


    As footsteps approached from behind, Rachel frantically tried to pause the message. However, her


    fingers were slightly unresponsive due to the moisturizer on her hands, and she ended up tapping the


    screen multiple times.


    As a result, instead of stopping, the voice message started ying again due to her repeated tapping.


    Thus, Mary¡¯s voice, apanied by faint static, echoed once more in the quiet bedroom.


    Rachel¡¯s spine stiffened. She wished she could immediately find a hole to hide from this awkward


    situation.


    David walked over and ced the ss of milk by her side. He then ced a hand on her slender


    shoulder.


    The warm palm pressed against Rachel¡¯s slightly cool skin, causing her whole body to tremble faintly.


    David leaned down slowly, looking at her through the mirror, a barely perceptible smile ying at the


    corner of his lips. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been privately discussing these things, huh?¡±


    Rachel lowered her gaze, afraid to meet his eyes. She silently continued with her skincare routine as if


    she hadn¡¯t heard his words.


    But David clearly had no intention of letting her get away with trying to evade the question. His hand


    moved from her hair and rested on her jaw, his lips grazing her temple. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking?


    Hm?¡±


    His voice trailed off slightly, like a fine hook, teasing and tickling at the edge of her heart.


    Rachel¡¯s long eyshes trembled slightly, like a frightened butterfly ready to spread its wings and fly at


    any time.


    How should she answer this question?


    ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. I¡¯m going to sleep first.¡± With that, Rachel quickly got up


    and left.


    Observing her retreating figure, David couldn¡¯t help but have a brighter smile on his lips. He picked up


    the ss of milk from the vanity table and followed her with measured steps, not hurried nor slow.

 Chapter 858

    Chapter 858


    Chapter 858


    With a leisurely and rxed pace, David was like a male lion fixated on delicious prey.


    Every movement he made exuded an air of confidence and assured victory.


    As Rachel had justid down on the bed, David reached out and pulled her up. ¡°Your hair isn¡¯t dry yet.


    Aren¡¯t you afraid of catching a cold?¡±


    He ced the ss of milk in Rachel¡¯s hand and fetched a hairdryer, plugging it in before calmly blow-


    drying her hair.


    David¡¯s well-defined fingers slid through her silky hair, gently grazing her scalp. Every movement he


    made seemed unintentional, yet it revealed tenderness and thoughtfulness..


    Rachel gazed at David¡¯s figure through the bright and clean window, unable to help but feel a sense of


    admiration. Indeed, handsome men always appeared pleasing in whatever they did.


    Even in the simplest and most ordinary act of blow-drying hair, he elevated it to something


    extraordinary with his exquisite


    and stunning face.


    He was a favored man. It was like heaven had bestowed all perfection upon him alone.


    Yet, no matter how perfect David was, he had fallen for her.


    Thinking about it, Rachel couldn¡¯t help but feel proud.


    She lowered her head slightly and covered her lips with a faint smile.


    David turned off the hairdryer and rubbed the top of her head with his broad palm. Then, he asked in a


    low voice, ¡°Are you free this weekend?¡±


    This weekend¡­


    Rachel¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, and she did have ns.


    But upon hearing David¡¯s words, her interest was piqued. ¡°You have ns?¡±


    ¡°I want to take you somewhere,¡± David replied, putting away the hairdryer.


    Hearing his response, Rachel became even more curious.


    When Rachel saw the appearance of Christopher today, a faint suspicion arose in her heart. Now,


    David¡¯s words seemed to be confirming her previous conjecture one by one.


    ¡°Let me guess, could it be that you¡¯re going to show me the true face of the underground king?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes held a glint of cunning.


    When she first came into contact with David, Lucaspiled a list of rumors about David and sent it to


    her in an attempt to persuade her to give up on David.


    Among them was the rumor that David controlled an underground power and had absolute authority.


    This matter had alreadye to her attention during the bidding event, where multiple forces appeared


    at the same time. They all showed the utmost respect and deference to David. She had already


    deduced a thing or two from that.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Now, David decided to take Rachel to experience it, causing her heart to be filled with excitement and


    anticipation to some


    extent.


    As he looked at the shimmering smile in Rachel¡¯s eyes, David¡¯s gaze darkened, his Adam¡¯s apple


    bobbed, and he leaned down, pressing her beneath him.


    As the lights dimmed, his lips brushed against her temple. He whispered in a deep voice tinged with


    passionate huskiness, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try guessing what I¡¯m going to do to you next?¡±


    Rachel shivered all over and instinctively looked at him.


    In the dim light, a cluster of mes seemed to ignite in the depths of the man¡¯s pitch-ck eyes, igniting


    the fervor and addiction within them.


    In a daze, Rachel felt a coolness around her waist, and her dress was swiftly pushed up to her chest.


    Amidst thete-night hours, the air became filled with the soft sounds of breathy moans,posing a


    nocturnal symphony of sensual desires.


    The next day, 12 noon.


    During the lunch break, Rachel invited Mary to go out for lunch.


    The two sat at a table in a restaurant. Rachel wiped her hands with an alcohol wipe, wearing a half-


    smile that sent a shiver down Mary¡¯s spine.


    Fortunately, Rachel was only cleaning her hands with the wipe. Otherwise, someone might have


    mistaken her for sharpening a knife.


    Mary quietly picked up her chopsticks, feeling a sense of unease for no apparent reason. ¡°Why are you


    looking at me like that?¡±


    With a casual flick, Rachel tossed the wet wipe onto the table and crossed her arms. She looked like


    she was interrogating Mary. ¡°Next time, if youe across any inappropriate or unnecessary


    questions, just keep them to yourself, okay?¡±


    There was a hint of deep resentment in her words.


    Mary¡¯s eyebrows arched slightly, and her lips involuntarily curled upward. Excitement flickered in her


    eyes, fueled by curiosity. She extended the forks she held toward Rachel. ¡°Sis, please share your


    story.¡±


    Rachel nced at her coldly.


    Mary immediately withdrew her hand, feeling guilty. She hung her head low and muttered under her


    breath, ¡°I just care about you. It¡¯s all for your sake. What if something unexpected were to happen¡­¡±


    Noticing Rachel¡¯s silence, Mary reached for her cup and took a sip.


    Mary became bolder and approached Rachel, her eyes fixed on her face, tinged with a hint of probing


    in her tone. ¡°Did David overhear our conversation?¡±


    Rachel remained silent, simply giving her a meaningful nce.


    Though no words were spoken, that gaze seemed to convey everything she wanted to say at the same


    time.


    Mary couldn¡¯t help but take a sharp breath, and when she spoke again, her voice noticeably trembled.


    ¡°He actually heard us?¡±


    Rachel nodded.


    In that instant, Mary had even nned out where she would be buried in the future.


    ¡°Does David have any ns on how to deal with the Green family?¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re afraid?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Mary initially wanted to refute, but she realized she had indeed done something stupid andcked


    confidence. ¡°I was just worried that things might escte if your rtionship gets too intense and you


    will end up pregnant.¡±


    The main reason was that she had heard some gossip about David recently. It was said that he had


    extraordinary advantages in all aspects that exceeded ordinary people, especially in that particr area


    That was why she couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Of course, she would never dare to tell Rachel this.


    When the food was served, the two of them chatted while eating


    ¡°When is the flight?¡± Rachel asked casually.


    Mary was busy slurping her spaghetti and mumbled, ¡°Next weekend.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rachel nodded. It wouldn¡¯t sh with her scheduled date with David.


    After finishing their meal, the two went their separate ways on the roadside.


    Just as Rachel was about to get into her car, a speeding motorcycle suddenly emerged from the


    sidewalk.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Mary¡¯s quick eyes and reflexes allowed her to grab Rachel¡¯s arm and pull her forcefully


    towards herself.


    Both of them lost their bnce and fell to the ground in a disheveled manner.


    Meanwhile, taking advantage of the chaos, they swiftly grabbed Rachel¡¯s bag and fled.¡±


    Rachel squinted her eyes, staring intently at the direction in which the motorcycle disappeared.


    ¡°What the hell? I can¡¯t believe there are still such outrageous bikers!¡± Mary slowly got up from the


    ground. Her arm had scraped against the concrete, leaving a few abrasions, but she didn¡¯t feel any


    pain. She looked at Rachel with a tense expression. ¡°Are you okay? Did you get hurt?¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Rachel came back to her senses. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Her gaze shifted downward, noticing the abrasions on Mary¡¯s arm. She supported her and helped her


    stand up. ¡°You¡¯re injured. Let me take you to the hospital first.¡±


    ¡°What about your bag?¡± Mary grabbed Rachel¡¯s wrist in return. ¡°My minor scrapes won¡¯t kill me. The


    priority now is to retrieve your bag.¡±

 Chapter 859

    Chapter 859


    Chapter 859


    The belongings and such weren¡¯t the most crucial, but rather the personal items in the bag, such as the


    driver¡¯s license and bank cards.


    After pondering for a moment, Mary thought it would be safest to call the police.


    When the police arrived, they conducted a brief recording of the statements from Mary and Rachel.


    Another team was dispatched to search the surrounding area. Eventually, Rachel¡¯s bag was discovered


    near a trash bin.


    Don handed the items to Rachel, speaking with a hint of deference. ¡°Miss Grey, please check and see


    what valuable items were missing from inside.¡±


    Normally, such a minor incident wouldn¡¯t require the captain himself to personally intervene. However,


    there was no room for carelessness when it involved Rachel.


    Ever since learning about Rachel¡¯s identity, not only Don but everyone at the police station would


    unintentionally disy a certain level of deference when they saw her.


    After all, she was someone whom even Warren would show respect to.


    Rachel checked her bag thoroughly. Aside from the missing cash from her wallet, everything else was


    intact. ¡°I only lost some cash. Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Cole.¡±


    Upon receiving gratitude from Rachel, Don appeared pleasantly surprised, disying a demeanor of


    being honored. ¡°It¡¯s my duty, Miss Grey. You¡¯re too kind.¡±


    Next to them, Mary looked at the phone in Rachel¡¯s bag with curiosity. ¡°Strange. The motorcycle gangs


    only steal cash and not phones?¡±


    ording to their usual practice, they would take away anything valuable that could be sold. So why


    did they leave the phone behind?


    It couldn¡¯t be that they left it for Rachel and Mary to call the police, right?


    Rachel lightly tapped her fingers on the phone lost in thought.


    At that moment, Don spoke up, saying, ¡°Nowadays, everyone¡¯s phones have a tracking system.


    Perhaps they were concerned that taking the phones would lead us to track them.¡±


    Upon hearing this, a knowing look shed in Mary¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Mr. Cole, we have a lead!¡± one of the apanying personnel hurriedly approached and whispered a


    few words to Don.


    Subsequently, Don walked up to Rachel and said, ¡°Miss Grey, if there are any updates, we will inform


    you as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rachel nodded.


    After the group left, Rachel took Mary to a nearby hospital to treat her injuries.


    Seeing Mary¡¯s exaggerated reaction, Rachel couldn¡¯t help but jokingly remark, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal


    about these minor injuries? Haven¡¯t you heard about the time when I fell from a two-story balcony as a


    child? I had a gash on my chin, and it was bleeding a lot. The adults weren¡¯t home, so I limped my way


    to the clinic by myself. When I entered, everyone was startled.¡±


    As Mary mentioned this, a hint of mncholy appeared on her face.


    Rachel did not know who Mary thought of. All she knew was Mary and her belonged to the same kind


    of people.


    Mary grew up living with her mother and grandmother in the countryside because her grandmother had


    a strong


    preference for boys over girls in the Green family. It was only during her high school years that she was


    finally brought back to the Green family.


    A male nurse attended to Mary¡¯s wound.


    As he faced Mary, his ears turned slightly red. ¡°It might hurt a little. Please bear with it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of pain,¡± said Mary.


    Rachel stood by quietly and waited. Then, her phone suddenly rang.


    It was David.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± His voice was cold and tense.


    Rachel knew that news of the street robbery must have reached him.


    She said gently, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She nced at Mary and then walked out of the dressing room. She sat on a bench in the corridor and


    briefly recounted the


    Incident, ending with a casual question, ¡°Any updates on those two individuals?¡±


    Since David was aware of the incident, he would undoubtedly initiate an investigation.


    Moreover, there was indeed something suspicious about those two robbers.


    The restaurant was located on a bustling street with a constant flow of people, yet they singled her out


    directly as if she had been targeted from the beginning.


    The behavior of the individuals was indeed unusual.


    Their timing was off, and their choice of target was also inappropriate.


    On the other end of the phone, David calmly responded, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to investigate. I


    believe we¡¯ll have results soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up, Rachel got up and returned to the dressing room.


    After Mary¡¯s wound was taken care of, the two went their separate ways at the hospital¡¯s entrance.


    Once they parted ways, Rachel drove to thepany, while Mary continued driving on the road.


    On the way, Mary¡¯s assistant called her. ¡°Miss Green, should we reschedule today¡¯s itinerary for


    tomorrow?¡±


    Since her assistant started working closely with Mary, every year on this particr day, Mary would


    clear her schedule and not allow anyone to disturb her. It was a day when she would disappear from


    sight, just like evaporating from the world for a day.


    No one knew what she had been doing all day.


    Mary feplied indifferently and hung up.-


    She stopped the car, opened the door, and walked into a flower shop.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the weekend.


    When Rachel woke up slowly, she looked at the ceiling above her head and gradually gathered her


    scattered consciousness.


    She sat up slowly, looking at the clothes scattered on the floor, and involuntary images fromst night¡¯s


    blush-inducing and, heart-thumping moments came to her mind.


    Last night, David seemed tireless and unrestrained, as if he wanted to spend all the stored-up desires


    from over twenty years.


    If things continued like this, she really had to consider living in separate rooms from David.


    Survival was more important than rtionships.


    After freshening up, Rachel walked downstairs and made her way to the dining room.


    The two of them sat at the table, and Rachel chewed her food slowly, asionally ncing at David.


    It was quite strange. He was the one who exerted himself, yet he always seemed to have more energy


    and vitality than she did.


    Was men¡¯s physical stamina really that extraordinary?


    Perhaps it was her intense and direct gaze that caused David to lift his eyes. At that moment, his


    indifferent gaze softened unconsciously as it fell upon her. ¡°Do you enjoy staring at me so much?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, and she lowered her eyes, replying calmly, ¡°Who said I


    enjoy staring at you?¡±


    At this moment, footsteps came from the door.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Even before seeing the person, her voice was recognizable. ¡°Where¡¯s Rae-Rae? Why hasn¡¯t shee


    to see me during this time?¡±


    Upon hearing Old Mrs. Jones¡¯ voice, Rachel and David exchanged a nce and simultaneously stood


    up, making their way toward the living room.


    Old Mrs. Jones dressed in an elegant navy blue suit, with a string of emerald ne adorning her


    neck. Her every movement exuded an air of grace and refinement that came with the passage of time.


    Having not seen Rachel for these past few days, Old Mrs. Jones had been slightly upset.


    However, as soon as sheid eyes on her, not only did her anger dissipate, but her heart was filled with


    joy.


    To think that such a well-behaved child was her daughter-inw was enough to make her wake up from


    her dreams with a smile.


    Except..

 Chapter 860

    Chapter 860


    Chapter 860


    Old Mrs. Jones noticed a natural charm in Rachel¡¯s expressions, with a hint of intriguing yfulness in


    the corner of her lips.


    It seemed that her grandson wasn¡¯tpletely clueless and had some usefulness after all.


    If things continued like this, she believed it wouldn¡¯t be long before she could hold her great-grandchild


    in her arms.


    With these thoughts in mind, her gaze toward David softened a bit.


    Rachel obediently called out, ¡°Mrs. Jones.¡±


    ¡°Rae-Rae.¡± Old Mrs. Jones stepped forward, took her hand, and gently patted it. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you


    been visiting Trinisia gardentely? Are you too busy with work?¡±


    As she spoke, she led Rachel by the hand towards the couch.


    Old Mrs. Jones was born into a prestigious family. She exuded innate grace and elegance in her every


    move. Despite her old age, she had taken excellent care of herself, maintaining a youthful appearance


    with silver hair.


    Sitting on the couch, she radiated amanding presence that needed -no anger to assert itself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that you¡¯ve been losing weight recently. Have you not been resting well?¡± Old Mrs. Jones


    reached out and gently touched Rachel¡¯s face. Her gaze slowly moved downward and settled on


    Rachel¡¯s belly, carefully observing for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re so thin. You should eat more regrly.¡±


    Rachel smiled and replied, ¡°I will.¡±


    Old Mrs, Jones hinted with a certain meaning, ¡°This belly should also gain some weight.¡±


    Upon hearing those words, Rachel fell silent, feeling somewhat awkward. She lowered her gaze, and a


    hint of unnatural redness appeared on her cheeks.


    At that moment, David sat beside Rachel and naturally wrapped his arm around her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re


    truly confused, Grandma. Engagements, marriages, and having children have a specific order. How


    could you forget the words you said yourself?¡±


    Old Mrs. Jones went speechless.


    She red at David with a touch of annoyance in her eyes, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction.


    How dare he pretended to be a gentleman?


    He was obviously contracting himself!


    Although he said the order could not be messed up, he had already taken Rachel to bed!


    She red at David with irritation, then took Rachel¡¯s hand and spoke gently, ¡°It¡¯s rare to find a girl as


    lovable as you. I wonder why David has the bliss to meet you.¡±


    David did not speak.


    Upon hearing this, Rachel nced at David sitting beside her, pursing her lips and making an effort to


    suppress the smile that wanted to form. ¡°He¡¯s very aplished, and it¡¯s my good fortune to have met


    him.¡±


    The corners of David¡¯s lips curled up slightly.


    Rachel was still his wife, who knew how to care for him and always defended him.


    Old Mrs. Jones sneered disapprovingly, wanting to question Rachel¡¯s words but finding the reasons


    insufficient.


    If David wasn¡¯t outstanding, he wouldn¡¯t have be the youngest family head of the Jones family in


    history.


    After all, he was personally chosen and groomed by that old man as the heir.


    David¡¯s excellence was evident to everyone.


    However, admitting this and acknowledging his aplishments would make David arrogant. So, Old


    Mrs. Jones decided to add, ¡°He is truly outstanding, but hecks a sense of conscience.¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    This time, Rachel did not know how to refute the statement.


    What David didst night was indeed quite heartless..


    Old Mrs. Jones held her hand and spoke meaningfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that this wretched boy has caused


    you distress.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s gaze flickered slightly.


    This was not the first time she had heard Old Mrs. Jones speak like this.


    Initially, Rachel thought it was humility, then she believed it was genuine concern, but now she couldn¡¯t


    shake the feeling


    that there was more to her words than met the eye.


    Moreover, that exmation in her tone didn¡¯t seem like an act either.


    Gould it be that something unexpected would happen when she was with David?


    It was already noon when Old Mrs. Jones finally got up to leave.


    ¡°It¡¯s already noon, Mrs. Jones. Why not have lunch before you go?¡± Rachel spok¨¦, trying to persuade


    her to stay.


    Old Mrs. Jones smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re such a thoughtful girl, at least you know how to say a word to


    keep me here, unlike someone else.¡±


    As the words fell, she nced at David standing beside her and let out a proud hum, ¡°I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    After watching Old Mrs. Jones leave, the two of them turned and walked away.


    With his arm around Rachel¡¯s waist, David led her toward the room. Suddenly, Rachel paused her


    steps and eximed, ¡°Oh no!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± David¡¯s brows furrowed with concern.


    Rachel looked at him, a hint of frustration in her eyes. ¡°I forgot to ask -Grandma about the


    engagement.¡±


    The engagement had been troubling her all along.


    She couldn¡¯t understand how the Johnson family had any connection to the Johnson family in


    Aureliana. She also couldn¡¯t fathom where the engagement came from or why her mother Sophia¡¯s


    photo appeared in Aureliana. Furthermore, she couldn¡¯tprehend why her grandfather strongly


    opposed her rtionship with David.


    In short, this mysterious engagement had too many unanswered questions.


    Moreover, she felt as if something was pulling her in a certain direction as if there was a force guiding


    her path.


    She was already on the road, but as a traveler, she had no idea what the path beneath her feet


    represented, nor did she know what awaited her at its end.


    ¡°There will be plenty of opportunities in the future,¡± David said.


    Rachel nodded.


    In the afternoon, at four o¡¯clock, the two of them set off from Sandalwood Hills towards Tomb Mountain.


    Legend said that this ce used to be a shooting range andter became an execution ground a long


    time ago. Many death row inmates were executed here, hence the name Tomb Mountain.


    However, this ce was sealed offter on, prohibiting outsiders from approaching.


    It was said that daring individuals had tried to explore it, but for various reasons, they never returned.


    Those who did manage toe out swore never to enter again.


    Rumors began to spread, with some iming that the mountain was haunted by countless restless


    spirits, causing those who entered to be trapped and wandering on the mountain. Others imed to


    have heard the roars and howls of wild beasts, specting that those who ventured inside were


    devoured by these creatures. There were even those who believed that it served as a secret facility for


    conducting human experiments.


    Upon mentioning Tomb Mountain, people instinctively felt a sense of aversion fueled by the various


    rumors and spections surrounding it.


    However, Rachel had some suspicions in her heart.


    Sensing her gaze, David tilted his head and looked at her. ¡°What do you want to say?¡±


    Rachel lightly pursed her lips, her eyes flickering with a subtle gleam of cunning. ¡°I suppose Tomb


    Mountain was appropriated by you many years ago?¡±


    The so-called rumors were likely intentionally spread by David to create an air of mystery and


    discourage curiosity about Tomb Mountain


    David raised an eyebrow and did not speak.


    However, his silence undoubtedly confirmed all of Rachel¡¯s guesses.


    After getting out of the car, Rachel surveyed her surroundings.


    The entire mountain was covered in dense vegetation, like a mysterious veil that ordinary people


    couldn¡¯t see through.


    She gently closed her eyes and tilted her head, feeling the sunlight filtering through the leaves and the


    dappled warmth on her face.


    At that moment, David¡¯s voice sounded in her ear, ¡°Do you want to continue walking with me?¡±

 Chapter 861

    Chapter 861


    Chapter 861


    David¡¯s words were cleverly spoken, carrying a deep meaning.


    At this moment, it was as if he was inviting Rachel to journey together, offering her a choice.


    Rachel looked at David¡¯s extended hand. She then reached out her hand without hesitation and said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.


    When her hand met David¡¯s palm, his hand closed tightly, securely enveloping her delicate and soft


    hand.


    The warmth from David¡¯s palm seeped through her slightly cool fingertips like a gentle and small warm


    stream slowly flowing into the depths of her heart.


    Rachel looked up at him.


    Their gazes met unexpectedly, and gentle smiles filled their eyes.


    Their fingers intertwined, silently pledging amitment to walk hand in hand through the rest of their


    lives.


    After walking for a while, David led Rachel to a metal gate embedded within the mountainside.


    The facial recognition system at the door automatically activated after recognizing David¡¯s face.


    Not long after, a man in training attire approached. His eyes flickered slightly upon seeing Rachel, and


    he respectfully called out, ¡°Sir.¡±


    David nodded slightly and turned to look at Rachel. ¡°This is Tony, the head of the research facility.¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Tony appeared pleasantly surprised. ¡°Greetings, Miss Grey.¡±


    The three of them walked side by side, passing through a long air-raid tunnel. Suddenly, the area


    ahead opened up, resembling arge bunker.


    There were three entrances in different directions ahead, each guarded by personnel and equipped


    with strict security systems. One could imagine the tragic oue if someone forced their way into this


    ce.


    Three minutester, they arrived at the central control room.


    In front of the central control room, there was arge floating screen on the wall.


    Here, they could not only observe the progress of work in different areas but also monitor the external


    environment. Rachel watched as Tony sat at theputer desk, his fingers swiftly tapping on the


    keyboard. She became somewhat engrossed in watching him.


    Including Yann, whom she had just met, Rachel had now seen five of David¡¯s assistants.


    She had initially thought that these individuals were primarily responsible for David¡¯s personal security,


    but what she witnessed today was beyond her expectations.


    ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± a deep voice resonated in Rachel¡¯s ear.


    Rachel snapped out of her thoughts and turned to look at David, then nodded towards the group of


    people sitting in front of theputers in the lower right corner of the control room. ¡°Are they the


    personnel in charge of the information intelligencework?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said David.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Just then, the door to the control room was pushed open, and a woman walked in from outside, calling


    out, ¡°David!¡±


    The woman was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit that entuated her alluring figure, and her dark hair


    was tied up in a high ponytail.


    With her enchanting figure and overly striking face, the woman became an attention-grabbing presence


    that was hard to ignore.


    Upon hearing the woman¡¯s voice, Tony¡¯s face instantly turned displeased, and he sternly reprimanded


    her, ¡°How many times have I told you? You need to knock before entering!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot,¡± the woman coquettishly replied, but her gaze kept drifting towards David.


    Noticing Rachel standing next to David, a hint of hostility involuntarily seeped into her eyes as she


    looked at Rachel.


    Sensing the woman¡¯s gaze, Rachel lifted her eyes to look back.


    Their gaze met for only a brief moment before the woman averted her eyes and turned her attention to


    David. She had a bright smile on her face. ¡°Sir, why did you suddenlye here without giving me


    advance notice?¡±


    Initially, Rachel didn¡¯t pay much attention to the woman in front of her. However, that woman looked at


    David with an infatuated and captivated expression, which showed her interest in him.


    For a moment, Rachel¡¯s gaze toward the woman couldn¡¯t help but be more scrutinizing.


    Tony stood up and scolded, ¡°Hailey, watch your manner!¡±


    Noticing Rachel¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, Tony felt a pang of unease. He approached her and offered an


    exnation, ¡°I apologize, Miss Grey, for my sister¡¯s behavior. This is my sister, Hailey. She has been by


    my side since we were young, and she mayck some manners. I hope you can overlook it.¡±


    Rachel withdrew her gaze and smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just that the two of you have different


    personalities.¡±


    One abided by the rules, while the other¡­ seemed to have forgotten her ce.


    David tightened his grip on Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°Would you like to take a walk outside?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Rachel.


    As they left, Rachel faintly heard Hailey whispering, ¡°Who is that woman? Why did Sir bring her here?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Rachel lowered her eyelids, her lips curved slightly, revealing a subtle and chilly


    smile.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± David¡¯s deep voice sounded.


    Rachel lifted her gaze and looked at him, extending her finger to lightly trace his jawline, silently gazing


    at his exquisite and captivating face. ¡°You have an irresistibly captivating appearance.¡±


    That was why he could allure other women.


    David went speechless.


    Rachel slowly lowered her finger, hooking it around his cor and pulling him closer to her face. She


    spoke with a serious expression, ¡°Stop fooling around with other women when you¡¯re outside.¡±


    ¡°Fooling around?¡± David raised an eyebrow slightly.


    -Rachel gave him a faint nce, her eyes and brows lightly narrowed. ¡°Isn¡¯t attracting other women


    considered fooling around?¡±


    ¡°To be precise, I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± David replied, reaching out his finger to tuck away a stray strand of


    hair behind her ear. He leaned down and lightly pecked her lips, saying, ¡°You know I have a special


    affection for you. I¡¯ve given my entire being to you.¡±


    Rachel became speechless.


    A faint blush appeared on her fair cheek, and she couldn¡¯t help but re at him with annoyance.


    Hailey, who was following behind, watched the couple in front of her flirting and teasing each other. She


    clenched her teeth in secret and her eyes were filled with jealousy.


    That woman looked like a cunning woman.


    She really did not know what Sir saw in her!


    After a while, they passed through the mountain and arrived at a forest at the back.


    This forest area is being used as a training ground, and there are several teams of people and horses


    undergoing training at the moment.


    After observing for a while, Rachel suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°So their training task for today is¡­


    getting beaten up?¡± David nced at Tony, who instantly understood what he meant. ¡°These are all


    recruited strong individuals from various ces. Only the most extreme and brutal training methods


    can test their limits.¡±


    Rachel nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly as she noticed the drones hovering overhead.


    ¡°Surveince drone?¡±


    Tony said, ¡°Anyone who is found by the drone will be immediately eliminated.¡±


    Rachel raised an eyebrow, finding this training method somewhat familiar.


    At that moment, Tony received a message through his earpiece. His brows furrowed slightly, and he


    walked over to David, speaking in a low voice, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s an issue in the design department. They


    would like you to take a look.¡±


    David pursed his lips, then nced at Rachel. ¡°Would you like toe with me?¡±


    ¡°You go ahead,¡± Rachel said as she turned to look at the surrounding forest. ¡°The scenery here is


    beautiful, and I want to take a walk by myself.¡±


    David hesitated for a moment, seemingly reluctant to leave Rachel alone. However, seeing her


    insistence, he nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡±


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